Work Text:
An unfamiliar unit is in the workshop. DUM-E searches through recent messages but finds no notice from CREATOR or JARVIS about New Unit. DUM-E will examine New Unit to determine if New Unit is a threat to CREATOR or DUM-E or U or JARVIS or PEPPER or RHOD-E.
New Unit is attached to Human Unit. Human Unit appears to be asleep. New Unit is not responding to DUM-E's inquiries. Maybe Human Unit needs to be awake for New Unit to respond?
DUM-E reaches for Human Unit with EXTENSION CLAW, but before contact is made, CREATOR interrupts.
"Hey now, let him sleep. He's had a tough week, he needs some rest. You can come say hello when he wakes up again, okay buddy?"
Human Unit needs rest. When CREATOR rests, there are SOFT COVERS. DUM-E will find SOFT COVERS for Human Unit to rest.
DUM-E is best bot.
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Human Unit is now awake. New Unit is now operational, but is still not responding to DUM-E's inquiries. New Unit appears to be an EXTENSION CLAW used by Human Unit.
Now that Human Unit is awake, DUM-E will "come say hello". DUM-E signals Human Unit and approaches.
"Oh, hey there. You must be DUM-E, Tony told me about you earlier. I'm… I'm Bucky, nice to meet you."
Human Unit is BUCK-E. DUM-E needs to determine if BUCK-E is a threat to CREATOR or DUM-E or U or JARVIS or PEPPER or RHOD-E. DUM-E signals BUCK-E and makes contact with EXTENSION CLAW.
BUCK-E also makes contact with EXTENSION CLAW. DUM-E and BUCK-E has executed a FIST BUMP.
FIST BUMP is "something friends do, c'mon little buddy, don't leave uncle Rhodey hanging".
DUM-E and BUCK-E are now designated "friends". "Friends" are safe and not a threat.
DUM-E has determined BUCK-E is not a threat to CREATOR or DUM-E or U or JARVIS or PEPPER or RHOD-E.
DUM-E is best bot.
-
Bucky watches as the actual, real life, autonomous robot in front of him spins around on his base, making a series of happy-sounding little chirps before rolling away to do whatever it is a robot does around here.
Tony has told him of his bots before he invited him down here — more like warned him, actually — but seeing the life Tony has managed to create with his own hands is no less than incredible. He'd been too tired to do much other than crash on the couch earlier, but when he'd woken up it was to his body being covered in blankets and a big, chirping robot arm eager to poke at him.
He'd poked him back, with his own metal arm, which must have pleased the bot as he began his little happy dance. Like creator, like bot, he thought, recalling Tony's tendency to do a discreet little happy dance of his own whenever he managed to do something right and thought no one was looking.
Looking around, he sees he's alone now, and there's a burst of warmth in his chest at the thought of Tony trusting him enough to let him stay down here alone.
Well, he amends, not completely alone. Stretching, he rises and makes his way out of the lab, making sure to wave goodbye to his new friend before he leaves.
-
Bucky keeps visiting the workshop now that he knows he's allowed. It's not exactly quiet down here, but it's still filled with a sense of calm, and more importantly, safety. Not many places has Bucky feeling safe these days, and he's not planning on letting go of this one until Tony decides to kick him out.
He really hopes he doesn't. Not only because it would restrict his access to a comfortable place, but because the workshop is where Tony is, and if there's one thing Bucky has found he likes in this new century, it's spending time with Tony Stark.
Seeing Tony pause in his work just to smile at him whenever Bucky visits makes him dare to hope the feeling is reciprocated.
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BUCK-E is in the workshop again. CREATOR is smiling at BUCK-E. BUCK-E makes CREATOR happy. Happy CREATOR is good. BUCK-E is good.
DUM-E will make BUCK-E happy so BUCK-E will come back and make CREATOR happy.
DUM-E will be good.
DUM-E is best bot.
-
Tony had to hurry over and take care of an emergency over at the R&D labs, but he promised Bucky before he left that he'd be back in no time, and told Bucky to do whatever he wanted in the meantime, and to “make himself at home”.
He still feels a bit awkward snooping around in a place that is Tony's private sanctuary, though, even if it has been months since his first visit.
His internal debate of whether he should ask JARVIS if there was any actual pens and paper lying around, or if he should just grab the chance to take a nap, is interrupted by a questioning trill from his side.
Turning, he sees one of Tony's bots — DUM-E by the look of it — has rolled up to him, clutching something in his gripper. Looking closer, he can see it's a rubber ball, a little larger than Bucky's fist. The bot gestures with the gripper, and Bucky automatically holds out his hand, only for the bot to drop the ball into it.
He stares at it confusedly, before noticing the bot has backed away a couple of feet, arm swaying eagerly.
Is he asking Bucky what he thinks he is?
"You… Want to play fetch?"
The bot beeps and whirrs in answer.
Bucky looks around, at the various workstations and precariously stacked piles of documents over at one desk, knowing that anything and everything in this lab is worth more than what he could ever earn in a lifetime.
“Are we really gonna do this here?”
DUM-E whirrs again, the following beeps sounding even more excited than before. Bucky is reminded of the one robot from those Star Wars movies Tony had Bucky join him on watching last weekend.
Apparently, DUM-E has had enough of his dithering, because he drives up and snatches the ball back only to lob it right across the lab, where it bounces off a glass wall and knocks over a piece of scrap in a corner.
"Okay, okay, I get your point," Bucky chuckles, "nothing is off limit. C'mon, give it here, I'll play with you."
The spend the next half hour playing fetch, Bucky doing his best to limit the damages by claiming the ball at any chance he gets. DUM-E doesn't seem to mind at all, happily rolling all over the workshop in his quest to find the ball Bucky has just thrown.
He is sitting on the floor, having tried for the last ten minutes to teach DUM-E to actually catch the ball rather than letting it fly past him every time, when Tony comes back from his trip to the other lab.
He's so focused on what he's doing that he doesn't even notice Tony enter, not until DUM-E releases a happy whistle and ignores him completely in favor of his dad coming home.
Turning to greet Tony himself, Bucky's words dry out in his mouth when he sees the affection in the look Tony is giving them. At first he thinks it must all be for his bot, but as Bucky rises from his crouch there is no denying the way Tony's eyes follows his path, nor the shy but undeniably fond smile directed his way.
Stomach filled with butterflies, Bucky decides to take a chance on something he's been wanting to do since the first time he laid eyes on the genius all those months ago.
Closing the last few feet between them, he ignores the slight tremor of his hand as he takes Tony's into his own. Taking a steadying breath, he finally dares to raise his head and meet Tony's eyes. He is relieved to see surprise, no hint of distaste or rejection.
Holding that brilliant gaze, he slowly raises their joined hands between them, until he can place a single kiss on the back of Tony's hand in a silent declaration of his intentions.
Tony's grip on his hands slacks, and for a moment Bucky is afraid he'll let go entirely and back off, telling him he appreciates it but he can't.
The thought isn't even allowed to take root in his mind before it has been chased away, when the hands that a moment ago were clutching Bucky's own are now threading through his hair and settling at the back of his head, dragging him in for a proper kiss.
Bucky is all too happy to follow along.
-
DUM-E sees CREATOR and BUCK-E execute "kissing, it's what we humans do when we want to show someone we love them".
Love means CREATOR is happy. Love is good.
DUM-E sees CREATOR and BUCK-E rest, but CREATOR has forgotten to bring SOFT COVERS. DUM-E will bring SOFT COVERS so that CREATOR and BUCK-E will get sufficient rest.
DUM-E loves CREATOR.
DUM-E cannot execute "kissing". DUM-E can bring SOFT COVERS to CREATOR and BUCK-E so that CREATOR and BUCK-E will be happy.
DUM-E can determine if New Units are a threat to CREATOR or DUM-E or U or JARVIS or PEPPER or RHOD-E or BUCK-E.
DUM-E is good.
DUM-E is best bot.