Bucky's Roommate

Chapter 18

"Your friends," Adel wiggled his fingers towards Stark, relaxing back into the couch. "Are getting too close to me and Bucky. I thought you and JARVIS were supposed to be keeping them away. What am I even paying you for?"

"Firstly, they're not my friends. Secondly," Tony continued at the college student's huff of disbelief. "You don't pay me. I actually don't think you have a job."

The Latino tilted his head, crossing his legs in front of him. "Why would I need one?"

"To pay for college and shit? Don't you need to eat?" At the look he received, Tony rolled his eyes. "Right, forgot who I was speaking to. Does Bucky know who you are yet?"

Adel sighed heavily. "He's denser than he looks. At least he's hot. The Winter Soldier found out, though. Maybe it's not as obvious as we think?"

"I found out when I was seven."

"You're also one of the smartest people in the world, and it showed even as a kid."

"Oh, yeah, huh. Have you thought about telling him?"

"And have him hate me? No, thanks."

Tony fell back in the chair across from the Latino, rolling his eyes once more at his friend. "How are you more dramatic than me? Natasha wouldn't ever believe me if I told her. You just said that the Winter Soldier knows, and clearly, he doesn't care if you haven't complained to me that he tried to kill you. How did he even react?"

Adel blushed, turning away to look out towards the tiny people walking on the streets down below the penthouse. "He, uh... He kissed me."

Stark choked on air for a moment, coughing. "You?"

"Oh, fuck off." The Latino tried not to pout and failed. "I'm a catch."

"You tried to break my hand when I hugged you."

"That's because it's you and we don't do that."

"What about when your landlord tried to hug you?"

"We don't do that either, and he didn't try to hug me. He was trying to murder me because I accidentally shorted him two cookies."

Tony nodded. "That makes much more sense. I thought he was going crazy."

"No, he is crazy. Our relationship is purely kill or be killed."

"You're stupid. Does Bucky know that you and Winter kissed?"

"Yeah, Winter told him by kissing me and then giving back control when we were still close to each other."

"Effective."

"I thought so, too. Anyways, your friends- shut up, you text me too much about them- are getting too close to my apartment. You and Jarvis need to deter them or something."

"How do you expect us to do that?"

Adel shrugged, crossing his arms and tilting his head. "Can't you blow up a SHIELD base?"

Tony rolled his eyes for the third time in ten minutes. At that rate, his eyes would be stuck at the back of his head. "We can't do that again, not after last time."

"Listen, it had to be done. I had to distract the IRS somehow."

"I can't believe it fucking worked. I don't understand why you're so afraid of the IRS. You don't even have to pay taxes."

"What if I paid you to do it?"

"I'm a billionaire."

"Fuck, you're right. What if I made cookies for you?"