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Bucky allowed himself a fleeting moment of doubt that everything he was feeling was because of this weird biological thing, but the soft expression on Steve’s beautiful face, the quiet gratitude that seemed to radiate from him ... those were real.
And so was the the softly simmering desire that Bucky felt for him. Not that white-hot stabbing pain of the heat, or the horrible cramping of the morning - Jesus, was it only just this morning all this started? No, this was a warm, syrupy feeling, like elements settling into their proper place, blending into something delicious and ... right.
Bucky let his hand slip into Steve’s, and was gratified by the widening of those big blue eyes, and the slight tightening of his fingers against Bucky’s. “C’mon - you can show me how to work that monstrosity,” he tilted his head back toward the living space and the enormous TV that dominated one way.
“Pretty sure you can figure it out yourself,” Steve chuckled as he allowed himself to be tugged back into the room.
“Pretty sure you already know.”
“Well ...”
“You pretend to not understand tech to rile Tony up, don’t you?”
“Fella’s gotta have a hobby.”
“You like to live dangerously.”
“It’s been said.”
“You really are a little shit, aren’t you, Steve Rogers?”
Steve beamed at him then, and the smile that spread across his features was gigawatts in intensity. “That has also been said,” he agreed with a nod.
“Okay. Noted. Good thing for you I happen to like my men to have some imagination and a sense of humor.”
“Imagination is good. Humor, too.”
“It is. Just don’t get me in Dutch with my new boss ...”
“I can’t promise that, sorry. When I see an opportunity ...”
“Greatest tactical mind of your generation. Or any generation since. You get me fired, I’m moving in with you.”
The expression on Steve’s face in that moment was ... incandescent. Oh. Cohabiting could be ... well, it had been a long time. A long time since someone cared enough to share space with him. Bucky felt hope and a bit of longing flare in his chest. So he took Steve’s hand in both of his, and tugged him back into the apartment.
“So just sit with me, let’s watch something fun and mindless, and let the world take care of itself for a while.”
&&&
They opted for a collection of rom-coms that Bucky particularly liked - his comfort flicks, he called them. They settled in on the couch - the Stark-provided one, not his rickety old one that he wasn’t actually sure could hold Captain America - or rather, Steve Rogers. He kept mentally checking himself so he wouldn’t slip up verbally. He knew that would only hurt the man sitting next to him. And hurting Steve Rogers ... well, that’s the last thing that Bucky Barnes wanted to do. Ever.
Instead, he leaned into Steve’s side, looked up at him and silently asked “is this okay?” Steve smiled that sweet summer smile again, and Bucky took it as encouragement. A few minutes later, he reached over with his left hand and tugged Steve’s arm around his shoulders, linking their hands together.
This time he asked out loud, “Is this okay?”
Steve paused for a moment, and Bucky realized that he was processing the intimacy, the touch.
In one massive realization, Bucky recognized that the man he was with was touch-starved. Probably had been since he came out of the ice. Maybe longer.
“It’s okay if it’s not. If it’s too much -“
“No,” Steve answered emphatically, then drew a deep breath to tone down his vehemence. “It’s just that ...”
“No one thinks that Captain America needs a hug.” His use of the title was deliberate, and it broke his heart to see the pain-filled eyes that turned toward him then.
“And if Captain America doesn’t need a hug, Steve Rogers is just left out, isn’t he?”
The pain drained out of his expression as he nodded, and Bucky opened his arms to him. For a man so large, he could fold himself into Bucky’s embrace as though he were a much smaller man. Which he’d been at one time. Which made Bucky blurt out, “When was the last time someone hugged you?”
“My Ma. People didn’t hug sick people back in the 1930s. They were afraid of catching what I had. And then the Army. No hugs, but the guys, they’d, y’know, pound me on the back. Like fellas do. Since I woke up, lots of labs and examinations, but ... No one thinks of me that way.”
“Well, fuck ‘em. I do. I’m gonna tell you a secret, Steve Rogers. Something no one knows about me. But you need to.”
“Okay.”
“You trusted me, I’m trusting you.”
“Okay,” Steve responded with a little more oomph.
“I like sex. I can get sex anywhere. There are apps for it, clubs for it, pretty much anywhere I go, I can find a willing sex partner.”
That triggered the pained expression to return to Steve’s face again. “I get it. You don’t want to be with someone who has no experience -“
“Bullshit. We’ll learn about each other together. But the thing I can’t get from an app, or a club, or anywhere I can find a sex partner ... the thing I miss the most, the thing I want the most ... is someone to cuddle. I can wait for the sex. However long it takes. But right now, I want lazy kisses in bed and cuddling until we fall asleep in each other’s arms. I want to wake up to you, and laugh at your bed head. I wanna stumble around the kitchen making breakfast together and share sloppy, heartfelt kisses.”
The sound that came out of Steve then was a cross between a gasp and a sob. Bucky let go of Steve’s hand and curled his fingers around his nape, pulling him closer. “I’m gonna kiss you now. Is that okay?”
“More than okay. Yes. Please.”
“So polite,” Bucky murmured, smiling against Steve’s lips.
“My Ma raised me right.”
“Yes, she did,” Bucky breathed as he pressed his lips against Steve’s for the first time.
Was that electric zing that went from his lips, down his spine, part of the alpha-omega stuff? Or was kissing Steve just that good? Obviously, Bucky needed more data. And like any good scientist, he proceeded to test the hypothesis through repetition.
It was good. Very, very good. What Steve lacked in finesse and experience, he made up for in ... well, in Steveness.
A moment later, Steve pulled back slightly to ask JARVIS to turn off the television, and lower the lights.
Bucky took that as a signal. “Let’s take this to the bedroom, where we can be comfortable. Just kisses and cuddles. For now. I think we both need that. It’s been a tough week for us both. Okay?”
Steve looked at Bucky in the now dim light, the bright shine of his blue eyes catching some of the cityscape beyond the big windows. He smiled then, lifting his big hand to caress Bucky’s face carefully. “I think Heaven sent me the angel I’ve been needing,” he answered softly. “Okay.”
&&&
The apartment had multiple bedrooms - Bucky could have his entire family move in with him, and he might never run into them for a week or more, there was so much room. But as he and Steve wandered down the hall, fingers tangled as they peered into each bedroom, Bucky couldn’t help the giggle that started up his throat.
“What so funny?”
“I feel like Goldilocks, looking for the perfect bed.”
“Ah. Do you really like your own bed?”
“I’ve been wanting to replace the foundation and get a memory foam mattress for years, but couldn’t afford it.”
“Well, then, we’re going with the Stark Special.”
Bucky started to giggle again as Steve led him further down the hallway toward the opposite corner of the floor, and the sprawling master bedroom with two uninterrupted walls of windows overlooking the city. A massive California king tastefully made up in grays and mauve, with mounds of fabulous looking pillows, faced toward the windows.
“Wow,” Bucky breathed.
“The windows are tinted so no one can see in. And JARVIS can tune them so you don’t get sunlight in your eyes before you’re ready. Every suite comes with one of these. You’ll find clothes already packed in the dresser and hanging in the closet, too.”
“How’d they know my size?”
“JARVIS?” Steve prompted.
“I took the liberty, Dr. Barnes. Sir and Ms. Potts want you to feel at home and as comfortable as possible as you begin your career with Stark Industries. Sir is very much looking forward to, as he said, ‘obliterating boundaries’, and Ms. Potts is hoping you might be a leavening influence on him, especially considering your potential relationship with Captain Rogers.”
“Wow, no pressure,” Bucky muttered.
At that, Steve took both his hands in his. “There is no pressure. I think you will be good for Tony. Your ideas are exactly what he needs to focus where he does his best work. I’ve noticed something about Tony Stark that he doesn’t like to admit to, but it’s true. His Dad liked creating weapons, but Howard also liked creating things that made people’s lives better. It’s just that some of his ideas needed to have technology catch up before they could be practical. Tony makes the technology happen, but what he really wants to do, what really makes him happy, is creating tech that improves people’s lives. And your prosthetics? So many veterans, people who’ve been hurt in terrorist attacks, accidents, kids whose limbs don’t fully develop - it’s exactly what he needs to focus his attention and let him do what he does best. Don’t for one moment think that you’re here for any other reason than you are brilliant and you have everything to offer.”
Bucky stared at Steve, his mouth hanging open for a moment before he surged up and kissed Steve, hard. Steve took an involuntary step back, then he surged back into the kiss as well. Within moments, they were panting into each other’s mouths, eyes closed, and foreheads resting against each other.
“God, you’re sexy when you’re earnest.”
“I’m told I’m earnest all the time, so ...”
“You’re gonna be the death of me, Steve Rogers.”
“I hope not. I’m looking forward to every day I get to spend with you, and I’m hoping there are a lot of them.”
“You’re a punk,” Bucky said fondly, putting his hand on Steve’s chest and shoving gently. “Let’s get ready for bed. Oh, there’s nothing for you to wear -“
“If I may, sirs. I did anticipate that Captain Rogers might occasionally want to stay over. So there is a drawer with clothing in his size. I hope you don’t mind, Captain Rogers.”
“This was your idea, JARVIS? Not Tony or Pepper’s?”
“My idea alone, sir.”
“Then I don’t mind, no.” At Bucky’s quizzical look, he explained, “I get tired of people always making assumptions about me. And since ... us ... there’s been a lot more assumptions and a lot more innuendo, and it just makes me feel ...”
“Like a slab of meat?”
“Yeah.”
“But JARVIS is okay?”
“JARVIS doesn’t prank me, or try to set me up, or any of that invasive bullshit. So yeah, JARVIS is okay.”
“Thank you, sir. Your comfort and privacy are always my primary concern.”
“Appreciated, J. Now, which drawer is mine?”
&&&
The mattress was just the perfect mix of firm and cloud, and the bed linens thread count was insane. It was like being wrapped in sin and honey, and laying face to face with the most beautiful man Bucky had ever met only made it seem even more surreal. And when that man willingly allowed himself to be pulled into his arms, when he pressed his lips to Bucky’s, sighing with pleasure and relief, when their hands roamed gently, exploring and caressing, but never pushing ... well, this was Heaven. Steve had said that Bucky was his angel. But Bucky was starting to think that Steve was his. And this, this softness, this closeness, this was everything that had been missing in Bucky’s life for far too long. And from the responsive way Steve leaned into touch, gradually returned it with growing confidence and tenderness ... Bucky knew this was the right thing for both of them right now.
And when he found himself starting to drift off, he was happy to find himself embraced in two strong yet gentle arms, cradled against the curve of Steve’s shoulder, secure, safe, and very much exactly where he wanted to be.
He heard Steve murmur something about filtering the sunlight until noon as he drifted into what had to be the most perfect sleep Bucky could remember ... well, ever.
&&&
It was the purring that he registered first.
Then the weight on his chest. Warm, vibrating, settling in. Like it belonged there.
Then he felt the head butt against his chin. Fuzzy, insistent, familiar.
“Al?” he muttered, pulling his arm out from under the covers to pet her before he was even fully awake.
“She enjoyed her time with Liho, but she clearly missed you. So I brought her home to her Daddy. All settled in?”
Bucky’s eyes snapped open to see Alpine indeed curled up happily on his chest, and a petite red-haired woman in a kitty onesie and fluffy slippers sitting cross-legged at the end of the bed. The very big, very Stark bed he’d shared with Steve last night. Panicking, he turned to his right to see the very Steve-less space left in the bed where Steve should have been cuddling him.
“What the fuck?”
“Relax. Steve is making you breakfast. I promised I would drop off your cat and get out of your hair. Happiness is a good look on him. I don’t think any of us realized how unhappy he was - we didn’t know what Captain America looked like when he was happy.”
Bucky cradled Alpine and struggled to sit up, holding her close to his chest. She kept purring, happy to be with her human. “First of all, stop thinking of him as Captain America. That’s his job. He’s Steve. And Steve has been treated like shit by all of you. That’s gonna change.”
The hard look she gave him made him wonder briefly if he would live to see whatever breakfast Steve was preparing, and then she did something unexpected. She threw her head back and laughed, and then gave him a huge smile.
“You’re good for him. This is good.” She unfolded herself then, and stood next to the bed. “She’s already been fed, so don’t let her lie to you that she’s been neglected. I set up her things and litter box in the bedroom across the hall. She’s welcome to visit with Liho any time. I would be happy to catsit any time you need me. Unless, of course -“
“You’re off saving the world.”
“It happens. Now, come, get up, eat that delicious smelling breakfast your - what is he?”
“Boyfriend? I think?”
“Boyfriend. It’ll do. Now come, start your day with your boyfriend. I’m off. Things to do, people to kill ...”
“You’re not -“
“Serious? As a matter of fact, today I do not have to kill anyone. But I do need to bow to a master. Justin Hammer is trending. And not in a good way. The news is speaking of nothing else. Twitter has exploded. Indictments are being delivered. There is talk of charges of treason. It is a good day. Justice is being served.”
With that, she exited the bedroom, silent in her fuzzy slippers, but he heard her call out, “Steve, lover boy is awake!” and then Steve was suddenly standing in the doorway, looking adorable with his uncontrolled bed head and his beautiful body with the low-slung sleep pants.
“JARVIS has been recording all the good stuff for you. DOJ has taken Hammer into custody, everything is seized, half his board and a good chunk of his staff have been arrested, and the others are providing affidavits. Tony’s been texting me every five minutes with an aha and an I told you so, and a so there. I’ve never seen him so happy. And between the two of you, you just made the world a better place. Literally overnight. We’re gonna have to make you an Avenger.”
“Uh-uh. My feline child does not need two parents who are Avengers. I’m a scientist. I fix things. Now I heard there was breakfast?”
&&&
Breakfast was bacon, eggs, fresh orange juice, heavenly coffee, and waffles. In the shape of Tony’s arc reactor.
“He puts one of these things in every apartment. The waffles are actually pretty good - lots of crispy nooks and crannies from the arc reactor pattern.”
Bucky stared at his plate, piled high with food, a stack of Stark waffles beginning to swim in melting butter and maple syrup that smelled beyond perfect. And then he started to laugh.
Steve stood there for a moment, a little nonplussed, his hopeful expression crumpling a little as Bucky threw his head back, grabbing at his middle as he practically started hiccuping with laughter.
“I’m not sure I -“
“Sorry, sorry, Steve! It’s just StarkPad, StarkPhone, StarkBed, StarkWaffle - it just hit me that it’s totally ridiculous. We’re just living in a StarkWorld. This is my life now. And I kinda love it. And this looks wonderful. Thank you - I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone take such good care of me since I left home. And my Mom never made me arc reactor waffles.”
Steve relaxed then, smiling. “Yeah, well, Tony is inevitable. And I ... I haven’t had anyone to take care of since my Ma died. Well, my team, but it’s not the same thing.”
“Is it an alpha thing?” Bucky asked around a forkful of eggs, closing his eyes and sighing with pleasure. “Oh my god, Steve, these are amazing! You’re gonna spoil me for anyone else’s cooking.”
“I’m glad. And maybe? Alphas tend to be the family caretakers, I guess. But not in a weird way. I don’t get a chance to do much beyond battle strategy. That’s satisfying when we get the job done and everyone comes home. So maybe it’s less of an alpha thing. Maybe it’s just a Steve thing.”
Bucky chewed for a second and swallowed. “Well, I like it as just a Steve thing. That makes it special between you and me, y’know? You gonna join me? And hey, can we take this to the couch? I wanna see some of this Hammergeddon J’s been recording for me.”
&&&
Steve asked JARVIS to begin playback of “the best bits,” which meant close-ups of Hammer’s florid face as he howled over of the indignity of his arrest, threatening all manner of mayhem and dire repercussions from his very influential friends who would put this right. His threats of lawsuits toward the media and anyone watching the coverage - because he claimed he could track every person down who was currently watching - were met with general disdain, as he had no standing to sue - the media was doing what it was supposed to in covering a major news event in the primary weapons supplier to the US Military getting arrested for, among other things, treason, fraud, intellectual property infringement, extortion, and several more counts related to failure to deliver on government contracts, as well as unfair labor practices, and violation of a number of diversity requirements that his contracts had been contingent upon.
Legal pundits were having a field day, and JARVIS displayed those feeds in subsidiary pop-ups on the big screen.
Bucky was literally cackling as he shoveled food into his mouth, but sat up straighter and set down his plate and utensils when one of the networks broke in with an interview with a guy he remembered from his time at Hammer - another scientist who seemed to drop off the grid when he left Hammer Tech. Bucky also recognized his name from the list he and Tony had compiled during their cleanse of the Internet.
Seriously, it was like a colonic cleanse just took a massive dump of Justin Hammer, and cleaned up the world in one massive, well, shit.
“Someone you know?” Steve asked gently, leaning forward to lend his support to Bucky.
“He left before I did. I should’a kept in touch - might’ve realized Hammer had him blacklisted and could’a figured out that’s what happened to me sooner. Some not bad code, but, damn, illegal as all fuck, and so, so damaging.”
“Gone now?”
“Archived. The whole chain, all of the code, the impacts, the targets. There’s craptons of evidence. Not to mention the doctored results and reports, the lies he fed the Fed over his inoperative weapons. And his sales to foreign entities. Bad actors. I don’t see him or most of his company - or his board - getting out of this. The scope ...”
“Sirs, Sir is on his way, with Dr. Banner. He says he has the inside scoop on an even bigger ‘shitshow’ about to go down.”
“He’s coming here?” Steve asked a little nervously.
“He says he wants to enjoy the fireworks with his best partners in crime. I believe he means Dr. Barnes and Dr. Banner. His ’science bros’.”
“You don’t want him to know you’re here,” Bucky said flatly.
“I don’t want him making what we have cheap,” Steve corrected. “And we wanted that bubble.”
“Captain, Doctor, I do apologize, but Sir’s arrival is imminent. I cannot delay him any longer.”
“Well, I guess we’re going public.”
“Might want to put on a shirt, Steve.”
“Yeah. That’s probably a good idea.” Steve got up to head to the bedroom, but glanced back. “You gonna be okay to, um, receive him on your own?”
“He is my actual boss, Steve. And we did this,” he waved toward the TV, “together. So yeah, I’m okay to have Tony Fucking Stark in my apartment in his actual Tower across the hall from my actual lab he gave me in the same Tower. Now, much as I hate to see all that skin covered up, let’s not give my boss too much of a complex over just how gorgeous you are, huh? Kinda wanna keep something for myself, after all.”
&&&
Tony made a beeline for the couch, calling out to JARVIS to bring up the live security camera feed from the Department of State as he dropped down on the seat, spied the plate piled high with breakfast foods, and immediately started eating.
“Uh, Tony, I don’t think -“ Bruce muttered, but Tony ignored him.
“This is really good. Didn’t come from our kitchens. You holding out on me, kid? You a world-class cook along with being the answer to all my code-busting dreams? J, turn it up.”
“Um -“
“Tony, I don’t think that’s for you -“
“Of course it’s for me, Barnes is a good host. Wait, where’s yours?” Tony asked suddenly, realizing he had a plate piled high with food, while there was nothing for Bruce, and Bucky’’s plate was loaded, but not as much as what Tony was devouring.
“You’re not alone,” Tony realized suddenly, putting the plate back on the coffee table. “This is -“
“My breakfast, yeah,” Steve announced, coming back through the hallway into the big living space, his low-slung sleep pants replaced by nice fitting but unrevealing jeans, and his beautiful naked skin covered in a soft gray t-shirt. At least his feet were still bare, but Bucky couldn’t help but mourn the loss of a moment that had been on the way to being special.
“So where’s this big event you had to share with Bucky? And go ahead and finish it, Tony. I’ll make more. Bruce, can I get you anything?”
“Waffles?” Bruce asked weakly as Steve strode past them toward the kitchen.
“And herbal tea, right?”
“Right,” Bruce agreed, frowning to himself as he tracked Steve’s progress.
Bucky found himself frowning, too, recognizing on parade Captain America making his way to his new coffee maker, not the sweet, shy, silly Steve he’d been cuddling with overnight. It was like a switch had been thrown - his stance, his posture, the way he carried himself, even his voice was different. He missed his Steve.
Tony craned around to see Steve make himself at home in Bucky’s kitchen, then turned to stare at Bucky for a few seconds longer than was comfortable. Then he leaned over and gave him a long, creepy sniff.
“You don't smell like sex.”
Steve snorted from the kitchen area. It wasn’t a nice sound, Bucky decided. Then he announced in his “Captain America is disappointed in you, son” voice, “There was no sex, Tony.”
And Bucky decided he never wanted to hear that voice directed at him. At Tony ... it seemed kind of right, actually.
Tony was practically vibrating out of his skin now, and Bucky was worried his floor would soon be covered in a mess of scrambled eggs, bacon, waffles, and buttered maple syrup. Truly a waste of good food. Then Tony practically squeaked, his eyes all goggly, “But the two of you are shacking up, right?”
Bucky could hear Bruce’s hand slapping against his eyes, and Steve putting down whatever he had in his hand with some force. Possibly crockery-breaking force, but maybe just shy of that. He didn’t hear any projectiles.
Then Bucky drew a deep breath, drew himself up and looked directly into the manic eyes of his hero and his boss. Eyes that looked like they hadn’t slept since the last time he’d seen them. Jesus, had this man ever heard of self-care?
“Should my boss be asking such a question? Or is this a conversation we need to have with HR present?”
Bruce literally choked on air as Steve handed him his plate of waffles from behind the sofa, where he now stood, a true sentinel as they waited on Tony’s reaction.
Which was really fascinating to watch. Because the reality of it dawned slowly, but once it did, actual horror spread across his features. It was almost enough to make Bucky feel sorry for him, but the fact was he continually crossed lines of privacy. Especially with Steve - and Bruce - if their reactions were anything to go by.
“No. Your boss ... no. Sorry. I do this, don’t? Lose sight of boundaries.”
“I didn’t know you had them,” Steve commented as he turned away to go back to the kitchen area. To get himself a new plate maybe.
“I’ve questioned the possibility myself. Most of the time,” Bruce replied as he applied butter and syrup to his waffles. He smiled faintly at the arc reactor shape. Bucky had the feeling that was never going to get old. But he wondered if he could have a shield waffle maker, in honor of Steve.
“Oh. Wow. Um. I’m sorry. Guys, I never meant to be ...”
“An asshole? Not sure how you avoid it, Tony,” Steve answered as he shoved a mug of steaming, fragrant coffee at him. “Your Dad was one, too.”
That seemed to flip a switch in Tony, as contrition morphed to ... shame. Tony was ashamed of Howard Stark?
“My Dad is the last thing I want to be. Guys, y’gotta tell me when I’m going too far -“
“Tony, it would work better if you learned where boundaries are and how to respect them. It’s not our job to tell you when you’re, um ... hurtful?” Bruce suggested.
“Offensive?” Steve added, coming around to sit next to Bucky with his new plate and a fresh mug.
Bucky felt like he was on the brink of something here. Should he say something too, set the parameters, or ... that was it.
“You need to understand the parameters of the human equation, Tony. Understand where they are so you don’t go beyond them.”
“I always push the limits -“
“Some limits are more challenging to stay within. Look at it that way. It’s a challenge you have to meet.”
Tony nodded thoughtfully, as though Bucky had put the problem into terms he could grasp.
“Okay. Okay. Hey, J, anything on that State feed? We’re still looking at a whole lot of nothing.”
“State?” Steve repeated around a mouthful of waffles.
“As in Department. The DL from Rhodey is that the data revealed by our spelunking mission implicated someone very high and mighty with Hammer’s treason activities. Like, brokering weapons to enemies of the U S of A. Funding terrorist groups in other parts of the world to advance his own agenda.”
“You don’t mean ...” Bruce said meaningfully.
Tony just quirked an eyebrow and shrugged, then shoveled more food. “Rogers, when did you become such a good cook?”
“When I had to get my Ma to eat when she was sick.”
“Oh. Well, You did good. You’re doing good -“
“Sir, Colonel Rhodes has entered the State Department, along with a contingent of military and civilian representatives.”
Tony put his plate down, took a long pull from his coffee mug, and literally clapped his hands.
“Ah! Here we go - showtime, kiddies!”
&&&
The feed suddenly shifted from broadcast and streaming sources to the juddery feed of a live security camera. It was inside an elevator, looking over the shoulders of what appeared to be two MPs, another man and a woman in severe looking plain clothes, and Colonel James Rhodes in full dress uniform.
“Is that -“
“Rhodey. He pulled the long straw. This is gonna be so good!” Tony nearly squeaked, bouncing up and down on the couch. It was a measure of just how well built the couch was that none of the others had their food knocked out of their hands, and no coffee was spilled in the process.
The feed remained on Rhodey and his entourage until the elevator came to a stop and the doors slid open. Then it shifted to a feed in the hallway beyond, following their progress through what appeared to be a busy office setting. As one, Rhodey and his team made their way silently but deliberately through the maze of aisles and hallways, JARVIS shifting from one security camera to the next to keep them clearly in sight.
“Recording?” Tony called out.
“Of course, Sir.”
“I’m gonna wanna watch this again. With popcorn. And scotch.”
“Tony …” Bruce warned.
“What? This is a celebration. Wait for it …”
Rhodey and his entourage halted in front of a large desk, occupied by a what appeared to be a career operative who looked up at Rhodey with an impassive expression as he introduced himself.
“JARVIS, audio!”
The sound clicked on, and they all heard Rhodey request, “We’re here for the Secretary, ma’am.”
“Do you have an appointment?” she asked coolly, her eyes appraising the assembled muscle.
“We have a warrant,” Rhodey replied flatly.
She shifted back slightly in her seat at that, interest sparking in her expression. Then a slow smile started across her features. “Of course you do. Go right in,” she encouraged, letting her chair slide back as she presented the door with a flourish of her arm.
“Perhaps you could invite him to come out?” Rhodey suggested, and her smile grew even wider.
“An audience?”
“Surveillance.”
Still smiling, she leaned in toward the intercom. “Sir, you have visitors.”
“So?” came the blustery, if tinny, reply. “Show them in, dammit!”
“They’d like for you to join them here in the anteroom, sir.”
“I’m busy, Ms. Hawkins. They can come in, or they can go away.”
“Sir, they are here on official business,” she countered, raising an eyebrow in Rhodey’s direction.
He gestured toward the woman in their party and said, “Justice.” And then he shifted toward the plainclothes man, “Homeland Security.” And finally, he nodded toward the MPs. “Defense. Joint Chiefs.”
“Sir, they’re from the White House.”
“Ellis can kiss my lily-white ass, Hawkins. I said I’m busy. They come in, or they go away.”
“A real charmer,” Rhodey muttered then, and Ms. Hawkins grinned ferally.
“You have no idea, Colonel. You have no idea. Well, if the badger won’t come out of his den to get what’s coming to him, you’ll just have to take it to him.” She got up and walked purposefully around the desk and went to the door. Before she opened it, she glanced over her shoulder and asked, “Let’s leave the door open, shall we? I wouldn’t want to miss a second of the fireworks.”
“Is there surveillance inside the office?” Rhodey asked quietly. She nodded once. Then he drew himself up and nodded brusquely to himself before saying, “As you wish, ma’am.”
“Good boy,” she commented, and turned the knob, opening the door inward with a flourish. “Your visitors, Secretary Ross. From The White House, Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Defense. Colonel Rhodes?” she prompted, stepping aside so Rhodey and his entourage could enter the office of the US Secretary of State.
Ross rose warily as JARVIS switched to the in-office feed. The MPs split off from the group to flank Ross’s desk, and he glanced at them, frowning. He’d been career military before rising to head up the State Department. He had to know what the MPs were there for.
The representative from Justice stepped forward then, and thrust a folded packet of papers with an official seal on them into Ross’s hand. She stepped back, and said solemnly, “You have been served, sir,” and clasped her hands behind her back.
“What’s the meaning of this, Rhodes?” Ross barked then, crumpling the papers in his fist.
“The meaning is that you are under arrest, Mr. Ross. For treason.”
An incongruous laugh erupted out of Ross then, petering out to a quiet chuckle. “Arrest? I’m the fucking Secretary of State, Colonel. You can’t arrest me. I have Constitutional protections.”
Rhodey nodded to the two MPs then, and they converged on Ross, one of them grabbing Ross’s wrists and pulling them behind his back, while his partner fastened cuffs over both wrists. Ross struggled, a stream of crude invective spewing from him, but the MPs were impassive, eminently professional.
Rhodey smiled, and allowed himself a glance at Ms. Hawkins, who looked like she was craving popcorn and a martini just then. “Seems we can, sir. President Ellis requested the warrant himself, and it was signed off by the Chief Justice. Of the Supreme Court, in case you were wondering. Who handed down an emergency judgment that even as Secretary of State, you can in fact be arrested for a crime as serious as treason. By organizing weapons sales to unfriendly nations, you in fact broke both your oath of office, and the law. So, well … take him away, fellas.”
Ross continued to struggle, but the MPs were good at their jobs. They made no effort to quiet Ross as they dragged him through the office - taking the scenic route, as agreed in advance, to ensure that as many people at State saw the fall of the Secretary, surrounded by representatives of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security.
Rhodey couldn’t contain the grin that flickered at the corners of his mouth as he looked over to Ms. Hawkins again. “Have a good day, Ma’am,” he said before he lost total control of his expression.
“Couldn’t get any better, Colonel. I don’t suppose I could get a copy of that footage …”
“You didn’t hear it from me, but there’s a good chance it’ll be on the evening news. It might even have live-streamed …”
“Oh, you do know how to make a woman’s day, Colonel. You have yourself a good one.”
With that, Rhodey nodded respectfully, and took his leave.
&&&
Bruce was already on the phone, pacing in the space between the couch and the apartment door, talking in hushed tones as Tony literally pounded his feed on the floor and drummed the air with his fists.
“Was that not the most beautiful justice? Huh, Steve? He’s been after our asses since he got into office, making noises about controlling superheroes and having us answer to some fucked-up committee under his command. And all the while he was selling weapons to our enemies. Shit, I wonder if he and Obie know each other. Of course they know each other, Ross was big into weapons when he was in the Army - hell, he was big on the super solder program, that’s how Bruce - Bruce, who the fuck are you talking to in our moment of triumph?
Bruce put his hand over the microphone and stage-whispered, “Betty. That’s her father Rhodey just arrested. I wanted to forewarn her. Okay?”
Tony held up his hands and made a conciliatory expression. “You just can’t quit her, I get it.”
“No you don’t, Tone. She may not have anything to do with Ross, but the media is gonna eat her alive. She deserves to have some time to prepare.”
That chastened Tony, and he nodded once. “I’ll send a team out to Culver to run interference. You want to join them?”
Bruce stood there, phone in hand, with a devastated expression on his face. “More than anything,” he whispered, barely more than a movement of air. “And that’s why I can’t. But thanks, Tony. A team to protect her from the vultures would be nice.”
Tony pulled out his StarkPhone, keyed in something quickly, and then smiled. “There. Done. All sorted. Let her know we’ve got her back.”
“Thanks, Tony,” Bruce said as he took his conversation out of earshot.
&&&
Steve turned to Bucky then and asked softly, “Who’s Betty?”
Bucky looked directly at Steve then, his brow furrowed. “His ex-fiancée. Don’t you know anything about your colleagues?”
“I … I guess not,” Steve agreed, his eyes downcast, hidden behind his impossible lashes.
“Well, we’re gonna change that, okay? It’s time they got to know Steve Rogers. And it’s time Steve Rogers had a chance at a life.”
Steve looked up at Bucky then, his head still ducked down slightly so that even though he was taller, he was in fact looking up at Bucky. “I … I haven’t really thought …”
“Hmm. If we’re gonna make it together, Steve, Cap is a job, and Steve is your life. With me.”
Steve’s lips parted then in a gasp, and then a slow smile spread across his features, lighting his eyes and pinking his cheeks. “I want that,” he breathed.
“Hey, you two - get a room,” Tony cackled.
“Tony, you are literally sitting uninvited in Bucky’s apartment. We have several rooms,” Steve shot back, wrenching his attention away from Bucky for a moment.
And Bucky grinned proudly at him while Tony choked on the unexpected sass.
Just then, Bruce came back, asking plaintively, “What’d I miss?”
“A new beginning,” Bucky answered, leaning in to kiss Steve’s lips. Because he could. And it made Tony freak the fuck out.
Bruce, however, just chuckled, and suggested, “Come on, Tony. Let’s leave them to their breakfast in peace. And whatever else they want to do in the privacy of Bucky’s actual apartment. You had your moment of victory.”
“I … okay,” Tony capitulated, and Steve smiled, reaching up to cradle Bucky’s cheek against his palm.
A moment later, Bucky could hear Tony say, “I’m really happy for you both,” and Bucky was touched by the sincerity in his tone. So of course, he had to go and ruin it by adding, “Let me know if you want me to order lube in bulk, toys, whatever. SI has an ethically sourced sexual health division -“
“Tony!” Bruce admonished, clearly embarrassed.
Bucky shook his head, but didn’t deign to answer. Instead, he leaned forward and captured Steve’s lips again. And just because he could, he did it again. And when he heard the door snick shut behind Tony and Bruce, he did it again for good measure.
A new beginning indeed.
END