A/N: Things start to heat up this chapter ;) The rating has gone up to M to reflect this! Please also note that there is a tiny bit of homophobic behavior in this chapter. It's not verbal and gets shut down pretty quickly, but it's there.
Also, sorry for not updating last week. Real life got crazy, but it's definitely back to normal now.
4. The Change
When Bucky woke up the next morning, his face was only a couple of inches away from Steve's, rather than having his head lying on his chest. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes, taking in the sight of his best friend sleeping. Bucky had never really paid attention to the way Steve looked when he slept, and was suddenly struck by how young he looked. He knew his friend had been skinny when he was younger, from stories and old photos, but it seemed kind of unbelievable until then. Steve had a softness about him as he dozed, and even though he was still big and strong, Bucky could also see a fragility within him that gave him the inexplicable desire to hold Steve close and never let go.
And then Steve blinked awake as well, a slow smile spreading across his face when he saw that Bucky was watching him.
"Hey sleepyhead," Bucky said, voice still a little thick with sleep. He inched closer, until his nose was brushing against Steve's in an Eskimo kiss.
Which was apparently not good enough. Steve closed the distance between their mouths and gave Bucky a slow morning kiss.
"Not so sleepy anymore," he laughed once he pulled away.
Bucky grinned and rolled his eyes, pressing another quick kiss to his lips. "Now this is a good way to start the day."
"I wholeheartedly agree."
They moved to kiss again when Steve's stomach gave a loud rumble, interrupting their moment.
"Hungry?" Bucky teased.
Steve threw his head back with a groan. "Yeah... But I don't wanna get out of bed just yet."
His stomach rumbled again, which made Bucky smirk at him. "Looks like you're not getting much of a choice in the matter."
It was far colder once they'd left the warmth of the bed, so Bucky and Steve threw some hoodies on over their pajamas and headed downstairs. They were up a little earlier than the morning before, Winifred only just getting the ingredients for breakfast out of the fridge and pantry. She accepted their help, and they ended up cooking bacon and eggs while sipping their coffees, Winifred sitting back and relaxing for a little while before she went to wake up her husband and daughter.
After another lazy morning spent watching D-grade Christmas movies and listening to Buble, Rebecca insisted on taking Steve and Bucky to the Bronx Burger House for lunch. Bucky had been there a few times before with her, but it was Steve's first time, and he spent far too long looking at the menu. Bucky ended up choosing something for him, much to Rebecca's amusement.
"What's next? Is Bucky gonna choose your clothes for you as well?" She joked, making Steve blush brightly.
"Don't you recognize the jacket he's wearing?" Bucky grinned and slung his arm over Steve's shoulder, pulling him in close. "It's the only one I had that was big enough to fit across his damn shoulders."
It was true. None of Steve's jackets had matched his outfit, and he asked if Bucky had one that would. Problem was that, despite being a similar size, Steve's shoulders were so wide he usually had to wear larger shirts. Fortunately, Bucky had a jacket that could fit him and match the outfit.
Rebecca looked closer at the jacket, recognition flashing in her eyes a moment later. "Yeah, I remember you wearing it a lot last Christmas." She turned to Steve with a sly grin. "I'm surprised it fits your dorito body."
"My what?" Steve asked, eyebrows shooting up towards his hairline.
Bucky laughed. "Your dorito body, you know, like the corn chip?"
Rebecca nodded. "Yeah, you have the shoulder-to-waist ratio of one."
Steve's eyebrows had yet to return to their normal position. "Is this something you two have discussed?"
"Yes." They replied simultaneously.
"I actually had a long discussion with Natasha about it when we first met." Bucky added, absently glancing towards the kitchen to see if the waitress was ready with his food.
"Really?"
"Uh-huh. I've decided that your dorito body is something that both turns me on and makes me incredibly jealous."
"Turns you on, does it?" Steve grinned slowly, a strange glint in his eyes, before pulling Bucky into a hard but brief kiss.
"None of that please," Rebecca groaned, but when she averted her eyes to over their shoulders, they suddenly narrowed. She leaned sideways to get a better view of whatever had caught her attention. "You got a problem?"
Steve and Bucky turned around at the same time to see a middle-aged man giving them all a dirty look. His meal was already finished, so he balled up his napkin, threw some money on the table, then left.
"Good riddance," Rebecca snarled once he was gone. "I may give you two a lot of shit for kissing and whatever, but I really do support you both. I'm glad you two have each other."
"Thanks, Becca," Bucky replied. He really meant it, but a small part of him suddenly felt bad that he and Steve were faking the whole thing.
Maybe he just should've lost fair and square. Sure, he didn't really have the $200 for her anyway, but he could've given it to her as soon as he did. And maybe blonde hair wouldn't be so bad. Or maybe it would. Bucky briefly entertained the whole idea of coming clean to Rebecca and his parents, but there were a couple of things stopping him. First and foremost, his parents, especially his mom, would be upset that he had lied to them just so he could win a stupid bet. They'd not only given Steve their blessing, but they were also really glad that he was Bucky's boyfriend. Actually, worse than upset, they'd be disappointed. Nothing could be worse.
But the other thing that was stopping him from coming clean? The fact that he enjoyed pretending to be Steve's boyfriend so much. He enjoyed cuddling him, and kissing him. He enjoyed going to bed with Steve, and he enjoyed waking up with Steve. He enjoyed that they shared each other's clothes. He simply enjoyed everything about Steve, which was why they were best friends in the first place.
So no, Bucky would not come clean, even if he did feel a little bad.
Later that evening, after they'd had dinner and Bucky's parents had gone to bed, he was sitting in the backyard with Steve and Rebecca. There were Christmas lights on the back of the house as well, though not as many, but it was enough for them to see by. Steve and Bucky were huddling close under a blanket on one of the lawn chairs, while Rebecca had one to herself. It was beautiful out there at night, especially with the added Christmas lights, but it was also freezing, so to fight off the cold they were drinking hot chocolate that Bucky had spiked with Baileys.
"What did your friends say when you told them you guys were a thing?" Rebecca asked, sipping at her still-steaming mug. She was rugged up in a beanie and gloves, along with a huge jacket and blanket too.
Bucky shrugged lightly, trying not the jostle Steve too much. "I don't know. They were happy, I guess."
"Just happy?" Rebecca raised an eyebrow, obviously believing there was more to the story. "Were they shocked? Or did they see it coming?"
"Sam probably saw it coming," Steve said, giving Bucky a knowing glance. "Not sure about the others."
"They've just been teasing us a lot." Bucky added, finishing off his hot chocolate and placing the mug on the ground beside him.
Rebecca rolled her eyes. "Why? Just because you two were friends before this?"
"Well, yeah." Bucky laughed. "When Nat and Clint got together when we were seniors, I was an asshole and wouldn't stop teasing them about it. I guess it's payback."
"That was an asshole thing to do," Steve agreed.
Bucky glared up at him. "Punk."
"Jerk."
"Are you two done?" Rebecca sighed, getting up from her chair. At their nods, she pointed to the mugs. "And with your drinks?"
"Oh, yeah." Steve glanced down at his empty mug, and handed it to Rebecca when she held out her hand for it. She took Bucky's as well, then headed for the house.
"It's too cold for me out here. I'm going to bed."
They said goodnight then went silent, simply content to sit and cuddle. That is, they were content to do that until both started shivering from the ever increasing cold.
"Let's head inside." Steve suggested.
Bucky nodded. "Yeah. But I'm not ready to go to bed yet."
"Neither. Fireplace?"
"Fireplace."
They discarded their shoes and coats by the backdoor once they were inside, and headed to the sitting room, where they found that the fire was still burning. Bucky chucked another log in and stoked it, while Steve claimed the nearest armchair. He grabbed at Bucky when he was done, and pulled him onto his lap.
"I don't have the blanket anymore, so you've gotta keep me warm." Steve told him with a smirk, winding his arms around Bucky's waist.
Bucky smirked back, a playful glint in his eyes. "I think I can do that." Then he ducked his head down and kissed him.
It was slow like almost all their other kisses, but far more intense, soon heating up as they pressed against each other. Bucky carded his fingers through Steve's hair as their tongues slid together, rolling his hips into Steve's without thinking. Steve moaned, tilting his head to the side and deepening the kiss further. He clutched at Bucky's hips like he was holding on for dear life. And then it was if a switched had been flicked and something clicked into place within Bucky. He pulled back for a moment to stare at Steve's face, grinning when Steve whimpered at the loss of his lips and tried to chase them.
Bucky said nothing, but kept looking at at his best friend. Saw the lust and the fondness that he too felt, and the confusion at why Bucky had pulled away just to stare at him. Steve's fingers dipped under his sweater to rub slow circles into his skin. Bucky ground his hips down hard, watching as Steve's eyes flickered closed for a moment and his mouth fell open. Bucky licked into it, and they resumed kissing and grinding their hips together.
There was nobody to pretend for at that moment. Just two friends who were losing themselves to passion and desire for one another. Neither of them could tell anyone why this was happening. Despite how close they were, they'd been platonic for as long as they'd known each other, but since the kissing started, something had shifted. A new dynamic. Being together like that felt good.
More importantly, it felt right.
Soon enough, Bucky's sweater was on the floor beside them and Steve's hands were exploring his bare torso. When they traveled low, towards the hem of his jeans, Bucky growled low in his throat and tugged at Steve's shirt, who pulled away long enough for Bucky to pull it off. Steve claimed his lips again, wrapping one arm around Bucky's shoulders and the other around his waist.
These kisses were unhurried, simply happy to taste and feel each other. But if anything, it turned Bucky on more than ever, and he couldn't stop his growing arousal. He pressed harder into Steve's body, hips and chest flush, their erections pressing against each other. Steve's breath hitched and Bucky moaned, circling his hips on instinct.
"We should go to the bedroom," Steve suggest a moment later, lips red and slick and sounding a little breathless.
Bucky nodded quickly. "Yes, definitely."
They hopped off the armchair, with Steve pulling Bucky in for another hungry kiss before Bucky broke it off. He bent down to pick their shirts up off the ground, then they headed upstairs to the bedroom without any more interruptions.
Once the door was firmly closed behind them, Steve claimed Bucky's lips again, kissing him with all that he had. Because something had clicked into place for Steve too, when Bucky had been staring down at him as if he was the only thing that mattered. The only thing that existed. He backed Bucky towards the bed, both of them falling into it with Steve on top. He braced himself over Bucky, one hand traveling down to the button of his jeans. He paused there.
"Don't stop," Bucky all but begged, the neediness in his voice spurring Steve on. He undid his jeans and pushed them down, letting Bucky remove them and his underwear completely while Steve removed his own.
Once they were both naked, they paused, drinking the sight of each other. They'd shared a bed many times, and they'd gotten changed in front of each other many times, but Steve couldn't recall a time when he'd actually seen Bucky naked. And if Bucky thought he might've once, it definitely wasn't while Steve was hard. Hard for him.
"Come 'ere."
He dragged Steve down and left wet kisses along his jaw, then rolled his hips up, brushing his erection against Steve's. Steve groaned, mimicking the action, before taking over. He ground down against Bucky, sucking at the skin of his neck, knowing he was going to leave a mark but not caring. Bucky didn't seem to care either, by the sounds he was making, and with the way he was clutching at Steve's shoulders so tightly, he knew he'd have marks too. Steve pulled back a little, keeping his face close to stare at Bucky while their cocks slid together, a little slick with precome. He sped up his pace as he watched Bucky, reveling in the way Bucky gasped and moaned but still remained eye contact.
Bucky came first, biting down on his lips to muffle his cry as his orgasm washed over him. Steve slowed down for a moment, reaching his hand down to stroke him through it. Seeing Bucky fall apart like that, just from the slide of his dick over his own, brought Steve close to the edge. Once Bucky came back to himself, he seemed to realize this, and quickly started stroking at Steve's cock too. He didn't take long to reach his climax after that, falling on top of Bucky afterwards, not caring that their stomachs were sticky with a mess of come.
They laid like that for a few moments, Bucky idly drawing circles onto Steve's back and sighing.
"We should get cleaned up."
Steve grinned into Bucky's shoulder. "Good idea."
He rolled to the side, letting Bucky quickly climb off the bed. He grabbed the closest thing he could find, which just happened to be a shirt, and used it to wipe up the mess from their stomachs. Once done, he threw it on top of the pile of dirty clothes they'd amassed in the few days they'd been there. He figured it was about time they did some laundry anyway.
"How're you feelin'?" Steve asked once Bucky was back in bed. They instantly curled around each other like every other night.
"Amazing." Bucky smiled up at Steve, leaning forward to kiss him. "I don't know what this is, Steve, but I like it. A lot."
"Me too," Steve agreed, snuggling closer. "It feels good with you."
"I don't want to stop doing this when we get back home." Bucky admitted.
Steve felt a swell of happiness in his chest. "Neither do I." Even after what they just did, he still had it in him to blush.
"Good." Bucky grinned.
They kissed again, and again, and again, until they eventually fell asleep in the embrace.
A/N: The Bronx Burger House is real, but I've never been there and any inaccuracies are entirely my fault. Like, do you pay before or after your meal there? Is leaving money on the table to pay for a meal normal? I see it in movies a lot lmao