afterglow - tony stark

33

        Eira was meeting Natasha for lunch. She was waiting in a little quiet corner of the place with a smile before Nat sat down across from her with a stern voice, "You brought the Winter Soldier home with you?"

            Eira gulped. She didn't realize that Nat would know who he was. All anyone else knew was that he kidnapped her for some reason.

            "He's good," Eira defended. "He's just...a little lost."

           Nat shook her head before she spotted somebody out the window, leaning against a car. Her eyes widened as she accused, "You brought him with you?"

           "He wanted to get out of the house," Eira crossed her arms.

           "Or...he's now become your little guard dog," Nat said as Bucky was intently watching their table for any signs of danger.

             "So he's protective. What about it? So is Tony."

               "Yeah," Nat gave her a look. "So is Tony."

              Eira was confused for a moment before she realized what Natasha was trying to suggest. She shook her head, "It's not like that."

              Nat hummed in disbelief and Eira groaned, "Is that all you wanted to meet with me about?"

               Nat sighed before she leaned across the table and hugged her, "No."

            Eira smiled and hugged her back before Nat let go. Nat gave her a gentle look, "I just want you to be okay..."

            "I will be okay," Eira reassured.

              "And Tony says you haven't talked yet...about Siberia."

              Eira looked at her in disbelief, "So Tony set this up?"

             "No," Nat said. "But he called before and said I should pry. I didn't think it was a good idea but I got to hand it to him; he's really trying to make sure you're alright."

            "I just don't want to talk about it," Eira looked down and drew shapes on the table. "What's the big deal?"

             "Eira," Nat scolded.

         "You wouldn't judge me if I did something bad, would you?" Eira looked up at her desperately.

          "I would be the last person to judge," Nat stated. "You know that."

           Eira sniffled before she muttered ever so quietly, "I killed someone...."

           Nat felt her eyes widen as Eira continued, "They created a serum that gave someone my powers. She would've done terrible things so I killed her."

            Nat reached over and placed her hand on top of hers, "You know you did the right thing."

            "But it was still a person," Eira breathed out the words like she was haunted. She was. It weighed on her to create stains in the world with the color red.

             _____

            Bucky finally wanted to see Steve. But before she called up the man and nearly gave him a heart attack by telling him his best friend was alive, she made sure Bucky really wanted this.

              "You're sure?" Eira looked at him worriedly.

              "Yeah," Bucky smiled. She could imagine that she charmed many woman with that smile.

              "Really sure?"

              "Yes, butterfly," he chuckled. "Sometimes, you act like such a mom."

             Her lips parted in surprise, "I do, don't I? Oh my god, I'm going to be a worry wart when I'm old."

           "And I'll be paranoid with stranger danger," Bucky grinned sadly. "I think I have you beat."

             She frowned and put her hands on her hips, "That is not going to be you, James Buchanan Barnes. Take that back."

        He smiled as he teased, "You're doing the mom thing again..."

         _____

          The next day, Bucky was out with Steve. Steve had introduced himself with a shy hello, ma'am. It was so cordial and, with Tony, nothing was ever so formal. So she didn't quite know how to respond.

               "Oh, hello..." she said before she quickly added on awkwardly. "Sir."

              Bucky had actually facepalmed before he pushed her back towards the house, "You are such a dork. Go back inside."

But Bucky was out of the house today so she went downstairs to find Tony. She found him building another suit but she interrupted that once she crawled into his lap and she gave him a apologetic puppy dog look.

"So now you want my attention since your second boyfriend is gone?" Tony said it so bitterly.

She rolled her eyes before she pressed her lips to his and they shared a long, deep kiss that left Tony breathless. She smiled, "How could I have a second boyfriend if I only kiss you?"

"You...can't," he replied slowly like a child.

"So stop being an idiot," she said as she ran her fingers through his hair. "You know I talk about you probably 90% of the time anyways."

"Really?" he smirked.

She hummed in agreement before she broached another subject, "And I know you talked to Nat..."

He looked at her carefully, "Are you mad?"

"No," she said with a small smile as she placed a hand on his cheek. "But you don't have to worry about me."

"I'm always going to worry about you, angel. You're the only thing I worry about."

She smiled more before she bit her lip. She knew he wanted her to explain what happened in Siberia and she thought maybe she was ready to tell him, too.

She confessed sadly, "HYDRA recreated another me and I could only think of you trying to stop her if she got out so I killed her..."

"Snow..."

"I have scars on my back," she moved to the next subject as her eyes teared up. "They're deep and ugly and I'm not sure I ever want you to see them."

"I'm not going to blame you for anything you did in there," Tony addressed her first confession before moving to the second; he tried to think of something poetic. "And you have scars because you survived something ugly; I think that makes them beautiful, Snowflake."

She smiled brightly with tears in her eyes before she hugged him tightly, "I love you so much."

"Well, I went six months without you and I'm still madly in love you so..." he rambled and she chuckled a bit. "I think I can say I'll love you forever, angel."

"Forever?" she smiled as she pulled away slightly to look at him.

"Forever."

AN: okay so the next chapter will close out this part of the book and then we're on to the avengers which will include Bucky