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Bucky Barnes liked to bake.
There, he said it.
He thought no one would find out, but Sam did. Of course Sam did. Sam always knew everything about Bucky. To his surprise he was never teased about it nor was it brought it up much, so that was a bonus. Sam knowing Bucky and being there for him was one of the reasons that made Bucky unexpectedly fall so hard for the man in the first place. He knew Sam didn't like him back and he accepted the fact Sam probably never would, but what he never expected was a batch of vanilla cupcakes to change that.
It happened a random night after a stressful day. They just got back from a mission and Sam immediately went to clean up and go to bed. Bucky tried not to stare as Sam stripped out of his dirty, slightly blooded suit. He failed, obviously. As Sam had once told him- he had a serious staring problem. On the other hand, Bucky had another thing in mind. Something about just measuring and mixing together a bunch of ingredients felt like a better stress reliever for him rather than sleep.
After changing out of his own gear and taking a quick shower, he bid goodnight to Sam and went straight to the kitchen.
Being roommates with Sam didn't just mean he wouldn't ever be able to escape his feelings, but it also meant they were almost always out of food. Luckily for him, they went out grocery shopping the day before and topped up on pretty much everything. Ever since Sam found out about Bucky's hobby, the man made sure to buy extra ingredients for him. Damn it why was Sam like this? Bucky scanned the cabinets to see what they had, and started pulling boxes of ingredients out-- flour, sugar, baking soda.. A good start.
He pretty much had the basic recipes for most desserts engraved in his mind, so he decided a batch of cupcakes would do. Immediately he set off to baking, getting into his element of flowing through the kitchen and pulling out utensils and bowls like he'd done a million times before. He made sure to be quiet though, as to not wake up Sam. The man deserved to rest after all.
It must've been just after midnight by the time Bucky got the batch of cupcakes into the oven and began working on the frosting. Vanilla, a classic (and also one of Sam's favorites). Bucky kept checking the clock- 5 minutes, 10, 15... When it hit 20 he took them out of the oven with a gloved hand and placed the tray on the cooling rack they owned. They looked.. decent. They smelled great, atleast.
It was as if on cue he heard the bedroom door creak open. He looked up instinctively and was met by a dozy Sam who was leaning against the doorframe. The man wore a loose white t-shirt and a pair of shorts and he'd never looked more beautiful in his sleep-ridden state. Bucky's thoughts got quickly disrupted as Sam spoke, "Baking again, are we Buck?"
The way he said Bucky's name in that hoarse voice made him want to explode.
He tore his gaze away, leaning forward on his fists which rested upon the kitchen counter, "Did I wake you up?"
"Nah, don't worry. I was thirsty, plus I wasn't really asleep anyway." Sam shook his head and let out a quiet, dry laugh. Bucky just stared at his balled up hands. Sam eventually spoke again, "What are you making this time?"
"Oh.. cupcakes. Vanilla." He suddenly remembered the dozen he'd left to cool and turned around, glad to have a reason to not just stare at Sam.
"Vanilla? My favourite." He didn't need to be looking to know Sam had a smile on his face. He heard the man push off the doorframe from where he was leaning on and walk towards the kitchen, heavy footsteps drawing closer.
"I figured I'd make something for you." Why would he say that? Oh my God. It was silent for a moment, then, "..Oh. Thank you, Buck." Bucky kept his back turned and focused very hard on piping the icing, not saying anything else incase his brain decided to just confess everything then and there. Movement came from somewhere behind him and he heard the clink of a glass and the pouring of water.
Sam had sat down at one of the island stools now, sipping silently on the glass of water he'd gotten for himself.
Bucky finally finished with the frosting and took a step back to inspect the finished product. Not too bad if he said so himself. He turned to find Sam already watching him, both hands gripped on the glass steadily. Bucky didn't know what else to do but stare back, and they let the silence stretch out awkwardly for way too long. Blue eyes met brown. He was suddenly very aware of his current state, with flour-stained clothes and messy hair and frosting covered fingers--
"So they're done, then?" Sam was the first to break the silence and the eye contact, dark eyes darting to the cupcakes on the rack. Bucky nodded, turning his back and reaching with his metal arm to grab one. He held it in his hand, eyeing his creation before holding it out to Sam.
The man stood up abruptly and walked around the counter right up to Bucky to take it. Okay, he didn't expect that. They were awfully close now, should Bucky step back? Would Sam?
He didn't. So Bucky didn't.
Without much hesitation, Sam bit into the cupcake. Immediately his eyes closed and he let out a delighted sort of sound (which Bucky admittedly wished to hear again).
"Oh my God, Buck!"
Sam's gaze gradually focused back on Bucky now. Hopefully Bucky's cheeks didn't appear as warm as they felt, yet he managed to keep a neutral expression and cocked his head slightly, "So, how does it taste?"
Sam took another bite, and as the cupcake moved away from his mouth Bucky couldn't help but notice the dabble of frosting left behind on Sam's lips, which looked incredibly soft in the moment. If only he could just reach out and.. Stop. He immediately tore his gaze away from Sam's lips as his eyes flicked back up, hoping the man hadn't noticed the 2 second.. 'distraction'. But from the way Sam was watching him with a near unreadable expression, his gut told him Sam had definitely noticed.
Bucky instead cleared his throat and looked away automatically, repeating his question. "Well, how is it?"
Sam stayed silent a second or two longer- how long did it take to come up with an answer? Were they that bad? Had Bucky messed up by staring too long?--
"Why don't you try it for yourself?"
Before Bucky could even process what Sam had just said, he felt the sensation of soft lips crashing into his. The icing he was observing earlier tasted insanely sweet against his lips, and he couldn't help but swipe his tongue over it. He had to admit it tasted better coming from Sam's mouth rather than on a cupcake. Sam let out another sound similar to earlier which seemed to ignite something in Bucky's stomach, yet he pulled away so they were millimeters apart. He didn't want to mess this up. "Sam?- Are you sure-"
"Do you want this or not, Buck?" Sam's soft voice cut through his, but as Bucky searched his eyes his stare told a different story. It was full of.. need.
Bucky said nothing, as that was all he needed to know, and closed the distance again. Months of pent up feelings pouring into one slow, gentle kiss. Sam Wilson actually liked him back. He couldn't believe it. Bucky found himself with his hand gripped on Sam's waist, pulling him in, while the other cupped the man's cheek. He pushed Sam back until he heard a thud against the kitchen counter and a grunt. Sam's own hands traveled up and down Bucky's back before one rested in his hair and the other on his shoulder. There was still a distinct hint of vanilla in Sam's mouth from the cupcakes, which Bucky made sure to try and taste, earning yet another groan from Sam. This felt even better than what he ever imagined it to be, Bucky literally felt like he was on cloud nine.
After a long moment, this time Sam had pulled away, leaving Bucky chasing for more. "So, what do you think?"
Bucky pondered an answer, a small smirk spreading across his face. "Not bad. The recipe could use some work though." Sam grinned back and Bucky tilted Sam's chin, smearing a bit of frosting at the corner of his mouth with a stained thumb in the process. Bucky leaned in and kissed him more aggressively this time, wanting to savor every moment of this night. He could definitely get used to this.
The vanilla cupcakes were quickly left forgotten on the side of the counter.
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