Chapter Eleven
Bucky woke up, his pillow wet with tears, and stared at the lines and patterns of a new ceiling. This room smelled like a storm and the faintest trace of iron, as well as the incongruous scent of lemon cleaner. His mouth tasted like blood. He must have bitten his tongue in his sleep.
He sat up, slow as a mountain, his head still full of the flashes of war, and checked the watch on his wrist. 0500. Well, sleep seemed like a bad idea for the moment, so he crawled over to his suitcase and started organizing the clothes into his drawers.
"G'morning." When Steve knocked around seven, he was almost done refolding his shirts.
"You can come in. Sorry for freaking out on you." Bucky said, assuming Steve would be able to hear through the door. "Last night." The door cracked open. Bucky didn't glance back, though every instinct in him protested.
Steve murmured. "You don't have to look at me, but listen. You do not have to apologize. You're not in this by yourself. You aren't on your own. You are not alone."
Bucky nodded slowly, unable to process that but appreciating the words all the same. He turned to Steve then. "What do you need?"
Steve smiled. "I hoped I'd find you still conked out, but it looks like you're making this room your own. I'm glad. Do you have any idea of what you want to turn your other room into?"
"I'll save up and put exercise equipment in there." Bucky replied. He would like that. Steve had the sense to not offer to buy it all for him. A faint smile crossed Bucky's face.
"I came to let you know that I'm having my proteges over for breakfast. They're good people. You don't have to join us, but I'd like having you with us if you don't mind."
Steve slipped out, leaving Bucky to think. New people. People that Steve vouched for, though. He wished Stark had already gotten him the arm. Having a metal limb would be far easier to explain than the gaping emptiness of his sleeve. He eventually changed into jeans and a different t-shirt and emerged anyways, deciding that he wanted to eat fresh food at the table, people or not.
Steve's answering smile at his appearance made something stir with pleased happiness in him. He smiled back, and Steve opened his mouth. A knock came at the door before Steve could speak.
Bucky watched in curiosity as two young adults entered. They looked like they were in their early twenties, and they were so very different. The boy was tall and dirty blond in a skin tight exercise shirt and joggers. He grinned carelessly, cockily confident in his appeal, and walked in with the ease of someone who knows they're welcome wherever they go. Someone who's always been cool. Bucky felt a twinge of jealousy. He remembered those days.
The girl was considerably smaller, her dark reddish hair loose around her face, her black leather jacket too big on her. It made her look smaller, vulnerable, until you saw the faint smile on her face. It was a clever, dangerous sort of smile. She wasn't a cool kid; she sang the word edgy as she walked in in her ripped leggings and leather, managing to make the ensemble look as if it were something newly designed for her specifically. Bucky felt an edge of wariness. He didn't want to know what happened if you got on her bad side.
The boy fist bumped Steve and the girl gave him a quick side hug affectionately before their gazes turned to Bucky. The boy grinned, looking between Steve and Bucky whereas the girl studied him, her eyes narrowed.
"Pietro, Wanda, this is Bucky. Bucky, Pietro and Wanda." Steve smiled, standing between them all.
"Hello," he shrugged, uncomfortable as he turned and their gazes landed on his empty sleeve. Bucky reminded himself that Steve liked these kids, and made himself smile a bit, painfully. "Pietro and Wanda? I think I stole your bedroom, Pietro." Pietro's grin paused, and he looked between Steve and Bucky again. Oh gods. He'd thought Bucky and Steve were sleeping together. Bucky coughed awkwardly. Wanda elbowed Pietro.
"Hello, Bucky," she said, faintly accented. "Are you another of Steve's proteges?"
"I'm -" Bucky hesitated, but Steve didn't interrupt. "I'm somewhere between a friend and a stray dog, I think." Steve's expression was worth it as Pietro and Wanda laughed.
"Just wait, you'll be a protege soon enough." Pietro warned in the same accent. "We were his projects before, too."
"You all are my friends," Steve protested. "Not my projects or strays."
"You found us beat up in an alley and took us home." Wanda pointed out.
"Did he take you home too? I would." Pietro smirked at Bucky. Steve frowned. Wanda elbowed Pietro again, harder this time.
"He saved my life." Bucky said softly, smiling at Pietro who was clutching his side as if he's been punched. Their gazes widened. Bucky winced. Great, now he'd killed the conversation. Wonderful. He was such an idiot. "Sorry." He mumbled.
"He did?" Pietro questioned, eyes still wide as he looked between Steve and Bucky before narrowing his eyes with a smirk. "I'll have to remember to thank him for that later then."
"Make sure you do," Bucky drawled.
Wanda rolled her eyes. "He thinks he's a charmer. Don't encourage him." She stage whispered. A line appeared in Steve's forehead as Bucky grinned. Again, he remembered the days when he had been exactly like Pietro. He relaxed. Flirting with the guy could be fun. He hadn't flirted in forever, and Pietro didn't seemed bothered by his missing arm.
Pietro held back a laugh, then he gave in, letting out a rich chuckle. "Honestly, you could stay with me if you wanted to get away from him, sweetie." He winked at Bucky.
Bucky chuckled right back. This kid. This kid was exactly what he needed after yesterday and last night. "But we haven't even gone on a first date, baby doll." He purred, leaning back in his chair.
Wanda glared at Pietro. He glanced over at her with a grin and then at Steve. Steve looked a bit red, and Bucky wondered if he'd annoyed Steve. He squashed down his worry. "Isn't that what we're doing right now?" Pietro replied. "Wanda and Steve, me and you, it's like a - " Pietro thought for a moment before snapping his fingers. "A group date!"
Wanda snorted at that. "Thanks, Pietro. You pair me with a gay man. I appreciate that." She shook her head. "I thought we were here for breakfast, not a flirtfest."
Steve cleared his throat. "I was thinking waffles and bacon."
Pietro turned to Wanda. "Sister, he's a lovely man. I'm sure you can get over that small fun fact. Besides, your pestering is ruining the mood of my date, so if you could not, I would very much appreciate that. You, too, Steve." He said, smiling dazzlingly before turning back to Bucky. "Sorry, dear, where were we? What shall we have for breakfast? Something ordered in? Or we could share something!" Pietro exclaimed, winking at Bucky.
"I have ingredients in my kitchen." Steve put in. He was eying Pietro in a half amused, half annoyed way. His eyes went a little more serious as he looked at Bucky. "Does making food sound good to you?"
"You two make it, we'll enjoy our date." Pietro dropped into the seat next to Bucky and took his hand. Bucky flinched instinctively.
Pietro noticed, letting go instantly before simply setting his hand down by Bucky's. He leaned over near Bucky's ear before whispering: "You don't mind this, do you? I mean, like, damn, you're something I would love to eat up, but obviously Steve's staked his claim, and as it is so much fun to mess with him, you don't mind playing along, right?" He asked, pulling away slightly but still close to Bucky's face.
Bucky blinked. Steve had ... staked his claim? On him? The demon had spent like a day with him. He glanced at the expression on Steve's face and let a slow smirk roll over his face. He hadn't seen it in a while, but he knew jealousy when he saw it. How had he not seen it before? Something stirred deep in him, but Bucky drew away from it. It felt too serious for the moment. He turned his smirk to Pietro. "Yeah, baby. Definitely." He wanted to mess with Steve. Badly.
Pietro grinned so hard it looked like it hurt. "Perfect." He said before glancing at Bucky's hand and his own, looking back up at him questioningly. Bucky reached over and laced his fingers between Pietro's.
Steve turned from grabbing ingredients and dropped the flour bag. It puffed over the floor in a white explosion, and Steve managed to look more annoyed. "PDA? Really? This is supposed to be a friends breakfast, not a double date."
"You got a problem with it, ask him on a date yourself." Pietro put in. Wanda grabbed the broom and tossed it at Pietro. He caught it and glanced at her.
"Sweep, you idiot." She ordered.
Pietro raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you fix this? I didn't make the mess. I've just been -"
Steve interrupted. "Bucky." Bucky looked up at him, away from Pietro and Wanda. "Will you go on a date with me?" He asked in one rushed breath.