[MCU: Drabble] "Put Together" [G]
Title: Put Together
Author: Ami Ven
Prompt: writerverse phase 23, challenge 30, prompt 22 forgotten memory
Word Count: 700
Rating: G
Fandom: MCU (non-canon-compliant)
Pairing(s): background Steve/Tony, pre-Bucky/Rhodey
Character(s): Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers
Summary: So, it was going to be one of those nights.
Put Together
Finding a super soldier in his lab at two in the morning was not an unusual occurrence for Tony. But it was usually the one he was dating, coming in to coax him back to bed or just sitting quietly to sketch while Tony worked.
Tonight, it was Bucky. He sat at a mostly-clear spot of Tony’s workbench, hair obscuring his face, staring down at his metal fingers.
That wasn’t a good sign.
Tony purposely made extra noise as he entered the room, but the other man didn’t move.
So, it was going to be one of those nights.
“Hey, there, Buckaroo,” said Tony, because ‘annoying’ was his default setting. “It’s a little late for a tune up, don’t you think?”
Bucky flexed his metal fingers but looked up, his eyes clear. “The arm is working perfectly, Tony,” he said. “You do amazing work.”
“Of course I do,” Tony agreed, “But that’s not really a reason to be witting here in the middle of the night.
“No.”
“Do you have a reason? Now would be the time to share with the rest of the class.”
“I…” Bucky sighed. “It’s Steve.”
“Right,” said Tony, because he had no idea what that meant.
“He’s been helping me with my memories. Sort through what really happened and what Hydra planted in my brain.”
“Right,” said Tony, because Steve had told him all about it, happy that Bucky was getting better but not wanting to fool himself into thinking he’d be getting his best friend back.
“So far, I’ve remembered a lot of stuff from when I was the Winter Soldier. The more recent stuff, which kind of makes sense, and it’s mostly pretty clear, linear and all.”
“Right,” said Tony, because Bucky had already had a pretty good panic attack the night he remembered killing Howard and Maria, and they did not need to get into that again.
“Right,” Bucky echoed. “I’m remembering things from before, too, from when Steve and I were kids, but it’s all incomplete. Fragmented. It’s like trying to read a book with every other page missing. I’ll be doing fine, then suddenly there’s this blank space.”
Tony frowned. “And Steve’s mad about that?”
“Of course not. Stevie is being obnoxiously supportive and understanding.”
“That sounds more like Steve,” Tony agreed. “But that still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here.”
“I just needed to talk to somebody else who loves Steve but occasionally feels the urge to strangle him.”
Tony laughed. “Only occasionally.”
“Still…”
There was a beat of friendly silence, then Tony said, “Maybe you could try some of these new memories out on Rhodey first? He’d have no idea what you punks were up to in the Great Depression, so he wouldn’t be as worried about those blank pages.”
Bucky snorted. “As if I’d take match-making advice from you,” he teased.
“Fine, ignore my reminder about the smart, handsome, accomplished military officer who wants to hang out with you and maybe date you.”
“Did Jim say that?” Bucky asked, a little too quickly, and Tony grinned.
“He’s been giving you space to get your head together,” he said, then, “You should call him.”
“I will,” said Bucky. “At a more reasonable hour.”
“Reasonable,” Tony scoffed, then he let out a squawk of surprise as Bucky looped his flesh-and-blood arm around Tony’s neck to pull him in and plant a smacking kiss on his cheek. “Ew! Get off!”
Bucky laughed and let him go. “Thanks. I mean it.”
“Yeah, yeah,” said Tony, then spotted a familiar shape in the lab doorway. “Steve! Come and rescue me from this cretin.”
“Sounds pretty grateful for a cretin,” said Steve, joining them. “Everything okay?”
Bucky smiled. “It’s getting there. Good night, you two.”
He left, and Steve frowned. “Is he really okay?”
“I think he’s really getting there,” Tony said. “He’s going to call Rhodey tomorrow.”
“Yeah?” asked Steve.
“If they get together, it will be to spite us, not because of us.”
Steve grinned. “I’m okay with that.”
“Sure.”
“Do you actually have work you need to do now?”
Tony frowned. “Not really,” he said, then smiled. “You have a suggestion, Cap?”
Steve kissed him. “I have a few ideas.”
THE END
Current Mood:
working
Author: Ami Ven
Prompt: writerverse phase 23, challenge 30, prompt 22 forgotten memory
Word Count: 700
Rating: G
Fandom: MCU (non-canon-compliant)
Pairing(s): background Steve/Tony, pre-Bucky/Rhodey
Character(s): Tony Stark, Bucky Barnes, Steve Rogers
Summary: So, it was going to be one of those nights.
Put Together
Finding a super soldier in his lab at two in the morning was not an unusual occurrence for Tony. But it was usually the one he was dating, coming in to coax him back to bed or just sitting quietly to sketch while Tony worked.
Tonight, it was Bucky. He sat at a mostly-clear spot of Tony’s workbench, hair obscuring his face, staring down at his metal fingers.
That wasn’t a good sign.
Tony purposely made extra noise as he entered the room, but the other man didn’t move.
So, it was going to be one of those nights.
“Hey, there, Buckaroo,” said Tony, because ‘annoying’ was his default setting. “It’s a little late for a tune up, don’t you think?”
Bucky flexed his metal fingers but looked up, his eyes clear. “The arm is working perfectly, Tony,” he said. “You do amazing work.”
“Of course I do,” Tony agreed, “But that’s not really a reason to be witting here in the middle of the night.
“No.”
“Do you have a reason? Now would be the time to share with the rest of the class.”
“I…” Bucky sighed. “It’s Steve.”
“Right,” said Tony, because he had no idea what that meant.
“He’s been helping me with my memories. Sort through what really happened and what Hydra planted in my brain.”
“Right,” said Tony, because Steve had told him all about it, happy that Bucky was getting better but not wanting to fool himself into thinking he’d be getting his best friend back.
“So far, I’ve remembered a lot of stuff from when I was the Winter Soldier. The more recent stuff, which kind of makes sense, and it’s mostly pretty clear, linear and all.”
“Right,” said Tony, because Bucky had already had a pretty good panic attack the night he remembered killing Howard and Maria, and they did not need to get into that again.
“Right,” Bucky echoed. “I’m remembering things from before, too, from when Steve and I were kids, but it’s all incomplete. Fragmented. It’s like trying to read a book with every other page missing. I’ll be doing fine, then suddenly there’s this blank space.”
Tony frowned. “And Steve’s mad about that?”
“Of course not. Stevie is being obnoxiously supportive and understanding.”
“That sounds more like Steve,” Tony agreed. “But that still doesn’t explain what you’re doing here.”
“I just needed to talk to somebody else who loves Steve but occasionally feels the urge to strangle him.”
Tony laughed. “Only occasionally.”
“Still…”
There was a beat of friendly silence, then Tony said, “Maybe you could try some of these new memories out on Rhodey first? He’d have no idea what you punks were up to in the Great Depression, so he wouldn’t be as worried about those blank pages.”
Bucky snorted. “As if I’d take match-making advice from you,” he teased.
“Fine, ignore my reminder about the smart, handsome, accomplished military officer who wants to hang out with you and maybe date you.”
“Did Jim say that?” Bucky asked, a little too quickly, and Tony grinned.
“He’s been giving you space to get your head together,” he said, then, “You should call him.”
“I will,” said Bucky. “At a more reasonable hour.”
“Reasonable,” Tony scoffed, then he let out a squawk of surprise as Bucky looped his flesh-and-blood arm around Tony’s neck to pull him in and plant a smacking kiss on his cheek. “Ew! Get off!”
Bucky laughed and let him go. “Thanks. I mean it.”
“Yeah, yeah,” said Tony, then spotted a familiar shape in the lab doorway. “Steve! Come and rescue me from this cretin.”
“Sounds pretty grateful for a cretin,” said Steve, joining them. “Everything okay?”
Bucky smiled. “It’s getting there. Good night, you two.”
He left, and Steve frowned. “Is he really okay?”
“I think he’s really getting there,” Tony said. “He’s going to call Rhodey tomorrow.”
“Yeah?” asked Steve.
“If they get together, it will be to spite us, not because of us.”
Steve grinned. “I’m okay with that.”
“Sure.”
“Do you actually have work you need to do now?”
Tony frowned. “Not really,” he said, then smiled. “You have a suggestion, Cap?”
Steve kissed him. “I have a few ideas.”
THE END
Current Mood:
working