Chapter 15
“Buck,” Sam whispered, shaking Bucky’s body gently, running a hand through his hair, kissing his eyelids. Too violent of a wakeup could make their day much less cheery.
“Hmm?” He moaned, and instead of getting off of Sam like he'd wanted, Bucky rolled completely on top of Sam, punching the air out of his chest.
Sam rolled his eyes, unsure as to why he was even still surprised by Bucky’s actions. “Oof,” he complained.
“Are you callin’ me fat?” Bucky mumbled, eyes still closed, snuggling deeper into Sam’s body, like crushing him was this mornings goal.
“If the shoe fits,” Sam snarks. “Those PopTarts are going somewhere.”
“You’re an asshole,” Bucky comments, but doesn’t seem all too bothered, beginning to press kisses to Sam’s throat.
Now, Sam’s the one moaning. “I’m kidding right - you know that?”
Bucky pouts, and its the one that means he’s faking. He’s got a tell - his lip curls up just the slightest. It always makes Sam smile.
“My feelings are kinda hurt,” Bucky frowns slightly. “I think you’ll have to make it up to me.”
Sam squeezes his ass, showing his appreciation. “Sorry, Buck. That doesn't work on me anymore,” he singsongs. “Besides, your body is amazing.”
Bucky leans into Sam’s touches. “Really? I think you’ll have to prove it to me.”
Now fully awake, Sam gathers his strength and flips Bucky over so he’s on top. “Now how would I go about doing that?”
Under him, Bucky grins. “Well you can start by -“
“Morning guys, there’s breakfast on the counter - oh, uh sorry.” It’s Steve peeking his head into their room, looking all too sheepish for someone who hadn't really walked in on anything.
But Bucky tightens his hold around Sam’s waist like he feels threatened, or that Sam is. He runs a soothing hand down Bucky’s sides, because he doesn’t blame him.
“It’s just Steve,” he calms. “He surprised me too.” Sam knows Steve can probably hear him, and wonders what he thinks about his new friend being there like this for his oldest. It must be a little disconcerting. “We’ll be down in a minute.”
Steve’s footsteps disappear, and only then does Bucky’s grip on him relax.
“You alright?” Sam asks casually. He knows Bucky hates how he checks in, but its in his nature.
Bucky nods. “And I knew that was Steve, by the way.”
“How?” Sam presses a kiss to Bucky’s chin, bringing his smile back.
He shrugs. “His footsteps haven't changed. Even before the serum he had big feet. With the extra height and weight his gait changed a bit, but not much. He walks the same now as he did in the forties.”
“Trust me,” Bucky continues, “I wouldn't have let anyone uninvited inside this house. They’d be dead before they even knew what happened.”
“As weirdly hot is that is, most people generally find murder unacceptable.”
Bucky snorts. “Uh, I read the constitution and shit. Killing intruders is legal.”
Sam snorts. “Of course that’s what you’d read. Why didn't you check out some immigration laws or something?”
Bucky looks affronted. “i did.”
“Course you did.” Sam rolls his eyes.
“What?” Bucky exclaims. “Can I do nothing right?”
“I’m just utterly impressed by my intelligent, gorgeous boyfriend.” Sam presses a kiss to Bucky’s lips.
He chuckles. “Oh doll. Are you tryin’ to get in my pants?”
Sam hesitates playfully. “Actually. Yes. I think I’m supposed to be ravishing your body or something, right?”
“Exactly.”
They kiss lazily for a few moments, before Sam begins whispering into his ear.
“I’m gonna touch every part of your body, baby. With my tongue,” Sam breathes, watching Bucky shiver. “And then I’m gonna fuck you. It’s gonna be so good. I’m going to make it so good for you, Buck. I just need you to do one thing.”
Eyes wide, hands searching, Bucky asks what. “What, Sam?”
Sam smiles against his skin. “You know that red henley you always wear?” Bucky nods. “The one that shows everything? Your arms, your abs. Your nipples when its cold.”
To prove his point, Sam dunks down and licks at his chest. Bucky gasps.
“I want you to wear it,” Sam says slowly. “While I fuck you.”
“Yes,” Bucky moans. “I can, I’ll - “
Sam puts out a hand to stop him. “Stop baby. After breakfast!”
He crawls off of a stunned, horny Bucky, who looks at him with wide eyes.
“What?” Sam teases, a little bothered himself.
“You’re a kinky bastard.”
Sam throws his pout back at him. “Aw, baby. Come on, I think Steve made pancakes.”
“Sure,” Bucky calls, as Sam exits the bedroom. “After I adjust my dick!”
*
In between sultry glances at Sam, Bucky pouts his way through breakfast while Steve talks smack about the waffle maker shaped like his shield, all the while shoving more food on both Sam and Bucky’s plates.
It’s strange that this is Sam’s life.
“Thanks for breakfast, Stevie,” Bucky comments. “Sleep well last night?”
Steve chokes on his sip of orange juice and Sam pats him gently on the back, which only makes Steve blush harder.
“You alright?” Sam asks concernedly, missing Bucky’s wicked look.
Steve smiles weakly. “I slept fine. Like a log. Wanna go for a run, Sam?”
This time, Sam’s the one smiling like a sap. “Yeah, Steve. I -“
“Have other obligations,” Bucky finishes smoothly. “Right?”
He rolls his eyes, but Sam is not easily flustered by Bucky’s shenanigans. “Like what, kicking your ass?”
“Kissing it, perhaps.” Bucky supplies.
Sam wouldn't have thought it possible, but somehow, Steve’s face gets even redder. “Well I’ll leave you guys to it.” Steve drops his plate in the sink, and with one last awkward smile, makes himself scarce.
Sam glares at his idiot boyfriend to let him know that he is not happy. “What was that all about? You scared Steve right out of the house.”
He rolls his eyes, but Bucky can’t keep the grin off of his face. “Steve’s just mad cause he’s not gettin’ none.”
“Shouldn’t you two be trying to get to know one another again?”
Bucky frowns. “I know Steve. I’m different now, and so is he. But the core things that make Steve Rogers, Steve Rogers? Those are still the same.”
“Then what’s the problem?” Sam asks curiously. He didn't want to press. But if talking could get Bucky and Steve closer on the path they were before, then he'd try it.
“I’m not,” Bucky says, brushing a strand of his hair behind his ear. “But I don’t want him to know it.”
“Come here,” Sam suggests, and Bucky moves over to sit on top of Sam, like he isn’t a grown ass man. “Steve loves you,” Sam says. He is thankful that Bucky can’t see his face, because it may betray him.
“He’ll love you no matter who you choose to be. Besides, who says you're all that different?” Sam wonders aloud. “I’ve heard enough stories from Steve to know who you are.”
Bucky shifts in Sam’s hold, resting his head against Sam’s shoulder.
“Bucky Barnes is brave, kind and impossibly strong. He’s always got a good joke, always offers a helping hand. He’s a joy to be around. But guess what? These are things I’ve learned not only because Steve told me so, but because I know you. You’ve had a lot of shit happen to you and you deserve to be whoever you want to be. The thing is, the man you are hasn’t changed one bit.”
Bucky goes quiet for a bit, and Sam listens to him breathe. “Can we watch a movie?” he eventually asks.
Sam can think of nothing better, and the two of them shuffle over to the sofa. Bucky hands Sam the remote, and he selects an old episode of Star Trek that they’ve both already seen.
What they watch doesn’t matter much anyway.
“If you just wanted to cuddle, you could’ve told me,” Sam teases.
“I love you, Sam.” Bucky says. “And thank you. Even if I had a hundred more lifetimes I will never be able to thank you enough.”
“What for?” Sam asks.
“For saving my life.” Bucky looks down at his hands. “You save me everyday that I get to wake up next to you.”
Sam smiles. “I love you too, Buck.”
When Steve arrives home from his run, he finds a sleeping Bucky and a dozing Sam, who wakes when Steve’s key turns in the lock.
Steve goes to apologize, but Sam simply shakes his head, welcoming him over. He sits, on Sam’s left, and tries to ignore the warmth that fills his chest from being so close to Sam and Bucky.
It doesn’t work.
*
The cuddle pile thing doesn’t go away. You’d think it would get weird, but it never does - which probably says more about how they feel about each other than anything else.
‘Let’s watch a movie’ becomes their code for when someone needs cuddle time. They watch the film until one by one they drift off into sleep, sprawling bodies and long limbs on a too small sofa.
Sam doesn’t mind. He’s just glad that Bucky is almost back to normal. The possessiveness has tempered down to an acceptable level. Bucky still marks up Sam’s neck like it’s his job, in the places his collar doesn’t hide. He keeps a hand on the small of Sam’s back even when the only other person in sight is Steve.
It amuses Sam to no end, especially when Bucky’s the one that’s going to end up leaving him.
But the best part of the cuddle pile, by far, is that it gets Bucky and Steve talking. Sam’s presence, even when he’s gloriously passed out against Bucky’s side, seems to act as a mediator.
They're smiling, laughing together. Easier.
They make plans. To go on trips, to travel to farmer's markets and summer fairs. Concerts and movies. They include Sam in all of them.
“You know, you guys don’t have to invite me every time you go out.” Sam mentions it over breakfast one day.
Bucky’s just beginning to tuck into his stack of waffles when Sam says this, but he sets his fork down. “Why wouldn’t we?”
Sam shrugs. “You’re best friends. You can do stuff on your own.”
“I’ve got two best friends, Sam.”
He rolls his eyes, but Sam is touched as hell. He explores D.C. with them, but sometimes stays home after making his excuses.
Those times, Bucky stares him down like he knows exactly what Sam’s doing, and he probably does.
For someone who jokes about being emotionally stunted, Bucky reads people astoundingly well. He wonders if Bucky was always like that, or if that was a skill he learned as the Soldier.
Whether Sam’s with them or not, Steve and Bucky always seem to enjoy their outings. They bring back silly trinkets or gift store gag gifts. Food is Sam’s favorite gift, little boxes of dumplings, slices of pizza, still warm. Half-melted ice cream, or thick turkey burgers from that joint down the block.
The most exciting day, however, was when Bucky discovered Falcon merchandise.
Bucky knew about all the Cap stuff, but he had no idea that Falcon had a fanbase.
"What is all this?” Sam asked calmly, eyeing the full Target bags.
“Sam,” Bucky whispered. “It’s stuff. With your face on it.”
“Steve? Why’d you let him?”
“He picked out half of this shit!” Bucky yelled, and Steve’s red ears betrayed him.
Sam hates both of them, but on that day, they opened every last Falcon toy and laughed over them like three kids on Christmas morning.
The stuff was supposed to be gathering dust in a box downstairs, but Sam had a sneaking suspicion that Bucky was slowly auctioning off the items on Ebay. The amount of cookies in the cabinet does not correlate to Bucky’s Cookie Budget.
Thankfully, today it was just food.
“Chicken and waffles?” Sam is pleasantly surprised when he opens his takeout container. “This is from one of my favorite places in D.C.”
Steve and Bucky just smile, and Sam is instantly suspicious.
“How’d you know?”
Bucky shrugs. “I talked to your mom a couple weeks ago.”
“You didn’t,” Sam laughs. “I bet she was happy.”
Bucky’s tucks his hair behind his ear, shifting like he sometimes does when he’s embarrassed. “You were asleep!”
“I’m not mad, silly. I’m touched. Really. We’ve got to eat now before it's cold. Seriously.”
Everyone laughs and they settle down to eat dinner. Bucky and Steve enjoy the food nearly as much as Sam, and Sam goes to bed happy and warm and full and loved.
Sam drifts off in Bucky’s hold, and the significance of the next day escapes him.