Title: I Don't Want A Lot For Christmas
Author: Angelina
Fandom: MCU
Rating: S
Genre: pre-slash, fluff
Paring: Tony Stark/James "Bucky" Barnes
A/N: Myöhäistä syntymäpäivää ja aikaista joulua Violetu ♥ Sori nyt kun tää ei oo WinterFalconia, mutta... :'''D Toivottavasti kelpaa silti! Ficin nimi on rumasti lainattu 'All I want for Christmas' -rallista. Olkaa hyvät korvamadosta : D Vendelalle jälleen kerran kiitos esiluvusta ♥
Haasteet: FF100 sanalla 067. Lumi
I DON'T WANT A LOT FOR CHRISTMAS
It’s almost 10 PM when Tony finally returns to the Tower. He’s exhausted – he didn’t really enjoy the social gatherings or galas before, but nowadays they were downright awful. He is too old to pretend that he cares about the other rich people and their problems and he doesn’t even have the urge to flirt or party anymore, either. But according to Pepper, as the owner of Stark Industries, Tony has to show up to these events at least once a year.
Tony takes off his tie and sighs. He is supposed to put on his armor and fly to his upstate villa where the other Avengers already went to begin their Christmas celebrations. Tony knows that spending time together would be good for their team but right now he’d rather pour a glass of scotch, watch some stupid Christmas movie and fall asleep on the couch.
A small ruffle of clothes startles Tony and he turns around quickly – the Tower should be empty but JARVIS did not alert him – and finds himself staring at the Winter soldier.
“You’re going to give me a heart attack,” Tony mutters and shakes his head. “The hell you’re doing here anyway?”
“The others left,” Barnes tells him with a low voice, making Tony roll his eyes.
“I know that. I’m asking why you didn’t go with them.”
Sometimes it is hard to believe that James ‘Bucky’ Barnes used to be the world’s greatest assassin. The way he stares at his feet and avoids eye-contact or how he silently creeps around the Tower makes Tony feel bad for the man.
“I’m not good with... people,” Barnes mutters and sounds almost sad. “Loud noises make me jumpy and I’m not really a good company.”
Well, to that Tony can relate to, at least partly. He is good company most of the time but he doesn’t really do well with crowds anymore and sometimes loud noises trigger his PTSD. It’s not really a problem when he is with familiar people but Barnes isn’t really familiar with the Avengers yet. Steve only brought him to the Tower a few months ago and Barnes has stayed mostly in his room, alone.
Barnes turns to leave with his shoulders hunched and Tony acts on impulse.
“Wait!”
Barnes turns around and looks at him, surprised.
“I’m not going to let you mope here all alone,” Tony declares. “It’s Christmas for crying out loud. Go get your jacket and meet me in the garage.”
❅ ❅ ❅
Tony doesn’t know what gave him the idea but he decides to take Barnes to Prospect park, which happens to be located in Brooklyn. When Tony parks his Audi on the side of the road Barnes' eyes widen in surprise.
“I know this place,” he says when they get out of the car and Tony smirks.
“I thought you would.”
Barnes raises his eyebrows when Tony opens up the trunk and pulls out a plastic sled. He hands it to Barnes who accepts it with a baffled look on his face.
“What? I'm not carrying it.”
Without waiting for an answer Tony starts climbing up the small hill. It's late enough that there's no one else which is probably for the best. Neither one of them needs an audience and both of them definitely deserve some peace and quiet for a change.
Tony reaches the top of the hill first, Barnes right behind him. Barnes drops the sled to the ground and stares at Tony.
“I feel like you're being dumb on purpose,” Tony says, breaking the silence. “You're supposed to sit on the sled, then go down the hill as fast as you can and have fun while doing it.”
“I know how sledding works,” Barnes says with an eye roll, “I just don’t get why you brought me here.”
Tony sighs and rubs his neck awkwardly. Maybe his plan was even dumber than he thought.
“I've had my fair share of shitty Christmases,” he explains, “and I didn’t like the idea of you being miserable and alone in the Tower.”
Barnes just stares at him and Tony begins to feel uncomfortable.
“I don't exactly know what ex-assassins do for fun but everybody likes to go sledding, right?”
There’s a small smile on Barnes' lips when he looks at the sled.
“Right.”
He finally sits down on the sled and Tony lets out a small laugh. Barnes is huge on the small sled but he doesn’t seem to mind. He pushes forward as hard as he can and suddenly he's gliding down the hill.
Tony is pretty sure that he can actually hear a small whooping sound too.
❅ ❅ ❅
When he climbs back up Barnes looks more at ease. His long brown hair is a mess and there’s finally some color on his pale cheeks - Tony thinks that Barnes hasn’t looked that much alive since he came to the Tower.
“So,” Tony asks with a smirk, “how was it?”
“See for yourself,” Barnes answers and nods towards the sled. Tony instantly takes a step back and shakes his head.
“Oh no no no. I brought
you here to have fun. I'm not getting on that thing, I'm too -”
“If you're going to say
'old', Stark...”
“I was going to say that I'm too fragile.”
“You fly an armored suit on a daily basis,” Barnes snorts, “doesn't scream fragile to me.”
Tony, who hasn't heard Barnes talk this much ever, doesn’t know what to say.
He doesn’t really have time to, either.
Barnes sits on the sled with a quick move and before Tony can even blink, Barnes grabs his waist and pulls him onto his lap, while his metal arm pushes them down the hill.
Tony yells and tries to grab a hold on to something but Barnes just holds him tighter.
Neither of them see the bump at the end of the hill until it’s too late. Barnes doesn’t have time to turn the sled and suddenly they’re both flying in the air, before dropping down to the snow. Tony gets up slowly, rubbing his back and he’s just about to start complaining when he hears it.
Barnes is
laughing.He is lying on his back, eyes closed and he is laughing so hard he can’t breathe.
Tony keeps staring at him, while trying to ignore the warm feeling in his chest.
❅ ❅ ❅
They end up going again.
And again.
And again.
And if Tony is smiling more and more after every single time and if Barnes is holding him closer and closer...
And if they end up watching stupid Christmas movies together back at the Tower until they fall asleep, Tony lying on top of Barnes -
Bucky - who still holds him tightly...
Well, that's nobody's business but their own.
