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voiceoffenrisulfr · 7 months ago

Text

Destiny Bond

𝐏𝐀𝐈𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 -> James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Non-Binary Character, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 -> The Government offers Bucky a clean slate if he marries a mutant of their choosing. Can a match motivated by survival ever work out? Arranged Marriage AU

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓 -> 7883

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 -> (E) Angst, arranged marriage reluctance, implied incentivised breeding, smut, praise kink, spanking.

𝐀/𝐍 -> Largely written for the Build-a-Bucky bingo, hosted by @buckybarnesevents! This was an utter delight to write. Thanks for the inspiration! For our Bug. Our muse, our superhero, always.

Prompts fulfilled: - ‘Destiny Bond’ – Dick-or-Treat; - ‘Mutual Pining’ – Any Fandom Goes (Kink) @anyfandomkinkbingo; - ‘Hurt/Comfort’, ‘Bucky’s Trigger Words’, ‘Accidental Love Confessions’, ‘Backyard Cookout’, ‘Wrong Number’, ‘Friends to Lovers’, ‘AU: Arranged Marriage’, ‘Space’, ‘Mutual Masturbation’, ‘Spanking’, ‘Possessiveness’, ‘Praise Kink’ – Build-a-Bucky Bingo (May) @buckybarnesevents (Completionist achieved! :D)

Read it below or on AO3 here. Adorable divider by @plum98! Cards at the end <3

Stevie adjusted my tie, and I swallowed dryly.

“So… You excited?” he murmured, raising his eyes to mine as he earned a weak, wordless chuckle. “Yeah… Probably not how you envisioned it, huh?”

“I mean, I figured I’d probably get married in the fifties. Just, y’know… A century earlier.”

“And to someone you know,” Steve added, his voice low, and I grinned feebly.

“Yeah, well. We can’t all be as lucky as you and Tony,” I teased affectionately, making my best man’s cheeks flush pink.

“I’m glad we tied the knot before all this pressure started,” he admitted, barely audible as he spoke in a nervous whisper, and I could only nod in response around the lump in my throat.

Six months after Tony and Steve married, there was a huge push to increase the number of mutants and superpowered individuals; concerns were constantly growing about extraterrestrial invasion, and the government made no secret of the view that we were now needed more than we were feared. Financial incentives were offered for marrying a partner of their choosing – but it wasn’t money that had me signing up for the program two years on. I was approached directly, far from everything I knew, with a promise that my record would be wiped clean if I participated. I would be repatriated. I could go home.

The only other super soldier was already married – to someone not physiologically altered, to boot, and not to mention a lack of biological compatibility to bolster our numbers without outside influence; Steve had been contacted several times for requests to be used as a glorified stud horse, and he always refused without hesitation. There was nothing they could offer that would make him accept.

So I was important, apparently.

They wouldn’t tell me who I’d be making this vow with – all I was told was that they were a natal mutant. I didn’t know their abilities, their age, their likes, dislikes… I didn’t even know their name. The only piece of information I had was that they were non-binary and assigned female at birth; reproduction was the goal here, after all.

Nobody ever bothered to ask my sexuality, or if I cared about the gender or sex of my partner. If they had, I’d have told them I was open to anyone – gender didn’t matter me, nor the package it came in – but I was horrified that they failed to as much as consider the issue, and had a deep fear that I would fly directly in the face of their own attraction. This was going to be hard enough without further complications.

“You know you don’t have to do this, right?” Steve murmured, gently pulling me from my thoughts.

I nodded slowly, glancing at the reflection staring back at me, pale and wide-eyed. “I need to come home, Stevie. I’ll do anything to make that happen.”

He simply nodded back, smoothing his hands over my shoulders gently. “In that case… Let’s go get you married, Buck.”

Steve and I talked quietly as we stood before the registrar. Tony sat in the front row, acting as our second witness -evidently, the government watchdog sculking at the back of the room to make sure everything proceeded legally didn’t count.

The registrar cleared his throat, drawing our eyes, and Steve offered me a weak smile as the door opened.

I blinked in surprise, gawping at the sight of the small bundle of nervous energy striding up the aisle with less-than-traditional pace.

A small bundle that I’d met several times before.

They came to a halt in front of me, looking equally shocked, rocking on their heels with their hands in their pockets. “… Fancy seeing you here.”

“You… You’re wearing cargo shorts,” I noted faintly, and they grinned.

“I’m always wearing cargo shorts.”

“You’re wearing cargo shorts to your own wedding.”

Their grin grew wider, and they shrugged, trailing a palm down the overshirt laid over a cartoon tee. “I got a new shirt, at least.”

I took in the black plaid, and shook my head fondly. “I appreciate the effort?”

They snorted, fingers flexing nervously. “So… Let’s get hitched, I guess.”

I could only nod silently as the registrar began to speak, deaf to the words as I stared at all 5’4” of the mutant before me. We’d run into one another a few times; they lived a little upstate, just outside of the city, and sometimes our territory – and our marks – overlapped. If pushed, I’d have labelled the quick kid a friend.

And now my spouse, I suppose.

Both registrar and my betrothed were staring at me expectantly, and I blinked, panicked. “Sorry- what?”

“Say ‘I do’, Buck,” Bug teased, nervous smile flickering slightly.

“Oh- yeah, of course. Happy to. I mean, I do,” I added quickly, flustered by the attention, and their face split into a grin once more, this one tinted with relief.

“By the power vested in me by the state of New York and the U.S Department of Superhuman Relations, I now pronounce you man and spouse. You may kiss.”

I licked my dry lips lightly, shifting closer, waiting until they leant in a little to brush my mouth tentatively over theirs.

When I drew back, they were adorably pink, eyes diverted shyly from mine.

While I spoke to the witness from the DSR, making sure everything was above board, Bug’s attention was drawn to their cell, a soft frown of focus pulling on one side of their mouth. “It’s good to have you back, Sergeant Barnes,” he concluded with a weak smile. I simply stared at the hand offered to me with a scowl before turning away, determined to make my disdain evident.

Steve was still eyeing Bug with surprise – and something akin to relief that had me cocking my head curiously, earning a small smile when he noticed. “At least it’s someone we know?” he ventured uncertainly, and I shrugged.

“Better in some ways… Worse in others,” I muttered back, gaze straying to the mutant once more. They were still staring down at their phone, the frown now shifted into a smile, tapping briefly before sliding the device into their pocket and meeting my eye with a shy shrug.

“Wrong number,” they offered, waving a hand dismissively, and I nodded, only distantly unconvinced – but it was no business of mine. “So… Now what?” they broached, teeth finding their lip, fingers knotted in front of their abdomen.

“The DSR pays for a fancy hotel as well as the ceremony,” I noted, and winced when their cheeks flamed. “That- I, uh… I-I just meant… Room service. On their dime. All we can eat. I didn’t- There’ll only be one bed, but I- I can sleep on the floor, it’s not a problem, just-”

“All we can eat sounds nice,” they interrupted softly, offering me a reassuring smile, and I sighed in relief, grinning back.

Maybe this will be… Fine.

I hope.

We were congratulated as we checked in – Mr. and Mx. Barnes.

I’m married.

I have a spouse.

“I can’t believe I’m married,” they muttered as I scanned our keycard, seemingly reading my mind. “I didn’t think I’d ever get married, honestly… Just seemed like a whole lot of effort for a piece of paper.”

I shrugged a shoulder – wincing subtly at the pain where flesh met metal – nudging the door open and stepping aside to let them enter first. “I don’t know. Honestly, I thought I would someday. Not quite in these circumstances, admittedly,” I chuckled, following them in and leaning against the door uncertainly as it closed behind us. They looked around with wide eyes, seemingly captivated by the extravagance, and rushed to the window with a gasp. I blinked as they vanished, reappearing with their nose pressed to the glass, wriggling with excitement.

“We can see the whole city from here!” they exclaimed, fingertips drumming on the frame, the wide window offering a cinematic view, and I laughed.

“I always forget how quick you are…” I murmured, shaking my head. The first time I’d run into them, they’d been gone before I’d fully registered them leaning over my mark, trussed up and secure. It wasn’t until later that I learned that they’d arrived before me – unsurprisingly – and was about to turn him in to the police, but my presence startled them, and they fled; I handed the mark to SHIELD, but my mind wandered frequently to the fast bundle of nervousness until we came across each other again, several months later. They almost ran into me as I tackled my mark, skidding to a halt with a squeak of surprise, big brown eyes wide and startled.

Eventually, we’d exchange timid smiles, and then chatted once or twice.

And now… This.

“Yup, I’m a zoomer,” they agreed readily, fingertips drawing invisible patterns on the glass. “… I guess that’s why they paired us, huh? I mean, we all know what they want. And if your abilities are passed on… That’d be an impressive kid. Fast, strong, quick healing, basically immortal…” They frowned a little, eyes lowering briefly. “I never really wanted kids, either…”

My mouth moved wordlessly for a moment, heat rising in my cheeks at the implication. “I- There’s not… The incentive is only for marriage, I mean-”

“No, but everyone knows that’s what they want. They all but came out and said it; all that stuff about increasing the superhuman population?” They shrugged, gaze still on the ground several floors below, a distant sadness flickering across their expression. “They can’t pay us to have kids – it’s even more unethical than what they say they’re doing. Paying us to be their breeding cattle for an entire generation of soldiers is apparently a little too far.”

I blinked at their callous tone – this mild-mannered, sweet little critter, who I’d never heard speak viciously of anyone. It was a shock to hear them so vehement, hands clenching minutely against the glass. “If you hate it so much… Why did you sign up?” I broached softly, sitting on the edge of the bed to watch them with interest.

They shrugged timidly, pulling out their cell to glance at the screen once more. “I didn’t have a choice.”

“They forced you?” I clarified, stunned, and they shrugged again.

“Not like you’re thinking. I… Had debt. A lot of debt. I was about to lose my apartment, could barely afford to eat most days… The day job just wasn’t paying enough, and running around at night isn’t exactly earning me a mint, either. I did it for the cash.”

“Did you get it?” I prompted softly, and they sighed with relief, eyes flicking to mine as they raised their cell pointedly.

“Transferred the money within minutes. All my debt has been wiped, and I’ll get a stipend every week for… Well, as long as we’re married, I guess. More than I need, for sure. It’s solved all my problems.” They offered me a weak smile, and I returned the gesture.

“I know what you mean. I was expatriated; that’s why you haven’t seen me in a while. I had to leave the country. They found me and told me that if I agreed to sign up, I could come home.” I glanced around myself, and my smile became a little more genuine. “I missed New York.”

Their head bobbed in agreement, gaze shifting back to the window. “It’s a good city. I’ve moved around a lot, but I’ve never been in one place for so long. I could get used to being here.” They repeated the motion, head jerking rhythmically, and I cocked my head with a grin at the unique behaviour.

“Well, we’re kind of tied into it now, aren’t we?” I chuckled, earning a confused glance from the mutant in the window, and my brow furrowed. “They gave us an apartment. Didn’t you know that?” They shook their head and I let out a soft laugh. “Okay. Well, the idea is that either one of our apartments would be more comfortable for one than the other – level footing, y’know? Plus, there’s space for those kids they’re pushing for…” I rolled a shoulder, looking down thoughtfully. “It’s pretty much directly between my place and the edge of the city, so… That’s nice, I guess?” I ventured, earning a weak nod.

“It’ll be nicer than mine, I’m sure,” they agreed readily, before glancing to me. “… Your shoulder hurts, huh?”

I blinked in surprise, metal fingers tensing automatically. “I… I guess, maybe a little. How did you know?”

“You roll it a lot,” they shrugged, returning to their invisible sketches on the glass. “I figured it must be painful. Is there a way to make it easier?”

I looked down at the black and gold vibranium, created for me after I’d sought refuge in Wakanda at Steve’s suggestion. I’d earned more than an arm in my time there – I’d also been decommissioned, freeing me at last from the trigger words that activated me as a mindless soldier, obedient and suggestable.

I still refused to hear them, of course. Just in case.

“It… Comes off, I think? Or at least, it has. Never done it myself, though.”

They turned to face me fully, one eyebrow arched. “Wanna give it a shot?”

My stomach tensed, fingers moving automatically to the seam where flesh met metal, probing uncertainly. “I… I’m not sure…”

“Can I look?” they ventured softly, stepping a little closer, hesitating when I frowned anxiously. “I- I don’t have to, I mean- I just-”

“It’s okay,” I chuckled, taking in their wide eyes and nervous twitching. “I can show you.” My hands moved to my collar, and I unbuttoned slowly, throat bobbing with apprehension. This wasn’t a part of myself many people had seen – nor did I think I’d be taking my clothes off in front of Bug, at least not anytime soon. They shifted to sit beside me timidly, hands knotted in their lap, eyes flicking to and away from me shyly until my shirt dropped to the bed, and they finally took me in fully, staring openly until I felt my face flush minutely. “What?”

They turned red, gaze lowering immediately, and wriggled with embarrassment at having been caught. “I- You’re… Very pretty. Objectively speaking,” they added quickly, cheeks blushing darker. A moment later, however, they were distracted by the metal of my arm, fingertips reaching out to trail along the rivulets that made up the individual plates. “Wow… This is amazing…”

“It is,” I agreed readily, shifting my arm to make the plates move, earning a surprised gasp. “Shuri – she’s this kid in Wakanda, real smart – she worked hard as hell on it. It’s way better than the old one; it hurts less, too.”

Humming curiously, their hand travelled upward, and I winced minutely as they brushed against my skin, earning a muttered apology and quick redirection. When their fingertips probed along the back of my shoulder, we both froze at the feel of the small button, eyes meeting uncertainly. “Should I?” they offered softly, and I swallowed, shaking my head.

“I- I’m okay. It’s not so bad, honestly,” I replied with a soft smile, forcing myself to ignore the pain of nerve and vibranium knotted together, the constant stimulation from the attached limb causing endless, searing shots of fire through my shoulders and ribs. They nodded back, eyes darting around the room distractedly, and I chuckled under my breath as their stomach rumbled audibly. “So… Room service?”

We settled with unexpected ease into our life, content to share a space and our time. We went on patrol together, my senses and their speed pairing well – perhaps the government had gotten something right after all. I offered them the main bedroom, taking the larger of the other two. It was clear that the program truly was all about reproduction; both spare rooms were made up as nurseries, and I had to wedge my bed in between a crib and a changing table, unnerved by this decorating for a child that was unlikely to ever exist.

Two weeks into our new routine, we decided to invite some folks over, have a cookout in the backyard and introduce Bug to the team. I prompted them if there was anyone they’d like to attend, but they simply shrugged, moving on the conversation quickly.

Some of the team had met them before, a crossing of paths similar to our own, albeit less frequent. They’d never exchanged more than a polite smile or a formal nod, and they relished the opportunity to speak with this quick bundle of nervous energy. Everyone got on well, and I found myself watching with a smile on more than one occasion as they chuckled with my nearest and dearest.

Steve caught my eye and grinned, cocking his head inquisitively, but I simply blushed lightly and looked away.

Sure, they were sweet, and pleasant to live with. They didn’t tidy up often, but they didn’t really tend to make too much mess – and they made an incredible sweet potato curry. It was… Nice, having someone to come home to.

I could see myself being quite content to do this forever.

But the idea of being with them, in that way, the way we were expected to be...

Well. Wouldn’t that be something – to actually fall in love with this person I’d been pressed, all but blackmailed, into marrying? A coincidence indeed. Fated, almost.

But they showed no indication of wanting anything more than our platonic comfort, and I accepted that. We lived in companionable peace, even if we had started spending more and more of our time together, talking about our lives and our abilities, watching crappy TV shows until we laughed so hard our faces hurt. Despite the adorable appearance and quirky mannerisms, they could be filthy as anything, mahogany eyes flashing with amusement whenever they landed a quip with expert timing. We ribbed each other in affectionately devastating ways, and I loved it.

It took eight months for me to began to wonder what happened next.

I’d been passing by their room on my way back to bed after a restless night, padding silently by the cracked door, the darkness inside implying their unconsciousness.

Until I heard a soft sigh that brought me to a halt, head cocked.

I was no stranger to the scourge of nightmares, and reached out a hand to push the door a little wider, wanting to clarify before I entered to comfort or wake them.

My throat ran dry at the sight of them sprawled across their bed, sheets tucked around their waist, their head back and lips parted – and one hand moving slowly between their legs. My cock stirred at the sight – an automatic reaction to an erotic display, I told myself firmly – and I gulped as they let out another quiet whine, free hand curling in their dark curls as their hips twitched. Surprise and curiosity held me fast, watching for a moment as their legs inched further apart and their breath came faster.

Then their head turned, eyes finding mine in the low light, and I froze.

“I-I- Sorry, I couldn’t sleep, I was just- I walked past and I heard- I thought you were- I-” My stammers came soft and useless, and they offered me a shy smile.

“I couldn’t sleep either. ... You can join me if you want.”

I nodded automatically, then blinked, stunned. “I... Huh?”

A low chuckle, and they shifted a little, creating some space beside them. “It’s hard to find something to get off to since porn was banned... Might be nice to have something to watch, if you’re up for it.”

I swallowed again, cock twitching insistently in my sweatpants, letting out a weak nod. “Yeah, that... That’s true... Guess they did it to try and get the newlyweds to fuck, or something... Less likely to have fun on their own, I guess?”

“Buck?”

“Hm?”

“You’re rambling... Join me or go away, your hovering is distracting.” They shot me a grin as they spoke, affectionate and reassuring, and I nodded again, footsteps hushed as I crept into the room. Their hand began to move again as I stood at the edge of the bed, my arousal evident, hesitating.

“What... Should I... Undress, or-?”

They licked their lips a little and nodded, eyes trailing over my chest and down to the straining in my pants. “No objection here. However you’re comfortable...”

I nodded back, feeling shy and excited as I tugged my shirt over my head, shivering minutely at their eyes on me as I hooked my thumbs in my waistband. Their gulp was audible as I dropped my sweatpants and straightened, and I smirked, sliding in beside them as they moved the sheets from my spot. Metal fingertips caressed the aching outline of my cock briefly, their gaze locked on my hand with rapturous attention, and I let out a quiet groan as I slid my boxers down my thighs, the cool night air soothing on my pulsating length.

“Jesus, Buck... Is everything about you impressive?” they breathed, heart fluttering audibly, and I snorted, fingers wrapping around my cock slowly as it twitched once more.

“I suppose it’s... Fine,” I replied with a smirk, heat shooting through my veins as their hand shifted a little quicker, lip slipping between their teeth.

“That thing would split me open,” they breathed - but there was no horror in the words whispered with halting breath, a shudder traveling through their body as their hips twitched. I groaned and gripped myself a little tighter, head falling back, their eyes on me making a typically unremarkable event infinitely more arousing.

“You reckon?” I murmured, brushing my thumb over my leaking tip as they nodded firmly.

“I’m not sure I’d be able to take it all... It’s so thick...” My moan of pleasure at their words was almost embarrassing, but I was too enraptured to care, hand curled around my length eagerly. They grinned, inching minutely closer until their leg brushed mine. “Oh... That’s your thing, huh? Being told how huge your cock is? God, I don’t think my tight little pussy could handle you...”

The whimper that eked between my teeth brought a blush to my cheeks, but I was too far gone to care much, hand moving quickly as my cock pulsed with desire. “Fuck- God, it’s been so long since I had a pretty cunt wrapped around me... Can’t remember the last time I had this cock buried in an eager throat...”

They mewled, back arching, and my grip stuttered as they fumbled under the blankets, a low buzzing distracting me from my impending climax. I could see the moment it touched them, their pupils flaring in the dim light – and even more obvious was the moment it slipped inside them, a deafening whimper bursting between their parted lips, tipping their head back as they writhed. “Oh, God – fuck, I can’t- I’m going to-”

I grunted my agreement as I worked myself desperately, my timing aligning with theirs as we shared the moment, their whines and moans of ecstasy spurring me on until they cried out, the delicate arch of their back as they sobbed their pleasure tipping me over the edge.

We lay in silence for a few minutes, each panting and trembling, as reality began to seep into my serotonin-soaked brain, the space between us feeling as if an impassable canyon rather than a foot.

What now?

“Okay, well... Thanks, I guess? I hope you manage to get some sleep now,” they murmured, tucking the sheets up to their chin with a yawn. I blinked in surprise and nodded, shifting upright.

“I... Yeah. I’ll see you in the morning,” I replied hesitantly, grabbing my clothes where they lay. I felt their eyes cut to me in the darkness as I stood, but I didn’t dare look back, seed still cooling where it had landed on my chest.

When I slipped between my own sheets a few moments later, clean and confused, I found myself unable to shake the feeling of their eyes meeting mine in the darkness, the way their leg brushed mine under the security and secrecy of the sheets.

Somewhere deep inside, I couldn’t help but want to reach out across the empty expanse beside me.

We avoided each other when we woke the next morning- the only indicator that they were even around was an empty coffee cup left in the bottom of a freshly cleaned sink. I chewed my lip uncertainly as I worked my way through a bowl of flakes, mind whirring.

Are they staying away from me? God, that could make things awkward... It was a lot of fun, but maybe it was a mistake? They seemed to kick me out pretty quick...

As if on cue, they sauntered into the room, looking unexpectedly unabashed and calm as they smiled at me. “Good morning. Sleep well?”

I blinked in surprise, pausing with my spoon halfway to my mouth. “I- uh... Not too bad, thanks. You?”

They stretched their arms overhead, and I swallowed dryly, carefully diverting my eyes from the half-inch of skin that showed from under their shirt. “Pretty good, in the end. Hey – it’s Tony’s party tonight, right? Are we still going?”

Nodding slowly, I lowered my gaze to my breakfast, feeling clumsy and wrong-footed. “Sure. If you like.”

Tony held a party every year the day before his and Steve’s anniversary – the day itself was just for the two of them, but they also wanted to celebrate with the team; the billionaire needed no excuse to host, after all. Liquor and laughter would be flowing freely, and it sounded like exactly what I need to avoid the uncomfortable conversation that was sure to arise at some point.

“Sounds great!” they replied readily, rolling a shirt over their shoulders. “I have a few calls to make today, but I’ll be back around three, if you want to head over together?”

I nodded silently, my eyes still on my food, perturbed by just how... Fine they seemed.

Like it never happened.

But my mind was filled with their whimpers and whines, the way they trembled as they filled themselves, their pants and groans as their back arched and they found their release...

I want it to happen again, I realised abruptly, and my gaze shot up to find myself alone in the kitchen, mouth half open to say as much.

They were quiet on the drive over to Stark Tower – though that was nothing unusual. Despite how many times they’d interacted with the team since the wedding, they still got anxious. They never said as much, but I could see it in their constantly shifting eyes, the way they wrapped their arms around themselves as if fighting to hold their nerves at bay. It was endearing, really, that they still got so shy and apprehensive around the group until they’d settled into the company.

“Doing okay?” I murmured as I pulled into the lot under the tower, earning a brief nod.

“Doing okay,” they assured me quietly, foot tapping out a staccato beat against the floor. I offered them a reassuring smile, uncertainly returned, and climbed from the car, an eye-wateringly expensive bottle of scotch in hand. Tony drank far less than he used to, for certain, but he still had an appreciation for the finer things in life – and he’d certainly taught Steve to appreciate a well-aged whisky.

“So, Tony and Steve; they were married before all this?” they asked, pulling their overshirt a little closer around themselves as waited for the elevator.

“Yeah. They’d been on the team together forever, but Steve was too... Stuck in his ways.” I grinned to myself with a shake of my head, fondly remembering the night Steve had sat before me, shaking and terrified, head bowed as he muttered his secret – one I’d been suspecting since we were kids, of course, but that made me feel no less honoured. He’d talked about discrimination and hate crimes and murder; he knew that most of those wouldn’t do him much physical harm, in the long run, but he hated the idea of being despised by anyone for simply being who he was.

I’d sworn to shield him as best I could – but I admit, my jaw hit the floor when he confessed that the man he had feelings for was none other than Tony Stark. But, true to my role as his best friend, I’d investigated tentatively, probing for any indication that the feelings were reciprocal. In the process, I’d been teased mercilessly by more than one member of the team; it seemed my investigating wasn’t quite as tentative as I’d hoped, and rumours spread quickly that I was the one lovestruck over the billionaire. I refused to out Steve like that – but in the end, the gossip was beneficial. Tony had heard the rumours through the grapevine and pulled me aside, oddly serious as he confessed that there was no chance for us, and ‘do you think Steve would be up for joining me for dinner sometime?’.

Eight months later, they were engaged, and married before they’d hit two years. It had seemed somewhat quick at the time, but Tony had never shown willing to settle down before, and his enthusiasm made it seem so very right. In the end, it was good they’d moved as swiftly as they had; both had – largely - avoided the harassment aimed at the superhuman community thanks to their pre-existing commitment.

And now it was three years later, and they were just as blissfully happy now as they were on their wedding day.

The elevator opened, jarring me from my thoughts, and my face broke into an automatic grin at the gathering of my nearest and dearest, laughing and chatting with affectionate camaraderie.

“Buck! Hey, man. And you brought the Buglet, huh?”

I offered Tony a half-wave, glancing at my spouse beside me, who simply blushed shyly. “Hey, Tone. Happy anniversary. Got you something.” I offered the scotch with a dramatic flourish, and he gasped theatrically.

“Just what I’ve always wanted! How did you know?” Tony exclaimed. Bug snorted loudly before covering their mouth in surprise, cheeks flushing crimson – but Tony simply reached out to pet their head adoringly. “Good to see you again, little one. Make yourself at home; this is always an event to remember. Eat, drink, and celebrate. Today’s for living, you know?”

Steve appeared by his side as if from nowhere, arm around his husband’s waist and an affectionate kiss to his stubbly cheek. “And each is better than the last with you, sweetheart,” he purred, earning an adoring sigh from Bug.

“You two are so cute,” they crooned, head tipped to one side as they smiled. “It’s nice to see folks so in love. Too much of marriage is just business these days.”

I winced minutely, but nobody seemed to notice – except Steve, whose eyes bore into mine intensely. “… Hey, Bucky, wanna come check out what we did with that en suite I was telling you about?”

It was a poor excuse, and Tony’s arched eyebrow more than gave away the flimsy lie, but I nodded anyway, falling into step behind my friend as he led the way through the throngs to his bedroom, offering nods and smiles of gratitude to his well-wishers until he closed the door against the noise, turning to face me. “… Well?”

“‘Well’ what?” I rebutted stubbornly, jaw set, and he rolled his eyes affectionately.

“You know exactly what, Barnes. What’s going on with you and Bug?”

I shifted uncomfortably for a moment before dropping onto the bed with a sigh, flopping back with a hand over my face. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? What do you mean you-”

“Look, that- there was this… Thing, last night. Something happened, and now it’s like nothing happened, and I don’t have any idea what’s happening.” I sighed again, palm scrubbing over my skin frustratedly. “I don’t even know how to bring it up.”

He sat beside me quietly, one hand reaching out to rest on my shoulder gently. “… Can I say something?” I moved my hand to look at him, nodding weakly, and he offered me a small smile. “I’ve never seen you like this. So… Focused on someone else, like you move around them like they’re the centre of your universe. At some point, you started to orbit them. I don’t know exactly when you started to fall for them, but… I think you are.”

“I think I am,” I agreed, my voice barely audible, the acknowledgement settling into my chest heavily. “I… I think I am. Fuck.” My hand pushed through my hair as the full weight of the realisation hit me, air driven from my lungs, a deep and uncertain fear burrowing into my marrow. “What am I even supposed to do about that?”

“The only thing you can do, I suppose,” he noted softly, and his smile widened just a little as met my eye. “You talk to them, tell them how you feel. It may go badly… Or you may get everything you ever wanted.” His gaze flicked to the picture on his bedside table, the captured moment of his and Tony’s kiss during the wedding ceremony, and his grin became adoring and tender. “It’s a good way to live.”

Steve and I stayed in his room a little while longer, his polite listening acting as a sounding board for me to hypothesise how I wanted to approach the matter with my spouse. Half an hour later, the door opened, and I had a tentative plan and a modicum of confidence.

Until, that is, I spotted them leaning against the kitchen counter, head tipped sweetly, a soft smile playing on their lips.

And an archer standing far too close for my comfort, leaning in a little as he murmured to them.

My muscles tensed automatically as his hand found their arm and they laughed softly, inching nearer, less than a foot between their bodies. The sight froze me to my spot – but Barton’s hand shifting to rest on their hip thawed me, and I moved quickly, jaw set, and metal fingers clenched.

“What’s going on over here?” I muttered through gritted teeth and a forced smile, though the strain in my voice was evident.

Clint’s hand dropped and his eyes flicked uncertainly, but Bug simply chuckled. “I’m just getting to know the team a little better...”

Every minute detail of my plan was fully wiped from my mind, and I swallowed around the lump in my throat. “I’m leaving. Come if you like.”

Their expression turned from happiness to confusion as they nodded their agreement, shooting Clint one last, apologetic glance. “Uh... Sure, Buck. Of course.”

The drive back was silent and faster than it had any legal right to be. I could feel Bug’s tension beside me, my clearly heightened emotions making them uncomfortable, but I couldn’t force myself to calm down. The sight of his hand on their hip replayed endlessly in my mind, forcing my foot down harder on the gas, as if I could outrun the memory.

I have a lot of experience with that.

By the time I pulled up outside our apartment, the atmosphere was palpable, and they’d retreated into themselves uncertainly, arms wrapped around their waist as they shuffled inside.

I could only move through the home we shared with frantic, frustrated energy, searching for something to burn away this fury and convince me that no, I don’t need to go back and rearrange Barton’s face.

“Buck?” they offered tentatively, still stood in the middle of the living room. “Are... Are you okay?”

“Who the hell does he think he is,” I muttered, pushing a hand through my hair as I came to a stop in front of them, eyes darting in my endless quest for relief, “putting his hands on my spouse like that?”

They blinked in surprise and stepped closer, anxiety fading into confusion. “Clint? Look, Buck, I was flirting too, okay? If you’re worried that he was harassing me or something-”

“He shouldn’t have been flirting with you at all!” I snapped, gaze finding theirs at last. “You’re married, for God's sake.”

“I mean, technically, but it’s not like we’re married, y’know?” they replied, rolling their eyes. “It’s just business. I didn’t think you’d care.”

“Yeah, well, I do!” I growled, stepping closer. “I don’t want to see you flirting with other men, do you hear me?”

They raised an eyebrow, unperturbed. “What interest is it of yours what I do? I mean, last night was fun, but I’m your spouse in name only, right? This was a transaction, Buck, it’s not like you’re in love with me or anything!”

“What if I am?!” I snarled, hands tightening by my sides. “What if seeing Clint’s hand on you made me want to rip off his fingers one by one and never let anyone touch you again? What if I want to be the only man with his hands on you? What then?”

The adrenaline left me as their eyes grew wide, and I slumped my shoulders, turning my head away. “I... Look, I didn’t want to do it like that... I wanted...”

What did I want?

There was a plan. A calm, civilised conversation.

But isn’t this more... Me? An accidental declaration borne of fury and jealousy? Threats and violence and anger?

They deserve more than to be shackled to m-

“I didn’t think you felt that way, too,” they murmured, interrupting my spiral, moving closer to put a hand on my arm, unphased by the tightness and the metal under their skin. “I... Just wanted to feel wanted. After you left last night...”

“I thought you wanted me to go,” I breathed, unable to tear my eyes from their fingers clenched against the vibranium as they shook their head fiercely.

“No! When you got up I wanted to ask you to stay, but I didn’t- I couldn’t... I didn’t know how.” They sniffed, and my gaze cut to theirs quickly, finding unshed tears lining their lashes and glistening in the low light. I moved to cup their cheek quickly, thumb brushing to catch a tear as it fell.

“Hey now... It’s okay. I’ve got you, little one,” I whispered, offering them a weak smile. “I’ll never leave again, not unless you tell me to.”

Without warning, they crushed themselves to my chest, arms tight around my waist as they burrowed in. I blinked in surprise, my grip careful as I returned the gesture, pressing a gentle kiss to their hair. “Buck?”

“Hm?” I replied, cheek resting on their head lightly.

“Will you take me to bed?” They looked up shyly, and I took them in, enraptured – the big brown eyes, the cheeks flushed minutely with embarrassment, the lip pulled between their teeth in their uncertainty – and my heart ached.

“I’d be honoured,” I breathed, fingers moving to tip their chin up lightly. Our only kiss before this had been cursory – transactional, as they’d said. But now, when my mouth met theirs, my veins burnt with the need of it all, sweetness quickly dissolving into a desperate clash of tongues and teeth. They whimpered in surprised delight as my hands found their ass to lift them easily, their own arms snaking around my waist to press themselves closer, calves braced against my lower back. A low groan escaped me as their fingers entwined in my hair, and I kissed them deeper, my pace fluid and fast as I carried them through to my bedroom.

“I’ve never been in here,” they breathed as I dropped them back onto the bed, their legs still clinging tightly to me. “Six months, and I never got past the doorway...”

“Well, we’re gonna make up for lost time,” I murmured, peppering kisses over their throat, eliciting a pitiful mewl and an arch of their back.

Oh... So that’s what it feels to have you do that against me. Delicious.

My hands found their waistband, fumbling for the belt. Heat rose in their cheeks as I met their gaze, but they nodded encouragingly, lifting their hips to let me remove the trademark shorts. “Hm. Interesting... Not what I’d have expected,” I breathed, trailing one fingertip lightly over their cotton-covered hip, surprised and pleased by the lack of skin covering the panties permitted. They blushed deeper, and I grinned, dropping to my knees between their thighs to trail gentle kisses along the inside of their leg. Another whimper, and their fingers found my hair once more to tug needily.

“Please, fuck...”

I glanced up, a devilish smirk tugging at my lips. “Mm. You’ll get what you need, little one. But first... You’ve been bad, and you need to be punished.”

A quick, eager nod had me flipping them over, ass offered willingly. I shifted their underwear down patiently, swallowing back a moan at the sight of the wet fabric, and smoothed a palm over their soft, unblemished skin. “You moved... Six inches closer to him. I think one per inch should suffice...”

They started to nod, but cut the motion short as they let out a moan when my hand met their ass, leaving a faint red mark in its wake. I smiled to myself as goosebumps erupted over their skin, hips pressing up minutely, silently begging for more.

You enjoy this, hm? Interesting...

The second slap met more firmly and they yelped, but their hips rose again, encouraging and pleading. It appeared I’d found their sweet spot, and the last three came in quick succession, leaving glowing skin in their wake – and a thin thread of wetness to their thighs as they squirmed happily.

“Thank you, Sir,” they breathed, and my heart about stopped. I flipped them quickly and all but tore their underwear from their legs, dropping to my knees and dragging them closer to bury my face in their sweet, leaking cunt rapturously. The act earned me a deafening moan, hips jerking to press me closer as I lapped at them ravenously. “Fuck! Fuck, Buck, just like that- oh God, please...”

Fingertips probed questioning at their wetness, and they whined their assent, shifting nearer with a feral desperation. Their breath hitched as two fingers worked their way inside them, the only sounds to be heard my soft moans and the erotic melody of my hand moving inside them, until they found their voice once more. “Please – Buck, fuck, I can’t- I-I need to- I’m going to-”

“That’s it, baby,” I purred, leaning back just far enough to murmur under my breath. “I want everything you have before I fuck this pretty little pussy and make you scream.”

My words sent them over the edge as my lips wrapped around their clit, fingers working eagerly against their walls as their wetness spread steadily along my wrist. Their cry made my already aching cock pulsate, and I groaned against them as they cried out, pressing themselves desperately against me as their pussy clenched frantically around my hand.

I lapped lovingly at their fluttering cunt as they trembled through the comedown, soft whines and whimpers spilling from their parted lips, fingers shifting from clenching to caressing weakly. “Oh, God...”

A quiet purr radiated in my chest, my tongue passing one last time over the length of their slit before my lips brushed slowly over their abdomen, shifting patiently higher as they trilled under their breath. “Good?” I murmured, kissing them tenderly, grinning when they could only nod weakly in response. One hand reached out, and their eyes widened infinitesimally as their palm pressed against the straining in my jeans.

“Please...” they breathed, fingers tensing against me, and I offered them a teasing grin.

“Sure you can take it?”

They nodded eagerly, hand curling against my length needily. “I- I’m gonna do my best…”

With a soft groan, I shimmied down my jeans, barely getting them to my thighs before I was moving on to my boxers. Their quiet whining and wide eyes were incensing, and as I teased my tip against their slick cunt, their pupils flared with lust, drawing me in until I pressed closer as if hypnotised, moving my lips to theirs and sinking into them in slow unison. Their soft whimper sounded against my mouth as I buried myself inside them inch by inch – but as I paused, a hand found my hip, their whines ratcheting up a notch as they pulled me closer insistently. “Don’t stop – don’t stop, please…”

My mouth found theirs more firmly as I bottomed out, shuddering at the feeling of them stretched around my length, my breaths coming short and sharp as I resisted the urge to fuck them without mercy. Their legs wrapped around my waist and their back arched, lips and eyes wide. “You okay?” I breathed, kissing along their jaw as they nodded eagerly.

“Feels so good… So full…” they whimpered, fingers curling against my spine. “Please – fuck, please, Buck…”

I shifted slowly and they groaned, head tipping back in ecstasy as I moved inside them. “You feel so good, baby… So tight wrapped around me like that…” I breathed, nipping lightly at their ear, and they squirmed happily. “Oh, you like that, baby? Like being told how good you are – how amazing you feel?” They nodded shyly, and I grinned, rolling my hips a little faster. “You take it so well – so beautiful while I’m splitting you open like that…”

“Please,” they whined again, tugging insistently at my hips as their calves gripped me tighter, back arching. “Please – fuck me, Buck. Let me make you feel so, so good… Make me feel so good…”

My hips snapped forward and they moaned in pure joy, fingernails digging into my skin frantically as I set up a fast, hard pace, moving to tangle a hand in their hair and press my forehead to theirs, the other hand shifting to caress their clit with devoted eagerness. The wordless whines and begs that spilled from their lips only heightened my need, their desperate pants spilling over my lips as their body tightened once more. “That’s it, baby. That’s it. You’re so good for me. I want you to come for me, sweetheart. Make that perfect pussy hold on so tight while I fill you up… Such a gorgeous, flawless critter…”

They gasped and cried out immediately, back arching, hips rutting frantically as their muscles clenched around me. The unintelligible whimpers and pleads, the way they clenched around me; it was enough to break the strongest of men, and I groaned as I emptied myself inside them, face finding their throat to burrow desperately.

I lay panting with my head on their shoulder, one leg hooked over theirs, their fingers caressing my hair tenderly.

“I love you, you know?” I murmured, pressing soft kisses along their throat, and they hummed happily.

“I love you too… Y’know, I think signing up for that program may have been the smartest thing I ever did.”

With a laugh, I leant up on my elbow, catching their mouth with mine in an act of utter devotion. “Back at you, sweetheart.”