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Bucky slides off of Steve’s body and wraps his arms around his tiny waist.
He likes listening to Steve catching his breath; it’s one of the few things in the world that can actually calm Bucky down enough to feel completely relaxed. Another thing is feeling the warm weight of Steve’s tiny body rolling into his arms and snuggling up against his chest.
“Hey,” he says, looking down at the small man cuddling up to him.
Steve smiles his typical dopey grin. “Hey yourself,” he replies, pressing a light kiss to Bucky’s collarbone. Bucky sighs at the touch of his soft fingers running over Bucky’s ribs, tracing over a nipple before settling above his heart. He ducks his head to press a kiss to sweaty blond hair.
The first time they did this, Bucky’d been worried about whether or not Steve’s health would hold up for it. Of course, it did otherwise they wouldn’t have tried it again. And again and so on and so forth. He never should’ve been worried, not because Steve’s bill of health was so exemplary that he had no reason to worry, but because Steve was tougher than the best of them. Hell, he was tougher than Bucky and people shat themselves on the street when he merely glared at them.
So, when he breathes out, “I love you,” he can’t really be held accountable.
Steve rolls over so his chest is pressed flush against Bucky’s, his brows knitted over stern eyes as he slowly grows redder and redder to the point where Bucky is worrying if a vessel popped in his head.
“Stevie? Aw, shit, Steve are you okay?” He runs his hands down Steve’s back, hoping for a reaction or an answer or something. He doesn’t get one, at least, not for a moment.
“Really?”
Bucky swallows, feeling a blush warm his cheeks. “Yeah.” More than anything else he’s ever felt. Steve’s his rock, or whatever you want to call a ninety pound asthmatic who punches guys twice his size on a daily basis for shits and giggles; Bucky’d be lost without him. “Yeah, yeah Steve… Steve I-”
Thankfully Steve shuts him up with a kiss, bony fingers knotting in Bucky’s hair and angling his face down to deepen the kiss. When Steve’s tongue slips between Steve’s lips, he opens up, humming into his mouth.
He pulls away all too quickly in Bucky’s opinion, but his face looks like it’s about to split with how damn wide his grin is.
“I love you too, Buck.”