Once in a While

The alarm goes off. It buzzes, and buzzes, and the incessant sound grates in Steve’s sleepy mind until he flings his arm out to silence it. His arm doesn’t reach, instead falling across something warm, and soft, and firm. He squints groggily, and then opens his eyes abruptly. There is a person in his bed. Not just a person, but a man. A beautiful man. How did a man get into his bed?

Vague memories of drunken, sloppy kisses and pushing this man against a wall in a dim bar filtered through his still half-asleep brain, and he groans. The stranger’s breath hitches, and Steve goes silent, just watching.

The stranger’s dark, shoulder length hair is spread out around his head, and partially conceals his face. Sunlight falls across the bed in bands from the blinds, and gives the man a golden glow. Steve can see a strong jaw covered in stubble, and the curve of the bottom of an earlobe, and full lips. All down the strange man’s neck are deep red and purple bruises. Hickeys. Steve winces. The man’s shoulder is well muscled above the blanket, and his arm stretches out above his head in a curve that reminds Steve of a dancer. His hand looks worn, as if this man has worked hard for part of his life. The other shoulder is just a mass of scar tissue.

Steve wants to reach out and caress this man, but as he begins to reach out, the man stirs. The buzzing alarm clock brings him suddenly back to the present, and Steve gently leans forward to turn it off. His motion causes him to brush the man’s face with his arm. Some of the hair concealing his face falls away, and Steve is caught again by the man’s beauty. Long, dark lashes brush the top curve of the man’s cheek, and the high cheekbones make this man look even more striking in the sunlight from the window. He brushes the man’s cheek lightly with his fingertips, feeling his heartbeat hitch in his chest.

He glances at the recently turned off clock, and his breath halts in his chest. 10:17. Fuck. He swears softly under his breath, and tries to gently slide out of the bed without waking the stranger. What was his name? Shame tugs at his heart as he realizes that as late as he is, he will have to leave the stranger here. But he has a meeting with a judge he’d been trying to set up for MONTHS, and now he was going to be late. He didn’t have time for a leisurely anything.

His head throbs as he sits up in his bed, and then stands. Water. He needs water. He needs food and he needs water. He looks at the clock again. 10:21. Fuck, he doesn’t have time for food. He can manage water, though. He goes into the bathroom, rubbing his eyes, and splashes his face. He fills the cup on his counter with the water from the tap, and downs it, and then refills it.

He looks at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes are ringed with light circles. Nothing too bad. Last night was actually the best sleep he’d had in a while. Okay, if he called a cab, and then got downstairs in 15 minutes, he’d only be barely on time. He picked up his toothbrush, and squeezed some toothpaste on it. God, everything in his head hurt. Hopefully the water would help, soon.

He walked back into the other room, brushing his teeth as he looked through his wardrobe for clothes suitable for a meeting with a judge. As he laid a pair of slacks, a pale blue shirt and a grey suit jacket over the chair by the window, he looked over, and was struck by a pair of big, beautiful, blue eyes. He didn’t think he’d ever seen bluer eyes. Everything in him paused. His breath, his heart, paused because this beautiful, beautiful man was in his bed, and he was awake, and scowling at him.

Steve took the toothbrush from his mouth slowly. He shook his head, went to the bathroom quickly, spit and rinsed, and came back out. “Good morning.”

“You leaving?” the man’s voice was hoarse with sleep. He cleared his throat, and looked down at himself, naked in a stranger’s bed, before looking around. He frowned deeper, before looking at the floor for his clothes. Steve noticed that both of their clothes were every which way, and a blush threatened to creep across his cheeks.

“Um, yes.” Steve said apologetically. “I am late for a meeting with a judge.”

“You’re a lawyer?” he asked. He rubbed his eyes with his hand, and began to pull back the covers. Steve turned around, trying to give the stranger privacy, but he just laughed quietly. “No need to be delicate, buddy. We’re familiar enough by now.”

Steve stayed where he was. “Even so. I figure if I don’t know your name at this point, privacy is the least I can offer.”

“You don’t know my name?” the stranger asked. Steve heard the smirk in his voice. “Steven, I’m surprised at you.”

Shame wiggled in his chest again. The blush definitely creeped across his cheeks. It didn’t help the way he felt about this man. His heart thumped erratically in his chest, and he cleared his throat. “I’m sorry.”

“Bucky.” Steve heard the smirk in his voice, and the rustling of the covers as Bucky stood. He wanted to turn around, to kiss Bucky and to run his hands down Bucky’s long, lean body. He wanted to kiss more and more and more hickeys into the supple skin, until Bucky fell back into bed with him. There was the sound of fabric on skin, a slight zip and then Steve felt a tap on his shoulder. “All right, you can turn around now.”

Steve did so, and was rewarded by the sight of a shirtless Bucky in just jeans. His bare feet poked out the pant legs, and Bucky stretched his arm above his head. He touseled his own hair, and yawned. Steve’s heart squeezed.

“I wish I could make you breakfast.” Steve said, glancing at the clock again. Shit. 10:27. He’d barely have enough time to get a cab. “But,-“

“But you’re late,” Bucky said. “So I heard. Well, at least you’re not leaving me sleeping.”

Steve winced, and picked a tie. “At least.”

Bucky paused a moment, and reached out, holding his hand out in midair. Steve paused, realizing that what Bucky wanted was his hand. He hesitantly stopped tying his tie to place his hand in Bucky’s. Bucky smirked again, before pulling Steve in closer.

It shouldn’t feel so wrong to be close to Bucky. Steve felt tingles spread down his arm as he felt Bucky’s palm, warm and smooth, or his slightly calloused fingertips. He felt electrified by their proximity. They’d spent the night tangled together, but it was morning now. Sunlight filtered through the blinds, and fell across the floor in bands. It made the night seem far away, and somehow forbidden.

Bucky let go to pull out a ballpoint pen from his jean pocket, placing the cap between his teeth and pulling it off in one smooth movement. He scrawled 10 digits onto the back of Steve’s hand. Steve helped make up for the lack of pressure under his palm by tensing his arm to keep it steady for Bucky. Steve felt the air on his palm like the sudden absence of heat and presence. He wanted Bucky to grasp his hand again. It was in this moment, as Steve looked up into Bucky’s eyes, that he realized how much he didn’t want to leave him alone in his apartment.

Steve was skinny. He was short, and skinny, and asthmatic, and in general in poor health. And Bucky was vibrant and warm, and cocky. Even now, Bucky quirked an eyebrow and smirked at Steve’s open faced assessment. And Steve did not want to leave this man behind. He glanced at the clock again, and breathed in deeply.

“Wouldyouliketohavedinnerwithmetonight?” Steve asked. He spoke very quickly, all in one exhalation.

Bucky looked vaguely amused. “Wanna try that again?”

“I was just wondering, if maybe you, you know, possibly wanted to…get dinner with me tonight?” Steve asked again, more slowly.

Steve saw a tiny smile tuck itself into the corner of Bucky’s mouth. He said, “Tonight would be perfect. Text me when you’re done with your meeting? Did you have a time in mind?”

“Actually, I have a place in mind. I’ll text you the details when I’m done for the day. It’s a casual place, so don’t get too fancy.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Bucky smirked. “Can’t go outshining you, can I?”

Steve felt his cheeks heat a little bit and prayed that the blush wouldn’t touch them. He glanced at the clock again. Shit. He’d still be on time, but only just, if he grabbed a cab now. He checked his appearance in the mirror, and nodded. It’d have to do.

“Hey, how did we get here last night?” Steve asked Bucky quickly.

“We took a cab. Why?” Bucky answered.

Steve took a couple twenties out of his wallet, and handed them to Bucky. “Here’s money for a cab home.”

“Thanks.” Bucky didn’t take them, but winked. His jammed his hand into his pocket, sliding his pants slightly down his hips. Steve licked his lips. “Keep it. You’ll just have to buy our dinner tonight to make up for it.”

“Fair enough. Don’t worry about locking the door when you leave, it autolocks.” Steve followed an impulse and stood on his tiptoes to kiss Bucky’s cheek swiftly, before striding purposefully towards the door. “See you tonight!”

He didn’t wait to hear Bucky’s chuckle before he was racing to the elevator, and fidgeting as it slowly fell to the ground floor. As soon as the doors opened, he was out like a shot, and raising his arm and whistling for a cab.

The whole ride to the judge’s office, he couldn’t keep his mind off of Bucky. Slowly, memories of their night together came back to him, and he felt his heart thumping quickly in his chest. He pretended that his shortness of breath was entirely due to the run from his apartment and not because of the effect of Bucky on him. He still felt Bucky’s smooth skin under his lips, and he hoped that tonight, he’d be able to kiss Bucky again. And again. And again.

No one had ever affected Steve this way, except Peggy. He’d always thought Peggy was the exception to the rule. It had surprised him when he’d brazenly (and drunkenly) hit on Bucky at the bar last night, and it had shocked him further still when Bucky responded. They’d spent the night in witty banter, and Steve had gotten drunker and drunker. Not just on alcohol. He had a surprising tolerance for his size. But on Bucky’s presence. He’d made Steve feel alive and vibrant and bright.

As Steve got out of the cab and entered his gallery, he straightened his tie, and squared his thin shoulders. With the promise of seeing Bucky later that night fresh on his mind, he put on his most energetic smile and walked into the reception.