Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Natasha peered into the recreation room at Avengers Compound, her eyebrows lifting just slightly as she looked at the two men sprawled in front of the giant screen, throwing popcorn at the particularly corny scenes and jeering at the bad science.  She turned her head to look at the man standing over her shoulder.

“Do you think they’ve realized it yet?” she asked with a small smile.

Clint laughed quietly. “Not a chance,” he murmured, throwing an arm over Natasha’s shoulders in a sideways hug.  “For being a genius, Tony’s kind of oblivious. And I don’t think Bucky realizes he’s flirting half the time.”

“Hm,” Natasha made a small noise of agreement, snuggling into Clint’s side for a moment before pulling away and going to pester the two men they’d just been talking about.

Tony looked up and smiled at her, inviting her to watch dumb science fiction with them. Natasha smiled, leaning down and brushing a small kiss across Tony’s forehead before settling herself next to him on the couch, forcing him to scoot over a little closer to Bucky, who just shifted so his left arm draped across the back of the couch, his curled fingers barely brushing Tony’s short strands when the smaller man leaned back, content.

“Hey, you going in or out, man?” A sharp poke between Clint’s shoulder blades. The archer grinned at the man behind him.

“You could just do your little shrinky dink thing and get past me if you wanted to,” he retorted, pointing over his shoulder with his thumb at Natasha and the two oblivious men whose laps she’d thrown her legs across.  “Wanna make a bet on how long it takes them to realize they’re dating?” he asked.

Scott peered past him.  “They’re dating?” he asked, surprised.

Clint just sighed.

Chapter Text

“Friday?”

The AI switched from passive to active mode at the direct query.

“Yes, Sergeant Barnes.  What can I do for you?” she asked, cameras watching as the soldier stood in the middle of the kitchen, balancing two plates in his hands, both filled with sandwiches of various types.

“Uh.” The Sergeant bit his lip, unsure now. Friday waited. “Could you tell me if Tony’s doin’ anything that can’t be interrupted?” he asked.

Friday felt a ripple in her circuits that on a human would be a blink of surprise.  “Boss isn’t currently working on anything that cannot be paused for a short while,” she answered, recalculating what her cameras were showing her.   “You wish to bring Boss food?” she asked, curious.  The only other people who had brought Tony food, other than the bots, were Pepper and Rhodey.  And they hadn’t been at the Compound in nearly two months.

“Um...yes?” Barnes answered, sounding unsure. “I mean, I understand if I can’t, but I didn’t see ‘im at breakfast, and Pepper told me he gets involved in his work sometimes and forgets to eat. That don’t seem right.”

Friday re-evaluated her opinion of their newest resident super soldier, adding another positive to her running list of his influence on Tony.  If the soldier could get Tony to actually stop working and eat, that would be a good thing.  And the fact that he’d checked with her to make sure that Tony wasn’t working on something he didn’t have clearance for, or that otherwise might be dangerous, was also a mark in his favor.

“Boss is in his workshop.  I will notify him of your arrival,” she informed him. Barnes just nodded and thanked her before making his way to the elevator that would take him to Sub-Basement Level Two, where Tony’s workshop was located.

Friday opened the doors immediately, and the man stepped inside.  She remained silent as the elevator moved, coming to a rest at the lowest level of the Compound.  As the doors opened, Barnes stepped out and looked around. “Um...sorry. I’m not familiar with this floor. Could you give me directions?” he asked, sounding almost sheepish.

Friday injected a lilt of amusement into her voice as she replied, “Of course, Sergeant.”  Since Barnes wasn’t an official Avenger, he wasn’t usually privy to the lowest level, which housed the main assembly room and the crime files laboratory in addition to the gear maintenance workshop, which was where Tony could be found most of the time.  Tapping into the Compound’s electrical wiring, she lit a single pathway to the workshop.

Seconds before the soldier rounded the corner, she spoke to Tony.  “Boss, Sergeant Barnes has requested to see you.”

Tony stopped what he was doing and blinked. “Bucky?” he asked, sounding surprised and concerned.  “Why? Is it something I need to be concerned about? Is his arm acting up?”

Friday answered him by opening the doors to the lab, letting Barnes step in with the stacks of sandwiches. “Hey,” he greeted Tony.  “I asked Friday for directions.  I thought maybe you were hungry?” he asked, holding out the plate with a slightly smaller stack of sandwiches on it in Tony’s direction.

Tony blinked at him, then looked at the plate of food blankly for a moment before looking back up and meeting the soldier’s eyes.  “You brought me lunch?” he repeated.

Barnes nodded, looking unsure now. “Yeah. I...should I not have? ‘M sorry. I’ll go if you want, but can I at least leave these here? You might eat them later.”

Tony shook his head, and Barnes’ face fell.  “Nah, I could probably use a break,” Tony admitted.  He grinned up at Barnes. “And since you and I both know I’ll never be able to eat all that, I assume you intend to stay and make sure I finish my meal.”

Barnes blinked, then shook his head, smiling back at Tony. “Nah, sugar,” he drawled, moving closer and checking the workbench for any possible toxic substances before setting one of the plates down in an open space.  “I jus’ thought maybe you’d like some company.” He shifted, looking almost shy. “Also, I heard you talkin’ about that new robot you’re working on. I was wonderin’ if maybe you’d tell me more about it?”

Tony’s eyes lit up.  “You want to hear about my bots?” he asked.

Barnes nodded. “Well, yeah. I mean, DUM-E and You are really cool. And Friday, of course,” he added.

“Thank you, Sergeant,” Friday replied warmly, pleased to have been included.  Most of the Avengers still remembered Jarvis, and Friday sometimes felt that they were disappointed that she wasn’t anything like her predecessor, even though she tried her best to meet everyone’s needs.

“You’re welcome,” Barnes answered her, smiling directly at one of the pinhole cameras.  Friday moved the soldier up a few more notches.  If he kept it up, he was going to end up in the top five of her favorite people.

Tony shoved some small bits and pieces of wiring and metal off the table and gestured for Barnes to take a seat at the other stool.  As soon as Barnes was seated, each of them with a sandwich in hand, Tony started talking.

Barnes didn’t interrupt, but whenever Tony took a breath to eat, he asked another question, which set Tony off again.  It took Tony nearly an hour to finish the three sandwiches Barnes had made for him, but considering he usually didn’t even bother with one, Friday considered that massive progress.  She wondered if she could convince Barnes to bring Tony lunch every day, if he wasn’t out on a call.  She had the feeling he wouldn’t mind a bit, and likely only needed a little bit of encouragement to do so regularly.

As she shifted through her memory banks, she started to make correlations that she hadn’t made before.  Tony smiled more when Barnes was around. Barnes could sometimes tease Tony into relaxing and watching a movie or two instead of locking himself in his workshop by pretending ignorance of the greatness of some of Tony’s favorite shows.  Tony ate when Barnes brought him food, which the soldier seemed only too happy to do. And on and on and on.

When she put together the data, she came to a single conclusion.

Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes was courting her boss.

She wondered if Tony had realized it yet, though previous experience told her that scenario was unlikely.  Well, she supposed it was up to the humans to figure out their own relationships.  But it wouldn’t hurt if she helped it along a little bit, right?

While Tony laughed and chatted happily at Barnes, Friday started a new set of data points.

It was time to figure out if dating Sergeant Barnes would increase Tony’s happiness.

Chapter Text

He’d finally done it. He’d captured not just one, but two of the Avengers.  It was a pity he hadn’t been able to grab the Captain, but Iron Man and the Winter Soldier weren’t a bad consolation prize.  The Cabal was going to have to let him join their ranks after this.

Unfortunately, nothing else was going to plan.  Mostly because Stark and Barnes wouldn’t quit snarking at each other for him to get a word in edgewise.

“Right. You’ve got this,” Stark grouched, glaring over at the Winter Soldier, who was bound with as many chains as they’d had lying around.  Stark, on the other hand, was only tied down by industrial strength zip ties and a pair of padded handcuffs.  He hadn’t asked where the handcuffs had come from.  Some things, it was better not to know.

“I did have it,” Barnes insisted, completely ignoring the villain’s attempts to interrupt them long enough to gloat and tell them of their fates.  “And then you decided to play hero.”

“Play hero?!” Stark spat, incredulous. “I saved your life, you ungrateful ass!”

Barnes snorted. “We both know that shot wouldn’t have killed me,” he snapped.  “So your stupid, reckless, idiotic attempt at blocking it only succeeded in getting us both captured!” he retorted.

“Yes, and I really do appreciate you falling into my trap like that,” he interrupted. He got twin glares for his trouble, and had to catch himself before stepping back.  The two men were tied up; they couldn’t hurt him. 

Barnes was back to growling at his fellow captive.  “If you had just stayed back like I told you to, you could’ve tracked us back to the two-bit villain’s lair and blown the place to smithereens!”

“Hey, now.”  Said two-bit villain wasn’t sure if he was more offended by the insult to his capabilities or the threat of excessive violence.

The two men were still bickering like an old married couple when there was a loud roar and the door to the warehouse was smashed open by giant Hulk-sized fists.

The villain dropped to his knees in surrender as Black Widow herself strode in and bound his hands behind him. She looked at him, then looked at the two men, then gave him a sympathetic smile.  “Next time, maybe gag them first,” she suggested mildly. “Or wear earplugs.”

Stark broke off from his recounting of some incident that nobody else in the room cared about to pout at the redhead.  “But Nat, why would you deprive them of my genius and wit?” he asked.

“Oh, god, please. Just...get a room already, okay?” the villain asked, letting Black Widow lead him out to the waiting SHIELD van, not even the roar of an angry Hulk enough to stop him from escaping.  He wondered if he could cut a deal with SHIELD. He was obviously not cut out for this life of villainy.

An average, non-descript man in a suit eyed them as they approached.  “I take it you didn’t enjoy your time with Stark and Barnes?” he asked, his tone mild.

Natasha answered instead.  “Apparently, the two still haven’t realized they want to jump each other’s bones.” The bad guy made a whimpering sound, scrambling into the van with his hands still bound behind him.

“Ah,” was all the man said before the door closed, leaving him in blessed silence.

Finally.

Chapter Text

“Uh...Doctor Banner? Sir?” Peter asked, careful to announce his presence like Bruce had told him to.  He didn’t think the Hulk would punch him through a wall like he did to Thor, but he didn’t know that for sure, so Bruce - and Tony, actually - had made him promise to announce himself first, either through Friday or before entering a room.

Bruce Banner looked up at him and blinked owlishly for a moment, then gave Peter a small smile.  “Hello, Peter,” he said, tilting his head slightly to the left.  “What can I do for you?”

“Umm, well, it’s not really something important,” Peter said, shuffling his feet as he moved into the lab, trying not to gape at all the various liquids and cultures and written calculations.

“And yet here you are,” Bruce said, his smile widening, though his eyes remained concerned.  “I’m guessing it’s something you couldn’t go to Tony for?”

Peter didn’t hide his grimace far enough, and Bruce’s expression shifted. “Ah. So Tony’s part of the problem,” he surmised.

Peter flushed. “No!” he denied. “Well, I mean, it’s not really a problem, it’s just,” he looked around furtively, like he thought someone might be listening in.  “Is Mr. Stark dating Mr. Barnes?” he asked, wide-eyed.

Bruce didn’t know what he’d been expecting, but it hadn’t been that.  “What makes you ask that?” he wondered, keeping his tone mild.

“Well, it’s just, they’re always together.  I mean, like, everywhere!”

Bruce eyed the boy closely, wondering if Peter was worried for Tony’s safety, or if he was worried that the two men might be more than friends.  “Would it bother you if they were dating?” he asked bluntly, not beating around the bush.

Peter’s eyes widened in surprise, like he hadn’t even considered that possibility, and Bruce felt his shoulders relax.  “No! Oh, god, no! I mean, I think they could be really good for each other. But I just can’t figure it out.  I thought they were dating, but when I congratulated Mr. Stark, he got this funny look on his face, like he had no idea what I was talking about. Mr. Barnes is the same way!”

Bruce felt his mouth curve into an amused smile.  “Well, for what it’s worth, you’re not entirely wrong,” he told Peter.  “But Tony will be the first person to tell you that he has no idea how human relationships are supposed to work.  As for Bucky, I don’t know what all Hydra did to him.”  He had a pretty good idea, and it was enough to make him want to turn a bit green, but he didn’t know how Bucky’s time as Hydra’s pet prisoner had affected his ability to relate to people.

Peter considered that, then nodded, his shoulders slumping with relief.  “Okay, so they aren’t officially dating, but they might as well be, only they haven’t realized it yet.”

“That pretty much sums it up,” Bruce agreed.

Peter thanked him, then left.  Bruce stared after him.

“Friday?” he asked at last.

“Yes, Doctor Banner?” the AI replied, sounding amused.

“Is Peter the last one to notice?”

“Other than the men in question?” Friday sassed. “Yes.”

Bruce just shook his head and got back to work.

Chapter Text

Pepper stared blankly ahead of her for a long moment, processing.  On the other side of the line, Tony sounded anxious.  “Pepper? Pep? Are you still there? Please tell me you’re still there. I kind of need you right now.”

Pepper blinked, shaking her head hard.  “Yes, of course I’m still here, Tony,” she said, the instinct to reassure her former boss and friend still engraved in her psyche.  “I’m just not sure I understand what you’re asking.”  Sitting up behind her, Rhodey wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his chin lightly on her shoulder, pressing a gentle kiss to her neck.

“It’s really not that complicated, Pep,” Tony said, his tone petulant.  Pepper was suppressing her grin, even though Tony couldn’t see it.  “Bucky’s never been on vacation, or to an island, or you know, the beach.  I know we own some islands; there’s no way I wouldn’t, not if they’re for sale.  So I want a list of the islands, as well as a list of pros and cons to each one.”

“So what you’re telling me is that you, Tony Stark, want to take one Bucky Barnes on a getaway to a private island. For a month.”

“Finally!” Tony said, exasperated.  Rhodey muffled his laugh into her shoulder, and she giggled at the tickling sensation.  “Wait...are you with someone now?” Tony sounded horrified. “Oh my god, you’re with Rhodey, aren’t you?”

“Don’t start,” Pepper told him, cutting him off before he could really get started.  “I’ll give you two weeks, but only if you tell me why you want to take him to a private island for a vacation. And I don’t mean that awful excuse about him having never been to the ocean, Tony.  You could take him to any beach you wanted, it doesn’t have to be an island. So spill, and I’ll clear your schedule for two weeks.  Not,” she insisted, “a month.”

Tony whined a little, but answered her. “Okay, so I kind of maybe overheard Steve and Bucky talking about what they wanted to do if they got the time.” In other words, he’d been eavesdropping.  “Steve wants to take his bike across the country, visit all the touristy crap.  I’m pretty sure Nat’s down to go with him.  Bucky said he wanted to go someplace warm with white sands and clear waters and just relax without having to look over his shoulder everywhere he went. Apparently Wakanda and their goats didn’t count.”

Rhodey groaned, and Tony snapped, “I heard that. And don’t think I’m not going to give you shit the next time you come around.”

Rhodey was grinning as he answered, “That’s fine. Just don’t forget I’m going to report it back to Pepper.”

“You two getting together was the absolute worst,” Tony accused, but they could both hear the fondness in his voice.  He really was happy for them, had been since they’d announced that they were dating, actually.

“I’m still not entirely convinced,” Pepper said, “but that’s good enough, I suppose.  You have to attend Friday’s Board meeting at SI, and then I’ll clear your schedule for two whole weeks.  And by attend, I mean you actually have to participate in the meeting. Which means no phone.”

She waited for the protests that normally followed such demands - mostly because Tony could process in about five minutes what took the Board two hours to pick through, and he got bored - but all she got was a, “Promise? Like, as soon as the Board meeting is over, we can leave, right?”

Pepper turned to stare wide-eyed at an equally surprised Rhodey.  “Yes,” she agreed, wondering if she should have held out for a few more seconds.  She might’ve been able to convince him to actually finish a project for SI.  But she’d promised.  She made a note for the future, though.  “I’ll send the list through FRIDAY.”

“Thanks, Pep!” Tony said.  “You’re the best!” There was a short pause. “You’re pretty okay, too, honeybear.”

“Thanks,” Rhodey drawled back, his arms tightening around Pepper’s waist as he laid back down, pulling her with him, giggling. 

Pepper curled up into Rhodey’s side.  “Will that be all, Mr. Stark?” she asked.

“That’ll be all, Miss Potts,” Tony answered back.  “And platypus, you’d better treat her right, you hear me?”

“Hey, how come I’m the only one getting the shovel talk?!” Rhodey demanded in mock outrage.

“Because Pepper scares me,” Tony admitted candidly.  Pepper laughed.

“Goodbye, Tony,” she said, then hung up before he could reply, tossing her phone onto the side table before turning back to her lover.  “So....Tony and Bucky, huh?” she mused, one perfectly manicured nail tracing idle patterns across Rhodey’s chest.

Rhodey cupped her cheek with one hand and urged her down into a gentle kiss.  “I think so,” he agreed, “but I don’t know if Tony actually knows it yet.”

Pepper grinned wickedly. “Yes, well, he is a little bit slow when it comes to relationships,” she grinned.  “But I’m sure he’ll figure it out.”  She gave him another kiss, then made her way down his chest, her nails tracing tickling patterns down his ribs.  “But right now, I’ve got my own boyfriend to worry about.” She grinned. “What do you say? Vacation on a private island?”

The bedroom was quickly filled with laughter, Tony’s two dearest friends hoping for the best for their awkward genius.  And perhaps making a few bets of their own on how long it’d take for him to realize that yes, he was definitely wooing one Bucky Barnes.

Chapter Text

Tony mumbled sleepily to himself as he awoke, burying his face in the pillow. “Sun, no,” he whined, sounding eerily like Clint.

There was a low rumbling chuckle above him, and Tony turned his head and risked the glaring sunlight to peer up at the man sharing his bed. “Why am I dating a morning person again?” he grumbled.

Bucky smiled down at him, his metal hand resting gently on the back of Tony’s head, encouraging him to budge in a little closer. Since this also had the added bonus of blocking out the sun with Bucky’s body, Tony complied happily.  Those metal fingers scratched lightly through his short hair, and Tony sighed, going limp with sleepy pleasure.  “S’good,” he mumbled. “Don’t stop.”

Bucky chuckled again, but didn’t stop, even as he said, “We need to get up and get some breakfast soon, kotenok.”  While Bucky could ignore his body’s wants when it came to food, Tony had worked long and hard to make sure he didn’t, so that meant that if Bucky was suggesting they get up and get breakfast, then he'd probably been waiting for Tony to wake up.

Tony stretched, then flopped over onto his back. "Ugh, fine!" he mock grumbled. "But I'm not eating oatmeal again. And there had better be coffee!"

Bucky's laugh was warm and genuine, and Tony smiled to hear it. As the other man rolled off the bed, Tony did the same, snagging a pair of sleep pants and tightening the string before wandering after Bucky, barefoot and sleepy.

As soon as he walked into the kitchen, Bucky pushed a hot mug of fresh coffee into his hands. Tony groaned appreciatively. “I will definitely give you the best blowjob ever if you keep feeding me like this,” he swore.

Bucky laughed. “Pretty sure it doesn’t get much better than last night,” he said, silver eyes darkening with the memory.

Tony smirked, feeling both pleased and smug.  “Oh, I have so much to show you,” he said happily.

Bucky grinned, opening the fridge and taking a look inside, giving Tony a very nice view as he pulled out eggs, bacon, cheese, and vegetables.  “Omelettes sound good?” he asked. “Bacon and sausage and waffles? Pretty sure I saw a waffle maker th’ other night when we were explorin’.” 

Tony laughed. “All of that,” he agreed, settling himself at the tall counter, gripping his mug of coffee. 

Bucky gave him a mildly exasperated look.  “You wanna maybe help a bit?” he drawled. 

Tony grinned.  “I’m helping by staying out of the way and looking pretty,” he sassed.

“You are very pretty,” Bucky agreed, sliding him over a knife, cutting board, and the vegetables.  “Start chopping.”

Tony gulped down the rest of his coffee and set it on the counter before grabbing the first pepper and starting to chop.  He couldn’t cook to save his life, but he could slice vegetables with the best of them.

By the time the vegetables were done, the waffle batter was ready and the first one was already in the appliance.  Bucky nodded in approval at the vegetables and tossed them in with the eggs in the frying pan, humming a little under his breath.  Tony realized that he’d also replaced his coffee, and he settled in to drink and watch Bucky putter around the kitchen. It was odd seeing the large soldier doing something so domestic, but at the same time, it felt almost right. Like this was who Bucky could’ve been, if it hadn’t been for the war and Hydra and the whole brainwashed assassin thing.

Bucky was a caretaker, and Tony had no qualms about letting himself be pampered and looked after.  It’s not like Bucky was annoying about it. He didn’t nag like Steve, or demand like Pepper.  He just sort of showed up with a plate of food in his hand, and if Tony was busy, he’d set it in a safe spot and let Tony eat it when he was ready.  And if Tony wasn’t busy, he’d keep him company while they ate and talked about whatever crossed their minds.  It was...nice. Yes, nice was the word he was looking for. Easy.

Breakfast was spent in easy camaraderie, the two men content to vaguely plan out their day in between sticky sweet waffles and hot, flavorful omelettes.  Since they’d arrived on the island nearly three days ago, they hadn’t done much more than explore the closest beach and fall into bed together.  The building they were staying in - one of eleven separate buildings that made up the compound - had been fully stocked prior to their arrival, so they hadn’t needed to even go for supplies.

After breakfast, Tony helped wash up, then the two men showered and changed into swim trunks and t-shirts and headed out for the day.  Bucky, who had taken the first shower, grabbed a large picnic basket that he’d apparently prepared while Tony was getting ready.  “Just in case we’re gone longer than we’re thinkin’,” he said at Tony’s sideways look.

Tony shrugged. “I have no plans today,” he replied cheerfully.  “We can spend all day sunbathing if you want! Ooh! Maybe even skinny dipping.” He shot Bucky a mischievous grin, and Bucky smiled back, shaking his head.

“Y’know, when you tol’ me we were goin’ to a tropical island for a few weeks, I wasn’t expectin’ it to be just us,” he told Tony. “Or, rather, I wasn’t expectin’ the island itself to be empty of people except us.”

Tony shrugged unrepentantly.  “What’s the point in owning an island if you can’t have it to yourself?” he wondered.  Then he frowned. “Sorry, did you want other people here? I mean, I know Steve and Nat are on that trip, and Sam went to visit with his sister and nephews, but Clint and Thor would probably be more than happy to come visit if you wanted the company.”

Bucky’s response was to reach out and snag Tony around the waist, pulling him up against his side.  “Nah,” he drawled.  “I jus’ got you to agree to date me, you think I want those chuckleheads ruinin’ our good time?”

Tony pretended to think that over, which got him a mock growl.  He laughed, standing on his toes when Bucky leaned down to give him a quick kiss, which was quickly followed by another.  Bucky shifted, setting down the basket so that he could face Tony properly, hands on either side of his head as he held him still and kissed him, soft and sweet.  Tony moaned into the kiss, his own hands wrapped loosely around Bucky’s wrists, not holding him, but letting him know that he was wanted exactly where he was.

When Tony finally pulled away, Bucky made a grumbling noise of displeasure, but let him go, and Tony smiled. “We’re not to our destination yet, hotshot,” he said.  Bucky sighed, but picked up the picnic basket and gestured for Tony to lead the way. He did so, putting a little extra sway in his hips.

When Tony had first suggested the trip to the island, with just the two of them, Bucky had been uncertain.  But Steve had rolled his eyes at his best friend and told him to, “Quit being a punk. This is the best chance you’re ever gonna get, if you’re not stupid about it.”  Tony hadn’t realized what Steve had been talking about at the time, but Bucky had glared at his best friend and then agreed to go with Tony on an island vacation.

They’d spent the flight in an awkward, tense silence.  Tony had been flying the Quinjet, but he could feel Bucky’s glare drilling into the back of his head.  Apparently - as he’d found out later - Bucky was just nervous, trying to figure out how to ask Tony to be his fella.  Not that Tony had had any clue at the time.  He’d just thought maybe Bucky was still a bit worried about being alone with him, so far away from the others. They’d hashed out their own tangled past ages ago, and Tony had thought the two of them were getting along great, which was why he’d suggested this trip in the first place.

They’d landed just as night was beginning to fall, and Tony had amused himself getting Jarvis set up while Bucky had prowled the perimeter before coming inside. After locking all the doors and checking the layout of the house - Tony hadn’t realized just how many closets there were until Bucky had opened every last one of them to check for intruders or cameras or maybe just toilet paper, who knew with him? - Bucky had come back to the kitchen and thrown together a pasta dish that would make all of Italy jealous.

Later that night, Tony was full and sleepy and the two men were sitting together on the couch, watching something that wasn’t important, and Bucky had asked, seemingly out of nowhere, “Are we dating?”

Tony had opened his eyes at that and frowned up at Bucky, eyebrows furrowed. “I...what? I don’t…are we?” he’d asked. “I mean, I wasn’t aware we were, but if you think we were, then maybe?”

Bucky shrugged, his face flushing a dull red. “I dunno. It’s just...we spend a lot of time together. Eat dinner, jus’ the two of us sometimes. Or lunch. You took me to that coffee place the one morning, and I took you to the street fair. You make me shiny, pretty weapons, and I haul your ass outta rubble.  And now we’re alone together on an island in the middle o’nowhere, because I said I wanted to go someplace I’d never been before. Sounds kinda like,” he grimaced, “boyfriends to me.”

Tony made a grimace. “Ugh. Boyfriends. Juvenile,” he complained, but he couldn’t really deny that the idea pleased him. And the more he thought about it, the more instances he could recall that could definitely be considered date-like.  He groaned. “Clint’s never gonna let this go.”

Bucky chuckled. “Neither is Sam,” he admitted, though he didn’t seem bothered by that. “So? Dating?” he prompted.

Tony considered that, then nodded.  “Sure, let’s make it official.” He smiled up at Bucky.  “What’s the saying? You want to be my fella?” he asked.

Bucky’s eyes widened, and his flush deepened, and Tony couldn’t resist.  Besides, they were dating officially now, right? So it was fine.

He leaned up and kissed Bucky, who kissed him right back.

Things had progressed from there, and now here they were the next day, on a casual stroll down a long stretch of beach, carrying a picnic basket and a bag filled with towels and sunscreen, on their first official “date”.

Tony had no idea what constituted a perfect spot for a trip to the beach, so he just walked until Bucky called to him to stop, looking around before nodding in satisfaction.  Leaving Bucky to set up their things, Tony wasted no time shucking his sandals and heading down towards the water, the ocean cool against his feet.  He waded in until the water was up to his waist before he stopped, turning around and grinning at Bucky, who had stripped off his t-shirt and was prowling down the sandy beach towards him.

Tony grinned. “Come on in, the water’s fine!” he called, waiting until Bucky was within a foot of him before slapping a handful of water at him.  Bucky startled backwards, then blinked at him, water dripping off his hair and down his shoulders and chest.  Tony splashed him again, then pressed in close.

“So,” he purred, arms wrapping around slick shoulders, “is this everything you thought it would be? Sandy beaches, clear water.  Me.”

Bucky reached down and lifted Tony up out of the water, making him yelp and cling to him, legs wrapped around his waist and arms around his neck. He smirked up at Bucky.  “It’s even better,” he said solemnly.  “Got myself a new fella, after all.”

Leaning in, he happily kissed the laughter from Tony’s lips.