You're only human.
Steve had bent the rules. Sure he was human, but he was more. He was more than a man. He was more than a soldier.
Bucky was still asleep beside him. It was much too early in the morning for him to be up; Steve was always up first, already showered and with a cup of coffee after his morning run. Bucky would trudge out of the room hours later, his hair in a rat's nest and the bags under his eyes looking like he just smudged coal under them.
Today, Steve didn't feel like getting out of bed. He had gone for a run yesterday, and before that, and every day before that. His body was screaming at him to get moving, but he couldn't help but lay there in the company of his best friend.
There were only a few stray beams of light that made their way through the curtains. They were bright enough to see all the little specks floating in the air, yet soft enough for the man beside him to sleep without disruption.
It was barely sunrise. Steve liked to wake up and watch the sun grow higher as he ran. It helped him concentrate. He looked to the man at his side, wondering how it was that they hadn't watched the sunrise together in forever.
Steve was more than a human; he was more than a friend.
Bucky was sound asleep, one hand slipped under the pillow and his back turned to Steve. All he could see was the tangle of brown hair and the shine of his metal arm. He didn't mind one bit.
There was something about Bucky's arm that he couldn't get enough of. The way it looked so-unhuman? It was the perfect amount of monster that balanced out the man. It was a beautiful addition in his eyes. Somehow he could barely remember way the real skin felt like before it was replaced with the silver slates.
He didn't care to remember.
Steve leaned over, tracing his palm along the cool metal on Bucky's arm. It was chilled, of course, but not cold enough to keep them apart. His fingers danced over the star on his shoulder before traveling down each and every ribbon individually.
His head laid down on Bucky's shoulder, his hand fleeting over Bucky's. He couldn't stop himself from intertwining their fingers together, the warmth of his skin melting against the cool metal.
Steve was more than human; he was more than a one-night-stand.
No matter how slowly Steve tried to breathe, his breathe kept rushing out and moving Bucky's hair. The messy locks shook back and forth with each puff of air, tickling Bucky's neck until he woke up.
Steve could tell when Bucky woke up, because he would put in the extra effort of taking a deep and dramatic yawn before stiffly stretching as if it was his passive aggressive way of saying "thanks, but I wasn't done yet."
Just the thought made Steve smile. He dipped his head further into Bucky's neck, his lips landing on the skin meeting in the crook of his shoulder. He blew a lock of hair out of his way, continuing to press himself tightly against Bucky.
Bucky let out a low groan, one that was gruff and muffled by a hazy amount of sleep. He turned his head, glossy and groggy eyes meeting with Steve's. His lips still traced the other man's skin, laying down on an inch of flesh to claim it as his own.
Steve was more than a human; he was more than the love of Bucky's life.
You're only human.
Bucky didn't believe it. He didn't want to be human; he wanted to be more. He wanted to be more than a man. He wanted to be more than a soldier.
Normally, waking Bucky up early would lead to a few bruises on Steve's legs from the other man's childish kicking. Perhaps he was too groggy, or the feel of Steve so close to him was too intoxicating this early in the morning, but he couldn't bring himself to fight.
He let out a soft groan, his body tensing up with chills as he felt Steve's hand trace along his arm. His fingers worked down his bicep, tracing the round of his forearm before his fingers snaked over his hands. They laced together, the subtle contact all to addicting.
Bucky wanted to be more than a human; he wanted to be more than a friend.
He wondered how long he could lay there and pretend to be asleep. Probably not long; he could hear Steve's quiet and breathy chuckles as Bucky unwilling woke up. He groaned softly, his body arching and pressing against Steve's chest, which was pressed so tightly against his back.
Shivers ran over Bucky's body as he felt the cool streams of air blowing his hair away. The lips that sent that air soon enough attached to Bucky's skin, planting down onto pieces of territory that they began to claim with kisses.
Bucky wanted to be more than human; he wanted to be more than a one night stand.
He opened his eyes. The darkness faded away, replaced with the faint light of dawn. The soft glow made Steve's blonde hair more like a halo. His eyes were bright with intensity as Bucky looked over his shoulder at him.
There was a perfection in Steve that was bewildering; it wasn't the serum-though it was a nice touch. It was more of this look he had in his eyes, one that held more compassion and more selflessness than any human or man could. And the way they looked back at him...
Bucky wanted to be more than a human; he wanted to be more than the love of Steve's life.
You're only human.
It didn't matter how they saw themselves; in each other's eyes, they were more than human. They were the stars you stare at, art you couldn't describe with a thousand words. They were more than friends, more than one-night-stands, more than the love of one another's life.
They were whatever they wanted to be. And now, all they wanted to be was in each other's arms.