{"id":929,"date":"2015-03-16T21:28:28","date_gmt":"2015-03-16T19:28:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pr0nandchocolate.net\/shirasade\/?p=929"},"modified":"2015-03-16T21:28:28","modified_gmt":"2015-03-16T19:28:28","slug":"theres-an-app-for-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/theres-an-app-for-that\/","title":{"rendered":"There's An App For That"},"content":{"rendered":"

Author's Note:<\/strong> Quicky fic. This was supposed to be humorous crack, but my feels got in the way.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\u201cHe went on what<\/em>?!\u201d Tony\u2019s voice sounded strangled and had gone up at least an octave, and his eyes were wide with shock. Jarvis, naturally, had sounded as calm as he always did, something Tony strangely resented, despite having been the one to program the AI to be unflappable. Why should he be the only one freaking out? This was a totally legit freak out, and Jarvis should be\u2026 flapping? flappable-ing? Whatever, Tony resolved to program Jarvis to be more emotionally aware - just as soon as Tony had regained his faculties. And dealt with the situation. And possibly gone into counseling, or at least told Pepper.<\/p>\n

As it was, Jarvis obviously decided Tony\u2019s exclamation had been a legitimate question and not a rhetorical one, and repeated calmly: \u201cCaptain Rogers made an appointment using the well-known dating app Grindr\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Tony cut him off with the wave of a hand: \u201cYes, I got that. Grindr.\u201d He took a deep breath and tried to collect himself. \u201cAnd why are you telling me this?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCaptain Rogers left instructions that you were to be informed should he fail to check in after eight hours,\u201d Jarvis repeated patiently. \u201cIt has now been eight hours and three minutes since he left the premises and there has been no communication from him.\u201d A short pause, then the AI added helpfully: \u201cI believe he was following a common guideline for face-to-face encounters arranged over the internet. It is meant to serve as a safety measure for the person meeting a stranger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tony shook his head, still somewhat disbelieving but willing to roll with it for now, even if his continued consternation made him sound short: \u201cNo shit. Did he by any chance tell you where<\/em> this meeting was supposed to take place - and who with?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAccording to Captain Rogers he was to meet someone using the pseudonym of \u2018winter_soldier44\u2019 in a vacant dwelling in Brooklyn,\u201d Jarvis replied, adding a street address, seemingly completely unaware that he was dropping another bombshell on Tony.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat the\u2026 You\u2019re telling me Steve used Grindr to meet the Winter Soldier, aka his long-lost boo Bucky Barnes. And you didn\u2019t think this was important information, considering it\u2019s the FUCKING WINTER SOLDIER?! Who tried to kill him last time they met?\u201d Tony exhaled loudly, dragging his hands through his hair exasperatedly. Yes, he\u2019d heard Steve\u2019s version of events on the Helicarrier, but he didn\u2019t share his friend\u2019s conviction that Bucky was still in there, just waiting to be found. Tony Stark had never been an optimist, especially not regarding the Hydra assassin, since certain details regarding his parents\u2019 deaths had come to light after Natasha released all SHIELD data to the public.<\/p>\n

Jarvis at least had the grace to sound almost apologetic: \u201cAccording to my databases, there are currently 23\u2019185 users with Avengers-related handles signed up to the Grindr application. Until now subterfuge did not appear to be part of Captain Rogers\u2019 usual modus operandi, and nothing in his manner led me to believe that the pseudonym was relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cApparently our Captain is sneakier than we gave him credit for.\u201d Tony sat down at the nearest terminal with a sigh and began scrolling through traffic camera footage surrounding the address Steve had told Jarvis. He was getting a headache, and a preliminary search only showed Steve arriving at the empty house, with no sign of his \u2018date\u2019 - and no sign of either of them leaving. Time to call in the cavalry.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou let him go out to meet the Winter Soldier?\u201d Natasha sounded decidedly unimpressed, and only snorted when Tony tried to justify himself. \u201cYou should know better than to let Steve\u2019s innocent manner fool you. He always goes after what he wants, especially where Barnes is concerned.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, even as they were talking she was en route to Brooklyn. While he waited for Natasha to reach her destination, Tony disabled the privacy settings on Steve\u2019s internet and phone communication. Looking back he realized he should have seen something was up when Steve had come to him three weeks ago and asked Tony for his help getting rid of the software SHIELD had been using to monitor him. He\u2019d looked all earnest, and Tony had figured that in light of recent events his request was reasonable. If he was honest with himself, he\u2019d also been secretly pleased that Steve had come to him for help.<\/p>\n

Now he scanned the logs on Steve\u2019s Stark Industries-issued phone as well as his SI laptop and quickly noticed that the Winter Soldier had contacted Steve for the first time two days before Steve had come to Tony. The email from \u2018James\u2019 seemed innocuous enough, but there was a reference to an ice cream parlor in Brooklyn that Jarvis informed Tony had been out of business since 1939. Tony\u2019s estimation for Steve\u2019s intelligence rose even higher when, only a week later, they switched to Grindr, the perfect smoke screen for two men who wanted to arrange an anonymous meeting without anyone noticing.<\/p>\n

\"See
\nImage transcript (Grindr chat window):
\nYou up for some one-on-one time, handsome? Feels like forever since I got some, and you strike me as being just the ticket.<\/em><\/p>\n

---And I bet you\u2019re the right guy to warm me up - I\u2019ve been out cold and feeling rather lonely. Give me a time and place and I\u2019ll be there.<\/em>---<\/small><\/p>\n

It might have been Bucky\u2019s idea, but Steve had been only a step behind and had easily adapted his speech pattern, seemingly completely unfazed when other men hit on him. Tony actually blushed bright red reading some of the texts, and almost fell off his chair at the sound of Natasha\u2019s voice in his ear: \u201cThey\u2019re gone. But Barnes has definitely been squatting here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tony noticed that she said Barnes, not Winter Soldier, and he had to admit that nothing pointed to a design on Steve\u2019s life. Still, it didn\u2019t sit right with him that Steve had carefully kept his contact with his old friend a complete secret. Why do that if the man he was meeting was truly Sergeant Bucky Barnes, war hero? Not that it mattered, all that counted was that they had to get Steve back. <\/p>\n

\u201cAlright. Stay close, I\u2019ll be there shortly,\u201d Tony informed Natasha, already suiting up. He flew straight to Brooklyn, making sure to continue scanning all broadcasts for news about anything Cap-related. If Steve\u2019s last face-off with the Winter Soldier was anything to go by, there was no way any fighting between those two would go unnoticed. Having downloaded the building\u2019s blueprints, the moment he touched down Tony began to compare them to the existing structure. Since no one had left through any of the conventional exits, there had<\/em> to be another way to come and go.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou find anything?\u201d Natasha inquired, dropping from a second floor window and landing gracefully on her feet next to Tony. \u201cAll I can tell is that Barnes has been roughing it. For what it\u2019s worth, it doesn\u2019t look as if he set a trap and there are no traces of violence. Wherever they disappeared to, Steve went along willingly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tony was almost sure he wasn\u2019t imagining the unspoken the sentimental idiot<\/em> at the end of that sentence. However, just then he finally found what he\u2019d been looking for, and he gestured in the direction of the basement he\u2019d been scanning for heat signatures: \u201cAh, I think that\u2019s it - there\u2019s a utility tunnel beneath the building. Ugh, I hate tunnels!\u201d<\/p>\n

At least it wasn\u2019t the sewers, Tony figured. Despite what he considered an entirely reasonable dislike of being in confined spaces underground, he quickly followed Natasha when she set off at a brisk pace. As expected there was a concealed hatch in the basement, and they dropped down into the tunnel, which thankfully turned out to be a comfortable height and not too disgusting. <\/p>\n

Without another word, they split up, each one heading in a different direction, and Tony just hoped there weren\u2019t too many side tunnels or this would make the Minotaur\u2019s labyrinth look easy. And his suit really wasn\u2019t made for confined spaces, forcing him into an ungainly half-flight as he tried hard to stay parallel to the much-too-close walls surrounding him. The only saving grace was his infrared vision, so he didn\u2019t have to bother with flashlight. Grumbling, he contacted Natasha, who was probably running effortlessly and gracefully, the perfect height for these damn tunnels.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you know he was still looking for him?\u201d Tony didn\u2019t bother to elaborate, figuring his meaning was obvious.<\/p>\n

Natasha replied instantly, predictably not sounding out of breath at all: \u201cDid you think he\u2019d stop? I thought you were supposed to be a genius, Stark.\u201d She paused and added, contemplatively: \u201cAlthough I must admit, his use of Grindr was rather clever. Even if someone had noticed him using it, they would probably have been too embarrassed to ask about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tony\u2019s brain still did a weird denial twist whenever the word Grindr was mentioned. It seemed somehow deeply wrong to associate it with Steve\u2019s squeaky clean Captain America image. Not that Tony was in any position to judge anyone for getting their kicks in whatever form suited them. The fact that it had just been a smokescreen for Steve and Bucky should have made it better, but it really, really didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

\"See
\nImage transcript (Grindr chat window):
\nYou ready for me? I\u2019ve been told I\u2019m a lot to handle.<\/em><\/p>\n

---Oh, I\u2019m ready. I can take anything you want to throw at me.<\/em>---<\/p>\n

Yeah? You got something to prove?<\/em><\/p>\n

---Only that I\u2019m with you \u2018til the end of the line. Think you can handle ME?<\/em>---<\/small><\/p>\n

Tony replayed the conversations, hoping to get some information where they might have gone, but was only left with the feeling that there was a lot being said without words here. Also, although it had been a ruse, Tony knew come-ons when he saw them, and that was some heavy-duty flirtation. He wondered whether Steve even realized it. Back in the War, being gay was probably not even an option, and of course there\u2019d been Peggy Carter. One hell of a lady, that one. Tony had even met her a couple of times before his dad died.<\/p>\n

All of this flashed through his mind just before he reached a junction point. Cursing, Tony scanned the city schematics, then came to a quick decision. He was almost under the river, and Jarvis informed him that there were two abandoned subway stations on the other side. Both City Hall and Worth Street had been open when Steve and Bucky lived in New York, and Tony figured he\u2019d followed his gut into less likely directions in the past. Ignoring the mental image of the tons of water above his head, Tony filled Natasha in on his hunch.<\/p>\n

She sounded almost impressed: \u201cGo with it, Stark. There are guided tours to City Hall, so I\u2019d head for Worth Street if I were you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tony didn\u2019t bother asking how she knew this, although the idea of Black Widow playing tourist was strangely disconcerting. He had almost reached his goal and slowed down, careful to avoid any noise as he left the utilities tunnel for the subway tracks. He needn\u2019t have bothered, a train was approaching and drowned out everything. Tony flattened himself against the ceiling, then continued on his way, the subway tunnel feeling almost spacious.<\/p>\n

His sensors saw Steve and Bucky long before he reached the station, Steve running hot as usual, and Bucky\u2019s prosthetic arm being slightly cooler than the rest of his body, although not as much as Tony would have thought. A part of him was dying to get his hands on that piece of tech, but he pushed it back down and focused on the sight before him. Which was\u2026 nothing like he\u2019d expected, if he\u2019d expected anything. Steve wasn\u2019t tied up, and there were no sudden movements from either one of them that pointed towards a scuffle - but they stood so close it was difficult to tell one from the other. Tony figured that Steve had lost any right to privacy the moment he met the Winter Soldier behind everyone\u2019s back and boosted his hearing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care what you say, where I\u2019m concerned you\u2019re Bucky Barnes. You could have killed me, but you didn\u2019t, and then you decided to come to me. Tell me how that is part of any damn programming!\u201d Steve\u2019s voice was low and intense, and almost in spite of himself Tony slowed down, wanting to hear Bucky\u2019s response.<\/p>\n

When it came, however, it was without words, and Tony almost came crashing in before realizing that Bucky wasn\u2019t attacking Steve. No, he was kissing him like a man drowning, and Steve not only let him but responded in kind. Their heat signatures combined, but Tony could still hear them, the slide of lips, the half-sighs, and low groans. And then Steve went to his knees, easily, gracefully, and Bucky did say something, fierce like a prayer: \u201cMissed you so much, Stevie - and your fucking mouth!\u201d<\/p>\n

Which was when Tony told Jarvis to use the suit sensors to keep an eye on things, but he himself determinedly turned his back on whatever Captain America and his Hydra assassin boyfriend were up to and called Pepper instead. For the first time in his life he realized that there was in fact something like too much information.<\/p>\n

\"See
\nImage transcript (Grindr chat window):
\nHey, got any plans tonight? I\u2019m unexpectedly back in town.<\/em><\/p>\n

---No. My boyfriend\u2019s away on business and I\u2019m feeling kinda neglected.<\/em>---<\/p>\n

Aww, I\u2019m sure I can make you forget about him. \ud83d\ude09<\/em><\/p>\n

---I doubt it, he\u2019s a hard act to follow. But you\u2019re welcome to try.<\/em>---<\/small><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jarvis obviously decided Tony\u2019s exclamation had been a legitimate question and not a rhetorical one, and repeated calmly: \u201cCaptain Rogers made an appointment using the well-known dating app Grindr\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[24,50],"tags":[295,299],"series":[],"class_list":["post-929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mcu","category-steve-rogersbucky-barnes","tag-audience-teen","tag-genre-slash"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=929"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/929\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=929"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shirasade.net\/fiction\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}