"Peg and I don't have a bad marriage, Susan," Jack objected.
"No, I know that you don't. You just have sour spots that you would do better to stay away from, just like any couple."
"Could that be a side effect of not having had a completed soulbond?" Peggy asked. "Because something as basic in a relationship as sleeping arrangements isn't something that we should have to shuffle to the side and not discuss."
Jack took a deep breath, reminding them with forced calm, "I have no problem whatsoever with sleeping with with you, and Angie, and Anna, thanks! That's what we've all always done, not just me; guys with gals and vice versa."
"Ah," Bucky rocked back on his heels. "I see what the problem is."
"I don't have a problem," Jack ground out, his glare dark.
Bucky took a step away from him and Steve instantly reached for his hand. A beat passed. Jack had the good graces to look apologetic, and he visibly calmed himself down. Bucky took a deep breath and dove back into the conversation.
"You don't have a problem, Jack," Bucky said evenly. "You have presuppositions about what is and isn't acceptable. But even that seems to change depending on the case."
"What do you mean?"
"Me and Steve, Tony and Bruce – you're okay with us being as close as we are, but you're not comfortable doing something like that for yourself."
"I can do what I want, and everybody else can do what they want. What's the problem with that?"
"There is no problem with that." Bucky paused for a moment, thinking something over before he requested, "Let me do some research and get back to you, okay?"
"We'll see," Jack replied evenly.
If the blond had his way, this conversation would never be gotten back to. Bucky, however, didn't plan on letting him have his way.
"So, back to the original question:" Steve said. "What are we doing tonight?"
"It's late;" Daniel said. "Why don't we just do married couples and come back to this after a good night's sleep... or not sleeping, whatever floats your boat?"
"No," Peggy spoke up suddenly. "I want to stay with Bucky tonight."
Bucky tensed. "I don't want to hurt you if I have a nightmare, doll."
"You stayed with me last night."
"With Steve, who could've and would've protected you if something had gone wrong."
"I can help myself, Bucky; I know how to deal with PTSD."
"Is that so?" Bucky asked, rolling his eyes behind the curtain of his hair.
Jack answered meaningfully, "Yeah, it is."
Bucky did a double take of the blond man, realizing what he was implying, before he muttered begrudgingly, "Alright, whatever the lady wants."
Peggy grinned and reached for his hand. Bucky accepted the gesture, but dragged Steve along with them as they went over to where Anna, Eddie, and Angie were settled on a couch, talking.
"We're going to bed," Peggy announced, holding up her and Bucky's joined hands.
Anna pouted at Bucky, complaining, "No fair."
"Trust me, sweetheart, it's better this way," Bucky informed her, bending down to kiss the top of her head.
Eddie, who had been sitting between Angie and Anna, curled out of the way, having a touch-me-not moment, so that Bucky could do the same thing to Angie.
Bucky looked at Peggy in surprise, asking, "Are they all like this?"
"Let's just say that we have our work cut out for us to make this work for all of us as a group," Peggy replied.
"Don't worry, once I get started on a mission, I always finish it." He glanced at Steve with a grimace, tacking on, "Most of the time."
"Come here, jerk," Steve demanded gently, pulling Bucky to him for a long minute before he released him. "I love you."
"I love you too, punk," Bucky replied with a small smile.
Daniel surprised Bucky when he sidled up to him and put an arm around his shoulders, saying firmly, "We do all love you, even when we're temperamental… and I don't want you to worry so much about hurting us, either. Peggy meant it; too many of us were soldiers, and you'd probably be stunned if you knew who'd been hurt how. All of know what PTSD looks like, and how to handle it. We're not afraid of you, you're not allowed to be afraid of you. Okay?"
Bucky smiled, not sure how to tell the man how much that meant to him, and ended up pulling him in for a fierce hug. Daniel rested his head on Bucky's shoulder, just prolonging the moment of loving human contact before sending him off with Peggy, murmuring, "Good night."
"Good night, Danny," Bucky replied with a soft smile.
When he and Peggy were gone down the hallway, Daniel turned back to the remaining five and asked, looking between Steve and Angie, "How about I just go with Steve tonight? Would that cause less drama?"
"Sounds good to me," Steve agreed.
Angie grinned. "I'm fine with that if you boys are. Jack looks like he needs somebody to make him smile anyway."
Jack grumbled, but Angie sprang up from the couch and dragged him down the hallway before he could complain further. Anna and Eddie trailed behind them to a room of their own.
Steve waited until he was alone with Daniel in the living room before he asked in a low voice, "Are you okay?"
"Are you?"
Steve remained silent for a moment before muttering, "If Jack ever scares him like that again, I'll knock his teeth out."
"Jack tends to inspire that sort of reaction in people," Daniel remarked. "But he's not that bad, really. He has redeeming qualities, anyway."
"As does Bucky, but that doesn't mean that I've never wanted to strangle him. I call him a jerk for a reason."
Daniel grinned. "Yeah, but I get the feeling that he's your jerk."
"He is," Steve smiled. "Anyway, my bedroom's down the hall this way."
