“Dammit Bucky,” Steve sighed.
Bucky pulled back from the kiss only to look down at Steve’s furrowed brow. “What?” he asked innocently.
Steve looked at Bucky then his eyes crossed, bringing the clear nose print into focus on the right lens of his glasses. Bucky thought it was terribly endearing, seeing Steve’s eyes cross like that. “Why do you always have to get nose prints on my glasses? We’ve been over this. You gotta be more careful.”
“Aww, I’m sorry Sugar. I didn’t mean to,” he said, trying to pull Steve back to him. Only to be thwarted by Steve’s hands on his chest, pushing away. “Nope, not now. I hafta go clean ‘em.”
“No, you don’t,” Bucky said, trying to pull him in again. “You don’t need them to see right now. Your eyes are closed. Or they should be,” Bucky smirked.
“Not the point,“ Steve sighed again. Straightening his shoulders he turned away. “I have to finish getting ready for work anyway.”
Bucky watched as Steve walked down the hall towards their bedroom. It was always fun to get Steve riled up. But today he just seemed kind of resigned. That’ll never do.
“Hey, wait. I’ll clean them. It was my fault anyway.”
“That’s okay, I’ll do it. You leave streaks,” Steve tossed over his shoulder.
Bucky had Steve pinned to the floor, tickling him relentlessly. How a simple hand down Steve’s side had been reduced to this left Bucky wondering. He had made Steve twitch with the feather light touch, and, well, Bucky just couldn’t let it go.
Things had dissolved quickly from there.
Now Bucky found himself towering over Steve. Without any thought at all, he leaned down and licked a stripe across the lens of the aforementioned glasses.
Steve went completely still. Smile falling from his face. Bucky leaned back, knowing exactly what that movement, or non-movement meant. Only the attack he expected never came. Steve rolled out from underneath him without a word and slowly got to his feet.
Bucky watched as he walked away with a sense of dread. “Come back Baby. I didn’t mean to,” Bucky implored.
“That’s the thing. Yes, you did.” The words sounded so full of resignation that Bucky flinched.
“I’m sorry Stevie.”
“You always say that too. And yet it never changes.”
Bucky heard the bedroom door shut softly. The sound reverberated loudly in Bucky’ ears. It was worse than any slam could be.
“God, no wonder everything’s so blurry. My glasses are filthy.”
“Well, maybe if you cleaned them once in awhile you wouldn’t have such a shitty outlook on life.”
The look Steve shot Bucky should have shook him to his core. But Bucky knew Steve. Every fundamental element of him. He knew what was coming.
“Yeah, that’s not gonna hold water. I clean them plenty ‘cause of you.”
Bucky pulled the most affronted look he could manage without breaking a smile. “What? I didn’t do anything!”
“This time,” Steve muttered.
Bucky made a concerted effort over the next couple of weeks not to tease Steve in any way about his glasses. Truth be told, he actually liked the hipster look they gave his boyfriend. They set Steve apart from the crowd. The magnification making the blue of his eyes so vivid, so breathtaking.
But Bucky can be such a bastard sometimes. And not even realize how the words coming out of his mouth affect his boyfriend.
They had walked back from the coffee shop in the crisp morning air. Steve’s hand firmly in Bucky’s as they meandered back towards their apartment. Opening the door and stepping inside, Bucky turned to Steve. Then burst into laughter. Steve’s glasses were completely fogged over. “Stevie,” he said around his laughter, “how can you even see?”
Steve sighed deeply. ”That’s the problem. I can’t.” Taking off his glasses, he fanned them in the air. “Everyone always thinks it’s so funny. It’s just a pain in my ass.”
“Aww, I’m sorry Baby,” Bucky said. He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around Steve’s waist. Gently nuzzling Steve’s neck, he whispered, “Why don’t you put them back on and we’ll fog them up for a different reason.”
Steve slowly extricated himself from Bucky’s embrace. He took one step backwards, leveling a look at Bucky. “Not now,” he said softly.
Bucky threw up his hands at the quick turn of events. “C’mon Stevie. Where’s the sense of humor I love so much?”
“Long gone,” Steve said on a sigh.
Steve was rather reserved the next couple of days. Bucky had tried pulling out everything in his ‘make Steve smile” arsenal to no avail. He truly feared he had pushed Steve too far. But in his mind, it was only over a stupid pair of glasses. That he loved, thank you very much.
So he took action once again. Bucky went in search of Steve. He found him in the kitchen, standing in front of the refrigerator. Coming up behind Steve, he wrapped his arms around his waist. Breathing a soft kiss against his neck, he said simply, “Here you are, My Love.”
Steve turned in his arms and finally, FINALLY, smiled at him. Bucky reached up and carefully removed the glasses from his face, setting them on the counter. Steve’s smile grew even wider. “Well, would you look at that. He can be taught,” Steve smirked.
“Hey, I might not be the brightest crayon in the box but I can learn.”
Bucky searched those vivid blue eyes, slowly leaning in to kiss his boyfriend softly, reverently. Just a brush of lips. But Bucky couldn’t help himself, pushing harder, taking more. It quickly turned into frantic need, releasing all the pent up frustration of the last few days. He needed Steve to know, to feel Bucky’s desire for him.
Steve was soon breathless, gasping for air into his surprised lungs. Bucky broke the kiss. He’d never intended for it to get out of control. To lead to anything more. “Well, hello to you too,” Steve snickered.
Never breaking eye contact, Bucky reached for the glasses he had set on the counter, fully intending to place them back on Steve’s face. Inadvertently he grabbed them by the lenses. His eyes shot wide open at the action. “Dammit!” he exclaimed. “I was doing so good!”
Steve took them from Bucky’s slack grip. Turning to the kitchen sink to clean them, Steve smiled softly. “I’ll give you an A for effort Buck.”
Steve brought his eyes to focus on the paint splatter on his lenses. Knowing it would be on the frames too. He knew full well what a bitch it was going to be to clean it off. If he even could this time. Steve took them off and tossed them next to his easel. Absently he rubbed his face, smearing the paint further. Looking at his hands, he let out a frustrated laugh. “Just fucking great.”
Bucky looked up from his book to take in Steve’s expression and paint smeared face. He desperately fought the urge to laugh. Now is NOT the time. He stood from the couch and put down his book. “Um, let me get you a cloth,” he stammered, trying not to giggle.
Steve shot him a look of frustration, throwing his arms up for emphasis. “I’m so done with it!” he shouted.
“It’s just a little paint Stevie. Not like it’s the first time it’s happened,” he soothed.
“But it’s damn well gonna be the last.”
Steve walked into the apartment, closing the door softly. Bucky turned to look at him, quickly taking in Steve’s bent head and hands making fists at his side. His chest clenched at the sight. Bucky rushed to him, grabbing his arms, making Steve look at him. “What’s wrong? What happened?” he asked frantically. Bucky was quickly dissolving into panic.
Steve looked up at him with a worried expression. That’s when it hit Bucky. Steve didn’t have his glasses on. His eyes were red rimmed yet seemed to focus on Bucky. He tilted his head studying Steve’s face. “Where are your glasses Sweetheart? What happened?” he asked softly.
“Um...I...” Steve stammered. “In my pocket.”
Truly at a loss, Bucky simply asked,” Why?”
Steve stood up straight and squared his shoulders. It looked as though he was gearing up for a fight. Bucky tensed, just a little, expecting the absolute worst scenario. Who had done what to Steve? He was going to find the bastard and make him pay.
“Igotcontacts,” Steve exhaled on a rush, cheeks pinking slightly. But it was the look on Steve’s face that pulled Bucky up short. He looked almost afraid of Bucky’s reaction.
Bucky couldn’t think of anything to say. Nothing that wouldn’t make him sound like a dumbass, anyway. But Steve was waiting for a reply and every second that passed made Steve tense up even more.
“I didn’t know you had an appointment,” he settled on.
“Yeah, well,” Steve shrugged. “I’m over it. It was about time.”
“Okay?” Bucky stammered. Think dammit. “Um, you like them?”
Bucky was absolutely floundering here. He had no idea what was going on or where to go with this conversation. He watched as Steve shrugged one shoulder, “They’re going to take some getting used to, I guess. Kind of just irritated right now.”
Bucky just nodded, for lack of anything better to do. Do I play this up? Or play it down. Steve was clearly hesitant of Bucky’s reaction. Almost like he wanted Bucky’s approval. Play it down it is. “So, um, you ready for dinner?”
Steve’s shoulders slumped, letting go the breath he held. “Yeah, sounds good. Let me wash up and I’ll be right there.” Bucky watched as Steve walked down the hall and disappeared.
All through the mostly silent dinner, Bucky kept sneaking glances at Steve. It’s not like he hadn’t seen him without glasses before. Every morning and every night being the norm. But this was different. Gone was the vivid, magnified blue. The black that framed those eyes and made them the center of attention. Steve would always be beautiful to Bucky. This was just different.
He wasn’t sure he wanted to adjust to it. But this wasn’t his call. He wasn’t the one that had to live with the consequences of glasses. No matter how much he loved them on Steve.
Bucky couldn’t take it anymore. He couldn’t continue to be silent and leave Steve to his choice.
Laying in the dark, arms wrapped around Steve, Bucky quietly asked, “Why did you do it Stevie?”
Heaving a deep sigh, Steve moved to sit up. “You know I’ve always been sensitive about my glasses. It’s an ‘in your face’ reminder that I’m deficient. You constantly teasing me always bring up those feelings of being picked on as a kid.”
Bucky looked at Steve astounded. He felt like such a heel. “No Baby I didn’t know,” he said quietly. “You never told me.”
“Yeah, well, there it is,” he sighed.
Bucky was contrite in his answer. “I never meant any harm Baby. I only ever did it to get a reaction out of you. To me it was fun to have you get all indignant and yell at me. I kinda lived for that reaction. I’m so sorry I made you feel that way.”
“Why did you live for it? I don’t understand.”
“Because I love seeing the spitfire side of you,” Bucky huffed with a laugh. “You’re so alive and vibrant when you get like that.”
“Yeah, well, there’s much better ways to get me ‘alive’ you know.”
“Oh really?” he questioned seductively. “There’s two problems I see with that though. One, I’m not sure I want you spouting vitriol at me at that particular moment. Two, I definitely can’t do it in public.”
Steve turned himself and crawled in Bucky’s lap. Leaning down, he captured Bucky’s lips with his own. “Hmmm. That tells me I should probably teach you the fine art of public foreplay then,” Steve murmured against his mouth.
The next day Bucky went out and bought himself a pair of Wayfairers. Clear glass in place of corrective lenses. It was time to have a little fun in reverse.