"What if I don't want to wait?" Harry asked, his voice rough.
"Don't want to wait for what?" Steve asked.
When Harry's eyes finally met his, Steve's arms tightened reflexively around both men. If he hadn't known Harry's eye color, it would be almost impossible to name it now, not with Harry's pupils blown wide. Bucky's groan in his ear made Steve shiver as he stared at Harry, barely daring to hope Harry meant what Steve thought he meant.
"What if I want to have that conversation now?"
It felt like someone doused Steve with ice water. Without a doubt, he wanted to have that conversation with Harry, but he never dreamed it would happen now. He thought he'd have more time to prepare, more time to find the words to convince Harry he belonged with Bucky and Steve.
As Harry's pupils returned to normal, and his face became more serious, it was clear time was up. He didn't pull away, but he shifted until he could face both Steve and Bucky.
"What exactly is it you want?" Harry asked. His cool voice was a sharp contrast to his stormy eyes. "Are you looking for a one-off? Some entertainment until you leave?"
"Til death do us part," Steve said solemnly. As soon as the words left his mouth, he desperately wished he could hide his flaming face, as once again his mouth spewed his innermost thoughts. He only wanted to ask Harry out, not exchange vows.
"Are you proposing?" Harry asked with wide eyes and a breathless laugh.
Bucky moved closer, slid a leg over Steve's, grounding him, while the joined hands of Bucky and Harry were a warm weight on his stomach.
"Maybe not just yet." Bucky smiled. "But that's the direction we're interested in."
Steve closed his eyes and wondered why a hole in the floor never showed up when he needed it. On a normal day, he struggled to express his feelings. Around Harry, his struggle swayed like a pendulum between saying nothing or saying too much.
"See, that's the problem I have," Harry said.
Steve opened his eyes and found Harry frowning at him.
"I keep getting mixed signals from you. Until now, you rarely initiate anything," Harry said, watching Steve's face closely. "And when you do touch me, you always seem relieved to let me go. But then you say charming things like that."
Five words spoken and somehow Steve already screwed it up. He wanted to close his eyes, but couldn't bear to block Harry out.
"I have no interest in being an unwanted third, or a temporary plaything," Harry said, still watching Steve.
A hole in the floor was no longer enough, a black hole might cut it, maybe. Steve didn't know how he'd managed to mess things up so quickly. Unwanted and temporary were the last words Steve associated with Harry. Why couldn't he open his mouth and say as much, when that's all he wanted?
"Harry," Bucky said, voice soft. "Do me a favor?"
Finally, looking away from Steve, Harry looked at Bucky expectantly.
Bucky nodded towards Steve. "Give Stevie a kiss," Bucky said.
Harry's brows furrowed, and he bit his bottom lip.
"Please," Bucky said with a coaxing smile. "However you wish, but more than a peck."
Steve didn't know what Bucky intended, but he'd never steered Steve wrong before, not on important things at least. Harry's gaze flicked from one to the other for a moment before he sighed, lowered his head and soft lips pressed against Steve's.
His arm around Harry tightened as Steve pulled him in closer, praying he could show Harry with the kiss what he didn't have the words to express. Harry's dark hair spilled around Steve, a silken caress against his face.
Steve groaned as Harry melted into him. Unable to resist, Steve let his tongue lightly trace Harry's lips. He barely dared to breathe when Harry's lips parted for him. Torn between the need to claim Harry and his goal of expressing his feelings, Steve moaned.
The hands intertwined on his stomach moved downward until they settled on Steve's already interested dick, which immediately hardened under the soft touch. When he realized Bucky and Harry were both touching him, Steve growled, pulled Harry flush against him, and nipped at his bottom lip.
He used the hand on Bucky's ass to pull him closer, and Steve groaned when Bucky's knee gently nudged his balls. Harry shuddered in his embrace and if Bucky didn't have him pinned, Steve would have rolled Harry beneath him.
"So fucking beautiful," Bucky said breathlessly as he brushed his fingers through the curtain of dark hair, tucking it behind Harry's ear.
Bucky's words were enough to remind Steve of their intent. As delightful as it felt to kiss Harry, Steve knew it would be a thousand times better when Harry agreed to be theirs. With excruciating regret, Steve ended the kiss. The stunned look on Harry's face, combined with his reddened lips and the pink tinge on his cheekbones, strained Steve's resolve to the limit.
Harry let his head fall back on Steve's shoulder. After a moment, Harry seemed to realize where his hand lay and Steve moaned when he delicately ran his hand down the hard length of Steve's dick, dragging Bucky's hand with him.
"Oh, my," Harry said with a breathless hitch in his voice. "That's rather lovely, that is."
If Harry didn't stop touching him like that, saying things like that, Steve was going to spontaneously combust. Steve didn't need to see Bucky's face to know he was grinning, the same way he didn't need to look down to know whose hand initiated the firm squeeze Steve's dick twitched under.
His hand still rested on Bucky's ass and Steve didn't hesitate to pinch it hard. Bucky jerked in his hold and the look in his eyes promised retribution. After a moment, Bucky turned to Harry.
"This," Bucky said as he used Harry's hand to give Steve's cock a slow, deliberate, retaliatory stroke, "Is why Stevie always seems relieved to let you go. Not because you're unwanted, but because he has good manners, and rubbing your dick against someone without consent is rude."
Steve's face was back to red, but he nodded when Harry looked at him for confirmation.
"Understandable," Harry said, with the faint hint of a wicked smile.
Bucky stilled their hands and settled into Steve's side. "You know Stevie's story, and how sick he got," Bucky said. "But it wasn't just Stevie that got sick. His mother was a nurse and caught tuberculosis from a patient."
Steve breathed easier when Bucky moved his and Harry's hands off his dick. It seemed disrespectful to talk about his mom while being felt up. Bucky leaned in and brushed a kiss against the corner of Steve's mouth. The kiss was more comforting than carnal. And he didn't pull back far. Bucky knew better than anyone how hard Steve took his mom's death.
Harry curled into him as well, and Steve tightened his arm around Harry and stroked his back. Steve knew the story of Harry's mother and her sacrificial love and could guess Harry needed a cuddle.
"Stevie's a noble little shit, just like you," Bucky said with a fond smile. "And when he realized how sick his mom was, he stopped talking about how he felt, so she wouldn't have to worry about him, too."
Bucky looked up and held Harry's eyes as he slipped his free arm behind Steve and rubbed his back in a soothing gesture.
"At first, he stopped talking about his health," Bucky said. "But as she got sicker, he stopped telling her about the fights he got in, or the trouble he had in school. Until it became second nature to not talk about his feelings at all."
Steve closed his watering eyes. He wanted to turn away, but wasn't willing to release Harry or Bucky. Until Bucky laid it out so plainly, Steve hadn't realized that's what he'd done. Or that Bucky knew and cared about him intimately enough to explain Steve's reticence with such understanding tenderness.
"But he cares as deeply for you as I do," Bucky said softly.
He opened his eyes to see Harry's reaction to Bucky's words. But Harry kept his head down, staring at their intertwined hands resting on Steve's stomach, and Bucky kept talking.
"He might not say the words, but you can feel it in the arm he puts around your shoulder when you're unsure. Or in the hand he slips in yours when you need that extra bit of strength." Bucky glanced up and gave Steve a tender smile before turning his attention back to Harry. "Or in the way his lips linger against yours at the end of a kiss."
"But mostly, you just have to look into his eyes," Bucky said, his voice soft and low. "Because Stevie isn't like you and me, he might struggle to talk about his emotions, but he never needed to learn how to conceal them."
The silence when Bucky finished speaking seemed to last forever, and it took every ounce of Steve's willpower to hold still and give Harry the time he needed.
After several endless minutes, Harry pulled his hand free of Bucky's and looked up, his eyes full of something Steve couldn't interpret. Harry watched him for a long endless moment, and Steve tried not to squirm, tried to let Harry see the truth of his feelings.
Harry laid a tender hand on Steve's cheek, using it to tilt Steve's head up before Harry dipped his head and brushed his lips over Steve's. Slowly deepening the kiss, Harry kept it soft and dreamy.
Steve let Harry take the lead. He couldn't do anything else, not when Harry's kiss felt as sweet and tender as his first kiss with Bucky, and left him equally breathless. He heard Bucky's soft moan, felt him tugging Steve's shirttail out of his pants, and shivered when Bucky's cool hand slipped under the shirt to rest on the small of Steve's back.
Eventually, and far too soon, Harry ended the kiss. Steve didn't try to prolong it, but he couldn't stop his arm from tightening around Harry, keeping him close. Harry lifted his head and again looked into Steve's eyes. Steve had no idea what exactly Harry was looking for, but the curve of his lips relieved him.
"I see what you mean," Harry murmured.
Bucky slid his free hand into Harry's hair and pulled him closer. "Can I have one of those?" Bucky asked with a growl.
The grin that spread across Harry's face contained more than a hint of wickedness as he nodded, but made no move towards Bucky. With another growl, Bucky leaned up, using his handful of hair to pull Harry closer. Bucky tilted his head and pressed his lips against Harry's.
This close to the action, Steve could see Harry part his lips, and having kissed Bucky, he knew the feel of Bucky's tongue as it mapped his mouth. Harry let Bucky take the lead, and Steve groaned as Harry leaned in, stretching across Steve to lay his hand on Bucky's chest.
Steve couldn't resist stroking up Harry's back, learning the feel of the lean muscles, hoping soon he could caress Harry's bare skin. Harry moaned low in his throat and shivered beneath Steve's hand as Bucky nipped his bottom lip before he pulled away. Relieved when Harry didn't move away but stayed resting across his chest, Steve let his hand settle on the small of Harry's back.
Bucky looked up with a grin and, in a deliberate, indecent move, slowly licked his lips. Between Harry laying on him and Bucky's wanton show, Steve wondered how long his dick could stay hard before it became a problem. Those commercials in the middle of the night made it out to be a serious condition.
"You taste like coffee," Bucky said in a husky voice. "And you're not as shy as all the blushing would suggest."
Harry shrugged. "I can keep from doing it, but not easily, so I don't bother around friends. Or when it's useful to have people underestimate me."
Without moving off Steve, Harry reached out, and a picture from the dresser flew to his hand. Holding it so Steve and Bucky could see, Harry smiled. "My parents."
Even if Harry hadn't said, Steve would have known. Harry's resemblance to his father was striking, but it was his mother's brilliant green eyes that drew Steve's attention, the same way Harry's eyes drew him in.
"My mother was a natural red-head," Harry said, his voice soft and fond. "I inherited her eyes and her complexion. Being so pale, it's hard to hide how worked up I am."
Bucky groaned. "So it's not always embarrassment?"
"It depends," Harry said with a shrug. Another wave of his hand and the picture returned to its place.
Steve wasn't sure what point Bucky was making. But Bucky narrowed his eyes and demanded. "On what?"
The grin curving Harry's lips was a hundred percent wicked and immediately jumped to the top of Steve's favorites list.
"If one or both of you are touching me."
Bucky let his head fall back on Steve's shoulder as he moaned. Steve frowned and looked at Bucky.
"Stevie," Bucky said in a rough voice. "When is the only time you've seen my cheeks red?"
It only took a split second for Steve to realize what Bucky meant, and he tightened his arm around Harry. "You blush because you like it when we touch you?" Steve asked.
"Very much so," Harry said as the color climbed his face.
He let his head fall back and huffed. "Is it possible to die from lack of blood to the brain?" Steve wondered aloud.
Harry giggled as Bucky leaned in.
"Where's all the blood going, Stevie?" Bucky whispered.
Steve shivered even as he moved his hand to pinch Bucky again. Bucky leaned further and kissed him hard enough that Steve forgot why Bucky needed pinching, but since his hand was there, he squeezed Bucky's ass.
A tentative hand brushed Steve's face as Harry tucked Bucky's hair behind his ear. He couldn't hold Harry tighter without squeezing the breath out of him, but Steve stroked his back, pleased Harry felt comfortable enough to touch them, and wanting to assure him they welcomed his touch. Bucky used his free hand to run his fingers through Harry's hair before tugging Harry closer.
He ended the kiss with Steve and turned to Harry. "You like watching me kiss Stevie?" Bucky asked gruffly.
"Very much so," Harry whispered.
"And you know I like watching you kiss him too?"
Harry nodded, and Bucky released Harry to poke Steve in the ribs. "What about you?" He asked. "You like seeing me kiss Harry?"
It took Steve a moment to get the words out. "Almost as much as I like to kiss you both," Steve said with an earnest smile.
"Good," Bucky said with a decisive nod before turning to Harry with a calculating expression. "You willing to talk about how much experience you have?" Bucky's tone was careful. "Doesn't have to be details, and we'll reciprocate?"
"Not a lot," Harry said quietly as he averted his eyes. "Especially relative to my age."
Steve could feel Harry trying to draw back, and Steve couldn't allow that, not now that they were so close. "Please don't. It doesn't matter," Steve said as he held Harry tight. He hated the struggle to spit the words out, but he couldn't let Harry pull away again.
"You and Bucky are the only men I've ever so much as kissed," Steve said in a rush. He did his best to ignore the fact his face was on fire. "Bucky and I." Steve stumbled, searching for the word, but he wasn't sure what to call what he'd done with Bucky. "Three times," he muttered with a frustrated huff.
"My turn," Bucky growled as he sat up, removing his hand from Steve's shirt.
He reached across Steve and grabbed Harry with both hands, pulling and turning him until Harry sat on Bucky's lap, his legs laying across Steve. Bucky wrapped one arm around Harry's waist and slipped the other back behind Steve, pulling him tight against Bucky's side.
Harry's eyes were wide as he stared at Bucky. With an unrepentant grin, Bucky shrugged. "Doesn't matter if Stevie and me are the first people you've kissed or the hundredth." Bucky turned to Steve. "Rubbing off, Stevie, or the book called it frottage."
Steve let his head fall back as he groaned. "You got a book?"
"I know you think I'm some kinda Casanova," Bucky said with a huff. "But there was only the two guys, and I want to treat you right." Bucky turned to look at Harry. "You too, when you say so."
When? Steve tilted his head to see Harry's reaction to Bucky's declaration. Harry eyed Bucky with a raised brow and a cool expression, and Bucky grinned.
"When?" Harry asked in a flat voice. "I believe the proper term is 'if'."
Bucky's grin sharpened as he tangled his hand in the hair at the nape of Harry's neck and pulled him closer, leaning in until only millimeters separated his lips from Harry's. "When. That last kiss, Wildcat, it didn't feel like an 'if'," Bucky murmured. "If I'm wrong, push me away," Bucky said, the dare explicit in his voice. "But if I'm right…"
Harry raised his arms, and Steve held his breath. Time slowed to a crawl as his hands hovered over Bucky's shoulders and Steve didn't dare breathe. When Harry wrapped his arms around Bucky's neck, Steve exhaled heavily, his mind whirling.
"You're rather full of yourself," Harry muttered before he closed the distance and kissed Bucky.
Part of Steve's mind appreciated the sight of Bucky kissing Harry passionately, but even that wasn't enough to distract him from the clear and unmistakable fact that Harry hadn't pushed Bucky away.
Stunned by the development, it took Steve a moment to realize Harry was struggling in Bucky's grip. Bucky looked up and frowned as he stared at Harry with dazed eyes, but his arm stayed tight around Harry's waist.
"Stop, you berk," Harry said breathlessly. "I'm not trying to escape. I'm trying to get closer."
After a moment, Bucky shook his head to clear it and held his arm away from his body. "You can come close as you want," Bucky said, his voice deep and rough.
Harry shifted until he could straddle Bucky's legs. Once Harry was astride him, Bucky's arm went around his waist again. With a soft hum, Harry wrapped his arms around Bucky's neck and leaned against his chest.
"Close enough for you, Wildcat?" Bucky asked in a growl.
"For now," Harry said before he pressed his lips against Bucky's.
Bucky ran his hand down Harry's back until he could slip his hand under Harry's shirts, stroking Harry's lower back restlessly. The hand on Steve's back alternated between rubbing circles and clutching at Steve's hip. Even distracted, Bucky's vibranium hand stayed gentle on Steve's skin.
Tentatively, Steve reached out and slid his hand alongside Bucky's, under Harry's shirt. When Harry leaned into the touch and shivered, Steve relaxed and moved closer. He took his time running his hand up Harry's back, enjoying the warm, smooth skin and the shift of muscles.
The contrast between the smooth skin and the slightly raised scars fascinated him. Steve worried for a moment if it bothered Harry, but the next time Steve traced a long, thin scar, Harry moaned and stopped kissing Bucky.
Harry turned in Bucky's arms until he could see Steve. "Hi," Harry whispered with a smile.
"Hi yourself," Steve said with a smile of his own.
"Those scars don't hurt." When Steve brushed over another, fresh color bloomed over Harry's cheekbones. "But they are sensitive," Harry said with a groan.
Steve felt Bucky's hand brush against his as he swept his hand firmly up Harry's back, and Steve almost whimpered when Harry shuddered in response.
"Does it upset you, though?" Bucky asked gruffly.
"No." Harry pressed his lips together for a moment and the color in his cheeks faded. "My only issue is how much the scars upset other people."
Bucky watched Harry for a long moment. "Does it bring up bad memories?"
Harry closed his eyes with a sigh. "Bloody hell." When Harry opened his eyes, he turned back to Bucky. "You've seen scars like mine before," Harry said, his voice flat.
With a nod, Bucky laid his hand over Steve's and squeezed. "The first time Hydra captured me, they punished some prisoners with a whip."
"Arseholes," Harry muttered. He swallowed and in a stiff voice said, "The Unspeakables never touched me. They preferred a curse. Given the dark nature of the curse, the scars won't fade."
"Another attempt at coercion?" Steve asked, trying to keep his voice even, Hermione's advice to limit his response ringing in his mind.
Harry nodded and Steve stroked his back, wishing he could do more. Bucky pulled Harry in and cuddled him close for several silent moments.
"You still alright with talking about your feet?" Bucky asked quietly.
The muscles in Harry's back shifted as he tightened his grip on Bucky for a moment. "Yeah," Harry said as he sat up. "But there's something I need to do first."
He leaned in and pressed a smacking kiss to Bucky's mouth before turning to Steve. "May I?" Harry asked, gesturing to Steve's lap.
Immediately, Steve sat up straight and nodded. With a smile, Harry crawled over and straddled Steve's legs, his hands a comforting weight on Steve's shoulders. Somehow, Steve kept from crushing Harry to him, but he gave in to the desire to hold him close.
His hand still under Harry's shirt, he let the other rest on Bucky's thigh, the firm muscle grounding him. A moment later, Bucky's hand covered his and Bucky laced his fingers through Steve's.
"I wanted to make sure you knew I meant yes to you as well," Harry said as he ran his hands back and forth along Steve's collar bones, ending up resting on Steve's chest.
Looking up from his hands, Harry met Steve's eyes. The gentle petting and warm affection in Harry's eyes left Steve speechless, and he could only nod in response.
Harry smiled. "I'm sorry I mistook reserve for disinterest," Harry said.
"You don't need…" Steve tried to say before Harry's hand covered his mouth.
"Don't dismiss it. You deserve an apology," Harry said. His voice was soft, but that didn't hide the steel in it. "My words hurt you, and I'm sorry they did."
Steve still doubted he deserved an apology, but he appreciated the intent behind it, so he nodded and pressed a kiss against the palm of Harry's hand. The faint gasp he got in response pleased him. After a moment, Harry moved his hand to rest on Steve's chest again.
"You both always seem so confident, and I'm such a mess, I never thought to look deeper," Harry said with a wry grin.
"I have no idea what I'm doing," Steve said with a laugh.
Bucky laughed as well. "Me either, but as long as we're together, I can handle being lost."
When Harry nodded his agreement, more of Steve's concerns fell away. Lost with Harry and Bucky, sounded good to him.
Harry caught Steve's eyes, raised one hand, and tenderly cupped Steve's cheek. "So long as I can see it here." Harry's thumb swept under Steve's eye. "Or feel it here." His hand trailed down Steve's arm until it rested on Steve and Bucky's intertwined hands. "I don't need words."
Bucky let go of Steve to trap Harry's hand between theirs before squeezing them tight. Steve wondered what he'd done to deserve both men's understanding and affection. He didn't have the words to express that, but he squeezed Bucky's thigh and rubbed Harry's back.
With a grin, Harry wrapped his free arm around Steve's neck. "I think I'd like it if you kissed me senseless about now," he said primly.
"You think?" Steve asked with a husky voice and a raised brow.
Harry nodded. "You've never kissed me senseless before, so I can't be certain."
Steve removed his hand from Harry's shirt and at long last tangled his hand in the long, dark hair, using it to tilt Harry's head. "I wouldn't want you to be uncertain," Steve murmured.