Chapter Text
“Please don’t tell me a guy like you is sitting here all alone.”
Steve doesn’t bother to look up the beer he’s nursing. He continues to pick at the label and makes a soft scoffing sound at the guy crowding him to his left. He didn’t want to get picked up. He just wanted to enjoy his beer and his rare evening off.
“I’m not alone.” He sighs. “I’m here with all those guys over there.”
Steve waves his hand over towards the raucous crowd of young soldiers downing shots over by the pool table in the corner of the bar. They were singing loudly and spilling their drinks as they danced along to some pop song with a rather addictive bass. The guy to his left makes a soft humming sound before pulling up a stool and placing himself on it.
“You a marine?” he asks as he signals at the bartender to send over another two drinks.
Steve huffs and sits up straight, flickering his gaze over the guy. He begrudgingly admits to himself that the guy isn’t too hard on the eyes. He’s slim and lean and has the kind of face that belongs on the silver screen. Steve accepts the drink the bartender sends his way with a small smile. He tips the neck of his beer towards the guy as a way of showing his thanks.
“I’m a SEAL.” He answers quietly. “They’re my new team.”
The stranger watches the group with a wry smirk before shaking his head and swallowing a mouthful of his own beer.
“You ask me, you’re gonna have your work cut out for you.” He chuckles.
Steve glances back at the young men, now tormenting a group of women sitting near them and shrugs one large shoulder.
“They’ve worked hard for this night off.” He decides, giving them a dismissive wave of his hand.
The stranger grins and leans closer, his eyes twinkling mischievously.
“You know, I’ve worked hard for this night off, too. Being deployed in a few days. Be nice if the guy I’ve been watching all night would at least gimme his name.”
Steve straightens up a little and fixes the dark-haired man with a slightly calculating look. His body language was open and friendly and his eyes were searching Steve’s curiously, one of his eyebrows quirked questioningly.
“Where you headed?” he asks, raising his bottle to his lips, not missing the way the man to his left watches him.
“Gimme your name and I’ll tell ya.” He answers with a teasing smile.
Steve sighs and rolls his eyes.
“Captain Steve Rogers.” He announces dryly. “Who are you?”
“Sergeant James Barnes, but you can call me Bucky.” He answers flirtatiously, tilting his head to the side, his grin widening even further.
“Well, Bucky, where are you and your boys going?”
Steve doesn’t notice the way he turns in his seat, moving closer to Bucky until their knees are almost touching.
“You ask a lotta questions. How ‘bout each time you ask me a question you gotta take a shot? And vice versa.” Bucky suggests, resting his head in the palm of his hand, licking his rather full bottom lip almost suggestively.
Steve knows that he should probably say no. He knows his team probably wouldn’t care who he was drinking with but still. There were eyes everywhere and not everyone was as liberal as his team. But there was no way he could say no to that smile, to the way Bucky’s eyes sparkled as he watched him make up his mind. So Steve asks the bartender to pass them a bottle of tequila and two shot glasses, nodding at Bucky as he does so.
“Alright. Where are you being deployed to?” Steve asks as he pours himself a shot.
Bucky watches him down it with a small smirk and wrinkles his nose as Steve grimaces at the taste.
“Iraq. You usually prop yourself up by the bar and try and seduce strangers?” Bucky shoots back, downing his shot with a self-assured smirk.
Steve rolls his eyes again as he fills his own shot glass and gives Bucky a small smile.
“I wasn’t trying to seduce anyone. I was just having a quiet drink until you edged your way in.” Steve replies coolly. “Why did you come over here? There are plenty of girls here who’d have been a much cheaper date.”
Steve drains his shot glass and waits, watching Bucky’s face carefully. The younger man sucks in his bottom lip and gives Steve a warm look.
“I ain’t interested in a cheap date, Cap.” Bucky says smoothly, leaning in even closer.
Steve can smell the tequila on his breath, can even count the freckles smattered across the bridge of his nose and Steve would love nothing more than to close the distance between them but he pulls away, turning his head to the side and taking a slug of his beer. He smirks around the head of bottle as he takes in the slightly disappointed look on Bucky’s face.
“You said you weren’t interested in a cheap date.” Steve points out quietly as he places his beer back on the mat.
Bucky pulls a face and rests his head in his hand again, watching Steve through his thick eyelashes.
“Was just testing you.” He says easily. “Right…Where you from?”
Steve waits until Bucky has swallowed his drink before answering.
“Brooklyn.”
He watches the way Bucky’s eyes light up and finds himself smiling at the excited look on his face despite himself.
“No way? I’m from Brooklyn too. You go to St. Joseph’s?” Bucky demands, completely forgetting that it was Steve’s to turn to ask a question.
Steve nods calmly. Bucky lets out a loud, whooping laugh and slams his hand on Steve’s shoulder, pulling him closer with a wide smile on his face.
“Tell me you support the Nets.” He pleads. “Otherwise I’m gonna have to call it a night, pal.”
Steve laughs and gives Bucky a bemused look.
“I support the Nets.” He confirms, much to Bucky’s delight.
He grabs the bottle of requila and pours them both another shot and Steve can’t help but notice how beautiful he looks when he smiles like that; wide and unselfconscious. He passes Steve his shot glass and tips his own off of it gently.
“To the Nets.” Bucky declares passionately.
Steve laughs again and raises his own glass.
“To Brooklyn.” He agrees.
.
Steve’s drunk.
He hopes that Bucky is too because he can barely stand.
He leans against the damp wall behind him and rests his head against it, enjoying the feeling of Bucky’s hand on his hip and his voice in his ear. He lips brush against the shell of his ear as he talks and Steve’s head is leaning in closer and closer until there are mere inches between them. His vision is swimming, the tequila warming his blood and vibrating through his veins. They are stolen away from the crowds of soldiers dancing and singing. They’re hidden in some dark corner and there is soft song playing now, the kind of song that Steve would have liked to dance to if he were able to move without falling.
“I’d like to kiss you.” Bucky mutters and Steve can feel his breath against his lips.
He wants to, he thinks. Bucky is funny and vibrant and full of life. Steve bets he would taste delicious. His mouth is red and swollen and Steve wishes he could lick away the beer clinging to that full bottom lip. He doesn’t though. He slowly turns his face away, a small, drunken smile splitting his lips.
“’m not a cheap date.” He reminds Bucky with a quiet laugh.
Bucky makes a frustrated groaning sound in the back of his throat and he squeezes Steve’s hip tighter before drawing away from him, a goofy smile on his face.
“At least gimme your number. I ain’t got no sweetheart to call when I get shipped off.” He jokes, whipping out his phone and looking at Steve expectantly.
Steve frowns as he tries to remember his number, the alcohol making his head feel foggy and slow. He swallows and runs his tongue across his teeth before fumbling for his own phone. He hands it to Bucky and watches as the younger man laughs and types his own number in. He calls his own phone with Steve’s and then saves the number, those mysterious eyes glinting happily.
“You gonna answer if I call?” he teases as he slips Steve’s phone into the front pocket of his jeans.
Steve nods, a lopsided grin spreading across his face.
“You betcha. Gonna look forward to that phone call.”
Bucky laughs softly to himself before leaning in close, his lips hovering over Steve’s for the briefest of moments before landing on his cheek. He winks up at Steve, obviously sensing his disappointment and steps back. He salutes him playfully before turning on his heel and getting ready to wade his way back into the crowd, some of the soldiers calling his name as he makes himself visible once again.
“You mind yourself, Stevie.” He tosses over his shoulder with a warm smile before letting himself be dragged into the centre of the dancefloor by the boisterous young men shouting at him.
Steve’s drunken fingers make their way to the spot where Bucky kissed him and he nods to himself. The spot feels warm and Steve strokes it for a moment before steadying himself and edging his way around the dancefloor to where his own team were waiting for him.
“Good night, Cap?” Dum Dum comments with a cheeky grin.
Steve’s tongue feels too heavy in his moment for him to reply so he simply nods and throws himself onto the seat beside him, much to the delight of his men.
And if he spends what is left of the night watching Bucky dance, so what? Steve got the feeling that he was doing exactly what Bucky wanted him to do.
.
“I’m terribly lonely. You should probably come save me.”.
Steve huffs against the mouthpiece of his cell and rolls his eyes.
“And here I thought you were a trained military man. You tellin’ me you’re in Iraq a week and you already wanna come home?” Steve teases as he huddles closer beneath the blankets. “That’s really not that impressive, Sergeant Barnes.”
Bucky’s laughter is loud against Steve’s ear.
“Sorry, Cap. It’s my first time being deployed. Guess I’m just not used to leaving my sweetheart behind.”
Steve flushes a little at his words but he doesn’t comment. Just listens to the sound of Bucky’s breathing, the steady puffs of breath against microphone. He glances at his alarm clock and internally winces when he realizes that he has to be up in less than four hours. He never really needs much sleep anyway but his bed is comfortable and Steve doesn’t want to leave it any time soon.
“Why are you wasting your calls home on me? Don’t you have some heartbroken girl back home in Brooklyn wondering why her soldier isn’t callin’ her?” Steve teases.
Bucky sighs dramatically down the phone at him.
“I told you already, Stevie; I ain’t got no other sweetheart. You’re my special guy.”
Steve laughs quietly and shakes his head against the pillow.
“I’m really heavily rolling my eyes at you, just so you know.” He says dryly.
“Don’t strain anything, dollface.”
Steve snorts and is about to deliver an equally dry retort when he hears the crackle of gunfire sound through the static of the phone. He feels his own heartrate quicken and it is almost as if he is transported out there to the yellow sands of the Middle East. He sits up in the bed and listens intently, relaxing ever so slightly when he makes out Bucky’s even breathing.
“I gotta go. You hold on for me, Stevie. Don’t let any Prince Charming’s sweep you off your feet, alright, pal?”
“Mind yourself, Bucky.” Steve replies gently before hanging up, willing his heartbeat to slow down.
He rolls over in his bed and inhales deeply, rubbing the feeling of imagined dry sand from his eyes. He was going to be deployed himself soon enough, about to begin his third tour. He didn’t want to tell Bucky, didn’t want to explain to him why he hoped it was anywhere but the Middle East. He was sure his friend could understand.
.
“You hear the good news?” Sam asks as soon as Steve steps inside the SEAL base.
The room is already half full with his team, each of them dressed in full uniform and waiting with anxious looks on their faces. They glance at Steve hopefully, obviously believing that he knows something they don’t.
He raises his eyebrows at Sam and gives him a wry smirk.
“Is it actual good news or are you being sarcastic?” he challenges as he reaches passed his partner to grab some coffee.
He fills his paper cup carefully and waits for Sam’s response. Sam pulls a face and leans against the table behind them, his own eyebrows raised. He folds his arms across his chest and checks hips with Steve, forcing him to bring his attention to Sam and not the display of breakfast muffins spread across the table. Steve grabs an apple and cinnamon one before giving Sam his full attention, his face carefully neutral.
“So. They’re having problems in the Middle East.” Sam begins casually.
Steve nods.
“Nothing new there. Colonel Philips does his best to keep me up-to-date with that kind of thing.” He says around his mouthful of baked goodness.
“So then you’ll have heard of the latest group of hostages taken by Islamic State troops?” Sam questions, his fingers coming forward and breaking some of Steve’s muffin off for himself.
Steve licks his lips and nods.
“Yes. Seventeen people, all civilians. SEAL strike team 3 is on it.” He recites.
Sam swallows before sighing.
“They were but with the troubles in Afghanistan, they’ve had to push most of their team back. They’ve devised a specialist team for us to meet when we get over there, though. Supposedly they’re giving us their best men.” He says casually.
Steve’s eyes widen and he gives Sam a searching look.
“We’re being deployed to Syria? I thought that SEAL 10 was on that?” he demands.
Sam shakes his head and takes a slow, deep sip of his own coffee.
“They’ve been reassigned to help with the crises in the Ukraine, well, they will be once Europe decides to finally push against Putin. They’re getting prepared and waiting on the side-lines, leaving ISIS to us, my friend.” Sam declares with a small laugh.
There’s a glint of excitement in his eyes that Steve wishes he could replicate. He looks down at the rich, dark coffee in his hands before shrugging his shoulders and giving Sam a small, bemused smile.
“I guess if our boys need us, we gotta get out there.”
Sam punches his shoulder playfully and winks at him.
“That’s the spirit! On the plus side, of which there are a great many things, let me tell you that much, I’ve heard from the incredibly reliable source that is Tony Stark, that Peggy Carter and the Special Activities Division have already set up camp in Syria and are looking forward to working with us.” Sam announces with a wide, blinding grin.
Steve’s stomach flips at the mention of her name but he plays it cool, only slightly smiling as he rolls his eyes at his friend. Sam grin only widens however and he shoves back at Steve playfully, a knowing look in his eyes.
“Yeah, yeah, you can play it cool all you want, Rogers. I know you can’t wait to get on that plane.”
.
“To be honest, I almost feel like I’m on vacation, Stevie. The weather is beautiful, the locals are friendly…Lonely Planet should really get on this hidden gem as soon as. It’s unspoiled, y’know?”
Steve laughs as he folds his clothes into his duffel bag, Bucky’s amused snort echoing through the apartment.
“Glad to hear you’re having such a good time.” Steve comments sarcastically. “You been working on a tan?”
“I sure have, baby. Can’t wait for you to see it.”
Steve rolls his eyes and flops down on his bed beside his cell, taking it off loudspeaker and cradling it against his face.
“How many more days?” he asks, careful not to tell Bucky that he’s being deployed to Syria tomorrow.
It’s not that he didn’t want to tell him, he just didn’t want to worry him. He didn’t want him to have to think about him in Syria on top of everything else.
“I dunno, pal. I’m not counting; find time passes quicker that way.”
Steve smiles fondly at the blank ceiling above his bed and sighs.
“You sound pretty seasoned for a first timer.” He comments.
“Did I tell you this was my first tour? Forgive me, Stevie, I’m no newbie. I done this twice before.”
Steve’s smile widens and he wriggles closer to his pillow, still holding the phone like it was something precious.
“I knew you were no virgin.” He breathes. “You picked yourself up a sweetheart way too quick for that.”
Bucky’s laughter is warm and Steve almost feels as if it brightens the room somehow, even from that far away.
“I promise you’re my only one, though. There’s only one guy I’m callin’ back home.”
Steve bites down on his bottom lip and breathes softly.
“You’re the only one calling, too.” Steve tells him and he doesn’t know why because he doesn’t know what this is.
“Good.”
And Bucky’s voice is so much gentler now, something that Steve wants to hold in the palm of his hand and cradle against his chest. There is nothing but the sound of their breathing for a moment and then Steve rolls over onto his stomach and sighs.
“What are you doing now?” he wonders.
Bucky’s responding laughter is a little breathless.
“If I told you I was jerkin’ off, would you hang up on me?”
Steve chokes back his shocked laughter and his eyes widen in amazement.
“What are…what are you jerking off to?” Steve whispers, his mouth suddenly much drier than usual.
There’s the sound of a huff of breath and then Bucky makes a pained kind of sound.
“Do I gotta tell you that?”
Steve nods even though he knows Bucky can’t see him.
“Yeah…”
Another sigh and then Bucky clears his throat.
“You, Stevie.”
Steve’s cheeks flush furiously and he feels his own cock twitch with interest as he imagines Bucky taking himself in hand.
“I…why me?”
Bucky groans loudly again, a humiliated sound.
“Jeez, Steve, ‘cause I think you’re amazin’, alright? You and that Godly bod of yours.”
Steve remains silent for a moment, still processing what Bucky had told him. He rolls back onto his back and continues to stare at the ceiling, an uncertain frown creasing his forehead.
“You mad?”
Steve swallows.
“No.”
“You wanna…you wanna maybe jerk off together?”
Steve swallows again, louder this time. His free hand slides down his stomach and slips under the waistband of his pants, his heart hammering against his chest.
“Yeah…” He whispers, his cheeks burning as he takes himself in hand.
He pumps himself slowly, feeling his length harden in his hand. Bucky groans again but this time it is so much different, something much more intimate than before.
“I’m still not a cheap date though.” He reminds him with a breathless smile.
Bucky’s laughter in his ear is deep and velvety, making his toes curl in anticipation.
“No way, darlin’. I’ve been working towards this for a month now. You’re all class.”
Steve closes his eyes and tightens his grip on himself, a stupid smile still painted across his lips.
“I bet you say that to all the girls.” He teases, his breath hitching as he touches himself.
Steve can hear the wet sound of Bucky’s hand sliding up and down his own cock and it makes his stomach bottom out in the strangest way. He moans softly and Bucky gasps in response.
“Wish I could see you. Bet you look so good like this.”
And Steve wonders why this feels okay, why he doesn’t feel like a fool for doing something like this with someone he has only met once. But Bucky’s choked off moans are the hottest sounds Steve has ever listened to and he begins to stroke himself faster, smearing the precum leaking from his tip along the head and down the sides.
“What are you thinkin’ about? You thinkin’ of me, Stevie?”
Steve nods, his head moving against the mattress.
“Yes…” He pants softly, one hand still pressing his cell to his cheek.
Bucky moans again and Steve lifts his hips off the bed, pulling down his pants to give him better access to himself.
“What about me? What are ya thinkin’ about?”
Steve laughs breathlessly and rolls his eyes.
“Your mouth. I wish…I wish I’d let you kiss me.”
“Plenty of time for that. Only another three months before I get my R&R.”
Steve groans and smiles into his pillow.
“You forgetting that I’m in the army too, Buck?” he teases, his voice muffled by the fabric of the pillow.
“I’ll visit…ah…wherever you’re stationed.”
Steve ignores him and lets his breathing become more erratic as he nears his orgasm. Bucky’s harsh panting is the only sound that fill the room and when he finishes, he whispers Steve’s name.
“Come on, Stevie, make some noise for me. Come on, dollface.”
Bucky’s words coax a groan out of his mouth and when Steve climaxes, he moans, low and deep and hungry. His body tenses as he finishes and once he has cum, he lays down on the bed, boneless and breathless.
“I usually last much longer than that, just so you know.”
Steve laughs and drops his sticky hand to his face, sighing softly as he catches his breath.
“I’ll hold you to that.” He teases. “When you come and visit me wherever I’m stationed.”
Bucky chuckles warmly and when he speaks again, Steve can hear sleep creeping into his voice.
“I’ll call you again on Saturday. Wear something pretty.”
Steve smiles against his pillow and nods.
“ Night, Buck.”
.
The Syrian heat is just how Steve remembers it. It burns with intensity and stings sensitive skin. The smell of explosives and engine oil hits him as soon as he steps out of the cool, air-conditioned jeep. The SEAL base isn’t too far from Damascus and so the surrounding landscape is more than just the sloping, sandy hills that Steve was used to. He pulls his sunglasses on and begins to unload the jeep, Sam whistling tunelessly by his side. Sam inhales deeply and lets out a low, breathy laugh.
“Ah, the smell that haunts my dreams, how I have missed you!” he declares dramatically.
Steve pats him on the shoulder as he passes him with an armful of equipment and throws him a smile over his shoulder.
“Try not to dwell on it.” He advises him. “Sometimes it’s easier to pretend that you’re on vacation.”
“Well, you’re not, I’m afraid, Captain Rogers.”
Steve spins around at those familiar, clipped tones and drops the equipment in his arms as he sees Peggy standing there, her bright red lipstick glinting beneath the heat of the Middle Eastern sun. He races over to her and wraps his arms around her, pulling her in for a gentle yet enthusiastic hug. He could hear Sam’s laughter behind him and when he pulls away, he sees that Natasha has joined them, her Special Activities Division badge pinned to her chest.
“Where’s my hug, Rogers?” She deadpans, not expecting it when Steve lifts her from her feet and holds her tight against his chest.
He puts her back down and grins at them both happily.
“I take it you missed us then.” Peggy teases as she pulls at her rumpled blouse.
Steve laughs sheepishly and scratches at the back of his neck uncertainly.
“Was it…was that a bit much?” he asks as he bends down to recollect the equipment he dropped earlier.
The sparkle in Peggy’s eye tell Steve that she’s pleased but she nods regardless, her lips pursed together in mock disapproval.
“Highly unprofessional.” She comments.
“Good thing he’s not a professional, then.” Sam quips as he joins them. “I’d give you both an equally over-excited hug if I wasn’t such a huge physical disappointment compared to Rogers.”
Natasha rolls her eyes and gives Sam a fond smile.
“Wasn’t it you who once told me that we should embrace our differences and celebrate diversity?” she challenges.
Sam raises his eyebrows and begins to make his way towards the SEAL base.
“As the only African-American in my platoon, Romanoff, I thought it wise to adopt that as my motto.” He throws over his shoulder.
Natasha laughs and Steve feels his cheeks warm when Peggy places her hand on the small of his back and smiles up at him sweetly, her eyes sparkling beautifully beneath the Syrian sun, the touch of a tan already colouring her face.
“I missed you, too.” She whispers before letting go and following Natasha.
.
The Commanding Officer of SEAL team 3, Brock Rumlow, was not a man to be messed with; Steve and Sam gather that much quickly. His files are precise and accurate and his information is up-to-date and streaming constantly from an earpiece he wears dangling around his neck.
“These guys are not messing around.” He explains as he leads them through the base. “They mean business and they fight with a kind of brutality that is both disgusting and admirable.”
Sam raises his eyebrows at this but remains silent, elbowing Steve surreptitiously when he feels as if the Captain’s attention is waning.
“We’ve lost men, good men to this battle. The rest of the world is too afraid to act, terrified of the consequences of action but not understanding the detrimental effect of inaction.” Brock declares. “The team I’ve put together are my best men. They’ve fought against some of the toughest enemies this world has seen and they still come back for more. They want to be of service, so use them.”
Steve nods. He’d already heard of the talents that SEAL team 3 possess, the most talked about being their nameless sniper who supposedly had more kills accredited to him than any other man in history. They step inside a cabin where a group of men have their back to them, their chatter and laughter loud and carefree, something that Steve always found strange in a place like this.
“Attention!” Rumlow barks and the men leap to their feet.
They form a single line quick and efficiently, their backs straight and their faces turned towards the eastern window. Rumlow nods at them and tells them to stand at ease, which they do uniformly and like one being. Sam gives an impressed little cough as they wait patiently to be introduced.
“This is Clint Barton.” Rumlow begins. “He’s the best EOD on this side of the world.”
“On the other side, too.” Clint adds with a cheeky grin.
Steve nods at him and extends his hand for him to shake.
“Our next man here is Montgomery Falsworth, he’s our Communicator.” Rumlow continues, moving up the line with speed.
Sam shakes his hand and Steve follows Brock, slowing down slightly as he takes in the next face. He feels his jaw grow slack and his mouth run dry as he faces Bucky, the younger man watching him with a mischievous twinkle to his eyes.
“I’m sure you’ve already heard of this one. His reputation exceeds him.” Rumlow snorts, patting him on the back as he goes to the next man.
“Bucky.” Steve says softly, his cheeks flushing slightly as he says his name.
“Best sniper in the American army.” Rumlow explains with a slight eye-roll.
Steve doesn’t extend his hand, hardly able to believe his eyes or his luck. There is a giddy flutter in his stomach and he allows himself a small smile.
“Nice to meet you.” He mutters quietly, moving to follow Brock to the next soldier.
“Thought I told you to wear something pretty.” Bucky breathes as Steve passes him.
Steve freezes for a moment before glancing at him playfully.
“What? You don’t like the suit?” he teases softly as Sam shakes Bucky’s hand, a confused look on his face as he watches the two of them.
Bucky smirks and shakes his head.
“No, sir. I like the suit, sir.”
Sam lets go of his hand and gently pushes Steve away, the hand on his arm firm and urging him onwards.
“Do I even want to know?” he hisses as Rumlow begins to introduce their new Breacher.
“I’ll explain later.”