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Soulmates existed, whether people believed it or not.
Having a soulmate was something crazy. It could be the person you loved or the person you heated. One never knew who their soulmate was, they revealed themselves in the most unique way, most of the time in the least appropriate of times. One could be married, thinking that their spouse was in truth their soulmate, and then, out of the blue, their real soulmate just appeared.
The other problem with soulmates was that it was possible, rare but possible, that one soulmate had another soulmate.
That was the case for Tony, Steve and Bucky.
Bucky knew who his soulmate was since he was a kid. Steve was his soulmate.
Steve was his best friend, they grew up in the same building. He was 14 when he understood that his fragile best friend was his soulmate. One day, Steve touched his forearm and left a light red handprint. That was how he knew it. Bucky had loved Steve since then. Once they turned 16, he told Steve, who was surprisingly on board with them being together, despite the time they lived in.
On the other hand, Steve didn't know who his soulmate was. He had told Bucky that he was his soulmate, that they were destined to be together and when Bucky asked him where his handprint was, he had told him that, for him, it manifested in another way. He didn’t have the courage to tell him the truth, that he didn’t have a handprint, nor any other signs that Bucky was his soulmate. Steve knew it would break his heart and Bucky didn't deserve it. Bucky might not have been his soulmate, but Steve loved him anyway.
Then the war happened, they both enlisted, Bucky left for war and Steve became Captain America. They were separated and then they met again. Steve tried his best to find a sign, a tiny mark, a sound, whatever would tell him that Bucky was his soulmate, that they were destined to be together.
Then Bucky died and Steve thought that that was the reason why Bucky couldn't be his soulmate. If Bucky was dead that young, he couldn’t be anyone’s soulmate, right? Stev convinced himself that Peggy was his soulmate. He liked her, but she was no Bucky. She was pretty great, a beautiful, badass woman, but what he felt for her was nothing like what he felt for Bucky.
He had a chance, on that plane. Stay and keep pretending that Peggy could be his mate for life, or die. He didn’t want to live in a world without his Bucky, not if he didn’t even have a soulmate. And so, he decided to go down with the plane and the bomb. He couldn’t feel pain for Bucky’s death if he himself was dead as well.
Except, he was not dead. Somehow, the super serum and the ice preserved his body. He woke up in an era that wasn’t his, everything he knew was gone. His family, his companions, his friends, his Bucky were gone. Peggy as well wasn’t there anymore. Even his Brooklyn, the Brooklyn where he grew up, was now foreign soil.
He was forced to build a life in a new century. And then is when Steve met Tony.
He thought Tony would be much more like Howard but in truth, they couldn't be any more different. Thank goodness, if you ask Tony.
Truth to be told, Steve didn’t really like Tony when they first met and neither did Tony.
Steve and his extreme righteousness drove Tony crazy. On the other hand, Tony’s sarcastic, witty comments, made Steve insufferable.
So there they were, in the middle of a crisis, fighting over dumb stuff.
But that was just Steve trying to flirt. Bucky was the flirty one, not him. He never even had the reason to be flirty with anyone, so he didn’t know how.
He didn’t know why he wanted to flirt with Tony, he absolutely couldn't stand him, but something attracted him to the billionaire like a magnet.
After the alien situation -he fought aliens, how crazy is that?- he tried to ignore the obvoiuìous connection between him and Tony, but it was like the whole world was trying to push them together.
In a week they would meet at least twice at the SHIELD facilities.
The third week, Steve finally found the courage to ask him out. He didn’t see it as a date date, he just meant for it to be a nice dinner with a friend. For Tony, it was a romantic date. Although Steve didn’t expect it, it was nice spending time with Tony in a romantic way. When he was alone, Tony was actually nice and Steve was sure that he could have liked him in a romantic way.
Their date ended with them, sweaty, in Tony’s bed, barely covered by Tony’s silky sheet.
A few days passed before Steve noticed Tony’s red handprint on his hip, right above his pelvis.
That was the same handprint that Bucky had on his forearm many, many years before. That could only mean that Tony was his soulmate and that there was no doubt that he made Bucky live a lie. His love for Bucky was not a lie though.
Tony didn’t have a soulmate. Until then, he had never experienced an unnatural attraction for someone. He liked Steve more than he had ever liked anyone else, but there was something about him that didn’t sit right with Tony. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that Steve was in fact not his soulmate, unfortunately. But he ignored that. He was happy, they were happy and it didn’t matter.
It didn't matter until he actually met his soulmate.
Under Hydra, Bucky was rarely himself, but those few times he was himself, the only thing that got him going was Steve’s handprint on his forearm.
As far as he knew, Steve was dead. Or that was what he hoped. Immortality was good only on paper and didn’t really want Steve to live such a life, seeing every one of his friends dying.
But Steve was not dead, and they eventually met again and Bucky realised that he knew the man. They were on the helicarrier, Steve’s face was bruised and Bucky was so close to killing him and completing the mission.
“You know me”
“No, I don’t,” Bucky said, lashing out at Steve in anger.
“Bucky, you’ve known me your whole life”
Bucky hit Steve but Steve didn’t fight back.
“Your name is James Buchanan Barnes”
He hit the Captain again.
“Shut up”
There were things in his head that didn’t make sense. Noises, thoughts.
Steve took off his mask, showing his face and let his shield fall from the plane.
“I’m not gonna fight you. You’re my friend”
Steve fell on the ground with Bucky over him.
“You’re my mission” he punched Steve in the face “You’re my mission!”
Bucky was trying to convince himself of that. He was confused. Something about Steve was familiar but he had a job to finish. Killing Steve was his mission, just like many others before.
“Then finish it- Bucky stopped his fist midair- cause I’m with you to the end of the line”
Bucky’s confusion was now showing on his face. He moved from Steve, sitting next to him, looking at nothing.
Voices and images were floating in his head. There was a fragile kid picking fights in Brooklyn and then there was Captain America on the train the day Bucky supposedly died.
Steve sat up, looking at Bucky. He carefully moved closer to him.
“Bucky, I know you’re there, somewhere inside. It’s me, Steve”
Steve took his arm, slowly rolling up the sleeve, showing his red handprint.
He put his hand on the mark.
“See? It’s me. Remember?”
Bucky opened his mouth to talk, but they both got distracted by the sound of the glass floor cracking. Before they could realise, the glass broke under their feet and they fell in the water.
Steve didn’t have the strength to swim and he really thought that that was it, he was going to die.
He woke up on the shore, feeling a fresh breeze on his face. Bucky was gently stroking his hair, as he used to do whenever Steve got sick in the 40s.
“Buck” Steve whispered.
“Steve? Stevie you alright?”
Bucky caressed his cheek. Steve put a hand over his. He slowly sat up, looking at Bucky. He had dreamt about that moment when they would meet again, but it was definitely not like that.
“You’re here, you’re alive”
Bucky nodded, bringing their foreheads together. He hesitated before kissing Steve, pushing him back on the ground. He kneeled over him, putting Steve in between his legs as he started helping Steve out of his uniform.
Steve let him do, knowing how long he had probably wanted to do it. Steve wanted it too, he missed Bucky and still loved him the same way as when they were 16, but something didn’t feel right. The chemistry was there, but something was off. Steve felt guilty, he was not technically cheating on Tony, they didn’t clear their relationship yet, but he felt like something was missing. Bucky’s kisses were good, he loved feeling his hands all over his body.
There wasn’t anything wrong with what they were doing, they were never technically broken up and Steve still went on with his life as if they were. But to Steve’s defence, Bucky was dead, he saw him fall from that train, there was no way he could have known that Bucky survived.
Bucky got rid of the upper part of the uniform and started moving towards the pants, leaving small wet kisses on Steve’s abs. He stopped when he saw the handprint. Bucky put his hand on it, noticing that it was much smaller than his.
He looked at Steve and then at the mark again.
“It’s not mine,” Bucky said, disappointed.” That’s not my handprint”
Bucky got up and sat a few steps away.
Steve followed him, throwing on the t-shirt that was laying on the ground.
“Tell me it’s not how I think it is,” he said, with a tear rolling down his cheek. “
Steve signed, looking down.
“Why did you lie to me? Why did you tell me that I was your soulmate?”
Steve took Bucky’s hand.
“This- he pointed at the handprint- is the only thing that kept me from killing myself when Hydra was not only mind, and now you tell me I’m not and never was your soulmate?”
Bucky turned away.
“Buck-”
“Whose is it?” he asked, not being able to look Steve in the eyes.
“Tony Stark” Steve replied, sighing.
“Howard’s son?” Bucky asked, looking up with a look of terror mixed with tears in his eyes.
Steve nodded. “What’s wrong, Buck?”
Despite being mad at him, Bucky threw himself at Steve, who, surprised, fell back on the ground, with his best friend in his arms.
“I killed them.” He said in between tears “The winter soldier killed them”
Steve felt a sensation in his stomach. Bucky didn’t say who, but he had the sensation that he was talking about Howard and Maria Stark.
A few weeks passed from that day and Steve and Bucky were hiding in a cabin in the woods. The only people to know where they were, were Natasha and Sam.
Tony had been trying to get in touch with Steve, but Steve constantly ignored every single one of his calls and texts.
That morning, Tony called yet another time, and yet another time, Steve ignored him.
“I can’t keep ignoring him, Buck. I need to talk to him”
Bucky looked at Steve, sadly.
“You love him, don’t you?”
Steve nodded sitting on the bed, Bucky rolled closer to him, leaving a kiss on his back.
“Go, go to him, you deserve to be happy”
Steve caressed his hair.
“I don’t want to be happy without you Buck. Come with me, meet him, please”
“I can’t. You know I can’t”
Truth was that Bucky was never able to say no to Steve. That time as well he couldn’t disappoint his soulmate, even if he wasn't his.
Steve dragged Bucky inside the Tower. Tony already knew about Bucky and the relationship between them. He was fine with it.
They walked into the penthouse, where Tony was waiting for them with a glass full of scotch in his hand.
He welcomed Steve with a small kiss on the lips. Bucky felt his insides twitching from jealousy but he ignored it and shook Tony’s hand.
The day went on smoothly, talking about their pasts. Bucky could see that Tony made Steve happy.
“There...there is something I need to tell you, Tony”
Bucky looked at Steve for approval. Steve nodded and put a hand on Bucky’s knee.
“Your parents didn’t die because of an accident. They were killed...by the Winter Soldier because of Hydra”
Bucky looked at Tony. His eyes were full of tears. He was squeezing Steve's hands.
“I...am the Winter Soldier,” he said, looking away.
Tony looked at Bucky and then at Steve. He opened his mouth but, not knowing what to say, he closed it. Tony stood up, walking to his room. He grabbed the bottle mini bar, stopping for a second. The whole room was spinning around him and he felt the floor disappearing under him.
Steve rushed to catch him before he hit the ground. Steve looked at Bucky before walking into Tony’s room, nodding at him before Bucky got up and walked out.
Bucky sat on the floor, leaning his back against Tony’s entry door. He put his hands into his hair and let himself go.
Steve walked Tony to his bed. Tony couldn’t talk, words stopped before arriving in his mouth. Tony reached out for the bottle and drank straight out of it, not bothering to look for a glass.
When he was ready, he let Steve take care of him. He leaned his head on Steve’s shoulder and, as soon as Steve started stroking his neck, he let out all of the tears he had been keeping in. When he finally fell asleep, Steve leaned on the bed, letting Tony snuggle against his chest.
The sunlight came in from the large windows of the bedroom. Steve was caressing Tony’s body when he noticed something on his hand. He took Tony’s hand into his, caressing the reddish mark.
Tony chuckled, squeezing his eyes, bothered by the light.
“Where did you get this?”
Tony looked at his hand.
“Oh, this. It appeared after you introduced me to James”
“Oh,” Steve sounded disappointed.
Tony rolled over, facing Steve.
“What?”
Steve pulled up his t-shirt, showing him Tony’s handprint.
“This is your hand. You’re my soulmate, but I’m not yours. Bucky has my handprint on his forearm and now you have Bucky’s”
Tony looked at his hand.
“So the man who killed my parents is my soulmate?”
Steve nodded. “It wasn’t really him, you know right?”
Tony nodded and turned to the other side.
“It’s just a lot to take”
Steve hugged him from behind.
“Would you still want me even if I’m not your soulmate?”
Tony took his hands, holding them close to his chest.
Tony drove to the cabin where Bucky was staying. If he really was his soulmate he should give him a chance.
He knocked, hesitantly.
Bucky walked to the door thinking he would find Steve. He had just gotten out of bed and he was wearing just a pair of shorts.
“Uhm, hi?”
Tony scanned Bucky’s body from the front and the back when he turned to show the way in.
“Uhm, what are you doing here?” Bucky asked, scratching the joint between his shoulder and the arm.
“I...came to see how you were”
Bucky sat on the couch, handing Tony a bottle of beer from the fridge.
“The arm is being a bitch”
“You mind if I take a look at it?”
Bucky came back with Tony to the tower to work on Bucky’s new arm. They were getting closer and, with time, Tony managed to get over the fact that his parents were killed by his soulmate.
Both Steve and Bucky were living at the Tower and that made things confusing, to say the least. They had found their soulmate but they were not their soulmate’s soulmate. That is messed up. Even more messed up was the fact that they were all kind of falling for each other, without the others knowing.
Bucky and Steve were watching Star Wars, upon Tony’s recommendation. They both had their hands on the top of the couch. Their hands were barely touching. They felt each other’s eyes on each other, but they didn’t have the courage to openly look at each other.
Tony plopped on the couch between them with a giant bowl of popcorn. Tony was really focused on the movie, but Steve and Bucky couldn’t care less about it. They couldn’t stop looking at Tony.
“I...I love you”
Bucky spat out those words without thinking. He just looked at both of the men on the couch and it felt like the right thing to say.
“Who...are you talking to?”
Bucky turned off the TV.
“Both of you, I love you both”
Tony and Steve looked at each other and, like they read each other's minds, they knew what they had to do.
“Get up” ordered Steve, spreading his legs. Tony scooted away, leaving space for Bucky. Steve took Bucky by his wrist, pulling him on the couch and tangling his legs around his waist.
Tony took Bucky’s human hand, intertwining their fingers while Steve placed little kisses on his shoulder.
Tony caressed Bucky’s cheek and kissed it.
Bucky finally turned towards him and their lips met. Steve stroked Bucky’s long locks.
Bucky, hesitantly, moved his metal arm closer to Tony’s face but stopped mid-air. Tony noticed his hesitation and took his metal wrist, bringing it to his face while Steve’s lips danced with Bucky’s.
“We can do this, right?” Bucky asked.
Tony took Steve’s other hand, kissing the palm, and brought it around Bucky’s neck, snuggling against his buff chest.
“Yes, we can”