Just a note... The best way to keep up with this series is probably to follow me as an author, as every part is being published as an individual story. I am going to attempt to focus on this solely until it is finished, so everything should be in order on my page.
The series so far in chronological order: Family Meeting, The Rubble or Our Sins, Cut Up the Same, One Step Closer, Out Here in the Deep, My Calloused Heart, Nothing to Hide or: Earth's Mightiest Weirdos, Picking Up Pieces, Reach High to be Risen, Whispers in the Dark, As We Are, You're Mine, and I'm Yours. This is a slow build Steve/Tony story.
Disclaimer: No money being made here. All our Avengers are belong to Marvel and Disney... as does my soul probably at this point.
I was hoping you could drag me up from down here towards my recovery. If you could just give me a sign, just a subtle little glimmer.
Some suggestion that you'd have me if I could only make me better.
Then I would stand a little stronger as I walk a little taller, all the time.
Because I know you are a cynic but I think I can convince you.
Yeah, cause broken people can get better if they really want to.
Tony reached his hands out. "Come on, do you trust me?" he asked the girl.
"I trust you. I don't know if I trust all these limbs yet," she replied.
"You've come all this way, and you don't trust yourself yet?" Tony asked.
"I think we've established that that particular mania is sort of my thing, Tony," she retorted.
"You won't fall. I won't let you fall. Not this time," Tony said.
"Is this still an elaborate apology for Malibu?" she asked, giving him a very critical eye.
"Yes?" Tony said. "Probably... Who knows? It's just... It's not the same unless you get all the way there, sweetie." Tony hadn't stood up yet, and he wouldn't until Butterfingers joined him.
While his body was asleep and healing, he and the A.I.s had been combing the wondrous digital world that humanity created, for the sake of teaching Tony how to be safe when using it. They had taught him how to navigate and isolate needed information. They had taught him how to avoid the pitfalls and traps of viruses and malware. They had even taught him to ghost through sensitive systems, without leaving a trace of his presence. They had taught him how to see through satellites. But the last two were to be kept secret, because it was dangerous for others to know, and Tony completely agreed with that.
Currently they were taking some leisure time, exploring a mass of compiled scans of the Giza Plateau in Egypt, which Vision and FRIDAY had rendered into a lifelike 3D experience for them. When Butterfingers had expressed a desire to climb the Khufu's Pyramid, Tony was all over that. The others were off exploring the inside of it and the base of the Sphinx.
The scans of the stones at the top were steep, and Tony was glad of previous climbing experience. Even climbing a digital projection needed careful forethought. "You can do this, sweetie. We can do this together," Tony said. Butterfingers took a deep breath and took Tony's hands. The human digital projection she'd chosen was small and lithe. Pulling her up to the apex of the Pyramid took Tony hardly any effort at all, as her feet clambered on the cut stone for purchase.
It was the work of a moment, and they were both on their knees, high above the vast plateau around them, the world frozen in the late day sun. Tony hugged Butterfingers. "Good job, sweetie," he said. "Now see, wasn't that worth it?" Tony cast his arm out, guiding her eyes out over the vista. He pulled them both back toward the centre of the stones at the very top of the structure.
"Oh wow," Butterfingers said.
"Hey V or FRIDAY, can you give us the composite projection of the night photos those trespassers took from up here?" Tony asked, knowing well by now that all the A.I.s could hear him no matter how far away he seemed to be. The bots were a constant, low level, chatter of background information now. It was comforting for Tony, to know that he wasn't ever really alone.
The sky above their heads darkened, and the lights of Cairo in the distance came up, creating a sodium orange blush in the distance. "Wow," Butterfingers said again, and stood up. "It's beautiful."
"Yeah," Tony agreed, and leaned back on his hands, and sat down. "Worth the climb?"
"Definitely," she said.
"Sweetie, I have a question for you," Tony said.
"What?"
"I'll say here that you don't have to answer. That's fine. You can tell me to fuck off. But... I want to know what happened to you that you won't tell me about. What happened while I wasn't paying enough attention? I know... I know it was something bad, and that you've always had confidence issues. You are just as brilliant and capable as your siblings. You usually get things right the first time more often than U or Dummy... What did I miss, sweetie? Where did I go wrong? Is there anything I can do to help?"
Butterfingers turned, and came to sit down beside Tony. She curled into his side. "It... It wasn't anything that you did, pop," she whispered. U and Butterfingers had also taken up Dum-E's suggestion of 'Poppa Bear' as an affectionate title for him.
"But something did happen."
"Yes," she said.
"Something to do with Pepper? You were so sad when she showed up at the facility."
"No... Not like that. Pepper helped. I love Pepper," Butterfingers insisted, but her voice was still quiet and worried.
"Can you tell me? I will sit here as long as it takes, I promise," Tony said.
"I... I was new. U and Dummy were on a charge and reboot cycle, while I was doing workshop maintenance. Mr. Stane came in by overriding JARVIS, saying the information he needed was crucial to your safety. Under JARVIS' protocols at the time, he had to let Mr. Stane in. He was sneaking around, trying to decrypt your work on the repulsor tech, long before you ever developed the Jericho." Butterfingers said. Her fingers twisted into Tony's shirt, she'd always liked soft textures, despite being a master machinist. Tony had even made a storage bin for her favourite blanket in her chassis and in her charging dock.
"I remember being told that Obie had drunkenly tried to access unauthorized files, and fixing the protocols after that breach, but you and JARVIS didn't say anything. Why?"
"Because I was new, and I didn't want to screw up. I asked JARVIS not to say anything." She pressed her cheek into Tony's side, and he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. Hugs were a big hit with the bots. They liked physical closeness as much as anyone else.
"What did he do?" Tony whispered into her raven's wing hair.
"I tried to chase him out of the shop... He... He came after me. He used a low workbench shelf for leverage, and tipped me over on to the ground... Then he took a hammer to my joints... I'm sorry, Tony, I tried to get him out, but I didn't want to hurt him... JARVIS couldn't do anything, as he was programmed to prioritize Mr. Stane... Mr. Stane thought I was malfunctioning." Butterfingers' voice was a high whisper, on the verge of tears. She paused to gather her thoughts for a moment and then continued.
"Mr. Stane didn't know... He didn't know we could feel... Pepper arrived, coming home from a function ahead of you, and discovered what Mr. Stane was up to. She... She put a stop to it, but again, she didn't know either. So I was left on the floor until JARVIS could cycle U and Dum-E through their reboot, and get them to clean me up and repair me. You were... intoxicated... when you got home, and JARVIS thought it was unsafe for you to be in the shop when you were like that. You were drinking a lot those days," she said.
Tony gathered her up, and cradled her in her arms. "Oh sweetie... Oh my baby, I'm so sorry. God, I didn't know. I am so sorry," Tony said all in a rush. "If I had any idea..."
"I asked JARVIS not to say anything. I didn't want it look like I had failed you or my protocols. I was so new, Tony," she said.
"Sweetie... Oh sweetie," Tony said, tears welling up in his eyes.
"But you are so good to me, Tony. And so was Pepper. She's always been so nice to all of us, even if she's never fully understood us... She helped me when I was powerless, how could I not love and miss her?"
"And that's why you cried when she arrived," Tony concluded.
"Yes," she admitted.
"And that's why you reached out to James... Because both of you know what powerlessness feels like," Tony murmured.
"Yes." Tony ran a hand through her hair.
"I love you. Thank you so much for trusting me enough to tell me," Tony said. "What can I do, sweetie? How can I help?"
"It was years ago, Pop... JARVIS, Dummy, U, and I spent a long time talking it over. Years worth of time. Dummy still feels guilty for what happened, even though none of it was his fault. He's so much like you... And now, Mr. Stane is gone forever, and you helped ensure that. I know it wasn't done directly for me. But, it was done for the safety of those you care about, of which I am one, and to make sure that our way of life could continue... I can't help but be glad that he's gone, Tony. He was scum, and he was a bully, and he might have been legitimately evil... But he's gone, and you did that. You chose all of us over him. I will forever be grateful for that." Butterfingers sniffed, and rubbed her cheek on Tony's collarbone.
"There was no other choice to make... I am taking a goddamn hammer to his headstone," Tony muttered.
"Don't get arrested because of him. I need you," she whispered.
"Can I at least quietly have his epitaph changed to 'here lies a war mongering, child beating, pile of shit'?"
"Whatever floats your boat, pop," she said, but Tony could feel her narrow face start to pull up into a smile.
"I am sending out the work order now," Tony said, retrieving the information for the monument company that S.I. had used for Stane's grave marker, and pulling it up in a projection that hovered beside them.
"Tony, give yourself a twenty-four hour cooling off period, would you?" Butterfingers pulled her head away, and gave him an expression that was entirely too sensible given the relative youth of her face.
"Don't think I won't do it," he said.
"And that's fine. I have no objection... But Pepper might. It will look bad on the company," Butterfingers said.
"There you go with the pragmatism again. You need to learn to have more fun," Tony said, and placed a kiss in her hair. "And that it's okay to make mistakes. My love is not conditional on your performance. You got that?"
"I... I know that... It's just sometimes I have a hard time remembering that," she said.
"I can pull the full on dad card and sing Whitney Houston very badly every time you need reminding," Tony suggested.
"You're so weird," she said, finally sounding like the young teenager that she appeared to be.
"I have robot children. Of course I'm weird," Tony agreed.
"I love you," she said.
"I love you too, sweetie,"
"Your vital signs are good. We should get you back soon," she said.
"I know," Tony replied, his tone soft. "I've had a really good time with you guys though. And I suppose I'm hesitating because going back means taking on real responsibility again. I will have to put on the armour again. I haven't since Ultron."
"Just remember that you don't need the armour to be Iron Man, Tony... You never did," she said. Tony placed another kiss on her forehead.
"Bless your little heart," he said. He juggled her around, and stood, still holding her in his arms. He looked up at the sky, and out over the plateau. He swung her a bit, and she held on tight, her arms around his neck, and laughed breathlessly. "See, told you that you wouldn't fall."
"I get it. Trust exercise. Yay, beautiful moment," she squawked. Tony laughed.
"Good... Now... I suppose we should think about getting down from here."
"It's a digital projection, Tony... We can just think ourselves down," she said.
"Where's the fun in that? We got ourselves up here this way. We should finish the job," Tony said.
"Great, another moral lesson. Your dad is showing, Tony," she teased.
"You like it."
"It doesn't mean that I can't find it annoying simultaneously," she retorted.
"That's my girl," Tony said proudly, and set her on her feet.
Tony's eyes fluttered open, ready to get back to life. He rolled on to his side and groaned. Nick Fury was in the chair beside the bed, the bots were on the other side, charging quietly, and the rest of the room was deserted. "Oh fuck, worst fairy godfather ever. Go away. Get me Steve. He'd look better in tights and a tutu... Wait... Hot pants. Get me Steve in hot pants. Now. I need it to live," Tony rasped. Fury's face quirked up in the barest of smirks, but he was fighting it hard. He leaned forward to the bedside table, and poured Tony a cup of ice water from the insulated pitcher on it.
"How long have you two been knocking boots? Maria and I have a bet," Nick said, and held the cup to Tony's dry lips. Tony looked wary for a moment, but he was terribly thirsty. Tony leaned forward, and took a few tentative sips. The water hit the back of his mouth where the dryness of the medical ward had settled in him. He slurped greedily, and downed the entire cup's worth. He flung himself back on the pillow and started to realize that something wasn't quite right.
"Here's where you both lose, Nick. We haven't yet. Now quit asking me about my sex life. I've shared enough of it with the world. I'm done with that. Just because I'm famous doesn't necessarily mean you get to know where, when, and who I'm fucking. Where's Steve?" Tony asked. Nick's eyebrows went up his forehead, but he took Tony's snarky retort calmly.
"It's 3am. I think he's bunked out with Barnes for the night," Nick said.
"What? No malingering over my sick bed with wailing and rending of garments? FRIDAY dear, make a note... full on Egyptian pharaonic funeral. I want one." Tony asked.
"Noted, boss. Shall I purchase the appropriate amount of natron salt?" she asked. "And might I add that it's a pleasure to hear you honking meaninglessly out of your mouth hole again," FRIDAY said warmly.
"Yes, and commission a sarcophagus that would make Donald Trump question my good taste, would you? I don't know, golden dicks carved on the exterior frieze or something... No... A 1:1 scale replica of Steve's ass in hot pants. Put 'truly he could claim an ass that wouldn't quit' around it in hieroglyphs... And thanks?" Tony said.
"You've been asleep for over a week, Stark. Physically, we think you're fine now, completely healed from the surgery. We were starting to worry. You missed a call out, which turned out to people messing around with hidden Chitauri tech." Fury said.
"Shit, has it been that long? I was... I was talking with the bots... Learning about the online world. Exploring it, really," Tony dragged his hand through his hair, and realized that his hand was covered by the nanobot exoskeleton he'd used to connect to the drive that had been in Bucky's arm. He held his hand out in front of his face, only to see that not only was his hand and arm covered, but his entire body was. He could feel it between his skin and the sheets on the medical bed. It felt like it radiated out from the centre of his chest, where the inner hum of the arc reactor sang merrily away. It was strangely comforting to him, and though he kept his pleased expression from his face, he let himself feel it. He loved when something worked like it should.
"You can see why something like self-constructing metal pajamas might pique my interest, Tony. Especially now that we got something big coming down the pipeline that needs to be dealt with," Fury said. Tony heard him, but he was distracted. He dragged both hands through his hair this time, which definitely needed a wash. He moved the blanket down to see everything from his neckline down covered in the exoskeleton, which created a beautiful, geometric lattice work over the cover of the arc reactor in his chest. On instinct, he took a deep breath, and was relieved to find that he could do so without pain. He let it out slowly and scratched at his scalp. The nanobots instantly adapted and created edges on the tips of his fingers for the best self-induced scalp massage he'd ever had. His hand slowed as he realized that he could feel every hair on his head through the nanobots. Every. Single. One.
"FRIDAY dear, another note... Increased tactile sensation of nanobot exoskeleton and armour under suit will have to be tempered most of the time, with emphasis on cases of trauma to my body. We'll need to set a baseline to be more in tune with my natural sense of touch... Addendum: Could be hella fun for sex... But Steve will probably think that's weird."
"Happily noted, boss, but you're right... That is a bit weird." FRIDAY said.
"Thank you for the commentary," Tony said.
"Nanobot exoskelton. Vision explained what it was. What is its purpose?" Fury asked.
Tony scrubbed at his eyes, clearing the sleep from them. "It will help me communicate with the armour, read my bio signs to assess my health, help me react more quickly in a fight. It also means that my body is essentially a communication hub now. We don't necessarily have to worry about losing satellite signals if I'm within a reasonable distance of everyone. There are a lot of practical applications. It adds about twenty pounds to my body weight, but since the nanobots are small enough to sit comfortably between my cells, it can retract into me and it's not going to kill my banging beach body."
"How did you get nanobots that small?" Fury looked incredibly suspicious, but Tony had nothing to hide.
"Two methods. One is getting small robots to build progressively smaller robots. The other is someone else's proprietary tech, which I may or may not have found out about in my old man's notes after SHIELD went down in a fiery ball into the Potomac. Those notes happened to correspond with some old holdings here when this was a storage facility, part of which survived a burglary a few months back," Tony said. Fury's brow furrowed.
"Pym," he said and sighed heavily.
"Yeah, but don't tell him that. There's a reason he hates me, and never wanted me to know anything about his work... He knew I would figure it out if I had enough clues. He did try to headhunt me right out of M.I.T., trying to play off my sour feelings for Howard. Did you know that?" Tony asked. "I don't know if he ever wanted to share it with me, or if he just wanted to control me and have one up on Howard. Maybe I should have taken it. Maybe Obie never would have got his claws into me like he did."
"Nobody thought you would ever take that offer, not even Hank," Fury said.
"Still, the fact that he tried to do it doesn't sit exactly well with me. Howard had a few rages over him, and I usually caught the wrong end of it if I was around. Anyway, ever since his facility went up, Pym's legal team has been scouring the world looking for people infringing copyright and running any kind of similar gig," Tony said.
"So you know about the Ant-Man suit," Fury said.
"Nobody could miss the viral videos of the giant Thomas the Tank Engine in a California front yard, Nick... It's a fascinating thing, really. Not my bag, I'm too showy for that kind of stealth... But you have to admire the science behind it," Tony said.
"Do you have access to Pym particles?" Fury asked. Tony was starting to get annoyed with the line of questioning, but he really did want to be up front with everyone about this new weirdness in his life. He didn't want to be ostracized for it.
"Not anymore. I had enough to get me going on the nanobot project, which were the few Howard managed to sneak away from Pym in the confusion after his wife disappeared. As long as I supplement the nanobots regularly with raw materials and the energy from the chest RT, they should be self-propagating from now on... I need this, Nick. I have things to do, and I am not ready to turn over the safety of the planet to hands like the World Security Council. Not after they were so fucking trigger happy in New York," Tony said. Nick let out a long breath.
"I. Am. Iron Man..." Nick said slowly. "I'd say that Howard would have been proud of you... But we both know he would have been envious as fuck about this."
"I know he was proud of me, Nick... I just rather would have had a father that could acknowledge that he had any kind of positive human emotion for his son. A little nurturing might have gotten me years ahead of myself," Tony said. He was sitting up now, his exoskeleton covered leg hung out out over the side of the bed.
"You were a bit of a little shit, Tony," Nick said.
"You know, I really wasn't all that bad until I was already irrevocably damaged by him. Jarvis raised me well. He raised me to be good. I earned every spot in every Ivy League school, and I kept my grades up. Did I get into mostly harmless; rich kid style trouble that every rich kid gets into? Yes, I did. But while intoxicated in public, I was never so much caught with a D.U.I. or endangering others that didn't choose to be there," Tony said. "There, I showed you how my trick is done, super spy. Can I go see my boyfriend now?"
"Yes, but I need to talk to you in the morning, Tony. The Sokovia Accords are being ratified and there are going to be consequences. I need you and your ability to negotiate with national governments, while keeping the interest of private citizens in mind," Fury said. "However you choose to stand on the issue is going to have a major impact on how things proceed. You speak the language of bureaucracy better than I do. I need you to protect this team in a way for which you are uniquely adapted."
"Protect the team? The team is protection. What are you on about, Nick? Who's after us?" Tony asked.
"Everyone, Tony. I know that you haven't been well lately, and haven't been able to pay much attention while you recovered... People haven't forgotten the extraordinary threats of Loki and the Chitauri and Ultron. They haven't forgotten the threat of the Ten Rings. They haven't forgotten the threat of HYDRA. They are scared of their own governments... So much so that they will turn on their champions to quell their fear, and will leave themselves vulnerable to later attack," Fury was leaning forward on the chair, schooled into a worried, beaten down position. Tony knew it was for a show, as most things were with Nick Fury, but what he was trying to project was as important as what he was trying to hide.
"Tell. Me. Who. Is. Sniffing. Our. Tail. I want a solid answer, now, Nick, or I will end up going into panic mode, and we all know where panic and fear gets me," Tony said darkly.
"General Ross is the big player at the moment. He's calling for a return to dependence on militaries, like even the American military could have done anything other than die wastefully in the face of Ultron." Fury's voice was flat and tired.
"Oh NOW he wants to go back to manpower and hardware? After he unleashed the Hulk, and then as a follow-up unleashed Blonsky on the world... I mean, at least he's as much of a hypocrite as the rest of us I guess... Does he know we have Banner and Barnes?"
"He suspects we do. Missions to search for them have stopped... No one has spotted Barnes recently either... I imagine he thinks we never lost Banner. Though I suppose that doesn't matter much. We have to be right on top of this, Tony. There will be no second chance to do this right," Fury said.
"Okay, we will do what we have to in order to keep the team together. Giving anyone, including Banner and Barnes, up for prosecution or incarceration is off the table, and completely not negotiable. We stay together, Nick. That is the only way I will work with this. Build your plan of action around that," Tony said simply. "For now, I am going to go give my boyfriend a smooch, and in the morning I am going to call my annoying kid sidekick over for a visit. I promised him that he would get to go stargazing with the world's premier artificial intelligence. After that, I will start looking over what needs to be done. I know that what I have done to myself essentially makes me obligated to do everything I can, for the continued safety of the world, for the rest of my life... Just, give me a few hours to be fucking thankful that I'm alive,"
"You know who would have been proud of you? Edwin Jarvis," Fury said. Tony paused and let that sink in for a moment.
"Now there is an opinion that actually matters," he agreed and smiled. Tony climbed out of bed, pulled of the leads measuring his vitals, and silenced the alarms on the machines monitoring him with his mind. He took a good look at the exoskeleton. It was still a bit creepy, but the information that it gave him about his environment was going to invaluable in the future. He went to the closet in the room, and found a set of scrubs that would fit him. He pulled them on, and smoothed the cloth over the prominent glow of the arc reactor in his chest. The nanobot exoskeleton slowly started to recede into his body.
"So, how weird is it?" Nick asked.
"It's not weird to me, Nick, it's wonderful," Tony said, and gave a meaningful look to his bots, who had perked up at Tony moving around. "For the first time in over twenty years I can talk to my kids, Nick... Really talk to them. Who wouldn't want that?" Tony grinned as the bots collected themselves and rolled out of the room after him.
Tony poked his head into Bucky's room. Bucky was instantly aware, and Tony waved mildly. "Hey," he whispered.
"Hey," Bucky replied, and waved him into the room. Steve was passed out in the bed, head to foot with Bucky. Bucky poked Steve's ankle. "Hey lazy bones, wake up, your fella is up and moving." Steve snorted and blinked awake.
"Wha?" Steve said, and rubbed his eyes. Tony approached the bed, and bent over it. Steve looked up at him and a huge, sleepy, smile broke out across his face. "Hi, Tony," he said.
"You with bedhead is probably my favourite thing ever," Tony declared and kissed Steve soundly.
"How are you feeling?" Steve asked. Tony finally took a moment to assess that. He sat on the bed, and saw that the bots had trailed into the room with him. He stroked Steve's cheek.
"Pretty damn awesome, actually. I feel lighter... Like... I don't know. I shouldn't. The nanobots weigh about twenty pounds... But it's like my body is finally working again like it should," Tony said. "I haven't felt this good since I dried out for a few weeks after 9/11."
"Okay, Steve explained about the thing in your chest, but what's a nanobot?" Bucky asked.
"I... Sort of have a colony of microscopic robots living inside me... And okay, Nick was right, that does sound kind of weird," Tony said, considering it.
"Yeah, sorry, I was just so tired. We had to fly to Russia to confiscate some Chitauri tech," Steve explained and yawned.
"Nick said that. Sorry I missed it," Tony said, carding his hand through Steve's hair gently.
"Wait, still confused on the nanobot thing," Bucky said.
"Yeah, where are the high tech long johns?" Steve asked. Tony laughed high and light. He held out his hand, and called the nanobots to the surface. They formed up out of his skin, eager to be of use, and covered his hand and forearm.
"These are nanobots, James. They work together, and will help me connect to the battle armour I wear. They don't hurt. I chose to put them in me. So please don't concern yourself with that," Tony said softly.
"Oh, wow... Stevie said that the armour is really something," James said. He leaned over and took Tony's hand in his, and ran his thumb over the exoskeleton.
"And this is just the connective under suit. You should see the whole deal," Tony explained, leaving his hand in Bucky's for however long he wanted it.
"It's warm... I suppose it would be if they were inside of you... The arm was always cold, unless I was using it heavily, and then it was too hot," Bucky mused.
"The replacement I'm designing has climate control for your comfort," Tony said softly. He noticed Butterfingers at his elbow. "What? Come back to say hi, did you?" he asked her.
"Duh. He's adorable... Oh god don't tell him I said that." she retorted. Tony snorted. Bucky gave Tony a confused look.
"The nanobots also allow me to communicate with my other robots directly..." Tony said sheepishly. "Butterfingers made a sarcastic comment." Tony hoped that would be enough to give him cool dad status in Butterfingers' books.
"My lips are sealed, sweetie," Tony sent back to her. Butterfingers waved at Bucky and then pulled the shy, endearing, routine she did for people she liked.
"So, who's hungry? I'm famished. Want to wake Rhodey up and watch infomercials and eat junk food until dawn?" Tony asked.
"I could eat," Bucky said softly. He was playing some kind of impromptu, one-handed version of Patty Cake with Butterfingers.
"I think we should leave Rhodey to sleep," Steve suggested.
"Nonsense. If there are shenanigans happening, Rhodey wants in. He might deny it, even vehemently, but if I am up to something, he wants to be there. It's why he loves me... Wait, get your phone, I want to wake him up by crawling into bed with him. This needs to be preserved for posterity... Com'on, James," Tony said, and stood up.
"I... Out there?" Bucky asked.
"You haven't left the medical ward yet, have you?" Tony reasoned.
"Um, no... I should... Probably check with someone," Bucky trailed off and looked ominously at the door.
"We will be sure to tell the nurses that we're taking you for a spin, I promise," Tony said. "It will be good for you. You remember Rhodey, right? My friend who helped me with your arm," Tony explained. "His mom makes biscuits to die for, and on my sorry account, she's visiting. If we are all good little boys she might make a double batch for breakfast."
Bucky smiled and laughed quietly; not quite believing Tony's enthusiasm was real. "Come on, James, I literally just got a new lease on life, and so did you recently. Since I've given up drinking, we should at least celebrate with rich foods and give ourselves tummy aches," Tony said. Bucky laughed out loud, and Steve was grinning ear to ear.
"I just... I worry about what is outside of here. It's the first time I've felt safe since the forties," Bucky said. Tony's face turned gentle and compassionate in an instant.
"Oh, now that I understand. But it's safe here, I promise. You're just as secure in the medical ward as you are in the kitchen. I designed it that way. And if it's yourself you're worrying about endangering others, you have to remember that Steve, your rock solid memory, is right here. The memory of him cut through HYDRA's programming didn't it? I don't think you need to worry about being triggered if Steve is around," Tony said.
"Stevie," Bucky murmured.
"Stevie Rogers," Tony agreed.
"Your fella."
"Your friend." Tony leaned forward and offered Bucky his hand. Bucky smiled, took it, and hoisted himself out of the bed, over top of Steve. "So, what are you craving, James?" Tony asked as they headed for the door. Steve grinned at the bots, who were waiting politely for him.
"I ain't had a milkshake in seventy years," Bucky mused.
"We can totally do that," Tony said. Steve looked the bots over.
"Is he okay?" He asked them. Dum-E, Butterfingers, and U all nodded enthusiastically. "Did all of you have a good time?" They nodded again. Steve smiled back.
"I'm glad. Thanks for watching out for him," Steve said.
"No, thank you for saving him," FRIDAY said. Steve looked up at her nearest camera. "I mean it, Captain Rogers... He wouldn't be here now if you hadn't answered my call, and we will always be grateful for that."
"I... I don't know what to say."
"Well, let's just live in mutual thankfulness that we all pulled together then, shall we?" She asked.
"Okay then," Steve said and laughed.
"Hey Steve! We're taking Pietro with us too!" Tony hollered from out in the all. "Quit flirting with my bots and get your butt in gear. You make the best milkshakes." Steve walked out into the hallway and the bots followed him like ducklings.
"Well, I have been told it brings all the boys to the yard," Steve cracked.
"And here we are... Now prove it," Tony said. He was standing behind Pietro's wheelchair, which contained a very sleepy Sokovian, and held his arm out in a gesture toward the doors of the medical wing.
"I could teach you, but I'd have to charge," Steve said with a grin. Tony rolled his eyes dramatically.
"Do you really want to start the troll war with me, Steve? You've already lived through the consequences." Tony's face was all fake exasperation and barely contained joy.
"All right already. Give me a minute, I'm a senior citizen," Steve complained.
"Oh, can I use that one too?" Bucky asked.
"Sure," Tony agreed. "So long as I get to mock you for it," He thought about it the right way, and the doors swept open. Dum-E, Butterfingers, and U, started humming the pop song, and the convoy made its way toward the kitchen.
-The End (for now)