Chapter Text
“Uh sorry, what?” Bucky leaned further over the podium and narrowed his eyes curiously at the reporter. “What did you call that? Fan fiction?”
“Yes!” The young woman held out her recorder eagerly. “Since you and Captain America–” a nervous glance and a titter in Steve’s direction. “– are the first openly gay super hero couple, there is a pretty substantial amount of fan fiction written about you, and one of the questions in our reader poll was whether or not–” She checked her notes. “-whether or not Steve and Bucky read the stories under their tag on Tumblr.”
“Uh–Uh–” Bucky’s mouth opened a little awkwardly, and he ran a hand through his hair to push it out of his eyes. “I can’t really say? I mean, I didn’t even know what– what is fan fiction exactly? What the hell is a tumbler?”
“I’d really rather not say.” The reporter turned pink. “But you should definitely Google it.” A pause, and then she pushed the recorder back towards him and asked, “You do know what Google is, don’t you? Our readers were very interested in exactly how adjusted you are to 21st century life. Are computers something you use often?”
“Uh thank you, Ms. Robinson.” Steve cut in when Bucky started looking a little panicked. “I can assure you that Bucky does know what Google is, and thanks to Tony, he even has his own tablet.”
An impressed murmur from the crowd, and Steve stepped on Bucky’s toe when the big brunette started to scowl. “Be polite.” he whispered, and then louder to the reporter, “Um, I don’t know what fan fiction is, but going back to your original question before that one? We are of course glad to hear that being open with our relationship is encouraging other people to also be open in theirs.”
“Bucky and I spent a long time hiding who we were from the world and being able to do this–” He laced his and Bucky’s fingers together, holding them up for the cameras to see. “– feels pretty great.”
There was a polite smattering of applause and the next question was more about the team and less about their relationship so Bucky relaxed a fraction, letting Steve take over the answers so he could sit back and breathe.
He hated press conferences and interviews. Hated them. Reporters always wanted to ask if he still felt like the Winter Soldier, if he had a hard time adjusting, if he heard voices in his head after all the brainwashing, if he was always cold because he had been frozen so much. Did his left arm hurt? Was it a weapon? Why didn’t he take it off? So stupid. And then came the questions about his and Steve’s relationship and now whatever the hell fan fiction was?
No thanks. Bucky just wanted to go out and save the world with the rest of the Avengers and climb into bed with Steve at night. He didn’t need cameras and reporters and questions.
A hand at his shoulder startled him, and Bucky realized the conference was finally mercifully over, Steve urging him up so they could leave.
“You alright?” Steve was smiling for the cameras but his voice was quiet and concerned, so Bucky nodded, managing a short, “Just wanna get outta here, Stevie.”
“Yeah.” Steve leaned in to kiss him on the cheek and someone in the audience whistled. “Yeah, me too.”
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It had taken a long time for the Tower to seem like home for Bucky, had taken a long time for him to feel comfortable with the team and with Tony and with JARVIS, but now walking through the elevator doors and into the living room felt wonderful, felt like relief and Bucky didn’t realize how stressed out he was until he suddenly wasn’t anymore.
“Damn it, it’s good to be away from all those cameras.” He laughed a little and grabbed Steve in for a kiss. “Good to be home.”
Steve made an interested noise before kissing him back, shrugging out of his jacket and pushing Bucky towards the couch. “Better to be home when you start the night off like this, huh? I knew you wanted to kiss me, you can’t resist me in my dress clothes, can you?”
“I can’t resist you out of your dress clothes.” Bucky corrected, twisting so Steve fell onto the couch first, pinning the blonde beneath his bulk. “Sure makes those fuckin’ conferences easier to sit through when I know I can get you naked soon as we get to our room.”
“The important word there being room.” Sam interrupted loudly from somewhere over by the bar. “And by room, I mean a room that’s actually yours because I was planning on watching a movie and I don’t really want to do it on Steve’s ass print.”
“Oh geez! Sam!” Steve bolted upright, and Bucky acked as he fell off Steve’s lap and landed on the floor. “We didn’t know anyone else was home!”
“You didn’t know anyone else was home.” Sam folded his arms. “In a Tower that houses seven people full time and occasionally a demi god, Ms. Pepper Potts in all her glory, a Colonel and whoever else Tony lets in off the streets. You didn’t know anyone else was home? Thought it was safe to just strip down and hump it out? Really?”
Bucky laid a fierce scowl in Sam’s direction from the floor. “You could’a just walked away, Sam. Didn’t have to interrupt us, you know. Then I wouldn’t have bruised my ass on the ground.”
“Your Frosty ass bounced off that floor and you know it.” Sam kicked at Bucky’s foot so he could get to the couch. “But yes, I did have to interrupt you because between you two and Clint and Nat, there isn’t a safe place to sit in this entire Tower and there has to a be a line that we don’t cross when it comes to PDA.”
“The living room couch is that line, huh? Steve motioned for Bucky to move and sit between his knees. “The kitchen table was fine, but the living room couch isn’t?
“I will burn that kitchen to the ground.” Sam said warningly. “Don’t even play like that, Cap.” Bucky rolled his eyes and Sam changed the subject. “How was your press conference? Feel nice and famous?”
“It was a little awkward.” Steve shrugged. “They only asked a few questions about the team, most of it was about me and Bucky and our relationship and we weren’t really expecting that, I guess.”
“Well it’s a big deal, you two.” Sam said over a handful of popcorn, picking up the remote to start flipping through the movie channels. “Couple of boys like you getting married wasn’t even legal up till a few years ago, and all those old religious racist politicians in D.C. just about gave up the ghost when Captain America came out as gay. The ultimate All- American male icon likes to kiss boys? Scandalous. Of course it’s what everyone wants to talk about. No one cares about the Avengers when they could find out if Steve and Bucky use the same shampoo.”
“Thanks for that.” Bucky leaned his head back and closed his eyes as Steve started playing with his hair, sifting his fingers through the dark strandes. “We don’t, for the record.”
“I don’t care.” Sam retorted. “For the record.”
“Anyway.” Steve took over the conversation before Sam and Bucky started sniping at each other. “They asked us a whole bunch of weird questions, like whether or not Bucky used computers and whether our relationship dynamic was messed up because I was the head of the team in public? I don’t really know why they would ask that though.
“They asked you about how being head of the team affects your relationship dynamics?” Sam repeated. “How did you– how did you answer that question?”
“I told them that I’d follow Stevie anywhere.” Bucky settled a little closer to Steve. “And they sorta laughed and moved on.”
“Oh.” Sam made a show of studying his next handful of popcorn. “Just left it at that, did they?” A burble of laughter and Steve and Bucky looked up in surprise. “That’s uh– that’s what you said? That you’d follow Steve anywhere?”
“I don’t really see why that’s funny.” Steve frowned over at him. “It was a weird question, why does that even matter? What do team dynamics have to do with our personal relationship?”
“You know?” Sam crammed the popcorn into his mouth and mumbled, “I don’t really know how to answer that question for you.”
“Wait, what–?”
The elevator doors opened just then, and Tony came through, tossing a wave in their direction with one hand, texting as fast as he could with the other one.
“Tony!” Sam called. “Tony wait! Come here, we have a question for you.”
“Uh, sure.” Tony finished his text and jogged over, shoving himself between Sam and the arm rest and snatching the bowl. “What’s going on?”
“Well Cap and Buck here had their press conference today?” Sam started and Tony leaned over to grin down at them. “And Steve was asked if him being head of the team messed with his and Bucky’s relationship dynamics and he doesn’t know why they would ask such a question and I figured you would know how to answer that.”
“Oh I for sure know how to answer that.” Tony crammed a pile of popcorn into his mouth. “Steve, everyone knows you’re a bottom, so they wonder if you giving Bucky orders in the field has translated over to bedroom talk. Like, does Bucky let you get a little bossy with him now? Or does he still control it all?”
There was complete silence in the living room, Bucky and Steve exchanging stunned looks, Sam’s face getting more and more red as he tried not to laugh, Tony chewing his popcorn nonchalantly, his eyes wide and innocent.
“Ya hear that, Stevie?” Bucky finally said. “Everyone knows you’re a bottom.”
“I don’t– what– why would they– how would they–” Steve stammered out a few disjointed sentences before just giving up, exhaling a, “What the fuck is wrong with this century?”
“If it makes you feel better?” Tony scrunched his nose at Steve. “I’m sure they wondered that back in the day, too. It’s not just this century. Everyone has always wanted to know if Captain America was a bottom.”
“That doesn’t me feel better, Tony.”
“Well, I tried.” Tony stood and stretched. “I have to finish up a few more things before I can call it a night. Spangles, Bucky-bear, we should catch up huh? Been a few days since we hung out?”
“Yes.” Bucky said quickly, and then a little quieter, “I mean, yeah Tony, yeah we should catch up. That would be– yeah, let’s do that.”
“That sounds real good.” Steve’s voice was much softer than it had been just a minute before, his blue eyes warming as they traveled over Tony’s frame. “Would love to spend some time with you.”
“Yeah.” Bucky echoed. “Definitely. Just tell us when, alright? We’ll make time for you.”
“Alright.” Tony smiled at them, and if Steve wouldn’t have been so busy melting over the sweetness, he would have felt Bucky melting too.
“Sammy my love, I’m taking this because I haven’t eaten all day.” Tony snatched the popcorn and smacked a kiss on Sam’s cheek. “Thank you. I’ll see you guys in the morning.”
“Jerk took my popcorn.” Sam complained and heaved himself up from the couch to go make more. “I’m going to be gone for three minutes. Literally three minutes. You two better keep your clothes on, you here? If I come back and you’re naked, I’m throwing cold water on you both.”
“Oh and by the way?” he paused at the door to the kitchen. “The way you two are mooning over Tony? Both disgusting and sort of adorable. But he’s the most oblivious person in the world so you’ll have to do more than sigh like a school girl if you want to get anywhere with him.”
“Um–”
“For the record though?” he continued. “You guys are selfish as hell. You get each other and Tony? That seems a little greedy, don’t it? If I wasn’t dating Val, I’d be jealous.”
“Sounds like you’re a little jealous anyway.” Bucky snapped and Sam scratched at his nose, middle finger prominently displayed, before disappearing to make more popcorn.
“Oh wait–” Bucky twisted around towards the kitchen. “Sam!”
“What?!” Sam yelled back.
“Do you know what fan fiction is?”
“Uh–” Sam poked his head back out, brow wrinkled in thought. “I feel like my kid sisters used to write it about Harry Potter?”
Two perfectly blank looks.
“Right.” he sighed. “You guys don’t know what that is. Alright, it’s like ummm like a continuation of a story. Like a sequel I think? Like, you watch a movie, maybe they left something open ended, so then you write what might have happened.”
“Oh.” Bucky nodded and Sam went back to his popcorn, muttering, “Weird ass super soldiers.”
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It was halfway through their night, when Steve was pinning Bucky down and driving into him, leaving bruises on his waist and sucking hungry kisses down his neck and murmuring, “Fuck, you feel good Buck, you feel–”
–and Bucky got a case of the giggles.
“Are you laughing right now?” Steve stopped mid motion, a little confused and maybe a little offended since he wasn’t exactly used to being laughed at in bed. “Am I tickling you, or–?”
“No. No, ah fuck.” Bucky hid his face in his arm and tried to breathe. “No, Stevie it’s fine, I just–” he started giggling again. “Oh my god, it’s nothing. Keep going. Keep going.”
“Yeah, shockingly enough, my dick doesn’t think laughter is super sexy.” Steve eased out of Bucky, covering his love’s hiss of disapproval with a kiss. “Why are you laughing? What about this is funny?”
“I just–” Bucky shrugged helplessly, a silly grin stretching his face. “Why would anyone think you are a bottom? Have they seen you? You’re like a jackhammer of freedom.”
“A jackhammer of–Oh for fuck’s sake.” Steve rolled his eyes and flipped Bucky over in the bed. “Just for that, you gotta scream into a pillow the rest of the night. I don’t want to look up and see you laughing again.”
“Don’t you threaten me with a good time.” Bucky arched his back and wiggled his hips invitingly, pushing out a satisfied breath when Steve filled him again. “Damn Stevie, don’t stop. Come on.”
“I won’t stop.” Steve’s hands were reverent, tender, for just a split second before they tightened on Bucky’s hips. “But don’t laugh either.” A muffled noise from Bucky and Steve left an opened handed swat on one tempting cheek, punctuating it with a sharp thrust that turned Bucky’s giggle into a moan. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
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After, when they were collapsed onto the bed and breathing hard, trading lazy kisses and running hands over each other’s bodies, Steve asked, “Is it bad that I can’t wait to hang out with Tony?”
“Nah.” Bucky tucked his head into the crook of Steve’s neck, licking away a bead of sweat and sighing in satisfaction. “Nah, baby I want to hang out with him too.”
“It’s a little weird, maybe.” Hesitantly then, Steve pushing Bucky’s hair away from his forehead so they could kiss. “That we like him like that? Especially since he’s never shown any interest, and we’re together? I mean, relationships with more than one person aren’t exactly mainstream.”
“No, probably not.” Bucky admitted. “But that doesn’t matter if Tony isn’t interested, you know? And I guess we aren’t as subtle as we think if Sam picked up on it. That guy would miss a forest cuz he’s distracted by the trees.”
“I don’t think that’s true.” Endlessly entertained by Sam and Bucky’s feud, Steve just chuckled and kissed Bucky again. “Maybe when we’re with Tony next time we could… hint? At something? See how he feels about it?”
“Maybe.” Bucky said , rolling over so Steve was spooned up against his back. “Couldn’t hurt, right?”
“Right.” They fell into quiet as their breathing slowed and heart beats settled, and it was close to half an hour later when Steve said, “Buck?”
“M’wake.”
“What do you think fanfiction is?”
“I dunno.” A loud yawn. “Sam said it’s a continuation of movies, so maybe it’s just another form of comic books? You know? Stories made up by our fans?”
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Course I’m right. What else would it be?”
“I’m going to look it up tomorrow.”
“Yeah okay.” Another yawn, the cool metal of Bucky’s left hand coming to rest on Steve’s thigh as he drifted towards sleep. “Let me know what you find? Maybe there’s some good adventures or something. Bed time reading, something to put me to sleep.”
“Bed time reading?” Steve grinned and poked him. “I thought I tired you out pretty well. You still need a book to make you sleepy?”
“Shut up, Stevie. It’s too late to stoke your ego. Punk.”
“Jerk.” A sweet kiss at Bucky’s cheek. “I love you.”
“Love you too.”
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4:00 am
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“Bucky!”
“Stevie, I swear to god. M’sorry I said the thing about needing bed time reading, but please let me sleep.”
“No, it’s not that.” Steve shook his head. “I uh– looked up fan fiction.”
“What?” Bucky fumbled for the lamp at the side of the bed and turned to squint at Steve. “Are you on that stupid tablet at four am? What th’ hell are you doing?”
“I couldn’t sleep so I looked up fan fiction.” Steve’s eyes were wide and maybe a little panicked. “It’s not comic books, Buck. It’s not comic books and it’s not a continuation of any movie.”
“Well what is it, then?” Bucky grabbed at the tablet and read through the screen quickly. “Wait. What the hell is a Stucky?”