Author's note: This is somewhere a little early on in their relationship.
Summary: Steve doesn't really know how to label his relationship with Bucky.
Steve sat back to observe his work. He liked the way the sunlight touched the newly painted coffee colored walls of the Starbucks. It made the place feel more homey, and he didn't want to toot his own horn but he'd gotten a lot of compliments on the new color. He was almost done painting with just a few white splotches left to cover, and then he would come back in two hours to do another coating. He sighed and wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Coffee?"
Steve looked down from his perch on the ladder to find one of the baristas—Phil was it?—holding a cup of iced coffee. He almost drooled at the sight of it.
"Thanks," Steve said as he stepped down to grab it. He placed his elbow on the ladder's steps and leaned against it. The coldness of the coffee sliding down his throat was quite refreshing. He hadn't realized he'd drank so much when he started make slurping noises against the ice.
Phil—he glanced at the name tag just to be sure—laughed. "I'll make sure to get another one."
Steve blushed a bit. "Sorry, a little thirsty as you can see. I'll pay for both of them once I'm done painting."
Phil waved him off. "Don't worry, it's on the house. You're our favorite customer's 'special friend' after all."
Now Steve really couldn't help blushing at that. Special friend? What exactly had Bucky been telling him?
Steve knew Bucky was a regular here and was on good terms with the owner (something about free coffee in exchange for odd jobs?). So naturally it was Bucky who told Phil about Steve's painting job. Before, the walls were a bland yellowish color that was so worn down it looked like someone threw up all over, so Steve was more than happy to repaint them.
Usually in his line of work, people were very picky about the color they wanted and what shade and sometimes they even told him how to do his own job. But the worst was when they felt the need to watch him as he painted. It was completely different when he met Phil, who just told him, "I don't know much about painting, so just choose a color that doesn't look like someone's barf and we'll call it a day." Phil even decided to pay him a little extra because was he Bucky's 'special friend.'
Again Steve blushed at that. They weren't exactly a couple or anything, but there was definitely something going on and the feeling was more than a little mutual. It was hard to describe their relationship. They weren't totally friends, but they weren't totally boyfriends either. So what were they?
"So how long have you and Bucky been together?" Phil asked. He took off his Starbucks cap to wipe his forehead. Even baristas had it tough.
Steve froze mid-drinking but recovered quickly. "Um, Bucky and I aren't exactly… well… 'together-together' if that makes sense." Did that make sense?
"Friends with benefits then?" Phil asked casually without so much as batting an eye.
"W-what?!" Steve spluttered out. He started choking on his coffee.
Phil gave an apologetic look and patted his back until the coughing went down.
"N-no," Steve breathed out shakily, "w-we're not like that. No, definitely not. We haven't even had—" His face went beet red. He was so not telling a Starbucks barista about his sex life.
"Oh?" Phil raised his eyebrow and twirled his cap around on his finger. "So not in it for the sex?"
Steve almost choked again. Oh god couldn't this conversation end already?
The barista nodded his head. "Have you told him you loved him?"
"Uh.."
"Guessing that's a no."
"We, er, haven't really gotten… to that stage yet? I mean I told him, well, I told him I would wait and uh, not rush it?" Steve rubbed his now red neck. He was really burning up right now.
Phil hummed thoughtfully and suddenly turned his head. Steve followed his direction and saw Bucky duck out from behind the counter. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and he was wearing a t-shirt with some sort of red, white and blue circle with a star in the middle and a pair of holey jeans. Steve couldn't help smiling at the sight of him.
He felt Phil pat him on the arm and winked.
"Bucky!" Phil called out. "Your special friend is here!"
Bucky stumbled into one of the chairs and glared at the barista. Steve almost doubled over laughing, which earned him a glare as well. Steve set his coffee on one of the steps and walked over to help him.
"Asshole," he heard Bucky mutter under his breath. He looked up and noticed Steve staring at him with a goofy smile on his face.
"Whaaaat?" He drawled out.
"Nothing." Steve just continued smiling, not caring if his cheeks were hurting. Bucky scowled and lightly punched him in the arm.
"You're embarrassing me."
"Good. Cause I am your 'special friend'".
Bucky groaned and covered his face with his hands. "Oh my god I said that one time. Please, don't ever use that phrasing again."
"I kinda like it," Steve said as he took Bucky's hand and kissed it. Bucky blushed and averted his gaze to the side.
"You're a little punk, did ya know that?"
Steve laughed and smacked a wet kiss onto his cheek.