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A lot of people are surprised when Bucky Barnes comes to live in Avengers Tower. Everyone is surprised when he latches onto Bruce as someone to be affectionate towards. Mostly because Bruce is affectionate in return, which was something that only Tony had gotten until then, and only in much smaller doses. Steve is just as stumped as the rest of the team, which is something new when it came to Bucky. Usually the blond supersoldier could come up with an answer for everything.
What Bruce and Bucky have – whatever it is – seems to work for them, though, so the team mostly stays out of it. Natasha had poked around a few times, but whatever she found seemed to satisfy her. She cheerfully refused to share anything with the team, and was just as happy to threaten the team with what would happen if they pestered Bruce or Bucky.
Steve is perplexed by Bucky's willingness to be around someone so much, but it definitely pleases him. Thor has no notion of an indoor voice, so his support is unquestionable. Tony kind of looks like he wants to spy on them most of the time, but that isn't really anything new. When Clint is around rather than at his apartment in Bed Stuy, he seems totally unconcerned with what anyone is up to as long as everyone's okay with what happens.
There's not much to say after that. Bucky ghosts into whatever room Bruce is in and settles into a chair somewhere near him, or sometimes on the floor if Bruce is in the living room on the couch. Bucky is apparently addicted to the feeling of Bruce carding fingers through his hair, and while he occasionally lets Steve do the same, it's almost exclusively Bruce's territory. Bruce is a little headshy and rarely lets Bucky return the favour, but the soldier seems just fine with offering Bruce comfort in other ways. He is definitely far more tactile than his partner, but Bruce prefers it when Bucky shows his affection by bringing him a cup of tea, typing up his notes, or something similar.
Of course, it's Stark who makes things awkward. Bruce spends all night in his lab rather than attending some high society fundraiser, but Tony didn't come home alone and is brazenly discussing his night. Clint is nodding along, death gripping a cup of coffee, and since Steve isn't there, nobody is bothering to tell Tony off. Natasha looks fairly interested. She and Tony often discuss attractive women, since they tend to find the same types eye-catching.
When Bruce enters the kitchen, most of the others don't notice. He's quiet, and the attention is focused on Tony's story. Of course, when the story moves onto the more... 'detailed' areas, Bruce splutters around his mug of tea. Half the kitchen jumps in surprise, unaware of his presence, and the others seem to find it mildly funny. Bucky, who had followed him in a minute ago, looks vaguely concerned that Bruce's face is red and he's coughing.
“Oh my god, did I break Bruce by talking about fucking?” Tony asks, sounding half hopeful and half scandalized. “I really thought it would have happened before this but okay. Wait is he gonna Hulk out? Please don't, I like this kitchen.”
“No, no, I'm fine,” Bruce says. He coughs a few more times before settling. Since he spilled a bit of his tea while coughing, he sets the mug down and reaches for a paper towel to clean up.
“Good. Cause I mean I thought you'd be less awkward since you're probably getting pounded by the cyborg assassin but I mean okay.”
Both Bruce and Bucky make an awkward squeaking noise at that. Bruce yanks his hand down so fast he elbows his mug off the counter, but Bucky catches it just in time, face a flaming red for the first time since he moved into the Tower. He holds it out to Bruce to take rather than setting it back on the counter. Natasha seems to find their reaction very amusing, if her little smirk is anything to go by. Clint is still eyeing them like he's deciding whether or not one of them is going to explode.
“Can I do that again? Bots will get the mess, don't worry about it. Seriously, though, can we do that again, cause I'm pretty sure you won't freak out or let your boyfie murder me, and honestly your faces and also science. There are serious scientific reasons. Please Bruce. I'm serious, there are reasons.”
“Don't break his mug,” Bucky orders, his voice quiet but firm. “Or make him break it.” He gently tugs the paper towel from Bruce's hand and uses it to wipe a bit of tea from the side of the mug before handing it back to his boyfriend. Bruce accepts it and risks a glance at Tony before ducking, his blush returned since Tony is looking gleeful.
Bucky moves around him so he's standing between Bruce and Tony, reaching into the cabinet above him to grab his own mug. He fills it with hot water from the electric kettle sitting in front of him and slides it over to Bruce, letting him choose a tea blend. As Bruce does that, he goes to the fridge to fetch bagels and some cream cheese. Tony resumes his story but keeps a close eye on them as Bucky helps Bruce prepare breakfast for them.
Tony takes a deep breath as Bucky is finishing up with the bagels, but before he even has time to say more than 'hey', Bucky flings a bagel across the kitchen like a small flour-filled frisbee. It lands squarely in Tony's mouth, choking him as he gives an indignant squeal from behind a mouthful of bread and blueberries.
Bucky presses the pad of his thumb to the bottom of Bruce's chin, tilts his head up for a chaste kiss, and then picks up their plates before leaving to the elevator. Tony is still spluttering around the bagel, both hands waving wildly, as Bruce picks up their mugs and follows him. Clint is laughing hysterically, and Natasha gives Bucky a quiet nod of approval as they wait for the elevator. Tony barely has time to howl a 'that's not fair' before the two of them are gone.
“You should apologize later,” Bruce mentions.
“I will,” Bucky promises. “He's just...”
“Such an ass, I know,” Bruce agrees calmly.
At that, Bucky snorts. He's still not totally used to Bruce's dry sense of humour that comes into play at the drop of a hat. It's another thing that the team seems to be in ignorance of, which Bucky considers criminal. Still, as long as the team doesn't know, he has Bruce to himself, and Bucky has always been a bit selfish. The thought of having Bruce to himself as long a they're both happy with it is a pleasing one, and he kisses Bruce's cheek.
“Um?” Bruce asks, startled out of his thoughts. He blinks at Bucky, rather like a suddenly awoken owl, and Bucky can't help a little smile. At that, Bruce smiles back, and shuffles a bit closer to lean against Bucky's shoulder. “Thank you for valiantly defending me with a bagel earlier.”
Bucky chuckles and nuzzles the side of Bruce's head. “Not like he wasn't going to eat two or three of those anyway. They were the blueberry ones.”
“Ah yes, blueberries,” Bruce agrees. The elevator chimes softly and they exit. Bruce's lab is divided into two main parts. Most of it is full of sub-sections and other parts, dedicated to the science that he tends to prefer over human contact. One corner, screened off from the rest with carved wood screens, is
fashioned as a type of tea room. There's a low couch along one wall, with a potted plant on a stand in the corner. Bucky tends to curl up here when Bruce is working, preferring not to be alone but also not needing to be in Bruce's pocket. If either of them want the other closer, it's easy to access both parts of the lab.
Bucky sits down, crossing his legs and waiting for Bruce to also sit down before offering him a plate. In exchange he gets his mug back, which he sniffs at. The wisp of steam smells like fruit and ginger, and he sips at it. He hums at the taste, finding it pleasing, and gives Bruce a brief smile before setting the mug down on the glass-topped table and taking a bite of his bagel. They don't talk much as they eat, but they aren't always the talking type. Silence is just as comfortable for them.
Once they're done, Bucky stacks their plates, then reaches for his mug. He and Bruce end up leaning against each other, both of them sipping at their mugs. Bucky kisses him again once they're done eating and Bruce blushes for an entirely different reason. That makes them both grin, and Bucky presses another quick kiss to his boyfriend's lips before Bruce shuffles off to science. Bucky curls up on the couch, tugging a blanket over him, and closes his eyes. It's still easier for him to sleep when he knows someone is looking out for him, even if he's capable of sleeping under almost any conditions. And Bruce has always been looking out for him.
He knows the others don't always understand what brings them together. But Bucky can relax around Bruce in a way that doesn't happen anywhere else. The Winter Soldier can assault Bruce as much as he likes but he won't find a way to take down the Hulk, and that relieves Bucky immeasurably. If something ever goes wrong, he won't have the unbearable weight of causing someone else's pain pushed on him again. And he isn't the slightest bit afraid of the Hulk, himself. He's met the big guy once or twice, after battles, and the Hulk clearly recognizes him as fondly as Bruce does.
Plus, Bruce is the best person in the Tower to go to when he's stressed or can't sleep. The man is an absolute wizard when it comes to making tea blends that soothe him. And if that doesn't work, he's taught Bucky plenty about his yoga and meditation. When all else fails, he's perfectly fine to stay up and read to Bucky, or to read to himself and simply give Bucky his company. He understands even better than Bucky does that the dark-haired soldier isn't responsible for his actions when he was under Hydra's control. And while he certainly empathizes and knows how to help, he doesn't pity Bucky. He regrets that such a person went through what he did, but he doesn't pity him.
And eventually, somehow, the two of them always manage to make it work.