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Steve is an Insufferable Morning Person
Harry blinked awake slowly, taking a moment to come around, and then smiled as he snuggled his back into the chest of his soulmate…well, one of them anyway.
He had been blessed, or cursed, it was honestly more of a curse, with three soulmates. A rarity in a world when souls were mostly split into two. Three was one in a million, but having a soul split into four, that was one in a billion, which meant that Harry had to put up with three other men in his life.
“Morning, darlin’.” The sleepy slur came from behind him, even as the arm around his body pulled him in tighter, closer to a strong chest.
“Morning, Buck.” Harry greeted, stretching as much as he could and then wriggling in the tight hold until he was facing his soulmate. He pecked those dry lips before tucking his head under the bristly chin.
“Steve and Sam have gone running.”
“Urgh.” Harry grunted in complaint.
He wasn’t really a morning person, and he wasn’t a running person either. Steve would run every single morning ‘to set him up for the day’ and Sam would usually go with him in some sort of competition seeing as Steve was an enhanced super soldier and there was no way Sam would ever be able to keep up, not that it prevented him from trying.
Bucky would sometimes go with them, but he was much more likely to stay in bed with him, wrapped around him, snuggling while Harry slept for another few hours. They had found that Harry slept much better when he had someone in bed with him and it kept his night terrors at bay ninety per cent of the time.
It had take a lot of work to get used to spending his nights with three other men. Harry had accepted that he needed therapy and he had agreed to go, even if he had started out tentatively. He was much more settled now. He had a schedule, a routine, and he was much happier.
He had been with Steve, Bucky, and Sam now for several months and now, he could hardly sleep if he wasn’t in bed with them. How quickly, how drastically, things changed.
Bucky chuckled, then kissed the top of his head. “It’s mid-morning.”
“If it’s not past ten then it’s not mid-morning. Five AM is not morning.”
“It’s the time the rest of us class as morning.”
“You’re all idiots, that’s why.” Harry said grumpily. “How did I get three morning people as soulmates anyway?”
“You just got lucky I guess.”
Harry scoffed, hard. Bucky chuckled again and started stroking through his nest of black hair.
“Fate royally fucked up sticking me with morning people.” Harry complained sleepily.
Bucky kissed his head again, then nuzzled in and Harry hummed happily, worming one of his arms out from against their chests and throwing it over Bucky’s back, his fingers stroking soft patterns onto the skin.
He knew that Bucky loved this soft touch, though he never said anything. This was why Bucky liked staying in bed with him, Harry was sure. It wasn’t just that Harry slept better with someone with him, it was that Bucky liked the feeling of soft fingertips dancing over his skin, but he’d never ask for it.
Bucky was still broken in many ways, though he was now sleeping in a proper bed, and not under a blanket on the floor. But he wouldn’t ask for trivial things, for soft touches and kisses, as he still felt that he didn’t deserve them. Harry made sure to touch and kiss him as often as humanly possible.
He was drifting again, wrapped in Bucky’s arms, his fingers still drawing random patterns on Bucky’s back, when fucking Steve came in to ruin their peace.
“It’s eight AM and you’re still not up?” He demanded.
“Fuck off, Steve.” Harry complained, having been jolted unpleasantly from his dozing. “Eight is too early!”
“You’re wasting the morning!” Steve replied.
“Enjoying it more like.” Harry muttered and Bucky chuckled sleepily.
Harry squeezed his soulmate tighter, shuffling closer and Bucky readjusted himself to hold him better, and Harry settled against him with a happy sigh.
“You two are impossible!” Steve insisted. “Sam and I have been awake since five, we’ve had a two hour run, we’ve had a shower and breakfast, and you two haven’t even gotten out of bed.”
“Steve, sweetie, I love you, but if you don’t fuck off I’m going to knock you out.” Harry grumbled. “Come back at ten.”
Bucky laughed. Steve huffed but he did actually leave the room. He was probably going to go and get Sam and make another attack on their cosy morning.
Harry cuddled back into Bucky and heaved a happy sigh, settling back down to sleep. His fingers took up drawing on Bucky’s skin again and he felt the almost minute shiver of pleasure that went through his soulmate. He smiled and swirled his fingers.
“He’s not going to let us stay here until ten.”
“He better.” Harry grumbled. “Stupid morning people.”
Harry dozed off again, fingers still barely moving on Bucky’s skin. He snuffled softly as Bucky pulled him in tighter to his chest.
They were left alone, to rest and doze, not properly sleeping, not now, when Steve came back to disturb them.
“I swear you’re asking for an argument, Steve.” Harry said, slitting open an eye to glare at him.
“Sam and I are going for brunch, do you want to come?” Steve asked patiently.
“Time is it?” Harry asked, stretching a little and smiling as Bucky stretched with him and then snatched him back into his arms.
“It’s gone ten.” Steve told him disapprovingly.
“Okay, I’m getting up.” He assured his lover.
“Really?” Steve asked.
“Yes, really.” Harry said, rolling his eyes. “I need a piss and I’m hungry.”
Bucky got up first, crawling out of the warm, cosy bed, and Harry immediately rolled into his warm spot, burying his nose into the pillow and inhaling deeply the smell of one of his soulmates.
“You will fall back to sleep doing that.” Steve said, though he sounded too fond to be truly upset.
“Warm.” Harry murmured. “Soft.”
A hand slapped his arse and Harry jolted, then turned a glare to his lover.
“Okay, Steve. I’m up!”
Harry sat up and then moaned unhappily as he met the slightly cooler air.
Steve gave him a loving smile, then held out his hands.
“Don’t trust me to get up on my own?” Harry complained.
“You? No.” Steve said with a laughing smile. “The minute my back is turned you’ll be back in that bed, fast asleep.”
“You’re all horrible to me. I need my sleep.”
“You can’t waste the whole day in bed.”
“I could if you’d bloody let me.” Harry groused, taking hold of Steve’s offered hands and allowing his super strong lover to heft him out of bed.
Of course Harry was pulled straight into a tight cuddle and Steve bent to kiss him. Harry wrapped his arms around Steve’s neck, playing with the short blonde hair at the back of his head, as he deepened their kiss to a proper snog.
“Go on, go and get ready so we can take you out for brunch.” Steve chided him.
Harry hummed happily and gave Steve a last kiss and then headed to the bathroom, dancing around Bucky to get ready.
Harry dressed casually, wearing his own jeans but snagging one of Bucky’s shirts, which was only slightly too big on him, which was hilarious in his opinion when Bucky was so much bigger than him, but both he and Steve insisted on wearing too small, too tight tee-shirts for some reason. Harry thought it was because they liked showing off their muscles to their soulmates; they both vehemently denied this.
Harry padded out to their shared living area and he went right over to Sam and wrapped his arms around his neck, kissing him when Sam turned his head to face him.
“Finally up?” He teased.
Harry hummed, moving around the settee and sitting next to Sam, cuddling in.
“Oh, so not quite awake yet?” Sam chuckled.
“Steve’s fault for not letting me get up naturally.”
“There is nothing natural about staying in bed until ten in the morning!” Steve told him.
“Night owl, not a morning person.” Harry grumbled.
“Steve, your nineteen-hundreds is showing.” Sam said with a laugh.
“Steve, we’ve talked about you walking around with that out.” Bucky said, joining them. “It’s considered indecent.”
Steve heaved a sigh, but he smiled at them as well. He and Bucky greeted one another properly, immediately. They had been together for so long, knowing they were soulmates from childhood. Losing one another had only deepened their bond and they clung to one another tightly.
Hydra had almost ripped them apart, Harry and Sam had almost never met Bucky, only the Winter Soldier, before Steve had almost thrown everything away to save his soulmate. He had gone against his friends, his team, whole countries, to rescue Bucky from Hydra, and it had been worth it.
“You’re all jokesters this morning.”
He sounded fond, and happy. The four of them were finally complete. All four parts of their soul together and whole at last. It was an euphoric feeling.
Harry tucked his face into Sam, smelling his aftershave and feeling like he was home. He was with the people he belonged with. Of course Steve was an insufferable morning person, but Harry loved him too. One day he would get Steve to stay in bed with him though. It was an ongoing mission.
“Come on then.” Steve chided. “We’re going to that nice café that I know you like.”
Harry took a last smell of Sam, then stood and held his hand out. Sam took it with a smile and Harry laced their fingers together.
“I see you raided Bucky’s wardrobe again. You should know he has terrible taste in clothes.” Sam told him.
“Why not when it pretty much fits me?” He teased.
“It’s too big for you.” Bucky argued immediately. “Though keep wearing it, I like seeing you wear my clothes.”
“Possessive and territorial, just like a little Jack Russell. Piss on me too, why don’t you?”
“No need.” Bucky said and Harry turned to look at him, and he saw the smug smirk on his face and rolled his eyes.
“You all dress like old men.” Harry complained, grinning to himself, knowing that they hated it when he called them old men.
“Sorry we’re not all hip like you youngsters.” Steve teased.
“Steve, that sentence really showed that you’re a centenarian.” Harry replied. “No one says ‘hip’ anymore, not unless you’re speaking of breaking one.”
Sam laughed and he squeezed Harry’s hand.
“The rules change too quickly for me to keep up.” Steve said with a grin.
Harry knew that he didn’t even try to keep up. It was part of his charm as Captain America that he was hot and sexy, but like a cute grandfather too. Harry thought it was just weird and he hated thinking of Steve being like a grandfather, for as much as he teased him and Bucky about their ages.
“Sam, call the nursing home. They’ve lost one of their residents.” Harry teased.
“Do you want brunch or not?” Steve asked, sounding annoyed, but he was smiling fondly too.
“I’ll behave.” Harry said with a grin.
“Liar.” Bucky accused.
“Well, for ten minutes at least. Until I get my breakfast.”
“That sounds more like it.” Sam agreed.
They made it to the café, the patrons of which, of course, fawned over his soulmates for the heroes they were, while Harry was free to pick an empty table and choose what he wanted to eat in peace while they had an impromptu photoshoot. Harry was so glad that that wasn’t him. He’d have died on the spot.
“Sorry about that, babe.” Sam said, sliding into the seat next to him.
“It’s fine.” Harry waved off. “As long as the vultures leave me alone, I’m happy with you all doing your neighbourly duty…civic duty? Whatever it is.”
“We don’t like you being left out. We came out to treat you to brunch, not to leave you sitting at the table on your own.”
Harry waved it away. “I honestly don’t care, Sam. I don’t mind. Besides, I got to pick what I wanted in peace.”
Sam gave him a nice smile, then kissed him.
“Tell me what you want and I’ll go and order. Bucky is about to sink into the floor though.”
Harry looked up quickly at that and saw the crowd around Steve and Bucky, and how much Bucky was pulling back.
“Bucky!” He called out loudly, hating that all the attention was suddenly on him. “I need you a sec!”
Harry shivered in horror at having been in the spotlight as the gazes moved back to Steve, even as Bucky quickly hurried over, grateful for the excuse to leave.
“Thank you.” Bucky said tightly, giving him a soft touch.
“Steve should have been on top of that.” Harry said, watching as Steve took some last photos, then insisted that he sit down for brunch with his soulmates.
“What do you want, Buck?” Sam asked, looking through the menu.
“Pancakes.” Bucky said. He’d slipped into single word answers…that situation had gotten to him more than he was trying to let on.
Harry slipped a hand onto Bucky’s tensed thigh, and he started rubbing gently, until the muscles relaxed a little under his hand.
Bucky’s arm was thrown over his shoulders and Harry was happy to have it there.
Steve finally got away from his fans long enough to join them and they were served very quickly. A perk of being heroes of the city, or some such. Harry didn’t care as he ate pancakes covered in fresh fruit, drinking a cappuccino.
“I’ve got a VA meeting this afternoon.” Sam said, after checking his phone when it beeped. “Shit, it’s my turn to cook dinner.”
“I’ll cover you.” Harry assured him, then took a sip of his coffee.
“You sure?” Sam asked. “You cooked last night.”
Harry waved him off. “It’s fine. Those meetings are important for a lot of people. Cancelling on them isn’t an option. Not for something as trivial as cooking dinner.”
“God, I love you.” Sam sighed, leaning over to kiss him.
Harry hummed happily and cupped that chin, getting a proper kiss.
“Don’t you forget it, either.” Harry teased, turning back to his coffee.
“Never will.” Sam assured him.
“None of us will ever forget.” Bucky said quietly from his other side.
“I love you all too, even if you are all insufferable morning people.”
The three of them laughed, and Harry settled in and smiled at his soulmates. They were all older than him. Steve and Bucky were ridiculously old, but then, that wasn’t strictly their faults. The both of them had been frozen in time, Steve for sixty odd years and Bucky on and off for seventy years.
He understood now, and they understood him, and why he needed them, and not someone his own age, or even someone closer to his own age. He couldn’t deal with the childishness after what he’d been through. He needed their gentle teasing, their all-out banter, but, most of all, he needed their patience. Patience that they had gained through life experience.
They looked after him so well and coached him through every hurdle and obstacle in his life. They helped with his nightmares. They soothed his anger when he got triggered by something that threw him into a flashback, or a deep rooted fear. They supported him through therapy. They cared for him in all the ways that he needed. They loved him just as much, despite that he had been the last one to join their bond. He never felt left out, pushed aside, or unloved, or uncared for and he was always appreciated. He was like the spoiled brat of the group and he smirked behind his coffee mug. He could live with being the spoiled one as long as they always loved and cared for him.
He could definitely do without the five AM wake up calls though. Damn morning people.
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