Most of the kids crashing at the Stark place were still asleep when Steve woke up the next morning. He got dressed and went downstairs.
"The awakening begins," Jarvis said when Steve entered the kitchen. The butler was mixing a bowl of batter and several waffle irons were lined up on the counter, heating up.
"Am I the first one up?" Steve asked. He hovered next to a bowl of fruit, not sure if he needed to ask permission or not.
"The first to the kitchen, but I hear stirring above, so I doubt we'll be alone for long," Jarvis said. "Eat whatever you like," he said nodding at the fruit bowl. "Full breakfast will be ready soon, though a bit of assistance will make it arrive faster."
Steve smiled and took a banana. "How can I help?"
Jarvis provided a bowl of strawberries for Steve to hull and slice. It was a simple task and Steve had time to sift through his thoughts about last night. Should he ask Peggy out? She sure seemed willing to kiss him when Howard asked. She'd smelled nice, too, like flowers, only with a hint of spice. Maybe Bucky was right and she wouldn't care if he made a fool out of himself. Bucky...
Steve's cheeks burned pink at the memory of kissing Bucky. He bent his head over the strawberries he was slicing and hoped Jarvis wouldn't notice the blush on his face. What had that been about? Did Bucky like Steve, like, like Steve? But Bucky'd kissed Howard, too, and he'd said that didn't mean anything. Maybe Bucky just liked kissing.
Except Steve liked kissing Bucky and he wasn't sure what that meant. Was he like Bucky and kissing didn't mean anything, or did it mean he liked Bucky as more than a friend? Steve hadn't thought about kissing a guy like that before, but he hadn't really given it much thought at all before now.
He finished slicing the strawberries and gave them back to Jarvis. Maybe if he talked to Bucky, this would make more sense. Besides, the waffles would be ready soon and Bucky wouldn't want to miss breakfast.
Steve knocked on the door to Bucky's room. "Hey, it's Steve." He heard a muffled grumble. "Bucky?"
"C'me in," Bucky said with a yawn.
Steve opened the door and saw Bucky sprawled in the bed on his stomach, sheets and blanket wrapped around him and his face half-hidden in a pillow. Bucky's prosthetic arm rested on the nightstand next to the water and aspirin Steve had left him the night before. One foot stuck out of the covers and the sock had slid halfway off. "You doing okay?" Steve asked, amused. He poked Bucky's exposed foot and it disappeared under the covers like a turtle retreating into his shell.
"'m sleeping," Bucky grumbled.
Steve sat down on the bed. "You're talking."
"People talk in their sleep all the time," Bucky muttered against his pillow. "Shakespeare wrote Midsummer Night's Dream in his sleep. Hired a guy to sit in the corner each night and write it down."
"Liar," Steve said.
Bucky heaved a great sigh and flopped over onto his back, twisting the blankets up even more. "What d'you want?"
"The butler's making breakfast," Steve said.
"Butler," Bucky snorted.
"You have a driver," Steve reminded him.
"He's personal security and anyway, I don't have a car," Bucky said.
"Tell you what, come downstairs and eat. You can lecture me on the pitfalls of capitalism and I can explain public transportation," Steve said.
Bucky dragged a spare pillow over his eyes, partially blocking the sunlight from the windows. "Maybe later."
"Waffles," Steve said, in a low, seductive voice. "With whipped cream and fruit and syrup." Bucky lifted the pillow slightly to look up at Steve. "Eggs, scrambled, poached, or sunny side up. Bacon, the really thick slices, fried up until it's crispy." In his regular voice, he added, "Dunno how long that's going to last once everyone gets downstairs."
"Fine." Bucky threw the pillow at Steve, who caught it and grinned. "I'll be down in a minute."
"I'll try to save you a waffle," Steve said. He tossed the pillow back to Bucky and got up to leave.
"Hey, Steve?" Bucky asked. The tone of his voice had shifted. Steve turned back. Bucky sat up and swung his legs off the edge of the bed. "Last night..." Bucky scratched his chin. "I was pretty drunk." He watched Steve.
Steve's cheeks heated up as he remembered the feel of Bucky's lips against his. "I noticed," he said.
"Yeah," Bucky said quickly. "Can we forget about that? Just not mention it again? Ever?"
"Sure," Steve said. He rubbed his finger over his bottom lip, then realized what he was doing and dropped his hand. "It's just kissing, right?"
"Right," Bucky said, sounding relieved.
"It's forgotten," Steve said. If it didn't mean anything to Bucky, it didn't matter how Steve felt. "Hurry up, or the bacon'll get cold." He closed the door and left Bucky alone to get dressed. There, he didn't have to worry about it after all. Problem solved.
Bucky made it downstairs about fifteen minutes later. Jarvis had every surface in the kitchen piled with some kind of breakfast food and had roped a couple of the teenagers into cooking with him. Turned out Dum Dum was damned good at flipping eggs. Bucky took a little bit of everything and a lot of some things and brought his plate out to the dining room. Most of the kids from last night's party had taken seats around the huge, square, glass dining room table. One wall of the room was a single window, ceiling to floor, which looked out over the pool.
Bucky took a seat next to Steve, who snatched a piece of bacon off his plate. "Hey!" Bucky objected.
"You can't eat all that," Steve said.
"Watch me!" Bucky crammed an entire slice of toast into his mouth and grinned at Steve through the chewed-up bread.
Steve made a face. "Manners, Barnes."
"That's super gross," declared a brown-hared girl sitting on the right side of Steve. She sliced off a bite of waffle and ate it, clearly not very bothered by Bucky's atrocious table manners. Jim sat on the other side of her and gave Bucky a thumbs-up from behind her head.
"I'm sorry, he was raised by wolves," Steve said to the girl. Bucky drank a mouthful of orange juice to try and help him swallow all the dry bread. "I'm Steve, and the Neanderthal is Bucky," he said.
"Yeah, I know," the girl said. "Saw you guys last night. I'm Darcy."
"You should've said hi," Steve said.
Darcy shrugged. "You were a little busy at the time. Didn't want to interrupt."
Steve gave her a puzzled look. "Busy?"
"Making out by lamplight and all that," Darcy said. "I was a little annoyed that you guys claimed the bench before we did, but hey, you looked like you were having a good time, so I guess I'll forgive. Pass the butter?"
Steve handed the silver butter dish to her. "We weren't-" He glanced over at Bucky, who had frozen with a glass of orange juice at his lips. "I mean, we were, but we weren't - we were just practicing."
Darcy snorted. "Yeah, we did a lot of 'practicing' last night, too." She winked at Jim, who grinned at her.
Steve looked helplessly back at Bucky again. Bucky swallowed the last of the orange juice and bread in his mouth and tried to find words. Most of the kids at the table watched them with curious interest.
"Oh, relax," Darcy said. "Nothing wrong with a little tonsil hockey between friends. Are you going to eat your strawberries?" She pointed at Steve's plate with her fork.
"Yes," Steve said, pulling his plate closer.
"I'm sorry," Darcy said, in a softer voice. "I didn't know it was a secret. Although," she added, snagging a strawberry off Jim's plate instead, "I'd suggest finding a more private place next time."
"There's not going to be a next time," Steve said.
Darcy shrugged. "Then it's no big, right?"
"Sure," Steve said, uncertainly. Bucky noticed that Peggy was the only one at the table not looking their way. Her eyes were focused tightly on her plate as she cut her waffle into precise little squares.
"It was nothing," Bucky said to Darcy, standing up. "Me being stupid, that's all. I'm going to get more juice. Want me to grab you some strawberries?"
"Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks!" she said.
Steve looked at Bucky. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Bucky raised his eyebrows. "Get me some juice, too, will you?" Steve finally said.
The cast list was posted late Wednesday afternoon on the notice board outside the theater. Steve and Bucky went over after Lit class to check it out.
"Congratulations, man," Gabe said, clapping Steve on the shoulder.
"You, too," Steve said. Gabe had been cast as Hamlet. Howard's friend Christine would be playing Ophelia. Steve's eyes skimmed up to the top of the list.
Guildenstern - Steven Rogers
Rosencrantz - James Barnes
The Player - Peggy Carter
"Hey!" Gilmore Hodge was talking to Trevor, the director. "The Player's a guy's role. What the hell is a chick's name up there for?"
"I cast according to talent," Trevor said, tugging at the lapels of his jacket. "Despite her gender, Sarah Bernhardt played one of the finest Hamlets this world has ever known."
"She ain't Sarah Bernhardt," Gilmore said, jerking his thumb towards Peggy.
"And neither, sir, are you," Trevor declared. He leaned in a bit and lowered his voice theatrically. "Besides, it's a bit of a sausage fest, as written. Good to get a bit of eye candy on the stage; grabs the audience's attention."
Gilmore looked over at Peggy. "Guess she's good for something."
Peggy's back was rigid. "I can hear everything you say," she told them.
"See?" Trevor said to Gilmore. "She's a spitfire, this one. She'll light up the stage."
Peggy gathered up a great deal of self-control and strode away from the theater. Steve caught up with her at the end of the hallway. "I'm sorry," he said.
"For what?" Peggy asked.
"... Men?" Steve offered.
"You can hardly hold yourself responsible for forty-nine percent of the world's population," Peggy told him. She glanced back towards the theater and exhaled sharply, half-sigh and half-snort.
Bucky caught up with them. "You want me to punch him for you?" he asked Peggy.
"Which one?" Steve asked.
"Either," Bucky said. He punched his right hand into the palm of his prosthetic hand. "You just say the word."
'Thank you, but I can do my own punching," Peggy said sharply. "I'm not looking for a white knight."
Bucky let his hands fall to his side. "Sorry," he said sheepishly.
Peggy softened. "The sentiment is appreciated, however."
"Maybe we could work out a trade," Bucky suggested. "I'll punch someone for you, you punch someone for me."
"That has potential," Peggy said. "I'll consider it if an opportunity arises." She smiled at Bucky, who smiled back.
"Are you going to accept the part?" Steve asked.
"Absolutely," Peggy said. "It's an excellent role."
"Great!" Steve beamed. "I guess the three of us will be spending a lot of time together." Peggy and Bucky exchanged a brief look that Steve couldn't interpret, but it was gone so quickly Steve wasn't sure if he'd imagined it.
Bucky hunched his shoulders, stuffed his hands in his pockets and rolled forward on the balls of his feet. "You didn't ask if I was going to take the part," he pointed out.
"If I am, you are," Steve told him. "You got me into this." He turned back to Peggy. "Bucky never told you his part in that Fourth of July play."
"Because it's not very interesting," Bucky said.
"He was the Third Amendment," Steve said.
"She doesn't care, Steve," Bucky said.
"He did a tap dance," Steve said.
"Soft shoe," Bucky corrected.
"'No soldier shall, in time of peace-'" Steve started to sing. Bucky jabbed him in the side with his elbow and they grinned at each other.
Peggy looked between the two of them and a resigned smile played at her lips. "Sounds like you've both had excellent stage training."
Starring in the play didn't get Steve out of set painting duty, however. The next Saturday, the play's crew and part of the cast showed up at school in the morning to build sets. Steve was given an enormous piece of canvas and the instruction, "Draw the inside of a castle". He unrolled a sketch of of a stone hallway draped with tapestries and taped it to the wall. With a ruler, he drew faint pencil lines across the sketch and then took a yardstick and drew the same lines to scale on the backdrop. Bucky leaned against the proscenium and watched Steve work until Jim came by and handed him a hammer. "We're here to make scenery, not be scenery, so stop decorating the wall, pretty boy, and help me nail some wood," Jim said.
"Very Freudian," Bucky said.
"You can join Peggy and Gabe, if you'd rather," Jim said. "They're screwing in the wings." As they passed by, Bucky could see that indeed, Peggy was using a power drill to repair a chair while Gabe held the pieces in place.
Howard showed up an hour late and fuming. "My brother stole my car," he announced as he stalked up the aisle. He tossed his jacket over one of the seats in the front row.
"Tony?" Jim asked. "Can his feet even reach the pedals?"
Howard scowled. "He's going to scratch the paint and spill stuff on the upholstery and probably destroy the transmission. I had to take the Porsche this morning."
"Swap you for my Honda," Jim offered.
"He ruins everything," Howard sulked.
"You want to hit stuff with a hammer?" Bucky asked. "It's pretty fun."
"No, I need to upgrade the lighting," Howard said. "I could use a hand, though. You scared of heights, Bucky?"
Bucky helped Howard rewire the lighting system, which involved carrying a lot of lighting fixtures up and down the catwalk and zip-tying cables into place while Howard hooked up wires. It was pretty tiring work, so they took a break after an hour or so and plopped down in the third row of seats to drink sodas and rest while they watched the others work on stage.
Steve was standing with his back to the audience, hands on his waist, taking a long look at the canvas. He appeared to make a decision and knelt down to sketch some more.
Howard looked over at Bucky watching Steve and grinned. "Nice view, huh?"
Bucky quickly looked away from the stage. "He's straight."
"Yeah?" Howard asked. He took a drink from his bottle of soda. "Did he tell you that before or after he had his tongue down your throat?"
Bucky's cheeks flamed. "I kissed him."
"Are you saying he said no?" Howard asked. "Because then we're going to have a very different conversation."
"No!" Bucky said. "He said yes."
"When you asked him," Howard said.
"Yes," Bucky said.
"Let's examine the facts," Howard said. "You, James Barnes, who currently identifies as male, requested a kiss from Steven Grant Rogers, who also currently identifies as male. He consented. You then pursued oral interaction for - how long was it?"
"'Oral interaction'?"
"Was it shorter or longer than when we kissed?" Howard asked.
Bucky shrugged. "Dunno. Longer?"
"At any point, before, during, or after, did Steven Grant Rogers express displeasure at having your tongue in his mouth?"
"No, but-"
"Did he or did he not?" Howard asked.
"He didn't," Bucky admitted.
"Has he ever made a declaration of his sexuality within your presence or hearing?" Howard asked.
"No, but-"
"Your honor, I believe I have established reasonable doubt and I ask the jury to consider that Steven Grant Rogers is not, in fact, heterosexual."
"You're hilarious," Bucky said dryly.
"Try 'observant'. Or 'insightful'," Howard said. "Have you asked him?"
"It doesn't matter," Bucky said. "He's into Peggy."
Howard sighed and leaned back. "My friend, he has expressed interest in Margaret Carter for the last two years, she has given signs that she is inclined to return those feelings and yet he has not made a move."
"Because he's an idiot," Bucky said.
Howard paused. "Plausible," he admitted. "But I have a suggestion for you."
"What's that?" Bucky asked.
"Tell him how you feel and let him make up his own damned mind," Howard said. He took another drink.
Bucky groaned and slumped down in his seat. "Do you realize how badly that could blow up in my face?"
"You know Steve," Howard said. "Even if he turns you down-"
"He'll be nice about it," Bucky said. "Of course he will. He'll be sweet and we'll still be friends except that it'll be awkward and weird. I'm awkward and weird with enough people as it is. I'm the one-armed new kid."
"We're getting pretty used to you around here," Howard said.
"Yeah, but-" Bucky picked at the label on his soda bottle. "Six months from now, I'll be the new kid again somewhere else. Maybe I'll hit three or four more countries before I turn eighteen. Steve's the one person who remembers who I was before everything." He lifted his left hand and dropped it back into his lap.
"What about your uncle?" Howard asked.
Bucky shook his head. "The first time we spent a whole week together under the same roof was when I got out of the hospital. He was always traveling and besides, he and my dad couldn't stand each other. He sent me birthday cards each year and showed up for Thanksgiving now and then, but Steve was always around. He knows me. I'm just getting him back and I can't screw that up because of a stupid crush."
Howard shook his head. "You're both idiots," he told Bucky. "I wash my hands of the whole thing."
Steve noticed them out in the seats. "Hey!" he called out. "If you're here for the show, come back in six weeks. Some of us are working here." Peggy and Gabe emerged from the wings carrying the repaired chair.
Howard took a long swig of his soda and screwed the cap back on. He stood up and stretched. "Maybe we should order in some lunch; what do you say?" His phone rang. He glanced at his screen and swiped the screen with an irritated flourish. "If you aren't on the way back with my car in pristine condition-" He stopped, listened to the caller and the color slowly drained from his face. "I'm on my way," he said finally. He ended the call. "Tony crashed the car."
Bucky's stomach lurched. "How bad?" he asked.
Howard stared down at the phone in his hand. "His friend Bruce says the car shut down while they were driving. Engine died, brakes locked... They went off the road and hit an embankment. The car's totaled." He saw their faces. "Bruce says they weren't badly hurt."
"Well, that's terrible, but-" Peggy began.
Howard shook his head. "They couldn't get cell signal so Bruce and Rhodey went for help. When they got back, Tony was gone. He's missing."
"Maybe he went to get help?" Steve asked.
"No," Howard said. "He left his phone behind. He never leaves his phone anywhere." Howard ran a shaking hand through his hair. "I don't understand. The car was just serviced."
Bucky remembered sneaking down to the Stark garage late at night and attacking tracking devices to every car. "Tracking" devices, sure. He felt sick.
"They've called the police, haven't they?" Peggy asked.
Howard nodded. "I need to go," he said, taking his keys from his pocket. Bucky closed his hand over Howard's wrist.
"Maybe you shouldn't drive right now," Bucky suggested. A "tracking" device on every car. That'd been the assignment. Son of a bitch.
"I'm fine," Howard insisted.
"Bucky's right," Peggy said. She jumped down from the stage and walked over to Howard. "I'll drive you. Your car will be fine here."
"Okay. Sure," Howard said, still pale.
No one wanted to build sets after that, so Maria called it a day and they put everything away. Steve offered Bucky a ride home.
As soon as he got home, Bucky went straight to his uncle's office and pounded on the door. "You told me they were tracking devices!" he said furiously, when his uncle opened the door.
Alexander Pierce looked at Bucky, gave a small nod and pulled the door open wide. "Why don't you sit down and we'll discuss it.
"No," Bucky stood rigid in the doorway. "Why didn't you tell me what they were?"
Pierce blinked in surprise. "Because I knew it would upset you, as it clearly has."
"Upset me?" Bucky threw out his arm, roughly in the direction of the school. "Howard's my friend. His brother could have been killed. He could have been killed. You're damn right it would upset me!"
"Do not speak to me in that tone of voice," Pierce said sharply. "My team was in sight of the car and activated the device when they were sure it would be a minor accident. Hurting the Stark boys serves no purpose."
Bucky's jaw tightened. "Where's Tony?"
"That's not your business, James," Pierce said.
"I'm involved in this. You made it my business," Bucky said, hands clenching into fists.
Pierce grabbed a handful of Bucky's shirt and slammed him against the door frame. "You work for me. I don't work for you. If not for me, you'd be living in a group home with a hook for a hand so you will shut your mouth and show some respect." Bucky's head spun from the impact with the wood. Pierce released him and added in a quieter voice, "The people I work with are trying to take down a terrorist group called the Ten Rings. The boys' guardian, Obadiah Stane, has been providing them with weapons. That attack that was in the news last spring used guns from Stark Industries."
"Tony didn't have anything to do with that," Bucky said, not quite able to suppress the anger in his voice. Pierce gave him a hard look and Bucky pressed himself back against the door frame. But Pierce didn't touch him.
"No," Pierce agreed. "He's the leverage we need to bring Stane to the discussion table."
"What happens to Tony if Stane doesn't do what you want?" Bucky asked.
"Stane will," Pierce said. He rested his hand lightly on Bucky's shoulder. "James, if the roles were switched and he'd captured you, I would do whatever it took to bring you home. The boys are his weakness, as you are mine." He squeezed Bucky's shoulder affectionately. "Which he knows," Pierce added wryly. "I'm afraid your protection detail will be increased for the time being. I'm sorry about that."
Bucky didn't say anything, just kept his jaw tight.
Pierce sighed. "I know you feel like you're all grown up, James, but you're still very young. I keep things from you for your protection." He smiled. "I know there's nothing more frustrating to a teenager than being told 'you'll understand when you're older', but one day you will see the big picture. We're making the world a better place. It isn't always a pretty task, but it's one that needs to be done." He stepped back and Bucky released a breath. "Go to your room now. I need to finish the work I was doing when you interrupted."
Steve called the next afternoon to invite Bucky over to play video games. Bucky knocked lightly on his uncle's office door and waited for Pierce to open it. "Can I please go over to Steve's place?" he asked.
Pierce slipped his hands in his pockets and looked Bucky over. "I'd like an apology first. You were very rude yesterday."
Bucky clenched his teeth.
"Or you can stay home and think about it for a bit longer," Pierce said.
"Sorry," Bucky spat out.
Pierce nodded. "I think it would be best if you stayed home today." He started to close the door. Bucky thrust out his hand to stop it.
"No, I'm sorry," Bucky said quickly. He jerked his hand back. "I-" he took a breath. "I shouldn't have said anything."
"You can always come to me with problems," Pierce said sternly. "But you need to speak to me with respect and accept that there are things I am not going to tell you."
Bucky nodded.
Pierce considered and finally relented. "All right. You've got school tomorrow, so be back no later than nine. Brock will drive you and stay with you until you're ready to leave."
"I'm just going to Steve's place," Bucky protested. "I don't need a babysitter."
"I'm not risking your safety," Pierce said.
"I'm not some helpless kid. I know how to protect myself," Bucky said. "You're the one who wanted me to take all those lessons."
"And I hope you'll never need to use them," Pierce said. "Brock is going with you. This is not up for discussion."
Steve and his mother lived in a two-story Colonial-style townhome with a red brick walkway leading to the door. Brock parked at the curb in front of the house. Steve answered the door when Bucky knocked. "Hey," Bucky smiled.
"Hey," Steve said. He looked past Bucky to the car parked at the curb. "He doesn't need to stay," Steve said. "I can give you a ride home."
Bucky shifted the strap of his messenger bag. "He kind of has to stay," he said grudgingly. "My uncle thinks I should have protection."
"Oh. Okay," Steve said. "Tell him to come inside, at least. I can make coffee."
Brock brought a laptop bag in with him and set it up on the table while Steve made coffee. "I'm not here to get in the way," he assured Bucky and Steve. "I'll just hang out here and work on my homework. You mind if I use the wifi?"
"You're a student?" Steve asked, after giving him the password.
"Part-time," Brock said. "I skipped college and went straight into the Army after high school so it's going to be a while before I get a degree."
"Why'd you leave the Army?" Steve asked.
Brock grimaced. "Took a bad hit," he said. "Got a bunch of bones replaced with metal, which is real fun at airports, let me tell you."
"My dad was in the Army," Steve said. "The 107th."
"Knew a couple of guys from the 107th," Brock said. "Good men. You thinking of joining up?"
"Yeah," Steve said. "My mom wants me to go to college first, though."
"Smart lady," Brock said. "Come in as an officer. It's a much easier life."
"I don't want easy," Steve said. "I want to make a difference."
Brock laughed. Steve scowled. "I'm not laughing at you," Brock said quickly. "You just remind me of myself at your age. I wanted to change the world."
"You don't now?" Steve asked.
"Sure I do," Brock said. "It's not just as black and white as it seemed when I was sixteen. Go to college, kid. You want to make a difference, you need to use every tool you can find." His eyes flicked over to Bucky, who stood there, frowning, with his arms folded across his chest. "I think we're boring James," he said. "You guys go enjoy yourselves. We can talk more later if you like."
"Come on, the rec room's downstairs," Steve told Bucky.
The basement had a couch, a TV, and an entertainment system set up against the far wall. One corner of the basement served as a laundry room and the rest was taken up with storage, stacked with plastic bins and old sports equipment. Steve switched on the Playstation and Bucky synced up his controller. He had a custom-built one designed for one-handed play.
"Have you heard from Howard?" Bucky asked, after they'd been playing for a while.
Steve shook his head. "Peggy texted me earlier. They've got the FBI and everyone all over the case but there's no news yet. Howard's a mess right now."
"Yeah, I bet," Bucky said. He chewed on his lower lip.
"The Starks have all that money," Steve said. "I never thought about how that makes them a target."
"Stark Industries does weapons manufacturing," Bucky pointed out.
"You think it was terrorists?" Steve asked, alarmed. "Or some kind of industrial espionage?"
"No!" Bucky said quickly, then shook his head. "Maybe. I don't know."
"I'm glad you're safe," Steve said, knocking his knee against Bucky's.
"Me?" Bucky asked warily.
"That's why you've got a bodyguard, right? In case someone goes after you to get at your uncle?"
"Yeah," Bucky said. "It's no big deal, though. He's just paranoid."
"He's not, though," Steve said. "It happened to Tony. I'm glad he's looking after you."
Bucky nodded. "I guess I'm pretty lucky," he said, testing out the words. "I could've ended up in a group home somewhere."
"Nah," Steve said. "You would've moved in with us. My mom was trying to get custody of you before they tracked down your uncle."
Bucky stared at him. "Seriously?"
"Yeah," Steve said. "That'd've been cool, huh? But of course, he's your family. Oh, I almost forgot!" He jumped up and went to rummage through one of the storage bins before Bucky could respond. He returned with a present wrapped in red and green Santa Claus wrapping paper. The colors had faded with age. He handed it to Bucky and sat back down. "I got this for you just before-" Steve paused. "Well, it was supposed to be your Christmas present that year but I never knew where to send it."
"And you kept it?" Bucky smiled.
Steve shrugged. "I figured I'd find a way to get it to you sooner or later."
"Thanks," Bucky said softly. He held the package as if it were something precious.
"You can open it," Steve prompted. "That's the point of a present."
Bucky grinned. He braced the package against his leg and tore the paper open with his right hand. SPY WATCH, the package said. RECORD EVIDENCE. MAKE SECRET VIDEOS. On the package, a boy dressed all in black with dark sunglasses posed dramatically with the watch on his wrist. Bucky laughed and Steve blushed.
"It looked really cool when I was eleven," Steve said.
"It's great," Bucky said. "Help me get the package open." They wrestled the toy from the packaging and Steve tried to buckle it around Bucky's right wrist. The strap was too short, but Steve tugged at it and managed to fasten it on the very largest notch. "Fits perfectly," Bucky said. He flexed his hand and the plastic strained. "Okay, now help me take it off before I lose all feeling in my fingers." Steve laughed and unbuckled the strap. Bucky tucked the toy away in his messenger bag and hugged Steve. "Thanks," he said. "I didn't have anything for you."
"I figured," Steve said. "You always did your shopping at the last minute. Remember the time you got all your presents from the 7-11 because nothing else was open?"
"Oh my God," Bucky covered his face with his hand and dropped his head back against the couch. "I'd forgotten about that." He cringed. "I gave you a bottle of motor oil."
"'For your future car'," Steve remembered. "I let my mom use it in her car. I hope that was okay."
"I'll make it up to you this year, I swear," Bucky said. He turned his head to look at Steve.
"You don't have to buy me presents," Steve said. He rested his head against the back of the couch so his face was only inches from Bucky's; so close that the air warmed between them.
"Oh? Never mind, then," Bucky said. "Too bad. The Circle Q has some great jumper cable sets."
"You can if you want," Steve said, and Bucky suddenly wanted very badly to close the space between them and kiss Steve. He jerked away and picked up his game controller again before he could give in to the impulse. Steve looked... disappointed? Bucky wasn't sure. Steve sat up and picked up his own controller. He started the game, paused it, looked like he was going to say something, then shook his head and started the game again.
Bucky paused it. "What?"
Steve swallowed. "This is going to sound really stupid," he said, "but that night at Howard's party - was that really just about teaching me, or was that something else?"
Bucky squeezed his eyes shut so tightly that he scrunched up his nose. "Oh, God, is this Stupid Things Bucky's Done Night?"
"Never mind," Steve said quickly.
"No," Bucky said. He let out a long breath and avoided Steve's eyes. "No, it wasn't just about teaching you."
"When you kissed me," Steve said slowly, "it wasn't like when Peggy kissed me."
"No shit, I used tongue," Bucky said. He watched Steve from the corner of his eye.
"No - well, yeah - but that's not what I mean," Steve said. He frowned, looking like he was trying to puzzle out the solution to a particularly difficult homework problem.
"It's different with different people at different times," Bucky said. He turned to meet Steve's eyes. "One kiss doesn't mean anything."
"Should I try to kiss Peggy again, then?" Steve asked with a grin.
Bucky flicked his tongue over his lips and didn't smile. He could say yes and take a tactical retreat. "Are you asking me as your friend or as the guy who wants to kiss you?" he asked. Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. "Because I gotta tell you, pal, you're not going to get the same answer."
"You can't be both?" Steve asked, his grin fading.
"As your friend, I say Peggy's a great girl and kissing her's probably pretty nice," Bucky said. "As the other guy..." he shook his head slowly and looked up at Steve through his eyelashes, "I don't want you kissing anyone else." He gave a half-shrug, trying to lighten the words.
Steve blinked once, then twice, then lifted his hand slowly to cup Bucky's cheek. He caught Bucky's gaze, then closed his eyes and brought their lips together. Bucky's fingers brushed against Steve's side. He hesitated, then slid his arm around Steve's waist and drew him closer. Steve's shirt rode up n the back and Bucky traced circles on the warm, smooth skin with his fingertips. Steve's hand moved forward and he curled his fingers at the base of Bucky's neck.
Someone knocked on the basement door. "Steve?" Mrs. Rogers called out. Steve and Bucky jerked apart so quickly that Bucky's teeth snapped on his lower lip. He swore under his breath. Mrs. Rogers opened the door and came down the stairs. "Steve, there's a gentleman upstairs that says he's with you... oh, hi, Bucky. Wow, you've really grown up, haven't you?" she said, as Bucky stood up. She walked over and gave him a hug. Bucky realized with a shock that he was taller than she was now. She still smelled the same as she had when he was a kid, though, and the scent of fresh shampoo and hospital antiseptics brought back a sense of home that made his chest ache.
"Hey, Mrs. Rogers," Bucky said.
"I think you're old enough to call me Sarah, if you like," she said. Mrs. Rogers - Sarah - still wore her scrubs from work. "You look good, Bucky. Really healthy." She pushed a section of hair off his face. "You could use a haircut, though," she said with a small frown.
"I like it," Steve said protectively. Bucky shot Steve a smile.
"Doesn't harm anything, I suppose," Sarah conceded with a sigh. "Come on upstairs. I picked up some chicken on the way home. You can introduce me to your friend."
"He's my bodyguard," Bucky admitted.
"You can introduce me to your bodyguard, then," Sarah said. "He can eat, too. There's plenty of food."
"We'll be up in a minute," Steve said. "We should, uh, straighten up a bit." He looked around and picked up the wrapping paper from Bucky's gift.
"All right," Sarah said, amusement in her eyes. "Don't be too long; the chicken will get cold." She went upstairs and closed the basement door behind herself.
Steve turned to Bucky. "Sorry," he said. "Bad timing."
"It's okay," Bucky said. "We could maybe - another time?"
"Yeah," Steve said. "Yeah, that sounds good." Neither of them moved towards the stairs. Steve's eyes focused on Bucky's lips and the boys moved slowly towards each other - and then jumped back when Steve's phone rang. "Sorry," Steve said again. He took out his phone. Peggy's number was on the screen. He looked uncertainly at Bucky, who waved his hand at the phone. The moment was already gone. Steve swiped the screen. "Hey, it's Steve," he said, turning slightly away from Bucky. "They did?" he asked Peggy. "Oh, thank G-" He stopped. "How bad?" he asked, and then, "Okay. Thanks for letting me know." He ended the call and stared at the phone in his hand.
"What happened?" Bucky asked, dread seeping through him.
"They found Tony," Steve said.
Bucky swallowed. "He's... is he...?"
"He's in the hospital," Steve said. "Whoever had him, they drugged him. Probably to keep him quiet." Steve looked at Bucky. "He had a heart attack."
"Christ," Bucky whispered.
Steve set his jaw. "Whoever's behind this is going to pay."