Marvel One Shots

First, Hesitant Kiss (WinterIron)

FIRST, HESITANT KISS: hesitant and nervous. Lips hover over each other for a few seconds before barely brushing a few times, breath fanning across each other's faces, waiting for the other to make a move. It's just a soft press, but it's enough, for now at least.

Steve was gone. He had been gone for months but for Bucky it was still difficult to wrap his head around the idea of his best friend being dead. From that day, everything went downhill. Accepting that he was never going to see his best friend again, was heartbreaking and suffocating. He didn't think he could live in a world without Steve. But he had to. He had no choice but to carry on and to be as much as a support for Tony.
The pain Bucky felt every day was nothing compared to what Tony must have been feeling. He had lost his fiance, the father of his children.
On the day of the final battle, Steve decided to go against the plan, he took the gauntlet that, according to the backup plan, Tony was supposed to take, and snapped. Thanos' army got dusted but Seve felt his life slowly leaving his body.
Since that day, Tony fell in a never-ending tunnel of depression and grief. No one could blame him really, they were all grieving. It was up to Bucky to help Tony as much as he could. He had promised Steve before he died that he would take care of his family. They were his last words to Steve and he had every intention to keep that promise.
Bucky slowly moved in with Tony, not that noticed anyway. Tony spent every day in his lab, working on some sort of project, God only knew what he was doing. Then, he would start drinking and pass out, either on the couch or right there on the table. Sometimes even on the floor.
Bucky spent his days with Peter and Morgan, driving them to school, making them meals, helping with homework and just hanging out with them. He knew he was not Steve, nor Tony, but he did everything he could to make them feel a little better. Once they were in bed, Bucky would take care of Tony, picking him up from the lab, forcing him into the shower, holding his head when he was throwing up and cleaning up for him, tucking him into bed, just for Tony to repeat everything the day after.
Bucky knew that it was not a healthy way to cope with the pain, he knew he should talk with someone his own age, but he just couldn't. When he was around the kids or taking care of Tony, he would forget just for a while that his best friend was never coming back. But he couldn't bring himself to look for help or to get in touch with someone, anyone really. Sam tried to get him to talk, to hang out, but he never answered his call nor replied to his texts. Sam could be a little too much sometimes and he had too many things on his mind to deal with him.
Bucky tucked Morgan in her bed.
"Can you tell me a Pops' story?" she had asked, with her little voice.
Bucky kneeled next to her bed and started telling her what he remembered of Steve from the 40s. Then, he gave her three kisses, two on the cheeks and one on the forehead, and walked out, turning off the light. He brushed a tear away from his cheek before going to check on Peter. Peter was on his bed with a book on his knees.
"G'night Pete" he said softly, trying to hide his broken voice, then closed the door and walked to the kitchen.
He put the dishes in the dishwasher and the leftovers in a tupperware, stocking them in the fridge. He wrote on a post-it the grocery list, reminding that the next day, after driving the kids to school, he would have to stop at the store.
Then Bucky walked to the lab, finding Tony on the couch. He was still awake, looking in front of him but his eyes were off, there was no spark. Bucky took the bottle from Tony's hand putting it on the floor.
"C'mon Tony, let's get you to bed" Bucky said, helping Tony to get up. Tony put his arm around Bucky's neck and followed his lead. Bucky got him to the bathroom and Tony and started preparing his bath.
"I get him from here" Tony finally whispered, melting all of the words together.
"You sure?"
Tony nodded and Bucky left the room, going back to the lab to tidy up a bit.

Bucky decided to cut his hair. He needed a change in his life and he figured that his hair was an amazing point to start. He also asked the barber how to take care of it,  thinking that maybe if he had a routine to stick to, he could slowly start to get better, dedicating a little bit of time to himself. His hair was shorter, not like it was before the war but neither long as HYDRA kept it. It perfectly framed his face, Bucky liked it, he liked the change and most of all, being in charge of his body, even if it was only his hair. Steve would have liked it. The kids liked it, Morgan in particular.
The day went like any other day for the past 10 months. He helped Peter with his homework, played with Morgan, made dinner and put them to bed, telling Morgan yet another story about her Pops.
Then, he went to Tony. He helped him stand and took him up bridal style and took him to the bathroom. He opened the toilet seat and held Tony's head over it, drying his forehead with a towel.
"Water" Tony mumbled and Bucky handed him the glass that was standing on the sink.
Bucky helped Tony stand up and stripped him of his clothes, pushing him in the shower. He opened the cold water and pushed him under the cold water jet. Tony tried to escape but Bucky pinned him against the wall.
"This has to stop Tony"
Tony managed to break out from Bucky's grip. Bucky stepped into the shower, pushing Tony harder but still not bringing in his whole supersoldier strength.
"You can't keep doing this, Tony. Peter and morgan need you, they need their father"
Tony finally snapped out of his trance, looking at Bucky. He could feel his eyes filling with tears and threw himself at Bucky, letting go of all the tears he was holding in.
Bucky sat on the bed with only a white towel wrapped around his waist, drying his hair with another one. he was waiting for Tony, wanting to make sure Tony was ok. Tony handed him a pile of clothes, presumably Steve's, and sat next to him.
"I know I've been a crappy Dad lately, I know it's not fair for the kids" he brushed away a tear.
"It's hard, James, it's really hard"
Bucky took Tony's hand.
"It's been so long and it still hurts like the first day. It hurts so bad"
Bucky pulled Tony closer to himself, gently stroking the back of his head.
"I know, Tony"
"I miss him, James, I miss him every day"
Bucky pressed his lips on Tony's forehead.
"I miss him too"
Tony turned towards Bucky, as he did the same shortly after. Bucky pressed his forehead on Tony's while still holding his hands.
Their lips brushed against each other, they were so close that they could breathe each other's air.
Tony looked down.
"I- he breathed out loudly- can't"
Bucky squeezed his hand.
"When Steve died, I promised him I would take care of you, of all of you, and that's what I'm doing. I know it's hard, I know it hurts, but he would want you to move on"
A tear fell on Tony's cheek and Bucky swiped it away.
"I am here for you, Tony, for whatever you need, I'm here"
Tony looked back at Bucky's blue eyes and let a small smile appear on his face. Bucky smiled, not wanting to move away. Their lips were almost touching. They were both looking at each other's lips. Bucky moved his head closer and kissed Tony's red lips. It was barely a kiss. Their lips were pressed on each other's but it was enough to send a nice, warm shock down their spines.
"Can you stay here, tonight?"
Bucky smiled and nodded.

Bucky flipped the last pancake and placed the plate in the middle of the table, calling the kids for breakfast. It became a habit, having breakfast together before driving them to school. But what he didn't expect was for Tony to walk into the kitchen, taking a plate and sitting down next to Bucky. Bucky filled their cups with coffee, looking at the shorter man smiling.
Tony took Bucky's hand under the table and gently squeezed it, looking at him in the eyes and smiling softly.
Maybe he would really be his future.