Waking up in Bucky's arms was something that I truly wanted to get used to - And the way he was grabbing me a little tighter as he woke up, snuggling deeper into my neck and shoulder, kissing his way to full wakefulness, I had a feeling he was all in.
"Morning," I murmured as his kisses grew less drowsy and more hungry. Biting my lip, my back arched so I met his heat, and then I was rolling over my hands searching for his neck as our lips were meeting - magnets, tongues tasting one another and I really liked our new normal.
Bucky's teeth nipped at my lower lip as he slid into my warmth, giving me the freedom to make those noises that he'd told me he loved hearing. He didn't need to help my legs find purchase around his hips, his left hand was planted on the mattress beside my head while his right was sliding through my hair.
"I won't break," I promised, reminding him that he could control it, that he had before - that the bruises that came weren't unwanted or unmanageable.
A small shift and his left hand was on my hip, holding me steady as the tempo took on a less leisurely pace. His mouth returned to mine, and then he rolled, putting me above him - his idea of a compromise, but I rocked against him and he growled, making me smile against his lips. Both of his hands slid up my body, along my sides and then, skin and metal, both were cupping my breasts and I broke our kiss as I gasped at the duality of it. Our eyes met and I watched as he finally seemed to grasp it - that I loved ALL of him. He shifted and my back met our mattress and our lips were pressed together as his hands, both of them, slid down my body to move my legs back into place around his hips. And then they rose along my body again, and I felt certain, as we moved together - that Bucky understood that I wanted ALL of him all the time.
Breakfast was - different. When we were in Louisiana we ate at the diner, well we did when we managed to get out of bed in time. We'd only had breakfast once before he'd gone off to be a hero before that - So this was a different situation for us.
"Sit," he pushed me toward my kitchen table and I raised an eyebrow. "Please?" He softened it with a kiss on my nose and holding out my chair.
"Are you actually planning on cooking breakfast or are you just going to hand me leftovers from Romeo's?" I asked, watching as he walked back to the fridge in his t-shirt and boxers. "I'm fine with either, by the way, I just want to know what to expect." I didn't want to give Bucky a complex, hell half the time I ate leftover whatever for breakfast.
"Hush," he shot me a look over his shoulder and I contemplated telling him to forget breakfast, I'd rather just have another order of him, heavy on the protein. Dear GOD, what was he MADE of? I watched as he took stock of my fridge's contents. "I think you have everything I need -" He started pulling out stuff, carton of eggs, milk, cheese, some veggies that I fucking hoped were still edible - "Where do you keep your bread?"
"If it's still good?" I pointed to the breadbox. He nodded. "There should be some English muffins in the pull out drawer in the -" he went back to the fridge and gave a little woot of excitement. "The butter is in there too." I added helpfully. I watched him pull both out. "I'm guessing we're having an omelet?"
He hummed, moving with more confidence through OUR kitchen now that he saw that I was at ease with him using it. He found a frying pan, a spatula, a whisk, a knife - which he did a flip with that made my clean panties grow slightly damp doing - a bowl. I watched as he worked, thinking that he moved like a dancer, silent, but also effortlessly. He had the omelet going to almost finished before he popped our English muffins in the toaster. He knew what he was doing, I'd give him that.
"Should I ask how you know how to do this?" I asked, moving over to wrap my arms around him from the back and pressing my cheek against his spine.
His hands covered mine and I heard his contented sigh because my ear was so close to his skin. "It's not really classified information, Brooke." I chuckled. "Omelets, toast?" He shrugged. "Everyone's gotta eat, right?"
I nodded, snuggling into him, breathing him in. "Yeah, but it's not fair if you're good at EVERYTHING, Bucky Barnes." That got him laughing. "I'm sure you're going to say Steve would tell me ALL the things you're NOT good at, but he's not here, and Sam is not really unbiased."
"Guess not," his hands moved and I knew he was flipping our breakfast. "Gonna let me go so we can eat?"
"No," I murmured. "But I'll unwrap my arms while we eat."
First of all, Bucky Barnes can freaking COOK. Who knew? Well I do NOW. That omelet was amazing and I seriously considered forcing the cooking duties on him from that moment on, but then I thought that would be a shitty thing to do - so breakfast was his from that moment on when he was home - because I think we both knew that he'd eventually be called back to duty.
Second of all, we had a reprieve from Connie, but that wasn't gonna last forever. In fact, it barely lasted a full 24 hours once I got to our house. We finished breakfast and my cell phone gave the alert that I had a text, then it rang because she has all the chill of a house on fire.
"Hello, Connie," I had her on speaker and I knew she knew it. "I haven't read your text yet, so let's hear it."
"Just checking to see if you two are doing -" she sounded like she wanted gory details of how the two of us were doing, had done, would be doing soon, and if there was a video just in case my memory was lacking. "Oh -" I heard Joey's voice in the background, squinting I wondered what fucking time it was. "Joey wanted me to ask, before he runs out to work, do you guys wanna come over tonight for a tiny get together?"
"Tiny?" My eyes were narrowed at the phone and Bucky's were wide. "How tiny, Connie?"
"Oh, you know, just some of the old crowd." She was being a little too vague for me. "We're so excited that you're being more social that we wanted to celebrate." I looked up at Bucky and he was grinning.
"And I'm sure it has NOTHING to do with one Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes moving in with me, right?" Bucky looked like he might end up cracking a rib soon from holding back his mirth, go figure. "Why don't you ask HIM if he wants to attend this 'tiny get together', Connie?"
The phone went so silent I had to check to see if Connie had disconnected our little chat. I could see the seconds ticking by that proved she was still on the call - biting my lip I shared a look with Bucky.
"Do I get an invite?" Bucky had joined me at the counter, having loaded the dishwasher with our breakfast dishes, and clearly wanting to poke at my best friend as much as I did. "Or is this an 'old gang only' kind of shindig?"
His arms went around me and he was staring down at me, lips quirked in a grin that I mirrored as we waited for Connie to regain her ability to speak. "No," I snorted and Connie groaned. "I mean, it's not just an old gang thing - fu-" I heard her cover the phone with her hand and I knew she was promising her little mafia shakedown princess to put some cash in the swear jar after nearly dropping the f-bomb. "Yeah, Bucky, of course you're invited." Connie came back on the line and ALMOST sounded normal - almost. "I mean, if you're not busy - doing Avenger type things." Her voice faded toward the end and I swear both Bucky and I could FEEL her burning blush from her house.
"Wow, yeah," Bucky's laugh lines were in full force around his eyes and his teeth gleamed in a full grin. "Sounds great, Connie." I shook my head, I'd rather eat paint. "We'll be there."
I rolled my eyes, but he convinced me with a soft kiss. Fine, I'd give in graciously - for HIM. "Yeah, yeah, yeah," I murmured when I pulled back. "I guess we'll be there."
Connie gave an ungodly squeal and I considered a pitstop by the church to ask if the priest would come with - just in case she needed an exorcism. "Awesome! You're gonna have so much fun seeing everyone - AND meeting everyone, Bucky!" She started talking a mile a minute and I felt my head spinning while I tried to keep up. Jesus. I finally cut in to remind her that Bucky still had to unpack and I had to - well I had to do THINGS. "Right, of course - Just come around 6, ok?" I assured her we would and then told her I loved her, while doubting the force of my affection as I hung up.
"She's excited to have you back," Bucky soothed, seeing how exhausted I felt after the call. "Steve was like that too - sort of." He squinted, thinking back.
"Yeah, I have a feeling that he was a little less bouncy while he had you locked down in that vise, Buck." He chuckled. "But, since we are now being forced to spend the evening with my -" I swallowed hard. "There is something I want to show you BEFORE you unpack."
He looked down at me with curiosity, but also trust. Good, because what I was going to show him wasn't BAD. Grabbing the keys to the shed, I pulled him out the backdoor. "You got something creepy in your shed, Brooke?" He was teasing, but I wanted to show him the car - and I also wanted to offer him something else.