“Bucky?” Tony ripped his sunglasses off and stared up at the man who had just plowed into him. “Buck? Uh, hey.”
“Hey. Heya, Tony.” Bucky ran his right hand through his hair awkwardly. “How are you? Been a long time.”
“Its been two years.” Tony corrected. “Not just a long time. Two years. Where the hell have you been? What have you been doing? Why did you–” Tony closed his mouth and backed up a step, folding his arms. “Hows it going?”
“Its good to see you Tony.” Bucky said quietly, letting his eyes trace over Tony’s heartbreakingly familiar face, the hair he had spent hours running his fingers through, the dark eyes he had fallen in love with. “You look good.”
“You look good too.” Tony nodded, glancing away and clearing his throat. “So. You’re back in town?”
“Visiting some friends. Um Steve is–”
“Steve. Right.” Tony unfolded then refolded his arms tensly. “Steve. How are you guys doing? Still together?”
“What? No.” Bucky shook his head. “Steve and I were never together.”
“What do you mean you were never together? What about when you–” Tony looked away again. “When you moved out. He helped you. I assumed…”
“Oh honey.” Bucky looked sad all the sudden. “No, no Tony. I didnt leave because I was with Steve.”
“Then why the hell–” Tony started to raise his voice but he put his hands up peacefully. “Nevermind. You look good, Buck. Glad to see you well. Guess Ill see you around.”
Tony jammed his hands in his pockets and stepped around him, heading up the sidewalk again.
Bucky watched him go, wondering how it could still hurt this bad after two years.
****************
“Tony wait!”
Tony turned around when Bucky grabbed his wrist. “What’s up Buck?” He looked tired, tired and just worn out and way too emotional to be having a conversation in the middle of the street.
“Tony, I didnt leave because I was with Steve, or because I didnt want you anymore.”
“I cant talk about this right now.” Tony tried to tug away.
“Tony–”
“No, Bucky!” Tony snapped. “Its been two years! Just let it go!”
“No, no sweet thing, I wont.” Bucky whispered and this time tears made his blue eyes shine. “I left because—”
He held out his left hand, the robotic one and Tony blinked down at it and then up at him.
“I dont get it.”
“I felt like half a man, Tony. I was hurt, and you had to do everything for me. I couldnt even– couldnt even hold you the way I used to, the way you liked.”
“I didnt care about that.” Tony brushed a hand over his face, cramming his sunglasses over his eyes. “I didnt care about that.”
“I know. But I did. So I ran away.” Bucky held up his left hand, curling it carefully around Tonys other wrist. “And it was stupid and Ive missed you every day. But I figured you hated me enough for leaving that you wouldnt even give me the time of day, much less…” he motioned between them. “And then after I decided to get the prosthesis, I was worried Id hurt you while I was adjusting to it and–”
“You’re so stupid!” Tony burst out. “Do you really think so little of me that I would care–” his voice broke. “I didnt hate you, but I kind of do now. For thinking we werent strong enough to handle it.”
“I am stupid.” Bucky agreed, and tilted Tonys chin up carefully. “Can we– Can I take you to dinner? Or can I come over and cook you dinner? I still remember your favorite way to cook chicken and—”
“Im a vegetarian now.” Tony sniffed and Bucky smiled slowly, wiping a tear from Tonys face.
“No you arent.”
“Fine, Im not but— but—” Tony took his sunglasses off again and jabbed them at Buckys chest. “Bucky. It killed me when you left. I loved you and I was ready to work through anything wiht you and then you just up and fucking left me! Give me one good reason I shouldnt try to knock your ass out?”
“Ill hold you the way you like.” Bucky murmured, and leaned in close to nuzzle Tonys cheek, knowing Tony had already forgiven him, because the beautiful brunette hadnt stopped touching his left arm, hadnt stopped lacing and unlacing their fingers even as he was yelling. “I remember how to do that too.”
“You’re not as charming as you used to be.” Tony snapped and Bucky finally just wrapped both arms around him and held him tight.
“Ive missed you.”
“I still hate you.”
“Thats fine. I can work with that.”
“Im going to make things miserable for you.”
“Thats fine, doll, I wouldnt expect anything else.”
“You have two years to make up for. Two.”
“Ill make up for every second, and then some. Whatever you want, okay?”
Bucky closed his eyes and tried not to cry when Tony finally put his arms around him.
“The robot arm is a little hot.” Tony admitted, his voice muffled in Buckys jacket.
“There’s my tech genius.” Bucky pulled away only enough to steal a quick kiss. “My beautiful genius. Come on. Lets go start making up for all that lost time.
No ok but I actually met him. Several of my colleagues and students were hired to do some assessments for several manmade and natural ponds on his property. He wanted to maintain them with several different fish populations so that kids nearby could fish and have a good time.
While we were working he rode up in his four wheeler with a terrified look on his face. I never thought I would see a former football player on the verge of tears, but boy howdy he nearly was. Several of us stop what we were doing and go over to see what was up.
“I was running the tractor through the field and almost hit a fawn.” He says.
Now, for reference, it’s pretty common to have farmers run over and kill fawns. The defense mechanism of fawns when they are young is to lay down low and not move…which obviously isn’t great for when there’s a tractor. It happens all the time, but it can be pretty bloody. It’s not a pretty sight.
So, thinking that maybe such a gory scene unnerved him and that we may have to dispose of the body, I say “Mr. Brown, is the fawn still alive?”
He says “Yes, I took it to the barn…but I’m afraid the mom won’t take it back because it has human scent on it.”
The myth about “human scent” is a common one, but it’s just that…a myth. But still, this guy was absolutely terrified that this little deer was going to live the first few weeks of its life without a parent. He was distraught.
Luckily my professor/boss was like “Don’t worry Mr. Brown, if you return the fawn relatively close to the spot that you found it, the mother will come back. The human scent thing is just a myth. The fawn will be alright, just be sure to keep the barn quiet so that the fawn doesn’t panic.”
Mr. Brown’s face lit up and he let out a sigh of relief. “Thank God” he said “I was so worried.”
And that’s the story of how I met the sweetest man ever: Mr. Jason Brown.
themusechronicles 