#modern regency

"That's untrue, Anthony, allow you to live at home, with every whim catered to you. I allow you to study a career that is only meant for Alphas and pay for that education. I also play for you to not have to live in the dorms and for you to travel back and forth in first class on weekends and holidays so your mother isn’t concerned about you taking proper care of yourself.”

Tony opened his mouth to object, but Howard lifted his index finger, still not looking up as he turned the page in the report he was reading and kept on talking.

“I’ve even allowed you to work on these little projects of yours, investing time and money on your creations.” Howard paused at that, finally looking up at Tony as he slowly took off his reading glasses, giving the Omega an icy glare that made him shiver and shift uncomfortably in his seat. Sitting up straight and fixing his posture the longer Howard looked at him, still not saying a word.

“For all of this, I only expected one thing from you. That after you graduated, you would bond with an Alpha of my choice, or one that you picked out for yourself and that I approved of.” Tony tried opening his mouth again to protest, but the Alpha just kept on talking over him. 

“Your graduation was four months ago, and you haven’t mentioned any Alpha, so I-”

“There is an Alpha!” Tony cut off, finally being able to speak, sitting up from his chair so fast that the legs scratched against the wooden floor.

“Really?” Howard asked with a raised eyebrow, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed, an amused smile in his face as he looked at Tony, as if he was just a small pup trying to convince him that magic exists.

“Yes, really.” Tony mocked Howard’s tone, as if he was offended on the behalf of this non-existent Alpha he was dating.

“What’s his name?” Howard asked simply, Tony paled.

“His name?”

“I assume this Alpha that you are dating has a name. Doesn’t he?” Tony wanted to punch that smirk off of his father’s face, instead he took a deep breath and tried to wrack his brain for a name.

“Of course he has a name.” Tony replied, trying to buy himself some time.

“Then what is it?” Howard was going from amused to annoyed and Tony knew he was running out of time.

“James.”

“James?”

“Yes, father. I have an Alpha, an Alpha that is my boyfriend, and his name is James.” Tony replied, feeling smug and proud of himself. Howard just rolled his eyes at him.

“Then what is James’ last name?” Howard’s tone was full on annoyed now.

Fuck.

Tony wracked his brain again and blurted out the first last name that came to his mind.

“Buchanan.”

“James Buchanan.” Howard repeated, raising an eyebrow at Tony. “Did you invent a time machine and are somehow dating the 15th president?”

“You did ask for someone suitable.” Tony cursed at himself as soon as he spoke.

“Look, Anthony, I’m getting tired here.” Howard let out a tired sigh, his shoulders slumping as he pinched the bridge of his nose, as if the action alone would get rid of all the headache that was starting to form. “Your mother has organized a celebratory dinner for your graduation this Friday, many of the real and suitable Alphas that are willing to date you will come to this dinner. If your so-called very real Alpha boyfriend comes, then I’ll be off your case once I meet and approve of him.”

“He is real!” Tony protested, digging himself deeper into his own lie.

“Then I’ll meet him on Friday.” Howard’s voice was close to a growl, that along with his expression told Tony that this was the end of their conversation. That if Tony wanted to avoid getting yelled at or grounded, this was his window to leave.

“You will.” Tony said determinately, he was a genius, he could find someone to pretend to be his boyfriend for a few hours at a stupid dinner, then to pretend to break up and buy himself a few more months from Howard playing matchmaker. And if he couldn’t do that?... Well, he wasn’t there yet. 

“I’ve seen weirder ads on it. Remember the weirdo that wanted to swap an emu for a cheeseburger?”

There was silence on the line and for a blissful moment Tony thought that the line had gotten disconnected.

“That was you, Tony. After you broke into the zoo at midnight and lured an emu with your cheeseburger.”

“And then he stole it!”

“Tony!”

“I can’t take care of an emu, Pep, especially if it steals my food.”

“Tony!”

“What? Did you want me to keep it? Howard would have gotten a heart attack… although that’s not a bad idea.”

“TONY!”

“What?!”

Pepper sighed on the other line, and Tony winced again. He knew that he was avoiding the current subject, just like he had avoided talking to his father. That’s how he ended up in this situation.

“Look Tony, you know I love you.” Pepper spoke again after taking some deep breaths and Tony made a mental note to send her a gift card for her favorite spa for a full day of pampering as a way to thank her for constantly putting up with him. “But I really don’t know if this is the best choice. Maybe you can lie to your father that the two of you already broke up?”

“I can’t, Pep. He could tell I was lying when we spoke, if I go up to him and tell him the day before the dinner that I broke up with my fake boyfriend he’d just take it as a confirmation that I was lying and will spend all night throwing me into the first Alpha that walks in.”

“Tony, he wouldn’t-” 

“He would” Tony’s voice came out in a broken whine. “Remember what he tried to do with Justin Hammer?”

Pepper stayed silent on the other line once more, but Tony could almost hear her stifling a growl.

“So you are really going through with this?” Pepper asked after a moment, and Tony nodded before remembering they were on a call.

“Well, I’m half a block away, and he is the only one that replied to my ad that didn’t sound like a creep and his name is actually James Buchanan. Well, Buchanan is his middle name, Barnes is his last name. Which I know because he actually sent me a picture of his ID, so I know he is not a creep.”

“Okay that… that was actually smart.”

“Are you calling me dumb?” Tony gasped as he backed into the parking spot and put the car in park.

“You tried to ride the emu, Tony.” Pepper countered, and Tony chuckled under his breath.

“Fine, fine. I am a dumb genius.” Tony admitted defeat, clicking off his seatbelt as he turned off the car and checked his phone, he was 5 minutes early. “Anyway, I just got here, I’m sending you the address and my live location. If I don’t text you or reply to your text in … uh- 30 minutes, call the police.”

Pepper sighed, but Tony could tell she was smiling as well. 

“I love you, Pep!”

“Love you too, Tony.” With that, Pepper hung up the call and Tony slipped the phone into his coat pocket as he stepped out of his car.

Tony was definitely gifting her a whole weekend at a nice hotel, including room service and spa treatment. It’s the least she deserved for putting up with his antics.

Tony walked into the coffee shop, suddenly feeling anxious, his hands getting slightly sweaty as he looked around the half empty place and chose a two person table by the large windows that overlooked the street. He knew how James looked, not only from his picture ID but also from some selfies the Alpha sent him last night as they texted.

Tony had decided to share a few selfies as well, as he figured that the Alpha was going to see him one way or another today, and there was really no point in hiding who he was once they had already talked over a few details, 

Tony found himself actually laughing at a few comments that James had made, and if it hadn’t been for the fact that James had a meeting in the morning, Tony was sure that he would have ended up speaking into the early hours of the morning.

But part of Tony was still wary, he knew how easy it could be to create a good fake of a photo ID. He hadn’t really told Pepper the whole truth, while James had indeed sent him his photo ID, Tony hadn’t actually done any sort of background check, he didn’t even do any online stocking, having gotten too distracted with trying to read all of the replies his add got, and then blocking and deleting all the messages once James had been the only one that bothered to actually follow the instructions of his add. Still, that part of Tony’s brain that was constantly thinking of the worst thing had taken over him and was providing him with different scenarios where he ended up being kidnapped and cuffed.

“Hey, you must be-”

“Fuck!” Tony was taken out of his spiraling thoughts when someone sat in front of him, reaching for the closest thing he could grab out of reflex and throwing it onto the stranger, which ended up being the small little packets of sugar that were kept at each table.

“-Tony.” James finished his sentence, blinking at Tony a few times before his lips tugged into a smile. 

Tony stared at the Alpha, feeling mortified of what he just did, still holding the small wooden box where all those little packets of sugar were held. Packets of sugar that were now all over the table and James. He still had a few over his head, one clingled to the collar of his work shirt, another draped over his shoulder.

“Sorry…” Tony mumbled softly as he slowly placed the wooden box back on the table, slowly gathering the scattered packets and putting them on the box.

“Out of all the things I was expecting, getting attacked with sugar packets wasn’t one of them.” James commented, pausing for a moment, the silence feeling like an eternity to Tony. “Though, honestly, this is still not one of the weirder ways a date has started for me.”

“Firstly-” Tony paused, looking at James who just looked at him as he fiddled with one of the sugar packets, the fingers on his left hand trembling slightly. Tony made a mental note of that for later, looking back up at James as he continued talking. “Firstly, this is not a date. At least not a real one. And secondly, I was startled. I don’t usually start my fake first dates by throwing sugar at someone.”

“So you only start your real dates by throwing sugar.” James spoke in a teasing voice as he lightly threw the sugar packet he was holding towards Tony, it bouncing on his chest before landing on the table. “Got it~”

"You are changing the subject." Tony deadpanned, grabbing a sugar packet and rearing up to throw it at James when someone cleared their throat next to him, making him pause and look over at them feeling embarrassed.

"Have you two decided what to order?" The waitress looked both amused and tired, and Tony wouldn't blame her if he started scolding him about starting a sugar packet fight that might probably end up in a mess.

"I have, I'll like some hot chocolate with extra whipped cream and a chocolate croissant, and uh-" Tony paused as he looked over at James that was taking a quick look at the menu before looking back at the waitress.

"I'll have a black coffee and a BLT, with some scrambled eggs at the side, please." James flashed a warm smile towards the waitress who smiled back but rolled her eyes before writing down their orders and leaving with their menu's.

They both fell into an awkward silence, James looking out the window to the people and cars moving about outside while Tony suddenly found the text in the sugar packet he was holding fully fascinating.

Minutes passed without either saying anything. Tony did try, clearing his throat a few times to grab James' attention and even clearing his throat, only for words to fail him. This was so unlike him, usually he struggled being quiet, and he could talk about anything and everything with anyone. H e could give a 20 minute speech about how important it was to have a pool filled with water for swimming.

But right now he had no idea how to start the conversation, even though they had texted all night. James already knew what this was for. Or at least he knew that Tony needed a fake boyfriend named James Buchanan, but didn't know any greater details.

They spent so long in silence that their waitress came back with their food and drinks, glancing at the two of them before giving them a tight but polite smile while both of them muttered an awkward "thanks" while still avoiding eye contact with each other.

Tony just stared at his plate, watching how the steam that came from his croissant floated up in the air and curled before finally dissipating. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and deciding to finally speak, to break the ice and just dive into it face first.

"James-"

Tony started, getting the Alpha's attention, who looked up but frowned at him for a moment before his fave relaxed.

"It's Bucky."

"What?" Tony blinked, now it was his turn to frown.

"My name, well, nickname. It's Bucky, everyone calls me that." James Bucky said with a smile, and Tony could feel his shoulders relaxing.

"Oh… thanks, that actually helps." The tension between them eased as they both took a sip of their respective drinks, the silence between them less tense.

"Right, you mentioned us needing to know about each other." Bucky nodded as he blew on his coffee before taking a long chug from it, almost drinking half of it in one go.

"Well, or at least make the lie believable, which helps by adding half trues to it. Like nicknames." Tony pointed out as he grabbed his croissant and tore one of the tips off, and popping it into his mouth. He quickly regretted that because the molten chocolate filling felt more like lava on his mouth and he had to blow a few times before finally swallowing.

"Why are you doing this again?" Bucky asked as he scooped some eggs with his fork, taking his time to chew and swallow before he kept talking. "You mentioned needing to get you father off your back. What? is he comparing you to one of your family members around your age or…?" Bucky trailed off, looking at Tony as he went in for another forkful of eggs.

"He actually wants to marry me off to one of his businesses' partners' sons. Well, Alpha sons. Since apparently I am already a disappointment for being the only Omega." Tony said with a shrug. This was the reality he lived in and for him it was just as stating that the sky was blue.

Apparently, this wasn't something even remotely close to normal for Bucky as he chocked on his eggs and had to down the rest of his coffee to be able to calm down.

"Shit." The Alpha cursed as he used a napkin to wipe his face. "That's- so fucked up. Is it even legal for him to force a marriage on you?" Bucky asked, clearly seeming horrified by that concept.

"It is very much legal, yes." Tony said with a frown, tilting his head to the side as he remembered something from their texts. "Yesterday you mentioned you were meeting with your sister's fiance to see wedding venues, isn't theirs an arranged marriage?"

"Fuck no, Becca would hang me on a flag pole by my balls if I even suggested that." Bucky shook his head as if he was trying to shake the thought from his mind, completely unaware that the people at the table behind him were looking at him horrified by his comment.

"Oh-" It's all Tony could say, though something still didn't sat well in his head. "I assumed, since you and the fiance were looking at venues without her." Tony said as he tore another piece of his croissant and hummed as soon as he felt the buttery-chocolatey taste melt in his mouth, now finally at the right temperature.

"Well, yeah, I went with Daniel because Becca had a double shift at the hospital and that was the only available appointment her dream venue had. Dan broke his leg, so he can't drive, so I offered." Bucky explained, giving Tony a concerned look. "So your father…?"

Tony sighed, part of him not wanting to talk about this, but his father was the whole reason he needed to do this. "He says that since I am 25 and that I already got two PhD's and 'I had my fun pretending to be an Alpha', as he likes to say, it is time for me to settle down and start having kids before my prime. Or at least start thinking about marriage and bonding." This time Tony just bit into his croissant, feeling frustrated just by thinking about his father's words.

"And you mother agrees with him? I know that by law, you only need one parent —or guardian — signature to be registered as an independent Omega."

"She agrees with him." Tony said with a defeated sigh, looking down at his plate instead of looking at Bucky. "She is an independent Omega, her parents signed way before she met Howard, but apparently after getting married she forgot about all the freedom she had, and still has because she goes off to run her charities or visit family abroad without even telling Howard. And he doesn't care because according to him, she doesn't do anything that 'embarrasses the family'." Tony let out a long breath feeling a stinging sensation on the back of his eyes, but he willed himself to not start crying.

"Fuck him." Bucky blurted out, apparently unintentionally as he immediately covered his mouth after saying that, looking at him with an apologetic expression.

Tony started chuckling, and soon it turned into a full on laugh. Tears started filling his eyes, but that was mostly due to the laughter. He was venting to a virtual stranger about his extremely conservative family and borderline abusive father. And even that stranger could agree that Howard needed to go fuck himself for thinking that way.

It took Tony three full minutes to stop laughing, clearing his throat a few times and drinking half of his hot chocolate to fully calm down.

"So… what's the plan?" Bucky asked once Tony was calm again, a mischievous grin forming in his lips.

As Tony took another sip of his drink, he couldn't hold back his own grin.