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“So, what are you doing here tonight?”
“Dying inside" – Bucky deadpanned, to which the guy that came beside him by the bar laughed high and flirtingly.
And stupidly, in Peter's less than forgiving opinion.
So, the thing was: James Barnes was a beautiful man.
Not just handsome, but beautiful, with his steel-blue eyes and his expressive mouth and strong jawline and chin.
With his large shoulders, toned muscles and gracious limbs and, Jesus those thighs outlined like that on those skintight jeans.
With the intense energy of his presence – when he bothered to let himself be known –, that was like gravity, pulling you into his orbit.
Peter believed he may be the most beautiful person he had ever met – inside out.
And apparently everyone else thought so too.
For some reason, he wasn't immediately recognizable to the people around him as WWII hero Bucky Barnes, or The Winter Soldier, unless he had his left arm showing out and proud, but most of them would still see the gracious lines of his body and the strong jawline and icy blue eyes and the capable, dangerous vibe he radiated when closed off and go stupid around him.
Not that that was the problem exactly. He couldn't wish for people to not have eyes to see the beauty of his figure and the intense sexy competency he exuded, like someone who knew how to use their body. Or ears to hear the soothing, delicious sound of the man's voice with that Brooklyn accent giving his speech a round, welcoming feel, even when he was shutting people out, like right now.
The problem was that almost every time they'd go out, people just assumed he was his boyfriend's younger brother or son or buddy or any other kind of bullshit and would start to lowkey flirt at the man right in front of him.
And he just couldn’t say a thing, or they may fall into the too young for him-land all over again and that would make Bucky feel like a sleazy, abusive ass, just because he apparently had a helpless baby-face with a total of zero sex appeal.
And it was so annoying he was starting to think about quit insisting on going out with him altogether.
And worst of all, today he had the brilliant idea of taking his boyfriend to a gay club, since he said in passing once that he remembered liking to go out dancing, but obviously never did it with a guy, and he thought the man deserved that.
The funny part was how much Bucky seemed to be hating it all. He called the music playing an “electronic piece of garbage”, looked at the dance floor with sincerely horrified eyes, which was priceless and made a beeline to the bar, grumbling about people “dancing” like worms on a fishing hook.
Hilarious.
But on the other side, there were lots and lots of people here just waiting to get a piece of super soldier’s ass tonight as the present case proved, even though Bucky had kept him under his arm till now, when he let him go to pay for a beer and a soda for them.
And the worst of all was that the guy hitting on his boyfriend looked almost as young as him, all slender limbs and small stature. The only thing that gave away the fact that he was probably older was how bold and self-assured he was. So, probably a college student or newly graduated. Maybe they even had the same age, but he just didn’t blip.
Bucky made a swift work out of rejecting the man’s advances, so he was quickly left alone, but it still stung how people never even thought of the possibility of them being a couple.
He knew a man like James Barnes was completely out of his league, but still…
He hated how inadequate it made him feel.
“What’s it, sweetheart?” – Bucky held his elbow with gentle fingers, trying to lock eyes with him. But he just shook his head, looking down.
“No, nothing, Buck.” – he said trying to act normal, but when he finally looked at the man’s face, he noticed him frowning, looking sad.
The soldier looked away for a second, before shaking his head, turning his eyes back at him and wetting his lips with the tip of his tongue, so oh so distractingly.
“We can take a powder if you want Pete.” – he said on a lower voice, leaning into him slightly, making him pause for a second, cause...
Was that another really old slang?
Cause it sounded shady.
So, he turned to the man, asking with a little confused laugh. – “… Are you offering me drugs…?”
“What-? No.” – the older one answered immediately, surprised. Then horrified. Then progressively amused, snickering at it, making his own heart go warm with the way he made the guy’s eye sparkle in fun. – “Get away from here, sugar. That’s what I meant.”
“But-… It’s the first time we got a Friday night for us in weeks, and I thought you liked to go dancing-…”
“That ain’t dancing, I’ll tell you that. Looks like people here are more interested in goin’ fishing than dancing, anyways.” – the man commented sardonically, making a point of not looking in the direction some couples were making out or getting a bit hot and heavy in the corners.
“Is that a reference to the worm dance thing you said earlier?” – he had to ask with a little chuckle, making the man laugh harder.
“I didn’t even think about it.” – he exhaled with a warm smile rolling up the corners of his lips, blue eyes sparkling.
God, he was beautiful.
“We have to at least drink what we paid for.” – he reasoned, still wanting to try and enjoy their outing together a bit, gesturing to the bar top where their orders were placed with a pleading expression.
To which Bucky immediately agreed with a sigh, putting his metal hand on his own waist, looking at their drinks.
“For how much they cost around here? Damn sure these expensive ass drinks will not go to waste.” – he said, holding his beer casually by the bottle’s neck and taking a long sip with smooth effortless movements.
He stopped a second to admire the easy coolness that man possessed with a mix of awe and wistfulness, taking his soda’s glass bottle, thanking god for not having a plastic one to make him look even more of a baby around here.
“Bottoms up.”
“Cheers, honey.”
.
They took their time, talking closely together about almost anything while they drank, the music loud and a bit annoying – Bucky was right –, but nothing to stop them from understanding each other like the enhanced humans they were.
So, for a second Peter just felt good about their outing. About the low lights projecting colors over the soldier’s skin and the relaxed way they seemed to be, even though he knew he was keeping tabs of everything it was happening around them and, specially, of the exits available.
But, barely had they finished their drink when came the bartender putting another beer in front of them on the countertop and opening it, unasked.
“Sorry, didn't order that.” – Bucky tried to say politely, but the barman just looked lingeringly at him for a second, before answering.
“From the red headed over there. Asked to give you this too.” – he said, extending a slip of paper, which the soldier took automatically with his gloved vibranium fingers.
“All right, can you give it back-?” – he tried to ask, but the barkeeper just turned away, tending someone else. – “…The fuck?”
He huffed, annoyed, looking at the paper in his hand before turning to look at Peter with a frowning face, and, Jesus, he was so done with all of this-…
And it must've shown in his face, cause Bucky's expression fell a bit, clear eyes turning worried.
“Pete, I-…”
“Can I kiss you? Here, right now?” – he asked before he could think, seeing the soldier’s eyes widening in shock.
“I-… I don’t know, sugar. In public…?”
“Look around, you’ll see a lot of it. People here don’t care. It’s-, it’s not immoral or anything-…”
“Nonono, I know it isn’t. It’s not that-… It’s just-, I don’t know why’s that stuck in my head, but I can’t stop thinking about how we didn’t really do it, back then. Even the regular couples, with a guy and a gal-. A queer one? Couldn’t breathe a single word ‘bout it, let alone… that, obviously. But even the regular-, dating wise it was just bad form get too affectionate in public.”
“K… We don't have to, of course. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. It’ just-… I'm sorry, I'm acting like a caveman. It's just-. I hate how they never think we may be a couple and come after you right in front of me. Not-not that I wanted it behind my back, obviously, but-. I mean-, I trust you! God, I'm saying it all wrong, of course I trust you it's just that’s so annoying-…” – he started to ramble nervously, feeling his face starting to get hot and gesturing nervously with his hands, feeling like an ass for practically saying he didn’t trust his boyfriend not to run off with the first one who offers.
But was interrupted by a pair of hands taking his waist and pulling him firmly against hard muscles, that toe-curling cologne and clean skin smell he knew so well now invading his senses and bringing him calm.
And he didn’t even have to think before he threw his arms on the man’s wide shoulders and welcomed his warm mouth against his with gusto, making way easily to his clever tongue to caress his own on a very forward display of their intimacy, if he was honest, before he broke the contact looking at those eyes and feeling his face prickling slightly from the other’s stubbled chin scratching him lightly.
God, he loved that.
“…Uh, wh-what?...”
“You're not being stupid. I ain’t acting like your date properly. It’s not 1943 anymore. We’re here, on this place where nobody cares, where’s safe, and it’s not like I haven’t kissed you on the street, right in front of your schoolmates before. I know that didn’t end up all that great, but… Whatta fuck, right?”
“Thank you.” – he said softly, kissing him again with gentle slow movements, caressing his lips with his own and sighing happily. – “You didn't have to. I don't want to make you uncomfortable."
“Makes me uncomfortable see you so down on yourself, sweetheart. And it’s driving me insane too, how those fuckers won’t stop looking.”
“You’re beautiful.” – he sighed again, letting his head rest on those shoulders for a bit.
“I mean at you, Pete.” – Bucky said back, caressing his back softly.
Making him raise his head back again, looking at him, confused.
“W-, me? What do you mean me?”
“If it didn’t tickle your senses at least it’s not a threat, I suppose.” – he said, still not all that happy, making direct eye contact with the rich brown eyes in front of him.
“…I don’t understand-.”
“I’ve been glaring at all the fuckers that looked at you twice. And you’re sayin’ you’re acting like a caveman cause you asked me to kiss you when I got hit on? I feel like shit. I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m not used to this new age dating etiquette. You’re my fella. Don’t like ‘em looking one bit.”
“You’re jealous?” – he asked disbelievingly, taking a step back and looking at the man in front of him, making him go all bashful and uncomfortable.
“I know you’re not property, swear to God. I’m-… I’m working on it. Ain’t gonna flip or something just because people see you and they want to look. I wanted too. But it tickles me. You’re so sweet and innocent. I don’t like it.”
The man said all that with such an earnest kind of urgency, Peter felt butterflies on his stomach all over again, like he used to when he’d cross ways with him on the compound’s gym, or any other part of it, actually, when their turn to be there coincided, and he’d hear the sound of his voice, and see the quiet silhouette lurking around like a stray cat ready to flee, and he'd look and want and wish for exactly this.
To be wanted by that man.
And he was.
He was.
Bucky wanted him. He loved him.
God…
“I don’t know how you can think I’m innocent yet after all you've already seen, but I think I kinda like this side of your protectiveness?” – he said shyly, looking down with a warm smile on, before he put himself back together, looking back at the imposing figure mischievously. – “Better than the battle version for sure…”
“Lord-, it was one time sweetheart, c'mon. Promised to never do it again. Can't you let it go?” – he asked long sufferingly, getting a loud laugh out of him.
“…Can we kiss again and maybe dance and enjoy ourselves a bit more before we go?” – he asked back, almost bouncing on his feet with exhilaration, because he wanted him. Because he could have anyone, and still chose him.
“Kiss, okay. Not gonna catch me dead going there to do the worm dance thing tho. I'll find us a proper place, with proper music and take you dancing yet. Must have one of those somewhere yet, right? Old timey dance places. I'll teach you how to swing. Bet you'll love it. You'll be beautiful out there, sweetheart.” – he said wistfully, looking at the dance floor again for a second.
Like he really did want to dance but couldn’t for the life of him understand what was happening there, with the repetitive music, the flashing lights and the swinging bodies moving without a choreography.,
“You miss it, don't you? How things were back then.”
“I miss some things that I can remember, sure. Specially my family. But we were poor, living through the Depression and then goin’ to war. Don't miss that one bit.” – Bucky answered distractedly, staring into space for a second, like he could see something no one else could. – “Stevie was right too, food here's a lot better. We used to boil everything. So, there. Well…‘Cept for the bananas. I’ve no idea the fuck happened with those new age bananas but they’re just wrong.”
“Oh, so our bananas are weird?”
“Yeah, they really are.”
“I like our bananas.”
“Ours were better, trust me.”
And now he was curious about this thing with the banana. He’d totally search for it, see what happened with their bananas over the last 80 years.
He’d search about bananas because of that man. God, he got it bad.
“…So, you’ll teach me how to dance?”
“Yeah, I will. I’ll teach you all the moves I remember.” – the soldier answered with a tiny smile on the corner of his mouth, eyes fond.
“You’ll teach me all your moves?” – he repeated cheekily, kissing the soldier one more time with his heart pounding in his chest, because he could. Because it was his, this privilege.
And taking pleasure on the idea that now everybody there knew that man was with him, nerdy looking baby-faced, unremarkable Peter Parker.
That he wanted him.
“Now you’re just sounding dirty, love.”
“Am I?” – he answered with a shameless little smile, getting a trill out of the way Bucky’s eyes darkened at it.
“…Wanna get out of here, sweetheart? Get back to mine so I can teach you some more moves?”
“Oh God, yes. Yesyesyesyes, let’s go.”
.