fossilised | It's AU time

It's AU time

Building 64 down in the East end of Brooklyn was not a fashionable place to live. The apartments were small, barely more than studio size, and the rent was pretty cheap. Not many people lived there permanently, most people only came and stayed a year or two to get enough money together to move onto somewhere better. But there were two residents who had been there a while.

Steven Grant Rogers, early twenties, who earned his rent doing tattoo designs part time to fund his college course, and occasionally dipped his toe into online art commissions. He'd moved in there when his mother had died four years previously, leaving him enough money to get by, but not enough that he could stop working. And right across the hall was Natalia Romanova, an aspiring ballerina from Russia. She was tough as hell, she had worked herself right through high school, paid her own way to America when she didn't even speak the language, and kept going through tenacity alone.

Somehow a friendship had struck up between them when Steve had been the first person not to look at her like she was an idiot or disgusting for not speaking the language. He'd helped her learn, and they'd been firm friends for the last three years. Everyone else was transient, coming and going, not really making an impact. Natalia had friends and a boyfriend outside of the apartment, but she sometimes worried that Steve never seemed to do anything but work and study.

Which was probably why he would be in his apartment when a loud crash sounded on the stairs outside. Said crash had come from a box of (now very broken) plates and bowls being dropped by the man just moving in to the apartment directly above Steve's, judging by the amount of cardboard boxes that were littering the hallway. He was tall, muscled, dressed in faded jeans and a hoodie with long slightly scruffy hair, leather gloves, and deep blue eyes.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It was a good thing that Steve didn't need to reciprocate the wording. He wasn't even sure his mouth could form that particular word. Instead, he found himself turned on by the strength Bucky had to lift him and let his head fall back against the wall. They could take their time, Steve was planning on it at least, and he was thankful that Bucky would sort of give him the reigns. When he put him back down on his feet.

Steve wasn't too sure how he felt being on the bottom, society making him out to be the sort that should be there, and so he jumped at the chance to have Bucky this way first. It would be less of a fuss to. Hopefully.

For a long while, because Steve had been raised in a culture of foreplay and not just jumping right into sex, they touched and rubbed and kissed one another laying side by side, mostly naked, in Steve's turned down bed. Steve wasn't waiting for a signal to proceed so much as trying to experience everything fully and romantically.

Because of course he was a romantic.

He traced Bucky's twitching cock with his fingers and then his lips, the older man stretched out for him, beautiful in the dimmed light from the hallway and the street below. He had never actually given anyone head before. But it didn't feel that way. Muscle memory kicked in from a time that had never happened.

Steve wasn't Bucky's usual type, he would be lying if he said that he had ever looked for men that looked like Steve before, but right now he couldn't imagine literally anyone in the world looking sexier than Steve did with his lips wrapped around his cock. It didn't matter that he was inexperienced, he still seemed to know how and where to trigger the most pleasure out of Bucky, to turn him into a writhing and sweaty mess.

It was an embarrassingly short time later that his fingers fisted in Steve's hair, not painfully but still with urgency, to try and push him back from what he was doing before he ended all of this prematurely.

"Stop-- stop, god, you're too much."

He kept mumbling alternate curses and benedictions as he kissed his own way down Steve's body to return the favour, first sucking on his cock and then down to lick at his ass. Not to prepare him, he meant what he said when he wanted Steve inside him, but just to feel good.

If anyone needed to stop, it was Bucky. Steve was suddenly very aware of his tenuous hold on himself and only a few scant minutes of Bucky proving what a decade of participation in bedroom events could lead to. He was again pushing st Bucky, small hand on a broad shoulder, toes curled, and almost begging. "Please... Just let me... Inside you--"

Luckily, Bucky was smart and got the picture fairly quickly.

Steve lasted longer than he thought possible, likely because he was worried he was hurting Bucky most of the time, no real knowledge of what those faces he was giving him meant. Soft blond hair the color of cornsilk plastered to his forehead after several long moments of swinging back and forth with each thrust. He took his time, leaning in to kiss Bucky soundly as he put his hands against his thighs.

He enjoyed himself. Too much, maybe, for someone getting over pneumonia, but Bucky was hot. There was no need to fear a relapse there.

Bucky practically lost his mind, the faces he made were definitely ones of pleasure, and he found his release only a few moments after Steve by taking hold of himself in a few desperate and sweaty strokes. God, but he could do that all day and every day, he had no idea why it already felt like something they did all the time, something they were meant to do, but he loved it.

He pulled Steve up and into his arms, not caring about the sweat or the sticky mess all over the place, just reaching down to take off the condom and toss it into the trash.

"How can you never have done that before? You were amazing. I never want to leave this bed again, this bed is my new home."

Steve never felt more masculine than he did now. He laid on a bunch of half mashed up pillows with his arm bent behind his head and his free hand lightly stroking the hair from the back of Bucky’s neck. It was pretty remarkable, how different he felt and how completely the same he felt at the same time. His eyes were half closed as he grinned at nothing in particular and in his mind, a tail that he might have had if he was a dog wagged as at being praised for something he never thought would please him before.

“if you wanted to, I’d let you,” Steve said sincerely. First date to sex to moving in? It sounded a little like the off colored lesbian jokes he’d heard before. If it was strange for him to literally and sincerely offer Bucky to stay, oh well. Why bother keeping up pretense that they might not belong together?

Everything had been magical. Or ordained by God. Or-- Steve didn’t know or care what the proper turn of phrase was right now because he was too filled with the need to gloat over his accomplishment.

It was a good thing that his phone was in his pocket in his pants across the room. Nat might be getting a little too much TMI right now otherwise.

Bucky knew better than to believe anything offered in the afterglow, or especially in the run up to sex, hormones were all over the place and it was the tale of too many people that they offered love and commitment and all sorts, only to regret it when the mood had ebbed and they were back in their right mind again. But it still made him smile and wind his arm tighter around Steve, the prosthetic tossed somewhere on the floor in the heat of the moment.

"I'd settle for just making a burrito out of the blankets and not moving until tomorrow morning. And then hopefully Santa will have brought me some more lube for Christmas so I can properly enjoy the festive season."

He grinned wickedly, spoiled a bit when he yawned. God, he was so relaxed, like a puddle of himself, reduced that way by Steve Rogers and his talent in bed. He was one lucky bastard.

"I mean... it's not Christmas unless you're naked all the time, right? I don't think I noticed how much I hate clothes until like an hour ago."

“Never had a Christmas like this so I’ll just follow your lead,” Steve said before erupting into a giant yawn that traveled down his body in a full fledge, cat-like stretch. He lightly traced some doodles on Bucky’s shoulder but for the most part, he was letting himself sink right into sleep where he belonged. Morning was not too far away and since Steve was never one to sleep in and he’d left the curtains open, the sunlight woke him up with a groan.

This was, by far, the best Christmas he had had to date, with a warm body pressed against his back, and he carefully slipped out of Bucky’s arms to make some breakfast and some coffee. He had on his robe since he wasn’t prepared to get another sickness, and the fluffy blue terrycloth was pulled up high to his ears.

He ended up balling up the pancakes and the bacon, keeping them in place with little toothpicks, and even if it was childish and silly, he couldn’t help but be amused by his own ingenuity.

Hopefully Bucky wouldn’t mind being woken by the smell of delicious food and coffee because Steve was going to need some help cooking for that afternoon.

Bucky woke up when Steve slipped out of bed, but he didn't move. He just luxuriated in the feeling of real sheets that were clean (relatively so, after last night) and the heat of where Steve had been in the bed. He wanted to stay there all day, but he knew this was Christmas and that Natalia and Thor were invited to take part too.

Oh shit. Christmas.

He didn't have anything for Steve, and he surely had very little time before presents would be exchanged to figure something out. That got him up pretty effectively, appearing out into the kitchen to see the magnificent ball breakfast, which just had him laughing hard enough that he nearly fell over.

"That-- you're a goddamn culinary genius, Steve."

He plucked up one of the pancake balls and popped it in his mouth, before leaning over to kiss him deeply and enthusiastically.

"I've gotta go upstairs for a bit, take a shower, get changed. But I'll be back down to help cook soon, okay?"

"This sounds to me like you're running out for your walk of shame," Steve said before making an O shape with his mouth so that Bucky would mimic him and he could push another ball of pancake between his lips. It made his cheeks puff up. He had to laugh, and then kiss the pouting lips he was left with. "Fine. Go. After breakfast. I need to actually do some wrapping too, so knock when you come back."

Steve enjoyed his little moments with Bucky, especially because the other man seemed perfectly content sitting in only his boxers in the kitchen with him, prosthetic discarded, scars visible. Their knees touched under the table as they had done the night before at that little hole in the wall bistro. And maybe Steve kept running his fingers on a bare thigh from time to time. It was all right if his fingers were sticky from syrup.

Bucky was just going to shower anyway.

It was so strange to be this comfortable, he still wasn't even always comfortable looking at himself in a mirror, so to be able to lounge around eating breakfast so exposed with Steve was amazing. He wouldn't be able to do it with anyone else, these relaxed moments where the humour and the kindness of the man he used to be shone through were for Steve and Steve alone.

Breakfast finished, and only just managing to keep from diving right back into the bedroom with Steve, he finished dressing and disappeared back upstairs to shower, get his prosthetic on properly, pick out some nice clothes from the few he owned and... scour his stuff for something to give to Steve.

It took about an hour for him to come back down and knock, during which time Steve would get a text from Natasha.

TO: Steve
FROM: Natabatadingong

Thor and I will be coming over in two hours for food and presents. If you have drawn me a picture then I will have to hurt you. Happy Christmas. xx

Steve could do two hours. Two hours was plenty of time to get dressed after a shower and still wrap presents. Natalia was going to have to hurt him because he always drew on the wrapping paper, but at least he had a real gift for her. The woman was capable of taking care f herself but she was always broke somehow. Or maybe she was wisely investing while mooching off of the rest of them.

His little tree was set up on the windowsill by the painting and he even managed to do some decorating after he showered and dressed in the eagle sweater Bucky had gotten him not too long before. It was soft and he jazzed it up with a little Santa hat pin he had in his box of decorations. What was more American holiday than an eagle with a Christmas hat on? Nothing.

He combed his hair neatly to the side and was just putting the oven on when Bucky decided it was time to show his face again.

Forty minutes to go...not enough time to get the pie together and have sex. Damn it.

Bucky looked pretty good. He didn't have many fancy clothes, but he had a suit from when he just got discharged in the hope he would be going to lots of job interviews, so he had dug that out and put it on with a deep blue shirt open at the neck. If it had just been Steve then he would have pinned the sleeve up and been comfortable, but because he knew other people would be there then he had the prosthetic on.

He had a box under one arm, not wrapped, and a slightly sheepish expression.

"Hey-- so... I want to do your gift before the others arrive, okay? I'm sorry, I don't have any wrapping paper, but could you sit down a moment?"

He was kind of nervous, this was probably going to be too big and too dumb a gesture for a guy that he had been on one official date with.

One official date, several very unofficial dates, two making out sessions and one bout of passionate sex, but who was counting?

Steve grinned up at Bucky, saying the things you're supposed to say about Bucky really not needing to do this, but he sat down as requested by the Charlie Brown Christmas tree and took the box with bright and curious eyes. Had Bucky just wrapped something of his? Or boxed it at least? That was something Steve used to do when he was younger and didn't have any money. It was oddly touching and he reverently opened the lid and peeked inside.

The look on his face was a little worrying.

"I can't," he whispered, seeing the dog tags there. He had his father's framed with his medals but those were passed on after he had died. These were...incredible. They'd been with Buck through a whole lot. Steve felt his throat close. "These are too precious, you can't..." That didn't mean he was going to let them go.

It choked him up a little to see this, more for Steve's reaction than giving the tags themselves away. It was a wrench, but he was sure that if anyone would wear them and care for them as they were meant to be cared for, it would be Steve Rogers. And at least he knew that Bucky had been a Sergeant now, not the lowliest of soldiers, but hardly one of the top brass either.

"They're just-- I didn't have time to get you anything, and I know they're just something of mine, but I'd like you to have them. Something of mine for my best guy to carry around with him."

He leaned over to press a kiss to Steve's lips, kind of wanting to see him wearing the dog tags and nothing but the dog tags now.

"It was this or my medals, and you'd look pretty dumb wandering down the street with a bunch of medals pinned to that sweater. Which, by the way, santa hat is an excellent addition to the eagle."

It was sort of unfair how perfect Bucky was. Sure, his boyfriend had some issues to surmount, but he was still perfect to Steve. Putting the beat up metal on caused him to chew the inside of his lip, but he held the tags in one hand against his chest before he wrapped his arms around Bucky's neck. "My gift is pretty stupid now," Steve muttered, not letting Bucky go just yet to fetch it.

He needed another five minutes of hugging Bucky and looking at the tags off and on.

When he was doing emotionally well enough to actually get Bucky's gift from beneath the little tree, he did so half tripping over himself because he couldn't stop trying to look at the dog tags against his sweater. Whoops. At least the little tree didn't crash to the ground. And no one had to pull burst Christmas balls from Steve's palms or shins.

Handing Bucky the box with the fuzzy socks in them, wrapping paper hand drawn, Steve waited for his boyfriend to see the scene he'd drawn. It was from his second favorite movie about that superhero. Steve drew the bounty hunter and the space deputy monkey holding hands with words scrawled over their heads in comic sans: Til The End Of The Line, Pal.'

It was kind of embarrassing how much he liked those movies, he just felt some weird connection with the characters, though especially Captain America and his best friend Buddy. It was sweet of Steve to notice that, and even sweeter of him to spend the time and effort to draw him his own comic.

He took a long time just reading over the paper with a soft smile on his face, very carefully unwrapping it so as not to rip it. This was going on his fridge next to the picture of himself as the bounty hunter. The socks themselves were secondary, though he did grin at how ridiculously furry they were.

"Are you trying to say my feet are too cold in bed, Steve? It's okay, I can take a hint."

The socks were pulled on right away, toes wiggling teasingly in Steve's direction to cover how touched he was that Steve kept looking down at those dog tags like they were precious.

"So, do I get to be your helper today? Assistant Chef Barnes, I could be in charge of something low-stress like... sprouts."

"I think I'm going to have you do all of the boring stuff. Like stirring. But first... We have about fifteen minutes and... You can just stay where you are." Steve had only had one other penis in his mouth in his life and while he had never exactly seen the appeal before, he couldn't help himself now. Bucky just had to have his fly of his very nice suit open and Steve could give him a better present than some dumb socks until Natalia and her boyfriend came over.

Of course, that didn't take into consideration that she was very Russian and thought that being punctual was tantamount to being late. She and Thor and Loren ended up having to wait in the hall for another three minutes while Steve finished up, dashed to the bathroom to brush his teeth, and let Bucky get himself straightened up.

Steve greeted his guests with bright red lips and bright blue eyes and a bright "Merry Christmas," as he pulled open the door.

Nothing to see here! No problem at all!

Nevermind that the walls were thin. Nevermind that everyone in the hall knew what was going on.

It didn't matter to either of them what Steve had been doing before; in fact, Nat was pleased. Steve had spent too long with very little physical affection, and all the dates he seemed to have gone on were either too amorous and scared him off, or open about how much they didn't want to be dating someone that skinny. Some of them even seemed to act like they'd done him a favour by agreeing to go out with them, and he owed them in return. Whatever reservations she had about Barnes, he at least seemed to really like Steve and that was a point in his favour.

"Try humming," she advised as soon as the door was open, leaning in to give him a tight hug. "It makes them see stars."

She made her way inside and dumped her presents under his little tree, giving Barnes a brief nod of greeting, before turning and opening her hands towards Steve.

"It is time for the presents now, Steven. You have given James his, now I wish to have mine."

“Nat!” As much as he appreciated the advice, to have it thrown at him unasked was a little much, even for Steve. He blanched a little before correcting himself and then smiled at Loren. It wasn’t that he hadn’t heard Natalia’s demand for a gift, just that he wanted to be polite to everyone. Thor had already wandered into the kitchen, his torso visible from the living room through the breakfast bar. He was starting the turkey, or at least Steve hoped he was with all of that banging around. “Presents after everyone arrives,” he said, frowning at the woman. “Loren’s boyfriend hasn’t gotten here…or is he not coming?”

Steve wasn’t sure what everyone’s family plans were. But Loren absolutely had a boyfriend, from what he had seen last night, and Steve had gotten him a card too…just because he wanted everyone to have something.

Thor ducked down to look under the cabinets. He was laughing. “Loren has no such thing. He is married to his books.”

Loren had been half prepared for this and, after a good night with Anthony, he had invited the man to come along for Christmas dinner. He had thought to have some time to explain before he showed up, but apparently that decision had been taken from him. He shot a venomous look towards Steve, before turning his displeasure onto his brother.

"You think such only because you have never provided company better than that of my books. I have a boyfriend, and Anthony will be joining us for dinner."

His boyfriend was under strict instructions not to like his brother more than himself. He had told Anthony a little of what it had been like growing up the adopted son with a brother like Thor.

"But tell me, Steven Rogers, do you always air the personal lives of your guests publicly? Do you not consider that I may have been closeted or unwilling to speak of my sexuality or partnership with my family?"

At twenty-three in living in Brooklyn, it actually never occurred to Steve that people might not be perfectly honest about themselves. He blinked at Loren and then stood, shocked at himself and then fiercely willing to take responsibility for everything. “I-- I didn’t realize. I am so very sorry,” Steve said immediately, the solemnity to the moment marring up the good vibrations from the moments leading up to it.

At least Thor wasn’t taking it too badly. Or at least, not in the way Loren might have feared.

“You have-- You’ve never spoken-- We’ve never met-- Loren, how do I know if he’s worthy of you?” Thor actually looked stricken, like Loren had just delivered him a truly terrible blow. He no longer paid attention to the turkey, eyes hurt. “You have known about Natalia from the very start!”

Bucky shook his head from behind Steve; while it had been kind of insensitive to just blurt it out like that, he knew Steve never meant any harm and Loren was making a mountain out of a molehill. Still, wasn't this like when he lost his temper with Steve about drawing the bounty hunter with a prosthetic first? His boyfriend was a good guy, but kind of sheltered sometimes.

Loren nodded slightly at the apology, it was given graciously and so he would accept it equally graciously. Thor, though, received an exasperated look that was only slightly mingled with fondness.

"You and I are not the same, Thor, I did not choose for him to know you until now. I have judged him worthy, and you are not to judge him otherwise, is that clear to you? He is my chosen one, and that decision does not rest even in part with you."

An incensed older brother who, by cultural right, had the ability to test the mettle of potential mates for his siblings, groused noticeably. “You’ve never once proven yourself capable of a good judgement of people.” Because, honestly, Loren had never shown interest in anyone. “This man might be terrible for you! I already do not care for him based only on this!”

Steve knew it wasn’t his right to step in, but he couldn’t help himself. Thor shouldn’t bully Loren over his boyfriend. How ridiculous! “He seemed very nice to me.” The words didn’t help.

Thor made an almost threatening gesture at Steve. “You’ve allowed him to meet your suitor and not your own kin? Loren, I wish only for the best for you but you keep stepping on my toes.”

“His relationships have nothing to do with you,” Steve said, because this was getting out of hand. “Now get back to the kitchen and finish up the turkey or we’ll look ridiculous meeting someone important to your brother without food! And have a beer while you’re in there.”

"I did not allow any such meeting, try not to be more of a fool than usual. Anthony came into the shop while Steven and his boyfriend were drinking coffee, you create conspiracies to slight you where there are none."

That was rich coming from Loren, but he did not intend to allow Thor to ruin this for him. It was true that he had the cultural right as eldest brother to judge the worthiness of his prospective partners, but they were not in the time of the Vikings any longer and Loren was independent enough that Thor should have known he would not subscribe to such an archaic belief. He did want Thor to like Anthony and visa versa, though not too much for he needed them both to like him the most, because he did genuinely love both.

"Nor do I require your continued meddling, Steven. You have displayed my sexuality publicly already, must you interject in family matters also? Perhaps it is reasons such as this that I wished to keep my Anthony to myself."

He stalked into the kitchen and got himself a beer.

"You will approve of him, Thor, do you hear me?"

Steve put up his hands submissively but he was happy he had said something. It didn't matter what Loren said, he needed someone in his corner. Thor, however, grew more annoyed but he did listen to what he had been told because this was not his home and he really did have to get the bird in the oven. He switched to a grumbling Norwegian to inform Loren that he didn't have to give his approval if he didn't approve, but marched into the kitchen anyway to cook and to double fist some beers.

With that done, Natalia held out her hands for her present. "Enough stalling, Steven."

"You're relentless the smallest of the group said even as he grinned and went to fetch her present. At least she made a big deal about it once she had chuckled over the comic drawn on the wrapping paper (her character kicking butt of course).

"Dangerous! You know me so well," she chirped. "Tonight I will wear these when I am tired of wearing pants." After a few drinks, that could be just after dinner for her.

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