Chapter Text
Tony often felt like the final pirate standing at the party, wondering why the rum was gone, but in this case the party was his life and the rum was his coffee and the bastard that had taken the last cup was an archer who looked nothing like their pirate boss. Acting like the mature adult he was, Tony whimpered pathetically and laid his head down on the cold marble of the kitchen island in defeat, looking for all the world like it was the end of the world and there was no point in fighting it.
“Aw, look at the little genius,” teased Clint, safely on the other side of the island with his full cup of coffee. “Poor little guy, what’s the matter? Did you not get your coffee?”
“Jokes on you,” said Bucky, walking into the kitchen and depositing a steaming mug of coffee in front of Tony, who wearily raised his head to inspect the beverage for some type of trick. “I switched all the kitchen coffee to decaf this morning because I knew this would happen.”
“Decaf?” whispered Tony, looking personally offended at the cup in front of him, as though Bucky was intentionally trying to poison him. “But….I thought you loved me…”
“That’s coffee I just made in the workshop,” assured Bucky quickly, shooting a smirk at Clint who was coughing and spluttering around his decaffeinated drink. “It’s regular, don’t worry. I just got tired of Clint being annoying and drinking twelve cups of coffee just so you couldn’t have any of the first batch.”
“Hey!” whined Clint.
Tony looked up at Bucky and Bucky was fairly convinced the genius thought he hung the moon. Then Steve walked in without a shirt, chest still damp from his morning shower, and Bucky knew for certain that Tony thought Steve walked on water by the look he was giving him.
“When are you going to stop spoiling Tony?” grumbled Clint. “It’s no fun messing with him if you just mess with me back.”
“But I’m crippled,” said Tony, looking more awake, waving his casted arm more than he should. “You can’t mess with a cripple, it’s not fair. Bucky, Clint’s making faces! Make him stop!”
“Sorry, kotenok, that’s just how Clint looks,” said Bucky with a laugh.
“You guys disgust me,” said Clint, fondness clear in his tone. “I’ll see you later.”
Clint left the kitchen just as Steve brought out a fresh box of donuts that he had hidden in the oven. If it was possible for Tony to look even more pleased, he would have.
“You got donuts!” said Tony, grinning up at Steve in wonder. “I love donuts!”
“I know,” said Steve with a smile, pecking Tony’s cheek.
While Tony babbled on about donuts and coffee and the best boyfriends ever, Steve shot Bucky a look. Bucky shook his head, not wanting to talk about it yet. They both knew that tonight was going to be a task on all of them and with Bucky’s latest remission to the Winter Soldier barely a week in the past, Steve wanted to be sure that they were all on the same page about the coming evening, Bucky willing to talk or not.
“So about tonight,” said Tony, coming up for air when he had finished his third donut and was all out of coffee.
“What about it?” asked Steve, surprised that Tony was the one brining it up.
“You don’t have to go, Bucky,” said Tony, looking at the ex-assassin next to him. “I know you hate these things anyway and if you’re not comfortable going tonight, I don’t mind. You can stay home and mess with Clint more.”
“I’m going,” said Bucky firmly. “I don’t need you guys treating me with kid gloves.”
“We’re not treating you with kid gloves, Buck, we just want you to be comfortable,” said Steve. “And you hate crowds.”
“Do you not want me there?” said Bucky, ignoring Steve completely.
“Are you kidding?” said Tony, glaring at Bucky. “Fine. Whatever. Go. I just wanted to be nice, give you an out, but if you’re going to be an asshole about it then whatever. I’m going to the workshop.”
Tony got up to leave but Bucky stopped him, his eyes softening at the genius’s ire.
“I’m sorry,” said Bucky softly. “I didn’t mean it to come off that way. I’m just on edge right now. I didn’t mean to make you mad.”
“I – wait,” said Tony, blinking rapidly, pointing at Bucky, then Steve, then Bucky again. “You’re apologizing to me? I’m the one who got pissy, called you an asshole, and tried to storm off. You were actually being reasonable. I was pushing. I was pushing to see what would happen because that’s what I do. I want to know what you’re breaking point is so I can avoid it in the future. I was being an asshole and you’re apologizing? That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Why?”
“Because you weren’t wrong! I was! You’re supposed to be mad at me. You’re supposed to yell at me, tell me how stupid I’m being, not apologize!”
“But that’s not how this works,” said Bucky with a small smile. “That’s not how we relationship, kotenok.”
“He’s not wrong,” said Steve, coming around the chairs and standing next to the other men.
“But he wasn’t being unreasonable,” insisted Tony. “I’m the one who has to apologize. Always. Those are the rules.”
“No,” said Bucky. “The rules are that when you’re in this relationship, you’re in it til the end of the line. And saying sorry doesn’t mean that you were wrong, it means you care more about the other person than being right.”
For a long time Tony stood there mulling those words over, comparing them to past experiences and found them to be troublingly true. When he was with Pepper he had always cared more for her than being right, which was why he always apologized.
“I don’t want to be like her,” whispered Tony, more to himself than the others.
“You’re nothing like her,” assured Steve, kissing first one unruly mop of brown hair and then the other. “Bucky’s right.”
“So, party tonight,” said Bucky, breaking the gathering awkward vibes. “We’re going, got it? The three of us. And Tony is going to whine beforehand about how he can’t tie his shoes with one arm –“
“Hey!” protested Tony.
“And Bucky will immediately tie Tony’s shoes for him,” replied Steve with a grin.
“And Steve will groan when we get home about how much he felt like a dancing monkey,” quipped Tony.
“And Tony will suggest that Steve just wear a tutu next time,” said Bucky.
“And Bucky will sulk all evening at the party because he would rather be at home,” said Steve.
“And then we will all go to bed together,” said Steve. “Sounds perfect.”
Tony couldn’t help but agree.