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A chill spreads across his skin. The coolness tugs him closer to wakefulness as minutes pass. Steve blinks groggily. The shine of the moon casts light across their bed. He can see most of the comforter cupped between Bucky’s arms. Less than an inch falls past Bucky’s back onto the space between them.
Steve grasps the small bit of fabric and pulls with both hands. The comforter doesn’t budge, and Bucky snuffs peacefully in his sleep.
“Buck’,” Steve whispers to the back of his head. Bucky stirs.
“Give me some covers,” Steve says. Bucky sounds as if he’s gone back to sleep, but his arms slacken. Steve uses the opportunity to snatch some of the comforter for himself and drape it over his shoulders. He chases the rest of the cold away by curling against Bucky and clutching him against his chest.
Sleep comes easy.
DAWN: Home
Steve awakens warm and well-rested as the sun begins to peak over the horizon. Bucky’s back is flush against his chest, head tucked close to his chin. Steve sputters out long strands of hair that snuck between his lips.
Once his mouth is hair-free, Steve dips his nose under Bucky’s jaw and breathes in his omega scent of fresh plums.
“Mornin’,” Bucky croaks.
Steve opens his arms. Bucky turns around in the added space with a sleep-soft smile. Steve pecks his lips. Bucky remains close after the quick kiss to nose at his neck. After a few sniffs, Bucky sits up with a yawn and stretches his arms above his head.
Steve swings his legs over the bed and stands to get dressed. He tosses on a pair of jogging pants and a t-shirt he set aside last night before bed. He passes Bucky’s jogging outfit over to him. He takes them with a tired smile and shakes out the shirt to put it over his head.
Steve heads to the kitchen to prepare pre-workout smoothies while Bucky finishes getting ready. He tosses the ingredients into the blender and sets it on high. He gets distracted from pulling down cups as Bucky walks into the kitchen and begins to stretch. The cups hover in his hand, as he stops halfway to the counter.
“I feel your eyes on my ass, Rogers,” Bucky chides, voice muffled by his chest as he bends to touch his toes.
Steve’s mind comes back online and he grins, “Don’t have such a nice one then.”
“Says the alpha with an absolute badunkadunk.”
Steve grimaces, “Please don’t ever use the word that again.”
Bucky straightens with a chuckle and holds out his hand for a smoothie.
“No promises,” he smirks.
EARLY MORNING: Neighborhood
On the third mile of their jog, Bucky says casually, “I could make it to that stop sign before you.”
Steve’s mouth quirks, “Is that a challenge?”
“It’s a bet,” Bucky says, “Winner gets to pick the movie.”
They shake on it.
Bucky clears his throat, “Ready-”
“ -setgo,” Steve sprints forward.
“You dirty cheat!”
He can hear Bucky race after him and speeds up to account for the shortening distance between them. The moment Steve flies past the stop sign, he grins in victory. Bucky makes it to the sign a second later, glaring in full force.
“Still counts,” Steve says breathlessly. He rests his hands on his hips to suck in well-needed air.
Bucky rolls his eyes, “Make it a good one.”
They walk the rest of the way to the park and settle on a bench. Steve’s heart warms at the group of pups playing tag. A man blocks his view for the moment it takes for him to walk past them. His shirt has very little breathing room. Bucky turns to Steve with a smirk and starts up a conversation with expressions alone.
You somehow wear your shirts tighter than that, his smirk says.
Steve frowns, My shirts aren’t that tight.
Bucky inclines his head toward the field, They would look small on those pups.
Steve raises an eyebrow, You like my shirts.
Keep telling yourself that, pal, Bucky’s nose wrinkles.
Steve glances at the road with a smile, Ready to go home?
Bucky stands in answer and shakes out his legs, “I call first shower.”
MIDMORNING: Kitchen
Steve sets a few bowls, a whisk, chopping board, knife, and pan on the counter. He slices onions and peppers into small, slightly misshapen, cubes. His watery eyes burn as he cups them and puts them aside.
The sensation clears once he steps away to crack the eggs. Only a few shards of egg shells end up in the bowl this time. Steve fishes them out with a fork and wipes them on the side of the chopping board.
To avoid another fire, he rests the pan atop the stove but doesn’t turn on the burner. Bucky joins him then, freshly showered and dressed for the day. Steve hears the burner cut on as he leaves for his turn in the shower.
The bathroom is foggy with Bucky’s plum scent. Two stick figures on the steamed mirror are finger drawn in a suggestive position.
Steve huffs out a laugh. He cleans quickly as his stomach starts grumbling. When he returns to the kitchen, Bucky plates their omelets.
Steve prepares two mugs of coffee to preference and brings them over to the table. He puts the creamy and sugared drink in front of Bucky and sips on his own black coffee. He brushes his fingertips against Bucky’s metal arm in question.
Bucky munches on his own omelet and stretches his metal arm over the table. Steve shovels down his food until finished, mere minutes later, and stands to get the supplies he needs.
He places the haul beside his empty mug of coffee and sits next to Bucky. He dips a cotton swab into a container of cleansing fluid. He wipes the excess onto the lid and presses the cotton to Bucky’s metal shoulder. The metal plates shift to his gentle touch. Careful not to get his fingers pinched, he swipes between crevices in tandem with the movements.
Bucky starts to purr by the time he’s reached his elbow.
Steve continues thoroughly down the entire length of the arm, before grabbing a cloth. He begins to shine metal fingers.
“You’re making me sleepy,” Bucky murmurs with half-lidded eyes.
“Well we can’t have that,” Steve says, putting the rag down reluctantly, “The movie won’t watch itself.”
AFTERNOON: The Movies
Bucky starts snickering within the first twenty minutes of the movie. Steve tightens his jaw and angles his body away. It doesn’t deter Bucky from leaning over.
“As a reminder,” He whispers through hushed laughter, “This movie was your idea.”
“Give it a chance,” Steve hisses.
But the acting never improves and the plot remains confusing.
Afterward, Bucky sits in the car smugly.
Steve pulls out of the parking lot, “Don-”
“In case you forgot,” Bucky smirks, “You picked that movie.”
“I get it, Bicky.”
“Just making sure, Stiv.”
“Ok, Jumes.”
“Ok, Grunt.”
“Ok, Bucket.”
“Ok, Regers.”
“Ok, Berne-“
“Do you wanna mount me when we get home?”
Steve blinks at the interruption before his brain catches him up to speed on what Bucky just said. Steve chokes as he always does when Bucky’s propositions are blunt.
“Oh, yeah sure,” Steve says, flustered.
“Whoa, Steve you gotta calm down,” Bucky teases, “I’m not even in Heat!”
“I’ll show you who’s in Heat,” Steve flirts. He and Bucky cringe at the same time.
“I should have gotten you that pick-up line book for Christmas.”
Steve pats his thigh, “Just save it for my birthday.”
LATE AFTERNOON: The Bedroom
Steve drifts, worn out and satisfied.
Bucky pokes him in the ribs, “Go get me some wipes.”
“You’re closer to the door,” Steve murmurs sleepily. A hand shakes his shoulder and Steve lifts his head.
Bucky points to the bathroom, smirking, “If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.”
Steve huffs out a laugh and gets up. He spends a moment cleaning himself up in the bathroom, then brings the wet wipes to his mate.
Bucky throws his legs open and wipes off. Once he’s done, Steve takes the used wipes to the bathroom trash and then climbs back into bed.
He holds Bucky in his arms and rests a hand on his chest. The heart under his palm is sure and steady. He presses against it.
Bucky asks, “You askin’ for round two?”
“Nope. I just want to hold you.”
EVENING: Study
Steve scrutinizes a half-done sketch of The Smithsonian. They had gone last weekend and his hands itched to draw the Air and Space Museum building the entire time. Shading is missing from the drawing. He frowns and flips the page over to blank paper. He’ll finish it later.
He rests the sketchbook on his thigh, pencil in hand, and glances across the room. Bucky reclines in an armchair, holding open a novel with his metal hand. A bag of leftover popcorn is beside him and he fishes out pieces with his flesh hand.
Steve clears his throat, causing Bucky to look up.
“What?” Bucky says innocently, a twinkle in his eye.
Steve opens his mouth.
Bucky pinches a piece in his forefingers and tosses it across the room. Steve catches the piece of popcorn between his teeth and chews in pleasure.
He returns to his recreation of the park, occasionally opening his mouth to crunch on popcorn. His sketch is only a third done when a kernel hits him in the eye.
Steve flinches and glances over. Bucky’s face is buried in the book. His eyes cross back and forth rapidly and his mouth parts slightly when he flips to the next page. He raises his hand and absentmindedly hurls popcorn forward.
The piece lands on his sketchpad, and Steve carefully brushes it off.
He murmurs, “I’m all full, Buck.”
Bucky nods and his eyes remain glued to the page. His arm flops over the side of the chair and his fist opens. Popcorn falls from his grip and lands on the carpet.
Steve smiles fondly and returns to his drawing.
NIGHTTIME: Bedroom
He lays on his back on the bed, stomach heavy with leftovers he raided from the kitchen.
Bucky comes through the door with arms full of linens and drops them on the bed.
Steve strokes one of the sheets with his palm.
“I thought you said you weren’t in Heat,” he teases. He enjoys their nests whether Bucky is in Heat or he has his Ruts or in times like these. When it feels right.
Bucky rolls his eyes and throws a blanket over his head. It slips from his forehead as Steve sits up with a chuckle. His mate starts smoothing out the linens, brushing his scent on the fabric along the way.
Steve starts on a border of spare comforters and towels from top to bottom of the mattress. He stands and scent marks the outside of the nest several times. Once satisfied, he returns to the center of the bed. Bucky crawls into his arms and nuzzles into his neck. Steve breathes in his scent.
“‘Night,” Bucky whispers.
“Goodnight Buck,” Steve says, and his heart is full when he slips into sleep.
A hand pats his face much later. He grunts, mostly still asleep.
“Steve,” Bucky hisses.
“Hmm.”
“Quick hoggin’ all the pillows.”