Most of the families were inside enjoying their midday meal so the village and surrounding area were empty. Steve wandered down to the lake and around a grove of trees where he found Bucky clearing a section of the lake. He tried to walk as softly he could on the lake bank but despite his best efforts, he couldn't surprise him. Bucky turned to face him, and Steve gave into temptation, slipping his arm around his waist and greeting him with an unplanned kiss. Bucky responded but turned back to his work saying nothing which was irritating.
"No one can see us. I looked. We have to come out of the closet sometime..," Steve said.
"Why? Why can't we... keep it to ourselves?" Bucky pulled out some overgrowth that was crowding into the corner of the lake, keeping his face hidden.
"Are you embarrassed?" Steve asked, taking a few steps, so he was beside him. He reached down to pick up a large plant that had taken root on the trail, pulling it up with ease.
"No, I'm not embarrassed, I'm not ashamed... I'd... lets... talk about something else." Bucky pulled up another stubborn plant, throwing it off to the side of the path.
"Ok," Steve said. Bucky didn't like talking about intimate things outside the bedroom. He had to accept that. "Are you going to Tony's goodbye dinner tonight?"
"He's not saying goodbye. He's just going back to New York... and I can't go to that." Bucky picked up a long pole and used it to guide a small piece of debris toward him. Reaching down to pick it up, he noted it was a small bit of fabric. He stared at it for a moment.
"Why not?"
"Do you honestly think he wants me there? After what I did?" Bucky asked. He crumpled the bit of cloth up in his hand. "We can't just start hanging out together like nothing's happened."
"A brainwashed assassin killed his parents. He accepts that, Besides, it wasn't you... it was.."
"The other guy. But it still happened. I still did it."
"But you answered for it. It was resolved. You apologized to Tony, he accepts everything was out of your control. I think one reason you're so different from my Bucky. He never had time to come to term with things, to make things right... and you went on that mission together."
"Missions are different," Bucky said, picking up the pole again as he dredged the water.
A light popped on in Steve's brain. "This isn't about Tony and his feelings. It's about you... you don't want to be there.," he said.
"No, I don't. Just... don't push it, ok?"
"If you don't go, then I don't go..."
Bucky threw the pole down and stared out across the water. "Don't start that crap. Tony's your friend, no reason you can't be there."
"And why are we fighting?"
"We're not fighting..." He faced Steve for the first time. "I'm sorry. I'll go if you don't push... the other thing."
"I won't push it, but will you at least take one thing into consideration?"
"What?"
"We should tell Sam."
Bucky nodded, turning back to his work. "You can tell him, but I don't want to talk about it. Not with him, not with anyone."
"Ok, but one more thing. Come here."
Bucky seemed wary but walked over to Steve who once again slipped his arm around his waist.
"The sun is shining, the sky is blue, we're outside..." He kissed him again and this time Bucky seemed more relaxed. Steve pulled back, smiling at him "See, nothing bad happened."
"Shut up," Bucky said, pushing him away but there was a hint of a smile on his face.
Tony's goodbye dinner was outside on the pavilion. Large torches lit up the evening. It was an informal drop-in affair but Tony went all out. Western and Wakandan delicacies were spread out on a large buffet table. Drinks, alcoholic and otherwise flowed freely. He invited all those who had worked with the team over the past few weeks. T'Challa showed up to pay his respects to Tony and the team and then made a discreet withdrawal. Some scientists who had worked with Bruce were there and Shuri and her team.
Thula came with Sam. Steve found out she was a veterinary technician who worked in Wildlife Management. He imagined a scenario of Sam, flying over the Wakandan plains, reporting back to her about the animals he saw in the wild. True, a drone could do what he could, but knowing Sam, he wouldn't pass up the opportunity. The two of them had become inseparable and Steve didn't blame Sam for wanting to stay.
Bucky stayed by Steve's side most of the night, not saying much, lurking in the shadows and doing his best to look uncomfortable. At one point Natasha pulled him away, insisting he join in as she told the tale of his arm malfunction to the family members of the scientists. Thula hadn't heard the story, and she directed attention toward the pair as Natasha waved her arms and mimicked the sounds of explosions. Bucky told his side of what happened, with interruptions from Natasha and Tony with a few insights from Wanda.
Sam was alone to the side, taking sips from a drink and shaking his head as the story progressed. Steve caught his eye, motioning him over to the edge of the light.
"There's something I need to tell you..." he began."And it's kind of personal, but you should know."
"Don't tell me. You really are aliens?"
"No, nothing like that," Steve said. Laughter exploded from the group as Natasha came to the climax of the story.
"You might have noticed Bucky and I are spending a lot of time together..."
"You are inseparable. Just like me and Thula," Sam's eyes sent a message he could guess what Steve was about to say.
"That's because like you and Thula... we're together."
"Together... in what sense of the word?"
"The sense you think of. We had to tell you because... you're our friend."
"It's not a surprise. I've had my suspicions. Why... now?"
"Because... I'm the Steve, he was always trying to get back, and he's the Bucky I knew from before. We found each other again..."
"So this crazy experiment worked out for the both of you."
"Yes. It did. But there's another thing, something we'll not share with a lot of people. Bucky is asexual."
Sam took a drink and took a long look at Bucky on the other edge of the pavilion, deep in discussion with Wanda.
"Really. Hmm...and you're ok with that?"
"I'm fine with that. He experiences romantic attraction, but that's something different," Steve said.
"Not to get too much in your business, but that's enough, for you?"
"Yes," Steve was not about to explain the details of their sensual side of the relationship. That was no one's business.
Sam let out a short laugh. "That explains a LOT. We'd go to town, and he'd have these girls coming onto him..."
"He told me."
"He was clueless. Didn't noticed. Never picked up adult magazines even if they were right there in front of him. I thought he was gay because you and he..., well, let's just say you weren't best friends the same way you and I are."
"Easy mistake to make. If you want to get technical, we're in a homoromantic relationship. Bucky wanted me to tell you, but he won't want to talk about it so, just go along with it, and if anyone asks, just tell them."
"Does that mean you're like him?"
"I don't know what I am since I woke up, but for now I'm good."
"Ok, thanks for telling me. I'm cool with it."
"Thanks, Sam. Knew you would be."
Steve was relieved it was over and knew they would never have to talk about it again. They turned their attention back to the group. Bucky caught his eye and Steve winked back at him.
The crowd dispersed until it the only people left were the team members and the time came for the goodbyes. There were handshakes and hugs. Steve didn't realize until that moment that Bruce wasn't there. He had been earlier but now was nowhere around. He made an abrupt decision to stay so he must have said his goodbyes to Natasha in private. He was about to ask about him when Tony scooped him up in a big bear hug. Their relationship normally didn't involve hugging but Steve returned it.
"You and Nature Boy behave yourselves," Tony said. "and I would say something about keeping Sam grounded, but it looks like he's doing that on his own. And you will miss me. There'll be a lot of manful tears I can tell."
"If you need me, just call," Steve said, smiling at the old memory. Before Tony could reply Natasha interrupted them. Her hug he expected.
A handshake from Rhodey. "It worked Cap. The damn thing worked. I can't believe it."
"Well, don't go throwing that smile around too much, not until everything settles," Tony said. "We still don't know what's around the corner, but until that happens, maybe we'll have some breathing space."
Bucky stayed on the edge of the pavilion, apart from the group, but Rhodey and Natasha came over to speak to him. Tony noticed him as they left. He and Bucky exchanged a long glance and then Tony nodded in his direction without speaking. Bucky returned the gesture.
He and Steve took their leave of everyone else there and walked together back to the village as the evening deepened around them. The last rays of the sun were just going behind the trees behind them just as the hut came into view. Steve no longer thought of it as Bucky's place. It was their place.
"See, that wasn't so bad. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you almost had fun," Steve said, putting his arm around him. "I told Sam."
"How did he take it?"
"He wasn't all that surprised. He and Thula are going out to a Wildlife Park tomorrow... he's having fun here…he deserves it."
"I'm glad you told him. He's...a good friend."
There was little to do so the two of them settled in for the night. Bucky stayed on his side of the pallet for a long while, saying nothing. Steve was about to drift off when he broke the silence.
"It's too perfect," he announced.
"What do you mean?" Steve rolled over on his side to face him.
"You and me, living here, in our own little world. Sam close by, being happy. It's just too good. I can't help but feel there's something around the corner, ready to take it away."
Before Steve could answer, Bucky turned to him, his hand going under his shirt, then he slowly moved it up and down his back. Coming closer he kissed his neck, his shoulders and with one easy movement pulled his shirt over his head, his lips going back to his chest, both his hands, his real and metal one, moving across his body in smooth even rhythms.
Steve pulled Bucky close, allowing himself to experience the skin on skin contact and feel his heartbeat, returning the favor of the touch of his hands across his body. There was always the slight pleasant feeling of arousal but it always stopped at a certain point on its own. He never had to fight back any urges. They shared a long kiss.
Sometimes they did this for just a few minutes, sometimes for hours, depending on what had gone on that day. It always ended the same way, with Bucky whispering 'I love you' and falling asleep, in his arms. They didn't do this every night, this activity Bucky called 'fooling around with each other' but it was often enough. Tiring of this would be like tiring of drinking water.
Bucky fell asleep but Steve stayed awake for a while. His words of oncoming trouble worried him as he remembered Tony's paranoia about an attack from space. It had turned out to be real and now he hoped Bucky's feelings were just him coming to terms with the idea that people had forgiven him and he deserved happiness for a while.
He put his arm around him and pulled himself closer so he could stroke his hair. After everything they'd been through, they deserved this and he hoped nothing would come to snatch it away.