Can We Keep Her?

The Best Man

"I need some air. You've got other things to look at right?" Bucky said as the doors opened. Steve tilted his head and narrowed his eyes but he didn't say anything.

Bucky rode the elevator down to the lobby and left the building, crossing the road and going straight into the shop. The staff looked up and smiled, greeting him warmly. He beelined straight out the back to where you were working on an elaborate chocolate sculpture of various cogs and disks.

You looked up and smiled at him. "Hey, babe. What's up?" you asked, immediately knowing there was something not sitting right with him.

"Nothing. Just thought I'd come see what you were up to," he said, wrapping his arms around you and putting his head on your shoulder.

You took a stray piece of chocolate shaving from the bench and reached behind you placing it on his tongue. "And now the truth," you said.

Bucky sighed. "I just don't know who to ask to be my best man. You already have your maid-of-honor. And Steve has Sam. I just... don't have anyone."

You took off your gloves and turned to face him wrapping him in your arms and snuggling into his chest. "You thought about asking Clint?"

"Yeah. I'll probably ask Clint. But he's Steve's friend. Shouldn't your best man be the one that gets you in the divorce?" he asked.

You started giggling. "I think if you divorced Steve, Steve would still get you in the divorce. You aren't getting away from him again for anything."

Bucky chuckled. "Too bad he can't be my best man."

"Well, he's always going to be your best man. But I know what you mean," you said, looking up at him. "You want it to be Sam don't you?"

Bucky sighed. "Yeah. He's the only one that really just treated me like any old jerk off the street right away. Everyone else - even Steve - tiptoed around me for so long. Or they were flat-out hostile to me. But he's Steve's best friend."

Your heart broke for Bucky. You knew about his past and were aware that he was quite intimidating. You even knew about the really dark stuff that involved Natasha and Tony. But even with all that you couldn't see how people were blind to the soft kind man that was in him. Yes, he was fiercely protective and still hadn't quite come to terms with the 'no killing' thing that the Avengers had. But that was in combat. It wasn't at home. It hurt that people couldn't see the distinction.

"What time is it?" you asked.

Bucky took out his phone and looked at the screen. "Almost twelve."

"Go grab some things from the shop. We'll get something from those food carts and take it up for lunch. Just give me a second to get my workplace a little cleaner," you said.

Bucky kissed the top of your head and disappeared back into the shop. You pulled out your phone and called Tony.

Bucky had selected a small handful of thin dark chocolate leaves with shards of mint in them and some pecan pie truffles to take upstairs. You stopped and grabbed a selection of things like perogies, cabbage rolls, and gyros from the carts that hung out the front of the tower catching the tourists that passed by. Now you, Bucky, Steve, and Sam were all lounging in the common area eating things in no particular order, and talking about things that ranged from the wedding to missions and the girl Sam had been talking to at the shop.

You were just starting to feel full when Tony burst into the room from the elevator making sure his presence was definitely known.

"So I was thinking Cap, for your bachelor party we should book out a floor on the Bellagio. Do some gambling. See some strippers. Get Thor to bring some of that mead down. What do you think?" Tony said, flopping down on the couch beside Steve. He took off his glasses and put them in his pocket, before taking a truffle from the table and tossing it into his mouth.

"Tony..." Steve started.

"I know, I know. You have an image. Grow a beard. Live large for a change." He pulled out his phone from his pocket and typed some things in. "As your best man, you should also know I'm demanding that we wear Armani."

"Tony, you aren't..." Steve said. You caught his eye and very subtly shook your head. He gave you a questioning look and you glanced from Bucky to Sam. Sam seemed to notice too and his eyes went wide.

"Don't worry about it. Let Tony have it," Sam groaned.

"But Sam... I want you involved," Steve protested.

Bucky perked up. "I don't have a best man. You could be mine," he suggested.

Sam crossed his arms over his chest and huffed. "Fine."

"There settled. I'll start planning things," Tony said, getting up.

You stood up after him. "I better get back to the grindstone. See you fellas tonight," you said, bending down and kissing Bucky and Steve goodbye.

You stepped into the elevator with Tony and as soon as the door closed behind you, you hugged him tightly. He startled for a second, and then closed his arms around you. "Thank you for doing that," you said.

Tony smiled. "Of course. I had already started planning his bachelor party."

"Yeah, yeah. You're just a big ol' softie aren't you?" you teased, kissing his cheek and letting him go.

Tony smiled and put his glasses back on. "Just don't tell anyone."

You laughed and patted his back. "Your secret is safe with me."