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“Quitting, I’m quitting. Tell Fury I’m giving my two weeks notice,” Tony says as he slams the cabin door shut against the wind and driving snow. “This is not what I signed up for.”
Bucky snorts as he paces the cabin to confirm that it’s empty and doesn’t contain any unpleasant surprises. It doesn’t take him long - their new hideout is smaller than Bucky’s bedroom back at the Tower. They’re far enough away from the possible Hydra base that this is most likely a civilian hunting cabin and not a possible trap. Bucky’s shoulders relax as he doesn’t pick up any signs to the contrary, and he lets his gun drop back to his side.
Bucky throws the hood of his coat back and unbuckles his mask. It’s good to be out of the wind and the snow, even if the cabin itself is still cold.
“You
volunteered
to come along,” Bucky reminds Tony.
“Well you should’ve told me where we were going,” Tony mutters. He walks with minced steps further into the cabin. The wooden floorboards creak under him, but hold the weight of the suit.
Bucky eyes the floor, but Tony’s sensors easily pick up any loose or rotten boards to avoid. And if Bucky had missed something and there was an unpleasant surprise underneath them, Tony should be able to see that too.
“You wanted a surprise. Well, surprise.”
Tony sighs. The Iron Man armor folds open, and Tony steps out, rubbing his arms.
“This is why I don’t go on vacations.”
“You don’t know the meaning of the word,” Bucky teases. Being out of the storm and beyond Hydra’s grasp - even they wouldn’t go out in a storm like this - has bolstered Bucky’s mood. This mission could have gone much, much worse than being trapped in a small civilian hunting cabin with Tony.
Bucky could have gotten trapped here with Sam. That would’ve been a real nightmare.
Tony rolls his eyes at Bucky’s tease.
“I’ll get a fire going,” Tony volunteers, moving over the three feet it takes him to reach the fireplace. Wind is whistling down the chimney, so it should at least be clear enough for most of the smoke to escape.
“I’ll see if there’s more firewood out back,” Bucky says as he eyes the small stack of chopped logs set to the side.
“Nah, JARVIS can handle it. Alert-mode, too, J. If Hydra has, like, ice monsters that they’ve engineered I’d like a little advance warning,” Tony says, dismissing the suit.
Bucky grimaces. “Ice monsters. Fun.”
“Oh please, like you wouldn’t enjoy figuring out how best to destroy those,” Tony dismisses as he crouches in front of the fireplace. “Okay, on second thought, I should totally use the suit to start the fire.”
JARVIS has already left, slipping out the only door as quickly as possible to prevent wind and snow from driving in.
Bucky chuckles as he starts opening the few cupboards there are to see what supplies they have. Hopefully there’s at least a couple of blankets.
“Try not to blast a hole in the wall when you do, yeah?” Bucky suggests as he searches. There’s ammo, but no guns to go with it. Those probably went home with the hunter. Jars of salt, plenty of empty cans and containers, and - success, a pile of blankets.
Bucky eyes the folded up contraption that leans against the wall next to the cupboard with the blankets. It probably assembles into a cot, even one that might hold Tony’s weight, but certainly not Bucky’s.
Bucky walks over to the fireplace, a whole six feet. There’s no way Tony won’t see the cot.
“This is a cuddle for warmth situation, right? Conserve body heat,” Bucky says as he dumps the blankets on the floor.
Tony grins up at Bucky from where he’s crouched, arranging smaller sticks into something like a small tent in the fireplace. “Can I wait to take off my clothes until after the fire gets going?”
“Whenever you want, you feel free,” Bucky replies with a wink. Yes, getting trapped with Tony is definitely the most fun outcome. “But mostly I was thinkin’ we should both end up on the floor. No way we’re fittin’ in that cot,” Bucky says as he thumbs back to it. Full disclosure of information but definitely stating a preference - very smooth, he thinks.
Tony nods and turns back to the fire. “Sounds good to me. Besides, if you want any of the blankets you’ll have to be next to me. I’m not giving up a single one of those.”
Bucky grins. He’ll get to cuddle Tony all night. They’ll probably do some exchanges of ‘accidental’ touches. It’ll be a great time, Bucky thinks.
Then Bucky frowns and crouches next to Tony, noticing the shaking of Tony’s fingers.
“You getting cold?” Bucky asks.
“Eh, getting there,” Tony says with a shrug.
Bucky catches one of Tony’s hands with his human arm. Bucky knows well enough by now not to touch anyone with his metal arm, not in these temperatures.
Tony’s hand is pale, his fingers picking up a blue tinge.
Bucky frowns. “How’s that fire?”
The door opens, cold and snow blowing in, and Bucky shifts to block Tony from the wind.
“I have found a pile of wood as well as an outhouse,” JARVIS announces as the Iron Man armor marches in and then kicks the door shut behind itself. “I have also seen no evidence of Hydra or any other nefarious activities within ten miles of our location.”
Tony stands and cheers. “Music to my ears. A night cuddling with my favorite Bucky-bear in front of the fire?” Tony turns and grins down at Bucky. “And you said I didn’t know what ‘vacation’ meant!”
Bucky shakes his head and stands. “Better get that fire going then, doll, or it won’t be nearly as cozy.”
JARVIS sets the firewood down next to the wall. Bucky sends a prayer to whoever is listening in gratitude that they stumbled into a competent hunter’s cabin, even though the walk to the outhouse in the blizzard does seem rather daunting. Maybe Tony will let Bucky use the suit, too…
Tony detaches one of the gauntlets and fiddles with it. Then Tony puts on the gauntlet and with a snap of his fingers, Tony sets off a small spark that catches the tinder Tony had piled up underneath his tent of sticks.
Bucky takes a seat, pulling a blanket around his shoulders, as Tony slowly coaxes the small flame up into a decently sized fire. The flames dance around, but the smoke still goes up the chimney so Bucky thinks they might actually be safe.
Maybe this does count as a vacation when you’re an Avenger.
Tony sets a few more logs on the fire and sits back on his heels, a pleased smile on his face.
“Boom,” Tony boasts, turning to Bucky. “Sound effects, you know, since I didn’t manage to actually blow anything up.”
“You’ve still got time. Mission isn’t over,” Bucky comments. He throws a blanket at Tony as he scooches closer to the fire.
Tony tosses the blanket back at Bucky and stands.
“Will you sit and warm up? Your hands will go blue, and you kind of need those,” Bucky says, tugging at Tony’s pant leg.
Tony shakes him off. “Did you find a pan? Scoop of snow to melt, and we’ll have better water than whatever SHIELD scientists came up for hydration ideas.
You
should think about sticking that arm in the fire. Don’t make me check your shoulder for frostbite.”
Bucky grumbles, directing Tony to the jars he’d found, and squeezes his metal hand into a fist. It is cold, and the metal seeps coldness into Bucky’s shoulder and chest. He’s a supersoldier though, so he runs warm. He can handle it.
Except Bucky follows Tony’s directive and sticks his arm closer, closer - then straight into the fire. Bucky pulls back almost immediately when the heat seeps through, but the heat sears the coldness out of his system for a moment.
He plays with it, sticking his hand directly into the fire until the sensors in his hand get too hot, then pulling back. Again, then back. Again, then back. He still feels uneven, where his hand is too hot, his chest still cold, his other side colder yet, but it’s a more comfortable balance then when his arm had felt frozen solid.
A burst of wind later - one that doesn’t put out the fire Tony has started - and Tony comes back with several jars filled with snow.
“Alright, so I’ll admit I’m spoiled and used to better service than snow-melt and ration bars, but still. I’d say we’re doing pretty good for Hydra territory in northern Canada. And really, vacations are always about the company, and it couldn’t get more perfect.”
Bucky tosses a blanket at Tony and tells himself that the heat blooming on Bucky’s face is from the fire and not because he’s blushing.
Tony finally accepts the blanket and settles next to Bucky, leaning toward the fire.
“Here, give me your hands,” Bucky says, because no matter how Tony plays it off, they’re both worried.
Tony sticks his hands out of the blankets with a pout.
Bucky waves his metal hand close to the fire, but not touching this time. Then he grabs Tony’s fingers.
“Ooh,” Tony breathes with a pained hiss. Still, he twists and grabs Bucky’s metal arm with both hands, fingers white against the silver. Bucky relaxes as there’s less of a blue color than he’d thought.
“Yes, okay, good idea. More,” Tony directs, letting go of Bucky.
Bucky runs his hand above the flames, judging the the temperature of his hand before he pulls back and lets Tony grab him.
“Better than sticking your hands directly into the fire?” Bucky asks with a grin.
Tony is so close like this, leaning into Bucky as Tony grips Bucky’s metal arm. Tony’s eyes are a beautiful golden brown, reflecting the firelight, and so close that Bucky feels that he’s drowning in them.
“I’ll always vote for molesting you instead,” Tony replies.
“Aw, doll. You say the sweetest things.”
“I’ve got another one for you,” Tony says with a grin. “Isn’t this ‘naked snuggling’ time now?”
Bucky ducks his head, sure his cheeks are hot. “Is it? Hate for you to think that I’m fast, you know.”
“This is a life or death situation. Nothing will be held against you for this.”
“Oh, there better be
something
held against me,” Bucky says, even as he feels his blush. He brings his arm in closer, slowly enough that Tony hangs on and Bucky can reel him in.
“Yeah, I think we can manage that,” Tony replies, all smoulder. Then he falls against Bucky, losing his balance as he leans in, and his eyes go wide. “Oh, shit, you are so warm. Yes, cuddle, now,” Tony commands as he plasters himself against Bucky.
After a few moments of arguing positions along with all the necessary innuendos and jokes, Bucky and Tony finally curl up on a blanket, keeping them off the floor, and underneath a pile of more blankets. The entire pile of them are as close to the fire as they can get without guaranteeing setting the blankets on fire. Bucky and his metal arm is closest to the fire, with Tony curled up against Bucky’s side and almost on top of him.
It’s a very nice position, one Bucky wouldn’t mind trying out later on without the blizzard and freezing temperature and concern about Hydra. Tony sighs in contentment, burrowing against Bucky. His clothes are still on, and so are Bucky’s, and if they
weren’t
on a mission and possibly going to get ambushed by Hydra tonight…
“We should try this again,” Tony says. “Without the mission and the blizzard nonsense. Even if I think you would have fun if some ice monsters showed up.”
Bucky snorts. “You mean like an actual vacation?”
“Yeah, sure, let’s do one of those.”
Bucky looks down at the top of Tony’s head with a smile. “You know, usually people go on ‘dates’ first. Local ones, before jumping straight to the destination getaways.”
Tony yawns. “Sounds boring. I’m picking the destination, too. Your choices suck.”
Bucky sighs and decides not to argue about the fact that this was his mission and Tony chose to tag along. He’s happy that Tony chose to tag along. Getting stuck in a cabin all on his own would be much less fun.
Still, could’ve been worse. Could’ve been Sam.
“Alright, doll. Let me know when and where, and I’ll be there,” Bucky says, not able to stop the wide beaming grin from spreading across his face.
“Oh no, no cheating. I thought you were all about the
surprise
.”