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Bucky’s leading him through a careful instruction on how to be sure the grooves and plates of his prosthetic are thoroughly cleaned when Steve comes looking for them. Tony’s not sure how long the blonde had been standing in the doorway of the workshop before they notice him, but they both look up when Steve clears his throat. Bucky sets down the tools, and Tony starts putting them away.
“Hey, Stevie. Did we miss our alarm?”
The smile on Steve’s face is soft and fond.
“Only by a couple minutes. Thor’s just finished cooking. It actually smells pretty good.”
Thor had, to everyone’s surprise, taken a shine to cooking meals since giving over leadership of New Asgard to Valkyrie. And despite growing up with what was likely close to an army of cooks and kitchen staff, the thunder god seemed to have a talent of his own in the kitchen. He had cooked mostly small meals for one or two of his fellow Avengers so far, and this was his first foray into a full family meal.
Tony shifts to stand, knowing he has to give himself ample time to prep his body, but Steve is there at his side before he has to put forth too much effort. Years ago, he would have rebuffed the need for assistance. But letting others, especially the people who care about him the most, help him without being concerned about the hit to his pride is something he’s been hard at work on with his therapist. And being Tony’s crutch, for lack of a better word, has been the focal point of his recovering relationship with Steve. Steve likes to feel needed by Tony, and Tony needs to know that Steve cares.
Having Bucky as a bridge between their differences has been almost as helpful.
He leans gratefully against Steve’s bulk, smiling down at Bucky when the brunette snags his right hand and presses a quick kiss to the metal palm before letting go. To his left, Steve pouts dramatically.
“Where’s mine?”
Bucky huffs and rolls his eyes, reaching for Steve’s hand that isn’t wrapped around Tony’s waist. He dips his head, looking for all the world like he’s going to repeat the process and drop a kiss onto the back of it. But instead, he sticks out his tongue and drags it over the back of Steve’s hand like the child they all know he really is.
Steve yelps, tugging his hand away and swatting at Bucky, who cackles and dances out of reach, knowing Steve won’t chase after him when he’s holding Tony close. “Jesus, Buck! That’s disgusting. What would your ma say if she saw you still goin’ around lickin’ people?”
The former assassin just shrugs, a cheeky smile still on his face as he gets close enough to steal a giggling Tony away from Steve and tuck him against his own side.
“She probably wouldn’t be as scandalized as she would be if you told her what else I’ve been lickin’.”
The two brunettes nearly collapse with laughter as they make their way into the elevator, leaving a sputtering and red-faced Steve behind.
FRIDAY opens the elevator for them on the communal floor of the rebuilt compound, and they’re immediately hit with a wave of unfamiliar smells that make Tony’s mouth water. “Damn, Steve wasn’t kidding when he said it smelled good.”
Bucky steers them toward the dining room where most of the others who are currently on world and in town are already seated. Clint’s daughter’s visiting today, as is Scott’s. The two teenagers have their heads bent together in whispered conversation over their phones in between their dads. Hope’s on Scott’s other side, one arm around the back of his chair while she chats with Pepper across the table. Rhodey sits to Pepper’s right, and Tony can see them holding hands under the table. Bucky takes the open seat next to Pepper, guiding Tony to the chair to his left. Tony’s been noticing that they’ve unconsciously started sitting like that on a regular basis: Tony always to Bucky’s left, metal arm to metal arm.
There’s an unspoken agreement between all of them that the empty chair to Clint’s left is always left open.
The elevator dings, signaling Steve’s belated arrival. He takes the seat at Tony’s left just as Thor and Bruce start carrying in dishes loaded down with food. Everything looks amazing, and smells even better. Most of it is unfamiliar, so Tony suspects most of it is traditional or at the very least typical Asgardian fare. But it all smells like heaven, so he takes a little bit from each plate as they get passed around.
As they all settle in to eat, conversation flows easily around and over him. Tony is content to eat his fill without contributing anything, basking in the warmth that being surrounded by his family provides.
Every so often, his eyes will stray to the empty seat across the table, Nat’s visible absence a reminder of what they’ve lost. The loss resonates in his chest, but it’s soothed when Steve’s fingers close around his own. The blonde leans close, dropping his voice so only Tony can hear.
“You okay, sweetheart?”
The endearment sings in his blood, and Tony offers him a soft smile. They’re still recovering, still relearning each other after so much hurt between them, but Steve is still as in tune to him as he ever was. Tony brings their entwined hands up and presses a kiss to Steve’s knuckles. His smile widens as Steve’s cheeks color.
“Nothing gets past Captain America, huh?”
Steve snorts and rolls his eyes, but there’s fondness and love written all over his face as he squeezes their hands together. Bucky leans back so he can catch Steve’s eye from behind Tony.
“Better not be makin’ goo-goo eyes at my fella, Rogers.”
Both of Steve’s eyebrows go up and gently tugs Tony toward him, making the brunette chuckle. “He was my fella first, Barnes. So I’ll make whatever eyes I like at him.”
Tony’s still giggling between them as the two super soldiers mock glare at each other. Down the table, Rhodey leans forward and gives them both an I’m watching you look. “I had him before the both of you, so don’t make me come over there and snatch him right back.”
Both men sit up straight like they’re in the principal’s office, which just makes Tony collapse into a louder fit of giggles, nearly falling off of his chair. The rest of the table joins in as well, laughter filling the room as Bucky and Steve turn bright red. It settles after a few minutes, and Tony presses a kiss to the cheek of first one of his lovers, and then the other.
Conversation picks back up around them, and Tony watches each person seated at the table in turn. Despite everything that’s happened to this group as a whole, those they’ve lost and regained or lost for good, the majority of them are still standing. And they’re stronger together for what they’ve been through. Things between him and Steve aren’t perfect, but they’re getting closer and closer every day. And there’s a part of him that thinks their dynamic together is better and stronger than it ever was before with Bucky.
Tony turns sideways in his chair, reaching out to take Bucky’s metal hand in between both of his own. He presses a kiss to the cool metal, then tucks it against his own cheek and looks up at the other brunette. “Thank you.”
Bucky raises an eyebrow in confusion, but the soft smile on his face doesn’t waver. “For what, doll?”
“For loving me. For loving Steve. For bringing out the best parts in both of us.”
“Hell, sweetheart. Easiest thing I’ve ever done, lovin’ the two of you.”
He feels Steve crowd up against his back, and the blonde wraps one arm around his waist. The other he holds out to Bucky, who takes it without hesitation, blue eyes watery as they bounce between the two men. Steve presses a kiss to the top of Tony’s head.
“Thank you, Tony. For letting me love you again.”
Tony closes his eyes, letting the sounds of his family wash over him. Family. The one thing that he had always wanted, a real family that loves him for exactly who he is. And this crazy, unconventional, mismatched group of people does. They love each other with a warmth and a fierceness that could only be possible in a family forged by fire.
And that love makes every fight, every scar, every hunk of metal he’s forced his body to accept worth it.
Family makes it all worth it.