You had slept like the dead that night, your connection with Bucky having drained you of your last few ounces of energy. Your body hadn't ached like this since you had actually nearly died not so long before this and you felt as if you could sleep for at least a week without a problem. When you had closed your eyes, the sky was dark, and when you opened them again now, the view hadn't changed. You were stuck in a hazy disorientation of either too much sleep or still not enough, and you weren't exactly sure how much time had passed.

"FRIDAY, what time is it?"

"7pm."

"Are you serious?!" you gasped, sitting up abruptly. Your head spun slightly at the rapid shift, but you pushed through and swung your legs over the side of the bed to get your balance. "I slept almost 24 hours away? Why didn't anyone wake me up?"

"Mr. Stark-"

"Right, got it, you don't need to say any more. Not sure why I even asked. Alright, so where is he now?"

"He's in the conference room with Captain Rogers. I've alerted him that you're awake, and he said that he'll be here in a few minutes. He asks that you change your clothes into what he has selected for you, hanging in the closet."

Your brow furrowed as you thought what it was that the man could possibly be up to, a pointless endeavor given his determination and resources. "Okay? What do you know, FRIDAY? What's he up to?"

"I've been sworn to secrecy, ma'am."

"Of course, you have. Seriously, you think I'd learn to just stop asking."

~~~

Two floors below where you were reluctantly following orders and changing clothes into something far too formal for an evening at home, Steve and Tony were taking the time to sit together in a civilized manner for the first time in a very long time. There was a plethora of points to argue out, but none more troublesome than the topic of one Bucky Barnes.

Steve sat on one end of the expansive table with Tony seated on the other, but neither had wanted to take the initiative to speak first. Where would they even begin? Both men had just set their differences aside to bring both you and Bucky together safely, but the problems remained and had pushed their way back into view.

"So," Steve finally coughed out nervously, "are things all good with you and (Y/N)? Have you been forgiven?"

"Well, it's a start, anyway," Tony nodded. "Now it's up to her."

"Actually, it's up to you to not Stark this up."

Tony's eyes brightened at the relief of levity, and it was honestly a welcome moment. Too much drama and too many insults had taken their toll on him, and really, the team as a whole. When he finally looked up from the tabletop and towards the Captain, he caught the glimpse of a friend looking back, and he accepted it. "You think you're clever, don't you?"

"No, I know I am," Steve smiled only slightly. "But I also know that she's the best thing to happen to you in as long as I've known you. Just use some of that genius to do it right, okay? It's gotta be good for something more than making everyone look cooler."

"Fair point, but you know that we can't dance around this forever. What about Barnes?"

"What about him?"

"You said that he doesn't want her, not like that," Tony began, wanting the answer but also not wanting it at the same time, "so what does that mean? You gotta give me something to hang onto here, Cap."

Steve eyed his friend skeptically, examining his expression for anything that might give away some kind of alternate plan just to mess with him. He wouldn't put it past Stark to pull a joke at a time like this; humor was his best defense when he was nervous, and his body language told him that he clearly was. "You seriously don't know, do you?"

"Obviously! I'm not that good of an actor!"

"Tony, Buck doesn't want her because he's with me."

"He's with...wait...that doesn't..." Tony stammered. "But all the things that went on, and things he said..."

"Yeah, well, we've gotten good at hiding things," Steve shrugged. "But he knew that she knew and that was good enough for him. She didn't judge, and let me tell ya, we've had our share of years under that microscope. Back in the day, hiding was just what we had to do. That was our normal."

"Holy shit. You're being serious."

"Did that not come across? You know I can't make stuff up like that on the fly."

Tony just sat with his mouth agape as his mind raced, replaying years of interactions with Steve and now recent ones with Bucky, and seeing every moment in a brand-new context. It wasn't purposeful that he took so much joy in the revelation, well, he was happy for the two at least, but this had just taken the most remarkable weight from his shoulders. Suddenly, Tony felt like he could take a full breath, and it was nearly too much. He pushed back his chair and stood abruptly, causing Steve to mimic the motion as if something were wrong and he needed to respond.

"Tony? What's going-"

"Thank you," Tony exhaled heavily, rushing across the room and taking Steve into a tight hug.

"Y-you're welcome...?"

"Okay," he sighed in relief, pulling back, "I've gotta go meet up with (Y/N). Go get ready before we're all late." As Tony left the room, Steve was left behind to watch him walk away, unsure of what had just happened, but taking it nonetheless as a resolution that was long overdue.

~~~

Once you had dressed in the chosen outfit that Tony had so suspiciously left out for you, it was an almost agonizing wait for him to return to your room to let you in on whatever secret this was that he was keeping. The dress he had selected was comfortable enough, even though you were in no mood or condition for the formality, but he had gained a few extra points for the shoes. They were so soft on your feet that you considered the idea of wearing them every day after this. The man knew you and had found the balance that would keep you in a dress just long enough to keep him happy.

"Alright, my dear, let's go," Tony peeked his head through the door, "can't be late."

"For what? I have no idea what we're doing."

"That's the point of a surprise. Duh," he mocked. He took a step into the room and held his arm out for you to take, waiting for you to slide your hand over it so that he could guide you to his masterful plan. "You look great."

"Thanks, I didn't pick it out myself," you scoffed. You allowed him to lead you to the elevator, down to the main floor, through the front door and towards the lake behind the compound before you couldn't keep quiet any longer. Tony loved surprising you, because he was terrible at keeping secrets, but you were going crazy not knowing what was happening. At least not until you turned the final corner to see several large, white tents set up across the grounds, filled with food, music, and every member of your team waiting anxiously for your arrival.

"Tony, what's this?"

"Our reception," he smiled widely. "Completely bomb and kidnapping free. I figured that we've earned a re-do, and after these last few months without you, I needed to celebrate having you back home. I'm going to celebrate that every day. Maybe not with a party like this, but I promise, I'm going to so that you know how much I love you, and how much I need you here with me. I'm so sorry about how I acted, and I'll do anything to make it up to you."

"Tony, I've told you, I understand."

"I know, but you can't stop me. Now let's go have that party," he nodded, guiding you to the festivities, "because after this, we've got a honeymoon to plan. We're gonna do this right."

"Getting time away together sounds really nice," you agreed.

"Yeah, and apparently Steve and Bucky deserve a little reuniting time too? Thanks for letting me in on that little secret, by the way."

"I thought you knew that! Oh my god, did you really not know?"

"No!" Tony stopped, taking a step back and completely aghast. "What about that whole thing with Nat? You were convinced that there was something going on!"

"I thought maybe he was exploring another option, I don't know! I'm not here to judge, Tony. What he does on his own time-"

"Right, exactly!" he broke in. "On his own time. On his own time...not ours. So, I take it back, let's just drop it. Tonight isn't about focusing on Barnes. This is for you."

~~~

"Are you sure about this, (Y/N)? I can't let you get yourself in harm's way because of me. I've hurt you too many times already."

"Buck, that wasn't you," you answered, a little frustrated at this conversation yet again. "You know that I will never blame you for any of it, and that you're never getting rid of me. Tony knows that too, and we're working on it. It was a setback, but we're okay. It wasn't you."

"But I did it," he groaned under his breath. When you didn't reply with anything more than a stern look, his gaze drifted down to his glass, watching the liquor swirl as he brought it again to his lips. He knew what your answers would be to any question or comment on this topic, but they still needed to be spoken, and he needed to hear your voice saying the words until he could finally believe them. "What if they come for me again?"

"Then I'll get you back."

"Ha!" he chuckled. "You guys are putting a lot of trust in me, and I'm not sure that I deserve it."

"Let us worry about that, okay? Just say thank you." You stood silently and waited, staring at him until the air around him had grown so uncomfortable that he had no choice but to look up just to get you to stop. "Barnes?"

"Alright," he sighed, dropping his resolve, "thank you, doll. I'm lucky to have you for a soulmate."

"Damn right you are," you agreed, holding up your glass to meet his with a gentle tap, "damn right."

~~~

The party went on well into the early hours of morning, just before the sun was due to rise. It didn't matter that it was a small gathering of just the team, it had felt like a long-awaited and long-overdue release of tension that made time stand still for everyone. The point of it all may have been to celebrate your wedding that had so quickly gone off the rails, but it was about bringing everyone back together in an understanding and renewed cooperation. It was about one relationship in particular, and it wasn't even yours.

Tony cautiously made his way across the tent, stopping several times to talk or to grab a new drink, as if he were putting off the inevitable. This conversation had to happen, and there was nearly no time left to do it. "Barnes?"

"Hey, Tony," Bucky replied, nearly choking on his drink in surprise. With a few swift slaps on his back from Steve, he recovered enough to get by. "Wasn't sure if I'd see you tonight."

"Honestly, neither was I. But listen, I know that you and I may never be on good terms...but are we good enough to get by?"

Steve looked nearly as anxious as Bucky was at the question, looking back and forth between the two men as he waited for either the right answer, or the wrong one that could open up a whole new fight.

"Well, for now, I think so. She wants us to be, right?"

"Pretty sure she does."

"Yeah, that's what I'm getting," Bucky nodded. "It looks like you and I have some work to do to keep our girl happy."

"I married both of you, didn't I?"

"That's one way to look at it, sure," Bucky agreed with a grimace. "Let's get one thing clear, though, I ain't putting out. It's not gonna be like that."

Tony laughed, albeit not as honestly as Bucky may have hoped for, putting a jovial slap of his hand on Barnes to hold him with a tight, purposeful grip. "You remember when I said not to call her our girl ever again?"

"I do."

"Let's add 'putting out' to the list of things I never want to hear coming out of your mouth."