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“Remind me again why I am required to go to this?” Jacob huffs as he watches Bucky get ready. How much effort does it take to put on some pants and a shirt is beyond him, but Bucky manages. Of course he is going to see his precious Tony, too, so there is that. Jacob can always tell because he always looks extra pretty when he does.
“Because this way you can finally meet everyone,” Bucky answers as he fusses over his reflection in the mirror.
“I know Steve. That’s enough.” No one has ever accused Jacob of being a social person. Mainly because no one is ever stupid enough.
Bucky snorts. “We’ve known Steve since we were in diapers. He doesn’t count.”
“He should,” Jacob grumbles, leaning against the doorway to watch.
“It’ll be fun, you’ll see.”
Now it’s Jacob’s sturn to snort. It’s not that he has anything against going to this movie night per se, it’s just that he does. By now he’s heard enough about this crazy group of people that his brother has attached himself to. Hearing is enough for him. The amount of chaos this one group contains should defy the laws of physics. Screw physics, there should definitely be a limit to the amount of entropy Jacob has to endure at a single time.
Bucky finally turns away from the mirror to look at him properly. “Hey. It will,” he insists, a bit softer now, “You know I’d never introduce you to a bunch of jerks, right? This isn’t going to be a repeat of Pierce and his lot.”
Jacob grumbles, hating that he has to bring it up. If Jacob had his way he would forget the entire incident and have everyone else forget it too. No good ever comes of it. It hasn’t made him weaker or fragile or gun shy or whatever else anyone seems to think. He likes his solitude and is better off when he has it, that’s all.
Too bad Bucky will never agree. So Jacob rolls his eyes in response. “Yeah, yeah brother mine. You’re looking out for little old me, I get it.”
“Grumpy bastard,” Bucky huffs, going back to the mirror, “Try to be nice and see where it gets me. No gratitude at all.”
“If I’m a bastard, what does that make you?”
Bucky flips him off.
“I’m hurt. Truly. Maybe you should leave me home, then, if I’m being so ungrateful about this.”
“Oh no, you’re going whether you like it or not. Everyone is excited to meet you - especially Tony. He wants to put a face to the name. I do talk about you, you know.”
It was worth a shot. “That’s easy, my face is your face. Ta da, done. He now knows what I look like. I’m sure you two have stared lovingly at each other enough by now to know.”
Bucky just grins at him.
Great .
Which is how Jacob finds himself at Tony’s house - mansion - with an overexcited brother by his side.
“Now don’t worry if they come on strong, that’s just what they’re like. And they can be kinda assholes sometimes -”
“- oh, you mean like you?”
“- but they don’t mean anything by it either. Loki will be here too, so if you get too overwhelmed, go and hang out with him. He’s not much for large groups either -”
“- oh good, there is at least one sane person of the bunch.”
“- so we try not to crowd him when Thor drags him along. Not that he would let us anyways. Plus you already know Steve -”
“- speaking of assholes.”
“- will you stop that?! Everything is going to be -”
“Bucky!” This time Bucky is interrupted by the door opening and a blurr launching itself at him.
Bucky catches it - him - with ease and a laugh. “Hey there darling, not excited or anything are you?”
Tony - obviously it’s Tony and huh, he thought that he’d be taller for some reason - grins up at him. “Excited? Me? To see my favorite boyfriend? Why would you think that?”
“Favorite? I better be, considering I’m your only boyfriend. Or is there something you need to tell me, sugar?”
Oh god, this is even more sickening than he imagined. They are grinning at each other dopily as if no one else exists. So much for watching out for him. Clearly Bucky has already forgotten he exists. Pointedly he clears his throat.
Tony turns and blinks at him. “Huh. Twins. Right.” It almost looks as if his brain is short circuiting, then it reboots. “Hi. Welcome. Mi casa es su casa and all that jazz.”
Finally they walk into the house and the chaos it already contains. He can hear the noise from the entryway. Grand.
“This way,” Tony bounces along, hand and hand with Bucky. “So Jacob right? Wow, James and Jacob, no wonder Buckaroo goes by his middle name here. That’s - something,” he continues over Jacob’s hum of agreement, “Do you have an equally interesting middle name too? Does it start with a B? Is it another president? Is it -”
“Lincoln,” Jacob answers when it is clear the babbling isn’t going to stop.
“Lincoln. Jacob Lincoln,” he repeats, “Hmmm. Lincoln, Lincoln - Lance! How do you feel about Lance? Or Lancelot? Do you like the Arthurian legend? Have you read any of the books? Or the movies? Are you more of a movie or a book person? Because I know -”
“Darling,” Bucky interrupts now, “breathe. Remember to breathe in between sentences and let people answer your questions. Nicknames are kind of his thing,” he adds.
“Kind of? Kind of ?” he puffs up in offense, “I am the King of nicknames. The best, the most interesting. How dare you infringe on my honor by implying otherwise? So?” he turns his attention back to Jacob.
“Sure thing short stacks,” he nods and enters the living room ahead of them. The noise is not quite enough to cover up Tony’s offended squawk. Oh that is a good one. This one might be Bucky’s best boyfriend to date.
“What are you grinning about trouble?” Steve asks as he comes over.
Jacob makes sure to sharpen his smile. “Nothing punk.”
Steve huffs. “Right. Come on then, let me introduce you to everyone.” He throws an arm around his shoulder and proceeds to do just that.
By the end of it Jacob feels exhausted and they just got here. So much chaos and so much noise. Even the quietest of the bunch - Bruce - seems to radiate it somehow. Thor seems to be one of the worst and Jacob has vast sympathy for his brother. Everyone else - Sam, Clint, Natasha, Carol, Jim, Pepper, Jane, Darcy - hover in between on the scale somewhere.
Exhausting .
Although he has to say it is entertaining the way Tony keeps pouting at him whenever he accidentally catches his eye. Someone obviously doesn’t approve of their new nickname. What a shame.
After introductions, the group gets into the main event - the movie. Rather they begin arguing over which one they want to watch. Why they didn’t decide this beforehand is beyond him. Or draw from a hat. That is supposed to work too. A glance tells him both Bucky and Steve are in the middle of that. No thank you.
He makes his way over to the corner couch and to Loki, who is reading a book and ignoring everyone else. Smart man. Jacob takes a seat next to him.
“Having fun yet?” Loki asks, not looking up from his book.
“Loads,” he deadpans, “You?”
“Oh yes, I always do so enjoy being dragged to events like these. I adore damaging my eardrums as such. Although, sadly enough, they are still better than Thor’s other group of friends, so this is a small step above that ,” he spits in obvious disgust.
Jacob’s sympathy increases. He glances over at the group with a snicker. Oh yes, there is at least one same person here. “Are they always like this?”
“As a group? Unfortunately,” he sighs, “Individually they are not too bad - except for Thor. Even Stark’s manic energy, when directed properly, can be entertaining. But together they all feed off of each other and become -” he gestures to the mass in front of them.
Jacob nods and relaxes further into the couch. “So short stacks isn’t completely unbearable all the time, got it.”
Loki gets a gleeful look in his eyes. “ Short stacks ?”
“He’s the shortest person here isn’t he?” Jacob shrugs, “Even the girls are taller than him.”
Loki stares at him a moment longer before nodding. “I do believe I am keeping you.”
And Jacob - Jacob is completely fine with that. The feeling is mutual after all.