Hey. I'm alive. My new job just doesn't let me write while working. Also, I'm woefully behind on this project, and I've only just finished January.
Originally posted to tumblr 2016-03-25.
/ Day 24 (2016.01.24)
/ adjective
/ 1. crying out noisily; clamorous.
/ 2. characterized by or uttered with vociferation:
/ a vociferous manner of expression.
Sometimes Bucky's past caught up with him. Sometimes it was someone from the mob he'd gotten out of. Sometimes it was someone from another mob looking for belated revenge, thinking he was weak and unguarded now. Sometimes it was just some punk trying to steal shit from Steve's hard-earned tattoo shop. Eyeing the guy noisily examining the art on the walls, Bucky had no idea which one he was, and that meant danger.
The stranger would probably seem normal if his hoodie and jeans were all that he was wearing, but he also had two katana strapped to his back, a gun on each thigh, and wicked knives on each calf. He screamed unhinged mercenary. And Bucky's tiny spitfall of a danger-magnet was standing with his feet apart next to the empty reception desk, hands propped on his hips and face schooled in that familiar expression that said that he was just waiting for something to go down so he could jump in and defend Bucky's honour or something.
He was going to die.
"Can I help you?" Steve asked in the silence of the brightly-lit tattoo and piercing parlour.
The man turned around and Bucky saw what he hadn't when the guy walked in: skin covered in burns. All over his face. And the hands that waved at the art.
"Just looking to pick up something pretty. Think anything will stick to this skin?" he said, smile easy-going, but the measured kind Bucky was used to seeing on the other end of a weapon right before a mob war was about to go down. It made him itch to stand between Steve and the stranger.
Steve was silent for a moment, and a glance out of the corner of Bucky's eye at his stupid, everyone-gets-a-chance husband showed him that Steve was eyeing the man's scars.
"Sorry, not with that scarring. It's too hard to get ink to go through and stick, and it'll hurt more than it's worth if it won't stay."
The man grinned. "Pain isn't a problem."
If he stayed in their shop any longer, Bucky was going to get the shotgun.
The doorbell tinkled as their receptionist walked back in from his lunch break and Bucky went tense as the stranger danger turned Peter's way.
"Wade?" Peter said, surprising Bucky, and Steve, as he frowned.
"Hey baby boy!" the mercenary-type exclaimed, striding forward and sweeping Peter into his arms before Bucky could even move to defend their wiry nerd of a receptionist.
Instead of struggling though, Peter dove in for a frankly obscene kiss that left him panting and red in the face, and Bucky with an uncomfortable tightness in his pants.
"You didn't tell me you'd be back early!" he exclaimed, hands clasping the stranger's - Wade's - face.
One of Wade's heavily muscled arms was raised with the hand sunk deep in the brown bird's nest Peter called hair. The other was like a bench, held parallel to the ground and providing a seat for Peter. The pose didn't even look like it was straining the bigger man, and Peter almost looked small next to him. The kid wasn't exactly small to begin with, but he was short and wiry against the sheer bulk of his… boyfriend? Regardless of what Wade was, the casual display of strength was unnerving.
Steve cleared his throat and Peter's head shot towards his boss, cheeks brightening. Wade, though, didn't move his eyes from Peter's face. He looked… awed.
Peter pushed at the man's chest to get down, but the hand under his thighs tightened, and Wade dipped his head to press a kiss to the kid's throat.
"Not letting you go anytime soon, baby boy. Missed you too much."
Peter's face went darker, but he stopped struggling.
"Would you like to introduce us?" Steve asked pointedly, eyebrow arched.
"Oh! Yeah, sorry," Peter laughed, looking adorably abashed. "This is my husband, Wade. Wade, this is my boss, Steve. He does the tattoos, and that's his husband, Bucky, who's the piercer."
Bucky startled and his eyes shot to the plain gold wedding band on Peter's hand that he'd somehow never noticed before.
Wade finally turned to eye them, the kind of gaze that said he was sizing them up for weaknesses. Bucky took a small step closer to Steve, crossed his arms, and glared. Peter looked surprised at the move, Steve, resigned, and Wade… Wade smirked. He almost looked… satisfied.
"Yo. Thanks for takin' care of my Petey. Mind if I excuse him from work early so I can take my turn?" The surprisingly sweet sentiment took a somehow unexpectedly lewd turn and Peter rolled his eyes, even as he blushed harder. Steve smiled.
"Yeah, go ahead," Steve said in his charity voice. "He deserves a break. But I want him back on time for work Saturday."
Wade saluted Steve, and then left as loudly as he arrived, kicking open the door, leaving a boot mark on the glass, and carrying Peter out of view. It wasn't until Bucky couldn't see them any longer that he released the tension in his muscles.
"Well, that turned out better than I thought it was going to go. It was nice to finally meet Peter's husband though," Steve said,
"How did I not know he had one?" Bucky muttered under his breath, reaching out to pull his own into a hug.
"Because you only have eyes for me," Steve chuckled, and pressed a kiss to his chest.
FINIS
2016 10M WotD Master Post (themadkatter13fanfiction tumblr, /10M-WotD-2016).
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