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“Sam” Mr. Rogers, who had finally convinced Sam to call him Steve, said, leaning a bit closer from his chair. “We are, I would hope, close in each other’s confidence. Enough that we might speak plainly about delicate affairs, yes?”
“I would wish us to always be so,” Sam said, raising an eyebrow and wondering where this conversation was going. Steve and Peggy were visiting Pemberly for a few weeks while they toured houses in the nearby country in search of a suitable place to settle down. It had given Peggy time to become closer with Rebecca and for Steve to enjoy the company of his best friend again. Bucky had just stepped out of the room in search of a misplaced volume that had come up in conversation. No sooner had the door latched behind him, than Steve made his inquiry. Sam couldn’t help but expect Steve would finally broach openly the topic of Sam’s relationship with Bucky, an issue Steve had skirted more and more awkwardly since their trip to London.
“You and… Bucky,” Steve started, leaning closer on the arm of the chair like they were whispering gossips in a crowded room not alone in the Pemberly private library. “You are…” Words failed Steve, and a blush rose on his cheeks as he struggled to speak.
“Lovers.”
“Yes,” Steve said in a great rush of relief. “Yes, good— I mean, so I assumed. Not in any way that reflected poorly on you or Bucky, I assure you. I would never—”
Sam held up a hand to step the nervous deluge. “It’s quite alright. I'm surprised James has not told you the nature of our relationship before now.”
“I admit, I have been distracted of late,” Steve said with a wide besotted grin and a far-off look in his eyes. “But, that,” Steve cleared his throat, “is not actually what I wanted to ask. Any man could see there is an undeniable close bond between Bucky and yourself, yet, you don’t use the address his closest friends do? He is always 'James' when you speak to him among friends and 'Mr. Barnes' at all other times. Why do you not call him 'Bucky'?”
Sam heard familiar returning footsteps in the hall, too purposeful and brisk to be anyone but his lover. He got a slightly wicked idea and asked Steve, “Would you like to see?”
Steve only had a moment to furrow his brow in confusion before the library door was flung open, and Bucky entered with the errant book in hand.
“Becca had borrowed and left it in the music room,” he said in explanation. Sam stood up to meet Barnes halfway across the room. He stopped just a little closer to the other man than was really necessary and accepted the book, letting his fingers brush over the back of Bucky’s hand in a lingering touch.
“Thank you, Bucky,” Sam said, voice low and warm brown eyes meeting Bucky’s intently. Predictably it had the desired effect. Bucky stopped dead in his tracks, nostrils flaring and eyes going wide before flickering unconsciously down to look at Sam’s full gently smiling lips.
Sam turned away before he could no longer hold back a grin and thus give away the game. He opened the book and flipped through it for the desired page. Over the spine he caught Steve fighting back a grin of his own while watching Barnes recovering his composure.
“Right, here was the passage,” Sam said, holding the book out to Steve. “The author has some compelling points.”
“I’m sure,” Steve agreed, not looking.
“I’ll just,” Bucky said, taking a few steps backward. There was a delightful pink tinge to his cheeks and excited tension in his shoulders, “call the maid to have tea brought up.” Without waiting for a response Bucky left the room again at a pace just shy of fleeing.
“Now I believe I understand,” Steve said, restrained mirth in his voice. Sam bit his lip against his own laughter. “Should one of us go remind him the tea is already on its way?”
“Yes, probably,” Sam agreed before they both dissolved into chuckles. They hurried to catch up with their embarrassed companion, who had only gone as far as the main stair. Bucky took one look at their mirthful faces and declared his glib hatred for them both. Steve wrapped an arm around each of his dear friends and led them back to their happy pursuits, his usual grin more irremovable than ever. Bucky sat on the couch beside Sam and instead of folding his hands away, he intertwined his fingers with Sam’s on his lover's knee in the open where anyone could see. If that made Sam’s mouth drop slack with surprise and his thoughts very clearly scatter like dandelion seeds mid sentence, well, his friends hid their amusement reasonably well.