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The arm isn't like any other, it's not your typical prosthetic limb. When they'd amputated his arm they'd taken everything, cut into his shoulder and collarbone and replaced it with some metal alloy. Bucky remembers vaguely that it had taken a while for them to get it right. They’d cut into him so many times and he has fuzzy memories of a horrible, throbbing pain in his shoulder. The scar tissue bothers him sometimes, the metal arm is heavy, even after all these years it’s not something he’s totally used to. But he knows how to use it, it’s instinct now, even if he doesn’t really know how it works. When he’d first let Stark and Banner examine him they’d walked around muttering about wiring and neural sensors. Bucky hadn’t really bothered to pay attention, all he knows is that going through metal detectors is really annoying.
So he doesn't know how it works, but he knows that he has to charge it. The arm has gone through a few different power sources. Batteries, some sort of blue glowing energy that Hydra liked, but finally they’d settled on solar power. There are four plates on the arm that come free and have solar panels fixed to the underside. Bucky’s used to it by now, knows how to find the catches that release each plate, knows how to flip them over to they face out and can best catch the suns light. He’s used to it, but clearly Steve’s not.
It’s a normal kind of day and Bucky had wondered off, finding a good spot on the top of Avenger’s Tower to sit in the sun. He’s got his solar panels out and his sunglasses on, lounging back on one of the deck chairs Stark has out here for some reason.
“Hey Buck…” Steve’s voice comes from inside and Bucky turns his head only to see Steve come to a death stop in the doorway to the roof. “What?” Bucky lifts his eyebrow, trying to remember if Steve’s ever seen him doing this, the answer is no.
“What’s wrong, Steve?” Bucky fights to repress a grin, because the look on Steve’s face is fucking priceless. His cheeks are pink and his lips are parted in shock despite his attempt to hide it.
“Um… I just wanted to know what you were doing.” Steve says and finally steps closer, coming to sit in the deck chair besides Bucky’s.
“What’s it look like I’m doing?” Bucky says, pushing his sunglasses down his nose so that he can stare at Steve over the top of them.
“Um…” Steve says and his eyes flick down to Bucky’s bare chest and the colour on his cheeks deepens. “I assume it has something to do with the arm.” Bucky snorts, pushes his glasses back up his noise and sits back again.
“I am photosynthesising Steve, I’m a flower. A strong, manly flower.” That makes Steve snort and Bucky turns his head to watch Steve laugh. Steve’s beautiful when he laughs, always has been and his laugh is goddamned infectious because Bucky finds himself chuckling too.
“So it’s solar powered?” Steve asks after a minute, when they’ve both calmed down again.
“Yes,” Bucky closes his eyes, it’s a warm day and even this high up the sunlight feels amazing. Bucky feels like he could fall asleep here, because even though he knows that he is ridiculously exposed out here he feels safe. Because he’s always safer with Steve at his side.
“So if it’s powered by those panel then you didn’t really need to take your shirt off.” Steve says, eyes fall to Bucky’s chest.
“Don’t tell me your embarrassed Steve, we were in the army.” Buck grins then, “Or are you worried that I’m going to get sunburnt? ‘Cause if you are, you are more than welcome to rub sunscreen on for me.” Steve’s cheeks go red again and his eyes are practically glued to Bucky’s chest now.
“I think you’ll be fine.” Steve shrugs then slides back into the chair so that he’s sitting with his feet up. “How often do you do this?” Bucky watches Steve get comfortable, watched the flex of his arms and the way his shirt pulls tight over his chest and stomach as he moves. He hums softly then turns away, closing his eyes and relaxing back into his chair again.
“About once a week, more if I’ve been in a fight recently.” The arm doesn’t draw that much power unless he’s using it to punch villains in the face. He hasn’t done too much of that this week so he’d put off his scheduled sunbathing for a few extra days.
“So regularly, that probably explains the drink.” Bucky opens his eyes just in time to see Steve reaching for the drink he has on the little table between the two chairs and swats his hand away.
“No, bad Steve.” Bucky tells him in a tone of mock reprimand. “Get your own.” Steve laughs as he jerks his hand back.
“But it’s got a little umbrella in it! Did you make it yourself or has Clint been testing his cocktails on you again?” Bucky grimaced, Hawkeye had decided it would be fun to try and come up with a drink that could get super soldiers and other super people drunk, it hadn’t ended well. Everyone had agreed in the end that Clint was banned from ever going near the bar every again.
“You’re just jealous.” Bucky retorted, lifting the drink and taking a sip. It's just juice and ice, but it's wonderful and there is no way Bucky is letting Steve steal it.
“Of course, Buck.” Steve smiles and leans back, closing his eyes. He looks peaceful, which is a nice change. There had been more than enough pain and stress in the last few years. It was nice to get the chance to just sit back and enjoy the sun.
***
It becomes a regular thing, whenever Bucky wonders off to recharge Steve eventually shows up and sits with him. They don’t always sit in silence, sometimes they sit outside and write their mission reports. Sometimes the eat food, spreading it out on the small table between them and trading food back and forth. It doesn’t take long for the others to catch on to what they’re doing. Thor is the first to join them, appearing from the sky with his hammer in his hand.
“My friends!” He booms happily, armour glinting brightly and hair waving in the breeze, he really looks like something out of legends. “What brings you out here on such a fine day?” Bucky and Steve share a look, Steve lifts one eyebrow and Bucky shrugs.
“Enjoying the sun, do you want to join us?” Steve asks, gesturing to one of the other chairs. There are eight in totally, four on one side and four across from them.
“It would be a pleasure.” Thor grins, smile almost as bright as the sunshine. He throws himself down into a chair across from Steve and Bucky then places Mjölnir down beside the chair with a peculiar type of care. They swap stories about battles they’ve been in, most of Bucky’s are carefully edited or unintentional vague, but it’s nice.
***
Clint joins them next, he comes through the door at a dead run. He seems to take one look at them then dives over Steve and Bucky a hides down behind Bucky. Coulson comes through the door next, flushed and furious, the expression makes them all cringe.
“Barton! I’m going to throw you in the deepest hole I can find! Not even JARVIS will be able to locate your body!” They all turn to look at Clint, who’s peeking up over Bucky. He looks kind of terrified. “And if any of you try to get in my way, you will be joining him!” Coulson continues and yea, they’re teammates, but when Coulson’s mad it’s better to cut you’re loses and run for the hills. Bucky reaches over and yanks Clint up, then pushes him in Coulson’s direction.
“He’s all yours,” Bucky says, ignoring Clint’s looks of betrayal. Coulson nods in acknowledge which means that they probably won’t be dying today and drags Clint away.
Clint and Coulson join them two hours later, Clint looks tired, but he’s not hurt, not that anyone actually expected Coulson to hurt him. Coulson isn’t wearing his jacket or tie anymore which is actually not the most shocking thing. He sits back in one of the chairs with his eyes closed and he actually looks relaxed, especially when Clint ends up sitting with his back against Coulson’s chest. They just sort of sit there together quietly and Bucky, Steve and Thor all choose not to comment.
***
On another occasion, after a really long week of fighting bad guys Bucky stumbles out onto the roof to find Natasha already sitting in one of the deck chairs with a book in her hands. It’s in Russian and it’s clearly a romance novel, but Bucky doesn’t comment on that. He just takes one look at her, sitting there in denim shorts and a black t-shirt and sits down beside her. They don’t talk, just sit there in silence and maybe Bucky falls asleep. If he does, Natasha says nothing and neither does Bucky. The thing is that Bucky remembers Natasha, sure she was younger, kind of tiny and thin with longer hair, but he still remembers her. Back then she was full of fire and passion, she hides it better now, but inside she’s still that young girl. Bucky is probably one of the few people alive who knows what she used to be like, but then Natasha also knows what he used to be like. She knew him when he was the Winter Solider. Their friendship is silent, but incredible strong, they keep each other’s secrets.
***
Steve is the one that brings Tony up late one afternoon. Tony brings his toolbox and immediately starts hooking things up to the arm, taking readings and muttering about energy sources and how he’d fit an arc reactor into the arm if Bucky would just stop being a baby.
“I do not need a glorified nightlight, Stark.” Bucky replies which starts Stark off on an epic rant about how important the arc reactor technology is and how green energy is evolving. Bucky takes one look at Steve over the top of his head and rolls his eyes. Steve grins back then shrugs before sitting down and opening his sketch book. Bucky closes his eyes and just lets Stark’s rant wash over him.
***
It’s just after dawn when Bucky finds Bruce sitting cross legged on one of the chairs. Bucky has slept about a day and a half after an overseas mission. He’s battered and bruised, cover in bandaged and he aches all over, but he really needs to charge his arm.
“Mind if I join?” Bucky asks, sitting down beside Bruce as he finds the catches on the various arm plates. Bruce opens his eyes, letting out a long slow breath as he does.
“Sure,” Then he actually seems to look at Bucky, taking in the bandages and bruises. “Are you sure you shouldn’t be in bed? You look like shit.” He gives Bucky a wiry grin before waving his hand in Bucky’s generally direction. “I could take a look if you want.” Bucky shakes his head.
“No, I’m fine.” He clicks the last plate into place with a sigh. He can’t sit cross-legged so he sits back against the chair and closes his eyes. After a few minutes he hears Bruce sigh and then settle. Bucky’s pretty sure he falls asleep at some point, but Bruce ever doesn’t notice or doesn’t comment. Either way when Steve shows up to tell them he made pancakes Bruce smiles and pats Bucky gently on the shoulder as he heads back inside.
***
“Come on Steve, just take the stupid thing off already.” Bucky complains, grabbing for the blindfold that Steve had put over his eyes.
“No, if I do you’ll just cheat and ruin the surprise.” Steve tells him cheerfully, squeezing the hand he's holding. Bucky shoves his free hand into his pocket and huffs. “Quit pouting Bucky, you’re acting like you don’t trust me.” And Steve is totally evil, because he knows Bucky trusts him, even after everything, Steve has earned Bucky’s trust time and again.
“I am not pouting, Rogers.” Bucky tugs on his hand but Steve won’t let him go as he leads him off the elevator and down the hall.
“You kind of are,” Is Steve’s response and Bucky would totally kick him if he could actually see.
“I hate surprises.” Bucky mutters, but of course Steve hears him, because he’s a damn super solider with super hearing.
“You only hate surprises when they’re happening to you. You and Natasha take the opportunity to jump out and scare Tony every chance you get.” Bucky snickers, because it’s true, but also because it’s kind of ridiculously easy to sneak up behind Tony when he’s not in the suit. “Ok, get ready.” Steve says and then the sounds change. There’s wind, the shuffle of feet and the sound of breathing. Bucky blinks as Steve removes the blindfold. They’re on the roof and there is banner supported by two long poles. The banner reads ‘Happy Birthday, Bucky!’ in bright blue letters and all the Avengers are standing beneath it, even the ones who aren't super human. They all yell variations of Happy Birthday at him and Bucky rolls his eyes, but he can’t help grinning at them. He feels a hand on his arm and turns to look at Steve.
“Happy Birthday,” Steve smiles and it’s so sweet and sincere and Bucky feels like his hearts going to beat out of his chest. Bucky glances back at the Avengers, his friends, his teammates and grins. Tony and Pepper are standing arm in arm. Coulson has an arm around Clint’s waist. Natasha is actually not wearing black for once. Bruce actually looks happy. Spiderman is sitting on the wall behind them all. Even Hill and Fury are there, standing side by side and the world might be ending because Hill is smiling. Thor and Jane are sitting on one of the deck chairs together. Darcy is holding a drink and grinning madly. There are others, some Bucky knows and others he doesn’t. But it doesn’t matter because the important ones are here. Bucky turns back and smiles at Steve, reaches out until he can touch Steve’s arm.
“You’re an idiot.” Then he’s leaning in and pressing his lips to Steve’s. The others applaud, whistle and cat-call but Bucky ignores them, because Steve is kissing back. He presses himself closer and puts a hand to the back of Bucky’s neck, lips soft. The kiss is gentler then Bucky ever imagined their first kiss would be, not that it matters, because this kiss is real. Bucky pulls away, grins up at Steve whose cheeks are flushed pink and whose lips are red. “I love you anyway.” Bucky says softly so no one else can hear him, the words are just for Steve. Steve’s hand slides down and comes to rest at the small of Bucky’s back, he presses another kiss to Bucky’s cheek.
“I love you too,” Steve whispers right before he pulls away and Bucky’s heart skips a beat. “Even when you pout.” Steve says louder this time so everyone else can hear and Bucky swats him.
“Punk,” Bucky grins.
“Jerk,” Steve replies. So they’re in love, doesn’t mean they not still them.