Never Have I Ever…" pt. 2.12
Chapter 14
Even with their late start, the fishing was good and didn't disappoint. Steve had rowed them out to the deepest part of the lake and they spent hours out there relaxing, talking and catching several decently sized large-mouth bass. They held onto the larger ones and threw smaller ones back.
Bucky handled the summer sun a lot better than Steve. With his fair hair and light skin, he ended up with sunburn on his back and shoulders, having forgotten to bring sunscreen. Bucky had scolded him for not wearing a shirt with more coverage than a tank top. Steve had the good sense to look abashed as he was being chastised.
Bucky insisted on them changing seats so he could row them back to shore as Steve was starting to feel the pain of the burn. Barnes picked up the oars and began rowing when he noticed Steve wince as he pulled the tank strap off his shoulder. Bucky stopped rowing and pulled his own tee shirt off. He reached overboard and got his shirt soaking wet. He wrung it out so it wasn't dripping like a waterfall then stood up carefully to drape the cold wet shirt over Steve's back and shoulders to give him protection from the sun and hopefully ease his discomfort.
Steve felt bad about Bucky having to lose his own protection from the summer sun, but his coloring was darker and more sun hardy. Instead of fishing during the trip back to shore, Steve put away the tackle, fixed up the poles and secured them before choosing to entertain himself by watching Bucky row. The oars dug deeply into the water and Bucky's right arm bulged and his chest muscles striated as he pulled them back. His abdomen tightened and his thighs popped as he pushed his feet into the floor of the boat as he pulled against the drag of the water.
Bucky looked over his shoulder every few minutes until he could see the buoy line. Then he turned to gauge his direction every couple of rows and at one point, as he turned back around, he looked at Steve and noticed he was very focused on watching him work to get them to shore. When Steve became aware of Bucky watching him as he stared at his bulging muscles, he blushed redder than his sunburn and Bucky smiled.
"How's your back feeling?" Bucky asked as he threw a glance over his shoulder.
"Not too bad," Steve told him. "Thanks to your shirt. Feels good, actually."
"Mmm," Bucky hummed and then looked at Steve. "Feels good for now. Wait til later."
"Yeah, I know," Steve told him, not looking forward to that.
Bucky got the boat to shore and stepped out to pull it out of the water. Since he used his left hand to pull the boat, he actually was able to get the entire vessel onto shore with his passenger still inside it. Steve just shook his head. It was still hard to believe the amount of power that metal arm had, even when he witnessed it in action.
Standing up, Steve grabbed the poles and the stringer of fish they'd caught. Bucky reached in for the large tackle box and took the gear from Steve.
"You can start on the fish… I'll put this stuff away," Bucky said with a grin.
"Really?" Steve asked with an expression that showed he felt put out by having to clean the fish. "Shouldn't the guy who can flip knives for a living be the one to clean these?" Bucky chuckled as he disappeared toward the boat shed.
Steve took the fish to the picnic table and waited for Barnes who returned with a stack of newspapers and a couple of knives. Steve took the newspapers and spread them out on the table while Bucky stood nearby flipping the knives to show off for Steve. Rogers chuckled as he sat down and put his hand out. Bucky stopped and placed a knife carefully in his hand as he sat down across from him.
Once the fish had been cleaned and prepped properly Bucky wrapped up the newspaper with the fish and carried it inside. Steve followed him, depositing the soiled newspapers in the metal trash can and put the lid on tight.
Bucky took out a pot and began the preparations for the white-and-wild rice. He got that started and then heard a hiss behind him. He turned to see Steve carefully perching on the edge of the chair at the table. He wiped his hands and took out another large pot, filled it ¾ with water and set it to heat up on the stove top.
He walked over to Steve and gestured for him to take the tank top off. Steve grunted and hissed as he tried to cross his arms so Bucky waved him off.
"Just raise your arms," he instructed. Steve raised his arms slowly and Bucky very carefully pulled the tank up and over his head and off his arms. Bucky inspected the sunburn across Steve's neck and shoulders and around the front to the top of his chest. "Do you have anything to put on this as a moisturizer?"
"Umm, I think there's some lotion in the bathroom… that's about it," Steve told him.
Bucky went to find it and nodded when he picked it up and read that it contained aloe. "Perfect." He carried it back out and put it on the kitchen island until he was done. He heard the water boiling on the stove and went over to check it. He added the rice to the smaller pot and then opened the cabinet near the fridge.
He took out the box of tea bags and dropped eight bags into the larger pot that was beginning to heat up. He stuck his finger into the water to gauge how hot it was and looked at Steve to see how he was doing. Steve was looking at him with a confused expression.
Bucky smiled at him. "Just wait." Then he realized he was still shirtless so he went to get a clean tee shirt and donned it before going back to the kitchen.
"Can you put some of that lotion on my back?" Steve asked, hoping for some relief.
"I will," Bucky assured him, "after I treat it."
Steve furrowed his brow, wondering what Barnes was up to. Bucky grinned back as he leaned against the counter, waiting for the tea to steep. A few minutes later he looked in the pot and nodded. He turned the burner off and went to the bathroom, returning with an armful of hand towels.
Steve watched as Bucky dropped a couple of towels into the pot with the tea bags and used a slotted spoon to push them under the water to soak. Once they soaked up the tea water, he pulled one out and wrung it over the pot then walked over to Steve. "Turn the chair around," Bucky told him. Steve stood up and turned the chair around. He straddled it and used the tall back as a place to rest his chin.
Bucky draped the warm towel over Steve's right shoulder and half way across his back. Steve stiffened, expecting pain and was surprised when there wasn't any. Bucky returned a second time and draped a towel over his left shoulder and overlapped it at the center of his back making sure the burn on his neck was also covered.
Once the towels were in place, Bucky stepped back to watch Steve as the tea did its thing. Steve leaned forward and closed his eyes with a sigh. "Oh my god, the pain is gone," he told Bucky and Barnes smiled. "How did you do that?"
Bucky smiled and left him to soak under the hand towels. He returned to the dinner preps. He took out a large skillet and another pot. He set some frozen broccoli to steaming as he waited for the rice to properly tenderize and the skillet to heat up with vegetable oil and butter until the butter melted.
After that he took a large zip lock baggie from a drawer and combined flour, salt and pepper and shook it up. He glanced over his shoulder at Steve who was still enjoying the tea treatment with his eyes closed. Taking out a shallow dish, Bucky mixed water with egg whites and stirred it up with a whisk. The sound of his whisking prompted Steve to open his eyes. Bucky smiled and turned back around. He put the shallow bowl on the counter and then took another shallow dish to combine breadcrumbs and cornmeal. He mixed that together with a fork since his whisk had egg mix on it.
Steve watched as Bucky took a fillet and placed it in the plastic bag, sealed it and shook it up. He pulled the fillet out and dipped it into the egg mixture. Once the fillet was coated with the egg whites, he took it out of the bowl and dredged it through the breadcrumb mix. He placed the coated fillet in the skillet and it sizzled loudly. Bucky took another fillet and repeated the process. Once there were two fillets in the pan cooking he turned to check on Steve. Steve smiled at him.
"Feeling better?" Bucky asked.
"Much. You're amazing. How did you know to do that?" Steve asked. "With the tea, I mean."
Bucky shrugged with a grin. "Some things I just know… I don't know how I know though."
Steve nodded that he understood and closed his eyes to enjoy the treatment. Before he knew it, Bucky was setting a plate in front of him with two fillets, a mound of rice and a pile of steamed broccoli. Steve stared at it as if he'd never seen a better looking meal in his life. Bucky went to the fridge and brought back two bottles of beer and a jar of tartar sauce.
"I don't think we have lemon wedges," he said, apologetically.
Steve smiled at him and assured him. "This looks great."
"Looks great," Bucky replied, with a grin, "that doesn't mean it tastes great, so be cautious with that first bite."
Steve cut the fish with a fork and it fell apart. It was extremely tender and flaky and Bucky laughed softly at the very loud sound of pleasure Steve made as he put it in his mouth.
They both enjoyed a second helping, finishing off the fish and the sides Bucky had made. Steve decided halfway through the meal that he was definitely going to make Bucky cook more often. He was a natural.
Bucky brought their plates and utensils to the sink and grabbed two more beers from the fridge. He took stock of what was left before closing the door.
"We'll need to pick up more beer tomorrow," he informed Steve as he popped the top and set a bottle in front of him. "How does your back feel?" he asked.
Steve's back and shoulders had benefitted greatly from Bucky's pain cure. He took a sip from the cold bottle. "The pain is completely gone from my shoulders and neck," he told him and then probed his clavicles gently with his fingertips. "My chest and throat are little painful still though."
Bucky lifted the towels slowly from Steve's shoulders to be sure he didn't pull any loose skin off as he did. Thankfully his skin stayed intact. It certainly looked painful, but it wasn't blistering. He blew cool air over his shoulders before thinking it through and Steve straightened and huffed out a laugh.
"Sorry," Bucky said as he straightened.
Steve smiled and looked at him over his shoulder as he lifted his arm to show him. "You gave me goose bumps."
Bucky looked at his arm and smiled then bit down on his lip. Steve's heart almost leapt out of his chest. He wondered if Bucky knew how much that action charged him up. Bucky looked him in the eyes and then broke away, bringing the two towels back to the pot of tea. He dunked them into the warm water, wrung them out and brought them back to Steve.
"Lift your chin," he said and draped them carefully across Steve's shoulders and chest. Steve kept his eyes on Bucky's face as he tended to his burns. His movements were careful and his touch was very gentle. Steve couldn't pull his gaze away from the soft expression on Bucky's face. As he finished placing the two towels he glanced at Steve and smiled. "Hold those in place and I'll put some lotion on your back."
Steve nodded and put his hand up to hold the towels as Bucky picked up the bottle. He squirted a large gob of lotion into his right palm and put the bottle down. He stood behind Steve and hesitated to touch his burn. "This might hurt a little," he warned Steve.
"It's okay," Steve assured him.
Bucky touched the lotion to Steve's back and the coolness of it against his hot skin made him straighten with a hiss. "Oh yeah, cold," Steve breathed out as Bucky's fingers spread the lotion across his shoulders and then began to move in small circles as he rubbed the moisturizer into his burn.
Barnes focused his attention on making sure he had a good amount of lotion between his fingers and Steve's skin so he didn't cause him any pain. Steve was focused on the sensation of Bucky's careful touch as his lubricated fingers circled across his shoulders and massaged his neck gently.
"Oh my god, Buck… that feels so good," he breathed out and then Bucky's fingers slowed to a stop. Steve sat very still. He hoped he hadn't scared Bucky, realizing the way he'd said that might have sounded like he was sexually aroused. He waited and felt Bucky's breath on his shoulder as he let out the one he was holding. Steve waited.
"How does your chest feel?" Bucky asked, trying to shake off the sensual thoughts that went through his mind when Steve told him how good his touch felt. Steve realized he'd forgotten about the towels he was holding under his chin.
"Amazingly…" he answered, "the pain there is gone too."
"Good," Bucky replied and came around the front to look. He peeled away the towels slowly with his left hand and carried them back to the pot. He returned and picked up the lotion bottle. He put a generous amount on his fingers and put the bottle on the table.
"Hang on," Steve said and stood up to reposition himself on the chair. He now sat on it sideways so Bucky could reach him more easily. Bucky waited to see what he was doing and then nodded when Steve settled again. He leaned down coming face to face with Steve so he could see what he was doing.
Steve kept his eyes on Bucky's face, enjoying the view up close. Bucky was trying to decide where to start and glanced at Steve to see him looking at him softly. Bucky swallowed and re-focused on his task. He gingerly touched the burned area at the top of Steve's pecs with his fingertips.
As he worked he struggled to keep his attention on caring for his friend's injury and nothing more, although he loved the feel of Steve's muscles under his fingers. Steve watched Bucky's struggle; clearly visible in his expression. He watched as Bucky's eyes swept over his chest and belly before he swallowed heavily and then his tongue slid out to moisten his dry lips. Steve couldn't help but grin and Bucky glanced at him; having noticed the grin in his peripheral vision.
Realizing the longer he took to complete his task the more he was revealing himself, so he quickened his pace but was still careful to not hurt Steve. When he was finished, he straightened and moved quickly to the sink to wash his hand. He kept his back to Steve for a moment longer as he tried to get his heart to stop racing.
Steve deflated a bit when Bucky stopped and walked away. He waited for him to finish cleaning up and then started to worry a little as Bucky kept his back to him a while longer. Then Bucky turned around and grinned at him.
"So what do you want to do now?" he asked. Steve thought about it and then smiled at him. "What?" Bucky asked, now a little worried.
"I want to draw," Steve told him.
"Okaaay," Bucky replied warily.
"I want to draw you… just the way you are, but without the shirt."
Bucky looked down at himself, realizing that meant him in just shorts… that was really close to naked. He really hated revealing the area on his shoulder where the metal meets his flesh. He knew the scars there were ugly and he was extremely self-conscious about them. He didn't understand why Steve was so adamant about openly viewing them all the time.
"You okay with that?" Steve asked, seeing the look of skepticism on Bucky's face. Bucky shrugged and nodded. "Buck… if it really bothers you, you can tell me. You need to talk to me."
Bucky thought about it and then told him honestly. "I don't get why you always need to see them."
"Them?" Steve asked, not understanding to what Bucky was referring.
"The scars," he told him. Steve sat back a bit and Bucky could tell he was taken a bit by surprise. "I know you said you didn't mind them… but…"
"They don't bother me," Steve told him. "They do bother you though."
"Yeah they do," Bucky told him. "So why do you keep making me reveal them?"
"Buck, I don't want to make you do anything, that's why I ask if you're willing... I never want to make you do anything you really don't want to do, but I want you to realize those scars are a part of you now… they aren't going away. They're a part of you… and you're my best friend. I accept them as I accept you. You're the one who can't accept them."
"So... what? You're trying to desensitize me to them?" Bucky asked.
"Yeah," Steve told him honestly and then smiled. Bucky had to smile at his answer. "Come on," Steve said playfully, "take it off. Make me happy."
Bucky had to chuckle at that. "Let me wash the dishes and clean the kitchen and I'll meet you on the futon."
"Yeah?" Steve asked with a smile.
"Yeah."
Bucky waved him away and turned his back to him to start washing their dinner dishes. Steve took a moment to stare at that glorious ass and then shook himself out of his thoughts to go find his sketch pad.
