Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Peter had acclimated to life in the 21st century remarkably well, partially due to his wonderful adopted mom, May Parker. She had taken in the little 10-year-old after he had been found beneath a frozen lake - still frozen, and still alive. 

Now 26, Peter is working on his second PhD and working as a photographer for the Daily Bugle. Due to an incident in a lab when he was a teenager, he also just so happens to be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man on the side. 

Peter is normal. Or at least, as normal as a guy with spider powers and who is technically almost a century old can be. He's made a life for himself. 

But there's a hole where his brother used to be. 

Peter flashes his shiny "Press" badge to the security at the event, and he lets them take a look at his camera bag. "They have food at this thing?" He tries to joke with a stone-faced agent, then grimaces when he gets no response. 

Peter works his way to the press area, having gotten there early to get a good vantage point for photos. He was good at his job, so he often got sent to more serious things like political events.

Bucky always hated things like this when Steve was Captain America, and even more so when he’s now fully in the spotlight. The crowded event, being constantly assaulted by photographers, none of it spoke to him. 

So here he stands, awkwardly nursing himself on a glass of champagne that was offered to him, faking a smile at a young woman who approaches him to ask him about his policies. He repeats what he said to the last person who had approached him about the same exact thing. 

Bucky’s hair is slicked back, and his stuffy white button down and perfectly ironed black suit jacket hug his form like they were tailored onto it, likely because they actually had been tailored to his form. 

Bucky Barnes could not feel any more out of place.

Peter makes his rounds, taking photos of seemingly important people talking to other important people. He snaps some photos of handshakes, laughter, all the things that look good. 

He approaches Bucky, lifting his camera to his face and focusing the lens. "Hi! Can I get a quick photo?"

He prefers to ask when he has the opportunity, and if he's honest, this guy looks like he already hates everything going on.

Bucky doesn’t notice Peter at first, until he’s prompted for a picture, and he answers before looking over. “Yeah, kid.” He takes in the young voice, before turning to look at him. 

And the world comes crashing down around Bucky at that moment. 

Bucky can’t even hide the borderline horrified look on his face as he meets the eyes of his baby-faced little brother. The boy who greeted him every morning by jumping on his bed, made Bucky read him bedtime stories, celebrated every birthday he could with Bucky until Bucky was drafted.

Peter lowers his camera, locking eyes with Bucky. Those eyes look familiar, in a way that makes Peter's spine tingle. Bucky is older, has new facial hair and lines on his face, and a new metal arm - he hardly resembles the brother Peter knew, the protective 16-year-old that promised Peter he would come home. 

He looks confused as he watches the expression of the man in front of him change, and he takes a step back. "Sorry, sir, I thought you said yes-" He assumes the guy must be upset he had his picture taken.

Bucky swallows thickly, trying to wipe the look of horror off his face, forcing a smile. He looks undeniably awkward. “I’m sorry. You just… look like my brother.” He chuckles, though it’s very obviously forced. 

This guy couldn’t possibly be his brother. Peter died at age 10. He saw the grave, right next to his mom’s, and his dad’s, and sadly recently, his sister’s. His whole family is gone, nothing he could do about it. The Barnes family was meant to be buried in the ground, but Bucky somehow had cheated death.

Peter relaxes a little, but notices how unsettled Bucky is. "Really? Huh. Maybe I have a doppelganger." He chuckles, trying to lighten the air. 

"What's his name? Maybe we're long lost twins." He flashes the same smile he used to have when he joked around with Bucky, except now he's got all his teeth.

Bucky tries to relax, but his entire body is on guard, like this is a trick of the light. Maybe he was going insane after all.

“His name was Peter.” Bucky says, his voice undeniably shaky, like just saying the name alone is enough to haunt him for the rest of his days. 

Bucky Barnes is staring at a ghost, and he is not at all coping well with it.

Peter drops his camera. 

The lens shatters as the device hits the floor, and the people around them turn to look at the pair. 

Peter's face is drained of color, and he looks at Bucky with wide eyes. It was a coincidence. It had to be. A terrible, awful coincidence. 

"Sorry..." He practically whispers, then bends down, carefully starting to pick up the pieces of his camera. 

"That's my name too."

Bucky is pulled out of his daze when the camera shatters, and he finally tears his eyes off of Peter, kneeling down to help Peter pick up his broken camera. “…This looks expensive, lemme pay to replace it. How much was it?” Bucky feels a little guilty that he made the boy drop something that undeniably important. “Your… Your name is Peter?”

Peter shakes his head. "I couldn't ask you to do that." He is already internally panicking about replacing it - his camera is his income, and it might be busted now. He wasn't a rich guy, he shopped at the dollar store and practically lived on Ramen. 

"... yeah." He confirms, and he locks eyes with Bucky again, studying them. "I'm sorry, this is totally unprofessional," he forces out a small laugh, "But what is your name?"

Bucky’s brown eyes meet Peter’s again, and he helps Peter get all the pieces into his camera bag. “I promise, it’s no slight on my wallet. I can afford it.” Bucky certainly isn’t used to being able to say that. Being able to afford luxurious things like brand new cameras. 

“My name’s Bucky. Bucky Barnes.” He finally answers, flicking some glass specs off his metal hand.

Peter manages to get the camera and the broken pieces into his bag, and he smiles softly at the offer. "If you're sure, I would really appreciate it."

Then suddenly Peter is 10 again, and he's looking into his brother's eyes. Bucky's eyes. 

"... Bucky?" Peter's voice trembles, recognition finally in his eyes. "That's not funny." He says firmly, like maybe Bucky is playing some sort of cruel prank on him.

Bucky reaches out to take Peter’s shoulders in his hands, holding him in place there like Peter might run away. “Congressman Barnes. James “Bucky” Barnes. Is… that really you, Petey?” Bucky can’t believe this is really happening, and he wonders if he’s hallucinating in front of all of these people. The two aren’t being stared at anymore, but Bucky feels like a million eyes are on him at this moment.

Peter starts to tremble, his mind racing. How could this even be possible? Maybe he was dreaming? Bucky had died, it had devastated the whole family, especially him. He hadn't been able to live with it. 

"What did I get you for your fifteenth birthday?" He blurts out, needing some sort of confirmation that Bucky isn't fucking with him. Only Bucky would know the answer to this, he had never told anyone.

Bucky blinks at the question, before chuckling. “You got us tickets to see Kitty Foyle, even though we weren’t supposed to.” He smiles a little at the memory, but his face is still pale. 

He runs his fingers through his hair, the gel crackling a little under the touch. “How do I know it’s really you, Petey?”

Peter starts to tear up the moment Bucky answers the question, his knees nearly buckling. "You said you'd come back." He blurts out, and it's followed by a pained sob, his face crumbling. "You were dead, Buck, and I didn't know what to do... mama was so sad..."

Bucky realizes Peter is starting to cry, and he starts to guide his brother out of the event, finding a room for them both to have a private moment away from the cameras. “Petey… It’s okay. I’m here now. I… didn’t die.” He sits his brother down in a plush seat, kneeling down in front of him to look him in the eyes.

Peter is having a hard time controlling the tears, and he throws his arms around Bucky's neck, burying his face into his shoulder. "I missed you so much..." He hiccups, gulping for air. "How... How are you alive?"

Bucky rubs Peter’s back, holding him close, holding back tears of his own. “I didn’t die that day. My arm got blown off when the bomb exploded, but it didn’t kill me. HYDRA, the Nazis, they found me. They brainwashed me. Kept me in a freezer and pulled me out to… make me do awful things.” He pulls back to look Peter in the eyes. “How are you so young? What happened to you?”

Peter looks horrified by this news, his mind racing with the awful things Bucky must have gone through. He takes in the scars he can see on Bucky's face, and he tries to wipe away tears as they come. 

He looks guilty when asked what happened to him. "I... fell into the lake by our house. I got frozen in the ice, and nobody found me until some divers went exploring." This doesn't seem to be the whole story based on Peter's face - he was never good at hiding his emotions.

Bucky can tell Peter is hiding something almost instantly, but he doesn’t press on the matter. “Listen, Peter. We’ll talk about that another time, I know you aren’t telling me something-“

A young woman pokes her head into the room, pushing her glasses up against her nose. “Congressman Barnes? The gala is almost over. You have a meeting after.” She reminds Bucky, who looks like he’s about to burst into tears at seeing his brother again. 

Bucky shakes out his hands, letting out a breath. “Yeah, Molly. Just give me a moment.” He scrawls down an address on the back of one of his business cards. “My address. Please stop by tonight.”

Peter sniffs, rubbing his eyes a bit as he takes the card. "Okay." He knows he'll have to tell Bucky the truth, he just doesn't know how yet. This all feels too surreal. 

He smiles a little, a sad, broken smile. "I'm so happy you're alive." He pulls Bucky into a tight hug, not wanting to let go. Not wanting to risk never seeing Bucky again.

Bucky holds Peter there, until his campaign manager clears her throat, and he’s up on his feet, giving Peter one last look, before he’s out the door. 

He feels his heart breaking as he has to leave Peter again, and he can barely even focus on his meetings. 

May is waiting for Peter at home, with a warm home cooked meal and that motherly affection she always has.

Peter stands in the room Bucky leaves him in for a moment, trying to gather himself enough to leave. He needs to go home, ground himself somehow. 

He steps in the front door quietly, slipping off his shoes and hanging his jacket and bag by the door. He pads into the kitchen, his eyes puffy and red from crying. He looks at May with trembling lips, his breaths short as he tries to keep it together.

May takes one look at Peter, and bundles the boy in her arms, not saying anything, just letting him cry. Whatever it was, she didn’t care, just knowing he needed this outlet.

Peter starts to sob into her arms, totally collapsing as he completely lets go. Everything comes crashing in - the fact that Bucky is alive, the truth that he had been tortured for years, and even the happiness and relief that he had found his brother. 

"He's alive." He croaks out after a while, wiping his face with his palm. "Bucky, he's alive. I saw him today at work."

May’s eyes widen, and she pulls back a little to look Peter in the eyes. “Are you sure?” She knows Peter often has day terrors. Where he sees things that aren’t real. His older brother being a ghost that haunts Peter wherever he goes.

Peter nods quickly. "I'm sure. He looked different, I didn't even know it was him. He is old," he lets out a laugh at that, "I mean, not that old, but older. And he's a congressman?" He shakes his head in disbelief. He shows her the business card Bucky gave him. "I don't really understand it all, but... it's really him.

May accepts the card, reading it over. “Congressman Barnes.” She hums. “I’ve seen him on TV before. I voted for him.” She holds the card back out to Peter. “Are you planning on seeing him again?” May worries, not sure if he can trust this man who is practically a stranger to her.”

Peter nods. "He wants me to go over to his house tonight." He gives May a pleading look, seeing the worry in her face. "I have to. I have to know this wasn't some fluke in the universe, or... my brain coming up with things."

May decides she’s okay with this. “Okay. But you need to call me if anything goes wrong. I will pick you up.” She says sternly.

Peter nods, kissing May's cheek. "I will. I promise." There is a light in his eyes that hasn't been there before, not since before he was frozen. 

Peter takes his bike to see Bucky, deciding against using his webs to get there. He wasn't sure about telling Bucky he was Spidey yet. That was a whole conversation for another day. He rings the little bell on the handle as he passes by people, apologizing to some, and shouting at others - like a true New Yorker. 

He stops in front of a building that does not look like a home. This isn't at all what he expected. He had imagined a fancy house, or at least a townhouse, the kind of thing a congressman lives in. But this is like... a warehouse. 

He gets off his bike, pushing it up to the building. He holds onto it as he knocks on the door, hoping he got the right address.

A big burly man with a curly ginger beard answers the door after a moment, wearing a red uniform of some sort. With his pudgy belly and imposing stature he’d almost make a rather convincing Santa Clause, but when he speaks, he has possibly one of the thickest Russian accents Peter has ever heard in his life.

“Hello? Apologies, little boy, we do not accept the newspaper.” He assumes by the stature of Peter, as well as his dinky bicycle, that Peter must be a paper boy of some kind.

Peter blinks up at the large man in confusion, almost tempted to tell him his Christmas list. A new bike would be nice. "Uh, no, I'm not- I'm here to see Bucky Barnes? Does he... live here?" 

Walker overhears this on the couch, his feet propped up on the coffee table, despite Bucky having scolded him for it multiple times. "Bucky! You got a visitor!" He shouts, not willing to get up to tell him.

Bucky has never bolted down the stairs faster in his life, nearly mowing down Alexei as he gets to the door. The larger man looks a little peeved that Bucky paid no mind to him being at the door before very rudely pushing him out of the way. “Peter! I… didn’t think you would show up.” 

Bucky is dressed much more casually, wearing a soft blue sweater and a pair of skinny jeans. He looks much more like the Bucky Peter remembers, maybe even more so if he cut the mop of hair on his head short again.

Walker looks confused when Bucky rushes down, giving Alexei a "What the fuck" look. 

Peter is also dressed more casually, wearing jeans and a sweatshirt from his college. He feels his eyes getting misty just by seeing Bucky. "Of course I showed up." He chuckles. "Do you have... roommates?"

Alexei shares a look with Walker, peering around Bucky’s shoulder at Peter. 

Bucky offers Peter into a massive hug, holding him tightly. “Coworkers. I don’t live here.”

Peter hugs Bucky tightly, letting out a long breath. "You have a lot to catch me up on." He chuckles softly. "Can we... talk for a while? Are you free?" He doesn't know how busy Bucky might be as a congressman.

“We can talk. C’mon.” Bucky guides Peter out into a different room, sharing a look with Alexei that tells him the two will talk about this later. 

Bucky holds Peter’s face, expression softening, looking on the verge of tears. “I still can’t believe you’re alive.”

Peter places his hands over Bucky's, looking at Bucky with so much love. "You look so different." He reaches out to touch Bucky's face, thumbing over a scar. "You're all old now." He teases.

Bucky leans into the touch, “Don’t say that around the others. They’ll never let me live it down.” He chuckles, holding his hand over Peter’s. “You look the same as always. Baby faced and excited.” He snorts, using his vibranium hand to squeeze Peter’s cheek.

Peter rolls his eyes, then raises his brows at the metal arm. "Woah..." He pushes up the sleeve of Bucky's sweater to take a look at his arm. "This is so cool!" He suddenly looks just like he used to when he was a kid and found a cool rock or bug.

“You like it? A close friend of mine gave it to me as a gift.” He flexes the metal fingers, before guiding Peter to sit down on the pool table in the middle of the room. 

Speaking of the room, it’s a weapons storage room, filled with guns and knives. Seems they keep the place well stocked, and Bucky is starting to realize maybe this was a poor room choice to pull Peter into.

Peter nods. "It's incredible! I wrote a paper on prosthetics, I'll have to show you!" 

Peter sits, but looks around the room with wide eyes. "Uh... I thought you were a congressman, not an arms dealer?" He looks a little concerned. "What's with the armory?"

Bucky grimaces. “I uhm… I kinda run a superhero team on the side?” Bucky moves to a locker of heavy guns against the wall and he shows Peter that he can lift it easily like one of the paperweights back in his office. “HYDRA gave me the Super-Soldier serum.” He shuts the locker, setting it back down where it was. “Those two teammates I have out there are also Super-Soldiers.”

Peter blinks, his jaw dropping. "Holy sh-" He stops himself from swearing, remembering when Bucky would scold him for it. "And you're all like... a version of the Avengers or something?" He seems a little skeptical, rightfully so. Bucky's teammates seem sketchy at best.

Bucky makes a "so-so" motion with his hand. "Not really, no. I wouldn't call us heroes." He leans against the pool table, fiddling with one of the balls on it. "I needed help with what I'm up to, and they make for good entertainment." He chuckles, "So you're a photographer now? Who are you living with?"

Peter notices how Bucky is vague with what exactly he and his friends are "up" to, but he decides not to press for now. "Oh, yeah! I do photography for the Daily Bugle and I'm getting my second PhD." He says it casually, like that isn't an insane thing to say for a 26 year old. "My adoptive mom, May. She still tolerates me living with her." He chuckles softly.

“How old are you?” Bucky feels the need to ask, clocking Peter as being way too young to be already on his second round of college. Bucky looks relieved when Peter seems like he’s being well taken care of. “May. When did she adopt you?”

"Twenty-six now." Peter says with a little sadness. Between them both, a lot of birthdays had been missed. 

"I was in a government hospital for a while, then I think they got bored of me when I was just some regular kid. May fostered me, then asked if I would want her to adopt me, and I said yes." He smiles fondly. "She isn't mom, but... she's really great. I love her a lot."

Bucky takes in what Peter is saying, reaching out to wrap an arm around the younger man. “I’m glad you have that. Have her.” He rubs Peter’s arm. “You remember Steve? Captain America?” He chuckles. “He ain’t exactly around anymore, but… I think he would have loved to meet you.”

Peter nods. "I know who Captain America is." He nudges Bucky playfully. He raises a brow at what Bucky says. "... yeah." He smiles a little. 

He could mention he's met Cap later. 

"What exactly do you and your friends do?" He finally pries.

Bucky grimaces a bit at the question. “Well, we take out corruption from within the government. Hence why I’m doin’ the whole congressman gig. That and I just… have a passion for human rights.” Bucky folds and unfolds up the sleeves of his sweater.

Peter nods along to the explanation. "That's... really cool." He can't help but wonder what this all entails. Based on the amount of weapons around him, he doesn't have a good feeling. 

"What kinda stuff do you get to do in congress? Have you passed any bills? Do you have your own office? Do you have to wear a little flag pin all the time?" He swings his legs a little as he bombards Bucky with questions, looking so happy to be bothering Bucky again.

Bucky rolls his eyes at all the questions, pulling Peter into a noogie, his fist a little more aggressive now that he’s a Super Soldier. “You can come meet my teammates.” Bucky pulls away from Peter, quickly making an attempt to fix his hair.

Peter yelps and swats at Bucky playfully, laughing as Bucky fixes his hair. "Okay!" He follows after Bucky, a little glad to be out of the weapons room. 

"No, I have no clue who he is." Walker grumbles to Alexei. "Just ask when he comes back out."

Bucky comes back into their little living area, it really just being a corner of the warehouse they decorated with a fuzzy carpet and a couch and TV. Trailing behind him is the little puppy dog looking Peter, and the two almost share the same features. Slightly hooked nose, a soft red flush on it no matter what Bucky does to try and cover it up, even their brown eyes hold that same warmth, if not for Bucky’s being a tad darker in color.

Walker looks between them, the gears turning in his head. "... is this your son?" He crosses his arms, narrowing his eyes at Peter. 

Peter snorts, covering his mouth to hide his amusement at the idea. "No, uh, I'm..." He looks to Bucky, unsure how he wants to explain it.

Bucky almost laughs, but he just rests a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “He’s my brother. Peter, this is John Walker.” He motions to each of the men as he introduces them. “And Alexei Shostakov.” 

Alexei looks delighted to meet Peter, holding out a big hand for Peter to shake. “I did not realize you still had alive relatives!” 

“Yeah, well… I didn’t either.” Bucky looks sheepish.

Peter shakes Alexei's hand, surprised at how strong he is. "I didn't know he was alive either, to be fair." 

Walker looks surprised by this. "No way, that's.. how?" 

"Ice. And a lake. " Peter paraphrases.

“Kinda like Steve but without the whole… plane part.” Bucky moves to plop down on the couch next to Walker. “You’re welcome here whenever ya want, Pete. I’ll give you a code for the door. Just don’t mind if people get into full on brawls in here. Happens pretty often. Especially with…” Bucky makes a vague motion at Walker, giving Peter a playful little smirk.

Peter raises his brows at the fact that there are brawls in this place. He's pretty sure he can hold his own, but he knows he doesn't look it. 

Walker makes an offended look. "Hey! I am not always the reason!" He huffs, crossing his arms like a grumpy child. "Yelena starts plenty of fights without my help."

Peter chuckles, sitting in the loveseat across from them. "How many teammates do you have?"

Bucky lays back in the chair. “Me, Walker, Alexei, Yelena, Ava, and Dreykov.” Bucky lists the names, shoving Walker’s feet off the coffee table. “We’ve got a mission in a bit. A different gala we get to crash. There’s meant to be some drug smuggling between two pretty rich assholes.”

Walker grumbles when his feet are shoved off the table. "Assholes is right. We mostly target assholes." 

Peter's expression drops a little. "How dangerous is that?" He worries. 

"I mean, they're drug smugglers. So fairly dangerous." Walker shrugs.

Bucky can’t seem to sit still, so he doesn’t, standing up and moving to pick up Alpine, petting her. “I’ve got Walker and Alexei as backup. I think I’ll be fine.” 

“I’ve been told I make a fantastic bodyguard.” Alexei looks quite proud of himself.

Peter doesn't look very reassured. "What if you get hurt?" He looks at Bucky's teammates. "You would get him out, right?" 

Walker nods. "Yeah. We don't leave anybody behind."

Bucky rests a hand on his hip, looking a tad annoyed. “I’m not a kid, Petey. I don’t just go around getting gravely injured on missions.” 

Alexei raises a brow, recalling quite a few times their entire team nearly met their fate.

Peter nods a little. "I know you aren't." He doesn't know how to express how he's feeling right now. Thinking of Bucky going to fight bad guys. But it makes a pit open up in his stomach. 

"Just... promise you'll be careful?"

Bucky decides to just nod, but he really wants to press Peter on this. Just maybe not around Walker and Alexei. “Fine. We’ll be careful.” He ruffles Peter’s hair. “And you gotta get back home to your aunt soon. There’s food in the fridge here, help yourself.” Bucky moves to change into his suit in another room, coming back out with his hair slicked back.

Peter smiles a little. "Thanks." He grabs himself a soda from the fridge, his hands shaking a bit as he opens the can. 

When Bucky comes out with his hair slicked back, for a moment, Peter sees 16-year-old Bucky in his dress blues, saying goodbye on the porch. 

"Promise you'll come back?"

"Don't worry, Petey, I'll be fine."

"You gotta promise!"

"Haha, okay, I promise." 

Peter stares at Bucky, his brows upturned in worry.

Bucky flashes Peter a smile, this one far more aged and far less naive than his younger one, but still a big smile for Peter before him and the rest of the group have to go. “Bye, Petey. I’ll be back, okay?”

Peter nods, forcing a smile back. "Okay. I'll see you soon." He feels like his chest is being constricted, like he's struggling to breathe.

If something is wrong with Peter, and there is, Bucky doesn’t seem to notice before he’s out the door. Leaving Peter alone. With his thoughts.

Peter grabs at his chest, gasping for hair. He feels like everything is crashing down. Bucky is leaving him again. Again.

He curls up on the kitchen floor, pulling at his hair and rocking a little. His eyes dart back and forth, and his breaths are audibly labored.

Bucky is coming back for Peter, right? Surely he wouldn’t abandon his brother again. 

Peter waits. He knows he needs to go home, but he wants to see Bucky come back first. He needs to know Bucky is okay. 

When Bucky's teammates come back without Bucky, he runs out the door, barely hearing that Bucky is fine over the drumming in his ears. He bikes furiously down the streets, hardly able to see through the tears in his eyes. 

Chapter Text

It’s a few hours before Bucky returns home. Not to the Thunderbolts compound, but to his real home. His New York home with Sam Wilson. “I’m back!” He calls in, tossing his jacket onto the couch and plopping down next to it, looking exhausted. He has a quickly healing gash on his cheek, and his clothes are ripped in a few places. So much for that suit staying in one piece.

Sam comes out, leaning down to kiss Bucky sweetly. "Hurt anywhere else?" He worries, checking the gash on Bucky's cheek. "I'll get the first aid kit."

Bucky grumbles, swatting his husband’s hands away. “I have some news.” He seems a bit hesitant to share, not sure how Sam will react. Now that he thinks about it, how will the press react if they find out. He couldn’t risk that. Peter didn’t deserve to be in the spotlight like that.

Sam quirks a brow, bringing over a sports drink for Bucky to hydrate with, and the first aid kit. "Yeah?" He notices the hesitant look, and he sits on the coffee table, placing a hand on Bucky's knee. "What is it, sugar?"

Bucky huffs at the nickname, letting out a little chuckle. He cracks open the drink, chugging down nearly half of it in seconds. 

“My brother is alive. I met him today. It’s definitely him.”

Sam's eyes widen. "Woah, woah - Peter?" He remembers visiting Peter's grave, supposedly buried with the rest of Bucky's family. "How is he alive?" He quickly pivots, taking Bucky's hands in his. "Are you okay?"

Bucky lets out a shaky breath, clearly letting everything he experienced today crash down onto him. “I… don’t know. Apparently he fell into a lake and got frozen in it.”

Sam moves to sit next to Bucky, wrapping an arm around him. "Holy shit. That's a lot to process, Buck." He says softly, giving Bucky the space to feel how he needs to. "How old is he now?"

“Twenty-six.” Bucky answers, leaning against Sam’s side. “He met Walker and Alexei.” Bucky runs his hand down his face. “He’s a photographer for the Bugle.”

Sam holds Bucky close. "How are you feeling about it all?" He presses gently. "I'd be freaking out." He chuckles softly, trying to reassure his husband.

Bucky groans loudly. “I’m confused, conflicted, kinda angry…” The soldier clenches a fist. “He lied to me. I could hear it in his voice.”

Sam furrows his brows. "What did he lie about?" He gently rubs Bucky's shoulder.

Bucky scowls a little, “I don’t think he fell into the lake.” He admits. “Maybe someone pushed him in. People had it out for my head. Maybe they wanted my family dead too.”

Sam nods. "That's possible." He has another idea of a possibility, but he doesn't want to overstep. "Why do you think he lied about that?"

Bucky sighs, “Probably so I wouldn’t feel guilty.” He leans back against the couch, rubbing his temple. “How was your day?” He redirects.

Sam allows the redirection, knowing this has got to be a lot to process. "It was good! I called Sarah, she said the boys are good." He hums. "I made a dinner reservation at that Italian spot we like for the weekend. I thought we could use some time as a couple."

Bucky smiles a little at that, pressing a soft kiss against Sam’s cheek. “Oh? Captain America, taking lil’ ol’ me out on a date? How flattering.” He teases, but looks rather excited for any semblance of normalcy with his husband.

Sam chuckles, kissing Bucky softly. "Mhm. They're giving us that nice private spot, so no fangirls." He chuckles. "Just us." 

He knows it's been hectic for them both lately. Between Sam doing missions and PR work, and Bucky doing everything that comes with being in Congress on top of the Thunderbolts, it felt like the two sometimes only got to see each other in passing. 

"Why don't we order in tonight? Watch a movie? Something low-key." He suggests. "And if you wanna talk about Peter, we can. If you wanna talk about it later, that's okay too."

Bucky visibly relaxes, but his eyes fixate on a childhood photo of him and Peter together that’s hung on the wall. Clearly this is bothering him, but he shows no interest in talking about it. “Food sounds good. I’m starved.”

Sam nods, noticing the look. "I'll order some from that Chinese spot you found." He pulls up his phone, putting in an order for delivery. 

He dotes on Bucky as they enjoy their movie, giving him lots of snuggles and kisses, loving having a moment of peace at home.

Bucky tries to return some of the attention to Sam, knowing how stressful it is being Captain America full time. Especially with wrangling Torres as the new Falcon.

Sam finds himself actually able to relax with Bucky, placing soft kisses on his cheek as he gets sleepy. "Mmmm... you smell good. Is that the cologne I got you?" He purrs.

Bucky chuckles, rolling his eyes. “Maybe.”

Ned looks thankful when May lets him into their apartment, moving to knock on Peter’s bedroom door. “Dude? I know you’re in there.”

Peter opens his door, peeking out at Ned. "... hey." He smiles a little, but it's clear he's been crying. "Did we plan to hang out? I totally spaced, it's been a crazy day..."

Ned pushes himself into the room, crossing his arms. “No, but I texted you like a thousand times. No answer.” He looks worried, sitting down on the edge of Peter’s bed. “What happened?”

Peter plops down onto his bean bag chair, sighing. "... my brother is alive. Bucky." He's told Ned about Bucky, having been encouraged by May to share good memories of his family. "He's alive. And a congressman?!"

Ned stares at Peter, blinking a few times. “Congressman Barnes is… Barnes as in your brother, Bucky Barnes?” He looks so confused, before a look of sympathy comes over his face. “Did you talk to him?”

Peter nods quickly. "Yeah, man, that Bucky Barnes." He runs his hands down his face. "I didn't even recognize him at first, he recognized me. And he invited me to this place where he works? And his coworkers are... weird. And he has a metal arm!"

Ned’s eyes widen and he laughs a little. “What kind of weird?” He asks, before looking amazed. “Woah! Really? I’ve only ever seen his hand that’s metal when he does speeches. His whole arm is like that?”

Peter sighs. "Like, vigilante weird." He smiles a little when Ned geeks out about the arm. "Yeah! It's totally controllable, probably neuro-linked or something. Dunno if he can feel with it, but it moves so smooth!"

Ned almost squeals like a teenage girl, “I can imagine! And you got to meet him? Did you get to touch it?” He slides out their partially finished lego project out from under Peter’s bed, sitting on the floor so they can continue it while they talk.

Peter laughs a little at Ned's squeal. "Yeah, and it was really smooth, I never touched any metal like it." He starts to help with the lego project, his face falling. "... he left to go do something, and I know that's not a big deal, but... I think I had a panic attack." He admits, knowing Ned wouldn't make fun of him.

Ned furrows his brow, “Why? He’s definitely fine. You think your brother would really go about losing?” A bit of an unconventional way of going about comforting Peter, but his social skills were never all too great.

Peter smiles a little at that. "Yeah, I guess that's true. I think it just reminded me of the last time he left." He pokes at the Legos, sighing. "And he didn't even come back. He just went home or something."

Ned softens, grumbling as he picks at two 2x2 slab bricks that had been pressed together, trying to shove his nail between the tiny gap to get them apart. “Did you get his number? Maybe you can text and ask if he’s okay.”

Peter digs around, finding the brick separator they 3D printed and handing it to Ned. "Oh, uh..." He pulls out the card Bucky gave him. "I have his office number? I could leave a message or something..."

“You could just stop by his office tomorrow. It is a Monday. Maybe he’ll be there!” Ned manages to get the two pieces apart with the separator, not without a poor casualty of a hangnail.

Peter nods. "Yeah... I'll do that. I just have one class tomorrow anyways. And he owes me a new camera." He finally smiles again. "Kinda broke mine when I realized who he was."

Ned grimaces when he spots the shattered camera sitting on Peter’s desk. “I’m sure May wasn’t very happy about that.” He admits.

Peter sighs. "He said he'd get me a new one. So she can't be mad for long, right?" He chuckles. 

Peter turns up at Bucky's office the next day, going through security and walking up to the secretary. "Hi, uh... I'm here to see Congressman Barnes?"

The woman at the front desk has a constant scowl on her face, and she looks up at Peter. “Do you have an appointment?” She requests flatly.

Peter shakes his head. "No, but could you tell him it's Peter?" He flashes a warm smile, hoping to win her over with his charm.

Joaquín has been around the world looking for Sam all day, and the last place he thought to check was Sam’s husband’s office. So here he is, trotting up to the front desk, a warm smile on his face. “Hi, Mrs. Harvey! Goin’ up to Congressman Barnes’ office.” He informs her. 

“Of course, Captain Torres.” She hums at him, a little more accepting of his charm than any of Peter’s.

Peter tilts his head at Joaquín, blinking at him. He takes in his smile, the sparkle in his eyes, the way he exudes excitement. A soft flush moves across Peter's cheeks. 

"Could I please see him too, Mrs. Harvey? I'm his brother." He clarifies.

Joaquín is about to turn to head up the stairs, when he overhears Peter, staring at him. “…You can come with me.” He says, narrowing his eyes a little. “I didn’t realize Sergeant Barnes had a… living brother.” He still hasn’t kicked the habit of referring to Bucky with formalities.

Peter looks relieved. "Thank you." He gives a slightly smug look to Mrs. Harvey. 

"To be fair, he didn't know until yesterday." He laughs a little, trying to lighten the situation. "I'm Peter." He offers his hand to shake.

Joaquín shakes Peter’s hand, his own calloused and firm. “Joaquín Torres.” Aka, the new Falcon. “He’s probably up in his office with Sam. They usually try to see each other when they aren’t busy.”

Peter raises his brows. "Oh, wow, it's really cool to meet you!" He smiles sweetly. "I saw you took up the Falcon mantle, I think that's really great." 

Peter looks confused. "Sam? Like... Captain America, Sam?" He questions, trying to piece this all together.

Joaquín grins brighter, a bit more of a pep in his step at being recognized. “Thank you! Not many people remember my name.” He rubs the back of his head, chuckling. “Yeah! I’m sure he’s probably still in uniform too.” He remembers to knock this time before entering. 

“Come in!” Bucky calls, sitting at his desk while Sam is lounging on the sofa in his office. 

Joaquín opens the door with a bit more force than intended, catching it before it hits the wall. “You’ve got someone lookin’ for you, Con- Bucky.” He corrects, knowing Bucky would scold him for being too formal.

Peter follows Joaquín to Bucky's office, and he stands in the doorway, his mouth agape when he sees Sam sitting on the couch. He thinks of the Captain America merch he has, which has grown since Sam took the shield. 

"Hi..." He manages to say, looking between Bucky and Sam. "You know Captain America?!"

Bucky almost wants to laugh, standing up and moving to lean back against the front of his desk. “Of course I do.” He snorts.

Joaquín looks confused. “You didn’t know your own brother knows Captain America?”

Peter blinks. "I knew he knew Steve, but..." He tries to calm himself, taking a deep breath. "Hi, I'm Peter, big fan..." He offers a hand to Sam to shake. 

Sam looks amused, shaking Peter's hand. "Nice to meet you, Peter. I've heard a lot about you." 

Peter flushes pink. "Sorry to just drop by, I didn't know you had an important meeting."

Bucky chuckles. “Meeting? Nah, Sam is just distracting me from my paperwork like usual.” He rolls his eyes at his husband. 

Joaquín crosses his arms, pouting a little at Sam. “You’re meant to tell me where you’re goin’, y’know?” He huffs. “Especially when we have a mission tonight.”

Peter relaxes a little, seeing how comfortable everyone is with each other. He looks at Bucky, rubbing his arm. "I wanted to make sure you were okay. After last night." 

Sam quirks a brow, realizing that Bucky hadn't told Peter he was okay after the mission. He makes a mental note to scold Bucky about that later.

Bucky looks a little sheepish, and he motions to himself. “All in one piece.” He says, before a small look of guilt comes over his features. “Sorry, Pete. I forgot to get your number.”

Peter looks at his shoes. "It's okay." It isn't, he doesn't feel remotely okay, but he doesn't want to fight with Bucky. Not after they just found each other. "Here," he offers his phone, "You can put in your number, so I don't have to worry next time." He smiles a little.

Bucky raises a brow, putting his number in there, as well as Sam’s number, making a new contact for Sam. “Either of us are here if you need us. I promise.”

Peter nods, smiling at Sam. "It feels kinda surreal meeting you." He chuckles. 

Sam pats the spot on the couch next to him. "I could say the same to you." He points out. "Torres, there's snacks in Bucky's top drawer." He smirks at Bucky, knowing he keeps the drawer stocked for guests.

Joaquín cheers, grabbing two snack sized bags of chips, offering one to Peter. “So what do you do, Peter? You fight crime like your brother?” He teases a little. 

Bucky sits down next to Sam, lacing their fingers together, the two sitting a little too close to just be friends.

Peter catches the bag remarkably easily, and his eyes widen at the question. "What? No, no no- me? No way." He gets really defensive suddenly. "I just go to school, and I'm a photographer for the Daily Bugle. I got those pictures of you at the immigration rally!" 

Sam smiles at that, already liking Peter. He feels a little suspicion at how vehemently he denies fighting crime.

Bucky shares a look with Sam when Peter gets so defensive. Something is up here. 

Joaquín raises a brow at the mention of Peter’s occupation. “I’m open for a photo shoot.” He chuckles. “I mean, Sam gets a whole shirtless calendar! I think I deserve somethin’.”

Peter looks Joaquín over quickly, and he's talking before he can stop the words from coming out. "I'd love to shoot a shirtless calendar with you." 

Sam snorts, hiding a grin behind his hand. He knows Joaquín gets plenty of fangirls, but it's not often he gets flirted with directly by a guy his age.

Bucky lets out a strangled mix between a cough and a laugh, squeezing Sam’s hand knowingly. 

Joaquín feels a soft pink flush come over his cheeks, and he clears his throat. “I’d love that.” He feigns confidence, despite the fact that his heart is pounding in his ears. What’s wrong with him? He’s had many women flirt with him this abruptly, even online he sees comments under pictures of himself with the unholy things some people like to say about him. But something about this is different.

Peter also flushes, his brows raising when Joaquín agrees. "I, uh... I have a spot I use as a studio sometimes, if you... if you're serious." He holds out his phone for Joaquín to give him his number too. "We can schedule it." He feigns that this is totally professional. It totally is. 

Sam smirks, squeezing Bucky's hand back. He can tell the two have a spark already.

Joaquín puts himself in Peter’s phone as “Falcon” with an emoji of a wing after. He then hands the phone back. “You have your own studio? That’s so awesome.” He says honestly, looking impressed with Peter. If Peter was making any attempt at attracting Joaquín, it’s certainly working.

Peter looks sheepish, taking his phone back. "I mean, it's also a painting studio for a wacky old lady, but her paintings make awesome backdrops. And I fix stuff in her apartment, so she doesn't charge me." 

Sam softens, seeing all the goodness in Peter that he sees in Bucky. "That's really kind of you, Peter." He hums.

Bucky smiles at his brother, good to see that he isn’t just a hermit, not that he expected that of his rather social little brother. 

Joaquín has a warm expression as Peter speaks, nodding in addition to Sam. “Yeah. I’ll have to stop by some time.”

Peter glances at Bucky, and he spots how close he is to Sam, how they are holding hands. "Do you wanna come over for dinner with me and May?" He offers. "Whenever you have an evening free, no pressure."

Bucky agrees enthusiastically, “Can Sam come with us? Only if that’s okay, of course.”

Peter nods, looking happy Bucky agrees. "Yeah! I'll let her know." He quickly sends May a text, then sends his address to Bucky. 

Sam smiles. "Thank you, Peter. I can't wait to meet May."

Bucky is attempting to fix up his hair when the time comes around for them to leave, one stray strand refusing to pull back into the gel he's using to slick back his hair. He scowls in the mirror, wearing a soft blue sweater and a black jacket over it.

Sam comes in, hugging Bucky from behind and kissing his cheek. "Need some help?" He chuckles, grabbing the edges brush he bought Bucky to help with his baby hairs.

Bucky leans back against Sam, letting out a soft groan. "Maybe a bit." He admits, allowing Sam to brush back his hairs, practically purring at the care. "I'm a little nervous to meet her. She... basically raised my brother. Without me around."

Sam kisses Bucky's forehead once he's fixed his hair. "I'm sure it'll be fine. You are surprisingly good with parents." He chuckles softly. "Pete wouldn't have invited you if he didn't think it would go well, right?"

Bucky relaxes a bit, returning the kiss with one to Sam's cheek. "You have to behave yourself, okay? No sexy quips in front of my brother's mom."

Sam rolls his eyes. "Alright, alright... I guess I'll just have to get it all out in the car." He spritzes a little cologne on, wearing a nice shirt and leather jacket. "Ready?"

Bucky fixes Sam's collar, "You look handsome, doll." He purrs, taking in the cool scent of Sam's cologne. 

Bucky knocks lightly on the door when the two arrive, shifting from one foot to the other nervously.

Peter answers the door, smiling widely. "Hi! Come in!" He motions for the two to follow him. 

Immediately it's obvious how much of a home this place is. There's a spot for shoes by the door, a Mezuzah on the doorframe, and pictures of May and Peter in the front hallway. There's one of Peter in his high-school cap and gown, and one of him with a tooth in his hand, showing it to the camera proudly.  

"May! Guests are here!" He announces.

Bucky looks around the place, softening when he sees how much care is put into it. He couldn’t ask for anything more. He grips Sam’s hand tightly, following Peter into the home, holding his breath for meeting this “May”.

Sam squeezes Bucky's hand reassuringly, slipping off his shoes at the front door. He looks at the photos as they pass, smiling at how happy Peter seems with May. 

May pops her head out of the kitchen, wearing an apron with flowers on it. "Hi! Oh, sorry, let me set this down-" She places a casserole dish in the center of the table. 

"Can I hug you?" She asks warmly, waiting to initiate contact until Bucky says it's okay.

Bucky seems surprised by the question, not sure why someone would want to hug him. He hesitates, before nodding. “Pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” He sounds shy, releasing Sam’s hand when he’s pulled into a tight hug. “You’re May, right?”

May hugs him tightly, then gives Sam one too. "Yes, May Parker." She motions for them to sit at the table. "Please, sit." 

Peter brings in some plates and silverware for everybody, helping set the table. Something he used to complain endlessly about when Bucky had him do it. "May makes the best green bean casserole in New York." He tells Bucky and Sam.

Bucky chuckles, “We’ll have to taste then.” He pulls out Sam’s chair for him, something he usually only does when they go somewhere fancy for their anniversary.

Sam smiles at the gesture from Bucky, placing a hand on his arm affectionately as he sits. "Thank you." 

May recruits Peter's help to get the rest of the meal on the table, then sits with everyone. "So, how long have you two been married?" 

Peter chuckles, sitting next to May and across from Bucky. "May, they aren't married." He corrects, thinking May has it confused.

Bucky is about to answer, before he looks at Peter, his expression giving away that he’s maybe thinking Peter might be a little stupid. He then holds up his right hand, pointing to the golden wedding band that sits on it. “Three years. Long before I ran for congress.”

May rubs Peter's shoulder. "Oh, baby... did you not know?" 

Peter's jaw drops, and his eyes move to Bucky's ring, then to Sam. "No?! When were you gonna tell me you were married to Captain America?!" 

"Petey, inside voice please." May hums, starting to serve everyone dinner. 

Peter lowers his voice, but keeps the same urgency. "This is important information to share!" 

Sam is trying his best not to bust out laughing at the poor kid, holding his sides.

Bucky raises a brow. “I’m married to Sam Wilson, not Captain America.” He feels the need to clarify, trying not to laugh as well. “Did you never notice the ring? Or the fact that I don’t live at the compound I own, or the likely hundreds of articles from the daily bugle documenting our relationship? Which I hate, by the way.”

Peter looks like he's trying to mentally piece it all together. "I just thought you didn't want me to see your house yet. And in my defense, that isn't my area of the paper, and I thought it was all speculation!" 

Sam can't help but laugh softly. "I guess it was, for a while. Then we went officially public when Bucky ran for congress, since it would have come out anyway."

May pats Peter's back. "You are a lovely couple." She tells Sam and Bucky. "Petey gets wrapped up in his own world sometimes." She smiles at Peter fondly. "And that's okay!"

“He did when he was little too. Could make it halfway down the block before he realized he was wandering to nowhere. Mom would have to chase him down the street to find him.” Bucky looks fond of the memory, like it’s something he’s cherished to have back after being denied it for so long.

May smiles more at that, chuckling softly. "I had to walk him to school until he was fifteen because he'd end up walking straight past." 

Peter groans playfully. "You guys are embarrassing me in front of Sam..." 

Sam grins. "Just remind me not to let you try and fly my wings unsupervised."

Bucky elbows Sam’s side. “Uhm, he isn’t flying those wings at all. You’re trained, Peter certainly isn’t.” He then pouts a little. “And you only let me try them because I’m a mutant!” Bucky has slowly become more comfortable referring to himself as a mutant, having struggled with it due to HYDRA’s conditioning.

Peter's eyes widen a little at the realization that the serum makes Bucky a mutant. Like he is. And he hasn't even told Bucky about that yet. 

May nods in agreement with Bucky. "I think it's best Peter stays on the ground." She chuckles. "Peter did some work with enhanced individuals for school, didn't you?" 

Peter nods. "I worked on making prosthetics that could keep up with increased strength and speed. That's why I got so excited about your arm." He tells Bucky.

Bucky smiles a bit more, impressed that Peter is working on something like that at such a young age. Though even as a kid, Bucky knew Peter was ten times smarter than him at half his age. “My arm was a gift from an old friend. He was always really nice like that.” He looks a bit solemn.

Sam nods. "The same friend gave me my new suit and wings. What exactly are you in school for, Pete?" 

"Well, I got my first degree in Biology, then I got a masters in Biophysics, then I got my PhD in Biochem, and now I'm getting my second in Bioengineering." 

May looks so proud as Peter rattles off his accolades. "Finished Cum Laude every time too."

Bucky chuckles, looking proud of his brother, even if he wasn’t really around for any of these major accomplishments. “To be fair, Peter has been smarter than me since he was like four years old.” 

Bucky then hums, sharing a look with Sam. “Pete, you met my… friends.” Bucky doesn’t seem to like having to use that word, but May doesn’t need to know about the Thunderbolts. “What about yours?”

Peter perks up a little. "Well, there's Ned, he's my best friend. He was the first friend I made after coming to live with May." He smiles fondly. "Then there's MJ, she's the reason I have any clothes that look fashionable at all. And Harry, but he's at another school right now so we don't talk as much." It seems that he isn't an overly social person, but at least has a couple of good friends.

Bucky appears satisfied that Peter has people he’s close with. “Oh, I promised you a new camera, didn’t I?” Bucky fishes around in the bag he had brought, offering Peter a box. It’s a brand new camera, even better and likely far more expensive than his last one. “The least I could do for makin’ you break your old one.”

Peter's eyes widen, looking over the box. "Holy- this is so nice! I've been looking at this camera, it comes with the settings I need- thank you!" He moves around the table to hug Bucky tightly. 

Sam and May share a fond look, and he accepts another helping of food scooped onto his plate.

Bucky holds Peter close, looking like he’s needed this. Despite living together with Sam for nearly three years now, Bucky felt a little lonely on his own front. Sam has his own family, his own life outside of his work, and Bucky felt like that was something he was sorely lacking.

Peter holds onto the hug for a few more moments, then bounces back to his seat. "Now I can tell Joaquín I have a camera again!"

May raised her brows. "Oh? Who's this Joaquín?"

Bucky smirks a little, falling into the teasing older brother role so easily. “He’s Sam’s pupil. The new Falcon. They had an overly friendly exchange in my office this morning.” Bucky certainly wasn’t going to mention that the two men were practically eye-fucking each other in Bucky’s office.

May looks a little surprised, giving Peter a look. "When were you gonna tell me about this?" 

Peter flushes pink, looking sheepish. "It's nothing... he's like, the Falcon, and I just offered to do some photos with him." 

May gives Bucky a look that days she knows exactly what this is. "I think that's great sweetie." She hums.

Bucky shares the look with May, before smiling as well. “I’m sure he’d love to have a new friend, Petey.” Bucky decides, going back to eating. “This was amazing, ma’am.” Bucky says once he’s finished, taking his and Sam’s dishes to the sink to wash them.

May moves into the kitchen with Bucky, letting Peter and Sam chat while they have a moment alone. 

"I'm so glad you are in his life again." She says sincerely, taking the dishes from Bucky to clean. "He... has struggled, sometimes. As much as he's succeeded, some things follow him."

Bucky moves to grab a towel, drying the dishes once she cleans them. “I just can’t believe I watched him lower into the ground and… it was all a lie. And no one even told me.” He looks at her with a softened hurt expression.

May nods, looking sympathetic. "I don't know how it all got lost that you two were related. Peter is legally a Parker, so that might be part of it." She sighs. "But you know... now that you're here, this worry that there would be another lake incident... I can put it to rest." 

What the hell does that mean?

"Sam said I can't beat him in Uno!" Peter calls. "Can we play with dessert!"

Bucky stands there, confused, wondering what she means by that. Was HYDRA hunting her and Peter? Perhaps some other group? Is Peter in danger in some way? 

His thoughts are interrupted before he can ask her about it, turning to face the two still at the table. “We all know who’s winning!” He moves back to the table once all the dishes are dry.

Peter starts dealing cards, and May brings over some cookies to share. "Don't underestimate an old lady!" She laughs, taking her cards. 

Sam tries to cheat by looking at Bucky's cards, claiming that since they are married, he's allowed to. Peter does not stand for it, telling Sam that it isn't very "Captain America" to cheat! 

Everyone ends up winning at least one round once the night starts winding down. 

"You wanna see my room before you go?" Peter offers, already dragging Bucky down the hall.

Bucky can’t seem to deny the request at all, so he just nods. “Sure.” He follows Peter into his room, looking around at the insane amount of memorabilia. He reaches to shut the door before Peter can stop him, and now his eyes are fixated on the poster of Sam and Joaquín in uniform taped to the back of it. “…Am I allowed to think it’s weird that you have merch of my husband in your bedroom?”

Peter turns bright red, realizing just how much of a dork this place makes him seem. Along with all his Captain America merch, he's got Star Wars and old 80s movies posters everywhere, Legos, action figures - it seems he doesn't really wanna "grow up" just yet. 

"I didn't know he was your husband!" He wines, covering the poster with his hands, which barely covers it at all. "I just really like Captain America. I wanna be like that. Helping people."

Bucky smiles at that, letting out a little chuckle, swatting Peter away from the poster, pulling him into a noogie. “You always have looked up to us.” Bucky admits, moving to sit on the edge of Peter’s bed.

Peter swats back at Bucky, and he digs around, showing Bucky an old framed poster of a cartoon depiction of Bucky in the 40s, red and blue uniform and everything.  "Found this at a garage sale." He sits next to Bucky, leaning his head on his shoulder. "We didn't really have many pictures taken back then."

Bucky nods, wrapping his arm around Peter, taking a look at the picture. “No, we really didn’t.” Bucky takes his wallet out, pulling a small worn photo of their family that was taken right before Bucky went off, in his shiny new uniform. “Took me a while to find this one.”

Peter's eyes widen at the photo, and he takes it carefully in his hands, which are shaking slightly. "Wow..." He stares at their little family all together, and tears start falling down his cheeks before he can stop it. "I miss them." He sniffs, rubbing his eyes. "I missed you."

Bucky reaches to gingerly wipe Peter’s cheeks, pulling his head against Bucky’s chest, allowing him to cry into Bucky’s shirt. “I missed you every day. I never forgot about you. Never got over it. What they let happen to you…”

Peter sniffs, pulling back a little to look at Bucky. "Let happen..? You mean... the lake?" He clarifies, his eyes still watery with tears.

Bucky blinks when Peter pulls away, and he rests a hand on Peter’s shoulder. “They let you die.” He says firmly. “Even if you didn’t, they still let that happen.”

Peter suddenly has a look of intense guilt, and he breaks eye-contact with Bucky. "... they didn't let me. It wasn't their fault."

Bucky tries to follow Peter’s head to maintain the contact, needing Peter to be honest with him. Bucky has been lied to for far too long about what happened to his brother. “Who did it then? What happened to you, Peter?”

Peter looks Bucky in the eyes again, his face crumbling. His chest feels tight, and he grips the blanket beneath him so tight his knuckles turn white. "It wasn't an accident." He almost whispers. "I went into the lake on purpose."

Bucky’s eyes widen a little when he finally realizes. That’s what May meant. Bucky being around meant she no longer had to worry about Peter throwing himself into a lake again. “Peter…” He starts, but whatever words he has die in his throat.

Peter falls apart, his shoulders shaking as he starts to sob. "I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry... I couldn't do it, I couldn't stand being without you, you died and it was like nothing was okay..."

Bucky turns to fully face Peter, bundling his baby brother into his arms, huddling him close, holding him like he might just lose him again. “I’m right here, Petey. I’m not going anywhere anymore.” He reassures, rubbing Peter’s back soothingly. “I wish I had been there. To stop you. Tell you it was okay.”

Peter curls up in Bucky's arms, fully letting the weight of the secret he was holding go. "You aren't mad at me?" He croaks, "I was selfish, I left everybody alone..." He clearly hasn't actually dealt with the incident with a professional.

Bucky mumbles soft reassurances between Peter’s words, moving them both so they’re sitting further onto the bed, letting himself curl around Peter protectively. “You weren’t selfish. Nothing about that was selfish. And I’m not mad at you.”

Peter nods, relaxing into Bucky's arms, his sobs subsiding as he's reassured. He feels like his 16-year-old brother is holding him again, his arms just a little stronger now. "Please tell me when you come back okay from now on?" He laughs lightly. "I was so scared... I don't wanna lose you again."

Bucky reaches to take a tissue box off Peter’s nightstand, guiding him to blow his nose. “I will. I promise. I’m never abandoning you again, Peter. Not ever.” He says firmly.

Peter blows his nose, smiling softly at Bucky. "I believe you." He rests in Bucky's arms, exhaustion overtaking him. The emotional toll of the past few days has begun to catch up with him. "I love you."

Bucky moves to gently lay Peter down in bed. “Get some rest, kiddo.” He chuckles. “…I love you too. Always.”

Peter nods, yawning as he's laid down. "Thanks for meeting May." He smiles a little. "She's been really good to me."

Bucky stands up, brushing Peter’s hair out of his face. “I know. She’s amazing, Peter.”

Peter's eyes grow heavy. "Don't let her show you my Bar Mitzvah photos..." He mumbles, before burying himself under his blankets.

Outside with Sam, it's too late. May is showing Sam a photo album that includes some adorable photos of Peter's Bar Mitzvah. "Look at his little face..." May chuckles.

Bucky heads back into the living room, looking fondly at the two. His sweater has a big patchy stain on it from Peter’s tears, but he either doesn’t notice at all, or doesn’t care.

May looks up, softening when he sees the wet spots. "He passed out?" She chuckles, patting a spot next to her. "He crashes hard. But you know that." She offers Bucky the photo album. "Take it with you to borrow, if you want. I wrote on the back of the photos."

Bucky plops down on the spot between May and Sam, flipping through the book of photos. “He’s done so much and he’s only twenty-six…” Bucky seems impressed, but also a little sad that he wasn’t there for it.

May rubs Bucky's back gently, already feeling connected to Bucky. "He's so smart. And stubborn." She laughs a little. "He never gives up. I think he gets that from you."

Bucky snorts. “I taught him pretty well not to take shit from anyone.” He yawns, realizing just how tired the emotional moment had made him. It’s rather late anyways, he reasons.

Sam stands, stretching. "We should head home. Thank you for hosting us in your lovely home. We should do this again very soon." 

May stands, hugging them both before they go. "It was wonderful to meet you both. Don't be a stranger."

Bucky returns the hug with a gentle one, not wanting to accidentally use his superstrength. “I promise we won’t. And tell Peter he can stop by whenever.” He scrawls down his number on a receipt he fishes from his pocket, handing it over to May. 

When Bucky and Sam return home, Bucky flops down on their bed, still fully dressed in his jacket and tear stained shirt.

Sam gently pulls Bucky's clothes off, tucking him into bed. "You need rest." He says firmly" changing into some pajama pants and climbing into bed with Bucky. He pulls his husband into his arms, kissing his cheek. "You did great today."

Bucky snorts. “You say that like I’m a kid.” He points out, before yawning wide and pulling Sam into his arms. “Night, Sammy. Thanks for coming with me.” He mumbles, before drifting off.

Chapter Text

It takes two days before Joaquín gets a text from Peter, and he looks excited when he’s invited to Peter’s studio. Shirt, jacket, jeans, sneakers. Joaquín is set to go, despite almost forgetting his phone on the counter, which he has to jog back inside to grab.

Peter sets up the studio, using some abstract splatter paintings the owner made as backdrops. He fixes his new camera on a tripod, testing out the new lenses. 

He feels a little jittery to see Joaquín, but he's trying to blame it on the two cups of coffee he's already had. He can't get out of his head Joaquín's warm smile, his kind brown eyes, however.

Joaquín ends up buying some sweets from a local bakery as a gift for the studio, and maybe also to sweeten up the other man he's visiting. He isn't very nervous, but he still wants to make a good impression on Sergeant Barnes' little brother. 

He steps inside the studio, looking around at the art featured, "Peter?"

Peter looks up from adjusting his camera. "Hey!" He motions for Joaquín to come in. "What you got there?" He peeks at the baked goods. "Ooh, from that place down the street? I love them!"

Joaquín grins, opening the box and offering one of the treats to Peter. "Figured you had a sweet tooth." He follows after Peter as he's led inside. "This place is really nice."

Peter takes it, chuckling. "You guessed right." He takes a bite, motioning around. "This is all of Ms. Liza's work. I picked these for backdrops for you," he points to some large canvases.

Joaquín tilts his head. "What do you mean, for me?" He inspects the canvases, looking impressed with the artwork. His eyes then move back to fixate on Peter, those soft light brown curls that frame his face, hazel eyes that hold all the excitement of an artist showing off his work, if Joaquín is into men, and he isn't, he'd say Peter is pretty attractive.

Peter tilts his head back. "For your photo shoot? I picked out some that would compliment you." It's suddenly clear why Peter has his camera set up for a shoot.

Joaquín chuckles, before shaking his head. "I was just joking, Peter. I don't really like to show my body off like that." He admits, rubbing the back of his neck. "But thank you... I'm flattered."

Peter flushes pink, and he quickly tries to school the disappointment he feels. "Oh! No, of course, that's okay." He takes another bite of his treat as he tries to figure out how to pivot the conversation. "You wanna see something I've been working on?" He pulls out a large portfolio, flipping it open. 

Inside are pictures of New York life. Not the cheesy things seen on postcards - rather the everyday things. A cat taking a bath on a balcony that has dying plants hanging off it. A pile of cigarette butts at the feet of two women wearing stilettos. A construction worker eating lunch while sitting on a steel beam.

Joaquín flips through the photos, a look of surprise on his face, before it softens into fondness. "Wow, these are amazing! Are you going to publish them?" He asks, stopping on a picture of a Hispanic family sitting at a park bench, two kids playing fetch with a big grey-furred dog.

Peter shrugs, but smiles widely at the compliment. "I dunno... it kinda just started as stuff I found interesting, then I kept finding things interesting." He laughs a little. "You think they're that good?"

Joaquín nods, turning the page to look at more of the photos. "Every one of these tells a story. Maybe a sad one, maybe a happy one. But, man, these express what life is like. You gotta let other people see this." He urges, talking a little with his hands.

Peter watches Joaquín as he talks, what he's saying muffling a little as he focuses on the way he lights up talking about these photos. The fire in his eyes, the passion behind them. The way his hands move as he gets more excited. 

"Do you wanna get lunch with me?" Peter blurts out. "If you're free? I'm sure the Falcon is pretty busy." He teases.

Joaquín blinks, before chuckling, nodding in agreement. "I'd love to get lunch. There's this awesome bodega at the end of the block I've heard good things about."

Peter smiles widely, glad his invitation wasn't too abrupt. "Thank you, about the photos. Maybe I will publish them." He grabs his satchel bag, which has pins of all kinds, including a pan flag and a progress pride flag.

Joaquín makes sure to wait for Peter to be ready, holding open the door for him. "Let me know when you do, I'll post about it on my insta." He offers, before following Peter out the door. His eyes fixate on the pins, brows furrowing for a second, before he schools his expression. "Lunch is on me, Peter."

Peter walks next to Joaquín, the sunlight catching in his soft curls as they walk. "You don't gotta pay for me," he reassures. "Do you even get paid as the Falcon? Don't tell me you're a secret millionaire." He chuckles.

Joaquín lets out a generous chuckle, soft snorts leaving him. "No, no. I'm an intelligence officer for the airforce. They pay pretty well. And don't worry about it, consider it an apology for misleading you about those photos." His own hair is parted at the side, whisping over his head and curling a bit at the ends.

Peter nods, looking impressed. "Intelligence? That sounds pretty important." He waves his hands at the apology. "It's totally fine. Maybe you could let me get some action shots of you sometime?"

Joaquín grins, glad he's at least impressing Peter a little bit. "Yeah! I'm kinda like the guy in the chair?" He leads the way, taking them both into the bodega. "That would be awesome! Sam taught me this new move with the wings that I think would look amazing on camera."

Peter chuckles. "That's what my friend Ned calls himself too, the guy in the chair. But you're definitely more than just that." He points out, before looking at the menu inside the Bodega.

Joaquín flushes, rubbing the back of his neck as he heads up to the counter. “You really think so?”

Peter nods, looking at Joaquín like this should be obvious. "Definitely! And you better not say you're a sidekick, you are more than that too."

“Of course not! Sam certainly wasn’t a sidekick, and I don’t plan on being one either.” Joaquín grins brightly, wondering if people really did think of him as Sam’s sidekick. He didn’t entirely mind, but it rubs him the wrong way. He’ll have to ask Sam if he felt the same way about being seen as Steve’s new sidekick, when the man was still around, of course. 

Peter finds a spot for them to sit, putting his chin in his hand. "Does Bucky ever go on missions with you?" He quizzes, wondering how close Joaquín and his brother are.

Joaquín shrugs. “Not often. I think the whole Congressman thing has Sergeant Barnes pretty busy.” Seems he wasn’t given the memo about the Thunderbolts, or only certain people were meant to know about it. “It must be pretty jarring. To be meeting your brother again after so long.”

Peter nods, getting up quickly to get their food once it's ready. He sets it down in front of them, popping a fry in his mouth. "It's definitely a lot to process." He admits. "But I think it's been overall really good. I'm just happy to have him in my life again."

Joaquín takes a big bite of his sandwich, swallowing before he speaks. He knows his manners! "Sam texted me yesterday sayin' things went well. I was his best man at his wedding, so he better keep me updated on how he's doing." He chuckles.

Peter smiles fondly at that. "I'm gonna have to bug them for wedding photos. I knew Bucky was gay when I was about... seven? He was thirteen. I didn't figure things out till I was in highschool."

Joaquín raises his brow, but he doesn't pry, not wanting to be prodded about his own sexuality. Especially not by a guy that worked for the press. Maybe they could just be friends for now? No matter how much Joaquín wanted more than that. "He's been pretty open about it for a long while."

Peter smiles at that. "That's awesome! I mean, having a queer congressman and Captain America... I think things have really come a long way." He bites into his sandwich. "Are you from New York? No offense, but you sound like... Miami?"

Joaquín lights up. “Yeah! I was born in Mexico, but I moved to Miami when I was a little kid.” He explains, stealing a fry from Peter.

Peter listens intently, looking genuinely interested. "That's amazing! Do you have family in Miami? I only went one time for a Mathelete competition, but it was so pretty there!"

Joaquín deadpans, before letting out a little chuckle. “You sure you went to the right place?” He steals another fry, a little smirk on his face. “You did Matheletes?” He entirely ignores the question in favor of poking fun at Peter for being quite the nerd.

Peter looks a little sheepish. "Maybe! In my defense, I was really good at it." He laughs softly. "I don't think that makes me sound any cooler. I'll be honest," he leans in like it's a secret, "I'm kinda a nerd."

Joaquín leans back in his chair, taking another big bite of his sandwich. “Oh really now? I would have never guessed.” He teases. “Sam considers me a nerd. I’m not sure I really count. I’m not some genius.”

Peter smiles a little. "I'm sure you're plenty smart. You're in intelligence, right?" He chuckles, and he steals a slice of pickle from Joaquín's plate.

“Well, yeah. Of course I’m smart. I meant the whole… y’know.” Joaquín motions to Peter. “I never really got the whole college thing. Think it just wasn’t the thing for me.”

Peter softens. "College definitely isn't for everybody. I just really love it, because I'm a total nerd." He laughs.

Joaquín softens, tossing a fry into his mouth. “Sam told me you’re really into Star Wars.” Joaquín flushes a little when he realizes he just admitted to talking about Peter with Sam.

Peter quirks a brow at that, but nods. "Yeah! I have all the original movies on VHS, a couple original posters, and I've been working on a lego set for a while." He looks a little shy when he mentions doing Legos, hoping Joaquín won't think he's too childish.

Joaquín just smiles, listening intently to Peter. “I don’t think I’ve ever built one. Always seemed like just one of those luxuries.” He shrugs. “What have you got going on for the rest of the day?”

Peter has a look of realization at that. Lego sets were expensive - how hard had May needed to work when she got him them all those birthdays? 

He swings his legs under the table a bit. "Not much, just have a little homework that I wanna put off." He chuckles.

Joaquín snorts. “I think I can help with that.” He doesn’t intend for the slightly sultry tone to his voice, but it sure comes out whether he wants it to or not.

Peter's cheeks warm up to a soft pink, and he giggles softly. "Yeah? You have something you wanna do?'

Joaquín smirks, finishing off the last of his sandwich, taking all of their wrappers and making sure it makes it into the garbage before they leave. "I have a nice couch at my place. And about three days left on my Netflix free trial. We could pop some popcorn and watch some British Bake Off?"

Peter raises his brows at the implication of a "nice couch". He can't tell if Joaquín is just being friendly or flirting at this point. 

"Yeah, sure!" Peter gets up, grabbing his bag and following Joaquín out of the Bodega.

Joaquín leads Peter down the block, taking the other man to his apartment, fishing around in his pocket for his keys. "Are you allergic to dogs?"

Peter shakes his head, then perks up as he realizes. "You have a dog?" He looks so excited for this to be the case.

Joaquín nods, getting the door unlocked and opening it. The two men are greeted by a small cockapoo puppy who is bolting around the apartment in excitement at her owner being home. "Her name is Nascar. 'Cause she's so fast." He looks sheepish. "Creative, I know."

Peter grins, gasping when he sees the little pup. "Hey, buddy!" He laughs, letting the doggy sniff his hand before she runs off again. 

"Nascar is brilliant." He snickers. "I love it." He takes off his shoes at the door by habit, then follows Joaquín further inside.

Joaquín makes sure the door is shut, nearly needing to body the damn thing to get it to click closed so he can lock it. "I adopted her last year. An older woman owned her, but couldn't keep tabs on her every time she ran off." He tosses his bag down beside his shoes.

His apartment is clean, but clearly lived in. Some laundry is piled on the sofa in the living room, which he quickly scoops up and tosses into his room.

Peter relaxes at how normal Joaquín seems, recalling the pile of laundry currently on his bed. He moved it from the laundry chair to the bed, so there was progress!

"She's really cute." He hums, grabbing a toy to toss for the puppy. He giggles when she plays with him, his smile so genuine and warm.

Joaquín nearly trips over the pup when she races to collect her toy, darting around the apartment like a bullet. "Can't imagine being without her now." He chuckles. "She really gives me somethin' to come home to."

Peter sits on Joaquín's couch, letting the puppy scramble into his lap. "I think I have a new best friend." He laughs. "She's lucky to have you." He gives Joaquín a sweet smile.

Joaquín softens a little at the smile, his cheeks turning a gentle pink. "Wow, I bet you like her more than me, huh?" He snorts, digging around in his cabinet for some microwave popcorn.

Peter giggles. "Mhm! Me and Nassie are hanging out, but I guess you can join." He gives the pup some ear scratches. "I always wanted to get a dog, but our apartment doesn't allow them."

Joaquín stuffs the bag into the microwave, snorting. "Already with the nicknames? Man, I'm almost a little jealous." He teases, tossing a can of Sprite onto the couch for Peter.

Peter catches the can, cracking it open. "If you ever need a babysitter, you know who to call." He chuckles. 

He settles in with Joaquín on the couch once the popcorn is finished, the pup nestling between them.

Joaquín runs his fingers through the pup’s soft fur, digging into the popcorn already, settling in and turning on some British Bake Off for them to watch. “You sure you won’t need the babysitter yourself?”

Peter gasps in fake offense. "What would I need a babysitter for, huh?" He takes some popcorn from the bowl. "I'm totally, super responsible."

Joaquín scoots a bit closer, and he reasons that it’s just so he doesn’t have to reach so far to grab some popcorn. “Totally.”

Peter feels his heart speed up as his thigh touches Joaquín's, and he tries to focus on the show instead of how strong Joaquín's thigh feels. "Do you think you could make it on a cooking show?"

Joaquín kicks his feet up on the coffee table. “Maybe? My mamá taught me how to cook, but I wouldn’t say I’m the best at it.” He notices that they’re touching, and once he does, he can’t seem to stop thinking about it. Why did it feel different? He’s been close to other guys before. Hell, in the military, they were basically on top of each other in basic training.

Peter chuckles. "May tried to teach me, but everything I make has a special 'burnt' quality to it." His fingers brush against Joaquín's as he reaches for more popcorn, and he murmurs a soft apology.

Joaquín laughs along with Peter, flushing a little at the noises that leave the other man. “It’s fine.” He mumbles back, returning his focus on the show. 

They end up sitting and watching for so long that Joaquín doesn’t even notice the sun setting, or that he’s increasingly getting more and more tired, letting out a yawn.

Peter has slowly started drifting off, his blinks becoming longer and longer in duration. He yawns right after Joaquín does, and he slowly places his head on the other man's shoulder, resting there.

Joaquín nearly jumps out of his skin when Peter’s head hits his shoulder, but he holds back from moving too much, not wanting to wake the other man. He gently pulls the blanket off the back of the couch, setting their snacks aside so he can tuck the fabric around Peter.

Peter relaxes further as the blanket is put around him, his breathing slowed as he snoozes. He makes soft snores, which pause as he nuzzles his head against Joaquín.

Joaquín is doing everything in his power not to move now, before he snaps out of it and gingerly wraps an arm around Peter, holding him there. His eyes flutter shut as he starts to doze off himself, head resting on top of Peter’s. 

Joaquín is only woken up when Peter’s phone rings loudly in the other’s pocket. Like Aunt May calling to make sure Peter is still alive, the man having not told her where he was going.

Peter jolts as his phone vibrates against him and rings loudly, and he sits up, rubbing his eyes. He gives Joaquín a sleepy smile. "Sorry, I didn't realize how late it was..." He answers the phone for May. "Hey... yes, I'm alive. I'm sorry, I didn't plan on staying out so late. I'll be home soon, don't wait up. I'll text when I'm back."

May does not sound very happy over the phone, but she softens a little, telling Peter that she’ll leave some leftovers for him in the fridge. 

Joaquín smiles fondly, just watching Peter take the call. He’s happy Peter has someone looking out for him, and now he has double that with his brother back around.

Peter looks apologetic. "Thank you! I love you." He lets May hang up, and he chuckles softly. "Sorry, I totally spaced on telling her where I was. I don't think she'll ever let me leave the house without calling to check up on me." He looks fond as he says it, pocketing his phone.

Joaquín waves Peter off, a smile on his face. “No, no. It’s fine. My mom was that way too.” Joaquín admits, picking at his nails.

Peter softens, and he places a hand on Joaquín's arm. "Has she passed?" He asks to clarify, hearing the past tense.

Joaquín nods, looking a bit somber. “Yeah. She passed away a few years back. After the blip.” He rubs the back of his neck. “Sorry, I’m killin’ the mood.”

Peter rubs Joaquín's arm gently. "I'm so sorry. And don't apologize, I think... sometimes it helps to talk about it. At least for me."

Joaquín nods, looking glad to have someone to talk to. As much as he loves Sam, the two don’t nearly get as much time to just talk. “Thanks, Peter.”

Peter is giddy when he gets home, and he can't stop grinning as he flops in bed. He sends Bucky a text, wanting to tell his brother how his... hangout? It wasn't a date. It felt like a date, but neither of them said it was. 

"Hung out with Joaquín today. It was fun!!"

Bucky rolls over in his own bed, trying not to disturb Sam napping next to him. 

“Really? Glad you made a friend.”

Peter hesitates before texting back. 

"Do you know if he has a girlfriend or anything? Just curious."

Bucky snorts at the text, almost wanting to wake Sam up and show it to him, but he doesn’t. 

“He’s single. Never seen him with a girl before. At least not one he’s dating.”

Peter raises his brows at that. This was good information. It didn't confirm if Joaquín was gay or not, but it didn't put him out of the running either. 

He realizes he should probably officially come out to Bucky. 

"Can we have lunch tomorrow? I wanna talk about something."

Bucky has an inkling of what they’ll be talking about, but he doesn’t want to ruin the moment for Peter. 

“Stop by my office.”

He sets his phone down, curling back up against Sam’s side, getting some rest before the next day.

Chapter Text

Peter comes by Bucky's office around lunchtime, bringing with him some food from the shawarma stand on the way. He knocks on the door, reassuring himself he doesn't need to be nervous.

Bucky answers the door with a little yawn, raising a brow at the food Peter has. “Hey, kid. I could have gotten something delivered, y’know?”

Peter shrugs. "It was on the way, and I'm hungry!" He brings in the food, setting it on Bucky's desk. "How is your day? Pass any important bills?"

Bucky flops back down in his desk chair, motioning for Peter to pull up a chair on the other side. “Nothing too eventful. You probably had a more interesting day, honestly.” He chuckles.

Peter pulls up a chair, and he unpacks the food for them, laughing softly. "I just had one of my labs today. It was fun. For me, at least." He chuckles. 

"I wanted to... talk to you about something." He looks a little nervous. "And I know it isn't a big deal, but it feels like a big deal, and I dunno.."

Bucky settles in, starting to munch on his own food. "If it's a big deal for you, then I'll treat it that way. I want to be there for things that are important to you." The congressman says honestly, really wanting to be there for his brother after all their years apart.

Peter nods, taking a deep breath. "Thank you." He smiles a little, glad Bucky is willing to hear him out. 

"I... I'm pansexual." He says quickly, ripping the bandaid off. He balls his fists tightly, his nails digging into his palms. He stares at his lap, bracing himself.

Bucky raises a brow. "Cool. I'm gay, Peter." He says, like this should be an obvious fact. He reaches out to take one of Peter's hands, holding his fist. "You can love whoever you want, Peter. Unless they treat you badly, then I'll kick their ass."

Peter chuckles at the response, his body language releasing all the tension built up in it. He holds Bucky's hand, rolling his eyes playfully. "Fine." 

He kicks his legs a little. "I think... I think I might like somebody." He smiles more, his cheeks flushing.

Bucky squeezes Peter's hand, a tiny smile on his face. "Oh?" He clearly already knows, but he's willing to entertain Peter's shy admission.

Peter grins, turning more red. "Uh-huh. But I dunno if he's even interested in guys. And it feels weird to ask."

Bucky snorts. “Maybe give some time. Become friends first.” He offers. “I don’t think he’s one of those “love at first sight” kind of guys.”

Peter narrows his eyes. "I didn't even tell you who it was yet." He crosses his arms. "What do you know? Huh?"

Bucky looks pretty amused by Peter. "Kiddo, I know who it is. You aren't very subtle about it." He leans back in his desk chair, Alpine pouncing into his lap.

Peter huffs. "I wasn't trying to be obvious..." He smiles at Alpine. "I thought he was gonna undress in front of me, Buck. I took him seriously when he said he wanted a photoshoot." He groans.

Bucky cackles, flicking a crumb from his sandwich at Peter. “He ain’t gonna make it that easy, Pete. Sam certainly didn’t for me.”

Peter sighs dramatically. "What do I do? I don't wanna come off too strong, but I wanna hang out with him again."

Bucky spins in his fancy chair, before getting up, rounding his desk to give Peter a pat on the shoulder. "You can invite him to hang out with your other friends. Make it seem less like a date." He offers.

Peter nods, smiling. "Yeah! I could invite him to hang out with Ned and MJ. We were gonna go to a lecture at the Smithsonian... Do you think he likes that kinda thing?"

Bucky wheels Peter around in the chair, before tipping it forward and spilling Peter out onto the floor. "Why don't you go ask him, Pete? I've got a meeting in a few minutes."

Peter yelps as he's dumped onto the floor. "Fine! I will." He huffs, standing up and dusting himself off. "Blaming you if it goes terrible!" He calls behind him as he leaves. 

He runs into Joaquín on the way out. "Hey! I was gonna text you, but, uh... would you wanna go to a lecture about sharks this weekend at the Smithsonian? Me and my friends are going so I thought you might wanna come. If you aren't busy." He gives a nervous smile, fiddling with his hands.

Joaquín has a big smile when he's invited somewhere. And with Peter's friends! "I'd love to go, Pete. You gotta tell me about your friends." He waves at Bucky through the office door, before guiding Peter outside.

Peter looks so happy, smiling just as wide. "We met in highschool together, and now we go to college, but MJ is getting her degree in mathematics, and Ned is in computer science. Ned is my lego building buddy..." He happily rambles to Joaquín.

Joaquín looks content just listening to Peter ramble about his friends. Joaquín has a few distant friends, and this is a big reminder for him to call them up and make sure they're doing okay. Thankfully he takes frequent visits to Miami to see his old friends.

Peter chats with Joaquín for a while, but he can't help but overhear with his enhanced hearing that Bucky is going on another mission with his team. He decides that tonight he wants to make sure that Bucky is safe. Personally.

Joaquín waves at Peter when the two eventually have to part ways, and he heads back to his apartment, greeting his excited pup. 

Bucky heads out that night with the Thunderbolts, the group having intentions on raiding a former HYDRA base that has been overtaken by equally as awful people.

Peter perches on top of the roof across from the Thunderbolts compound, and he swings after the group, following them through the city.

Bucky looks unimpressed when the team piles out of their van, Alexei and Walker already arguing with one another. "Guys. Guys, can we focus for two seconds?"

Walker and Alexei grumble at each other. Alexei gets to work taking out cameras, and Walker works on opening the door they are trying to go through. 

Peter watches carefully, making sure Bucky isn't in danger. He doesn't want to interfere, but he won't stand by and let Bucky get hurt.

Of course Bucky is the first one fired at, and he throws himself into the building, occasionally covered by Walker's shield, but for the most part blocking bullets with his metal arm.

Peter quickly finds a way into the building, and he starts webbing up people. 

Walker literally screams when he sees a blur of red and blue shooting webs. "What the fuck!?" 

Alexei laughs. "Yes! It is the Spider-Man!"

"What the fuck is that!?" Bucky grabs at the man swinging around, literally throwing the spider to the ground. "Is he HYDRA!?" He quickly asks Alexei.

"No!!" Peter and Alexei shout at the same time. 

"He is vigilante! I watch him on YouTubes." Alexei chuckles. 

"Aw, thanks man, that means a lot-" Peter starts saying, then shoots a web at a person behind them, knocking the gun out of their hand.

Bucky looks confused, before taking a gun from his hip, knocking someone across the face with his metal fist as he fires the pistol at an agent behind Peter. "And why are you here?"

Peter rolls out of the way, tripping another agent with a web. "Helping!" He says quickly, which doesn't really answer the question. He yanks himself up onto the ceiling, sticking there. 

Alexei grins. "Look at him go!" He punches an agent, knocking them out cold.

Bucky looks entirely exhausted with this operation already. "Good lord, this is a nightmare." He runs his hand down his face.

The spider actually ends up being fairly helpful, which pisses Walker off. "Quit taking my shots!" He shouts, annoyed.

Bucky nearly gets whipped in the head with Walker's shield, and he scowls. "Stop fuckin' wavin' that thing around!" He growls.

Walker grumbles, hitting an agent in the head with it. He blinks when suddenly it's snatched from him by a web. "Hey!" 

"Sorry!" Peter uses the shield himself, doing so with more agility than Walker. "Just gotta borrow this!"

Bucky fights alongside the agile spider pretty well, covering for Peter when he can and grabbing Peter by the ankle whenever Peter is about to haul himself into the line of fire.

Peter is panting when they finally take out everyone, and he leans against a pillar, holding his side. He looks down, moving his hand to see that it's covered in blood. "Ah, shit..."

Bucky moves to sit Peter down, "You need medical, kid." He says firmly, moving Peter's hands away to check out the wound. "Does this costume come off?"

Peter shakes his head quickly."I-I'll be okay. I heal. Eventually." 

Walker rolls his eyes, snatching back his shield. "We all eventually heal."

"Are you a mutant?" Bucky asks, before realizing the question is probably a stupid one. "I can tear a hole where the wound is if you don't want to take this thing off."

Peter nods to both questions. "Yeah, I'm a mutant." He chuckles. "And I just wanna keep the mask on, please."

Bucky nods, before helping Peter push the suit down enough to expose the wound, starting to tend to it. "You're a brave idiot, kid."

Peter laughs a little, wincing when Bucky touches his wound. "I just wanted to help." 

Walker narrows his eyes. "How did you find this place?" He drills. 

"I, uh... I got a tip about it." Peter lies.

Bucky takes note of the obvious lie, focusing on the wound. "From who? I need to know if our tip-man is compromised."

Peter gulps. "Ah, uh... you know, we might have the same tip-man. Actually, that's probably it!"

Bucky frowns. "You were following us." He says pointedly.

Peter tenses up. "... yes." He admits. "I saw you headed here and I followed." Not necessarily a lie.

Bucky nods, pressing down on the wound. "Why were you following?"

Peter hisses as Bucky presses on his wound. "I-I told you, I wanted to help!"

Bucky keeps his finger on the wound, narrowing his eyes. "Why us specifically?"

Peter breathes harder. "I-I know who you are, B-Bucky Barnes. I wanna be like you!"

Bucky's eyes widen a little, and he releases the wound. "Was Captain America like... not on your list? Why me?"

Peter relaxes once the pressure is released from his wound. "I just... think you do a lot of good. Especially for mutants." 

Alexei puts a hand on his chest. "Aww..."

Bucky blinks, genuinely baffled as he moves to continue patching up the wound. "You and not many others, kid."

Peter shrugs. "Everybody else is wrong." He seems like he really believes that. "You're the only one in congress pushing for real change."

Bucky waves Peter off. "I don't care much for compliments, kid. Promise, if you want an autograph, I don't really do that kinda thing." He rolls his eyes, standing up once Peter's wound is wrapped up. "Now go home. And stay there."

Peter gets up, adjusting his suit a bit. "I'm okay without an autograph." He chuckles. "And I can't promise I'll stay home." 

Alexei crosses his arms. "How old are you, spider?" 

Peter puts his hands on his hips. "That's rude! You never ask a lady her age!" He thwips himself up, swinging himself onto the ceiling and crawling away.

Bucky watches the spider scurry away, shaking his head with an amused look. 

"What a weirdo."