4.4 | Trigger ✓

08 | печь

A/N

Out of curiosity, who here is a rereader? Much love to all of you for your constant support.

x Noelle

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0 8

п е ч ь

(furnace)

A LENGTHY SILENCE followed. Bucky was the first to recover. He murmured something in Russian, and kissed the side of her head. Then another to the shell of her ear, and another on the pulse point on her neck. He didn't seem to care that they weren't alone. She smiled and quietly assured him that she was fine, and he narrowed his eyes at Tony.

Rhodes looked uncomfortable with the tension. But Tony blinked and let out an incredulous laugh. "What?"

"Not directly, but – " She dragged a hand through her hair and reached for Bucky with the other. He automatically gave it, intertwining his fingers through hers and she could feel his steady warmth beneath her skin. " – my Dad was working a term in Afghanistan and my Mom went to visit him. There was a raid and – well, they never made it out. Later, I learnt that it was just indiscriminate bombing. The base was just caught in the crossfire and they chose to blow it up with Stark weaponry."

For a long time, she'd thought about what it would be like if she ever got to see Tony Stark face to face. She hated that, while her parents were rotting away in their graves, he was all the world wanted – him with weapons that put an end to all wars, then a suit that began an era of peace, then a team that made the world a utopia. As if saving the lives of thousands was sufficient to wipe out the fact that he'd killed thousands before. It didn't work that way. It never did. The thousands saved were not the thousands killed, and never would be.

But facing him now was different. She didn't feel that ugly surge of bitterness or anger anymore. All that happened was in the past. And all that remained was equilibrium. Serenity. Peace with knowing what had happened and still being okay with it.

"I didn't – I didn't realise," Tony said at last, shaking his head apologetically. "I hear about collateral damage but – when I was still making weapons for war, I just never bothered myself with things like these." He exhaled and lowered his head. "I'm sorry."

"That's okay," She said quickly, even though she caught Bucky shooting her a surprised glance in her peripheral vision. "Look, it's not solely your fault. My parents were at the wrong place at the wrong time, and it's always easy to pin the blame on a face that's known. In your case, your face was kind of everywhere."

"Literally everywhere." Rhodes's joke swiftly diffused the tension.

Tony, however, still shifted; looking almost uneasy. "I don't make weapons anymore, at least not the kind that took your parents out," He added sincerely, his gaze fixed on her. "I can assure you of that. And I'll do anything I can to make it up to you."

"No, it's alright." She smiled faintly at him. "It's all in the past. Everything – you creating the weapons that killed my parents, Bucky killing yours, and in this case, I'm assuming he was brainwashed – " She shot a brief glance at Bucky for affirmation and he quickly nodded. " – right. So, just – try to build that metaphorical bridge that helps you to be okay with it."

Tony's lips quirked in the ghost of his signature grin. "I'll try."

"Good," Rhodes said enthusiastically, and nodded at Bucky and Tony. "Now if you two would just shake hands, this could all be water under the bridge – "