Grade A American Beef

Angela Lewis McKenzie was many things to many people. Adoring and enthusiastic wife to Rob, affectionate and doting mother to Violet, accomplished and much beloved professor to hundreds of students, and an author of three books that had all been met with critical acclaim, thank you very much. Angela Lewis McKenzie was all these things and more, but what she had never been and could never be, was anybody's fool.

So when her darling little sister waltzed into her home followed by the ever attractive Sergeant  Barnes, Angie could practically smell the ramped up attraction between the two.

It had been there when she'd first been introduced to Barnes, make no doubt about it. Angie couldn't help but notice the way Barnes watched Darcy, intuitively orbiting her like she was the blesséd sun and he a man in the depths of winter. Which was an appropriate analogy, considering. It had worried her at first, to see a man so tormented and notorious looking at her sister the way he had, but she trusted Darcy's judgment as much as she did her own. And within a few moments Angie had been able to cut to the heart of him. He might be a dangerous man, but he was not a selfish one. He would put the lives of her daughter and her sister above any of his own wants, if necessary.

But this attraction was leaps and bounds above what she'd witnessed earlier that month. Something had shifted between the two. They were now two suns, locked in each other's orbit, slowly circling and coming closer with each rotation. And what would be the end result of such an inevitable collision? And would it be too much to ask for a front row seat because, damn, it was sure to be highly entertaining.

Perhaps they could use a little, ahem, shove in the right direction? Should she meddle? No. It would be wrong, or so Rob would say. But Roooobbbb, no one likes a buzzkill. So shush, inner voice of reason. Angie, it's time to put her matchmaker pants on. Starting with...hmmm, so many options…oh! Forced cohabitation. Yes. That one.

“So,” Angie began, plastering an innocent smile on her face. “Dad is going to be staying in the main guest bedroom, so the two of you can camp out on the trundle bed in the office. If you’ll follow me, Sergeant Barnes, I'll show you where to put the luggage.”

She motioned for him to follow her, but he seemed rooted to the spot with a sudden case of ants-in-the-pants. Ooh, what if this was one of those old-timey proprietary hang ups? Cute.

Wait, no, Darcy seemed squeamish too, that was unlike her.  

“Um, Ange, I can sleep on the pullout couch in the den-”

“Nope! No it's broken!”

“It is?” Rob asked, oblivious to subtext, as was usual.

“Yes, dear, it is. Don't worry Darcy, you've already been living together for over a month now, it’ll be exactly the same, but with fewer walls.” Angie brushed past them with an air that brooked no room for argument. She was pleased to see that it was as effective on nonagenarian supersoldiers as it was on her occasionally rowdy college students. Darcy might be giving her pointed glares of promised pain, but Barnes followed her like a docile lamb, the sweet boy, and Darcy inevitably followed.

“Here you are,” she said, gesturing at the appointed office/bedroom. “Darcy can show you how to pull out the trundle bed and where the bathroom is. I've got fresh towels sitting out on the vanity for you. If you need anything, let me know. I'm gonna go, um, make cookies or something. I'll leave you two alone to fight out who wants to be on top and who wants to be on bottom.” Ok that last comment would likely get her in trouble with Darcy, but the blazing flush on Barnes’ face and the awkward little shuffle of his combat boots was too cute and 100% worth the verbal lashing she would assuredly receive from Darcy later.

She dashed out into the hall, snapping the door closed on the two lovesick baby chicks, who had the combined age of nearly 130, but that was neither here nor there. They needed all the helpful mama-bird shoving they could get.

Now all Angie needed to do was update her darling husband so he wouldn’t muck up her genius plans for holiday entertainment. And maybe hang up some more mistletoe? Yeah. Good plan. More mistletoe, for sure.

***

“That's, uh, that's a small bed,” Bucky said, apprehension coloring every word. “There's no way we can both fit on that...I’ll sleep on the floor.” Bucky's eyes dropped to the ground, searching for the ideal location to set up his bedding.

“Bucky, you know that there's a second twin mattress that pulls out underneath, right?” Darcy asked. She leaned over and pulled the wooden drawer out from underneath the top mattress in demonstration.

His sigh of relief was palpable. “Oh, yeah okay, that makes more sense. I thought Angie wanted us stacked together on the bed like pancakes.” His cheeks pinked further and he gave a slight one shouldered shrug.

Darcy chuckled and began pulling her clothes out of her suitcase to stack neatly in the empty chest of drawers beside the bed. “So that's why you went so red when she mentioned the top and bottom thing, eh?” She had her back to him but she could hear his feet shuffle against the carpet.

“Uh, yeah,” Bucky responded, clearing his throat.

Darcy bit back on the smile pulling at her lips. Having finished putting her things away, she decided it'd be a good time to take a shower, and told Bucky as much.

“It's the door down the hall on the right, for future reference,” she said, bundling some fresh clothes under her arm. “Make yourself at home here, I'll be out in a little bit.”

She turned to leave but paused with her hand on the doorknob. “Just for the record, I would have definitely been top pancake,” she tossed over her shoulder and then made a quick getaway to the bathroom before he could retaliate.

As she disappeared around the corner, Bucky was suddenly bombarded with the image of her hovering over him, eyes closed and mouth wide in ecstasy. It was an admittedly seductive vision that she'd planted in his brain and he was suddenly weak in the knees at the very thought of seeing her like that. Or maybe he was just exhausted from the emotionally hellish week and difficult night before. Or both. Yeah, definitely both.

In any case, a nap sounded good to him right about then so he stripped out of his boots, jeans, jacket and button down until he was left standing in his undershirt and boxer briefs. He then turned off the lights and crawled in between the soft cotton sheets of the top mattress. Darcy might like being on top for recreational purposes, but in this case, it was likely safer for her to be on the bottom bed. If he got caught up in another nightmare, he'd feel better if she had an easier escape route and could get to the door unimpeded.

He must have drifted off at some point, because the next thing he knew, the evening sun was shining through the bedroom window and he could smell something cooking in the kitchen. His stomach gave a tremendous growl at the delicious scent. Well, best go join the living.

He had his pants halfway up his legs when there was a light knock on the door and Darcy’s head immediately popped around the edge.

“Hey, Bucky you awa--” Darcy cut herself off and they both froze. Bucky watched as her blue eyes widened, tracing the visible flesh of his muscled thighs and a bit north of there, too, if he wasn't mistaken.

“You. Uh. Pants. You don't have pants on,” she stuttered and then her brain seemed to have caught up with her body and her eyes instantly twitched up to meet his. “Whoops, so sorry,” she gushed breathlessly, and slapped a hand over her eyes for good measure.

Bucky couldn't help but grin when he saw her peeking through the cracks in her fingers. “If you wanted a show, sweetheart, all you had to do was ask,” he drawled, pulling his jeans smoothly and slowly up the length of his thighs, hopping a bit at the end to get the material over his backside.

Darcy made a noise that he was pretty sure only dogs and his supersoldier ears could hear, turned bright red, and dashed back down the hall to the safety of the kitchen. He couldn't help the carefree laughter that bubbled up out of his chest, nor could Darcy wipe the naughty smile from her face as she rounded the corner into her sister's kitchen. Angie, who was sometimes too perceptive for Darcy’s preference, noticed the blush and smile combo as soon as she locked eyes on her.

“What's with the face, Darce? You look like you just got an eyeful of attractive, naked man.”

Oh damn it, that was spot on, don't give it away, don't give it away-

“Oh my GOSH! Did you catch him naked?? Whatdidyousee?” Angie practically squealed.

“None of the exciting bits, unfortunately,” came Bucky’s warm baritone.

From behind Darcy, a hand settled briefly on her lower back, lighting up her spine with sharp prickles of awareness, and then Bucky stepped around her and planted himself on one of the stools at the bar that attached at one end of the kitchen counter.

“So, what'd I miss while I slept, Rob? Any wars this time, or just women gossiping about a poor, unsuspecting man caught in his unmentionables?”

Rob, who was bent over a pan of sautéing vegetables, snorted and nodded his head at Bucky. “What do you think? These are Lewis women. Practically deviant from birth, the both of them. If you're sleeping in the office with that one,” he pointed at Darcy, “and you value your virtue, you had better strap on your chastity belt before bed.”

Both sisters responded to Rob’s comment with identical expressions of offense, which nearly sent Bucky off his chair in laughter.

Angie’s look of offense faded to one of speculation. “Is he always this cute when he laughs?”

“Oh definitely.”

Angie gave him a once over and an appreciative hum in response.

“That's enough out of you, woman,” Rob teased his wife, pointing at her with his rubber spatula. “You leave that poor man alone. It's bad enough that your little sister has it out for him. You're both going to give him a heart attack.” He gave both women a stern look and turned back to his cooking.

“Thank you Rob, it’s nice to see that somebody in this house knows how to respect their elders,” Bucky said, aiming his own stern glance at the women.

Rob nodded. “Yeah, of course. I also prefer not to share.” He narrowed his eyes at his wife for a short moment and then followed it with a smirk and a wink when she came up behind him to wrap her arms around his middle.

“You may not like to share, but I do,” she growled, nipping at her husband's ear. Rob responded with something that Darcy's ears couldn't pick up but that had her sister giggling like a schoolgirl and Bucky's cheeks turning pink.

“Ok, Angie, for the love of God, keep it in your pants. At least when you’re in the common spaces. Oh, and Rob, just a heads up, but Bucky has insanely good hearing. Like, can hear bad guys whispering from 80 yards away, good. So, uh, dirty talk with your wife after we leave, or something.”

Rob ducked his head down, turning red up to his hairline. “S-sorry about that, sir. Won't happen again.”

From behind him, Angie gave a dramatic sigh. “I guess that means no Christmas or New Year’s nookie for us then…Ouch! Robert, don't you poke me! We're married, we have a baby. It is not a secret that married people have holiday sex. I'm sure they did that in the 40s too.”

Bucky had recovered from his embarrassment enough to reinsert into the conversation again. “It's true, Rob. In fact, I was apparently a Mother’s Day present to my Ma. It took me a while to figure out how Mother’s Day was in May, but I was born in March, but let me tell you, that was an unwelcome revelation when it finally clicked.” Bucky shuddered slightly. “I always wondered why Pop would get that gleam in his eye when Ma would say that.” Bucky made a face, his tongue sticking out in distaste.

The kitchen filled with raucous laughter, to Bucky's delight. It felt good being surrounded by laughter and family, even if they weren't his own. There was a comfort about it that he found familiar and peaceful. His own home growing up had always been filled with the same kind of laughter and warmth, and he was grateful for these new people who had pulled him into their holiday festivities.

The laughter in the kitchen was suddenly cut through by a high pitched wail coming from the master bedroom. Angie pecked her husband on the cheek and disappeared down the hall to retrieve her daughter, returning within moments with a now happy baby.

Violet squirmed and chewed happily on her mother’s necklace until she caught sight of Darcy and gave a joyful squeal. Darcy made a similar sound in return.

“My sweet princess, I missed you!” She made grabby hands at the infant and took her from Angie's arms, twirling in a little circle with Violet clutched to her chest.

Bucky slid from his chair to sidle up to Darcy and her niece. As soon as Violet caught sight of Bucky, she beamed at him and reached out her chubby little arms for him. The smile that lit up his face in response was nearly blinding.

“I see how it is,” Darcy grumbled and handed over the little girl. “I've been replaced as the favorite.”

Bucky chuckled and snuggled Violet into his chest. “How's my best girl today? You miss me?” he asked, tickling her chubby neck rolls. Vi smacked her lips and made a concerted effort to clap her hands at his greeting. She wasn't quite successful but he praised her efforts anyway.

“Uncle Buck, you're on baby duty while we finish dinner. There's too many cooks in the kitchen, y'all go hang out in the den. You too, Darce. Keep them both out of trouble.” Angie flicked her little sister on the rear with a dish towel and set to work on pulling ingredients from the fridge.

Darcy tucked her hand into Bucky's elbow and pulled him towards the living room. “Come on, old man, let's get you set up on the recliner before a hip goes out.” She reached down and patted him gently on the joint. And if her fingers lingered a bit longer than necessary, well he wasn't going to be the one to point it out.

Bucky folded himself into the corner of the leather sectional that took up most of the room, flipped the recliner up, and propped Violet up against his knees so they could talk to each other properly. Darcy watched the two quietly interact with each other. Her ovaries were instantly at it again, doing their damndest to convince her that pregnancy was what she really needed at that moment.

Doing her best to ignore their whispered lies, Darcy sat down next to Bucky, tucking her knees to her chest and leaning oh so casually into his side. For a breathless moment, their eyes met and she felt sure he would lean in at any second to kiss her. He was so warm and close and his eyes shone with happiness, surely, surely he’d close those last few inches and-

A firm knock on the front door startled the pair, causing them both to jerk back in surprise. From the kitchen, Angie called out, “Darce, that’s probably Dad, can you get the door for me? My hands are covered in raw chicken!”

Darcy closed her eyes with a groan. So close. Dammit. She unfolded herself from Bucky’s side and called back a quick affirmation to her sister before heading to the front door. As soon as she had it open, she was swept up into her father’s steadying embrace.

“Darcy Grace, my little girl, how have you been, kiddo?” her father asked, the deep timbre of his voice muffled against her hair. She gave him an extra squeeze and pulled back to get a good look at him.

“I’ve been great, Dad. I’ve missed you, though. How’s the shop doing? You get that new hydraulics system set up?”

“Oh yeah! Works like a dream, lifts up to 12,000 lbs lickety split. It’s been great, especially with that new warehouse they built down the block. I’m the only auto shop in town that has a system that can handle the tonnage on those delivery trucks. The shop made enough this last year that I should be able to finally pay off the house.” Pride shone on Paul Lewis’ rotund face, making his blue eyes sparkle merrily.

Darcy’s answering smile was just as bright. “That’s really good to hear, Dad. You know I worry about you.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Paul waved away her concerns. “I’ll be alright. Too old and stubborn for anything too terrible to happen to me. You’re the one I should be worrying about. Living in that big city full of criminals, a young woman all on her own.” A sly look crept into her father’s eyes. “Although, the way Angie tells it, you’re not exactly all on your own now, are you?"

Darcy groaned. “Does Angie always have to tell you everything about my life?”

“Yes, because she’s your big sister, she adores me, and she inherited a little bit of that gossip streak from your mother.” Paul’s voiced dipped to a lower decibel. “She said he was coming for the holidays, is he here? You know he was always my favorite Commando, I had all of his collectables as a kid.” The eagerness on her father’s face was damn near adorable, she had to admit.

Paul Lewis was not a tall man, coming barely an inch taller than his younger daughter and several inches shorter than his elder. Despite his short stature, he was built like a brick house, layered with beefy muscle from years of hard labor working at his auto shop. He had the same bright blue eyes that both his girls had inherited, and once upon a time he’d had their same brunette curls, but those had started to disappear around the same time that the little pot belly had developed around his middle. Despite his age, he still had the cherubic appearance that her mother had fallen for when they’d met in high school. The excitement of meeting a childhood hero only served to deepen his look of boyish charm.

Darcy rolled her eyes at her father, but took his hand and led him to where Bucky sat waiting in the living room. Upon their entrance, she noticed the stiff set of his shoulders and the momentary look of apprehension on his face before he swept it away in favor of a polite smile that almost, but didn’t quite reach his eyes. Bucky stood gracefully, hoisting Violet onto his waist and extending his hand out amiably to Darcy’s father...who looked like he was about 30 seconds from passing out with excitement.

“Dad, shake the man’s hand. And breathe, for godssake.” Darcy resisted the urge to facepalm herself. “Dad, as you know, this is Bucky Barnes. Bucky, this is my father, Paul Lewis. He’s not a lunatic, he’s just in love with you.” Bucky’s polite smile grew a little wary and forced when Paul took Bucky’s hand into both of his meaty paws and shook it vigorously.

“Such an honor, sir. Truly, such an honor to meet you. I wanted to be you when I was a kid. I have all your collectors cards. And the Bucky bear. All the comics that featured you. Ask Darcy, I’ve got a whole storage locker with all my Bucky Barnes memorabilia. Oh! And I used to have the commemorative marbles! But I’ve lost most of those over the years.”

“Yeah, no one’s surprised to hear that you’ve lost your marbles,” Darcy muttered. Paul didn’t seem to hear her, but Bucky definitely had as his tight, uncomfortable smile softened into something more natural.

Bucky gained enough control to finally respond. “It’s an honor to meet you as well, Mr. Lewis. You have a wonderful family and have raised two lovely daughters.” Bucky’s eyes swept over Darcy’s face for a moment.

Paul beamed with pride at his comment and threw a quick wink to his youngest. “They are pretty sweet, ain’t they? And please, call me Paul.”

“Of course, and call me, Bucky.”

The look of adoration that her father was giving Bucky was bordering on creepy and she was starting to worry that he wasn’t breathing again. Okay, time to break up the old man lovefest.

“Hey Dad, aren’t you going to say hello to your granddaughter?”

“My what-now?” her father asked dazedly, before snapping to attention. “Oh, my Violet! Hello, sweetie, come over here and let Pop Pop see how big you’ve gotten!” And with that, Paul Lewis returned to functioning like a normal human being, scooping his granddaughter from Bucky’s arms and sweeping down the hall to greet the rest of the family in the kitchen.

Darcy tilted her head back on her shoulders, heaving a deep sigh. “Well, that was embarrassing.”

Bucky chuckled, “No need to be embarrassed. I’ve had a lot of older guys that come up to me like that since I’ve been back. And even when I was fighting Hydra, we’d meet a lot of little kids that would look at us like that. I guess you never really get used to the hero worship. Well, except for Morita, he ate that shit up.” Bucky was quiet in thought for a moment. “Well, I guess there were some perks to the hero worship,” he said with a wolfish grin. “There was almost always a few pretty dames willing to...show their appreciation and do their part for the war effort.” Bucky winked and Darcy snorted and rolled her eyes.

“Okay, Romeo, I was going to tell you that you were my favorite Commando, too, when I was in high school, but I’ve changed my mind. Steve is the favorite now.”

“Oh come on, darling, don’t be like that,” Bucky pleaded, lower lip pulled into a pout. Darcy briefly considered biting that lip in reprimand but decided there were other, more subtle, ways to punish a man.

“Alright, I concede, you can be my favorite again.” The tilt of her one-sided smile should have been the first red flag for Barnes, but he was too pleased with her revelation to notice.

Bucky gave her a shy smile. “So was I really your favorite when you were younger?”

Hah, he’d left her the perfect opening to dole out his punishment. “Oh. Yes. Very much so. Junior year, we had a whole section of curriculum that was just about the Commandos. You were all I talked about for months after. In fact, for my birthday that year my friends pitched in to get me a really great gift.” Darcy started to slowly back away from him, stopping to lean against the living room entryway. “Want to know what it was?” she asked, eyelashes batting coyly against her cheeks. Bucky smirked and nodded.

Giving a soft hum of amusement, she replied, “A matching Bucky Barnes bra and panty set. It was navy with decorative buttons. To match your jacket.” She traced her hands lightly across her breasts. “Your sniper rifle was emblazoned on each cup,” she said softly, slowly. “And a close up of your face was printed across the ass,” she said, locking eyes with him and then turning to saunter off down the hallway to the kitchen, giving him an unhindered view of her rear for any potential visualization needs he may have. Based on the look on his face before she left, she briefly wondered if she should worry about sending him into cardiac arrest.

Bucky stood frozen in place as she disappeared around the corner, mouth opening and closing like a landed fish starving for oxygen, his heart pounding furiously in his chest. Was this a heart attack? Was he having a heart attack? He felt like he might black out for a minute. Wait no, that was just decreased blood flow to his brain in favor of...other areas. Shit, he’d better sit down for a minute and calm the fuck down before someone saw him out of sorts.

Bucky sank shakily down into the recliner, elbows landing on his knees and head in his hands. He focused on using his sniper breathing, consciously slowing the furious beating of his heart and waiting for the lust thrumming through his veins to settle. Holy hell.

***

Bucky eventually rejoined the Lewis-McKenzie clan in the kitchen, helping Darcy set the table, as dinner was almost ready. They took turns brushing against each other as they passed with plates and utensils, with a lingering look here, and soft touch there. It was the most glorious suffering either one of them had ever endured.

Dinner was a boisterous affair, delicious and warm and enjoyed by everyone. Darcy and Bucky seemed to decide on an unspoken, temporary truce in their little war, which allowed them to focus on the conversation around them.

Letting the burning awareness of Barnes’ presence fade, Darcy settled into the comfort of spending time with her family. They had always been close, but losing her mother had brought them all that much closer. The loss of such a beloved woman had irreversibly tightened the fabric of their relationships, forcing them to lean on each for strength and comfort. It had taken a while for them to come out from under the pall of grief that her mother’s absence had left. Even now, she knew that the two year anniversary of her mother’s death later that week would be a hard day. Hard, but not overwhelming like it once was. They would have each other and they wouldn’t drown in their sorrow.

And this year Darcy had Bucky to lean on as well. It hit her with sudden clarity just how important he had become to her in such a short time. She cherished his friendship, knew that he would be there for her on that day. Knew that he would be willing to comfort her on any day, for any reason. It filled her with a kind of warmth that she was unfamiliar with but found endlessly pleasant nonetheless.

Her contentment must have shown on her face because Bucky’s eyes suddenly met hers from across the table. There was a questioning look there behind his eyes, but her contentment was echoed in his face in the way his eyes crinkled at the edges and his smile pressed into the apples of his cheeks. It was a quiet moment between them, completely missed by the other diners, and it held none of the heat that their more recent interactions had held, nor the stilted shyness of their earliest moments together. It was a simple peace that settled over them for a few short minutes until they were swept back into the conversation taking place around them.

When dinner and dessert had been consumed and the conversation had died down, Angie suggested that Darcy and Bucky take over dishwashing while the rest of the family retired to the living room. Darcy could tell it wasn’t an idle suggestion by the wicked sparkle in her sister’s eyes. She was up to something. Probably the same something that had her currently bunking in the same room as Barnes. She had tried to question Angie’s motives earlier while he had slept, but was met with faux innocence and the impenetrable Lewis will. She was fairly certain that Angie was playing matchmaker, which was a tad invasive since she was a grown woman now, but would have been welcome if it had been any other man that she was attracted to. But this was Bucky, and she’d already decided the best course of action was letting him make the first move. The fact that her sister was trying to force his hand was not in line with the plan. If Angie kept this up, she’d have to have a little heart to heart with her meddling big sister. She really didn’t want to because it felt impolite for her to talk about Bucky’s needs like that. His issues were not a topic for gossip, nor a subject that she would broach lightly with anyone, including her sister, but she would do it if she had to in order to protect him from being pushed into something that he wasn’t ready for.

All these thoughts played through her mind as she and Bucky worked alongside of each other, with him scrubbing and her rinsing and drying. They were quiet, content to enjoy each other’s presence in silence, bellies and hearts full after such a pleasant evening. When the final plate had been dried and put away, Bucky turned to face her, leaning his hip against the kitchen sink. Darcy mirrored his actions, folding her arms across her chest and beaming up at him.

“You’re good people, you know that? The Lewises and company. Being invited into all of this, I…” Bucky broke off, choked up with sudden emotion. Darcy reached a hand out, stroking along his shoulder and down his arm, but stayed quiet, allowing him to work through what he was feeling. Bucky took a steadying breath. “I didn’t think this would be something I’d ever get to experience again, you know?” He looked at her helplessly, a line appearing between his brows.

Darcy leaned into the balls of her feet, preparing to wrap him in a thorough hug, when her sister and brother-in-law popped back into the kitchen.

“Well would you look at that, Rob,” Angie chuckled. “I don’t think my kitchen has been this spotless since Vi was born.” Her eyes darted to the ceiling above them and a sly grin lit up her features. “Oh! And what’s that hanging up there? Do my eyes spy a bit of mistletoe?” she asked with poorly hidden glee.

Bucky froze, unsure of how to handle this entrapment. Darcy was glaring daggers at her sister, her nostrils flared out in rage. Doubt and worry clawed at his stomach. He didn’t want to push her, and she certainly didn’t seem eager to be kissed at the moment. Better to make an excuse and a quick exit.

“Um, Angie, I don’t think that would be appropriate-”

“Don’t be silly, Barnes, it’s Christmas and it’s tradition, give the girl a kiss!” Angie clasped her hands in front of her. Her eagerness would have been adorable if it weren’t so damn awkward for him and Darcy at the moment.

Darcy looked back up at him, and he could see the apology there in regards to her sister’s behavior. At least she wasn’t glaring at him the way she had been at Angie. And earlier on the couch...he was almost certain she’d been about to kiss him. So maybe she wouldn’t be completely offended if he…?

Bucky leaned forward, grasping Darcy’s shoulders gently. He could hear the sharp hiss of her gasp when he brushed his mouth softly over her cheek, lingering for a long moment before flicking the tip of his tongue out for the barest taste of her skin. He immediately pulled back afterwards, watching the way her mouth popped open in shock and her eyes darkened.

From the opposite side of the kitchen, Rob snorted and cut off his wife before she could needle the two further. “Come on sweetheart, Darcy got her kiss, now leave her alone.”

Angie sighed, but realized when she’d been beaten and made a hasty retreat after her husband. But not before smacking him on the ass and letting him chase her back down the hallway.

Bucky scrubbed a hand over his face. “They always like that?”

“What? Sickeningly in love? Yeah, it’s gross. You’d think having Violet would have put the kibosh on their shenanigans, but, alas, they only seem to love each other more.” Darcy made a gagging noise.

Bucky laughed, “Yeah, I can see that.” He slowly shook his head and then offered his arm to her. “Shall we join your family in the living room? Your father mentioned that there may be a Scrabble tournament after dinner, whatever that is.”

Darcy smiled and tucked her hand into his arm, “Oh sweetheart, you’re about to get taken to school. Brace yourself, we’re all competitive in this family.”

Bucky gasped, “No! I would never have guessed!” She stuck her tongue at him and poked him in that ticklish spot on his ribs. His resultant giggle was deeply gratifying.

***

Darcy had not been lying when she said they were competitive. Bucky could think of three separate occasions where he had prepared himself to break up an imminent brawl that night. There had been wild accusations of cheating, actual cheating, below the belt insulting and some of the most colorful language that he’d heard since being in the army.

At one point, as the two women were verbally assaulting each other, Paul had looked at him and shrugged apologetically. “They’re a mechanic’s daughters, what can I say? Their mother tried her damndest to raise them up to be sweethearts but they’ve always favored me.”

Darcy turned on the man, pointing a finger into his face, “Don’t even pretend like you’re above all this, old man. You were the one that was trying to convince us that ‘flustrated’ was an actual word!”

“Damn it, it is a word! I don’t care what the damn dictionary says, it’s colloquial! It counts!”

“According to what rule book?” Angie demanded, causing Violet, who had been contentedly nursing until that point, to jerk a chubby little arm in surprise.

After that, the family dissolved into further argument until Violet began to cry in exhaustion and the adults decided it was time to head to bed. The small group dispersed, each going to their respective bedrooms.

Bucky shuffled awkwardly around the room for a bit, gathering fresh clothes and mumbling about needing a shower. After he made his departure, Darcy undressed and put on her most comfortable pajama pants and t-shirt. She briefly considered wearing something more...provocative, but she was still wrung out and reeling from the brief, but sensual, kiss that she’d received earlier.

And what a doozy that was. Who knew a kiss on the cheek could be so toe-curling? Well, most cheek kisses didn’t usually include the tiniest bit of tongue, but whoo buddy, wasn’t that a nice little addition?

She settled herself onto the bottom mattress, tossing and turning until she could find that sweet spot of comfort. She lay there quietly, going back over the highlights of the day. And the issue of Angela being a pushy butthole. She’d be having that little chat with her in the morning, she’d decided.

Bucky crept back into the dark room then. His hair hung wetly against his scalp and she could smell the scent of his body wash rising off his water-warmed skin. He was dressed in his usual flannel pajama pants, but instead of his usual plain v-neck t-shirt, he had on a thin, white cotton tank top. Even in the darkened room, Darcy could see the moonlight reflecting off his arm and catching on the droplets of water that still clung to his neck and shoulders. She stayed still and quiet, just watching him as he made his way across the room silently. He stepped up onto her bed near her feet and then crawled up onto his own mattress, sliding between his sheets.

He lay on his back, breathing slowly and listening as she synced her own breaths to his. He smiled and rolled onto his stomach, hesitantly reaching a hand down and finding where her fingers rested on her pillow in front of her face. His metal fingers ran lightly over the joints of her hands, circling and tracing her knuckles and each digit of her fingers. The cold sensation and tenderness of the gesture sent shivers down her spine.

“Thank you,” he said on a gentle sigh, before pulling his hand back up to tuck into his chest.

Darcy smiled and hummed, content to continue to lay there quietly. The long day began to settle on her like a heavy shawl and she was soon swept onto the distant shores of slumber.