#ishala8

#2 royal AU + #54 secret relationship + WinterIron

After yet another scandal involving his out-of-control son, King Howard has finally had enough. Since nothing else has worked so far, Howard decides to take a different, not entirely traditional approach; he cancels all of Tony’s credit cards, freezes his money and assets, kicks him out of the apartment he’s paying for, gets him put in a dorm at MIT, and tells him to find a job if the small, weekly stipend Howard sends him isn’t enough for him.

Bucky has no idea who the pouting, mulish, definitely hungover teenager skulking around the VA center is, but his boss, Sam, tells him he’s the latest intern, so Bucky puts him to work.

It’s a complete disaster. The kid is clearly smart as hell, but it becomes obvious pretty quickly that he has no interest in being here. Bucky has no idea why Sam isn’t firing him after he turns up late for the seventh shift in a row, or why he hired him in the first place, given his general lackluster attitude, but whatever. Bucky was a Sergeant for years, he can handle one spoiled teenager.

And it takes a while, but ever so slowly, Tony starts coming out of his shell, stops hiding so much behind his snark and sarcasm. He’s amazing with the kids attending the free daycare, he flirts outrageously with Stan the mostly deaf WWII vet—who jokingly, or so Bucky hopes, proposes to Tony about once a week, offering to whisk him away to Florida—and even fixes their ancient computer that’s been acting up for ages, and then updates their, admittedly horrible, website.

Bucky learns that Tony’s a student, that he’s going to be an engineer, and that there are a lot of unresolved issues between him and his father. After a couple of weeks, they start going out for lunch together, which eventually turns into dinners whenever their shifts align. Or, mostly take out and Netflix on Bucky’s couch, but it’s not like Bucky’s super eager to spend time in enclosed spaces with lots of people, so he’s more than okay with that.

Tony’s the one who kisses Bucky first. And then he looks adorably terrified, starting to stammer out apologies before Bucky pulls him back in, and kisses him quiet.

They still don’t really go out much, and Tony is extremely reluctant to talk about his family, and sometimes gets a little cagey when Bucky tries to hold his hand or kiss him in public, but Bucky honestly doesn’t mind. Not everyone is into PDA, and Bucky knows a few things about a shitty homelife, so he slows things down, and Tony relaxes, and things are good.

Until about a month after they have the determing the relationship talk, when Bucky wakes up to Steve pounding on his door, and then immediately demanding why the fuck Bucky hadn’t told him his Tony was Prince Anthony, heir to the throne.

“I didn’t know?” Bucky offers, mind reeling as he scrolls through the news article on Steve’s phone, stomach sinking the more he reads.

Because it all makes sense now. Tony not wanting to be seen in public with Bucky as his boyfriend. Tony not talking about his father—the fucking king, for fuck’s sake—or introducing Bucky to any of his friends. Yeah. Bucky’s been kind of stupid.

Before he can drown in his self-pity and hurt, though, there’s another knock at the door. Steve goes to answer, and when he comes back into the living room he’s wide-eyed, and being trailed by none other than King Howard and, more hesitantly, Tony.

“Well, you must be James,” King Howard says, and then chuckles when Bucky belatedly remembers to bow. “My son has been talking about you,” here he shoots a chastising but fond look at Tony, “but, somehow, mentioning your relationship status must have slipped his mind.”

When Bucky fails to say anything, too stunned, King Howards claps his hands together, smiling widely. “All right. I would love to take my son and his boyfriend out to lunch. Do you like Indian food, James?”

(Tony apologises profusely once they’re back at Bucky’s place, finally alone. For his father just barging in like that, and for not telling Bucky who he is. And, really, Bucky kind of gets it. It must be hard, making friends and building relationships when the first thing people think when they look at you is prince. Which doesn’t mean he isn’t still a little angry about the whole thing, but the King seems to approve, and Tony’s puppy eye game is really strong, and he’s kind of hopelessly in love with Tony, so. They’ll figure it out.)

(Howard makes a habit of showing up announced to kidnap Bucky for lunches or little trips. Bucky’s super confused and, honestly, kind of terrified at first, but it’s the King, so he always goes. Especially once he figures out that it’s because Howard is insecure AF when it comes to his relationship with his son, and just about as dumb as Tony when it comes to talking about feelings, and that he’s actually just trying to be supportive. So. Bucky becomes casual buddies with the king. No big deal.)

(“What do you mean you can’t come over for a lunch quickie because you have plans with my dad? What the fuck, Bucky? I don’t care if it’s awesome steak, what the fuck?”)