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-Pepper
“Hi, are you here to pick up a student?”
Bucky smiled at the redhead behind the front desk of the high school where Tony worked. Her locks weren’t as fiery red as Natasha’s and she had a spattering of light freckles across her cheeks. She looked nice.
“No, actually. Tony told me to meet him here so we could grab some lunch together. Tony Stark?”
She would know Tony, right? He was the science teacher here. It wouldn’t be weird to meet him here. Bucky didn’t even want to go further into the school. He was perfectly happy waiting for his brand-new boyfriend right here in the office. Trying to wade through a sea of pubescent teens didn’t sound like his idea of a good time.
“Oh,” she said, her tone suddenly developing just a bit of a bite. “You must be Bucky, then.”
Shit, was this some kind of ex-girlfriend? Bucky already knew that Tony wasn’t one to pick and choose between genders. He was all about ‘equal opportunity love,’ as he liked to call it. But if she was just some ex then how would she know about Bucky?
“Um, yes?”
She pat a small stack of papers neatly together before stapling it with what Bucky thought was a bit more force than necessary.
“He’s been talking about you a lot lately,” she said with a faux casual air. “I’ve heard all about you. I’m Pepper, by the way.”
Bucky blinked, a bit taken aback.
“Pepper? You’re Pepper? As in Tony’s-pretty-sure-you-hung-the-stars-and-the-moon-Pepper?”
She snorted.
“Nice to know he thinks so highly of me, I suppose. Tony means a lot to me, you know.” Her eyes lifted to hold Bucky’s gaze. “I don’t want to see him hurt again.”
“I won’t, ma’am. I swear it.”
-Rhodey
Bucky was surprised when a man with dark skin opened the door to Tony’s apartment. His spine tensed, his hand curling like it wanted to grab the pistol at his back. Had an enemy somehow found out about his relationship with Tony? God, he’d never forgive himself if something happened to the genius because of him.
“Who are you? Where’s Tony?”
The man glared at him and didn’t move out of the doorway.
“Changing for the umpteenth time. I’m Detective James Rhodes, NYPD.”
Suddenly, Bucky wasn’t sure whether he should be alarmed or relieved. In his line of work, detectives glaring at him generally meant not good things.
“Tony and Pepper have both spoken very highly of you, Detective Rhodes. I was hoping I’d get to meet you soon.”
Which wasn’t strictly true. Bucky had actually been worried about meeting Tony’s best friend, convinced Rhodes would figure out what he did for a living just by looking at him. The detective glanced over his shoulder as if to check whether or not Tony would suddenly appear and then stepped in close, getting right up into Bucky’s space.
“Keep in mind that I’m a cop, and that means I know how to make a body disappear in this town. Anybody hurts Tones, you let me know, okay? He won’t tell me a damn thing.”
Bucky gulped, feeling a little trill of fear but also appreciating the show of loyalty.
“Yes, sir.”
Rhodey grinned at him, all malice disappearing.
“Good! Now get inside before Tony comes out and thinks I’m keeping you in the hallway. You kids have fun tonight and remember to keep your hands above the waist at all times.”
-Happy
“Teach, Teach! Hey!”
Tony and Bucky both looked up to see a pudgy teenager waving at them enthusiastically as he made his way across the coffee shop. Bucky didn’t recognize him in the slightest, but he assumed he was one of Tony’s students.
“Happy, what are you doing here?”
The boy beamed at him.
“I was on the way to visit Nanna and I saw you through the glass. I had to come say hi.” He suddenly turned bashful, looking down at his shoes. “And I kinda have a couple questions about the science project you gave us on Friday…if you don’t mind?”
Tony gave a huge sigh, but they all knew it was just for show. Tony loved his kids, even if he did complain about them a lot. He’d do anything for them, Bucky knew.
“I’m gonna need more coffee if I’m gonna be dealing with a brat like you. Pull up a chair. You want anything?”
Happy’s face lit up as he plopped himself down in a chair at their table. His backpack hit the ground with a thump.
“You’re the best, Teach! Seriously!”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be right back.”
Bucky smiled after him. He loved how dedicated Tony was to his job, and to his kids. It was endearing. It reminded Bucky of just how much good was in the world. He didn’t get to see as much goodness as he would like.
“So, Happy,” he said to the boy, “you like having class with Tony?”
“He’s great,” Happy beamed. “You must be the guy he’s been seeing lately. He hasn’t said anything, but we all know. He thinks he’s so sneaky.”
Bucky laughed.
“My name’s Bucky.”
Happy held his hand out across the table for Bucky to shake.
“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Happy. I help Teach file his paperwork during my free periods.”
“I’ve heard. He’s fond of you, you know.”
Happy snickered.
“Of course he is. He’d probably get buried in his classroom if I didn’t file his papers.”
“That’s probably true,” Bucky chuckled right along.
“He’s a good guy,” Happy said. “I want to be like him when I grow up.”
Bucky couldn’t keep his grin off his face.
“That’s a good goal.”
“You make him happy,” the boy said softly, looking down at his hands.
That, more than anything else, made Bucky smile.
“I hope I can continue to for a very long time.”
-Bruce
“I get angry sometimes,” Bruce said off-handedly one time when the three of them were out for drinks and Tony had popped to the restroom. “I’m told I have a real bad temper.”
Bucky glanced around like someone might have popped up behind him to prompt the sudden declaration. There wasn’t.
“Um…”
Bruce didn’t seem at all phased by the sudden awkwardness that had fallen over the table.
“I just thought you ought to know. You seem like a nice guy. I like you. Clearly Tony likes you. I don’t think there will be a problem, but you should know what you’ll be in for if there is.”
Bucky heaved a sigh, slumping in his chair.
“So this is you giving me the shovel talk, huh?”
Bruce laughed.
“Nah. This is me letting you know there’s a guy at the bar who looks like he’s about to start something and I’m feeling the need for a brawl.” He gave a small, shy little smile. “How are you in a bar fight?”
-JARVIS
“Darling!” Tony’s mother swept him into her arms, the woman barely able to rise up off the pillows of her bed. She was clearly ill. Bucky knew from what Tony had told him that she didn’t have much longer left. “It’s so good to see you. How are you? Have you been eating well? You’re getting so thin.”
Tony rolled his eyes at her fussing, but hugged her back tightly.
“It’s good to see you, too, Mama. I brought somebody to meet you.”
Bucky took his cue to step forward and give a little wave.
“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am. I’m Bucky.”
Maria ushered him forward until she could pull him into a hug as well. She was thrilled to hear that her son had found somebody and fussed over Bucky, asking him a million questions. After a while, though, it was clear that the woman was getting tired and Bucky excused himself from the room to give her and Tony some time just the two of them. He closed the door quietly behind him and nearly jumped out of his skin when he turned to find one of the servants standing right behind him. The man was tall and lean with salt and pepper hair. Tony had greeted him enthusiastically earlier but now there was no trace of warmth coming from the man.
“I have worked for the Starks for over twenty-five years,” the servant said warningly. “The happiness and health of this family is my utmost priority. Young Sir will soon be the only one left in my care.” His eyes glinted dangerously. “So if you hurt him, I will kill you and bury your body in the woods.”
Then he turned and walked away without a backwards glance, feather duster tucked primly under one arm.
-Steve and Natasha
“Oh, my God…You have got to be kidding me.”
All three occupants of the room looked up guiltily like kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar and Bucky was scowling at them like the over-worked single mother who’d caught them. Steve, at least, had the decency to look chagrined. Natasha clearly felt no such shame where she was cleaning her fingernails with a knife as Tony sat in the chair before her.
“Barnes,” she greeted.
“This had better not be what I think it is.”
Steve flushed bright red up to the tips of his ears.
“Ummm…”
“If you think it’s us impressing upon Tony here exactly how important it is that he understand your importance to us, to our organization, and the consequences of rendering you compromised if he ever were to do so, then yes.”
Bucky groaned and dropped his face into his hands.
“I can’t believe you two. As if he hasn’t already been through enough in the past couple of days? Seriously? Come on, Tony. You don’t have to deal with this. Let’s get out of here. I’ll deal with these hooligans later.”
Tony shifted a bit in his chair, grinning and waving one of his hands were it was secured to the arm.
“I’d love to, babe, really. But could you maybe untie me first?”
Bucky was gonna kill Steve, mob boss or not.