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

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.

Nat put her present carefully aside and gave over her own presents. She had a keychain in the shape of Mjolnir and a hotel getaway for Thor, a onesie in tiger print with a tail and ears for Steve, and a box of chocolates each for Loren and Bucky. Loren thanked her with politeness for his gift, though his attention remained on his stupid stubborn older brother and his refusal to accept that he must be kind and respect Loren's choice in partner.

"I shall withhold my gifts," he said, still glaring at Thor. "And if Anthony should not receive correct treatment then I shall re-evaluate your worth for them."

Bucky flushed a bit and set his chocolates off to one side. "Thanks, but... I'm really sorry, I only got Steve a present."

Natalia smiled, it was good that he should be honest and thankful, perhaps he would be a good fit for her Steve. "I heard the gift you were given in return, it must have been a grand gift indeed to earn such enthusiastic reciprocation. It doesn't matter that you have no gift for me, you can make this up with double gifts on my birthday. June 13th. Mark it down."

"Nat!" Oh, he was not at all mortified by the onesie -- he was planning on wearing it before the day was out because it looked comfortable and he was always cold no matter how warm it got. But her constant bringing up of his newly discovered sex life? Yikes. He should have never gone over for condoms last night! But then he would still be a virgin and not an officially out and proud adult American male who had successfully gotten his beak wet and felt like he could do anything at all right now.

Except keep from blushing.

"But you'd better write that down. She will remember that you owe her two presents," he half whispered, glancing up as the buzzer for the street level door sounded. Steve arched an eyebrow as Thor stormed his way out of the kitchen, half ripped open the door, and marched down the stairs. "Okay... I need to borrow a screwdriver tonight, Nat," Steve said, huffing. Wow. Thor was strong.

Poor Tony.

He'd dressed well, suit and sunglasses, arm still in a sling though he had taken his bike here and it was parked in the alley. He had a large gift bag full of goodies and a smile on his face when an angry blond opened the door instead of someone just buzzing him up. Yikes. "Let me guess....Thor? You do look like you're about to set sail for some pillaging and raping. Hi. Tony Stark. You might have seen me on billboards along the highway...? No? They're almost all pictures."

Bucky thought that the onesie was adorable and he couldn't wait to see Steve in it, he could just imagine his nerd of a boyfriend curled up on the couch dressed like a tiger drawing comics. He really hoped that his art classes would help him get to where he wanted to go, he wanted to see him live his dream of being a proper comic artist with his own series.

At least he could stay out of this particular family drama.

Loren scowled as Thor took it upon himself to go for the door, following behind almost at once to dart down the stairs and push past his stupid brother at the door to greet Anthony with a defiant kiss to his lips.

"Ignore my brother, Anthony, his brains are in his muscles and he feels slighted that he is not allowed to dictate who I choose to date."

There was a cheeky sort of smile that lifted as Tony gazed at Loren. "I didn't know anyone needed permission to date in this country. Merry Christmas, baby." He lightly slapped his hand on Thor's chest in passing and leaned in to kiss Loren and hand him the bag. "You're Santa's helper since I don't know anyone."

Thor turned and eyed Tony warily. He loves did like how he greeted Loren but his attitude rubbed him the wrong way. Enough that it made him grumble as he followed him back into the building and up the stairs.

"Something smells good. And it isn't just you."Tony grinned, nodding at the people gathered at the door. "Oh. I know you two. So that makes you Natalie?"

"Natalia," she corrected. "You being presents?"

"Several."

"I like him, Loren. You have my approval. Forget your dumb brother."

Loren did not expect Thor and Anthony to get along too well, they were diametrically opposed as people. Thor was straight-forward, painfully honest, and hearty with friendship. Anthony was sarcastic and biting, he hid truth under wit, and he was far more intelligent than most. He was a perfect foil for Loren, for they stimulated one another where other partners could bore them.

He glanced over his shoulder at Thor as they went up the stairs, catching the growl, and gave him a warning look. He did not imagine Thor would approve, especially as Anthony was obviously significantly older than Loren too, but he had decided that he would not allow himself to care.

"These are Steven and James, Steven is a regular customer of mine, perhaps James will become so in time."

"Actually, it's Bucky."

"Your parents named you Bucky?"

Bucky passed a hand over his face looking chagrined. "Yep," he said, easier to make a joke of it. "Bucky Barnes, that's what's on my birth certificate. No, it's a nickname, but I hate James."

"So why not Jimmy? Bucky is a stretch, Mr. Sarcasm," Tony said, looking at ease even in his suit now that his leather jacket was removed, sunglasses tinted red to help with the glare from the sun. He was easily one of the coolest people in the world, or he came off that way, one hand lazily in his pocket. It mirrored Bucky's without meaning to for he would have put his other hand in his pocket if it wasn't in a sling.

Steve took the answer for that one, popping open the wine that had been chilling as Thor glared from the doorway that had not been shut yet. Probably not a bad thing, considering how hot the room was getting with the oven and stove on. "His middle name is Buchanen. That's was our bonding point. We both have obscure presidential names as our middle names."

Grant, technically, was better known as a General during the civil war. And his parents didn't hate him enough to name him Ulysses Grant Rogers...Poor Buck.

Tony found that amusing and arched an eyebrow at Loren. "Do Norwegians have middle names?" Some did and some didn't, but Tony didn't know that. "Two years and I've never asked yours."

"Two years!?" Thor was not pleased, but Natalia wrangled him back into cooking.

"You squawk like.a pigeon, Thor. Cook. I am hungry. I need my stamina."

Natalia might well be fighting a losing battle, for however much Thor liked her, Loren knew that he was the reason that Thor had uprooted from Norway and come all the way to America, and he would always come first in Thor's thoughts. It was one of the reasons he still loved him dearly despite all their differences, it was fearing that he might not come first in Anthony's thoughts any longer that had stopped him from wanting them to meet before now.

"I do not have a middle name. I had one when I was very young, when my parents were my natural birth parents, but my name was changed when I was adopted and I do not have one any longer. But I know yours, Anthony Edward Stark."

Loren leaned over to kiss him possessively, and then push him to sit down and put the bag of presents in his lap again.

"I am no pack mule, you will hand over your own gifts. I have ones of my own to gather and distribute."

Or, rather, he had a bottle of wine for Steven as thanks for inviting him to his house, a small wrapped pair of mittens for Natalia, a gym membership and several casks of authentic mead for Thor, and a key to his apartment for Anthony.

Bucky just settled back on the couch with Steve, arm wound around him and words muttered low in his ear, setting up a litany of filthy things he would do to his boyfriend when the day was over to tease him.

With sex such a new concept to Steve, he pretty much wanted to be pants-less and inside or around Bucky at all times at the moment. Those whispered words with such a hot breath against the shell of his ear was mystifyingly erection-inducing and Steve, turning redder by the second as if in competition with Natalia's hair, just kept his onesie balled in his lap.

They spent the next ten minutes giving out presents, of which Tony outdid everyone because he had the means to with cruise vouchers for each couple and a Paris Getaway for Loren to some French book convention in three months, and Thor steamed along with his corn as Natalia squealed over the cruise. "We will book together," she informed Steve. "The four of us. Thor, the alcohol is free on board. Do not grouse."

Tony had mostly stopped paying attention to the violitile situation bubbling away in the other room.

The key was strangely touching to him. It only cost a few dollars, but it was enough to sort of make him want to pull the ring out of his pocket that he had been carrying around for just over a month now.

Bucky was enthralled enough with the beautiful red colour that Steve was turning, that he barely even noticed the presents until he heard the word 'book'. Wait. He had been given a cruise to go on with his boyfriend of like... a week, by a guy he had met once in a coffee store and never spoken to? What the hell was that? Was this guy a billionaire or something? Who gave out that sort of gift so freely?

He finally stopped muttering in Steve's ear to pick up the voucher and stare down at it, then over at Tony looking half touched and half upset.

"I can't accept this, it's way too much. You don't even know me, that's far too generous, I haven't even got you anything."

Loren beamed over the gift to Paris, he wanted to go to that convention deeply and he had not realised that Anthony had paid attention when he spoke of it. He wasn't ashamed of his own gift being worth so much less in monetary value, he knew that Anthony would see the true value attached to it.

"Thank you, my Anthony. That key may be used to visit whenever you desire; or, should you wish it, it may be used to move your things in and remain there as long as you wish."

"First of all," Tony said without looking away from Loren, "Yes you can accept it because I don't like cruises and your boyfriend shouldn't have to go alone and second, Loren, Jesus. You want me to leave the garage?" He frowned a little at his own boyfriend and then shrugged. "Done. But counter proposition. How about we move into the Brownstone instead? My tenants are leaving at the end of February and I haven't started looking for new ones. You can renovate it anyway you want. And it's just down the street from your shop."

Loren had a tiny one bedroom in a nice part of town, but Tony knew the rents in that area and they were insane. Much better to move into a three story row house he owned, right?

Tony might not be a billionaire, but he did come from money and his business was steady and catered to high powered New York Lawyers and actors and politicians. He made smart investment choices. And he'd never really had a reason to spread some of his wealth around before.

Thor banged away in the kitchen and Steve glanced over at Bucky as if to query if he thought his oven would survive the holiday.

Loren knew that a more sensible proposition might have been to move in with Anthony, for he had a bigger place, but he had hoped by taking Anthony away from the apartment he had above the garage that he would actually leave at night instead of sometimes spending whole days tinkering with engines until he collapsed from fatigue in the middle of a puddle of oil and grease.

"That is a deal that I accept, we will move into the brownstone together at the end of February."

He beamed all of a sudden, genuine delight and affection on his face. Two years and a culmination in living together. He already knew it would work well, and he saw this as an investment in his future.

"Do you hear this, my brother?" He called out above the sound of banging in the kitchen. "I am to move in with my boyfriend, and it is a decision made without your approval, you would do well to remember that my life is mine to steer as I wish."

Bucky shook his head and just sort of sank back down next to Steve and his balled up onesie, looking mystified. "We really just got given a cruise vacation, didn't we? I'm not dreaming this madness?"

It's AU time

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