Chapter Text
“Bite me, Stark," Steve says, slamming his hands on the kitchen table, "I’m done with your tendency to think you know it all - especially when it comes to us. Don’t state what you think you know, because you don’t. Not really.”
“Oh, I think I got you pegged pretty easily, Cap. Or at least, McMurder here does.” Tony said, with a mean grin and a wink.
Bucky, leaning against the doorway, gets his knife out of its hidden thigh sheath, flipping it.
“I don’t know Stark, you seem to know a lot about our sex lives. That we don’t project. I wonder, how do you know who fucks who? Because, let me tell you,” he grinned, shark-like at Tony’s floundering smile, “you have no idea. And frankly, it’s not like I don’t already know what you get up to in bed.”
Tony nervously chuckles, scoffing, “Everyone already knows my sexual wiles. It’s nothing new.”
“If you’re so sure, you wouldn’t mind my unveiling your help from a certain...iron hand.” Bucky said, tapping deftly at his metal fingers with the point of his knife.
Clint, Bruce, Sam, and Natasha’s eyebrows lift high. Steve folds his arms across his chest, clenching his jaw.
“Do you...Does he mean...The suit?” Clint stumbles out, dumbfounded, looking between Bucky and Tony.
“How does that work?!” Sam asks, “..you know what, I don’t want to know.” He raises his hands, getting up and leaving the room muttering about white people. Clint still looks shocked, looking away into the distance. Natasha just rolls her eyes, going back to reading her book. Bruce just shakes his head, returning to his search for a certain recipe at the counter.
“You don’t even know how I use it.” Tony accuses, pointing at Bucky.
“Redundant argument then. It’s private. What our sex lives are, is private and not open for discussion.” Bucky says, stabbing the table and turning to leave. Steve follows behind him, willing his breathing to slow, forcing his muscles to relax.
~~~
Steve is lost in thought as they both walk to the elevator. He understands and realizes being in the public eye means people are going to know or assume to know his life. Every detail - being Captain America. He knew it in the 40s, and he knows it now. Especially in the 21st Century. But it burned like a candle to the quick, of people wanting to know about his love life - the one thing that should be private. He’s not a prude or innocent like people seem to think. Yeah, he’s a symbol of America and the free world - but he’s human too. He was in World World 2 after all - it’s not like it was roses and daisies. People seem to selectively remember one and forget the other…
He doesn’t register Bucky hitting the button to their floor. Nor when they arrive until he feels a hand on his lower back guiding him out.
“Just because we’re part of The Avengers, doesn’t mean people are owed details of our private lives. I’m especially tired when one of our own feels the need to demand it.” Steve sighed, sitting heavily on the couch, palms pushed into his eyes.
Bucky just sighs, sitting next to him. He lifts his left hand to run through the hair on the back of Steve’s head, down his neck, thumb caressing the skin. He looks at him for a while as Steve stares down at the ground. He leans over to kiss Steve’s cheek, nuzzling his head with his own.
“You hold so much on your shoulders, but our private lives regarding sex isn’t only yours. It’s mine too. It’s ours. I’m going to fight for it too. Because what we do and what we have is between us, and only us.”
Steve glances at him with a soft look, a tilted smile on his lips. “Quite a speech there, Buck.”
Bucky smacks a loud kiss to his lips, "I only learn from the best.”
They sit on the couch for a while, Bucky scratching through Steve’s hair. In the gentling atmosphere, Bucky feels compelled to keep it a little while longer. The sun is beginning to set, casting deep oranges through the windows in their living room. His shadow is dark on the floor as he gets up to turn on the Bluetooth record-player. Cracking through the speakers is “When You’re Smiling” by Louis Armstrong.
He turns to Steve, grabbing his hand, pulling him up and close. He wraps his arm around Steve’s waist, holding his other hand. Steve rolls his eyes, smiling as he wraps his arm around Bucky’s neck. Bucky rubs his thumb over Steve’s as they slowly sway around the room. He feels rather than hears Steve relax, leaning into him as they dance, exhaling. Steve feels the scratchiness of Bucky’s stubble against his cheek as he turns his head. He pulls back to look Bucky in the eyes, roaming his face. Bucky does the same, his eyes squinting as he smiles. Steve wraps both arms around his neck, and with both hands around Steve’s back, Bucky pulls him even closer.
~~~
The deep and jazzy saxophone of “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” by Coleman Hawkins croons through the speakers. Street lights twinkle when Steve turns toward the window, the sun replaced by the moon. It’s been close to an hour or so, but neither of them have paid any attention. From their mission debrief, to trying to relax in the team common room, and only getting back from their week-long mission only yesterday, Steve and Bucky just want some time together. Alone.
Struck by a sudden thirst, Steve untangles himself from Bucky, but takes his hand as he leads them to the kitchen. Steve grabs a cup from the drying rack to get some water, Bucky leaning against the counter as he watches Steve drink. Neither one says a thing, content with the music and darkness. Drawing close again, Bucky takes Steve’s glass to refill it for himself. He drinks from the same place where Steve did - eyes on him.
Taking his hand, Steve walks them back out into the living room to turn off the music and walks into their bedroom. They brush their teeth and get ready for bed. Facing one another, they begin to take off their clothes. Their state of undress only goes to their underwear, not wanting to accelerate the contented mood. They climb into bed. Steve grabs Bucky’s shoulder and pulls him down to cover him - chest to chest, tangling their legs. Leaning onto Steve completely, his forearms on either side of his head, Bucky leans down to kiss his eye-lids, his forehead, his cheeks, sweet and slow. Steve licks his lips, capturing Bucky’s in a warm kiss.
Both bone-tired but comforted by his lips against his own, Steve cups Bucky’s neck to deepen the kiss. Bucky runs his hand through Steve’s hair, licking into his mouth. They continue to make-out for a while, the sounds of their sighs and mouths the only thing they hear in the night.
Pulling away, Bucky thumbs Steve’s plump, wet bottom lip. “Do you want to do anything more tonight?”
Steve shakes his head, kissing Bucky once more.
“Let’s get some sleep. We can spice it up tomorrow. I just want to be in your arms tonight.” Steve says. Bucky rolls onto his side.
“That I can do, punk.” Bucky replies, wrapping his arm around Steve’s waist, kissing the back of his neck.
“Jerk,” Steve yawns, “love you Buck.”