[MCU: Drabble] "Better Knowing" [G]
Title: Better Knowing
Author: Ami Ven
Word Count: 912
Rating: G
Fandom: MCU
Character(s): Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Tony Stark
Pairing(s): background Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Setting: post-Avengers AU where they all live in Stark Tower
Summary: “Hey, just talk to us. It can’t be that bad.”
Better Knowing
Steve woke to a soft but insistent chime.
“Captain Rogers,” said JARVIS, “I believe you may be needed in Sir’s workshop.”
“What’s wrong?” Steve asked.
“Sir is in no physical danger,” the AI replied. “But your presence may be beneficial to the current situation.”
Steve paused to put on his robe and slippers, then grab his shield - Tony would give him a hard time, both for his ‘old man pajamas’ and for bringing the shield with him everywhere, but if Tony was still in good enough condition to give him a hard time about anything, Steve would take it.
The door to the lab opened for him and Steve went in, prepared for anything - except for what he found.
Tony sat on his cot, looking rumpled enough that he must have been asleep until very recently, while Bucky knelt on the floor next to him, arms around Tony’s waist and forehead resting just below the arc reactor. The inventor clearly didn’t have any idea of what to do with a lapful of sobbing supersoldier, so Steve set his shield within reach on the workbench and took a few cautious steps closer.
“Bucky?”
“I killed them,” said Bucky, not quite crying anymore, his voice a hoarse croak.
“That’s what he said when he came in here,” Tony added, softly. “I woke up and he was standing in the doorway. He said, Oh, god, Tony, I killed them, then by the time I sat up, he was…”
He trailed off, gesturing at their current position.
Steve frowned. “Wait, he said your name? He knew who you were?”
Bucky gave a loud sniffle and pulled back a little, still holding on to Tony, but now kneeling upright. “I know who I am and where I am and who you both are,” he said. “I just… I remembered…”
“Hey, Buck,” said Steve. “Hey, just talk to us. It can’t be that bad.”
“I killed them, Stevie,” the other man said. He drew a long, shuddering breath, then his eyes widened and he suddenly scrambled away from Tony, backing up until he hit the workbench, sitting curled up on the workshop floor. “I killed them. I didn’t remember before, but now I… Oh, god, Tony, I did it. I killed Howard and his wife - your parents.”
There was a sudden, ringing silence.
Then, Tony said quietly, “I know.”
“You… you do?” Bucky hiccupped.
“How?” added Steve.
Tony shrugged. “I hack SHIELD about once a month. Partially to keep in practice and partially to annoy Director Agent. JARVIS analyzes everything and most of it’s useless. To me, I mean. You know, boring regular spy agency stuff. But he found that bit of information a few weeks after Barnes moved in.”
“Tony, that was months ago,” said Steve.
“And you’re not… mad?” Bucky asked, hesitantly.
“At you? What would be the point? It’d be like getting mad at the bomb that did this.” Tony tapped the arc reactor through his t-shirt. “Hydra made you a weapon and aimed you at my parents. And that sucks, it really does. But it’s not your fault.”
“I’ve killed a lot of people.”
“No,” said Tony. “That was the Winter Soldier in a Barnes-shaped container.” He shrugged, then stood, “Now, I’m glad you’re on board with the twenty-first century idea that men should express their feelings, but I think that’s about enough for today. Or this week. Steve?”
Steve hooked a hand under Bucky’s flesh-and-blood elbow and helped him up. “You okay, Buck?”
“Yeah?” he said, like he wasn’t quite sure. “I just, I remembered and it freaked me out, and I knew I had to tell Stark, or I’d…”
“You’d feel guilty about living in my tower, eating my food and making eyes at my best friend?” suggested Tony. “Well, don’t. Here. You look terrible, blow your nose.”
He held out a rag only slightly stained with grease - Bucky huffed out a laugh and took it. “Sorry for waking you up. Both of you.”
Tony waved a dismissive hand. “I was only waiting for some simulations to finish. How are we doing with that, J?”
“The last simulation finished several minutes ago, Sir said JARVIS. “I did not think it wise to interrupt.”
“Good man,” Tony agreed. “Okay, then. I’m gonna go finish some upgrades to my armor. Steve, you can go make Barnes a glass of warm milk or something.”
“Try to get some sleep,” Steve told him, then added softly, “You promise you’re okay?”
“I…” said Tony. “Honestly, I feel better, knowing that Barnes knows that I know. Just me knowing was kind of awkward.”
Steve snorted. “Is it a bad sign that I completely understood that?”
“Oh, definitely,” Tony agreed. “Go on, both of you. I have work to do.”
Bucky hesitated. “Stark, I…”
“Look, Barnes,” said Tony, firm but gentle, “I don’t blame you for this. So, whatever you need to do to make peace with it, don’t worry about me.”
“I…” Bucky tried again. “Thanks.”
Steve leaned in to kiss Tony. “We’ll talk later, okay?”
“Yeah, okay,” Tony sighed.
Steve kissed him again, and Tony turned back to his workbench, already calling up a flurry of holograms.
“C’mon, Buck,” he said, “I’ll make you that warm milk. Then, I can read you a story and tuck you in…”
“Hey, you-” Bucky began, then thumped Steve’s shoulder lightly, “Shut up, punk.”
Steve smiled. “It’s gonna be okay.”
“Yeah,” Bucky agreed, softly. “Yeah, I think it will be.”
THE END
Current Mood:
tired
Author: Ami Ven
Word Count: 912
Rating: G
Fandom: MCU
Character(s): Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Tony Stark
Pairing(s): background Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Setting: post-Avengers AU where they all live in Stark Tower
Summary: “Hey, just talk to us. It can’t be that bad.”
Better Knowing
Steve woke to a soft but insistent chime.
“Captain Rogers,” said JARVIS, “I believe you may be needed in Sir’s workshop.”
“What’s wrong?” Steve asked.
“Sir is in no physical danger,” the AI replied. “But your presence may be beneficial to the current situation.”
Steve paused to put on his robe and slippers, then grab his shield - Tony would give him a hard time, both for his ‘old man pajamas’ and for bringing the shield with him everywhere, but if Tony was still in good enough condition to give him a hard time about anything, Steve would take it.
The door to the lab opened for him and Steve went in, prepared for anything - except for what he found.
Tony sat on his cot, looking rumpled enough that he must have been asleep until very recently, while Bucky knelt on the floor next to him, arms around Tony’s waist and forehead resting just below the arc reactor. The inventor clearly didn’t have any idea of what to do with a lapful of sobbing supersoldier, so Steve set his shield within reach on the workbench and took a few cautious steps closer.
“Bucky?”
“I killed them,” said Bucky, not quite crying anymore, his voice a hoarse croak.
“That’s what he said when he came in here,” Tony added, softly. “I woke up and he was standing in the doorway. He said, Oh, god, Tony, I killed them, then by the time I sat up, he was…”
He trailed off, gesturing at their current position.
Steve frowned. “Wait, he said your name? He knew who you were?”
Bucky gave a loud sniffle and pulled back a little, still holding on to Tony, but now kneeling upright. “I know who I am and where I am and who you both are,” he said. “I just… I remembered…”
“Hey, Buck,” said Steve. “Hey, just talk to us. It can’t be that bad.”
“I killed them, Stevie,” the other man said. He drew a long, shuddering breath, then his eyes widened and he suddenly scrambled away from Tony, backing up until he hit the workbench, sitting curled up on the workshop floor. “I killed them. I didn’t remember before, but now I… Oh, god, Tony, I did it. I killed Howard and his wife - your parents.”
There was a sudden, ringing silence.
Then, Tony said quietly, “I know.”
“You… you do?” Bucky hiccupped.
“How?” added Steve.
Tony shrugged. “I hack SHIELD about once a month. Partially to keep in practice and partially to annoy Director Agent. JARVIS analyzes everything and most of it’s useless. To me, I mean. You know, boring regular spy agency stuff. But he found that bit of information a few weeks after Barnes moved in.”
“Tony, that was months ago,” said Steve.
“And you’re not… mad?” Bucky asked, hesitantly.
“At you? What would be the point? It’d be like getting mad at the bomb that did this.” Tony tapped the arc reactor through his t-shirt. “Hydra made you a weapon and aimed you at my parents. And that sucks, it really does. But it’s not your fault.”
“I’ve killed a lot of people.”
“No,” said Tony. “That was the Winter Soldier in a Barnes-shaped container.” He shrugged, then stood, “Now, I’m glad you’re on board with the twenty-first century idea that men should express their feelings, but I think that’s about enough for today. Or this week. Steve?”
Steve hooked a hand under Bucky’s flesh-and-blood elbow and helped him up. “You okay, Buck?”
“Yeah?” he said, like he wasn’t quite sure. “I just, I remembered and it freaked me out, and I knew I had to tell Stark, or I’d…”
“You’d feel guilty about living in my tower, eating my food and making eyes at my best friend?” suggested Tony. “Well, don’t. Here. You look terrible, blow your nose.”
He held out a rag only slightly stained with grease - Bucky huffed out a laugh and took it. “Sorry for waking you up. Both of you.”
Tony waved a dismissive hand. “I was only waiting for some simulations to finish. How are we doing with that, J?”
“The last simulation finished several minutes ago, Sir said JARVIS. “I did not think it wise to interrupt.”
“Good man,” Tony agreed. “Okay, then. I’m gonna go finish some upgrades to my armor. Steve, you can go make Barnes a glass of warm milk or something.”
“Try to get some sleep,” Steve told him, then added softly, “You promise you’re okay?”
“I…” said Tony. “Honestly, I feel better, knowing that Barnes knows that I know. Just me knowing was kind of awkward.”
Steve snorted. “Is it a bad sign that I completely understood that?”
“Oh, definitely,” Tony agreed. “Go on, both of you. I have work to do.”
Bucky hesitated. “Stark, I…”
“Look, Barnes,” said Tony, firm but gentle, “I don’t blame you for this. So, whatever you need to do to make peace with it, don’t worry about me.”
“I…” Bucky tried again. “Thanks.”
Steve leaned in to kiss Tony. “We’ll talk later, okay?”
“Yeah, okay,” Tony sighed.
Steve kissed him again, and Tony turned back to his workbench, already calling up a flurry of holograms.
“C’mon, Buck,” he said, “I’ll make you that warm milk. Then, I can read you a story and tuck you in…”
“Hey, you-” Bucky began, then thumped Steve’s shoulder lightly, “Shut up, punk.”
Steve smiled. “It’s gonna be okay.”
“Yeah,” Bucky agreed, softly. “Yeah, I think it will be.”
THE END
Current Mood:
tired