Chapter 8
Steve’s Ma cried when she saw what her sons had done to the gravestone. For two weeks, she cried almost every day. Every time Bucky ended a call by telling her they’d talk again soon and he loved her. When she had redecorated the house, putting up old and new pictures of her lost child. When not only Bucky, but also Zemo and Sam had left some clothes in Steve’s old room. And sometimes just because.
It reminded Steve of the months after losing Bucky. His Ma had spent hours sobbing while holding a picture or a worn out hoodie Bucky had left at their place. Eventually the tears had run dry, her stare becoming empty and lost when something reminded her of the child that had been taken from her.
This time she stopped crying too, but her eyes had never looked more alive. While there were some awkward silences, mental breakdowns and useless fights, their family was putting itself back together.
Steve would never be able to repay Bucky’s partners for all they did. From what he had been told, it had only been a few months, but they acted like they had been together for years, understanding, supportive and committed beyond belief.
Steve had been overwhelmed with gratitude when he had learned just how low Bucky had been, not only when Sam and Zemo, but also when Natasha and Clint had found his brother. He had been very careful to prove himself to them. While Bucky was a forgiving man, should any of his new protectors believe Steve or his Ma to be bad for him, they’d raise hell.
There had been a lot of chaos and confused screaming when Steve had tried to introduce Bucky and his partners to his friends and it had turned out that Sam had been hanging out with Sharon and Peggy for months. And they hadn’t met Bucky and Zemo yet. Ups. Apparently Sharon was also working for Bucky’s and Sam’s landlady. She had been giving Zemo some weird looks and had muttered something about rent under her breath, but Steve had not been able to figure out what that was about.
All in all, all of their lives were starting to fit together. Steve couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his days with Bucky and their friends by his side.
……
The next month flew by. Sam, Bucky and Zemo finally met each other’s friends, though some of it hadn’t been planned. Zemo drove them insane with holiday preparations. Apparently inviting everyone into his mansion wasn’t enough, he also had to prepare the perfect dinner.
After a week of their boyfriend panicking over what brand of hot chocolate he should have delivered, the day of their departure finally arrived. Steve and his Ma were supposed to swing by around noon so they could drive up to Zemo’s mansion together.
“Samuel!”, Zemo complained. “I can’t find my favorite brand of coffee?”
“Buck packed it so you can have it during the holidays,” Sam explained, watching in amusement as his partner’s irritated frown turned to a soft smile.
“So considerate...”, he muttered. “I will have to marry that man.”
“Wait, why do you get to marry him first?”, Sam teased.
“Well, I dated him first, you have to wait another two months,” Zemo chuckled as he started making coffee with his second favorite brand,
Sam crossed his arms, almost feeling actually offended. “I’ve known him longer!”
“I kissed him first,” Zemo replied with a wink.
“Not if on the cheek counts,” Sam pointed out.
Zemo gave him a dirty smirk. “There are some other firsts James shared with me.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s a draw when it comes to that,” Sam shot back.
“Not untrue…”, Zemo admitted, when the man in question entered the room.
“What are you guys bickering about now?”
“Nothing,” Sam muttered quickly, at the same time as Zemo said, “We are discussing who gets to marry you first.”
A million different emotions flickered over Bucky’s face until he finally settled on confused amusement. “What are your top arguments?”
“I’m taller!”, Sam pointed out and ruffled Zemo’s hair, causing him to pout.
“I’m older!”
Sam tilted his head to the side. “Well, we go by age, you should be marrying me!”
Bucky chuckled, but quickly stopped. “Wait, did I just kicked out of my own wedding? I saw him first, I get to marry Zemo!”
“Well, I…”, Sam started, trying to find a good counter argument, “I worked for him first?”
“And I longer!”, Bucky shot back, reaching out to steal Zemo’s coffee. “Technically I still am, so I’m just doing my job.”
At the mention of their arrangement, Zemo tensed up. “About that, those six months will be up in March…”
Bucky scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “Don’t worry, I am aware. I talked to Phil. If he gives me more hours and I do another job on the weekends, it’ll all work out.”
Sam frowned. “Weekends? What about Sarah? And your friends?”
Bucky sighed. “I already told her. We are just going to talk on the phone more.”
Zemo reached out to grip his shoulder. “What if I told you there was another way?”
Bucky stepped back, quickly shaking his head. “Zemo, I can’t ask you to…”
Sam sensed that something was going on. They had discussed money before, but Zemo had never looked so uncomfortable and scared.
“I know you won’t accept money again, no matter how much I want you to,” Zemo sighed, his eyes darting between Bucky and Sam. “But what if there was a place where non of us had to pay rent because it’s already mine?”
“You own more property in town?”, Sam asked with a smirk. “To be honest, I’m not even surprised.”
Zemo chuckled. “For a matter of fact I do, but that’s not what I meant.”
Sam and Bucky looked at each other, both alarmed by his serious expression and obvious nervousness.
“Stay here,” Zemo suddenly blurted out. “Move in with me. Both of you. You can have your own rooms, you know I haven’t even set foot in those extra rooms for years. We could drive to university in the morning and have dinner together. You have to admit, it makes sense.”
Oh. Dammit, did their boyfriend have to be so dramatic? Sam had been worried!
“Doll, we don’t need any logical reason to want to move in with you,” Bucky explained, already pulling Zemo into his chest and pressing kisses to his face.
“You don’t have to convince us,” Sam said, first kissing Zemo’s lips, then Bucky’s cheek. “We are staying.”
……
Steve jogged up the stairs to Zemo’s apartment while his Ma was parking the car. Of course they wouldn’t need it until after new year. Obviously the Baron had offered to drive them all up to his house in New Hampshire in one of his shiny expensive vehicles. Steve had tried to say he could drive himself or at least pay gas money, but the Sokovian had shut him up with an angry glare. After that he had adopted Sam’s ‘just don’t ask questions’ attitude.
Steve’s knock was answered by Zemo, who told him to just come in as the door was open. Steve entered and froze. “What are you guys doing?”
“Relaxing?”, Sam said, opening his mouth so Zemo could feed him another chocolate covered strawberry.
“We finished packing early,” the Baron explained, running a hand through Bucky’s hair who sighed happily. Both younger men had their heads in his lap and their legs stretched out on the sofa on both sides of him.
“Do you do this often?”, Steve asked, noticing in disbelief that there was gold lief on those treats.
“Do what?”, Bucky asked, honest to god
drinking champagne with a straw so he wouldn’t have to lift his head.
Steve just shook his head and looked back at his Ma, who had entered the apartment after him. He watched as she took in the scene with amusement and disbelief.
“I gave my best to raise a humble young man,” she said to Zemo, “And now you spoil him rotten?”
“I’m not spoiled!”, Bucky defended himself, but the effect was lost when Zemo hand fed him more fruit.
“Man, I remember when your favorite food was dino nuggies with ketchup, I think he changed you a bit,” Steve grinned.
“Pff, you are just jealous,” Bucky told him.
“This rich guy is taken, get your own, Steven!”, Sam told him, earning him a fond smile and cheek pat from Zemo.
“Ugh, I think I’m good,” Steve said with a grimace.
“Never say never!”, Bucky told him.
“Darling, if you get yourself a billionaire, tell him to buy me a castle,” his Ma commented, making Zemo’s head snap up.
“No,” Sam stopped him before he could say something.
“Doll, you know people joking is no excuse to throw money at them,” Bucky told him. “And besides, every home Ma lives in is a castle, considering she is a queen.”
Steve groaned. “Dude, you don’t have to try to get on her good side anymore, you are already the favorite son.”
“That is not true!”, Sarah defended herself. “I love both my children, James Buchanan Barnes and that blond one, equally!”
“Thanks Ma,” both boys said in very different tones.
“Anyways,” Sarah giggled, “Is everyone ready for the holidays?”
“Our things are already in the car,” Bucky explained as he finally sat up.
“Got my strong boys to carry my bags for me,” Zemo grinned, patting his partners’ biceps.
“I feel objectified,” Sam commented, but didn’t move away from his boyfriend.
“Hush, I am paying you boys well,” Zemo told him while shoving another strawberry into his mouth.
Buck glared at him. “Just because you make it sound smooth that doesn’t mean you get away with calling me a whore!”
“Well, I guess I have to give up that dream of a castle,” Sarah sighed. “My Stevie doesn’t have the math skills for sex work.”
“I feel insulted on so many levels...”, Steve sighed, locking eyes with Sam, silently pleading the man to be his alley, but he only received a mean little smirk in return.
Sarah clapped her hands. “Let’s go boys, I was promised a mansion in the forest!”
“More like a murder house deep in the woods, considering his style,” Steve grumbled.
“Are you saying my boyfriend has bad taste? As one of the things he chose, I am deeply hurt,” Bucky yawned.
“Buck!”, Sam corrected him. “Stop objectifying us! It’s worse enough Zemo is doing it.”
“It’s going to happen anyways,” Bucky shrugged. “Just go with the flow.”
“Guys? Can we go?”, Steve tried. Those three would always get off topic.
“Stop ordering me around or I will tie you to the roof instead of letting you ride with us,” Zemo threatened.
“Bucky? Sam?”, Steve said, giving them pointed looks.
“Fine!”, Bucky agreed, turning to his boyfriend. “Please doll? We want to see your house!”
Sam did his part by looking up at Zemo with big eyes. “Come on, Sweet Thing, play nice. For us.”
“Of course, my love,” Zemo cooed and gently helped him up.
“Spoiled brats”, Steve muttered under his breath as he turned around to leave the apartment and the town behind, looking forward to a few weeks with his family. This was where their new life began.