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“Explain to me again why we’re hiding, and since we’re hiding… why are we hiding badly?” Peter demanded as Bucky checked the alley they’d ducked into for bugs. “Mr. Stark and Aunt May already know about us and they’re willing to give you a chance, you don’t exactly have living family to object… who are we hiding from?”
“Steve. We’re hiding from Steve. And Russian or HYDRA agents, but that’s just me being paranoid because of everything, we probably don’t actually have anything to worry about there.” Bucky flashed a grin at Peter that made his stomach flutter. “And we’re hiding badly to give the poor guy a sporting chance, because he sucks at hide and seek.”
“Wait, Steve doesn’t know about us? I thought you told him!” Peter backed up against a wall, looking down the alley. “You said you and Steve have an open relationship…”
“Yeah, we do. Steve knows what he needs to know, that I’m seeing someone else who’s less of a kid than he and I were when we signed up for the Army despite your age, that you know about him and I’m not lying to anyone, don’t worry about it.”
Peter couldn’t help it. This was exactly the kind of thing Aunt May had been worried about when Peter told her about him and Bucky. She didn’t worry about his age or his history as the Winter Soldier, and she approved of him being superhuman – after all, so was Peter, so neither of them would have to worry about losing control and accidentally hurting their partner. She was worried about the open relationship with someone else. She’d warned him that a lot of times “open relationship” was code for “I’m cheating on him” and encouraged him to talk to the other guy and make sure. Bucky had talked him out of it – not hard, Peter was just as glad of the excuse not to talk to Steve – but now Peter thought maybe he should have made himself do it.
Bucky shook his head, coming to Peter and wrapping him up in a hug. “Relax, Peter. If I didn’t want Steve to find us, I’d hide better. You know I can do way better than this if I don’t want to be findable. We did this all the time back in the day. It was a game. If Steve finds us, he gets to make me do something. Do you want him to let us know right away, or should I set up a signal system?”
“Huh? Signal system?”
“Yeah.” Bucky pulled a piece of chalk out of his pocket. “I know you have perfectly justifiable issues with him, so if you don’t want him to interrupt us to let us know he’s there, I’ll mark the building to let him know that. If he finds us, he’ll leave a mark to let me know I owe him. He can’t just claim he found us when he didn’t, but you don’t have to deal with him.”
“Oh. Um. Yeah, I’d rather not… thanks.” Peter watched as Bucky quickly sketched a goofy clown on a brick near the alley entrance. “Why a clown?”
“Because Steve was being a clown picking the fight with Tony over me. There were a million better ways to handle that situation, and I hate that he ruined such a great friendship over it. I love the guy, but come on, that was dumb.” Bucky shook his head and headed back down the alley. “Anyway, shall we?”
“Yeah. Sounds good.” Peter let himself melt into Bucky’s open arms, let himself forget about everything else as his lips met Bucky’s.