For Tony Stark

[advanced]

[He's been on the run for what feels like decades, but is really only a few months. He knows he's doing a good job at being hidden because ever since the helicarriers fell out of the air there hasn't been a single confirmed sighting of him, and he knows that Steve is looking. Not just Steve, either. He's just not ready to be found yet.

The easiest way to move between countries, he's found, is by stowing away on private chartered flights. They're usually less attended than commercial flights, and if he can get on board then it's fairly easy to avoid the one or two passengers and crew. He has no idea that the flight he's stowed away on is Tony Stark's private jet, and that it's only Tony himself on board.

At least not until he hears a disembodied voice speaking throughout the plane once they're in the air. It's JARVIS, not that he has any idea who that is.]

Sir, scans of the plane show that there's a man crouching in your cargo hold. I wasn't aware you were transporting any men today.

Comments

[buildsomething]

Nope. Go fish.

[Tony smiles just a little, mostly because he knows Barnes isn't looking at him. Okay, so maybe he's staring a little more intently now.]

Mission, huh?

[advanced]

[He scowls, more at himself than at being told to Go Fish, and peels another card off the deck.]

Forget I said that.

[buildsomething]

[The look Tony shoots him makes it pretty clear how likely that is, but he just hums in response.]

All I'm saying is, that seems like the kind of thing you maybe don't want to do alone. Sixes?

[advanced]

[He snorts, an almost amused sort of sound.]

What, and you're offering to come along? Go fish.

[Both for the card and the idea.]

[buildsomething]

I didn't say me necessarily.

[If there's anything Iron Man is not particularly good at, it's stealth. Most of the time he can bulldoze through anyway, but he's at least cognizant of the fact that he's not likely to be too helpful with whatever Barnes is doing.]

Just that having backup on call can't hurt. [Tony shoots him the briefest glance as he reaches for a card out of the deck.]

[advanced]

And what other backup are you suggesting?

[It's asked mildly enough but there's an undercurrent of warning in there, because Steve is not an option on the table.]

I don't exactly have a cell phone to call up some convenient assistance.

[buildsomething]

[That just gets a flat look.]

You remember who you're talking to, right? You want a phone, I can get you one. I can even make it untraceable.

[advanced]

Right, and if I call you up, pretty sure any fight I'm in would be done long before you got there.

[It's easier to argue the logistics of it rather than the very complicated snarl of emotion that's someone trying to help him.]

[buildsomething]

You don't know how fast I can move.

[But it is a point and he dips his head to acknowledge it.]

Then just humor me and send a sign that you're alive every so often. Smoke signal. Carrier pigeon. I genuinely do not care. It's your turn, by the way.

[advanced]

[He knows it's his turn, but he's stuck just staring at Stark kind of uncomfortably.]

Why do you care?

[It's not an accusation, just genuinely baffled. They've met for all of a few hours, but he wants regular check ins? It can't be because of Steve, Stark already said he wouldn't tell the other man, so why?]

[buildsomething]

[Tony shrugs, because it's easier than admitting he has no real idea why. Maybe it's just that Barnes deserves something after all the shit he's been through, but that's not quite it.]

If you die, I have to train up a new Go Fish partner.

[advanced]

[The very corner of his lip twitches upwards into an almost smile for a moment or two.]

Right, because it's such a hard game to teach someone, that'd be a real hassle.

[buildsomething]

Hey, maybe you're just a fast learner.

[He flicks a quick grin of his own at him.]

Seriously. I'm a fusser, it happens. You're stuck with it now.

[advanced]

[He lapses into silence for a few moments, trying to work through whether to accept that sort of offer or not, before eventually he shakes his head.]

Sorry, this is a one time thing. So give me any Queens you've got.

[buildsomething]

[Tony just snorts. That's what he thinks.

But he's not going to argue the point at the moment, instead just handing over the requested card with an amused look.]

You know, some people play long distance chess. Long distance go fish can't be that much harder.

[advanced]

You really don't have many friends, do you?

[That probably comes out harsher than he means it to, but it seems fairly telling that Tony's trying so hard to connect to someone like him.]

I won, do I say Fish or something?

[He puts his cards down face up to prove it.]

[buildsomething]

[There's a slight blink at the sudden change in tone, but honestly Tony can't bring himself to feel too offended. He can knows lashing out when he hears it.]

Excuse you. I have plenty of friends. I built them all myself. [It's mild as he studies him, then quirks an amused smile.]

Yes. You absolutely do. Give me your best fish face.

[advanced]

[Why does he have a feeling that Stark isn't entirely joking when he talks about having built all of his friends?]

...I'm not stupid.

[He has memory issues, he's not gullible, so he's not making a fish face.]

We should be landing soon, and I need to go before that.

[buildsomething]

[Ah well, it was a good try. Tony sets his cards down as he gives him a thoughtful look.]

You planning on just jumping?

[advanced]

That's the plan.

[He can't risk going as far as the airfield, there'll be far more potential witnesses there. He's much better off jumping over an non-populated area and then disappearing.]

[buildsomething]

You've got a real skydiving fetish, you know that?

[Tony eyes him for a moment or so longer, then sighs. As well as they've been doing, Tony can tell he's hitting his limit for how much Barnes is willing to listen to him at all. And usually that would just be a sign to push harder, but Tony is actually trying to play this smart. At least a little.]

At least take a parachute, Felix Baumgartner.

[advanced]

[It really is smart. The less that Stark pushes and tries to keep him around, the more Bucky finds that he's starting to relax. Trust is far too strong a word this early, but there's something.

Of course, the proof will be if he manages to disappear without a piece of StarkTech tracking him, and without Rogers being alerted to where he's going.]

You have more than one parachute on board?

[buildsomething]

[That just gets an elaborate eyeroll.]

I've got a flying suit of armor, what do I need a parachute for?

[Really, he'd offer to just fly Barnes down, but even Tony can acknowledge that his pride and joy is not exactly subtle. Kind of the opposite of what they're going for, here.]

[advanced]

If it gets damaged, or you don't have time to get to it.

[He's not taking the only parachute on board, not when he's more than capable of getting down safely without one.]

[buildsomething]

I have contingencies for that, what do you take me for?

[The look he gives Barnes is all overdramatic offense, but there's something a little more curious under it.]

Seriously. We're like an hour out, and if something tries to take down the plane at this point, a parachute isn't going to help.