Triple Espresso - FestiveFerret - Marvel Cinematic Universe [Archive of Our Own] (2024)

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

Steve nodded his head back and forth to the beat of the tinny music that piped through the coffee shop speakers. He'd tied his apron too tight and it was digging into his side, but he was too tired to straighten up from where he leaned both elbows on the edge of the counter to fix it.

"Is that an octopus?" Darcy asked from behind him.

"It's a squid," Steve corrected, pulling the sharpie away from the cup he was doodling on and holding it up so she could see the shape of it.

"Oh my god, is that Tony Stark?"

"No, I told you, it's a squid," Steve said with a laugh, then he looked up and saw a man with sunglasses and a goatee, in the most expensive suit Steve had ever seen in his life, pushing through the front door of the shop. "Oh my god, it is."

"Give him the octopus cup!" Darcy hissed, shoving Steve towards the cash register and making him stumble over his own feet. He caught himself on the edge of the counter and smiled up at Tony Stark, who had found the cash register while they were wrestling and was peering at the giant menu boards.

"Look, I'm going to be entirely honest with you," Tony said, pulling off his sunglasses and dropping his eyes from the menus to Steve's face. His eyebrow quirked up the tiniest bit then his gaze flicked down and up again. Steve told himself firmly that there was no chance that Tony Stark had just checked him out. He met Steve's gaze again and leaned in conspiratorially. "I left the house in a bit of a tornado this morning and I forgot my contacts. I can usually fake it pretty well, but whoever wrote that menu -" he pointed with the arm of his sunglasses "- has very pretty and completely illegible handwriting, and I'm kind of f*cked here."

"Um." Steve swallowed down the knot in his throat. "That would be Darcy. Don't worry I'll fire her immediately."

"I'd like to see you try!" Darcy's voice came out from the back kitchen.

"Doesn't seem like that's going to stick," Tony said with a smirk. "You can make it up to me by telling me what's good?"

"Okay." There was really no point in hyperventilating just because Tony Stark had wandered into his coffee shop. They were in New York - granted not the fashionable parts usually populated by rich, famous, super-geniuses, but still. "Bitter or sweet?"

Tony grinned like a shark and now he was definitely checking Steve out. "I'm flexible."

"Oh." It came out far too close to a squeak for Steve's comfort and he cleared his throat aggressively. "The dark chocolate mocha is good. Kind of halfway between bitter and sweet."

"Perfect. Give me a large. And something dangerously buttery from that pastry case."

"You got it." Steve set the squid cup down by the espresso machine and rang up a large mocha and a croissant. Tony paid with cash then shoved a large wad of bills in the tip cup. Steve mixed the chocolate syrup and then pulled a shot over it, steaming the milk while the coffee burbled out. Tony didn't speak, scrolling through his phone, occasionally making grumpy, little noises.

With a sigh, Tony stopped scrolling and shoved his phone in his pocket, then turned and stared at Steve for a moment, blinking with the glassy stare of a man who hadn't gotten enough sleep last night. "Are you alright?" Steve asked quietly, while the water hissed through the espresso maker.

"Huh?" Tony's gaze snapped into focus. "sh*t I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare. I was -" he waved his hand vaguely "- somewhere else."

"That's alright. I just hope you're not going to be responsible for operating any heavy machinery."

Tony chuckled. "Why do you think I made an emergency coffee stop? We're buying a building down the street and we keep having these early morning design meetings here, which means I have to go into the office even earlier, and it's really messing with my schedule. Thank god I noticed you guys. Been here long?"

"The shop's been here for three years. I've been here for two and a half."

"Oh? You don't own it? I thought you were the owner for some reason."

Steve tried not to beam at the idea that he could be taken for the owner. "Probably cause I threatened to fire Darcy. I'm the manager. The owner lives in Florida most of the year, so I do the bulk of the operation."

"Hmm." Tony gave him another once over, gaze considering. "Must be a lot of work."

Steve shrugged. "I enjoy it."

"You should buy the owner out," Tony said, smiling now. "Take over. Doesn't sound like they're very engaged."

"As appealing as that sounds… not only can I not afford it, but I have a dream job, and this isn't it. Not that I don't enjoy it!" he hastened to add. "I do. I love it here. But, you know."

"Gotta have a dream." Tony leaned forward over the end of the counter as Steve shook chocolate flakes on top of his mocha. "What's yours?" he asked, low and secret.

"Um." Steve pointed over Tony's head to the wall opposite. "That's my dream."

Tony spun around and came face to face with the huge painting of the Brooklyn bridge that greeted every customer as they came in the front door. "Wait, that's -" Tony turned back and peered at him. "Did you paint that?"

"Uh, yes. I did." And suddenly Steve felt very stupid placing the doodled cup in front of Tony. He considered double-cupping to hide it, but it was too late, Tony was already reaching for it.

"Wow. It's really, really good. I was going to ask if you knew who painted it. My CEO knows everything there is to know about art and I was looking forward to showing off my knowledge of my new favourite piece." Tony turned the cup to put a lid on and saw the squid. He broke into a smile.

"Sorry to ruin your brag. It's not a real artist, just me."

Tony's eyes narrowed then he smiled again. "Oh no, this is much better. Now I can tell her I know the artist personally. You're very good. Don't give up." Tony took another wad of bills out of his wallet and wriggled them into the already overflowing tip cup on top of his first tip. He picked up his coffee, smiling at the squid again, then grabbed his croissant bag and shot Steve a salute as he slipped out of the shop.

"Huh."

Darcy collided with Steve's back. "Holy sh*t, dude! Was Tony Stark flirting with you?! That was amazing. I almost came out, but you know, Ian and I are getting pretty serious and I'm not sure I could control myself from crawling over the counter."

"You've known Ian for three weeks."

"I know, right? We're practically married." Darcy elbowed him hard in the ribs. "Unlike Tony Stark, who is super single."

"Darce. I've been with my boyfriend for four years. I do not care if Tony Stark is single. I'm exponentially more married than you are."

"Oh. Right. Damn."

"Did you forget about Bucky?" Steve asked with a laugh. "That's so rude."

"Noooo. It's just you're the only gay guy who works here and he was hitting on you and I got excited."

"You get excited about everything." Steve pulled another cup from the stack and popped the top off his sharpie. "And he was not hitting on me. He was just being friendly."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say." Darcy twirled a rag around her finger then started rubbing at the coffee-stained countertop.

"He's right about one thing, though."

"What?"

"That menu is absolutely illegible."

**

Steve tried to juggle his keys, two coffee cups, a bag of muffins, and his backpack, but his keys kept sliding out of his tentative grip and he couldn't get the apartment one into the lock. He shoved the pastry bag between his teeth and tried again, but just as the tip was sliding in, the door swung open.

"Hey, Stevie," Bucky said with a smile. "I heard you jingling out there for like an hour."

"Thank you. Here." Steve nodded towards the cups and Bucky plucked them out of his hold and carried them inside. He sniffed both then set one on the counter and took the top off the other, blowing on it.

Steve dropped his backpack, kicked off his shoes and tossed the muffin bag at Bucky. He plucked it out of the air with one hand and stuck his face in it. "How was work?"

"Kinda wild."

"On a Tuesday afternoon?" Bucky reappeared, carrot muffin clenched in his hand.

"Not that kind of wild." Steve crossed the kitchen to press a quick kiss to Bucky's lips then opened the fridge door. He started pulling out the supplies for a sandwich. "You'll never guess who came in today. I thought Darcy was going to pee herself. She hid in the back the whole time."

"Who?"

"Tony Stark."

"No f*cking way. What was he doing in your neighbourhood?"

"Hey! It's a nice neighbourhood. There's a… park."

"Sure." Bucky grinned around a mouthful of carrot muffin.

"Ass. Anyway, he's buying a building or something a few streets over -"

"In the actual nice neighbourhood."

"- and he needed a caffeine hit. He looked tired."

"Oh, yeah. I imagine being the richest guy in America is super tiring. Poor guy."

"Oh come on. He looked legitimately overworked."

Bucky set his muffin and coffee aside and hooked one of Steve's belt loops with one finger. He tugged him in close, leaning back against the kitchen counter and wrapping his arms around Steve's waist. He pressed a soft kiss to his shoulder. "You are legitimately overworked."

"He - uh -" Steve's cheeks heated without his permission.

"What?"

"He said he liked my painting. The bridge. And I happened to do a dumb doodle on his cup. I should have given him a plain one. It was really embarrassing."

"What was it?"

"A dark chocolate mocha."

Bucky smacked him lightly on the arm and Steve laughed. "What was the doodle? You walnut."

"A squid."

"Cute."

"You're cute," Steve redirected gracefully, pressing into Bucky's space and stealing a long, heated kiss.

"I thought you were making a sandwich," Bucky whispered against Steve's lips, hands creeping up the back of his shirt.

"It can wait." Steve sunk against Bucky, deepening the kiss but not adding any urgency. They'd kiss and grope and tease, but Bucky knew how hungry and exhausted Steve would be after a shift and inevitably, he'd back off, making Steve finish his food before dragging him off to the bedroom.

Sure enough, When Steve nipped lightly at Bucky's bottom lip, he released him, pushing away from the counter and leading Steve back to the bag of bread he'd abandoned by the stove.

"How's Ed?" Steve asked as he tugged a knife out of the plastic cup they kept all their silverware in.

"She slept all day. She kept doing that thing where she has little doggie dreams and her feet twitch and she growls a little. She's chasing dream rabbits."

"She would never!" Steve insisted. "Hopper wouldn't stand for it. Maybe in her dreams they were having little Homeward Bound style adventures."

"There wasn't a rabbit in Homeward bound."

"I know. Hopper is the crazy young dog, Chance, and Eddy is Shadow. She even looks like him."

Bucky flopped back on the couch and stretched out long. "You should draw that," he said with a grin.

Steve laughed. "Maybe I will." He tugged a bag of sour cream and onion chips off the top of the fridge and pulled it open. There was a thump from the bedroom, followed by four steps with long breaks between them - stretching - and then the steady patter of footsteps down the hall. Ed appeared at Steve's side, panting heavily so she grinned up at him, eyes focused steadily on the bag of chips. "Oh I see how it is," he told her. "I come home and not a peep, but the chips come out -?"

"Cupboard love," Bucky said from the couch. "Come here, Eddy. If you come up here and look real cute, maybe we can each get a chip."

Ed set a slow trot for the couch then heaved her old bones up, first her front half, then her back, and flopped across Bucky's chest, stretching up to lick his face twice before tipping herself in the gap between his body and the back of the couch. Steve contemplated them from a few feet away, popping chips in his mouth.

"Aren't we cute?" Bucky fluttered his eyelashes, and Ed wiggled in his hold, fluffy golden tail going a mile a minute when his fingers found her belly.

"Yeah, I'll admit, you're pretty nice to come home to." Steve added himself to the haphazard pile on the couch, ignoring the way it creaked under their combined weight. He lifted a chip from his plate and offered it to Ed who crunched happily and wagged even harder. He dropped the next one in Bucky's mouth then set to work on his sandwich, one hand finding Bucky's where it draped over his thigh. His day at work started to drift away.

Chapter 2

Chapter Text

When the sandwich was nothing more than crumbs, and Eddy had been fed the crusts that Bucky never wanted to eat, Steve shifted, crawling up Bucky's body. Eddy grumbled then tipped herself off the couch and wandered towards her water dish. Steve sunk into Bucky's hold, smiling when his hands trailed up under his shirt, and kissed him.

"I've only got like half an hour," Bucky murmured against Steve's lips. It was the worst combination today, when their schedules overlapped the least.

"We can get a lot done in a half hour," Steve said, grinding down onto Bucky's lap.

Bucky hummed in agreement and pushed his fingers back through Steve's hair, gripping the back of his head and pulling him into a filthy kiss. "Steve," he breathed.

Steve sat back long enough to tug his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. Bucky stuck his hands between them and worked Steve's fly open. They flowed together so easily, knowing exactly where to press a kiss, where to skate fingers across bare skin.

Steve explored Bucky's mouth with his tongue, even though he knew every curve of him, the taste of him, he needed to be reminded. Even though they didn't have much time, there was nothing rushed about the way they grinded together, knowing they had the skills built by experience to hurry things along when necessary.

Steve pushed his hands up under Bucky's shirt and slid his palms over his skin, every curve and ridge familiar to him. He let his thumbs brush Bucky's nipples as he pulled his hands back down to rest at his waist.

Bucky eased Steve's co*ck out of his underwear and curled his fingers around it, stroking gently as blood throbbed into place and Steve hardened in his hand. His grip was tight but not harsh, rolling Steve's skin over the rapidly-increasing hardness underneath. Steve sat back with a gasp, pressing his hips forward, rocking into Bucky's hold.

"Yeah, sweetheart, just like that," Steve murmured, fingers clenching where they resting against Bucky's hip. He loved so many things about Bucky, but his hands… He'd watched those hands defend him as a scrawny nothing of a kid, watched them patch him up after a fight, they way he'd learned from watching Steve's mother's hands. Steve had watched those hands twist around his for the first time, on a terrifyingly wonderful summer night, out on the fire escape while the city bustled below. Those hands had cupped Steve's face, drawn him in for a first kiss. Those hands had held Eddy's leash for the first time, turned the key in the lock of their first apartment, fixed the kitchen shelves when they all collapsed, taking Steve's favourite mug with them. Over four years together, Steve had seen those hands be firm, caring, gentle, strong, nervous, and sensual.

"Oh, Buck, I'm so close already." Steve pushed forward into the ring of his fingers then tipped forward again and opened his eyes. Bucky was gazing up at him, soft-lidded and smiling.

"God, Stevie, you're so amazing like this." His free hand came up to cup Steve's cheek, and Steve covered it with one of his own. He could feel the hard press of Bucky's co*ck on his inner thigh, but Bucky just kept working him over with his hand and Steve let him, slowly rolling his hips in time with it, until pleasure started to build and they both picked up the pace. "Yeah, baby, come on," Bucky whispered.

Steve's breath became heavy in his lungs and gripped Bucky's other wrist, thrusting harder now. His legs started to shake and he locked them around Bucky's hips to keep from sliding off the too-small couch. "Ah, Buck, I'm so close. Don't stop."

"I got you."

Steve looked down to watch as a few more strong pulls from Bucky's hand had him right on the edge. "I'm gonna come -" He kicked his hips forward as Bucky whipped a tissue from the end table behind him and pressed it to the head of Steve's co*ck, jacking him right up to the edge of his org*sm as he tensed and came. Bucky held him through it, co*ck pulsing in the tissue, slowing his pace as Steve slowed the roll of his hips until they both fell still.

"f*ck, sweetheart. I love your hands," Steve moaned as he let himself slump over sideways, draped over the back of the couch.

Bucky chuckled. "Well, I love watching you fall apart, so I guess we're square."

Steve cracked an eye and narrowed it at Bucky. "No we're not. Gimme a second."

Bucky looked at his phone and sighed. "I have to go soon."

"I'll make it quick then."

"You're a menace."

Steve just grinned as he shook off the post-org*sm dopiness that threatened him and instead crawled down Bucky's body until he was tucked up at the end of the couch, Bucky's bent knees on either side of his ribs. He unbuttoned Bucky's fly and rolled his zipper down. Bucky lifted his hips to let Steve tug his pants down enough to release his co*ck, then Steve stroked him a few times with a firm grip. He was hard already, but throbbed even fuller when released from his pants, and Steve thrummed with silent pleasure when Bucky tipped his head back and sighed, happy.

Steve wrapped his lips around the head of Bucky's co*ck and sucked gently, wetting his lips before he sunk lower. Bucky's hand snapped to his hair and gripped hard, not pushing or pulling but holding on for dear life. Bucky groaned, low and deep, and Steve swallowed him deeper, circling his tongue around the head as he rocked back.

After a little teasing, Steve set a rhythm, sucking Bucky down to the back of his throat then rocking up again. Bucky shivered and moaned under him, hand clenching and releasing in his hair. Nothing compared to the heavy thickness of Bucky's co*ck in Steve's throat. The sheer power of having him writhing under him, combined with the simple way he had to give into Bucky's hold, relax and swallow him down, open for his pleasure, wound Steve up, even so soon after his own org*sm.

Steve sucked harder now, eager to get his reward, and Bucky obliged, breaking off into whimpering gasps as he started to thrust up to meet Steve's mouth.

"Oh yeah, baby, I'm gonna come - f*ck -" Bucky pushed up once more then pressed on the back of Steve's head, not hard enough to hold him there, but a request to stay down and swallow around him while he came. Steve's mouth flooded with Bucky's bitter come, and he worked his throat around the head of his co*ck, sucking and swallowing to keep from spilling everywhere.

With one last shudder, Bucky relaxed back on the couch and his hand moved from its desperate lock to petting gently back through Steve's hair.

Steve licked his lips and crawled back up Bucky's body to settle on his chest, strong arms wrapped around his waist. He was soft and relaxed, breath slowing as he sunk down into Bucky's comfortable hold. But he knew time was creeping on and it wasn't long before -

"sh*t, I have to go, babe." Bucky squeezed him tightly for a moment, and Steve huffed out a grumpy noise. Bucky pressed a kiss to the top of Steve's head then slipped out from under him, leaving him slumped on the couch, eyes closed. His body was flush with a soft, happy buzz and he wallowed in it, listening to Bucky rummage around for clothes down the hall. His footsteps came close again and Bucky's warm hand ran down Steve's side. "You could stay like that until I get back," he said, a smile warming his voice.

Steve chuckled. "You know I get a crick in my back if I sleep on this damn couch."

Bucky pressed a kiss to Steve's bare shoulder as he crouched down next to the couch. "When Tony Stark commissions you for an incredible painting and you vastly overcharge him, we're going to get a new couch."

Steve laughed and opened his eyes. Bucky was grinning at him, eyes soft. "Yeah, sure. He's going to want a thirty-foot version of the cup squid for his main foyer. I'll charge him a million dollars."

"Charge him two. Then we can get one of those bunny mansions for Hopper."

"What the f*ck is a bunny mansion?"

Bucky straightened up and stretched, back popping audibly. "You know, one of those super duper multi level cages where you can just keep adding to it. It'll be epic."

"Why don't we just make an entire wing of our new human mansion bunny proofed instead? Seems easier."

Bucky laughed. "Yeah, okay. That's why you're the brains of this operation."

"Neither of us is the brains. That's why we're in trouble all the time. Just like you're going to be if you don't hurry to work."

"sh*t, you're right." Bucky kissed Steve again, then grabbed his bag and made for the door, calling out a goodbye to Ed and Hopper on the way.

Steve slumped back down on the couch and closed his eyes. He let himself dream, just for a little bit, that it really did happen. That Tony Stark wanted to commission him, or maybe buy one of his paintings, and he overpaid as much as he had overtipped earlier.

In his dream, they had a nicer apartment, a bit more space, and an elevator for Eddy, cause the stairs were starting to cause some problems. They'd have an extra bedroom for Hopper so his cage wouldn't take up half the living room, and Bucky wouldn't have to work nights for the bonus, which would mean Steve wouldn't have to fall asleep alone half the week.

It didn't feel like too much to ask. Then again, when he thought about it, the fantasies of easy money he'd had over the years had changed. It used be: get our own place without roommates, and get a dog. Then it was: live on a street that doesn't require having mace in your bag, and get a rabbit.

Things were good now. They weren't scrambling from paycheck to paycheck, they had their pets and their space and Steve was happy.

Still… a little extra wouldn't hurt.

Steve levered himself up off the couch, because it would be all too easy to spend the rest of the afternoon just lying around, and took the empty plate from lunch to the kitchen. When he opened the fridge door, Hopper woke up with a shuffle of shavings and started plucking at his cage bars, making them rattle.

"Alright, alright," Steve said with a smile. "I'm coming."

It was a pretty nice life they had here, after all.

Chapter 3

Chapter Text

Steve pulled a few random handfuls of vegetables out of the crisper and tossed them haphazardly around the room. Eddy followed him, sniffing each one and rejecting it as too healthy. Steve checked to make sure the bathroom door was closed - Hops had a bit of a toilet paper obsession - then told Eddy, "Let Hopper out, Ed!"

The old dog's tongue lolled out and she clicked her way across the room to Hopper's cage. It had started out as a standard pet store cage when they'd first adopted Hopper from the bunny rescue, but over the years, they'd added more and more to it, opening the hatches in the top and Frankensteining on additions, until it was a semi-stable construction that was almost impossible to clean, but brought great joy to Hopper.

It took a few smacks with her paw, but Eddy managed to pop the front door of the cage open, and Hopper immediately came bounding out. It had taken them a few weeks to realize that it was Eddy who knew how to open it, and not the rabbit. They'd come home every time they'd gone out to a loose Hopper, woken up to him sniffing around in their bedroom more than once, and finally caught Eddy tugging at the door with her paw until it sprung loose. She loved the bunny, though they suspected she thought of him more as a toy than a family member, and took to letting him out whenever she was bored. They'd decided to use it to their advantage and teach her to open the cage on command. As she got older, she'd stopped letting him out much, but they still occasionally woke up to worrying noises in the closet, or the distinct sound of a rabbit hoofing it back to his cage with an entire roll of toilet paper trailing behind him.

Hopper made his way around the room, finding the little piles of veggies, with Eddy trailing affectionately after him. "You keep an eye on him while I clean up, old girl."

Steve got a litter scoop and a bag and set to work trying to clean up the cage a little. They'd take it all apart and do a big scrub on the weekend, but a few times a week, Steve did a little tidy. When he was done, he filled the water bottles, the kibble bowls, and topped up the hay.

Hopper was still lolloping around the room, cleaning up the vegetables, so Steve got his sketchbook and sat on the floor. He opened to a clean page and started doing warm up circles. Time was running out for his Future Gallery paintings, the due date looming ever closer, and Steve he had to come up with something soon or risk losing all the benefits that came with winning the contest, but he hadn't even made it to a test sketch for any of them.

Today, no inspiration was forthcoming, though, so when he was warmed up, he just doodled bunnies all across the page while Hopper posed dramatically every few steps. Eddy flopped down beside him, the full weight of her head on his lap, and started snoring.

One bunny doodle took on more shape than the others, and Steve decided to lean into it, adding layers of detail until he had a half-finished portrait of Hopper. It was getting late by then, so he made dinner for him and Eddy, then put Hopper to bed and took Ed's leash down from its hook. She was a little too old to do the full dance, but she hopped from foot to foot and grinned at him while he clipped on her lead.

Steve locked up behind him and stuck his hands in his pocket, the leash looped around one wrist. They took the stairs one at a time, his protective hand on her flank, then pushed out the front doors and onto the street. It was a nice night, cool but not cold, and lots of people were out walking, leisurely instead of on their way to something.

Eddy led the way to the park, and Steve trailed after her, mind wandering. It didn't go anywhere purposeful, dancing from supply orders that were due at the cafe to daydreaming about having Tony Stark money and what they'd do with it, to animating a little cartoon of Hopper and Eddy in his head.

There were some dogs - and owners - that Steve recognized at the park, so he let Eddy off leash to snuffle around and greet some of her friends while he waved and said hello to their neighbours. Eddy didn't last long these days, and after one lap around the grass, she pointed her nose towards home, and Steve followed.

Back at the apartment, he brushed his teeth and washed his face then gave Eddy a boost up onto the bed and joined her with his book. Her soft snoring filled the room after only a few minutes, and Steve flipped through a chapter with one hand wound in her soft fur.

By the time Bucky was home, he was long asleep.

**

Steve woke to buzzing on his wrist. He poked at his watch until it stopped then slipped out of bed. They'd come up with the system the hard way, when Bucky had taken the night shift to pay for nursing school and Steve had accepted management of the cafe. Bucky came home at 2am and left his uniform in the bathroom, slipping quietly into bed. Steve's silent alarm went off three hours later and he got up. He stored his clothes in the hall closet so he wouldn't wake Bucky getting dressed.

Clean, shaven, and with a piece of toast in hand, Steve blew a kiss to Bucky and Eddy - who was also fast asleep on the bed, preferring to indulge in both of their sleep schedules smooshed together - and slipped out the door.

The city was dark and almost quiet, this early in the morning. Just the zombies of commuters stumbling along to the subway stations, but Steve had been doing it long enough that it didn't bother him. He was a morning person anyway, and he'd never needed much sleep.

The shop was pitch black and empty when he arrived. It should have been eerie, but Steve always found it soothing instead. The calm before the storm. Darcy would arrive in fifteen minutes, and then they'd open and the madhouse would begin.

Steve took a moment to sit in his office and review things. He knew he spent too much time out on the floor, making coffee and running cash, and not enough time in the office doing the boring paperwork. He'd taken the job in the first place because he liked working the bar, but when the owner had asked him to take over as general manager, it was a promotion he couldn't pass up. And while the raise was nice, and getting to - at least somewhat - set his own schedule was also nice, the pressure of staying on top of ordering and getting everyone's paychecks out could be exhausting sometimes.

The bell dinged, signifying Darcy's arrival, and a moment later, the radio clicked on. Steve set his paperwork aside and stepped out into the cafe, locking his office behind him. "Good morning!" he called to Darcy's back. She turned from stacking cups and waved at him.

"Morning, boss! Fair warning, I'm a little hungover."

"Darce! Don't tell me that." Steve rolled his eyes as he adjusted a few chairs and headed for the front door.

"No worries! I'm putting like four espresso shots in this. I'll be fine." Steam hissed out of the espresso machine, and Steve sighed and flipped the closed sign to open. He joined Darcy behind the bar.

"Did you at least have a good time?"

"Mhm. Ian and I went to that new club by Archie's diner? Red Night?"

Steve blinked at her. "Why on earth would you think I'd know the name of a club?"

"Oh, whatever, you're not that boring." She punched him lightly on the shoulder. "Anyway, it was awesome, but too late a night for opening the next morning."

"Maybe it'll be quiet." Even as he said it, the door chimed and a group of four people bustled inside.

"Unlikely." Darcy greeted them and took their orders. They sat while Steve tapped grounds into the filter, but kept their jackets on and their bags in their laps. They'd be leaving once they had their coffee. Darcy started reorganizing the flavoured syrups. "Do you think Tony Stark will show up again?"

"No? Why would he?"

"Didn't he say he was working in the area?"

Steve shrugged as he poured out the last coffee and snapped a lid on it. "Yeah. I don't know. It'd be nice if he did. He's a good tipper." He handed it over and, now served, the group of four left. Steve busied himself with the pastry case for a moment.

"Plus, he wants to buy your painting, which is awesome."

Steve shot her a look. "Why does everyone think he wants to buy my painting? He said nothing about that. He just admired it. He's probably never going to come back, but even if he did, he wouldn't be interested in my art."

And yet, Steve couldn't help his mind from wandering again. He imagined Tony showing up at the cafe, all flash sunglasses and perfect suit. He'd shoot him that magazine-ready smile, shove a hundred in the tip jar and ask Steve if the Brooklyn Bridge was for sale. He'd say he thought about it all week and he just had to have it.

But that sucked Steve's fantasy into the logical next direction: Tony commissioning him for a whole set of very expensive paintings. And that was when it all fell apart. Steve's daydreams about money flowing like a waterfall broke in favour of imagining himself sitting in front of a blank canvas, creatively stuck, with Stark behind him, huffing and tapping his watch. I'm a busy man….

"I'm a busy man, lady. Hurry it up!"

Steve snapped out of his wandering mind to find Darcy turning away from the cash with a roll of her eyes. He'd been making morning coffee on muscle memory, letting Darcy ring out the customers, but now he glared over the espresso machine at the tall man in hi-vis vest with a twisted expression. "Can I help you with something?" Steve asked.

The man sized him up then apparently decided that while Darcy was fair game, Steve wasn't worth it. "Just a bit slow, that's all," he grumbled.

Darcy took the bag she'd just filled with croissants and dropped it on the counter in front of him. She smiled with teeth, and Steve tried to keep himself from following suit. "Well, most people use the time while in this endless line that has bored you so much to decide what they want so that by the time they get up here, they can order efficiently, instead of asking me three times if there's sugar in the mocha."

The man opened and closed his mouth, then settled on a frustrated huff. "Small americano. Black."

"Well done." Darcy typed it in and handed it to Steve who prepped it as quickly as possible and slid it over the counter. The man bustled his way out of the shop. Darcy turned and shrugged. Sorry, she mouthed.

"No you're not." Steve winked at her and turned back to the coffee.

Halfway through rush, they swapped, and Steve was forced to pay more attention to what he was doing. The bright side, was that it made time fly by, and before he knew it, late morning hit, and things slowed down. Darcy ran things by herself for a while, so Steve could restock, then the end of her shift came and she went home. Steve stayed for another few hours to cover the crossover to when Sam and Peter came in to cover second shift.

"How's he doing?" Steve asked Sam while they caught a quiet moment in the back.

Sam shrugged. "Alright. He's getting there. Wouldn't put him on mornings yet, though. And I think he's got a lot going on at home. Worried he might need a lot of time off."

"Okay. Clint doesn't mind being on backup so maybe give him more doubles so he's free to be called in." Steve rolled his hands together, cracking his knuckles and visualizing the schedule in his head. "Might need to hire someone else."

"I think we're good for now." Sam patted him on the shoulder. "Go home, bud."

Steve nodded and pulled off his apron. Hiring Sam away from the deli to be his assistant manager was the best decision he'd ever made. Having someone else to help keep things running was a huge weight off his shoulders and let him truly relax when he was at home but the shop was still open.

"Oh sh*t, wait," Sam called after him and Steve turned back. "Pete already said he needs this Friday off, but I know Clint can't cover. Should I ask Darce?"

"Nah, she's hit her hours for the week. I'll do a double."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. It's no problem. Buck has a study session that night anyway so I might as well pick up the hours." He grabbed his bag from the office and waved to Peter as he left. He liked that kid - he was enthusiastic and engaged, if a bit scattered.

The rest of the week went by in much the same way, making coffee and ringing up customers, and by Friday, Steve had all but forgotten about Tony Stark, until about noon, when the lunch rush was just picking up. Steve was in the back, trying to fix a broken grinder, when Darcy came barreling into the back room. "Oh my god, Steve. It's him!"

"Didn't your shift end like five minutes ago?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, but I was making a drink for the road and I saw him come in. You'd better get out there if you don't want Clint to serve him first."

"Who?"

"Duh." Darcy looked at him like he'd asked her what colour the sky was. "Tony Stark!"

Chapter 4

Chapter Text

"Oh. Him." Steve blinked at Darcy.

"'Oh, him,' he says. God." Darcy put both hands on his lower back and shoved, knocking him out the door and behind the front counter. And towards where Tony Stark was standing in line behind a woman and her young daughter. "Draw on his cup again," she hissed in his ear.

"I don't have time for that," Steve replied, bewildered, but Darcy just disappeared into the back with a wink. Steve sighed, but stepped up to the register when Clint slid over to the espresso machine to make the woman's order. He smiled at Tony, who shuffled up to the counter and grinned back. "Good afternoon, Mr. Stark." Even though Tony wanting to buy his art was a pipedream, it didn't hurt to encourage his type of tipping to come by their shop more often. His whole staff could use that kind of attention.

Tony winced. "You can call me Tony. I've been called Mr. Stark all day and it's getting a bit old."

Steve hid his smile by dropping his eyes to the cash register. "What can I get for you today? Tony."

Tony's grimace was replaced with a light chuckle. "Ummm. What do you think? Mocha was great, don't get me wrong, but I'm adventurous."

"Bitter or sweet?" Steve tried again, on autopilot.

Tony's dark eyes flickered down over Steve then came back up to match his. "Bitter," Tony all but purred and Steve's mouth felt dry all of a sudden. He certainly was charismatic, no doubt about that. He wondered if Tony really was flirting with him, like Darcy thought, or if he was like that with everyone. Steve had never been any good at figuring out that sort of thing.

"Espresso?"

"Something I can nurse, actually. Was thinking of sitting for a bit." Tony tapped his bag, and Steve saw a laptop cable sticking out of it.

"Americano?"

"Sure. Tiny bit of milk but nothing else."

"You got it." Steve picked up a cup and wrote "Tony" at the top. He looked over to where Clint had just handed off his previous order.

"I got it, Steve," Clint said, tapping the filter on the counter.

Tony paid with a credit card then shoved a wad of bills in the tip jar. Left with Tony's cup and nothing to do, Steve hastily sketched out Tony's face on the side of the cup, a caricature, albeit not a very good one, with a smirk, a goatee, and dark sunglasses. Unless... Tony might think that was insulting. It was the kind of drawing the paper would use in a political cartoon against him so maybe he should throw it out -

But Clint plucked the cup from his fingers and shoved it under the spout. Steve chewed his lip while he waited for the coffee to brew.

"How's business?" Tony asked, and Steve's gaze cut from the cup to his face. He was still standing by the cash register instead of moving over to the coffee pickup counter.

"Oh. Pretty good. Fall is a busy season for us. People are switching from ice cream back to coffee."

Tony laughed. "Good."

Steve felt the need to continue the conversation but he wasn't sure what to say. "And you? The - uh - purchase?"

Tony shrugged. "Eh. We'll see. I'll admit, it's not where most of my focus is these days."

"No?" But before Steve could ask where it was instead, Clint announced Tony's drink and placed his cup on the counter. Steve stepped back to make room for him, and watched with his heart in his throat as Tony lifted the drawn-on cup and looked at it.

Then he burst out laughing. "Amazing. Really captured my essence." He smiled at Steve and winked, no sign of being offended. Other customers were pressing in, though, and Steve couldn't easily justify standing around with Tony any longer. He smiled again and moved to step away as Tony raised his cup in salute and shuffled off among the tables.

Steve noticed Tony take a small booth at the far back of the cafe out of the corner of his eye, but the rush picked up and he was drawn back to the front, running cash while Clint churned out the drinks. By three, things had quieted down, and Steve made the rounds of the tables, bussing mugs and wiping down spills. He found Tony still tucked into the booth at the back. He had two laptops and his phone out, cables connecting everything, headphones on, and his tongue poking out between his teeth. When Steve picked up his empty cup, he startled.

"Oh. Hi." Tony pulled his headphones down around his neck and looked around the cafe. "Am I hogging a table? I can leave."

"No, of course not. Things are just slowing down after lunch. Stay as long as you like." Steve waved his cup at him. "Refill?"

"Sure."

Steve turned away back towards the bar.

"Wait!"

He stopped.

"I want to keep the cup," Tony said, almost petulantly, and he held out his hand.

Steve laughed, but handed it back. "Not my best work."

"I love it. Oh, and really I should slow down. Latte instead? Soy?"

"You got it."

Clint was washing dishes, so Steve slipped behind the bar and pulled out a fresh cup for Tony. He rolled it around in his hands while he watched Tony work, eyes glued back on his laptop. He wished he knew what his favourite animal was.

"Try an elephant," Clint said from behind him, making Steve yelp and jump.

"What?"

"I like the elephant cups best."

Steve opened his mouth to protest, though he wasn't sure what he was protesting. He had been trying to think of what to draw for Tony, but he felt, for some reason, like he shouldn't have been. "It doesn't matter," he muttered, but he turned back towards the espresso machine, away from Tony's booth, and pulled the cap off a sharpie with his teeth. It was stupid, to waste time drawing when there were things to do, and Tony surely wanted his drink. But his eyes were stuck on his screen every time Steve glanced over.

He sketched out a quick elephant then measured out the grounds and steamed the soy milk. He shook a little cinnamon on it, feeling bold, and snapped a lid on it. He brought it over to Tony's booth and set it by his hand, not sure if he should leave it and walk away or say something.

Tony's eyes cut away from his screen immediately, and he blinked at the cup then grinned. He picked it up and turned it back and forth, admiring the elephant. He turned his eyes up to Steve, and Steve's breath caught when his smile didn't fade at all. Those famous good looks were even more startling in real life than they were on TV "Thanks," Tony said softly. He suddenly frowned and looked over to the bar. "Uh, sorry. I should have come over there to pay." He moved to stand.

"Don't worry about it," Steve said, gesturing him back in his chair. "You've more than covered it with your generosity."

"Those are tips, Steve. I'll pay for the coffee, come on."

Steve shook his head, but smiled. "I'll start you a tab. Don't get up, though, you're all socked in."

Tony sighed at his screen and ran his fingers back through his hair, ruining its careful swirl. "Probably could use a break, actually," he muttered, more to himself than to Steve.

"Is - uh -" It probably wasn't his place to ask, but Steve couldn't help himself. "Is this what has your focus? Instead of the real estate stuff?"

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. Yeah… It's -" He pointed at his screen then shrugged. "I'm sure you don't care."

Was that a dismissal? Or did Tony really think that what he was working on wasn't interesting? "It's okay. If you can't tell me," Steve said, twisting his tea towel between his fingers.

"It's -" Tony squinted at him for a moment. "It's an alternate energy thing? Like… solar or wind, but actually more like a better nuclear. I'm - okay so - you know magnets?" Tony tugged a piece of paper out from under his laptop and flipped it over. He clicked a pen and started sketching out a circle cut through with lines.

Steve sat down on the other side of the booth and leaned over the page. "I do know magnets, yes."

"Smartass." Tony shot him a smirk. "Okay the idea is to use a palladium core to create a miniature fusion reaction. We have ionization of the palladium through an electric arc, gamma rays produced and the collision of the particles inside the core produce a potential difference in the core and causes current to flow, blah blah physics. It'd be self-sustaining, the device would be cool to the touch - which increases safety and possible uses dramatically - and it'd make a pretty, blue light, which is always a bonus. I've played around with the science a lot and it's definitely possible. The problem is that palladium is extremely toxic, and almost all the benefits of it being small, cool, and self-sustaining, are erased by the fact that no one would want a palladium core in their body, their house, or their oceans. So I'm trying to determine if there's a way to contain the toxicity safely, alter or treat the cores in some way, or use a different material, but so far I'm coming up with bupkis."

"Wow, that's fascinating."

"You think so? Probably be more impressive if I could make the damn thing work."

"Do you want to talk me through it?" Steve offered. "I mean, I won't understand half of what you say, but sometimes just going through it out loud can help."

Tony watched him closely for a moment then shrugged. "If you don't mind?"

"Not at all."

"You're not a corporate spy, are you?"

Steve laughed. "Not smart enough to be one. Besides, it doesn't work, right? So what is there to steal?" He smirked, making Tony laugh.

"Alright. So this is what I have so far." Tony pulled out sheets of designs, and brought pages of notes up on his laptop screen. He talked and talked, and Steve did his best to follow, fascinated, but a few steps behind. He asked a few questions, and was pleased when Tony didn't seem to think they were too dumb.

Eventually, when it seemed Tony had talked himself in several circles without progress, he shoved the paper away. "Anyway. So what's your thing? How's the art going?"

Steve reeled at the violent about-turn in the conversation. "Oh. Um. Okay, I guess. I mean, I love it, but it's more of a hobby. Hard to make real money off of art."

Tony gave him a scrutinizing look. "You told me it was your dream job."

"sh*t." Steve winced. "Did I? Maybe it was - is - I don't know. I go back and forth." He sighed. "Alright, you want the truth?" Tony nodded. "It has been my dream job since I was a little kid, but two months ago, I won this contest, right? You submit a painting and if you win you get a full month-long showing at this restaurant in the upper east side. Ten paintings, all for sale, and most winners make bank off of it, and hook up with some amazing connections. It's a great way to get started."

"And you won?"

"Yeah, I won. The show is in six months. I have two pieces, and both of them were from before the contest. I need eight more by the deadline and I just… can't. So it's got me thinking, you know, maybe I'm not cut out for this."

"It's a lot of pressure." Tony shrugged. "Just because you're having trouble with this deadline doesn't mean you're not cut out to be an artist. That sh*t takes practice."

"I feel like all my creativity is dried up."

"Maybe you need to recharge."

Steve braced an elbow on the table and dropped his chin into his hand. "I don't even know how to do that anymore."

Tony opened his mouth to reply but then his eyes cut away next to the booth, and Steve looked up to see Clint approaching.

"So…" Clint started, looking uncomfortable. "Do you want me to start closing or…"

"Oh sh*t!" Steve leapt to his feet. "I'm so sorry. Your shift is over, Clint. You can go."

"I can help…?"

"No, no. It's alright. It's my night to close and I already left you at the counter alone for like -" Steve looked wildly at the clock - had he and Tony really been talking for two hours? "- a while. Just go. It's okay. Promise."

"Alright." Clint looked skeptical, but he untied his apron and disappeared into the back room.

It was already ten minutes past closing and Steve hadn't started any of the routine. He was going to be an hour late, at least, and poor Eddy would have her legs crossed. Bucky would already have left for work hours ago. He flipped the sign to "Closed" and made a beeline for the counter, tossing his towel aside as he tried to cash out and clean the espresso machine at the same time.

A rattle to his left drew his gaze. Tony hadn't left. In fact, he'd taken his jacket off and rolled his sleeves up to the elbow, and he was placing trays from the bussing station on the bartop. "Tony what are you doing?"

"Helping? It's my fault you're late to close up. Don't worry, I've sat through the closing out of a lot of coffee shops, I have a pretty good idea how this goes. Do you have a spray for the tables?"

"What?"

Tony blinked at him. "For the tables?"

"God, no! Tony, no. Oh, my god." Steve trotted over and pulled the tray out of his hands. "You don't have to do that. Jesus."

"I know I don't have to, but I want to help."

"It's fine. It's okay. I'm okay. You should go."

Tony quirked up one eyebrow. "You kicking me out?"

And that made Steve laugh. Only Tony Stark would be bothered by being kicked out of a store after it had closed. And really, Steve didn't want him to go. "No, of course not. After all the tips you've shelled out, you practically own a share. You can stay. But don't help. Just… keep me company."

"Idle hands are the devil's playthings," Tony purred. "Put me to work."

Steve looked around the cafe helplessly. Honestly, the tables were probably the easiest thing after all. He gave in. "Okay fine." He handed Tony a spray bottle and a rag from under the counter. "But the second it stops being fun, you'd better quit it."

Tony grinned and winked, bouncing off with the cleaner.

"And I'm taking that latte off your tab!" Steve called after him. He shook his head, smiling, as Tony went from table to table, occasionally stopping to air guitar along with the classic rock station that piped into the cafe in the evenings. Steve turned it up a little as he counted out the tips and recorded them in the system. He took the cash drawer into the back and locked it in the safe, then double checked everyone's clock out times, and filed final numbers in their system for the day. When that was done, he took a mop and bucket out and followed Tony around the cafe as he put the chairs up on the tables.

All done, they stood outside the cafe door together, each with a bag slung over their shoulder. "That was fun," Tony said, looking around the cafe with satisfaction. "I can see why you like it."

Steve chuckled. "Try working rush when the milk steamer is broken, two staff have called out sick, and the scones came out too dry. Less fun then."

"Fair. I had fun today, though." Tony shot Steve a wry look that made his stomach do a cartwheel. "Thanks for letting me hang out."

"Thanks for helping me close."

Tony reached out and squeezed Steve's upper arm. "You'll figure out the gallery show. It's just a mental block. You know how to do this. Just, you know, paint what you love. It'll come to you."

Steve smiled down at his feet. Tony's hand was warm, even through his jacket. "Alright. I'll keep that in mind. And you'll figure out how to fix your reactor. I know you will."

"Thanks."

Steve stepped away, towards his subway stop. "Goodnight, Tony."

"Goodnight, Steve."

Chapter 5

Chapter Text

"I still don't understand what happened at the end."

"Just let it go, Stevie. Suspension of disbelief."

Steve huffed and pressed up closer against Bucky's side. "Suspension of disbelief doesn't stretch that far for me."

"That's the last time I'm picking the movie. If you pick it, you have no right to complain."

Steve grinned over at him. "But the complaining is the best part."

Bucky shook his head with a smile then pulled Steve in close to kiss the side of his face. "Shut up." They walked another block in companionable silence. "So I feel like I haven't seen you all week. Anything fun happen at work?"

Steve shrugged. All he could think of was Peter dropping a whole tray of dishes and Tony Stark showing up yesterday, and neither of those seemed worth mentioning. "A guy smuggled his dog in the other day," he finally remembered.

"Really?"

"Yeah. In his coat. And it was not a small dog. I made him wait outside, but I gave him a cup of whipped cream for the dog as well as his order."

"You're too sweet, pal."

They turned the corner, and Bucky reached out to pull open the door of Katie's diner. It was a standard date for them. Katie's was just far enough away from the theatre that they had time to work off their popcorn and get a craving for something with more protein to it. They took a booth by the window and ordered burgers and extra fries to share, with pie for dessert.

"How're the show pieces going?" Bucky asked, and Steve wrinkled his nose.

"How's studying for your exams going?" Steve shot back.

"Touché."

Steve reached across the table and took Bucky's hand in his, toying with his fingers. "I can't wait for you to get to be a nurse. I know it's going to be hard work and you'll probably be tired all the time, but I feel like we've been working for it for so long and now you're so close."

"I know. It's blowing my mind that in a few months I'll be done with my exams and that'll be that. No more security guarding. More than anything, I'm looking forward to not working nights anymore. I want to wake up with you."

"Me too. I hope you can find something."

"I've been keeping an eye on things. There's a lot of need. I've got a good shot, if not right away, of getting something with morning shifts soon. Then we can have the evenings, just you me and the leeches."

"They don't like it when you call them that," Steve reminded him.

"I feed, house, and clean them, I'll call them whatever I damn well please."

"That reminds me. We have to bring Eddy in to the vet for her annual shots. I'll call and book it but it might have to be in the morning."

"No problem."

The food arrived, and Bucky opened both their burgers and traded the pickles for the tomatoes, then took the onions off both. He pushed Steve's plate back towards him, and Steve shoved a fry in his mouth. They ate quietly, sharing the occasional soft smile. They turned into smirks when the booth behind them was filled with a young couple on a date early in their relationship, sharing one side of the booth. They shifted back and forth between overly affectionate and nervous. Bucky grinned when the woman cautiously invited the man back to her apartment after for coffee, nevermind that Katie's made excellent coffee.

"Hey, pal?" Bucky asked, low and rumbling. "Come back to my place for coffee?"

"Not on your life," Steve shot back. "I want coffee here, with my pie. Your dick can wait."

Bucky pouted, but his legs stretched out to twine his ankles with Steve's and they started quibbling over the movie again as they shared their pie and sipped their coffee.

Steve wrapped his arm around Bucky's waist as they walked home, burrowed up against his chest in a way that made them slow and awkward as they shuffled down the sidewalk, but maximized contact.

"Do you ever feel like we missed that stage?" Steve asked, a block from home.

"Hmm?"

"You know, that bit where we can't keep our hands off each other, and everything is new and exciting but also terrifying cause you don't know where it's going to go?"

Bucky tugged Steve closer and kissed his temple. "Still can't keep my hands off you."

Steve laughed and twisted around to get a proper kiss. "You know what I mean."

"I don't miss it. I'm not sad we didn't have that. I like that it came easy, once we figured ourselves out, that I already knew you well enough that we were comfortable together. You feel like you missed out on something?"

Steve fiddled with the zipper on Bucky's jacket. They'd reached their building and he held open the door for Steve as they slipped inside the foyer. "Not missed, exactly. I'm glad we're where we are now. It's like… almost like I wish I had that nostalgia, I guess. I don't know, nevermind. I'm happy with us, Buck. Perfectly happy. Wouldn't change a thing."

"Oh yeah?" Bucky backed Steve up against their front door and kissed him soundly while he fiddled with the lock. "There's one thing I'd change."

"And what's that?"

"Fewer clothes."

Steve hummed with pleasure, hooking Bucky's belt loops with his fingers to pull him in even closer. The door opened suddenly, and Steve tumbled backwards into the apartment, drawing Bucky with him.

Sprawled out on her cushion in the corner, Eddy didn't even bat an eyelash, snoring soundly as Bucky kicked the door shut behind him and the two men made their way to the bedroom, shedding clothes. Steve tossed his t-shirt aside and wrapped both arms around Bucky's waist, pulling him in. He nipped at his lips, electricity stealing his breath for a moment.

"Buck -"

Bucky urged Steve backwards onto the bed and dropped his mouth from Steve's lips to his neck, nipping and sucking. Steve's hands wandered up Bucky's back, rucking up his shirt and finding bare skin. Smooth heat under his hands made him shudder, and he pulled at Bucky's shirt until Bucky backed off enough to tug it off.

And now, now there was a vast stretch of chest for Steve's hands to roam. "f*ck, you're so hot."

Bucky barked out a laugh. "You sound surprised. Haven't you seen me before?"

Steve laughed along with him, nudging them both backwards onto the bed. "You're so f*cking hot that it startles me every time."

"Shut up." Bucky set to work on Steve's pants. "I love you."

"Me too." Steve lifted his hips and let Bucky pull his pants and boxers off. He kissed his way back up Steve's inner thigh, every touch of his lips sending a jolt of heat straight to his co*ck. "sh*t."

Bucky folded himself over Steve, and Steve pushed his fingers back through his hair, gripping and pulling. "You want me to f*ck you, babe?"

"Yes, Bucky, god. Like now." Steve nipped at his shoulder. "Please."

Bucky laughed again and leaned over to rummage through the bedside drawer until he came up with a bottle of lube. He squirted some on his fingers and ran them around the rim of Steve's hole, pushing in a little. Then he stroked the rest down his co*ck. Steve hooked his legs around Bucky's hips and relaxed back on the bed as Bucky lined up then pushed inside, slow but steady.

Steve let out a breath with a moan caught on it. The first slide in was the best, a little too tight, a little too rough, but like coming home when Bucky bottomed out, leaving them locked together. Steve gripped Bucky's sides and spread his legs further when he started to rock back.

"Good?" Bucky asked.

"Amazing."

Bucky bent to kiss Steve, then started pushing into him. He started long and slow until Steve adjusted and relaxed under him, and then snapped into short, sharp thrusts, hammering on Steve's prostate. They didn't need to talk, didn't need to adjust or twist or worry the other wasn't getting off. They fell together easily, perfectly in sync, like the bassline and melody of a beautiful song, making something better between them.

Steve's pleasure built slowly but steadily, creeping him closer and closer to completion. Bucky reached a hand between them when Steve's legs started shaking but Steve stole it before it could find his co*ck, and he wound their fingers together. "I'm close," Steve whispered. "Want to come just from you inside me."

Bucky nuzzled down into the curve of Steve's neck. "I'm close, too. You clench down around me, baby, and I'm gone. Come for me, Stevie, please. I want to feel you."

Steve squeezed his eyes shut and held onto Bucky for dear life, as his hips shifted every so slightly, but just right to dial everything up to eleven. A few more thrusts and Steve tumbled over the edge, holding Bucky still as his body clenched and released, shooting come over his own stomach and dripping between their chests.

"So f*cking hot," Bucky moaned, starting to thrust again, even as Steve whimpered and shuddered through the aftershocks. But it didn't take long before Bucky was bracing his feet on the mattress and thrusting deep. Steve could feel the throbbing of Bucky's co*ck at his rim as he spilled inside him.

Bucky collapsed onto his chest and for several minutes, they just lay there panting together, sweaty and swimming in the happy post-org*sm buzz.

When Steve had control of his limbs back he pushed himself up, rolling Bucky off him. "Shower?"

"Guh," Bucky replied, eyes firmly closed.

"You're going to regret it when you stick to the sheets."

"Start it and I'll join you."

Steve grabbed a robe as he padded out of the bedroom. He turned the shower on to start heating up and went to the kitchen. He got Hopper a handful of greens from the fridge then prepped Eddy's arthritis meds, making a sandwich of dog biscuits and cheez whiz. She hauled herself to her feet and meandered over to him, wagging her tail when he handed her the special snack.

"Good girl, Ed."

Eddy grinned up at him then yawned and made her way into the bedroom where she'd turn around eight times on her doggie bed and go to sleep for the night. Sometimes, Steve missed their late night walks, when Eddy was young and adventurous, but it was also nice not to have to get dressed again before bed. She preferred to sleep, letting them know pretty firmly about eight months ago that she could hold until morning if it meant not having to go out in the cold after dinner. "Goodnight, Ed!" he called after her.

"This shower is awfully empty!" Bucky called back.

"Just putting the pets to bed."

"Hurry up! You got me here under false pretenses!"

Steve chuckled to himself as he gave Hop his greens and made sure the cage was closed tight. He locked the front door, checked the windows, then turned out the lights. He dropped his robe on the way to the bathroom and found Bucky in the shower already, scrubbing down. Steve wrapped his arms around him from behind and pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades. "Thanks for the org*sm."

"Right back atchya." Bucky shuffled around and offered Steve the body wash, trading out for the shampoo. "Good date?"

Steve kissed him with a smile. "Good date."

Chapter 6

Chapter Text

"Is Bucky coming in today?"

Steve startled at Clint at his elbow. "What?"

"You look at the door every time it opens. Thought maybe Bucky was coming in today. I haven't seen him in forever."

"Oh." Had Steve really been looking at the door that often? "No. Bucky's not coming in today, sorry. I can text him and tell him you miss him," Steve offered with a cheeky smile.

"f*ck off with that. Can't have that asshole knowing I like him or anything."

Steve rolled his eyes. "Sure."

"So who're you waiting for, then?"

"No one." Steve poked the milk steamer he was supposed to be cleaning. "Just distracted, I guess." Of course, the bell above the door chose that moment to chime, and Steve's eyes cut sharply over the counter to see who it was.

Clint chuckled softly to himself, following the line of Steve's gaze. "Sure."

Tony Stark walked in, and Steve swallowed heavily, suddenly aware of every inch of his body. Was he standing oddly? Was Clint going to read anything into his expression? He hadn't been waiting for Tony to show up, but now Clint was going to think he was.

"Oh," Clint said, tapping a roll of quarters on the counter and turning away.

sh*t. The last thing Steve needed was a rumour starting, between Darcy and Clint, that he cared when Tony showed up. It didn't help that last time Tony was here, Steve had completely abandoned Clint to finish up the last few hours of their shift alone. But Tony was already walking over to the counter with a smile, so Steve had no chance to tell Clint it didn't mean anything.

"Hey, Steve!" Tony grinned. He looked like he was in a good mood today.

"Hey, Tony. How are you?"

"Great. I have the whole day clear of SI stuff so I'm going to work on my project. You don't mind if I steal a booth again?"

"Not at all." The back of Steve's neck heated like Clint was staring at him, but when he turned to look, he was busy stacking glasses. "What can I make you?"

"Something cold."

Steve quirked an eyebrow at him. "Anything cold?"

Tony smiled back and there was something electric in it. "Sure. I trust you."

Steve waved him off. "Go set up. I'll bring it over."

"Steve. You don't have to -"

"I know. Go sit, Tony."

Tony threw his hands in the air. "Okay, fine!"

Steve scooped ice out of the freezer while he watched Tony pop his laptop open and start plugging things in. He added milk, coffee syrup, and vanilla to the blender and whirred it up. He filled a large glass with the blended drink, squirted a swirl of whipped cream on top and stuck a straw in it. When Clint wasn't looking, he tugged a piece of paper out from under the cash register. He'd written "TS" at the top and it had a crossed-off latte on it, but he wrote "van. blend. latte" under that then shoved it back under the register.

Thankfully, things were quiet so he set the cup at Tony's elbow then sat down opposite him to see if he liked it. He smiled at the extravagant swoop of cream, swiping a finger through it then sucking it off the end. Steve's eyes were glued to the flick of his tongue. Then he wrapped his lips around the straw and sucked in.

Tony closed his eyes and moaned in pleasure, making Steve shift on the seat. "Fantastic." He looked over at Steve, straw still tucked between his lips and smiled. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Steve's voice came out much creakier than he liked.

"The calories don't count if you don't order it yourself, right? Cause this is like a dessert in a cup." Tony took another sip.

"Definitely doesn't count."

"Okay, good."

Steve hovered for a moment, knowing he needed to leave, but not sure what to say. "I'll let you get back to your work, then."

Tony only smiled, something heated crinkling at the corners of his eyes, and Steve hoofed it back to the bar. He took a moment to unload the dishwasher, getting a hold of himself. Tony oozed charisma, and it was almost overwhelming at times. It was easy to see why he was so popular privately and so panned publically - a combination of raw magnetism and absolute co*ckiness.

And yet, once he was on his own, all that was dialed down somewhat. Tony had wrinkles at the edges of his smile and the corners of his eyes. He had a softness in his laughter that made it clear it wasn't canned, and he talked about his work with true passion. It was hard not to like someone like that, even just a little. And it wasn't like Steve had ever been able to pretend that Tony wasn't incredibly attractive. If he was honest with himself, it was also pretty fun to know a celebrity well enough that he might just call them friends. The next time the cafe was quiet, Steve pulled his phone out of his pocket and found Tony's instagram and twitter. He followed both, turned on notifications, then tucked it away again. He'd have to scroll through later and see if Tony had said anything about the coffee shop.

When his break rolled around, Steve made two decafs, took his sketchbook out of his bag, and shuffled up to Tony's booth, nerves rolling through his stomach. "Hey, Tony, how's it going?"

Tony looked up sharply and pushed his headphones off his head. "Hey! It's not closing time is it?" He looked around the cafe.

"No, you're fine." Steve set one of the cups down. "It's my break, though, and I thought you could use a top up."

Tony picked up the cup and took a sip. He sighed with the soft contentment of warm sun on a serene summer afternoon on the beach. Steve's stomach twisted further.

"Break, you say? Sit for a bit, if you can."

"Sure." Steve sat on the other side of the booth and tucked his sketchbook under his elbow, spinning his own cup around and around in his hands. "How's your work going?"

Tony shrugged and waved a listless hand towards his laptop. "It's fine. I've got it working on a grand scale, but there's still the toxic output issue, and… it's sort of showy but not very useful? Ah, whatever." He dropped his elbow to the table and tossed his chin in his hand. "Progress, but slow progress. How's your art?"

Steve sighed. "I keep sketching things, but nothing feels right for this show."

"Anything you can show me?" Tony eyed the sketchbook pointedly.

Nerves that had settled a little sizzled back to life. "Are you sure? I mean, you like that one painting." He gestured towards the bridge. "But seeing how the sausage gets made might ruin it."

Tony laughed, deep and real. "Not at all. I love process. I wanna see." He fluttered his hands towards the sketchbook, and Steve handed it over.

As soon as Tony turned the cover over, Steve wanted to snatch it back. There was nothing in the book he had to worry about - none of his early morning sketches of a sleeping Bucky, sheets gathered in a twist around his naked hips, none of his really early work, and nothing for a commission that he wouldn't be able to share - but it still felt like Tony was peering inside of him when he flipped over the first page.

Some of the pages were covered in little doodles, animals and plants, some realistic, some cartoony. Some of the pages were people, Bucky's face, or friends of his, a few life drawings from night classes he took a few months ago. There were pages and pages of Eddy and Hopper, and Tony stopped after a few and gave Steve a look. "Is this your dog?"

"Yeah, that's Eddy."

"He's cute. What kind?"

"Uh, she. Golden retriever."

"You named your girl dog Eddy?"

Steve's cheeks heated without his permission. "My favourite artist is Edward Hopper… so we named the dog after him, and then when the rabbit came along..."

Tony burst out laughing. "That's amazing. How old is she?"

"She's twelve. Pretty slow, now. She prefers to sleep over pretty much anything else, but that just makes her a good model. She stays really still."

Tony hovered his finger over the curve of her flopping ear. "I never had a pet growing up," he mused, more to himself than to Steve.

"It's not too late to get one. I mean, there are tons of animals in shelters that need homes. I'm sure you'd be a great owner."

Something flashed across Tony's face. "Nah. I'd be terrible at it. Forget to walk her, feed her, always travelling." He sniffed sharply and turned to the next page, studying a close up of Sam's favourite cactus with acute attention. "Maybe I'll get to meet Eddy some day," he said lightly.

"Yeah, she'd love that." Steve indulged in a brief fantasy of getting to bring her to the shop. It would be amazing to have everyone smiling and cooing over her, giving her kisses and telling her how good she was. Steve could picture her hanging out under Tony's table, tucked back into his booth by his feet while he worked. And he'd take his break and bring her a cup of whipped cream and a cookie and bring Tony -

"I like this one!" Tony interrupted Steve's musings.

It was a sketch of the view from the fire escape behind Steve's old apartment. The one where he and Bucky had discovered it was more than friendship between them. Steve cleared his throat when it throbbed with a caught breath. "That's the view from my old apartment. It was a sh*thole, but I did a lot of growing there." A glance at his watch told Steve his break was running out. "I'd better get back to work. Don't want to abandon Peter like I did Clint the other day." He leaned in conspiratorially. "He's still learning."

Tony smiled and closed the sketchbook, handing it back. "He's doing great. He got me a cookie while you were in the back. Sweet kid."

"Smart too. Just not… experienced."

Tony laughed. Steve didn't reach for the sketchbook. "You can keep looking at it if you want? I can come back and grab it on my next break."

"Nah," Tony said, and Steve's heart sunk a little, but then he added, "I only want to look at it when you can join me. I like hearing the stories behind them. No fun alone. Plus it gives you an excuse to sit with me again." He winked, and Steve cleared his throat heavily.

He took the sketchbook back. "Okay. Good luck with your work. Holler if you need anything."

"Will do."

Steve helped Peter, keeping his mind on work, until things slowed down, and then he took his last break in his office. He wanted to go sit with Tony, flip through some more sketches, but it felt pushy or overwhelming to go back to it so soon. Surely, Tony was too busy for him anyway. Instead, he turned his sketchbook to a fresh page and doodled idly across it, sketching out the rough shape of Tony in his booth a few times, the way it looked from Steve's place behind the coffee bar.

"Sorry isn't good enough!" someone yelled from back in the cafe, and Steve bounded to his feet. He stepped out of his office to find Peter backed up against the condiment cart, clutching a mop to his chest, a tiny woman in an immaculate red dress had a finger to his chest, snapping sharply. "You could have ruined it!"

"I was very careful to avoid your purse, ma'am. I don't -"

"Are you talking back to me?"

Steve moved forward to step in between them, but before he could get there, Tony swept up beside them and took Peter by the elbow. Steve saw his fingers dig in slightly in a reassuring squeeze. "Everything okay here?" Tony purred at the woman, and she faltered in her rage.

"Uh. No, no it's not. And you should tweet about how awful this cafe is. Everyone needs to know! This idiot was mopping while I was waiting for my order. I had my purse by my feet. This purse is five hundred dollars and will be completely ruined if it gets wet. And I won't even start on these shoes."

"Better not," Tony said, with a PR grin, "Or we'll be on them all day. Stunning, really. I need to know who they are because my PA needs a pair for her birthday." He rested his fingers on the woman's forearm, even as he turned back to Peter, and a light blush flushed across her cheeks. "Now, Petey, you alright? What's up?"

"Well, Mr. Stark, as I was trying to say, I would never put this uh - lovely lady's shoes at risk." His eyes stayed fixed on Tony's, nodding along with him as he spoke. "Because, um, well I was dry mopping. It's not wet. There was some chocolate powder on the floor and I didn't want her to step in it or get it on… her purse - which is very nice, ma'am - but the broom is all the way in the back room so I just grabbed a dry mop to sweep it out of the way."

Tony grinned. "Perfect! How wonderful. All is well. No one is wet."

The woman's cheeks flushed hotter, out of shame, this time, but Tony quickly whipped her away before she had time to turn her embarrassment into redirected anger. He shooed Peter away with a wink then hooked the woman's arm and led her back over to the coffee bar.

"What a relief," Steve heard him say to her as they walked away. "No harm done. Can I buy you a muffin? And don't forget to let me know where you got those shoes…"

Steve slipped back into his office as Peter scurried by, mop in tow. It wasn't unusual to have an angry customer in the store, and Steve's experience had taught him that it was usually caused by a breaking point based on some other stressor - no one really cared about their coffee order that much - but he'd never seen one ended so smoothly and with such poise. And Tony didn't even work here, he wasn't obligated to step in but he had. Steve sunk down into his chair and took a deep breath, heart pounding. His phone buzzed in his pocket and pulled it out to check it. It was twitter, informing him that someone he followed had tweeted something that was trending. Of course, it was Tony Stark. For a painful second, he wondered if he'd taken the woman's advice and tweeted something about the shop.

You Know Who I Am @therealtonystark - 19s

Save a life - rescue a pet! Just donated $400k to US animal rescue efforts and working on signing the SPCA to be a beneficiary of this year's Maria Stark Gala! #adoptdontshop #pleasedonate #matchingdonationsfor24hrs

Chapter 7

Chapter Text

"So I told him it was my pet alligator!"

Darcy exploded into laughter, doubled over the bar, and Tony smiled at her triumphant. Steve slipped out of the doorway he'd been hovering in and approached them. Tony's eyes flicked up from Darcy to Steve and they brightened. "Hey, Steve."

"Hey, Tony. Keeping my staff busy, I see."

Tony gestured at the empty coffee shop. "Something had to." He leaned his chin on his hand and fluttered his eyelashes up at Steve. "Bring me a muffin, muffin?"

"Sweet talk gets you blueberry," Steve said, digging around in the case.

"What do I need to do for a chocolate chip?" Tony asked, voice dropping into a sultry purr. Steve took a steadying breath and hid his heating face in the pastry case as long as he could.

He put a blueberry muffin on a napkin and set it on the bar in front of where Tony was perched on a high stool. "Thankfully, we're all out of chocolate chip, so you'll never have to know," he shot back, barely keeping the wobble out of his voice.

"Hmm," Tony hummed, the sound vibrating in Steve's core. "There's almost nothing I wouldn't do for one of your chocolate chips."

"How about stop distracting my staff?"

"Cheeky." Tony opened his mouth to say something else, but the door chimed and a large group of teenage girls giggled their way into the cafe, so he just winked instead, then gathered up his muffin and made his way back to the booth where he had his entire office set up.

The next few hours were a rush of coffee orders and demanding customers, and Steve didn't go on break until half an hour later than planned. But thankfully, the rush cleared out as quickly as it had arrived - some tour group, perhaps - and the shop fell blissfully quiet again. A few tables were still full, but Darcy was able to handle it on her own, so Steve took off his apron, made two lattes, and put two danishes on a napkin, then made his way to Tony's booth at the back.

Tony brightened immediately. "Well, that's a sight for sore eyes."

"I hope you mean me and not the coffee," Steve said with a laugh, settling on his side of the booth and sliding the cups and napkins to the middle of the table.

"I obviously meant the pastries." Tony took one of the cups and took a sip. "You're a close third, though."

"I'm touched."

Tony opened his mouth, still grinning, like he was going to say something, then he stopped, shook his head, and looked out at the cafe for a moment. He sipped his coffee again. "That was a crazy rush."

"Oh yeah. Some tour group took a break or something, I couldn't quite catch where they were from. Seems to be over now, though."

"At least it's good for the cafe."

Steve laughed. "It's always hard to enjoy 'good in the long run' when in the short run you're exhausted."

"God, do I ever know how that feels." Tony glanced back at his laptop and grimaced.

"Work not going well?"

He shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I keep solving one problem, only to find I've created another one, so I'm not sure if I'm actually making progress or just running in circles on a merry-go-round."

"Maybe you need to work on something else for a while. When I get stuck on an art piece, I try working on something else. It can loosen things up, get the juices flowing."

A slow smirk curled Tony's lips. "Oh yeah? How's that working for you?"

"Oh, shut up." Steve shook his head and crossed his arms, but he couldn't stop his smile. "I'll figure it out. And in the meantime, I'm producing so many sketches of Hopper's ears that I could start a rabbit gallery."

Tony leaned his cheek on one fist. "Limited market, maybe." He picked up the lemon danish and took a bite.

"Don't you want the cheese?"

"You want the cheese." Tony turned back to his laptop for a moment, looking thoughtful. "Maybe I should work on something else for a while. Not sure what, though."

But Steve was hung on Tony knowing what kind of danish he'd want. He didn't even really have a preference, but he did want the cheese, this time, and somehow Tony had known, like he could read his mind. Steve pinned the edge of the napkin with one finger and dragged the cheese danish over to him. He stuck a finger in the filling then licked it clean.

"Anyway, this is a break, right? Screw work." Tony shoved his laptop aside, and picked up his coffee again. "Tell me more. What about your family?"

Steve blinked, pulled out of his pastry contemplations. "My family? Oh. Well, there's not much to tell. My dad left when my mom was pregnant. He died when I was six and I never met him. I lived with my mom until I graduated high school and then I moved in with Bucky shortly after. And then, uh, she got sick. She died of lung cancer a few years after that." Steve hesitated. "That's really all the family I have. Or. Don't have. I guess."

"Oh. sh*t, I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry. What about you?"

"Well, both my parents died when I was a teenager, but I still have a lot of family floating around, I guess. Aunts and uncles, cousins, etc. It was kind of confusing as a kid, because my mom did that thing were I was told to call all close friends 'aunt' or 'uncle' but only like half of them were actually related to me, if that. I could do differential equations at six, but I didn't figure out how family trees worked until I was like fourteen." Tony laughed, and Steve joined him. "Anyway, my real family is Rhodey and Pepper, now. They're the people I see."

Steve nodded. "I get that. The cafe is my family, too. Sam, and Darcy, and Clint. Natasha too, and Bucky of course. Sometimes you have to build it yourself."

"No kidding." Tony was leaning on his palm again, giving Steve a strange look, almost dreamy. "You've built something really good here."

"Oh man, you should have seen it when I started. The owner had a foot out the door already, but anyone he promoted to manager was awful, and he kept having to come back and put things back together. I'd only been here working the bar for about three months when he asked me if I wanted to take some manager shifts, and it's kind of all history since then. I like organizing things. Ordering from suppliers is kind of fun, or at least satisfying. Putting shifts together… really the only thing I don't like is having to talk to staff about poor performance. Or even firing them. Thankfully it hasn't happened much."

"Oh, speaking of staff, I want to steal Peter from you."

"What?"

Tony grinned. "That kid is brilliant. Did you know he's working to pay for college classes on the side? He's only sixteen. Reminds me of me."

"Oh. Uh, yeah. I did know that actually. I give him my tips sometimes, when he's done a good job with the customers. He's trying really hard, but he's… distractible." Steve offered Tony a smile. "Good kid, though."

"I'm trying to get him on a grant list. One of my foundations does some scholarship work and he deserves it."

"That'd be amazing, Tony. He really does. And I know that half of why he's so all over the place is that he's working himself too hard. I'd be happy to lose him if it meant he'd get some time to be a kid."

They fell silent for a moment, just working their way through the danishes and coffee, and it was so nice to find a new friend he could be quiet with. It was a rare thing, to sit with someone, especially someone he'd known as short a time as Tony, and not worry that he ought to say something.

"So," Tony said when he'd drained the last drip of his coffee. He turned a cheeky smile on Steve. "Cards on the table. Normally I'd say coffee, but that seems a bit done here." He laughed. "Can we do dinner? And do keep in mind that if you say no, it'll be my supervillain origin story."

Steve's heart plummeted into his shoes. "I'm sorry? What?"

"Dinner," Tony repeated. "I'm asking you out to dinner. Finally. Because as much as I love hanging out with you here, I feel like some place where your staff isn't staring at us the whole time might be a bit more relaxed."

Steve's eyes cut over to the coffee bar and sure enough, Sam and Darcy both spun around and went through the motions of looking busy. Even though he knew what the answer would be, Steve had to ask, "Do you mean… a date?"

"Well… yeah?" Tony's confidence was visibly flagging as Steve went longer without giving him an answer.

"Oh, god." Steve slapped his hand over his mouth. He'd noticed Tony was attractive, worried a little about what their flirting would look like to others, but it hadn't even crossed his mind that he might be leading Tony on, that Tony actually liked him that much. "I'm so sorry."

Tony's eyes dropped to the table and he rapped his pen against it, a nervous laugh leaking out. "The answer everyone wants to hear. Guess I'd better get started on lair-hunting. I hear caves are in."

"Tony, I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to make you think -"

"Oh, no." Tony waved his apology away. "My fault. I read too much into it. You're just being friendly, obviously, and I'm probably…" he wavered "...good for the cafe…"

"No! No way. That's not what - no. I like you, really. A lot. I'm not just being nice. But, um. I should have told you a long time ago that I have a boyfriend. It never occurred to me that I might be, you know, accidentally leading you on."

Tony flicked his eyes back up to meet Steve's. The look was different now, calculating. "We've been talking for three weeks and you haven't once mentioned a boyfriend to me."

"I have…" Steve shifted uncomfortably. "Bucky."

Tony's eyebrows shot up. "I thought he was your roommate."

"I mean, he's also that…"

"You've told me everything there is to know about your dog and your rabbit, but completely failed to mention that they have two daddies already?"

Steve winced, shame and horror rippling through him in hot waves.

Tony's jaw worked for a moment then he shrugged. "Right, okay. Well, I guess that's on me for not realizing that 'best pal' is what the kids are calling their life partners these days." He started tucking things in his briefcase, shutting his laptop with a sharp click. "I'd better be off. Minions to hire, torture dungeons to build, you know how it is."

Tony stood and Steve stumbled up after him. He reached out and caught his forearm. "Tony…"

"Hey, it's fine." Tony shook out of his grasp gently. "Not your fault someone else got there first." Tony winked, but his smile didn't make it all the way to his eyes. "I'll see ya around." When Steve didn't step away, unable to say anything but not wanting to let Tony walk away, Tony leaned in a little. "At least let me have the uncool exit, Steve. It's getting awkward, and I kind of timed things so I could have a little disappointed hissy fit about being rejected and I don't want that grenade to accidentally go off inside the cafe, you know?"

Steve stumbled back a step. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It was just a date. I shouldn't have assumed you'd want to." Tony patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay. No hard feelings. I'll see you around."

Steve watched him leave then slumped back down in the booth. It was so much more than "just a date." Steve had screwed this up on every front. Because as many times as he told himself that he hadn't mentioned Bucky was his boyfriend because it "just hadn't come up," there was no number of times that could make him believe it. He'd seen Tony's interest, once they really started talking, and it felt good to be desired. He hadn't wanted to lose that. But now he'd lost all of it, Tony's friendship too, because the flirting had been too much fun to give up, and he'd known, maybe only subconsciously, that telling Tony about Bucky would change things between them.

Steve sighed and dropped his forehead down onto the table.

The worst part was that Tony had every right to assume Steve would want to - he'd done nothing but flirt with him since he started taking his breaks at Tony's booth. A tiny, unwelcome corner of him did want to, and he hated it.

Tony had said see you around, but Steve didn't think he would. He'd ruined it.

Chapter 8

Chapter Text

Tony didn't show up at the coffee shop the entire next week, and try as he might, Steve couldn't push it from his mind. The staff must have noticed, but no one said anything to him - if he didn't count the sad looks Darcy kept shooting his way. He lost the sharpie he kept behind the counter, but he didn't care; he didn't feel much like drawing on the cups anyway.

He hadn't told anyone that Tony had asked him out, and he didn't know what the staff thought. It was mortifying to think that they might have seen the flirting, seen Tony's interest, and think Steve would do anything to hurt what he had with Bucky. He wouldn't, never, but he knew what it might have looked like.

But Tony was gone and he wasn't coming back, so it hardly mattered. Steve just wanted to put the last three weeks behind him.

"You okay, bud?"

Steve looked up to find Bucky watching him from the kitchen table. "Oh yeah. Sorry… just -" He waved his hand vaguely. The page in front of him, which he was supposed to be covering with sketches for one of his gallery pieces, was covered in random circles and squiggles instead.

"You'll figure it out, Stevie," Bucky said, mistaking Steve's wandering mind for frustration over his project. "But if you don't, I'll still love you." He winked over his book at Steve, and Steve laughed.

"Thanks, Buck. That helps."

Bucky tossed his book aside and walked over to where Steve was sprawled on the couch. He pressed a kiss to his forehead. "I'm going to take Eddy for a walk. Early bed tonight?"

A throb of arousal pulsed low in Steve's core. Early bed with Bucky did not mean more sleep. "That'd be lovely." He grabbed Bucky's shirt and pulled him back down for another kiss, deeper and rougher, then released him. He turned back to his sketchbook while Bucky lured Eddy up off her bed and out the door.

Inspiration just wasn't coming. Tony had told him to paint what he loved, but pondering that just made him think about Tony instead of figuring out how he could turn love into a painting.

Hopper rattled the bars of his cage, and Steve rolled to the side and stretched his arm out. He flicked the cage door open and Hopper came bounding out. "Hey, Hops. How's your day been?" Hopper didn't deign to reply, lolloping his way under the couch, nose going a mile a minute.

Steve loved Hopper. Maybe all these bunny pieces weren't just warmup sketches, but an actual place to start. He turned to a fresh sheet and started sketching out Hop's ears from memory. He couldn't just… paint a rabbit, though. That was boring.

Steve turned to a new page. Paint what you love. It was like write what you know, but even less helpful. Tony's face swam in Steve's mind, the way he'd looked before Steve had screwed it all up, leaning forward over the table to describe something in great detail that Steve would have no hope of understanding. He was so passionate.

Steve's pencil started to move, and this time it traced out the cut of Tony's jaw, his cheeky smirk, one eyebrow quirked up towards the sky. Tony oozed sex appeal - there was no way to avoid that. Like Bucky, who always found flirting to be second nature, too. Steve had never been good at it, or at least never realized he was doing it when he was, but Bucky had always had a good handle on it. It was one of the things that had twisted up for Steve, back when everything was confusing and difficult about Bucky. He'd thought he was jealous of Bucky's easy way of flirting, or getting attention, and it took way too damn long to figure out that he was actually jealous of the girls Bucky was flirting with. He wanted to be them, have all of Buck's attention on him, like that. But now he did. Bucky still flirted a little with other people, but mostly he revolved around Steve. He had nothing to be jealous of anymore.

Steve's pencil continued of its own accord, while his mind followed Bucky out the door and down the street to the dog park. He sketched out the edges of Tony's back booth, then worked the shape of Eddy in under his feet. When Bucky got back… Steve's body throbbed again. Their schedules hadn't been overlapping much the last few weeks, and it was hard to find time when they were both awake and interested. Bucky was studying more and more as his exams shifted closer, and Steve had covered one too many of Peter's missed shifts. Steve's body yearned to be touched, but he held off on getting things going himself. He wanted Bucky.

He wanted Tony too.

Looking down at the sketch, it was all too easy to admit that the tingling arousal in his gut wasn't just about Bucky. Tony was hot, charismatic, and he wanted Steve. Steve had so little experience in being wanted outside of Bucky, who was his only serious relationship ever.

Well, that was a lie - he'd had so little experience being wanted by men.

But Tony had read that in him, even though he didn't know about Bucky, and had pursued him. If Steve were single - if by some horrible twist of fate he and Bucky had never ended up together - he'd probably be Tony Stark's boyfriend right now. What a weird thought.

In the corner of the page, Steve started a new sketch, Tony leaning against the coffee bar. He tried to capture the curve of his body as he rested his weight on one arm, but it wasn't turning out right. So Steve followed his anatomy training and shaped out each of Tony's limbs without the fold of clothing, the way his ribs cut in towards his waist. Saliva flooded his mouth as he added more details on autopilot. A hint of abs… his belly button… dark hair curling lower. sh*t.

Steve was rock hard now, and he sat up and folded himself over his sketchbook, giving in to it. Tony was hot - absolutely no one could dispute that - so it was just like looking at p*rn, and Bucky had no problem with that. It was one of the benefits of being an artist: p*rn catered just to his liking.

Steve gave up the pretense of clothes and turned the coffee bar into a door frame, like Tony had just opened the bedroom door and was leaning there, smirking at him. Coming to bed?

Steve's pencil went sketchy around Tony's co*ck, feeling that maybe that was one step too far, but he went back to his chest with confidence, defining and redefining until the drawing was way past life study and well into erotic.

But the next page was even easier, now that he'd given up on pretense and committed to what he was doing. He drew the sketchy edges of a bed then added Tony sprawled out on top of it, asleep, or resting, one arm folded behind his head and eyes closed with a lazy smile. This time, he didn't get shy as he worked his way down between Tony's legs. He lined the sketch carefully, leaving Tony's co*ck soft then adding a sheen of sweat, a bit of satisfaction to the smile. What if this were a reflection of real life? What if Tony had jacked off with thoughts of Steve wandering through his mind, ending up naked and sated, thinking maybe someday soon Steve would be joining him there.

The door burst open, and Steve slammed his sketchbook with a yelp and jolted up off the couch. Eddy and Bucky both stared at him from the doorway. "You okay?" Bucky asked.

"sh*t. Yes, I'm fine." Steve sunk back down onto the couch, had over his heart. "You just scared the hell out of me. I guess I was in the zone."

Bucky brightened. "That's great, though! Got an idea for the gallery pieces?" he bent as Hopper flung himself across the room to greet the two of them and stroked his ears while Eddy bent and nuzzled their noses together.

Steve didn't have the heart to tell him he'd been drawing p*rn instead. "Not exactly. But I might be circling something. It wasn't that I got anything useful on paper, just that I felt that creative thing get started again, you know?"

"Awesome." Bucky unclipped Eddy's leash and she tottled over to her water bowl, Hopper lopping at her heels. "If you're in the zone, I can go read in the other room for a bit? Leave you to it?"

Steve tossed the sketchbook on coffee table with his pencils. He crossed the room and circled Bucky's waist with his arms then ground forward to show him how happy he was to have him home. "Definitely not. You promised me an early night."

Bucky grinned then kissed him. "You got it, babe."

They went through their evening routine so they wouldn't have to get up again, feeding Hopper his greens and putting him away, giving Eddy her medicine, locking the door and turning out the lights. In the bedroom, they each stripped off, and at the sight of Bucky's naked body, Steve's mind went back to the sketches tucked in his book on the coffee table.

Bucky flopped backwards on the bed, legs spread. Steve pressed in between them, curling around the foot of the mattress to draw a line of kisses up the inside of Bucky's thigh. Bucky hummed, eyes closed and hands tucked behind his head. Steve licked up the length of his co*ck then propped himself up on one elbow to curl his fingers around the base.

But even with Bucky right there under him, Steve's mind flickered back to the closed sketchbook sitting on the coffee table in the other room. A ghost hand skated up over his hip as he closed his mouth around Bucky's co*ck and sucked. Tony's hand. What if Tony were there, behind him? While he sucked Bucky off, one slick finger teasing his hole, Tony would be behind him, on his knees, teasing Steve right back.

And the persistent images wouldn't leave Steve alone. When he crawled up Bucky's body and kissed him hard, he imagined Tony taking over for him, sucking Bucky off while Steve slicked his co*ck and lined up against Bucky's hole. That Tony's hair would be what was in Bucky fist when his eyes squeezed shut and his back arched, Steve pushing in deep and seeing spots at the overwhelming heat and tightness.

And when he was at his peak, driving into Bucky's body, sweat-slicked brow and Bucky writhing and gasping under him, his traitorous imagination added the hard press of Tony's co*ck pushing into him, stretching him wide, so every time he rocked back, he felt it deep inside him, and every time he pushed forward, Bucky clenched around him.

It was too much, even though half the sensation wasn't real, Steve still tumbled wildly over the edge with a surprised cry and throbbed out his release, shoving forward to come deep inside Bucky.

"Oh my god," he mumbled, arms shaking.

Bucky stroked dancing fingers down his back and chuckled. "You alright?"

"Yeah, that one just hit like a freight train. Sorry."

Bucky pressed a hot kiss to the side of Steve's face. "Never f*cking apologize for that, you gorgeous thing."

Steve took a moment to breathe, then shuffled back down Bucky's body to take his co*ck in his mouth, two fingers sliding into Bucky's hole to tease his prostate while he swallowed him down. It only took a few minutes - Tony's ghost now blessedly gone - before Bucky was shaking and moaning, shooting hot come down Steve's throat.

When he'd licked up the last of it, Steve crawled back up into Bucky's arms. They needed a shower, but it was still early enough that they could enjoy being wrapped in each other's arms without the risk of falling asleep for good. Steve brushed Bucky's hair out of his face.

Should he tell him that Tony had asked him out? He hadn't really mentioned Tony much at all so it would feel pretty out of the blue to Bucky. And it wasn't like Tony's feelings were Steve's problem, and nor were they Bucky's. Besides, Tony was never coming back so it hardly mattered. Telling Bucky would only either make him jealous - pointlessly - or make him dislike Tony, which would make Steve uncomfortable. No, it was better to leave it. Tony was a blip on his timeline, a friend he'd miss having around, a fleeting crush that would slowly die away with no fire left to fuel it. It wasn't like enjoying Tony's attractiveness made him love Bucky any less; just like with the sketches, it was just aesthetic appreciation - a little healthy fantasy indulgence.

Next time he and Bucky had sex, Tony wouldn't be there at all.

Chapter 9

Chapter Text

Steve hung up the phone with his dairy supplier and leaned back in his chair, tilting his head towards the door. He'd come into the office to work because things had been quiet in the cafe, but now it sounded like they were having a party out there. He pushed up out of his chair. "What are you -?"

Bucky was behind the bar, with Sam, giggling, as they stacked cup lids on Clint's head and he tried to stay still.

"Keeping busy?" Steve asked, leaning against the door way, arms crossed.

Bucky looked over at him, breaking into a softer smile. "Hey, babe."

Steve reached out and pulled him into a quick kiss, since the cafe was empty of customers. "Hey. What are you doing here?"

"Class was canceled. Thought I'd come harass you at work instead of studying like a good boy." Bucky's hand landed on Steve's hip and squeezed.

"That's nice," Steve said, but he didn't quite feel that, or rather, there was something else worming its way through his gut at the thought. His eyes flicked towards the door and he realized that what he was feeling was anxiety over Tony. He didn't think that Tony was ever coming back to the shop, but what if he did and Bucky was here?

Well, what if?

It wasn't like he and Tony had done anything they shouldn't, just a little flirting, and it was probably all for the best that Tony saw that Bucky was real, and not an excuse for Steve not to date him. Then again, what if Tony thought Steve was rubbing Bucky in his face?

Not that any of it mattered, he thought with a cold jolt - Tony wasn't coming back.

Bucky squeezed again. "You alright? Bad day to come?"

"Hmm? No, no. It's good. I'm glad you're here. Want something?"

Bucky flicked the stack of cup lids off the top of Clint's head. "Only if this loser has to make it for me."

Steve snorted. "Of course he does. What? Did you think I was going to make it?"

Clint shook his head like a dog, and a cascade of cup lids tumbled to the floor. "Okay, but you can't watch me make it."

Steve frowned at him. "What are you going to put in it?"

"He has to guess."

Steve turned to Bucky, but found him nodding along enthusiastically. "I'm in. Ten bucks if you make me puke."

"I'll give you twenty if you don't," Steve told him, grabbing Bucky's sleeve and dragging him off to the office. He could feel Bucky gesturing to Clint behind him, but he chose to ignore it. "I'm not taking you to the ER if he gives you food poisoning. We can't afford it."

"I have a stomach of steel. He'll probably just put eight pumps of caramel syrup in it or something. I can take it."

Steve shut the office door, shaking his head. "You're ridiculous." He wrapped his arms around Bucky's waist and pressed into him, folding his face into his neck. "I miss you."

Bucky's hand curled around the back of his head, his thumb drawing lazy circles on Steve's neck. "Me too." He kissed the side of Steve's face. "Oh, hey, I invited Nat over tonight. She's back in town, had a good time with her folks, but sounds happy to be on her own again. I said she should come over and we'll cook for her since she's been eating nothing but her aunt's toxic waste for six weeks now. Do you mind?"

"No, not at all."

"I can pick up some groceries on my way home."

"Sounds good. Oh! We have salsa, also. We should eat that. And get beer."

Bucky pressed closer. "You trying to get me drunk, Rogers?"

"Don't need to. You're too easy."

Bucky stayed until the afternoon rush picked up, then he kissed Steve goodbye and went to buy groceries. He texted Steve continuously, first about picking out apples, then about running into a dog on his way home, then about Natasha arriving. Steve fiddled with his phone as he waited for Clint to grab his stuff so he could lock up. He scrolled up through the day's messages. Was Bucky being clingy? A little more than usual? Maybe he'd noticed Steve had been off - noticed his mind wandering a bit during sex.

Guilt twisted in Steve's chest. It could just be Bucky being Bucky. He was up and down with how needy he could be and most of the time it had nothing to do with Steve. Or maybe this wasn't even any needier than usual.

"Ugh."

"You okay?" Clint asked, appearing at Steve's side with a jacket slung over his shoulder.

"Sorry. Yeah. Just tired. Ready?"

"Yup." Clint slipped out and Steve went after him, turning back to lock up. "See ya!" Clint called, already jogging off across the street. Steve set off the other way, towards his apartment.

He tried to use the walk home to clear his head, but thoughts of Tony and Bucky wouldn't stop swirling around in there, a nameless anxiety churning his stomach without relief.

Everything settled when he reached his apartment door, though. Bucky and Natasha - who he hadn't seen in too long - would be inside, and Tony wouldn't be. He reached for the handle, then grinned. There was a blue sock covered in orange carrots pulled over the handle. Natasha never could resist that rabbit.

Steve opened the door carefully, jamming his foot in the gap and slipping in as quickly as he could. He tugged the sock off the handle and pulled it in with him. Sure enough, Hopper launched himself off Natasha's lap - from where she was sitting on the floor - and made a mad bunny-dash for the door. But Steve snapped it shut quickly.

He bent down to pet Hop's back, but he didn't stay still long enough for more than a few strokes before he was turning his butt to Steve and lollopping back to Natasha, grumpy that his bid for freedom had been thwarted yet again.

But Natasha was already pushing to her feet and crossing the room, arms open. Steve collapsed into her hold, wrapping his arms around her waist and burrowing his face into her neck. "Nat, oh my god, it's so good to have you home."

"It's so good to be home." She gave him an extra squeeze before stepping bad. "Man, I missed your useless asses more than I thought I would."

"Nice to hear."

"I mostly missed Hopper, though."

"Entirely understandable."

Bucky came in from the kitchen with bowls of chips and salsa and leaned in for a kiss from Steve before depositing them on the coffee table. Hopper periscoped towards them, nose going a mile a minute, but determined it wasn't something worth getting on the couch for. Eddy, on the other hand, levered herself up from her bed and tottled over to sit next to the chip bowl, looking back over her shoulder to grin placidly at any humans within chipping distance.

Steve made a silent mental bet that Bucky would be the first to give in to the puppy dog eyes. If Hops could have chips, Nat would be elbow deep in the bowl already.

They all settled on the couch and Nat told them stories of her aunt and uncle fighting, her grandmother's casual racism and her cousin's cat that wouldn't stop peeing in everyone's shoes. Bucky whined about his upcoming exams, and Steve complained about Peter needing the next week off which left him short staffed.

Bucky lasted about four chips before one found its way into Eddy's mouth, and by the time all the bitching and moaning was done, they were each two beers in and feeling goofy.

"I'm taking her for a pee," Steve said, when he felt the second beer start to spin his head a little. "Not going to be able to make it to the park and back if we carry on." He heaved himself up to his feet and found her leash under a jacket.

Nat stumbled up against his back. "I'm coming with you."

"I'll just stay here and cook and clean for you freeloaders," Bucky called from the kitchen.

Steve knew for a fact he was unwrapping frozen pizzas. "Thanks, babe!"

As soon as he and Natasha hit the cool, night air, Nat took a pack of cigarettes out of her pocket and lit one up. "Hey, Steve?"

"Yeah?"

"You okay?"

Steve stopped while Eddy stuck her face in a scraggly looking bush on the boulevard. "Okay? Why wouldn't I be okay? Do I seem not okay?"

Nat took a drag from her cigarette and turned to blow it out. She shrugged. "You seem… distracted."

"I'm -" Steve opened and closed his mouth. "The Future Gallery deadline is looming. I'm stressed about it. I still can't figure out what to paint. Everything I start looks awful."

"Hmm." Natasha kept smoking and they kept walking. Steve focused on the curl of smoke dancing up from her fingers. He didn't know what to say. "As long as you're okay."

"I'm fine."

Nat slowed to match his pace - which was matched to Eddy's - and slipped her arm through his, tugging him close. "I'm glad I'm home."

"God, me too."

Back at the apartment, Bucky had put Hopper away and was sprawled across the couch with a controller in his hand, the grunts and cries of a fighting game emanating from the TV. The whole apartment smelled deliciously of cooking pizza.

The rest of the evening wandered by in food, raucous laughter, more beer, and Steve getting his ass kicked on the TV screen more times than he could count. He sat out a round, going to the bathroom then putting the leftover food out of Eddy-reach before taking his place on the end of the couch again. Bucky and Nat were entirely caught up in their battle, but Steve couldn't help but think back to Nat's words on their walk.

Was he distracted? If so, distracted from what? Had Bucky noticed? If he had, he hadn't said anything. But what if Bucky thought Steve was distracted away from him, not giving him what he needed? To tell the truth, they'd both been a bit distracted, in one way or another, Bucky with his exams and Steve with his paintings and the cafe. Distracted wasn't bad, it was just a bump in the road. They'd make it over together.

And having Natasha back was a relief, even if she tended to look at Steve like his head was made of glass.

When the clock rounded past midnight, Nat slapped them both on the thighs and pushed herself up off the couch. "Well, that's me for the night boys. I gotta get up early and get my cat back from Sam. I bet she's ten pounds heavier than when I left her with him. That man cannot resist the scream-meowing."

"It's pretty hard to resist," Bucky told her.

"From the man who just gave Ed her weight in tortilla chips, plus three pepperonis."

Bucky pouted, and Steve nearly launched himself across the couch to kiss the scowl right off his face. He was so cute when he was grumpy.

Okay. The fourth beer might have been a mistake.

"She's old," Bucky insisted.

"You okay to get home?" Steve asked Nat, and she nodded. "Alright." He stood too, only wobbling a little, and pulled her in for another hug and a kiss, followed shortly after by Bucky.

"Goodnight, boys. See you later." She left.

Bucky reeled Steve in for a kiss of his own; he hummed through it. "Meet me in the bedroom?"

"I'm going to clean up."

By the time the dishes were washed, Bucky was showered and changed, sprawled on the bed in his sleep pants, with Eddy belly up against his side, snoring, and an entire semester's worth of flash cards confettied across his chest.

"Want me to quiz you?" Steve asked, tipping sideways across the bed at Bucky's feet. The dishes had cleared his head a little, but he could feel the soft haze of sleep starting to settle around him.

Bucky bent his knees to burrow his feet under Steve's side. "Yeah." He scooped the cards up in a messy pile and tossed them to Steve.

Steve shuffled them into a stack, flipping around a few backwards ones, then started calling out the questions. Bucky had it down, really. He'd always had a good memory for that kind of thing. The only time he made a mistake was when he talked himself out of the right answer. "You got this, babe."

"Yeah. Still nervous though."

"You can be nervous. Want me to help you with that?" Steve offered, squeezing Bucky's ankle.

Bucky smiled down at him. "Yeah. Come here."

So Steve crawled up the bed, tugging off clothes as he went, and settled himself at Bucky's side, one arm wrapped around Bucky's waist to rest his hand on Eddy's chest. He shoved his face into Bucky's neck, easily ignoring the way it made each inhale hot and low on oxygen and closed his eyes. Bucky was already snoring along with Eddy.

Chapter 10

Chapter Text

Steve let the building door slam shut behind him, not caring who he pissed off. He was sore, his feet screaming, and far too many demanding, rude customers had snapped at him in the last hour before closing.

It didn't help that Tony still hadn't returned.

Steve fumbled his key into the lock and pushed open the apartment door. He dumped his bag on the shoe rack and kicked his boots off, rolling his ankles out. "Hey, Buck, I'm -" Steve cut off, screeching to a halt as he rounded the corner into the living room. Bucky was sitting on the couch, Steve's sketchbook open in his lap.

Open to the sketch of Tony.

"I was looking for a blank sheet to write a note on," Bucky said quietly.

"Buck -" Steve started desperately.

"Are you cheating on me, Stevie?" His voice was too calm, too collected. Steve hated it.

He took a half-step forward. "No. No, I would never. Never. Those are just from my imagination..."

Bucky traced his finger over the sketch. "But you're in love with him?"

"No! I -" Steve cut himself off. He wasn't. It was just a crush. He swallowed heavily. "Not - No. But I do… I do like him. A lot." Steve finally covered the last few feet and dropped himself on the other end of the couch, careful space between them. It made his stomach churn - they'd never needed careful space before, never wanted it. "I'm sorry. He asked me out, but I said no, of course. But I - I can't stop thinking about him. I love you, though. I just - it's a passing crush. It'll go away."

"How long's it been?"

"...Two months"

"Doesn't really sound like a passing crush, does it?" Bucky met his eyes for the first time, and Steve almost wished he hadn't. There was something there Steve had never seen before: uncertainty, in him, in them.

"I'm so sorry. I swear, I would never do anything, never act on it. But I - I - can't turn it off. I can't help how I feel." Steve's fingers twitched towards Bucky but stopped before they found his wrist. "I love you. I only want you. I'll get over him. I will. Please, Bucky."

"I trust you," Buck said, stilted, robotic, and Steve's heart broke. The back of his eyes stung, heating, and he resisted the urge to throw himself in Bucky's lap. He'd never had to resist that feeling before. And Bucky was still looking at the damn picture.

Steve grabbed the sketchbook and slammed it closed then tossed it aside. "Don't -" He didn't know how to finish that sentence. Don't leave me.

After a long moment of silence, Bucky cleared his throat. "I can't lie and say it doesn't hurt. It does. I just - I just don't know why you didn't tell me? I mean, you clearly think about him enough to sketch him - and not just once, I'll add - but in two months you never thought to tell me about this? You've barely mentioned him to me."

"I didn't want to hurt you," Steve admitted quietly. "I thought it would go away, eventually. And I didn't want you to dislike him, either. I thought - I thought I could just get him out of my system." He gestured towards the sketchbook.

"Did it work?"

"No."

"Do you look at it a lot?"

"...Sometimes."

"Okay."

The empty cushion between them felt a mile wide. They sat in silence for a long time, cold fingers of icy dread crawling higher and higher in Steve's chest. "I'll spend the night at Nat's," Steve finally said, when Bucky didn't ask him to go.

"You don't have to do that, Steve. I'm not - I wouldn't -"

"I know. But I actually think I do need to do that."

"Oh."

"Not - Not like that. Not because I want to be apart from you, I don't. But I think maybe you need some space to process this. And - and I don't really trust myself right now. I don't want to say something stupid and hurt both of us. I feel kind of panicky, and I say dumb things when I'm panicky."

Bucky's foot twitched on the carpet. "Okay."

"I'll be back tomorrow morning. If you want me to come back."

"Of course I want you to come back, Stevie. I don't want you to go at all." But the way he was leaning out of Steve's space, curling away from him, told Steve everything he needed to know. Bucky was hurt, and he needed to be alone and think through it. If Steve stayed, they would fight, and if they were going to fight, it needed to be after they'd both had some time to cool down and think about it. Steve needed to figure out how he was going to prove to Bucky that he was the one he wanted, the only one.

He shot off a text to Natasha, almost regretting that she'd returned home and he couldn't just let himself into her empty apartment to hide. Can I crash on your couch tonight?

Of course. You okay?

Yeah. We just need some space tonight. I made a mistake.

sh*t. Bucky kicked you out?

No, no. He'd never do that. I volunteered to leave. Trust me - he needs space. I think, so do I.

Okay. No problem. Come on over. Bring wine if you have time to stop, I'm almost out.

Thank you.

Steve threw a few things in a bag while he texted, then dropped the bag by the door and turned back to where Bucky was sitting on the couch. The damn sketchbook was still on the corner of the coffee table where Steve had tossed it. He pointedly left it there - he didn't want Bucky to think there was anything else he was hiding - or that he couldn't go a night without it. "I love you," he said, nerves twisting up his voice.

Bucky's eyes drifted up from the carpet and settled on his. "I love you, too. I really do. Text me when you get there, okay?"

"Okay."

Steve left.

Natasha had a tray of brownies waiting for them when he arrived. She pushed him down on the couch, put her cat in his lap, a brownie in one hand, and a glass of wine in the other. She sat opposite him. "Spill."

"I kept something from Bucky that I shouldn't have," Steve said slowly. He took a bite of the brownie. It was good - still warm. Nat didn't say anything, so Steve went on. "I… I have a crush on this guy that comes to the coffeeshop. I thought it would go away, but he likes me back, so we flirt a lot. He asked me out two weeks ago."

"Steve - you didn't -?"

"No, of course I didn't." Steve shot her a glare, and she apologized with a tip of her head. "I said no. But once I knew he liked me too, I couldn't get it out of my head. It was like every time I closed my eyes, my brain wandered off into daydreams about being with him."

"How did Bucky find out if you didn't tell him?"

"I - uh - I may have drawn some pictures…"

"Steven!"

Steve shook his head at her false shock, rolling his eyes. It wasn't like she had never asked him to draw something a little risque for her enjoyment. "Buck found them. He was upset, said I should have told him. Which I should have, obviously, but I didn't think it was a big deal. I've had crushes before. They fade. But this one won't, dammit."

"Maybe it's more than a crush?" Nat offered.

"I love Bucky so much." Steve's chest ached as he bit out the words, sipping at his wine when his eyes prickled. "I don't want to lose him, I can't lose him. I'd never talk to Tony again if it would make him feel safer, but it's not really about that, is it?"

"I mean, I can't speak for Bucky, but no, I don't think it's about that."

"I should have told him."

Natasha was quiet for a moment, and Steve looked up at her. She was watching him with a peculiar expression.

"What?" he asked.

"Why didn't you?"

"Why didn't I what?"

"Tell Bucky." Natasha sipped her wine. "What stopped you from telling him?"

"I -" Steve closed his mouth. He wasn't actually sure why.

"You guys tell each other everything."

It dug into Steve's chest, carved a painful gash through his heart. "I know," he choked out. "I don't know why I didn't. I thought - I thought it would upset him… maybe. I thought it didn't matter."

Natasha paused again, for too long. "But you said you thought it would go away. If it was so fleeting, why would it upset him? You've talked about finding other people attractive before, right? He had that crush on that one weather guy. What was his name? We all used to put it on to tease him." She snapped her fingers.

"Daniel Harrington."

"Right, yeah. That didn't bother you."

"No."

"So why didn't you tell him about Tony?"

Steve huffed and set his wine glass aside. He scrubbed both hands over his face. He didn't know why. "Maybe - maybe because Tony's not some weather guy on TV? He comes to my work. He's real. I see him - saw him - almost every day and he is - was - a customer so I can't just avoid him. It's different."

"Doesn't that make it even more important that you tell Buck?"

"Gah - f*ck. It's not that I don't know it was a mistake, Nat!" Steve tossed his hand up in frustration and Widow bolted out of his lap. "I don't know what going over and over it all is going to do. I upset him. I hurt him. I lied and it's coming back to bite me in the ass. Why does it matter why I did it?"

Natasha licked a brownie crumb off her finger. "You're right, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed. It'll be fine. You guys just need some time to cool off, have a night apart. Do the big boy grown up talking tomorrow when you're both calmer. It's okay." She patted Steve's knee. "Wanna watch House Flippers International?"

Steve sighed and sunk lower in his seat, stealing the rest of Natasha's brownie off her napkin. "Duh."

**

Despite how tired he'd been all day, Steve couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned on Nat's couch, eyes cutting from the stain on the ceiling, to the gap in the curtains that leaked streetlight glow into the room, to the lights on Nat's cable box.

The brownies and wine churned in his stomach. What was he going to say tomorrow? He didn't even understand it himself, how could he explain it to Bucky?

Steve thought about Tony and his stomach flipped even worse. How was he ever going to face him? Of course, that was if Tony ever showed himself at the coffee shop again. That ached. What if he never saw him again, except on TV? All those afternoons in the back booth, talking and chatting, never again, because Tony had to go and ask him out…

Except none of this was Tony's fault, or Bucky's. It was Steve's. He shouldn't have thought about Tony that way, shouldn't have flirted back, should have mentioned Bucky more, made it clear they were together. He shouldn't have drawn those damn pictures, and he should have told Bucky the second he started -

Started wanting Tony…

Because he did. He wanted him. He wanted him so badly, oh god. Even after not seeing him for two weeks, even trying so hard to push thoughts of him from his mind, Steve had to admit it. He still wanted him.

He sat up on the couch and folded himself over his knees with a groan. Even as he wallowed in the guilt of wanting a man who wasn't his boyfriend, his traitorous mind fantasized about Tony slipping down onto the couch behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist and hooking his chin over Steve's shoulder. It was agonizing comfort.

"It's just because Tony is new, unknown," Steve muttered to himself. That was all it was, right? Novelty. He'd been with Bucky for a long time. Novelty had its place.

Steve rocked flat again, hooking his arms back over the arm of the couch. He fiddled with the edge of the couch cover. What if one of his fantasies came true? Steve let himself indulge, imagining Tony's hands stroking up his body, Bucky sitting happily behind him, approving. Tony was all smiles as he kissed his way up Steve's chest.

But it was just as easy to imagine Tony settling down after, sliding hot hands around Steve's back, the full weight of his head right over Steve's heart. It reminded him of when he and Bucky had gotten together for the first time, finally, after so many years of avoiding how they really felt. There'd been a stressful, heated conversation, and at the end of it all, Buck had just tipped into his arms, laid down on his chest, and they'd held each other.

He'd had doubts, before that, about his sexuality, that it was really romantic love and not platonic between them. But then Bucky had stretched out his warm weight over him, pressed a kiss to the dip of Steve's throat, and Steve's heart had skipped a beat. And he'd known.

With his eyes still closed, Steve imagined Bucky snuggled up against his back, face buried in his hair. And Tony, still sprawled out over Steve's chest, warm and heavy and completely lax, comfortable, wrapped in a warm hoodie that used to belong to Steve.

And Steve's heart skipped a beat.

sh*t. He was in love with Tony.

Chapter 11

Chapter Text

Steve hovered in the hallway, struck with the intensely painful feeling that he should knock on his own front door. He couldn't face the awkwardness that would bring, so he settled for letting his bag bang against the frame as he fumbled for his keys, signalling his arrival.

If Bucky was even there.

The sudden thought that there was a chance Bucky had packed up all his things in the night and left slammed into Steve out of nowhere and he shoved his key in, heart pounding, and jiggled open the door.

All of Bucky's things were still there, and so was Bucky, standing in the kitchen holding a steaming mug, knuckles white, eyes on the floor. Eddy was sitting at his feet, grinning up at him, but she pushed up her old hips and trotted over to Steve when he shuffled through the door, tail wafting back and forth.

"Buck," Steve said, before he could stop himself, and Bucky's eyes cut up to him. He had dark bruises staining his cheeks, his eyes red-rimmed and heavy. His hair was a mess and his throat bobbed with a heavy swallow.

"Morning."

Steve dropped his bag and shut the door behind him. He scrubbed his fingers through Eddy's fur and gave her an encouraging pat. "Did you sleep okay?"

"No." Bucky set his mug down and pushed his hair back away from his face. "You?"

"No." Steve shuffled over to the couch. He wanted to shower and change, but he couldn't take another second with this hanging over him. "We should talk."

"Okay." Bucky perched on the other end of the couch, one leg folded under him. He'd picked up his mug again, but he didn't drink from it, just held it.

"I'm sorry," Steve started with. "I love you. That's - it's so important to me that you know that, really understand that. I love you so much. I can't imagine life without you. You're everything I orbit around. Nothing that I ever feel for anyone else could ever take away from that. When it comes down to it, you're my other half, Buck. That hasn't changed, never will."

Bucky nodded, working the inside of his cheek with his teeth.

"But…" Steve said, and Bucky flinched. "I was lying to myself, not just you. I talked to Natasha and I stayed up all night thinking about it and… I'm in love with him. I fell in love with Tony."

Bucky nodded again, slower this time. He still wouldn't look at Steve.

"I didn't mean to, didn't even see it coming. We were flirting, sure, but you and I both flirt with other people. And it comes with the customer service territory, and he was being nice and tipping well, and it felt… friendly. Safe. But friendly wouldn't keep me up at night. And friendly wouldn't draw those pictures. I had these fantasies, and I felt like I just needed to get them out of my head and you're right, that's not a passing crush."

Bucky let out a long, heavy sigh and he leaned back against the cushions. Then he smiled.

"I - is that funny?"

"Not really," Bucky's smile widened. "But it's a huge, f*cking relief."

"What? Why?"

"Because I have known you almost your entire life Steve. I took one look at those pictures and one look at your dumb face when you talked about him and I knew damn well you were in love with him. But you kept it hidden from me and then I thought you lied about it when I asked you. There's nothing more terrifying than your boyfriend telling you it's nothing when he's obviously flipped his heart inside out for another man. But it turns out you were just being your normal, stupid, clueless self and I have nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about? But I just told you I'm in love with someone else!" The wheels were rapidly flying off of Steve's bus. Surely Bucky cared.

"I know." Bucky reached out a hand and Steve took it automatically. It was warm from his mug. "But you still love me, and you want to be with me, so it's okay. Right?"

"Yes, of course."

"It's not cheating to fantasize about someone else, Stevie, seriously. At least not to me. We've been together for four years, I can't believe that in all that time your mind has never wandered. Mine has."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I mean not to love, but I've had the occasional fantasy, seen a hot guy on the street and wondered what it would be like if I were single and could go talk to him. The only thing that hurts is that you didn't tell me. And that I thought you were lying about how strongly you feel."

"I wasn't. You were right," Steve grumbled. "I was just being my stupid self. Took me like six whole years to figure out I was in love with you, didn't it?"

"And that's why I can forgive you so easily," Bucky said with a laugh. He tugged on the hand that was still clasped in his and Steve flowed up into his arms, sprawling out over his chest. Bucky pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

"I really am sorry about keeping it a secret. If I'd stopped to think about it for more than two minutes, I would have realized I needed to talk to you, but I was too scared to think about it too much."

Bucky held him for a long time as they lay in silence, reconnecting to being close, feeling each other's touch. After a while, Ed pushed herself up from her cushion in the corner and toddled over, shoving her nose in under their hands until they both reached out to pet her together. She sat and closed her eyes, mouth falling open and tongue lolling out. "Good girl."

"So…" Bucky started.

"Yeah?"

"Tell me about him?"

"About Tony?"

"Yeah."

So Steve started at the beginning and he told him everything. He told him again about the first time he'd come in the shop, how Steve had thought he was hot, but mostly terrifying, and how unreal it'd been when he complimented his art. Then he moved on to the stuff Bucky didn't know about. The first time Tony had taken a booth at the back and Steve had joined him there, how he'd missed the end of his shift and Tony had helped him close up.

He told Bucky about the fantasies, first about the money and then about Tony himself. He told him about Tony defending Peter, making Darcy laugh, and flirting with him over muffins.

Then he told him about Tony's face when he'd asked him out and Steve had said no, how he hadn't just looked disappointed, but hurt, because Steve had hurt him.

"I strung him along. I was so awful to both of you, and I'm so sorry." Steve's eyes stung again.

Bucky hauled him in close, let them tumble sideways on the couch until they were wrapped around each other. "Hey, hey. It's okay." Eddy leaned in and started licking Steve's hand where it rested on Bucky's chest. "See, Eddy forgives you."

"I feel like such an idiot, Buck. And now I've upset you and I've upset him, and I've lost my shot at a friendship with him, too. It really wasn't worth it. And, god, what if you weren't so forgiving and I lost you too? I keep thinking about it. I was up thinking about it all night…"

"Well, I was up all night thinking the same thing. What if he's lying? What if he and Stark have… you know. Stark's rich and handsome and known for having game. But if anyone'd asked me a week ago, I'd have said no f*cking way, Stevie's not like that. But then when you brushed it off as nothing… Anyway. I trust you, babe. And I love you. I can't promise I'm not going to be pissed about it once in a while, or, you know, struck with a little wild jealousy or get a bit nosy once in a while, but I do trust you. That's what I kept coming back to last night. That you had to have a reason, because you would never. I just couldn't figure out what it might be."

"Sheer stupidity," Steve grumbled into his neck.

Bucky pressed his lips to Steve's ear. "I love you madly, babe. Even when you're a complete idiot."

"Thank god," Steve choked out, wanting it to be a joke, but unable to keep the roughness out of his voice. Steve shifted up and took the kiss he'd been wanting since he got home the night before and didn't feel he could take. He didn't feel the full relief of Bucky's forgiveness until Bucky opened up to the kiss, melting into the couch and letting Steve drive.

Steve kissed him almost desperately, trying to pour everything he felt for Bucky into every brush of his lips and flick of his tongue. He thought of nothing but the man in his arms and the overwhelming love he felt for him.

"Stevie…" Bucky murmured against him, and Steve stole two more quick kisses before stopping.

"Yeah?"

"There wasn't -?" The broken hesitancy in Bucky's voice made Steve push himself up and look down at Bucky with concern.

"Wasn't what?"

"There wasn't anything… I wasn't giving you? Or that you… were looking for?"

"No! No, no, Buck, it wasn't like that. There's nothing missing. I love us. I'm so happy."

"So... what is it - and don't take this the wrong way - but what is it about him?"

"I… I honestly don't know. He's handsome, you know that, and funny. He treats me well and he treats the staff well. He's this wonderful, hot mess of hyper-competent and absolutely useless." Bucky laughed, and Steve shifted around so he was lying beside him, tucked between Bucky and the back of the couch. "Are you sure you want to hear this?"

"Yeah. I'm not going to ask you to stop loving him, babe. I know it doesn't work that way, even if it stings a bit sometimes. But I am asking you to be honest with me from now on. I want to know how you feel, if you two talk, you know."

"Of course. I'm not hiding anything anymore. Anything you want, Buck." Steve's throat tightened. "I don't think he's coming back to the cafe. I really f*cked that up. But if he does, I'll tell him it's better if he stays away. It's not fair to you to be wondering…"

"No, you don't have to do that." Bucky pulled him down again, wrapping them around each other. "Just keep me posted, right? Tell me if it's becoming a problem."

"I will. I promise."

Bucky turned and their eyes met. "I love you. And I just want you to be happy, but I'll fight for you. If it comes to that."

Steve brushed his hair back from his face. "I will never make you. It's always you."

Bucky bent down and kissed Steve, harder this time, with more purpose. He twisted around so they were pressed chest to chest, Steve caged in against the back of the couch, nothing but Bucky's firm warmth from head to toe. Bucky's hand slid up under the hem of Steve's shirt and he gasped into it, grinding forward against the firmness of Bucky's thigh.

If Bucky needed this, to reclaim him, Steve needed it just as badly. He needed to know they were okay, that he hadn't broken things, that Bucky still loved him. Even when he'd had nothing, he'd had Bucky, and he wouldn't give that up for anything, not for Tony, not for the world.

Chapter 12

Chapter Text

Day after day, Steve wished that he'd asked Tony for his number before everything went to sh*t, even though that would have made it look even more like he was interested in a date. But at least, if he had Tony's number, he could text him and apologize, ask him to come back, try and make it up to him. Unsurprisingly, Tony was impossible to get a hold of. His celebrity status meant he needed to keep a tight guard over his contacts and social media, and after a little poking, that Steve had made sure Bucky was there for, he'd been unable to find a way to contact him directly. Anything less direct was either too public or too unlikely. The most damning thing was that Tony had sent an e-transfer to the cafe, covering his tab and then some, with no message attached.

Steve missed him, missed seeing him frowning at his computer screen in the back booth, papers and tablets and cables all around him.

But another week went by with no Tony.

The ease with which Bucky accepted Steve's longing to see Tony again made Steve fall in love with him all over again. There was a little bit of jealousy, sure, but it was mixed with a sort of intrigue that Steve had never seen from him before, like he got a thrill out of watching the soap opera that was Steve's other love life. Steve made sure to talk about him, so Bucky wouldn't think he was hiding anything, though Buck never seemed for a minute like he doubted his trust in Steve. And every time Steve did talk about Tony, Bucky would get this sweet, little indulgent smile on his face, like Steve's crush was cute, which only made Steve want to talk about Tony more. Not that there was much to say, when Tony had so effectively exited his life, stage left.

They were running a sale on three, specialty, chocolate-flavoured drinks, but the banner kept falling down, so Steve found himself up on a ladder on Tuesday afternoon, somewhat precariously re-pinning the heavy, canvas sign.

"Up a little on the left," came a familiar voice from below, and he spun around too fast and almost tilted right off the ladder.

"Tony," he breathed, promptly forgetting all the times he told himself he would be cool if Tony came back.

Tony smiled up at him, but it was a little sheepish, a little strained.

Steve jammed the pin in the banner at random and hustled back down the ladder. He folded it up and shoved it in the alley then turned back to find Tony still waiting by the front door, hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. He didn't look like he'd come from the office, but also not as rough as he did when he came from the workshop. "Hey."

"Hi."

Steve took an uncertain step closer. "Been quiet here, without you around."

Tony nodded, and his smile shifted a little more towards something real. "Long business trip. It was supposed to only be a few days in Germany, but I ended up doing the whole Euro tour while I was out there."

"Oh, wow." Steve gestured to the door, and Tony nodded and followed him in. "What can I get you?"

"Surprise me." Tony hopped up on a stool near the espresso machine while Steve slipped in beside Darcy - who started doing intense things with her eyebrows at him and tipping her head towards Tony - and started mixing up a cappuccino. "You, uh, got my payment, right? Didn't want to leave my tab hanging since I didn't know how long I'd be away."

"Yeah, I got it. It was very generous. I think you overpaid a little." Steve tipped the milk under the steamer and started it hissing away.

"No, it was definitely right. You're just awful at math. I'm a genius, Steven, don't test me."

Steve laughed, the strain slipping away. It was so easy to be around Tony, even with the awkwardness still hanging over their heads. And if Tony was willing to let things go and start over as friends, Steve would follow his lead.

Steve set Tony's cup in front of him, along with a muffin, and Tony nodded towards the back. "Didn't rent out my room, didya?"

"Nope. All yours. We're having a plaque made so no one else sits there. 'Reserved for Tony Stark.'"

Tony laughed and picked up his cup and plate. "Come visit if you get a minute," he said gently, giving Steve an easy out if he didn't want to. I couldn't snag a minute, sorry. But as soon as he was gone, all Steve wanted to do was follow him to his booth. God, he was so far gone. If there was any hope that the weeks apart would have tempered his feelings, they were dashed completely as he sighed after Tony's back disappearing among the tables.

Work was busy enough that he couldn't go fall into chatting with Tony, but not busy enough to keep his mind from wandering. In between customers, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a text to Bucky.

Steve: Tony's back.

Bucky: What happened?

Steve: He's acting like nothing happened. Being nice. Said he was on a business trip. He wants me to go sit with him on my break like I used to.

Bucky: Are you going to?

Steve: Maybe?

Bucky: Do you want to?

Steve stared at the text for a long time. Why was it so hard to say?

Steve: Yes.
Steve: I'm sorry.

Bucky: You don't have to be sorry, Stevie. If I didn't like you talking to him, I would have asked you not to.

Steve: It's not too late to ask.

Bucky: Go sit with him, babe. Talk to him. You guys can be friends. It's okay. Or if it's too awkward, maybe not. But you won't know until you try. I trust you.
I love you.

Steve: I love you too.

Steve shoved his phone away as a mother came in with her eight kids and they all started to order in a cacophony of sugar-laden demands.

An hour later, when things had calmed down, Sam nudged Steve with his elbow. "You're forty-five minutes late for your break. What's up, man?"

Steve shrugged. "Things were busy…"

"Not that busy." Sam glanced over to the corner booth. "You guys having a spat or something?"

"No, no. It's not that. I'm just - I got caught up in work. I'm going now. Watch me break." Steve grabbed two cups from the stack and started to measure out coffee grounds. But before he started the espresso percolating, he tugged his sharpie out of his apron and, after a deep breath to steady him, started to draw on Tony's cup. He did an airplane, this time, Tony coming back from his trip. He made two cappuccinos and topped each with a little cinnamon.

Steve pulled his apron off and tossed it in the office as he walked by on his way to Tony's booth. A sudden rush of nerves had him almost turning and marching outside instead, but then Tony's eyes flicked up and he smiled, leaning back in his seat, and Steve was helpless to go anywhere else.

Steve dropped into his usual seat too heavily and slid the airplane cup across the table top. "Hi, Tony. How's your work going?" he asked in a rush, the words stumbling out before Tony could have a chance to speak.

"Fine. Good." He shrugged. "It's as usual, two steps forward, three steps back." He lifted his cup and turned it, revealing the airplane. His frown broke into a smile.

"Sorry."

He shrugged again, still smiling. "How've things been here?"

"Pretty good. Busy, but not unmanageable. Think I have to hire someone, though." Steve started folding his napkin into random shapes. "I hate hiring."

"You should use a headhunter."

Steve blinked blankly at Tony. "Tony… it's a coffee shop."

Tony grinned. "So what?"

Steve tossed the napkin aside with a laugh. "I think you should run this place."

"No way." Tony rapped his fingers on the table. "Too hard."

"Oh, cause your multi-billion dollar, international corporation is a walk in the park."

Tony waved it away as nothing. "I don't do the hard stuff."

"Tony…" Steve started, but trailed off when Tony shot him a look. "Tell me about your trip," he tried.

Tony turned his bright eyes on Steve and narrowed them a little then smiled. "It sucked until Spain, honestly. Then I ran away."

"What?" Steve asked, laughing.

"Yeah. I bailed out after the most important meeting I had lined up, called in sick and wandered around with the baseball hat and the heavy shades. It was really nice, actually. I don't let myself do that kind of thing very often."

"That sounds lovely."

Tony shifted in his seat, laughed lightly, then flicked his eyes away from Steve and over to the bar. "I, uh, I got you something there. Is that weird?"

"Oh. Um. No, I don't think that's weird. I mean? That's kind of nice?" Steve swallowed heavily. "It's very nice."

"It's not supposed to be, you know, weird." Tony folded his arms over the table. "It is weird. I'm sorry. Look, I didn't even bring it with me, why am I talking about it? sh*t. I'm so f*cking jetlagged." Tony collapsed down over his folded arms.

Steve patted him gently on the arm then stood.

"Where are you going?" Tony shot up again. "I made things weird. I'm sorry."

"No, no," Steve chuckled out. "Just hold on. I'll be right back." Steve scurried over to the coffee bar and whipped up a double espresso. He slipped back in to the other side of the booth to find Tony face down on the table again. He poked him in the top of the head, then poured the extra shots into the cappuccino Tony had already made a sizeable dent in.

"Oh, sh*t. You're a lifesaver. It just hit me all of a sudden, you know?" Tony cupped the coffee close to him and breathed in.

"I don't, actually. I've never been out of this timezone." Steve smiled softly. "But I do know how to treat it." He winked.

Tony's smile went soft, and Steve's stomach fluttered with butterflies. Time apart hadn't done a thing to lessen how he felt, that was for sure. "You should travel, Steve," Tony said, then he fell silent again, sipping at his coffee. "So," he started, after a long pause, and it was so like when he had asked Steve out that Steve flinched a little, grateful when Tony didn't seem to notice. "Tell me about Bucky."

'What?" That was not what Steve had been expecting.

"He's your boyfriend, right?"

"Uh. Yes." The butterflies turned into churning caterpillars. "About that. I'm really sorr-"

Tony waved a hand and cut him off. "Totally fine. Not your fault. I shouldn't have assumed."

"It wasn't unreasonable to assume…"

Tony cleared his throat. "I hate apologies. Forgiven, whatever, friends. I'm not - Tell me about Bucky?"

"You really want to know?"

"Yeah. I'd like to know about him, that's all. I know about your pets and your family, and your friends here at the cafe..."

If it was meant to be pointed, it didn't actually feel that way. Tony seemed genuinely interested, and while Steve couldn't quite figure out why Tony would want to know more about the man who robbed him of a date, it wasn't like he wanted to say no. Bucky knew all about Tony, after all, it was only fair. "Well… we met as kids. We didn't go to the same school, but we lived only a few blocks apart. I was really good at starting fights and Buck was really good at ending them." Tony laughed at that, but let Steve go on. "We were best friends, all the way through school. Then we graduated, and decided to live together while I went to college and he worked. He works as a security guard, but he's about to take his final exams to be a registered nurse.

"Anyway, we lived together but suddenly we were fighting all the time. All the things that were so easy before were suddenly hard. It was like we were grating on each other every chance we had. I thought our friendship was over, that living together had ruined it. And on top of all that, I was dealing with some…" Steve coughed lightly "...new feelings. It was all really confusing and awful. I felt like I was losing everyone I knew, even myself."

Steve settled back in the booth seat and let out a tense breath. "Then we sat down and finally really talked about it. I think it took like four hours of talking before we managed to get to the nub of it, which was that we were both having feelings, now that we were all up in each other's space all the time, and it was making it hard to be around each other and not acknowledge them. So, well, then he kissed me, and the rest is history.

"He's taking his exams really soon - he's so f*cking smart, but it's been such a hard haul for him - and then he'll be a nurse! He went into nursing because of my mom. She always took care of him when I pulled him into some scheme or some dark alley full of fists and nasty words. He wants to be able to give that to other people." Steve paused, eyes falling down to the papers on the tabletop. He didn't know what kind of expression Tony would be giving him, didn't want to know. "He loves science too. If he'd had the money, I think he'd have gone into physics. He always gets so excited for new tech, sending me articles I don't understand. You two would have stuff to talk about…"

Steve finally braved a peek at Tony's face, and he was smiling, gentle and genuine. "I bet we would. He sounds great."

"He is. Amazing. Perfect."

"I'm really glad you two found each other." Tony leaned forward a bit. "Honestly, Steve. Really happy for you."

"Thank you. I -" But Steve didn't know how to say you would have been my next choice, hands down, without it sounding like a participation ribbon, so he closed his mouth again. Tony, perhaps, seemed to understand.

To Steve's immense relief, he changed the subject and they talked right through until Steve's break was over.

Chapter 13

Chapter Text

It was another two days before Tony showed up again, just long enough for Steve to get nervous that it was going to be another several weeks. But in the afternoon on Thursday, Tony appeared by the espresso maker, decked out in one of his fancy suits, hair perfectly styled and leaving a gentle cloud of a soft spice wherever he went.

Not that Steve was smelling him or anything.

The air was cleared, in a way, with Bucky knowing about Steve's feelings for Tony, and Tony knowing about Bucky but hopefully still understanding that Steve wanted to be friends with him. And when Steve looked up from washing dishes and saw Tony smiling at him from across the counter, he flooded with unrestrained relief.

Tony nodded towards the back booth without ordering anything, and Steve nodded back, unable to be heard over the rush of the faucet. When the dishes were done, he told Darcy he was taking a break - long overdue for one, anyway - and whipped up two vanilla lattes. He slipped into the booth and slid one of the cups over. Tony traded for a flat, paper-wrapped package.

"It's nothing. Just -" He coughed. "I saw it and thought of you, that's all."

Steve turned it over in his hands. "In Spain?"

"Yeah."

Steve couldn't help but be pleased that Tony was thinking about him on his trip. Steve peeled the paper back and gasped. "Wow." It was a painting, small, but vivid, a seascape, all bright blues and oranges. It was gorgeous.

"You said Hopper was your favourite artist, and this one reminded me of him. I just, uh, picked it up on a walk. Couldn't put it down. No room in my collection…" Tony tapped his fingers on the table, and Steve took pity on him.

"Thank you, Tony. Really. It's gorgeous. I'm touched you were thinking about me. I thought about you a lot while you were gone."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." Steve offered him a smile. "I… was really worried we weren't friends anymore. I feel really bad."

Tony's mouth twitched and he sniffed, eyes dropping to the table. "My fault. It was bad timing. I should have told you I was traveling. Didn't mean to freak you out."

Steve looked at the painting again. It really was stunning, and he couldn't keep his eyes from tracing the rough scratch of a signature in the corner. Something twinged in the back of his mind, but he didn't have time to roll it around into coherency, because Darcy calling out "Hey, Buck!" snapped his focus to the front of the cafe.

A cold flush pulled Steve's skin up into goosebumps. Sure enough, there was Bucky, standing at the counter, talking to Darcy.

Tony followed the lines of his eyes. "Uh… is that -?"

"Yes. Yeah. Uh. That's Bucky."

"Oh great." Tony's fingers twitched on the tabletop. "Now I'm going to get beaten up by your bodybuilder and part-time model boyfriend. Perfect day."

Steve snorted out a laugh. "He's not going to beat you up, Tony." He bit his lip nervously. "He knows all about you."

Tony quirked an eyebrow at Steve. "All?"

Steve nodded. "It's okay." But there wasn't time to say anything else before Bucky turned and saw them and started making his way over. "Hey, Buck." Steve half-stood to kiss him on the cheek. "All done studying?"

"Yeah. Thought I'd hang out for a bit and walk you home."

Steve turned to Tony. "Bucky… this is Tony Stark. Tony, Bucky." Steve sunk back into the booth as they shook hands. He flicked his eyes back and forth between them, but Bucky's smile was soft and genuine, and their handshake was quick and friendly.

"Nice to meet you," Bucky said. "Heard all about you."

Tony laughed. "Perfect. I've heard all about you, too, though Steve failed to say you were an extra on Baywatch in your spare time."

Bucky snorted and shook his head then shot Steve a look tinged with flirty amusem*nt. Steve huffed and sat back in his booth seat. Bucky was reveling in his discomfort, knowing Steve was dying, having the two of them meet with him in the middle. At least he wasn't mad.

"Join us?" Tony offered graciously.

"If it's alright? I can hang out with Darcy. Don't want to interrupt."

"No, not at all. Sit."

Bucky settled next to Steve on the bench seat, his eyes falling to the painting still clutched in Steve's hand.

"Tony brought this back from Spain for me." He handed it over.

"Wow. That's beautiful."

"It reminded me of Edward Hopper," Tony muttered, clearly uncomfortable with the gratitude.

Steve resisted the urge to squirm, holding on to the painting like a lifeline. He wondered how red his face was.

"So," Tony said, clapping his hands together then pointing at Bucky. "You're studying to be a nurse, right?"

Bucky nodded slowly, on guard. "Yeah. Take my final exams soon, actually."

"Perfect. I need your professional opinion." Tony clicked into a new mode, nerves gone and replaced with what Steve had come to recognize as the light of invention. "I keep arguing with R&D because I want to make a new suite of imaging tools, but they think small-scale new tech is the name of the game, like vein finders and stuff. I was hoping to do some kind of focus group, but I'd love to know what you think."

Bucky tapped his fingers on the table once. "You really want my opinion?"

"Yeah. Definitely."

"Then I don't think you should do any of those things as top priority. Look, you know how my StarkPhone can talk to any StarkTV?"

"Yeah, sure."

"That's what we need in medicine, for all the devices and software to talk to each other seamlessly, make backups, share information. It's all compartmentalized now and there are problems on transfer, data lost because of single-point errors. Every time new tech comes out, it has its 'new and better' software but they don't think about the fact that most hospitals are going to have many different decades of devices interacting with each other, and new doesn't always talk nicely to old."

"Huh." Tony dropped his chin to his fist, blinked for a moment, then nodded. He pulled a napkin and a pen to him. "Okay, talk me through an example. Be specific. Go wild with all the juicy jargon, I'll google it later."

"Um. Okay." Bucky shot Steve a look, but he nodded encouragingly, so relieved that there was something they could talk about that wasn't him, that he was about worried about what the expression on his face might be saying. But Bucky nodded back and turned to Tony again.

Steve watched them for a moment, something hot and wild and new churning up the inside of his chest like a tornado. Then he checked his watch and startled. "sh*t. I have to go back and help Darcy."

"Sure." Bucky gave his knee a squeeze, scooting out to let Steve leave the booth, then went back to arguing with Tony over automated patient data backup security. Or something.

Steve carefully re-wrapped his painting and tucked it away in the office, then joined Darcy behind the bar and focused on churning out coffees.

Every now and then, his eyes cut over to the booth where Tony and Bucky were still deep in conversation. A few times, things looked like they were getting heated, but when he scooped up a bussing basket and slipped past the booth, they were deep in a discussion about the state of the Knicks and no blows seemed likely to be traded.

At the end of his shift, Steve put his apron away and collected his painting, cradling it lovingly in his arms. Bucky and Tony were still talking, now surrounded by stacks of scribbled-on napkins. Steve stood at the end of the table and looked down at them. "How's it going?"

Tony grinned up at him, and Steve recognized the flirty glint in his eye. "We're deep in an important scientific discussion."

Steve raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah, we're trying to figure out if the repulsor technology is enough to build a flying car out of."

"Oh my god, Buck!"

"What?!" Bucky gave him an innocent look, hands spread wide.

"He saw a flying car in that old book about the early Stark Expos and he's been obsessed about it ever since. You don't have to indulge him."

Tony threw his head back and laughed. "sh*t no, this is the most fun I've had with the damn reactor since I started redesigning it."

"Well, I'm afraid I'm going to have to break up the fun. Buck and I have to get home and feed the gang."

"Oh right, of course. It's getting late."

Bucky stood and kissed Steve's cheek, squeezing him gently around the waist with one arm. "Just going to pop to the restroom first, babe."

"Okay." As Bucky walked away, Steve took his place opposite Tony in the booth. He had the weird urge to ask Tony what he thought, as if he needed him to approve of his boyfriend.

"You should put a ring on that," Tony said, and Steve burst out laughing.

"Yeah…" He could feel his cheeks heating, grinning. "We'll see."

"You guys are cute together."

Steve scanned Tony's face, but he seemed entirely genuine. "Thanks."

"So, um, I'm having a bit of a gathering, just close friends, and not like 'rich people close friends' like actually just five or ten people max to watch the game on Saturday. Bucky assures me you hate basketball, but there'll be food and also - Pepper! She loves art. You two will have tons to talk about. Only if you want, though. No pressure."

"Oh! You really want me to come?"

"Yeah, both of you."

Steve's stomach fluttered with something new. "Wow. Okay, yeah. Thanks for the invite. I'll ask Bucky."

"Awesome. And, seriously, no pressure. It's fine if you're busy, or if you don't want to come or whatever. Just…" Tony's expression twisted surprisingly vulnerable.

Steve dug his phone out. "Here. Give me your number and I'll let you know tonight." He handed his phone to Tony, who brightened significantly. He typed on Steve's phone for a moment then handed it back, just as Bucky came out of the back.

"Have a good night, Tony," Steve said.

"You too. Night, Buck. Thanks for the lecture on automobile aerodynamics."

Bucky laughed. "Yeah, alright. Night." He slung an arm around Steve's shoulders and they walked out together, Steve resisting the urge to look back at Tony as they slipped out the door.

"I can see why you like him," Bucky said, as they walked home together, taking the long route through the park.

"What?" Steve spluttered, almost tripping over his own feet. "You can see why I like him? Really? We're talking about this?"

"Why not?" Bucky shrugged. "Do you want me to pretend you don't have feelings for another man?"

"Don't say it like that," Steve huffed, but Bucky laughed.

"It's alright. I'm only teasing you." He squeezed Steve's hand. "I really mean it, though. I get why you like him. I thought he might be a lot like me and I'd be jealous that you want to upgrade to the richer version. Then I thought he might be nothing like me and I'd be jealous that you want something different. But it wasn't like that at all. He's a lot like me and a lot not like me and also a lot like you, but also nothing like you."

"You're not jealous?"

Bucky shrugged. "Eh. I'm still a little jealous. But in a nice way."

"How can you be jealous in a nice way?"

Bucky was quiet for half a block. "It's like… I think you're hot sh*t, obviously, and it's nice to have you admired and wanted, cause you're mine, but everyone should want you, but I've got you. So it's sort of… flattering, I guess. But I'm also chuffed for you, because you deserve that kind of nice attention, and when you take someone off the market, it's your fault they don't get flirted with anymore. But being flirted with is nice. So I want that for you. But then again, obviously, I don't want you leaving me for someone richer, nicer, and handsomer. But then again, if you must leave me, it'd better be for someone like Tony f*cking Stark, because if you pass up all this for Abe the Laundromat Pervert, I'm going to be pretty pissed."

Steve blinked at Bucky for so long he almost walked into a post. "Huh. I'm really… not entirely sure what that means."

"Me neither. That was my point. But long story short, I like Tony and I get why you have a crush on him. At the same time, I can't deny he gets my back up a bit, cause the best thing that could happen to him is the worst thing that could happen to me."

This time Steve squeezed Bucky's hand. "Buck…"

"It's okay, Steve. I know you're not out to replace me. You asked how I felt, not what I know logically."

"Okay." Steve forced himself to nod instead of trying for the eightieth time to convince Bucky he wasn't leaving. If he didn't believe Bucky when he said he was fine, how could Steve expect Bucky to believe him when he said nothing was going to happen between him and Tony? "Alright. Thank you for telling me how you feel."

Bucky snorted. "Get that out of a couple's therapy handbook?"

Steve grinned over at him cheekily. "Nah. Website." Steve swung their clasped hands back and forth. "So Tony invited us to his game day party on Saturday. I said I didn't know if we had plans but that I'd text him and let him know. What do you think? I don't mind either way."

Bucky was quiet for another block, and then they were turning the corner to end up outside their building. "Yeah…" he finally said, "I'd be down for that."

Chapter 14

Chapter Text

While Bucky slept, Steve pulled his phone out, turned away on the bed so Bucky wouldn't be woken by the glow. First, he texted Tony and let him know they'd be coming to his party. Tony didn't write back, but Steve wasn't surprised, it was pretty late. Next, he did a little research, chest fluttering as his suspicions were confirmed. Once he was sure, he turned off his phone, rolled over to tuck himself up against Bucky's back and went to sleep.

"So," he started, the next day, while they made breakfast together.

"Yeah?"

"That painting that Tony gave me?"

"Mhm."

"I… uh. I think it's an original Lucia Flores." Steve went over to the table where he'd left the painting the night before and carefully unwrapped the paper. And yeah, all the signs were there. "I'm not an expert, but Tony's not the sort of person to buy a fake. He gave the impression he'd just bought it from a street painter, but he was being kind of cagey about it and I thought I recognized the signature. I'm pretty sure it's the real deal."

"Who's Lucia Flores?"

"She's a Spanish painter. Not hugely popular, but popular enough, in the right circles. And she's not very prolific so there's a bit of gentle competitiveness around her work. This one was in Madrid, according to her website. For sale."

Bucky stared at him for a long time. "How much?"

"Um. About forty thousand dollars."

The room went dead silent. Bucky stood there with his coffee cup halfway to his mouth, unblinking. Finally, he shook himself out of it. "Are you telling me that your boyfriend -"

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"- bought you a forty thousand dollar painting and then tried to pretend it was a knick knack?"

Steve squirmed. "Uh. Yeah. I guess so. Probably because he didn't want to make me uncomfortable. It's not a lot of money to him."

Bucky let a long, slow breath whistle out between his teeth. "God, Stevie, he has it bad."

Steve whined and sunk down into a chair, folding his arms over the table and dropping his forehead on top. "This is awful. Tell me I'm being awful."

Bucky's big, warm hand landed on the back of his neck. "Hey, sweetheart, it's okay." He pressed a kiss to Steve's cheek. "I'm just teasing you. I mean, I'm not - he does have it bad - but it's not your fault. Come on, babe, what's wrong?"

Steve twisted to face him and earned a soft kiss. "Am I leading him on if I take it? I really think he just thought I'd like it, which I do, I love it, but knowing what it's worth…"

Bucky brushed his hair back. "I don't think you're leading him on. You told him you had a boyfriend and he understood. Look, if it helps, I had a really good time with him yesterday, and there wasn't any posturing at all. If he'd wanted to try and scare me off, he had ample opportunity, but he didn't. I think he honestly really likes you, Steve, and he wants to be friends, if he can't be more. Do you not want to see him anymore?"

"No! No, I do. I really, really want to be friends with him. I just don't want to hurt him."

"Oh, sweetheart." Bucky pulled Steve into a hug, face buried in his hair. "He's a grownup, right? He can decide for himself. As long as you're honest."

"I know."

"And he didn't ask for anything in exchange for the painting, and he didn't even tell you what it was worth."

"No…" Steve sighed. "I really think he just thought I'd like it. He's really filthy rich, so..."

"It is your style."

Steve ran a finger around the frame. "It is. I love it."

Bucky kissed him again. "Then love it. Who cares what it cost?"

Steve laughed and shook his head. "That easy?"

"Yup."

Steve looked back down at the painting. Maybe it really was that easy. What mattered was that Tony cared enough to get him something, to think about him, even after their rough parting. If Tony was too upset that Steve was off the market to be friends, he either wouldn't want to talk to him at all, or he'd be uncomfortable or aggressive around Bucky. The painting set a pleasant warmth glowing in his chest. And he was going to get to see him again tonight, with Bucky and outside the coffee shop. Seemed too good to be true.

On Saturday, Bucky had studying to do during the day, so Steve sat down with his sketchbook and let Hopper jump back and forth over his legs while he did sketching warmups. Eventually, Hopper flopped at his side and he ran his ears through his fingers while he thought about his gallery project. His eyes settled on Bucky, tucked up in an armchair with a pen cap in his teeth, hair tied back and headphones on. He was mouthing things to himself as he flipped the pages, Eddy fast asleep against his calves. Steve's heart swelled with affection.

God, he loved him so much. Watching Bucky work so hard and finally be on the verge of getting what he'd always wanted was almost too much for Steve to handle, too good. He was going to have to keep from screaming with excitement and pride at his graduation. He already had a set of hot pink scrubs he'd ordered him as a graduation gift tucked away at the back of his side of the closet.

Steve gave Hopper one last pat then set pencil to paper and started sketching out the curve of Bucky's jaw. His fingers knew these shapes well, scraping, strong, familiar lines across the page. Hopper popped up and jumped into Steve's lap, standing on the sketchbook, demanding attention. Steve smiled at him, rubbing his thumb between his eyes while his nose went a mile a minute.

"You want some cucumber?" Steve asked.

Hopper shook all over then started nibbling on Steve's jeans' button.

"Yeah, alright. I'll get you a cucumber."

The vegetable tax paid, and Hopped flopped happily against his leg, Steve set back to his work, but all he managed to do was sketch Bucky again, less PG this time. His fingers itched to draw Tony too, add him in beside Bucky, both of them grinning at Steve with flirty challenge. After a few more attempts to work on his project, Steve gave in to the urge. He framed out the shape of the booths at the cafe, then added Tony on his side, surrounded by all his screens and papers, then Bucky on the other. They were both talking, hunched over the table and gesturing, Tony towards a scruffy-looking napkin in front of him and Bucky with a hand flat and swung out to the side.

God, it was nice seeing them together. It made it feel really possible that he and Tony could manage to be friends. And not just "he comes by the cafe sometimes" friends but actual friends who texted and talked and hung out. Tony could come by the apartment and it wouldn't be awkward. Steve could love him freely without worrying about what it meant for Bucky, and the sting of having to draw the line at friends would lessen over time.

The warm-something in Steve's chest glowed at the thought of sitting on the couch with both of them. In his fantasy, no one was jealous or upset, all three of them were just enjoying each other's company.

But maybe it could never be more than a fantasy. Steve knew Bucky would be fine with it, maybe enjoy it even, since he seemed to like Tony too, but he was the one who had Steve. Perhaps, Tony would be jealous, and Steve wouldn't know. Unless… maybe Tony's feelings for Steve were gone. It wasn't like he'd ever expressed anything more than interest in a date. Tony dated a lot, had a lot of people over to his tower, leaving the next morning with mussed hair and a dazed expression, if the tabloids were anything to go by. Everyone knew that Tony Stark was experienced when it came to sex and relationships - that wasn't even gossip, he'd said so himself in interviews - and Steve had only ever had Bucky. Steve was the type to fall hard and fast, but rarely. Tony, it seemed, from what he'd said and what was known about him publicly, fell light and soft and often. His relationships were happy but short, and one night stands weren't out of the question at all.

His Wikipedia didn't even list any relationships at all - as if none of them had been serious enough to warrant a mention.

So perhaps, in the end, the jealousy would be all Steve's, and that was something he could definitely live with. That slight ache that told him he wanted something he couldn't have was almost a pleasant burn, like after working out, a little hitch in his heartbeat that reminded him that just because he was settled with Bucky and committed, didn't mean he was frozen in one state forever. His heart still remembered what new love felt like.

By the time they left for the party, Steve hadn't managed much more than sketches of Tony and Bucky and vague scribbles as his pencil wandered. It was four months until the gallery show and he'd barely made any progress at all. But he showered and changed with hardly a thought to spare for his project because his entire mind was consumed with excitement and anxiety in equal parts about the party.

Tony's apartment was the penthouse at the top of Stark Tower, a fact Steve hadn't fully processed until he'd received Tony's text that afternoon with the address. Stark Tower was a soaring swoop of metal and glass looming over Grand Central Station. Steve shoved his hands in his pockets as they walked around the main lobby, but before they pushed through the doors, he pulled out his pocket to check the text again.

Tony: Go in through the main lobby. There's a red elevator door off to the right. You'll skip security and go straight to the door. My AI has facial recognition so it'll just let you two in.

Bucky's hand landed on Steve's back and guided him into the lobby. Steve shot a look to the security guard by the desk, trying to look like he belonged somewhere with light fixtures that cost more than he made in a year. Each.

True to his word, there was a red door and when they approached it, it slid open, revealing an elevator. Steve and Bucky stepped in and started to rise right away. It opened directly onto Tony's living room.

On one hand, Tony hadn't lied about it not being 'rich people close friends'. There really were only ten, maybe twelve, people in the room and they were all holding beers and laughing in a comfortable way. Somehow, that was worse. Steve felt like the spotlight was on how much he and Bucky didn't fit there. They weren't loaded, they weren't fancy, and they barely knew Tony. These were his lifelong, closest friends.

"Steve! Bucky!"

Steve looked over and saw Tony coming towards them. He was wearing a Knicks jersey and, rather inexplicably, a hat with a moose on it. He grinned, wide and easy and Steve couldn't help smiling back. "Hi, Tony."

"You came. I'm so glad. Come in. Beer? Soda? Water? Whatever -" Tony lifted a can from the bar and peered at it "- 'Hell or High Watermelon' is?"

A young woman in a sundress appeared from nowhere and grabbed Tony's arm. "Uncle Tony! You said I could tend bar."

"Well then tend! I have thirsty guests. Shake a metal cup or something." Tony gestured between them all. "This is my sort-of-niece Wanda. Don't get confused by the logistics of me not having any siblings. Wanda, this is Steve and Bucky. Steve makes the best coffee in Brooklyn and Bucky knows more about cars than I do, but much less about what makes a good basketball team." Tony put a hand on top of her head and spun her towards the bar. "Make them something complicated where you flip bottles around or something."

Wanda rolled her eyes, and Steve took pity on her. "Do you have gingerale?"

"Coming right up!" She dug out a can of gingerale for Steve and a beer for Bucky, and then Tony hustled them towards the others.

"You have a James," Tony said to Steve, "and this is my James!" He gestured proudly to a man with a wry smile and a Nets jersey. "Rhodey, this is Steve and Bucky. Guys this is Rhodey."

Rhodey, it turned out, was both engaging and interesting, and didn't let Steve or Bucky end up floating, abandoned, at the party, even when Tony had to go help Wanda open a bottle of wine. They fell into conversation, but when it turned to the upcoming game, Steve found his attention drawn across the room to where Tony was talking to a broad-set man with stern, pursed lips. Steve's fingers twitched to start drawing again.

"Hey, Steve."

Steve startled to the side to see that the person who had just settled next to him on the couch wasn't a stranger. "Natasha? What are you doing here?"

"So your mysterious 'Tony' is actually Tony Stark, huh?"

Steve's ears burst into flames. "What? Keep it - don't spread that stuff around, Nat."

"It's okay. No one's listening." She patted his knee. "It makes sense. Tony is very charismatic."

Steve looked around desperately, but no one was listening, not even Bucky who was still deep in conversation with Rhodey. The game was about to start but few people seemed to have noticed. "Yeah. It's him. Now you have to tell me how you're here."

She shrugged. "I know Pepper. We did that gallery thing together like two years ago."

Steve sighed. "That gallery thing" could mean any number of projects Nat had worked on. She did what she called "Event management and execution" which Steve still wasn't entirely sure he understood. He also wasn't sure if the execution part was connected to the events or if it was a second service she also offered.

"So how did you go from staying at my house and crying into your brownies - and my brownie, I'll add - to bringing your boyfriend to a party at your crush's house?"

"I told you… Bucky was fine with it. Then he met Tony and apparently, he's even more fine with it. We're all going to be friends. It's working out really well."

Natasha pinned him with a penetrating stare. Then she shrugged again. "If you say so. I'm charging couch rent next time though."

Before Steve could quip back, a tall, thin, gorgeous woman with flaming red hair and a splash of delicate freckles appeared and smiled down at them. "Hello, Natasha."

"Hi, Pepper. Thanks for the invite. This is my friend Steve Rogers."

Pepper beamed. "Mr. Rogers. I've heard all about you." She offered Steve her hand and he took it.

"Likewise."

"Oh good." She sat on the couch on his other side. "Then we can skip all the small talk and I can get right to begging you to show me your art. Tony says it's divine."

If Steve hadn't already been blushing to high heaven, that would have done it. "Oh, well, I don't know about that. But I can show you, sure." He brought up his gallery on his phone and she tucked in close against his side.

If she knew about Tony and Steve's brief flirtation, she didn't seem bothered. The conversation was light and easy and there was no shovel talk or coolness for rejecting Tony and hurting him. Pepper was warm and friendly and knew so much about art that in a few areas, Steve was completely outclassed. The game started and a crowd surrounded the TV, including Bucky and Tony who were doing an awful lot of shoving, but Steve was entirely absorbed by his conversation with Pepper.

By halftime, Steve's gingerale caught up with him and he excused himself to the restroom. Pepper gave him vague directions then turned to Natasha, and Steve wandered off, up the stairs and down a hall. He must have taken a wrong turn, though because he reached the end of the hallway and hadn't found a bathroom. Two of the doors were closed, and he tried one tentatively, but when he poked his head in, he found what had to be Tony's private office.

Steve winced and stepped back, but something caught his eye and he paused. He felt awful for snooping, but he couldn't help but lean in a little, squinting, and sure it enough it was. Along the back of the desk, in a messy row, were all the coffee cups Steve had drawn on, from the squid to the airplane. Two months of little doodles, all carefully kept and lined up. It wasn't like they were on display in a trophy case, instead of shiny brass, they were surrounded by stacks of paper and circuit boards, but he'd kept them, cared enough to carry them home and rinse them out. Steve's heart swelled, pounding against his ribs.

Chapter 15

Chapter Text

Back in the party, Steve found his seat had been taken by none other than Tony. Boldly, he squished in next to him, and Tony's attention immediately snapped from Nat and Pepper to Steve. "Hey. Having fun?"

"I really am. Thanks for inviting us."

"I'm really glad you came. I was actually just going to grab some air, come with me?"

"Sure." Steve followed Tony up and out onto the balcony, catching Bucky's eye on the way out - he was watching the third quarter with the other James - and raising an eyebrow. Bucky, helpfully, smirked back.

The wind was wild, but pleasantly cool after the heat of the apartment, and Steve turned his face into it for a moment, then shifted his gaze towards Tony. Tony smiled placidly at him for a moment, then frowned. "What? You look like I'm about to give you test results."

Steve startled back, realizing how tense he was. "No? Sorry. I just - you asked me to come out here with you…"

"Yeah, cause I needed a breather. But I've barely seen you all night. If I left you in there, you'd get sucked in by Pepper again. Did you think I was being all 'we need to talk'-y?"

Steve leaned back against the railing with a huff of relieved breath. "I don't know what I thought." This had all felt so fraught, and Steve couldn't seem to let go of the tension and accept that things were okay now. "Sorry. I'm -"

"Steve." Tony's hand landed on his arm.

"Are you sure you want to be friends? Because you don't have to…" Steve trailed off, not sure how to finish the sentence.

"I would love nothing more than to be friends with you. Both of you, if Bucky's into that kind of thing. Steve." He tugged on the arm he hadn't pulled away from. "Relax."

Steve shook his shoulders out and chuckled, leaning into Tony's space. "You make me feel tense."

"I have that effect on people. The trick is to - actually. I know the trick." He leaned in conspiratorially. "Get Bucky," he whispered. "Meet me by the back stairs next to the kitchen." And with a laugh, Tony slipped back into the party.

Steve's brain snapped somewhere hazy, but definitely R-rated, and he pulled it back forcibly. He re-entered the living room, sliding the balcony door shut behind him and made for the bar.

Wanda had abandoned her post, but he grabbed a beer then went in search of Bucky. It was a commercial break, so it was easy enough to catch Bucky's eye again and tip his head towards the kitchen. Bucky extracted himself while Steve hovered on the edges, looking down at his phone so no one would try and pull him into conversation.

Bucky bumped his shoulder into Steve's. "What?"

"Tony wants to show us something. Come on." Steve wound their fingers together and guided Bucky back into the kitchen and over to a hall that led to a set of stairs. Tony was at the bottom, in front of an opaque glass door, rocking back and forth from foot to foot.

"Hey, guys! Just didn't want to trigger a mass exodus from the game, but I want to show you something, since you're here." He typed a code into the panel by the door and it popped open. He ushered them both in.

The office Steve had seen upstairs must have just been for paperwork, or maybe for when Tony needed a smaller, quieter place to focus. This space was anything but small. A huge workshop bloomed as lights flicked on automatically, lining the ceiling and walls. At least three dismantled cars covered one half, desks and flat workstations covering the rest. Before Steve could even take in the rest of the room, a rolling… claw? approached them, chirping.

"This is the robot?" Bucky said, walking right up to it and touching the top of its single arm.

"Yeah! DUM-E." Tony watched them, grinning, hands on his hips. He turned his grin on Steve.

"It's the first robot Tony built," Bucky said, excitement laced through his voice. DUM-E reached out and gripped Bucky's hand with his claw, he wobbled it up and down then back and forth.

Tony beamed. "He thinks handshakes go both ways. Never managed to train him out of it."

"Wow, Tony. That's amazing." Steve took a step closer, but Tony grabbed his wrist and pulled him across the workshop floor.

"I have something else to show you." He reached one of the flat workstations - which looked like nothing more than a very expensive, high-tech table. But when he waved his hand over it, it lit up blue, twinkling and blinking before piling high with something Steve couldn't describe as anything other than sand made of light.

"It's -" Steve reached out and poked the light and each little grain tumbled around, having weight somehow.

Tony reached out and took both of Steve's hands in his. He cupped them into the light and worked them up, and the light came with them, like a sculpture. Steve could almost feel the light-clay in his hands, but he was utterly distracted by the soft touch of Tony's hands curved around his. "You can make stuff," Tony said softly, lips so close to his ear.

Hot breath brushed against Steve's other ear. "Are you guys reenacting Ghost?" Bucky stage-whispered, and Steve yelped and startled back.

"Jesus, Buck, where did you come from?"

"I tried to give DUM-E a quarter to see if he could hold something that small and it rolled under the kitchen counter and now he won't stop trying to get it out."

Steve and Tony looked up as one to see DUM-E crouched by the little kitchenette in the corner, pressing his claw to the tiny gap underneath it, rotating it sideways and trying again, endlessly. Tony sighed. "J, cancel the… quarter routine." DUM-E paused, then straightened up and waved at them. Tony turned back to Bucky. "That quarter is mine forever now, Scrubs."

Bucky laughed. "Fair enough." He dropped onto a stool nearby and gestured at the table. "What's this?"

"Light clay!" Steve said, digging his fingers back into it and watching it mold to his touch. He squeezed his hands gently together and the light squished tight and held its shape.

Tony shrugged, still close enough that Steve could feel the movement against his shoulder. "Sure. I was thinking something like Interactive Holographic Modeling Display System, but light clay it is. Have at it."

Steve had the feel of it now. It'd been a long time since he'd worked with clay, but this was more forgiving, a mix of intuitive and self-structuring. Steve curved his hand and formed a ball then started to ease it into shape.

"Ten bucks it's Eddy," Bucky said, and Steve pouted, hands stilling.

Tony hipchecked him. "Ignore him. Do Eddy."

"I can do something else." Steve smushed the half-formed dog in his hand and started over, this time starting with a square base. The light seemed to figure out what he was aiming for, the corners sharper than he'd be able to coax real clay into without a knife. He drew up a long arm and bent it about halfway.

"It's DUM-E!" Tony declared.

"Yeah, well you don't have a dog," Steve quipped lightly, adding the claw.

Tony startled up and dug around in his pocket for his phone. "Oops, we're missing the end of the game."

"Oh, we should go back up." Steve released the tiny DUM-E statue onto the table and it spun gently, twinkling.

"You can stay and play, I don't mind."

"No, no. I want to see who wins."

Bucky snorted.

"No, you don't," Tony informed him. "Because it's going to be the Knicks and then Bucky is going to have to drink the watermelon stuff. Unless you like watching him barf."

Steve made for the door. "Maybe I do. You don't know my life."

"That watermelon crap is all yours," Bucky said. "I wrote Stark on the can, already."

Steve heard a thump and an "oof" and then Tony burst past him at top speed, giggling. Steve turned back to see Bucky hauling himself off the couch. "Little sh*t." He took off after him.

Everyone was crowded around the TV, back upstairs, and no one seemed to notice they'd been gone except Natasha who shot Steve a cheeky look. Steve tried to be interested, as far too many giants bounced off each other on the tiny basketball court, but he wasn't entirely sure who was winning, and his attention kept being dragged away by either Bucky or Tony, beautiful in their excitement. One of the players tossed the ball high from centre court and it swished through the net.

"Oh!" Bucky shouted as the buzzer went off. He turned and high-fived Rhodey and then they both turned on Tony.

"No!"

"Get a straw, Stark!"

"Save me, Pepper."

Pepper shook her head, arms crossed. "I'm not getting involved in your bizarre bets."

Tony turned his puppy-dog eyes on Steve. "Steve? Get your boyfriend under control."

"You got him started. You have to deal with the consequences."

The two Jameses arrived, holding a can of the watermelon beer between them like a trophy. They handed it to Tony who curled his lip. "Ugh. Okay, okay. I'll take my punishment like a man. Give it here." They presented him the can and he rolled it in his hands for a minute then cracked the top. He took a sip. "Huh. Not bad, actually."

Rhodey and Bucky burst out laughing. "Yeah, sure," Rhodey said. "You're just trying to play it cool."

"Traitor," Tony huffed, but he took another sip. He sat down hard on the couch, next to Steve.

"Sorry you lost." Steve bumped Tony's shoulder with his.

"Eh. We'll take them next time." He drank again and looked at the can. "It's really not that bad." He turned his heartstopping smile on Steve. "Thanks for coming."

"Thanks for inviting us." Steve dropped his voice low. "And thanks for sharing your workshop. It's really amazing."

"You're welcome in any time. If you want to play with the light clay again."

"I think you mean Interactive Holographic Modelling Display System."

"Light clay rolls off the tongue better."

"You know what rolls nicely off the tongue," Bucky said, settling in on Tony's other side.

Tony laughed. "I can think of a few things." He quirked an eyebrow.

"I was thinking 'congratulations, Bucky, on having the better team,' but I'm open to suggestions," Bucky quipped back.

Tony's tongue flicked out and tapped his upper teeth before disappearing in his mouth again. He hummed. "Better team, my ass. Knicks were having an off day," he finally said, eyes fixed on Bucky's. "We'll find out next time."

"Guess we will."

Steve shifted in his seat, nearly sweating through the back of his shirt. Were they flirting? Well, there was only one answer to that question: they were definitely flirting. But just to torment Steve? At the cafe, it had felt like it, but this time, it didn't. It seemed natural, genuine. Steve's heart swelled with affection again, for both of them. And with more than that, with heady anticipation, desire, and something new he couldn't quite put a name on. It wasn't jealousy, but it was spiced and heavy, made him want to press in and grab both their attentions on him, not because he didn't want them to focus on each other, but because he wanted to feel that playful energy turned on him, as well see it. His hand twitched out and he realized almost too late that he was going to brush his knuckles along the leg pressed up against his, but it wasn't Bucky's leg, it was Tony's. He pulled his hand back.

"Welp." Tony smacked a hand down on both their knees and pushed himself up to his feet. "I'd better go get Wanda's keys. Stay as long as you like, though. I mean, stay all night if you want, plenty of guest rooms."

"We have to give Eddy her meds. Thanks, though." Steve looked at the time on his phone. "We should probably get going, actually."

"Need a cab?"

"We can take the subway."

"I'll get you a cab." Tony pulled out his phone and started typing. "It'll meet you at the curb. Goodnight, guys."

They all stared at each other for a moment, then Tony nodded to himself, smiling, and turned away, off to find his niece.

Bucky peered at the can of beer that had somehow moved from Tony's hand to his while they were talking, then took a sip. He looked pleasantly surprised. "Actually… this watermelon thing isn't too bad."

Chapter 16

Chapter Text

Steve: Someone's in your booth.

Tony: Murder them.

Steve: I can't afford bail.

Tony: I'm well connected. I'll get you off.

Steve choked on his latte and Clint patted him on the back as he shuffled past. Steve took a screenshot and sent it to Bucky then went back to his conversation with Tony.

Steve: Come murder them yourself. I'm working.

Tony: I wish. This meeting is dreadful. No one cares about marketing projections, Jeffery. No one, but you.

His other conversation chimed.

Bucky: Tell him about the time you did get arrested.

Steve: Shut up. That never happened.

Bucky: Give me his number.

Steve took a screenshot of that and sent it to Tony.

Tony: Tell me.

Steve: I've never been arrested! Don't believe his lies.

Tony: What's Bucky's number? No reason.

Steve sighed, but sent it on anyway, too pleased at the thought of Tony and Bucky talking to worry too much about what they'd be talking about. He shoved his phone back in his pocket to help with a coffee rush then went back into his office to work on payroll paperwork. As soon as he was alone, he pulled his phone out again.

You've been invited to a group chat.

Steve clicked accept and found himself in the middle of a conversation between Bucky and Tony. He scrolled back to the beginning to catch up.

Bucky: He was thirteen and he hadn't had the growth spurt we've all been blessed to be around yet, so he was 90 lbs soaking wet and every pound was half come at me bro. We were at a movie theatre and we were just leaving and this guy was having a heated conversation with his gf. It sounded like she'd gotten scared during the horror flick and had come outside and that was "embarrassing him in front of his friends."

Tony: sh*tbag

Bucky: So Stevie, in his infinite wisdom, decided to get all up in the guy's sh*t instead of talking to the theatre security (my plan) and just plows over there like a tasmanian devil with his "I'm in it for the Monet" t-shirt and popcorn butter in his hair.

Tony: A good look for him, I'm sure.

Bucky: And so this guy is all riled up on testosterone and co*ke zero and the Conjuring or some sh*t and just immediately takes a swing at Steve when he gets between the guy and his girl. So I grab the girl and get her out of the way and send her off to the front desk to ask for security, but by then Steve's on the ground wrestling with this guy. And I mean, fair props to Steve, by the time security came along, he had two black eyes and torn jeans, but he also had the guy in a headlock. They arrived just in time for Steve to clock him one. Well it turned out it wasn't security, it was the police. They were there already for an incident earlier on (we lived in a great neighbourhood) and when they heard the girl freaking out they came to see what was up.

Tony: Wow. Amazing.

Bucky: So he got arrested.

Steve caught up with the chat, but Bucky was still typing.

Steve: I did NOT get arrested!! I was briefly detained. We both got a stern talking to about solving our problems with violence. The other guy was warned that his girl was done with him and if he didn't let that happen it'd get more serious for him, and the theatre gave me an ice pack and some Lifesavers and told me please don't come back.

Tony: This is the most fantastic thing I know about you.

And the texting went on. It was clear that Tony and Bucky were talking on their own, as well, and sometimes Steve talked to just Tony, when it was about his booth at the cafe or things they'd talked about together sitting there, but mostly they used the group chat, and it was easy and fun and far too distracting when Steve was supposed to be working.

Wednesday night, Tony's texting abruptly stopped, and when he reappeared the next morning, Steve asked him if everything was alright.

Tony: Oh yeah, sorry. I was on a date actually…

Steve: Oh! Nice. Sorry if I bothered you. Hope it went well?

His heart clenched at the thought of Tony out with someone else. On one hand, it would make it easier if Tony had a partner and was off-limits, but on the other, Steve couldn't deny it would hurt to watch him fall in love with someone else.

Tony: No bother. I just turn my phone off on dates. Or I try to. It goes off too much. Not fair to them. It was okay. We had a nice time. She's sweet and funny.

Steve: Are you going to go out again?

Tony: Eh. Not sure. Maybe, but I'm not sure we felt the click.

Steve: That's too bad. A nice night's not wasted, though, huh?

Tony: Definitely not.

Tony's meetings stretched on all week, and Steve had to satisfy himself with the phone, instead of seeing him in person. It hurt more than he thought it would, painful memories of Tony's disappearance to Europe resurfacing more than once. But this time, when they did, he shot Tony a text, got an answer back - or even sometimes a selfie of him making a face down at the phone in his lap in the conference room - and Steve felt better.

On Monday, he woke up a little more excited than usual. Tony was done with the conference and would be back at the cafe that day. He'd promised. But when Steve went to feed Hopper before work, his bowl was still full of food from last night, and his spinach leaves lay dried and abandoned in the corner of his bunny mansion.

"What's wrong, Hop? Wrong flavour?" Steve grabbed a cucumber from the fridge - Hopper's favourite - and cut a large slice. But when he offered it to the rabbit, Hopper just turned his butt to Steve and hunched down, ears flat. "Oh no."

Bucky was already at work, and wouldn't be able to answer his phone, so Steve texted him then called the vet.

"Do you still have some Ovol from last time?" the vet asked.

"Yup."

"Okay, start with that every two hours and if he's not eating by, uhh, let's say two, call us back and we can fit you in for an appointment."

"Thank you." Steve hung up and dug through the bunny bin until he found the bottle of drops. He wrestled Hopper in between his legs and worked the syringe into his mouth. Hopper was not amused, but Steve got most of the medicine in, then released him so he could go sit behind the couch in a huff.

Eddy, belatedly realizing someone was sitting on the floor and therefore was in petting range, waddled over and flopped into Steve's lap.

Steve dialled the cafe. "Hey, Sam. I'm so sorry to bail, but Hopper is sick and I think I'd better stay home with him. Are you covered?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it. Darcy isn't on today and she wanted more hours this week. I bet if you take her next Friday, she'll take today. Tomorrow too if you need it."

"Perfect. Thank you so much."

Steve texted Darcy the deal proposal, which she readily accepted, then texted back soothingly to Bucky's on-break panic messages. After that, he emptied his entire rabbit storage bin looking for Critical Care food in case he had to force feed him. His phone rang and he answered without looking, knowing it'd be Bucky.

"He's okay. He's cuddling with Eddy in his sulky spot."

"I -" It wasn't Bucky. It was Tony. "I really f*cking hope you're talking about Bucky having a sulky spot."

"Oh my god, Tony. I'm so sorry. I answered without looking. I thought you were Bucky. No one ever calls me."

"Well. I'll take that as a compliment. Not sure I can pull off the whole baywatch hair thing he does but I've been practicing looking kind of windswept and disapproving so I'm on my way."

Steve laughed and gave up on reorganizing the bunny bin. He slumped down onto the couch. "So what's up?"

"I just got a bit worried, that's all. Darce says you're out sick and I couldn't enjoy my booth knowing you were at home sneezing and weeping and, of course, deeply missing me."

Steve bit his lip, grinning around his tooth. "Just the last one, actually. It's not me that's sick. It's Hopper. I had to stay home to take care of him. Sorry, I should have warned you. I was looking forward to seeing you again today. Last week sucked."

"It really f*cking sucked. Is Hopper okay?"

"I hope so. Bunnies are funny. He's been like this before and bounced back, but it's scary when they don't eat."

Tony hummed. "So here's a thought."

"Yeah?"

Tony didn't say anything.

"Tony?"

"Yeah so what if I brought you lunch? You're stuck there with the fluffy invalid, right? And I came to the cafe to work, but let's be honest, I wasn't planning on working. I was planning on catching up with you. So like… if you're interested. I could bring by some takeout. You order, I'll pick it up. My treat. If you've got stuff to do, you can kick me out any time."

"Really? You don't mind treking all the way down here?"

"Steve, I'm at the cafe. You do this trek every day."

"I know… I just…" Steve looked around at the apartment. He couldn't imagine Tony there, but he desperately wanted to see him. "If you're sure. If you're not too busy."

"I'm packing up already. Text me where you're ordering from. Oh, and your address." The phone clicked on.

Steve stared at the pile of rabbit supplies he'd upended all over the living room floor. "sh*t."

The next twenty minutes was a whirlwind of cleaning with the phone tucked under his chin, trying to order food he thought Tony might like with nothing to go on, all while furiously texting Bucky, both for permission and for emotional support.

Bucky offered the first easily, and completely failed to offer the second, laughing at Steve's panic.

Bucky: Tony won't care if there's hay on the floor. How's Hopper?

Steve: Still not eating but he's nibbling on Eddy's ear so he can't be feeling that bad. Also he's mocking me.

Bucky: We're all mocking you, babe.

By the time Tony texted that he was at the door, Steve had worked himself into a complete state, and he didn't even look in the mirror in the hall on the way out since it was too late to do anything about his appearance anyway. Steve trotted down the stairs and pulled the door open to find Tony with two plastic bags of styrofoam containers, grinning at him. "Hey."

"Hi. Thanks for coming over."

Tony followed him up the stairs. "How's the patient?"

"He nibbled some cucumber, so hopefully the meds are working. He's due for another dose in twenty minutes." Steve opened the door and ushered Tony in, bouncing nervously on his toes as Tony took in his home for the first time.

"Eddy!" Tony shouted, setting the bags down as the dog trundled across the floor to meet him. "Oh my god, she's even cuter in person." He thudded to his knees and cupped her smiling face in his hands. "Oh look at youuuu," he cooed. "Look at her."

"I see her," Steve said, with an indulgent smile. "Every day, actually." He picked up the bags and took them into the kitchen, unpacking the food. He turned and leaned back against the counter, watching Tony rub either side of Eddy's face making her tongue roll out and her ears flop back and forth. "She'll try to go home with you now."

Tony beamed over at him. "Any time. Where's Hopper?"

Steve pointed at Eddy's bed where Hopper had shoved himself grumpily in the corner. "He's still not feeling himself."

"Poor guy. I won't bother him then."

"He usually joins the welcoming committee. Maybe later. Hungry?"

"Starving."

Steve put deli sandwiches on plates with half each of the fries and side salad. He sat on the couch with the food on the coffee table and Tony joined him. It instantly felt like a date, and Steve's palms started to sweat. It wasn't. It wasn't a date. It was friends hanging out.

Tony picked up a french fry and popped it in his mouth, still smiling at Eddy. He looked around at the apartment. "So you guys live here, huh?"

"Yeah. Sorry, it's nothing like what you're used to."

Tony shot him a look. "Yeah, Brooklyn is way out of my stomping ground. Don't be like that. I like it here. It's homey. I grew up in a mausoleum. I wasn't allowed to touch anything. I want to touch everything here." He laughed. "That's weird."

"You can touch anything you like," Steve said with a laugh. Heat flushed up the back of his neck as he processed the implications of that and Tony quirked an eyebrow at him before stuffing another french fry in his mouth.

It got a little easier, the longer Tony was there. They fell back into their usual banter, and Tony had a lot of frustration to vent out about his week in meetings. They worked their way through all the food then put on a movie, but ended up talking through it anyway. Every time Tony flashed his sharp, bright-eyed smile at Steve, he felt his whole body twitch towards him, hot with the urge to kiss him.

He escaped to the bathroom when the movie ended.

Steve: I really want to kiss him.

Bucky: Only if you snap me.

Steve: I'm not going to! It's just pretty distracting. I keep stumbling over my words.

Bucky: Just picture the audience naked.

Steve: Why on earth did I think texting you was a good idea?

Bucky: You just find me so irresistible, you can't stay away.

Steve: You spelled irritating wrong.

Bucky: Go back to your date.

Steve shoved his phone back in his pocket with a huff. He went back out to the living room to find Tony sitting on Eddy's bed, with Eddy belly up on one side and Hopper in his lap, having his ears petted. He took a picture and texted it to Bucky.

"He ate a cucumber!" Tony told him when he looked up and saw Steve there. "It was in his cage. I hope it's okay that I gave it to him."

"That's great!" Steve crouched down and ran Hopper's ears through his fingers. His little nose wobbled, and Steve pulled a few abandoned spinach leaves from the salad box and offered them to him. He grabbed one and chewed it. "He likes you."

Tony grinned. "Well, I have it on good authority that I'm very likable."

"You are," Steve told him, all seriousness and it felt like a win when Tony flushed. "I'd better put him away so he has a go at his hay. Otherwise he'll sit in your lap until the cows come home."

"Oh yeah, when does Bucky get home?"

"Har har. Few hours. Want to stick around? I mean, you're probably busy. But we could play a board game or something."

"I'm not busy." Tony buried his hand in Eddy's fur. "Stay forever, if you'll have me," he murmured softly, more to her than to Steve.

Steve bit back the urge to turn that into a promise.

They fell into new conversation after Hopper was away in his cage, and time flew. When Bucky showed up, they took out Risk and set it up. Two pizzas, a case of beer, and several hostile invasions later, Tony declared it time for him to go or risk not making it into work the next day, and Steve had to agree. He was almost afraid to look at the clock.

Bucky walked Tony out while Steve prepped Eddy's meds and Hopper's greens, feeling his ears inflame as he tried hard not to think about how intimate the evening had felt. It was so easy to be around him, and to be all together, but it was torture at the same time. It made him feel unsteady and exhilarated and like he was about to something really reckless, but he didn't know what.

Bucky, of course, zeroed in on his discomfort immediately. "You alright?"

Steve hummed and spread cheez whiz on Eddy's bread. "Uh. Sure." Then he winced. Keeping things to himself was what had led to him sleeping at Nat's. He didn't want that to happen again. He handed Eddy her treat and she ate it, wagging, then made her slow way to the bedroom. "I really did want to kiss him today."

The couch creaked and then Bucky was standing next to him, cupping Steve's face to press a kiss to his forehead. "I know."

"He makes me feel... " Steve shrugged, helpless. "I really enjoyed seeing him today," he finally managed. "And seeing you two being friends is really, really nice." He toyed with the hem of Bucky's shirt.

"Too much?"

"No." Steve shook his head. "Not too much. I don't want to stop seeing him. It's just - it's a lot to feel. For both of you. It's nice, but also… overwhelming."

Bucky considered him for a moment, then opened his mouth to speak, but Hopper interrupted him, rattling the bars of his cage loudly.

"I'm sorry!" Steve called. He picked up the handful of greens and made his way over to the cage. He opened the door and stuffed the food in then rubbed a knuckle up and down Hopper's nose. "Sorry, bud. I didn't forget about you. Guess you're feeling all better now, huh?"

Hopper picked up a leaf and it started to disappear into his mouth, so Steve clicked the cage shut and straightened to find Bucky locking up and flicking the lights off. "Come to bed with me," he said.

"Okay." Steve put the greens and Eddy's meds away then brushed his teeth and stripped down. He crawled into bed beside Bucky, who was lying there quietly, waiting for him. "You okay?"

"I'm okay." Bucky drew Steve into a kiss. "Tonight was really fun. I had a good time."

"Me too."

"I really like Tony. More and more each time we see him. He's funny and sweet, and an asshole, but like, in a great way." Bucky ran his hand down Steve's side, his eyes following its movement. He was quiet for a while, just petting, and Steve let him roll his thoughts through his head in peace.

Chapter 17

Chapter Text

"It's telling that I actually considered going with you guys," Steve said, flopped sideways on the couch while Bucky flitted around the apartment getting ready.

"You're not allowed to come with us. You need to work on your gallery pieces, Steve. So I'm getting out of your hair, and Tony is getting out of your hair, and to make it easier on you, we're doing something you hate." Bucky came over and stroked his hand up the hem of Steve's t-shirt, settling it flat over his stomach. "So whenever you look down at your sketchbook and sigh and wish you were out having fun too, just remember it's still not worse than being stuck at a basketball game."

Steve groaned. He trapped Bucky's hand with both of his. "I could call Natasha…"

"You will do nothing of the sort. Work on your project! If I get home and you haven't done anything…"

Steve raised an eyebrow. "You'll what?"

His hand clenched on Steve's stomach for a moment, then he grinned. "I'll let Tony pick your punishment."

That shivered all the way down Steve's spine to his co*ck. "Bucky," he squeaked, but Bucky just grinned. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Steve's lips.

"We'll text you. Get work done."

"Okay, okay." Steve yanked Bucky in for another kiss then let him go. The urge to procrastinate hit as soon as Steve was alone in the apartment and a list of things he could do that weren't working on his project flooded his mind. "Probably don't actually need to wash the curtains," he muttered to Eddy who flopped her tail once then went back to snoring. "Yeah, alright."

Steve changed into his painting clothes and hauled out all his supplies, figuring he was more likely to do more than just dicking around in his sketchbook if he actually spent the time getting the acrylics out and filling jars with water.

It was soothing, actually, prepping to paint, and it made him realize how long it had been since he had. He'd been so focused on designing his pieces, he'd gotten all wrapped up in his sketchbook. Painting was always freer, though. Steve set up a canvas and stared at it, pencil stuck between his teeth.

He wondered what Bucky and Tony were up to. He pictured them side by side in their stadium seats, maybe leaning in to chat, having to shift closer to be heard through the yelling crowd. It was a nice thought, like compacting his affection into a smaller space than he usually had to. As if reading his mind, his phone buzzed and he unlocked it to find a picture in the group chat of Tony and Bucky. Tony had taken and set the photo, winking at the camera over tinted sunglasses while Bucky rolled his eyes next to him.

Steve: Can't believe they let you two in.

His phone chimed twice in rapid succession.

Bucky: He bribed security.

Tony: I bribed them.

Steve snorted. Now he was imagining Bucky and Tony sitting side by side, texting each other memes instead of talking. Probably more accurate.

He looked back at his canvas. Paint what you love, Tony had told him. Maybe it was time to move past his pets, as much as he loved them. He opened the camera reel on his phone and flipped through it. It was mostly Bucky, Tony, and the pets. But there were other things he loved. He paused on a picture of Sam and Clint at the cafe. He'd taken it from Tony's booth while Tony was in the bathroom, catching Sam and Clint in a candid moment. They were turned towards each other, Sam holding a milk jug and Clint waving a coffee filter around.

Steve loved the cafe, loved his job and the sense of pride and satisfaction he got from running the business. He picked up a paintbrush and just went for it, working freeform, building up the shape of a coffee cup with a milk leaf on top of a smooth, creamy latte. He misjudged the size of the mug so it hung off the edge of the small canvas, off-kilter, but it worked. He worked lightly, not obsessing too much about details and finished with a flick of cinnamon brown over the coffee.

He stepped back, feeling the delicious rush off creative satisfaction. He liked it. It felt… right. Maybe not anything perfectly unique, but it was something he loved, making coffee. And maybe someone looking at it would feel that way too.

He washed his hands to take a lunch break and went back to his phone, balancing a bowl of salad in his lap.

Bucky: He won't eat the green ones.

There was a picture attached of a bag of M&Ms with only the green ones left.

Tony: Rhodey swapped the green ones for Skittles once and I've never been the same.

Steve: How's the game going?

Tony: Shut up.

Bucky: We're winning.
Bucky: How's the art going?

Steve: Shut up.

He snapped a picture of the coffee painting and sent it on.

Tony: Holy sh*t. That's gorgeous. I want eight.

Steve: You just want eight coffees. Addict.

Bucky: He legitimately just got up and walked off to find coffee.

Steve laughed, curling up on the couch with his phone, his bowl set aside. Hopper lolloped up to the edge of the coffee table and periscoped, wiggling his nose in the direction of Steve's half-eaten salad.

As it couldn't seem to resist doing these days, Steve's mind wandered into fantasy. Uninterested in the game, Steve imagined Bucky wasn't either. That he stood up to follow Tony off to the concourse. Instead of a coffee, Tony found Bucky, standing by the bathroom with his hands in his pockets. He gave Tony a significant look and they slipped inside, selecting a stall with a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching them.

Tony backed Bucky up against the door of the stall and pressed their mouths together. It was rough and quick and needy, and Steve had to shift on the couch as his co*ck hardened and pressed against his fly.

He was torn, sure that he didn't want it to happen for real - there was jealousy there, a slight itch from being left out, FOMO, Peter had called it - but deeply enjoying the fantasy, enough that he wondered if he should just commit and go jack off.

But to his surprise, the art called to him more, and he ended up feeding Hopper several pieces of his uneaten salad, then putting his headphones on and diving back into painting. Between his canvas and his sketchbook, he planned out a collection that was finally taking shape. He wrote LOVE at the top of a page then made a grid with space for eight thumbnails. The coffee cup wasn't good enough for his gallery submission, but it had given him an idea he could bounce off of.

He started with Bucky - Bucky was easy. Loving Bucky was a piece of him that was so steady and so much a part of him that he could sink into that with relative ease. He sketched out Bucky's shoulders across the top of the thumbnail square, with the creases and ridges of his scrubs. He added his stethoscope, the bright orange tube bumping into the top edge of the clip that held his ID badge to the hem of his pocket. It was a look that was so quintessentially Bucky, that even with only his neck and the edge of his jaw visible, beyond his scrub shirt, Steve felt like it was the closest likeness to him he'd ever done.

For the next thumbnail, he went back to his wheelhouse and shaped out Hopper's ears, with just the top of his head peeking above the bottom line, his tiny nose wiggling up out of the frame, peering out at the viewer.

The third was Eddy's nose, incredibly close up. He'd paint the little nooks and crannies of its dark, black surface, just the edge of her beautiful smile underneath it.

That grin gave him an idea for the next one, and he got distracted for a while, digging through old photo albums. It took almost an hour, but he finally dug up the picture he was thinking of. It was a snapshot of his mother, taken by a neighbour when Steve was only five years old. He'd had it in a picture frame on his bedside table at their first apartment, and he always thought of it first when he thought about what his mother looked like.

In the picture she was smiling, laughing at something, her bright lipstick drawing the eye to her mouth. She was holding a wooden spoon - it looked like she was cooking, but it wasn't clear, and Steve had never asked. As a kid, he'd just accepted the image as it was. Now, he wished he knew the story behind it, but even without, he could imagine the sound of her laughter with perfect accuracy.

He lay the picture on the table beside him and sat on the floor with Hopper flopped beside him. He focused the thumbnail on her smile only, cropping it out of the large image. He'd paint the creases of her lips and the shock of her pink lipstick.

Steve set his pencil down and looked at the page. It felt… good. It did. It was good. For the first time since the thrill of winning the contest had worn off, he felt good about it all. He twirled a dry paintbrush between his fingers. He could do this.

He spent the next two hours working on the painting of Bucky, getting his base sketch up and starting to layer the colours, beginning with the bright blue of his scrubs. When his eyes were starting to ache with staring, Steve's phone buzzed with a message.

Bucky: On my way home. Tony put me in a cab.

Steve: Of course he did. See you soon. Love you.

Steve started packing up, turning the drying canvas towards the wall so Bucky wouldn't see it. They'd had a long-standing agreement that Bucky wouldn't peek at any art until Steve invited him to, and this time, he wanted to wait until it was done.

Shortly after he had his paints away, brushes cleaned, and the apartment back in shape, the door opened and Bucky appeared. He dropped his bag, walked straight across the room and collapsed face first onto the couch beside Steve, with a groan. Steve poked him with a foot. "What's wrong? Did your team lose and you had to eat something disgusting?"

"No, we won," Bucky grumbled. "I ate something disgusting because I wanted to."

"Do you want me to rub your tummy?"

"That's not what's wrong." Bucky sighed into the couch then mumbled something Steve didn't catch.

"What was that?"

"I really want to kiss him too."

"Oooh!" Steve shouted. He braced both his feet against Bucky's side and rabbit-kicked until he rolled off the couch onto the floor. Eddy shuffled over and started licking - what Steve could only assume was - the trace remnants of styrofoam-based nacho cheese off his face. Bucky took his punishment like a man. "How's that for a turntable?" Steve said, dangling one arm off the couch to rub Eddy's ears. "What happened?"

"I don't know!" Bucky wrapped his arms around Eddy's neck and she flopped down, draping her head over his chest. "There was this amazing layup, and I turned to him all excited, and he was laughing and clapping, even though it was my team winning, and I wanted to - just grab him and kiss the sh*t out of him."

Steve tipped sideways on the couch so they were lying head-to-feet on different levels. He shifted his hand down and wound his fingers with Bucky's. "We're pretty f*cked, aren't we?"

"Completely. f*cked."

Chapter 18

Chapter Text

"Is he, uh, is Tony still single?" Bucky asked later that night, hypercasual. He bundled a pair of socks together and tossed it into his drawer.

Steve picked up a t-shirt to fold, hiding the way his heart was pounding in his chest. "As far as I know, yes. He said he went on a date about a week ago, but it didn't sound like he was seeing her again. Why?"

Bucky took too long to answer, focused on a pair of jeans. "It's nothing," he finally said. Steve chose not to press, knowing that sometimes it took Bucky a little while to wrap his mind around something. While Steve needed someone to push his thoughts out the door with force, Bucky needed more gentle handling.

They finished the laundry then put the pets to bed and locked up. Steve crawled into bed and pressed up against Bucky, face to face, noses touching.

Bucky cleared his throat. "So I was just thinking… unless it would make things worse for you…"

Steve's mouth went dry. "Unless what would make things worse for me?"

"What if we… invited Tony over again?" Bucky shifted closer, and Steve could feel heat radiating off of him. "Invite him to join us. If he's not seeing anyone."

"Um." Steve swallowed hard, but his mouth was still a desert. "Like to join us in bed?"

"Yeah. Only if you want to, of course."

"I - holy sh*t." Want didn't even begin to cover it. Steve craved the idea. Bucky on one side, Tony on the other, it was almost too much to comprehend. But it was also overwhelming, maybe too much, and just like with the rest of this, there was a chance it would hurt what he and Bucky had. And there was an even bigger chance it could hurt Tony, which Steve couldn't bear. "It seems… risky."

"I don't think so. As long as everyone knows what they're getting into. But if it would hurt too much, to have a taste of him but not all of him, I understand."

Steve rolled the idea around in his mind, his body voting an enthusiastic "yes!" while his mind still churned. "Are you just suggesting this for me? You've never mentioned wanting a threesome before."

Bucky shrugged again, making the sheets rustle where they wrapped around their shoulders. "It's crossed my mind. But we didn't know anyone I'd trust well enough to ask, so I didn't bother bringing it up. But now we do."

"You trust Tony?"

"I do."

"Huh."

"His feelings for you make me trust him more. I don't know if he feels as strongly about you as you do for him, but he definitely cares about you a lot. And since I care about you a lot, I'm only going to trust someone else around you that feels that way too. The only thing I'm worried about is this ruining our friendship or making things complicated. But I feel like as long as we're honest and straightforward, he'll be able to make up his own mind." Bucky ran his knuckle up Steve's thigh. "Who wouldn't want a special night with you?"

"Wow. Uh, yeah. I can't lie, that's really appealing." Steve's co*ck hardening only served to reinforce his words.

"Do you think he'd be up for it?" Bucky asked.

Steve pondered the question. Tony was a big flirt and some people didn't back that up in the bedroom, but Steve was pretty sure Tony did. It wasn't just the way he was talked about in the media. Tony liked sex, talked about sex, and never seemed ashamed that he did. If Steve knew anyone who would be down for a threesome, it'd probably be Tony. "Yeah, yeah, I think so. Maybe. I think he's done stuff like that before. He's, um, been around the block a few times. It'd be pretty hard to shock him."

Bucky rolled over until he was covering Steve and bent to nip along his jaw. "What would you want to do, if he were here?"

"Oh god, Buck. I don't know. I -" Steve cleared his throat roughly. "I'd want… you both. To do things to me. At the same time."

Bucky eased Steve over onto his stomach and started drawing kisses down his back while his fingers traced circles over his hip. Steve shoved his arms under the pillow then buried his face in it, breathing through the fabric to keep from hyperventilating. Bucky was giving him free reign to fantasize about Tony while they had sex. Hot blood throbbed to his co*ck so fast, his hips started rubbing him off on the sheets before he even realized he was moving.

"Do what? You want Tony's mouth on you while I f*ck you?"

"God… yes."

Bucky's finger traced the curve of Steve's ass then pressed deeper, teasing the rim of his hole. He nipped at the back of Steve's neck. "Maybe we could open you up together, one of his fingers, one of mine? Fighting over who gets to put their co*ck in you first."

Steve whimpered and burrowed deeper into the pillow. He arched his hips up, spreading his knees farther apart. Bucky reached between his leg with the hand that wasn't currently torturing his hole, and took Steve's co*ck in his grip.

"I want to watch him with you," Bucky continued. "You know I like watching you - watching you paint, watching you cook, watching you dance, watching you jack off. I think you two would look amazing together."

Bucky's hand disappeared for a moment then came back slick. He slid two fingers into Steve, slow and steady, and Steve rolled his hips up, welcoming them in.

"I want to see you kiss him," Steve said into the pillow.

Bucky's hot breath landed on the back of his neck as he pressed in behind him. "What was that?"

Steve turned his face to the side. "I want to see you kiss him."

Bucky chuckled and pressed a wet kiss between Steve's shoulder blades. "You're so sweet, Stevie. Yeah, I want to kiss him. And I want you to kiss him. I want to see you so overwhelmed by the two of us that you just fall apart. And I want to touch him any way I want without worrying about what's okay."

"Me too."

Steve breathed out a long slow breath as Bucky worked his fingers deeper, spreading him open. Bucky's weight on his back pinned him to the bed and he sunk into the pressure, letting there be nothing but the softness of the sheets and acres of Bucky's skin. After a moment, Bucky's hand moved away, and Steve heard the telltale sound of Bucky pushing his co*ck through his slick fist. He moaned softly at the touch then pressed the head of his co*ck to Steve's hole.

Steve arched up, spreading his legs and relaxing, letting Bucky push in. He sunk down an inch at a time, rocking back then pressing in again as he encouraged Steve's body to accept him.

"He could be down your throat right now," Bucky purred into Steve's ear. "Holding your hair like you like. I'd tell him what you like and you know he'd torture you with it. He'd take it slow when you're dying to go fast and then push you rough and hard when you're so overwhelmed you want to cry."

And Steve was feeling overwhelmed like that already. His mind snapped back to the night he'd fantasized about Tony being there, pushing into him while he was pushing into Bucky. Only this time he didn't only have permission to think that way - he had encouragement.

"I want him to f*ck me while I f*ck you," Steve gasped out as Bucky bottomed out then pulled free only to press in again. "I want him to hold my hips and move me so I feel both of you everywhere but he's the one in control."

"Yeah, Stevie. I want to watch him make you fall apart. I want him to watch us. God - you feel so good." Bucky thrust forward a few more times then shifted back. He grabbed Steve's hips and pulled until Steve's legs hung off the end of the bed and he was able to brace his feet on the floor and lift his ass up. Bucky pushed into him again. "So hot - so tight. sh*t. He doesn't know what he's missing."

"I think -" Steve cut himself off with a moan. He took two handfuls of the sheets and stretched his arms out, bracing himself against Bucky's rough thrusts. "I think he'd like to tease. Tease both of us. With that - that smirk of his."

Bucky groaned and folded over Steve. He kissed the back of his neck. "I bet he'd be on his knees right now, sucking your co*ck while I f*ck you. Every thrust of mine would push you further down his throat. And he'd look up at you with those f*cking eyes, all bright and wide and intense and commanding, and you'd just do whatever he wanted, wouldn't you, baby?"

"f*ck -" It was too much for Steve. The thought of Tony on his knees, swallowing him down while Bucky f*cked him, driving against his prostate with every word, tumbled him over the edge and he moaned out his release with his face buried in the mattress, nearly sobbing with the intensity of it.

Bucky didn't slow down, but he changed the angle a little, lessening the assault. It was still so, so much, and Steve couldn't get the idea of Tony there with them out of his head, creating a feedback loop of pleasure that wound round and round until he was dizzy and whimpering, drool pooling under his chin on the sheets.

"f*ck, baby, you feel so good." Bucky rocked deep one more time then pulled free. He urged Steve up onto the bed and rolled him on his back. He stretched out between his legs and they moaned in tandem when he plunged inside him again.

Steve was sparking off, static electricity covering every inch of his skin. He was completely overwhelmed, but it made him feel free, like nothing mattered and nothing was right or wrong. Bucky had him, would keep him tethered, and right now all he was was a tool for Bucky's pleasure.

"Where you going, sweetheart?" Bucky whispered softly in his ear, his thrusts slowing down.

"Dunno…" Steve murmured, tongue heavy. "Feel good."

"Yeah." Bucky kissed his way up Steve's jaw then dropped his mouth to his neck where he started sucking and nipping. He pulled Steve close up against his chest and rocked into him, picking up the pace again. "I'm going to come."

"Please," Steve begged. He needed the hot throb of Bucky filling him up, and then everything would be perfect.

Bucky kept up pace, his breath hot against Steve's neck as he panted his way towards completion. "Oh yeah - Steve -" With another thrust Bucky stilled, his hand tightening on Steve's legs, hard enough to leave bruises, and Steve felt the steady pulse of Bucky emptying into him, filling him up with his come.

When the last aftershock had faded, Bucky lowered himself down onto Steve's chest and Steve ran both palms up his back then furrowed his fingers in his hair. He felt free and floaty still, but a little more stable, back into himself. His mind supplied a happy, sated Tony at his side and he wished he could reach out and really feel him there.

Bucky nuzzled down against Steve's chest, and he could feel the shape of his smile on his skin. "Should invite him over as a graduation present for me," Bucky said, chuckling. He slid free of Steve's body and slid down until they were wound more comfortably around each other.

"For you. Yeah, sure." Steve snorted. He traced long lines up Bucky's back with his fingers.

"It would be…" Bucky's voice trailed off as sleep claimed him.

Steve lay awake for a long time, even though the time he had to get out of bed and go to the cafe kept clicking closer. He watched Bucky's side of the blanket rise and fall in the dark. He wasn't serious, was he? It was fine pillow talk, but in their four years together, it had never come up before, getting adventurous with someone else. And what would that even be like, in real life? Fantasy was easy. In the fantasy, Tony said yes and it was all simple and straightforward. In real life, he couldn't predict what Tony might say or how it might feel.

And all of that was only if Bucky really meant it and if either of them could get up the courage to ask.

Chapter 19

Chapter Text

Bucky: I'm coming by the cafe today. We should stay after closing and ask him. I think it's less weird if we ask him there instead of inviting him over and making it a big thing. And then if he's uncomfortable he has to leave and it's all awkward.

They'd talked about it again in the morning, and to Steve's surprise, they'd settled rather easily on that weekend as the perfect date. They were both off work for Saturday and Sunday, and it wouldn't drag things out needlessly. Steve still couldn't quite believe they were really going to do it. They'd both agreed that they needed this to be a one time thing, at least to start with, because they didn't want to give Tony any false hope that it would be anything more than a night of sex. They'd never even fantasized together about someone else joining them in bed before Tony; neither wanted to move too fast and blast past the other's boundaries.

Steve: Yeah. I agree. When are you coming?

Bucky: Like just a half hour before you close. I'll say I'm walking you home. But then you know he always hangs around so you just have to get rid of Sam.

Steve: Alright.
Steve: You sure you want to ask?

Bucky: Are you sure?

Steve rolled his phone around in his hands. He thought about how he'd feel, knowing he had a chance to have Bucky and Tony at the same time and passing it up. He thought about the night on Nat's couch, full of brownies and wine and self-pity and imagined telling that Steve that he'd had his fantasy in his grasp and turned it down.

Steve: Definitely sure.

Bucky: Good. Me too. See you this aft.

Steve: Love you.

Bucky: Love you too.

It was almost impossible to focus on work for the rest of the day, but luckily, the cafe was quiet. Tony showed up in the late afternoon and Steve brought him a muffin and a cappuccino. He had work to do, though, so Steve mostly left him alone, glad for the excuse since he wasn't sure he could bite his tongue. Twenty minutes before close, Bucky showed up, and after talking to Sam for a while, he joined Tony in his booth. Steve watched them talk out of the corner of his eye as they served the last customers.

Steve shot Bucky a look over the hissing espresso machine and Buck raised his eyebrows in a half-nod. "Hey, Sam?" Steve said, voice too rough at first. He cleared his throat and tried again. "You can head out. It's quiet. I'll close up."

"You sure?" Sam looked up from where he was stacking glasses and narrowed his eyes at Steve. Then they flicked over to the booth where Bucky and Tony had their heads close together and he sighed. "Yeah, alright. Just use a lot of Lysol, please."

"Oh my god, Sam. What are you -?"

But Sam just patted him on the back and tossed his tea towel over Steve's face. Steve tugged it down but Sam had already disappeared into the back room. Steve busied himself with useless tidying, counting and re-counting the change drawer, and making sure every chair was perfectly square to its table until Sam was long gone and the cafe was just the three of them.

"Hey, Stevie, come here," Bucky called, when it apparently became clear that Steve wouldn't be able to walk over on his own power.

Steve set his broom aside and shuffled over to Tony's booth. He slid in next to Bucky and immediately tasted blood. He forced himself to stop chewing his lip. Tony could clearly sense something was up because he was looking back and forth between them with his brow furrowed.

When Steve didn't speak, Bucky rolled his eyes and squeezed his knee under the table. "Hey, Tony? We have a question for you," he said, and Steve's heart crawled up into his throat.

Tony nodded. "Yeah? Anything. What do you need? Money?"

Steve and Bucky shared a look. "No, no. Nothing like that. It's not something we need," Steve said. "But it's something we want. But only if you want it too."

"Me?"

"Yeah…"

Bucky took over again. "You still have a crush on Steve?"

Tony's mouth opened and closed while Steve willed himself to melt into the floor. He adopted a pinned look, like a wild dog finding itself trapped in a corner. "...Yes? Sorry?"

"No, it's okay." Bucky nodded encouragingly, fingers twitching towards Tony then falling away. "I get it, I mean, so do I. We just thought, maybe. If you wanted to, we could… spend some time together. If you wanted to come over for a drink some night. We were hoping it might turn into more than a drink…?"

Steve watched the gears turning in Tony's head. "You want me to come over for more than a drink? You two want a threesome? Is that what you're asking? I'm sorry, I've got this insane ringing in my ears and I'm going to need you to be disgustingly blunt right now," he said, a little breathless. His knuckles had gone white where he gripped the edge of the table.

"Yes," Steve managed. "We're suggesting a threesome. You, me, and Bucky spending a night together at our apartment. Having sex." He coughed. Wow. Saying it out loud was something else.

"Oh. Well sh*t." Tony worked his jaw, blinking down at his lap. "I only know how to say yes in like seven languages and I'm not sure that's going to be enough."

Steve snapped his eyes up from Tony's hands to his face. "Really?"

"Yeah. I mean you'd have to be a total idiot to pass you two up. Also blind. f*ck, I'd settle for getting to watch. I can't tell you how many deposits to the spank bank are owed entirely to thoughts of you two. God, you've fried my filter completely, sh*t. Please don't ask me any corporate secrets right now, I have the self-control of a labradoodle puppy on speed, and Pepper will kill me."

Steve giggled then slapped a hand over his mouth to stem a tsunami of manic laughter that threatened to come out after. "f*ck." He tipped his forehead down until it hit the table with a soft thunk.

"Is he okay?" Tony asked.

"He was a little stressed about asking you," Bucky said, patting Steve on the shoulder.

Tony chuckled. "So how do you guys see this going? I assume you don't want to get freaky in the back room, so when and where?"

"Our place. If that's okay."

Steve raised his head to watch as Tony nodded.

"As for parameters, well… pretty much anything goes, I guess. I mean anything you wouldn't naturally want to ask for permission for first, anyway. I don't mind you and Steve doing stuff together, but I'd prefer no pairing off - all three of us together in the same room for anything below the belt." He shrugged. "I like watching, but I don't want to feel left out."

Tony nodded again, swallowing hard enough that his throat bobbed. Steve felt like he was purposefully avoiding looking at him, eyes fixed on Bucky or jumping around the cafe. But Steve couldn't look anywhere else. He was glued to Tony, heart pounding heavily at the back of his throat. Then Tony's eyes finally cut away and landed on Steve. And stopped.

"I'm -" Tony started, then he cut off, mouth still open but no words coming out.

"Are you sure?" Steve asked. "Just for one night?"

That broke Tony out of his trance and his face softened. "Yeah. Yeah. As long as Bucky is really okay with the fact that I asked you out. I mean, I can't lie and say I don't have some semi-significant amount of feelings, and I don't know how well I can hide that."

"You don't have to hide it," Bucky broke in. "I prefer people don't hide things from me, actually."

"Uh." Tony cleared his throat. "Sorry?"

"That's on me," Steve jumped in to explain. "I - Um. I have some... semi-significant feelings too, but I didn't realize until I'd already been hurtful towards Bucky. I mean - our flirting really didn't just go one way did it? I should have told Bucky right away, but I didn't."

"Oh." Tony looked back to Bucky. "Sorry."

"Not your fault. I'm fine with it, really. I just want to know. I kind of like it when Stevie's attracted to someone, to tell you the truth." His arm snaked around Steve's waist and pulled him tight. It was grounding and Steve squeezed his leg under the table. Then he shot Tony a look that could only be described as dirty. "Not like you and I don't do our fair share of flirting." He winked.

Tony laughed, real and deep, and a beautiful pink flushed up from under his collar. "What can I say? I'm a big flirt and you two are wonderful. I can understand not wanting anything hidden, though. Okay. You're sure you want to do this? It wouldn't be better with someone you meet on Tinder? I mean, because there is a bit of - uh - history…"

"We're doing this because we wanted it to be you," Bucky clarified. "Not just to add another body to our bed. We both like you a lot, Tony. This isn't going to be… distant."

Tony flushed prettily at that, fiddling with the rim of an empty coffee cup in front of him. "Right. Okay. Well." He cleared his throat. "When?"

Bucky exchanged a look with Steve, and there was a low, simmering heat there that made Steve's stomach start doing flip-flops. It was so easy to tell himself that it was all for him, but then Bucky looked at him like that and Steve's mind went wild with possibilities. "Tomorrow night?"

Tony let out a low, slow breath and nodded. "Okay. I'm free. I mean, there are very few things I wouldn't cancel for this, but yeah. I'm free." His eyes cut over to Steve's again and something electric passed between them.

Bucky squeezed Steve's knee again then slipped out of the booth seat. "I'm going to make tea for the road. You guys want anything?"

Tony shook his head, and Bucky stepped away, turning back to shoot Steve a significant look, but Steve's heart was too busy giving a valiant effort for crawling all the way out of his mouth and taking his lungs with it for him to figure out what it was supposed to mean.

"Hi," Tony said, and Steve snapped his attention to him.

"Hi."

"He's really cool with it?" Tony tossed a thumb towards Bucky's retreating back.

"Yeah. Yeah, it was his idea, honestly."

"Huh."

"No pressure, though."

"None taken. Promise." Tony leaned forward, folding himself down over his hands. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just - I'm nervous. I want this but I don't have a lot of experience. I thought… I mean, you have… more. Right?"

"Experience?"

Steve found a napkin to twist between his fingers. "Yeah. With men and with, uh, threesomes."

"Yeah, yeah. A few times. Not quite like this, though."

"What's different about this?"

"I really like you guys. I like to think we're really close friends, so it won't just be emotionless hookup sex."

Steve shook his head. "Neither of us want it to be. We really like you too. We are really close friends and we don't want to lose that."

Bucky reappeared at the side of the table, and Steve slipped out to stand next to him. When Tony stood as well, Steve's fingers itched to reach out towards him. Instead, Steve stood as still as he could to keep himself from doing something dumb.

Bucky looked between them for a moment, then snorted. "Oh my god, you guys are such losers. Just hug, already."

"Really?" Tony asked.

Bucky gestured towards Steve. "He's going to explode if he doesn't touch you."

"Hey!" Steve protested, but Tony reached out and grabbed Steve's sleeve, reeling him into a hug. Steve realized with a drop of his stomach that it was the first time he and Tony had touched like this, with unquestionable affection. Tony wrapped both arms around Steve's waist and Steve gripped his shoulders. His eyes prickled with unexpected heat. He'd been so close to losing this man forever due to his sheer stupidity, and now that he had him in his arms, he couldn't handle that thought. "I'm sorry," he whispered in Tony's ear.

Tony squeezed him tightly then peeled back to look him in the eye. "Hey… don't. It's okay. What's wrong?"

"I really f*cked up when you asked me out, and I feel like I had a chance to make it up to Bucky, but not to you."

Tony's fingers dug into his upper arm for a moment then he winked. "Sounds like you'll have a chance to make it up to me tomorrow night."

"Jesus." Steve closed his eyes and tipped his head back, willing the oncoming boner to back off.

Tony reeled him in again and brushed his lips against Steve's cheek as he stepped back, a shock of soft heat. Then he reached out and pulled Bucky in too, holding him close. Steve watched Bucky twist his face slightly to breathe in the smell of Tony's shampoo and his heart sung. Steve still had the scent of coconut and sandalwood filling his nose.

There was a silly moment when Tony and Bucky parted and they all just stood there. Then Steve shook his head to clear it and started walking towards the door. "Tomorrow won't come any faster standing around here," he offered, sounding much more put together than he felt, and Bucky laughed.

The two men followed him out and watched as he locked up. They huddled in a group for a moment, then Tony looked off down the direction he was headed. "See you tomorrow," he said as he stepped away from the door, only turning away to look down the street as he walked when he was several sidewalk blocks away.

Chapter 20

Chapter Text

Steve didn't sleep that night. Every time he closed his eyes, he felt Tony and Bucky tracing twin paths with hot hands all over his body and the rush of arousal would shock him awake again. Bucky grinned at him knowingly all morning while Steve made coffee and breakfast. He texted Sam to let him know he wouldn't be reachable that day, and Sam promised to handle everything at the cafe.

Tony showed up at six that night, with a messenger bag over his shoulder and a smirk. Steve stepped back to let him in the apartment, nerves churning his stomach. "Hey, guys. How was your Saturday?" he asked, laughter wound through his voice.

Bucky shook his head. "Haven't gotten a damn thing done. What about you?"

"Oh you know, full body wax, did a little stretching to limber up, jaw exercises, that kind of thing."

Steve snorted out a laugh and followed Tony to the kitchen table where he claimed a chair. Bucky joined them.

Tony dug around in his bag for a moment then tossed a piece of folded paper on the table.

"What's that?" Bucky reached for it.

"It's my test results. I went to the doctor this morning. One hundred percent not a pitch for barebacking, but I just thought you guys would be more comfortable, knowing I'm clean."

"Oh, wow." Steve's stomach fluttered at the thought of all that bare skin, free. "We, uh, we didn't think of that, because I think it's pretty clear we have no idea what we're doing, but we have -" He jumped up and rustled through the junk drawer in the cabinet by the kitchen. He found the insurance folder and took out a few sheets. "We each had to have a medical when Bucky's benefits changed. It's two months old, but neither of us have slept with anyone else since then." Steve handed Tony the sheet, and he glanced at it then dropped it on the table with his. "Would you, um, want to?" Steve asked.

"Want to what?"

"Not use condoms?"

"Yeah. If you guys want to. I like the way skin feels," Tony hummed, lowly, sending another buzz down to Steve's groin. "But again, no pressure."

"I don't mind," Bucky said. "We never use them anyway, we'd probably screw it up."

Tony laughed. "Steve?"

Steve nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay with it."

Tony looked back and forth between them for a moment. "Do you guys know what you want to do?" he asked, grinning, his leg bouncing under the table.

Steve shook his head. "Not really. The plan kind of… ends here."

"Okay then." Tony pushed to his feet. "And you're both completely sure you want to do this?"

Steve and Bucky shared a look then nodded. "Yes," they said together.

"Okay then." Tony stepped up to Bucky's chair and pressed between his knees, which parted to allow him to press up against Bucky's chest. He cupped his face then tipped down and kissed him. Steve's body ignited at the sight. The last crumb of worry that there'd be any jealousy burned away into ash as he shifted in his chair, making space in his pants for his filling co*ck. Bucky tilted his head back to give Tony better access, and Tony's fingers skated down his neck, the tips of two tucking into the neck of Bucky's t-shirt.

When they pulled apart, they both turned to look at Steve. "Bedroom?" Steve croaked out.

Tony just smiled and took off, pulling Bucky up after him and Steve jogged to catch up, grabbing Bucky's other hand and holding on. In the bedroom, nerves flooded Steve's stomach again and he hovered nervously, closing the door behind him to keep the pets from bothering them. Bucky started tugging off his shirt and Tony released him to step up to Steve. "You okay?"

"More than okay. I'm a little worried about having a medical incident. Is it possible to be dangerously horny?"

Tony grinned and slipped his hand up under the hem of Steve's shirt. He rested it there on his stomach, not groping, just… touching. And Steve couldn't hold back anymore - he had to kiss him. He stumbled forward a half step, caught Tony in his arms, and pressed their lips together. Tony hummed into the kiss, still smiling for a moment before he melted into Steve's arms and pressed the kiss deeper. His tongue brushed across the seam of Steve's lips and they both moaned.

"Wow," Bucky rasped and they broke apart to look at him. "That's so f*cking hot."

Tony grinned pulling Steve closer against his side. "Hey, here's a thought. Why don't you boys put a lovely show on for me?"

"If that's what you want?"

Tony nodded then stripped his own shirt off. He tipped backwards onto the bed, sprawled in a mess of long legs and bare chest. Steve stared, forgetting about putting on a show as he drank in Tony's body. He had rough-hewn abs and his designer jeans hugged his hips low enough to show off the vee-cut of his body disappearing towards a teasing edge of dark curly hair.

Bucky's arms slipped around Steve from behind and he startled, heart leaping up into his throat. Steve tipped his head to the side and Bucky kissed his way down his throat then grabbed the hem of his shirt and peeled it up, revealing him to Tony slowly and making Steve's pulse jump and leap as the room disappeared into darkness for a moment. When the shirt popped free, Tony was smiling softly at them, head tilted to the side, eyes raking down over Steve with x-ray vision that felt like it went way past skin deep.

Bucky's hands went to the button of Steve's jeans and he leaned back into his arms. His co*ck was so hard Bucky had to pull the zipper away from his body to make sure he didn't hurt him. His other hand pressed over the front of Steve's boxers, warm heat against his co*ck making him moan in pleasure.

"What are you going to do to him, Buck?" Tony asked, light and teasing.

"Well," Bucky drawled, "I happen to know there's something Steve would love to try."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. So I'm going to get him all worked up and then he's going to f*ck me. And you're going to f*ck him at the same time. If that's something you're partial to. And between us, I don't think he's going to be able to walk for a week."

"That sounds -" Tony licked his lips "- absolutely delicious."

Steve whined, grinding forward against Bucky's hand. "You guys are evil," he gasped.

Tony popped the button on his pants and pushed them down a little, his erection pressing up against his underwear, visible through the gap. "That's what you want, though, isn't it, baby?"

"Yes," Steve all but sobbed. "Please."

"He's incredibly pretty when he begs."

"I like when he's too far gone to beg anymore," Bucky said, loud enough that Tony could hear, but feeling like a rough whisper in Steve's ear.

Bucky worked Steve's pants down over his hips, followed by his boxers, and despite knowing it was an inevitable part of having sex, Steve blushed at being exposed to Tony for the first time. He was the first person to see him naked in a long time, besides Bucky and his doctors, and Tony's gaze sent rushes of tingly heat under Steve's skin wherever it landed.

Bucky nipped at the join of his shoulder and neck then his heat disappeared from Steve's back, making him mourn the loss immediately. Bucky sat on the edge of the bed then leaned back to draw Tony into a kiss. Steve's brain snapped like a camera at the sight of Bucky and Tony making out, shirtless, and both obviously hard. There was no question he'd be drawing that image later, but he was also just as confident that he wouldn't be able to do it justice.

Tony helped Bucky out of his pants, then Steve stepped forward and slotted himself between Bucky's legs. Tony rocked up to his knees. "How does he like it, Steve? Rough and dirty? Slow and sweet?"

Steve looked down at Bucky lying beneath him, co*ck leaking on his stomach, arms tucked behind his head. "Rough and dirty," he said, and Bucky smirked. Steve stretched to the side and grabbed the bottle of lube from the bedside table. He squirted some on his fingers and reached for Bucky's co*ck with his other hand, but Tony bumped his hand away.

"Let me give you a hand with that," he said, winking in Steve's direction. Then he folded down over Bucky's lap and sucked his co*ck down to the hilt.

"Holy f*cking sh*t," Bucky gasped out, both hands snapping to the back of Tony's head.

Steve watched, enthralled, as Tony's head bobbed up and down, his tongue darting out to tease, throat working. Steve only realized his own mouth was hanging open when his tongue ached with the pain of drying out and he snapped it shut. Tony turned to look at him, quirking an eyebrow, and Steve rushed into action, sliding his lubed up fingers between Bucky's legs to find his hole.

He pressed two fingers in, grinning when Bucky groaned and threw his head back, arching on the bed. There was something heady and wild about both of them working to get Bucky off, like the reward of a collaborative effort would be deeper and more satisfying than on his own. Steve worked Bucky roughly with his fingers while he watched Tony swallow him down over and over, spit spilling down his chin. Bucky's fingers clenched and released handfuls of the sheets.

When Steve couldn't take it anymore, he reclaimed his fingers and lined his co*ck up to Bucky's hole, short circuiting at how close Tony's face was to both of them. Apparently reading his mind, Tony pulled off Bucky's co*ck and nuzzled into the crease of Steve's hip, kissing up his stomach, licking and nipping as he went. The combination of Tony's hot mouth on him and the slick heat of his first press into Bucky almost had him going off right there. "Oh, f*ck," he whined, hearing the desperation in his own voice even as he struggled to get himself under control.

Bucky had gone wide-eyed, watching as Tony worked his way up Steve's chest to suck a nipple between his lips. The shock of teeth made Steve jerk forward, bottoming out inside Bucky who gasped and rolled his hips.

"How does he feel, Buck?" Tony asked, still focused on destroying Steve's self control.

"f*cking phenomenal."

Tony slipped off the bed and curled around against Steve's back, tipping his chin over his shoulder to watch as Steve rocked gently in and out of Bucky. His fingers skated down Steve's back, making his co*ck twitch and jerk with anticipation, which made Bucky moan more in turn.

Tony's hand cupped the back of Steve's neck then he pushed, folding Steve down on top of Bucky, his hands snapping out to catch himself on either side of Bucky's ribs. He dropped his face to Bucky's neck, kissing his way up to his ear as Tony's fingers kept exploring, dancing over the curve of his ass.

Tony's hands left him for a moment, and he looked back over his shoulder to watch him pet down Bucky's legs instead, pushing them wider and folding them up so Steve's hips slipped forward and he pressed even deeper with every stroke. "You guys are gorgeous together," Tony hummed. "Everyone who is not me is seriously missing out right now."

Steve laughed breathlessly, rolling his hips forward again, Bucky's body rippling around him. "Don't feel like I'm missing out at all."

Tony chuckled. "Yeah? I think there's one thing you're missing." His hand landed on Steve's hip then slipped around between his legs. He cupped his balls for a moment then found the place where Steve's co*ck disappeared into Bucky and exploring, circling Bucky's rim with his finger, then shifting back to tease Steve's, his finger slick from Bucky's dripping hole. He dropped to his knees behind Steve and pulled his ass apart, breathing hot air on his hole.

"Oh my god." Steve started shaking, and Bucky wrapped his arms around him, holding him steady.

"Tell me what he's doing," Bucky told him.

"He's f*ck -" Tony bit down on the swell of Steve's ass as his slick finger teased it's way past his rim. Steve could feel himself clenching and releasing, pleasure hot and electric in his core. "Fingering me."

"f*ck, yeah," Bucky breathed, hips rolling up when Steve couldn't move anymore.

Tony stood and there was a shuffle of fabric as his pants hit the floor. He grabbed the lube Steve had abandoned then stood. Steve trembled in place as he heard the wet noises of Tony slicking himself. God, he was about to have both of them. It was almost too much to bear. Then Tony folded over his back, his other hand landing on Steve's hip. "You okay? Both of you?"

Bucky groaned. "I'm f*cking fantastic."

"Me too," Steve squeezed out.

"Perfect." Tony found Steve's hand where it braced against the mattress and wound their fingers together, then he started pressing inside.

Steve whined. The thick, unrelenting pressure of Tony stretching him wide combined with the sweet heat of Bucky, not just around his co*ck but pressed against his entire front. He was sweating, shaking, trapped between both kinds of pleasure and unable to move.

But Tony could still move. He pressed in, slow but steady, then rocked back and pressed in again, harder this time. Once Steve's body relaxed and accepted him, he took hold of Steve's hip, still holding his other hand, and started f*cking into him in earnest. The rocking motion pushed Steve's co*ck in and out of Bucky. Bucky's hand folded over their joined ones. It was like Tony was f*cking Bucky using him, his body nothing more than a toy to please them both. He arched up, stinging tears bursting against the backs of his eyes and braced his forehead on Bucky's chest, gasping. It was like he was already through an org*sm and out the other side. It was so overwhelming, he could hardly remember how to breathe.

"Feels so good," he managed to choke out, in case either man was worried about the complete state he was in. "Nugh -"

"Come whenever you're ready, Steve," Tony whispered in his ear, his voice voice red hot and pitched to a low purr. Bucky's eyes cut from Steve's to over his shoulder and Steve wondered what he was seeing, what pleasure he was watching bloom on Tony's face.

Tony's permission, or maybe the way Bucky was watching him, paired with the rocking, rolling, building pressure of Tony buried in his ass and thrusting him into Bucky was too much. Far sooner than he would have liked, Steve cried out and collapsed forward as he came, pulsing into Bucky in a wave that felt neverending, Tony milking every drop out of him with his co*ck.

Chapter 21

Chapter Text

Tony and Bucky both stilled while Steve panted through the aftershocks of his org*sm. When he pushed himself up on both arms, Tony slid out and ran his arms down Steve's side to grip his hips. He bit the back of Steve's neck making him shudder. Bucky relaxed his grip on Steve so he was able to pull out, a new wave of aftershocks rocking through him as he slid free of Bucky's heat.

He was completely f*cked out, shivering and gasping, from one of the deepest org*sms he'd ever had. He flopped sideways on the bed and Bucky pushed up on one elbow to smile down at him. "You okay, sweetheart?"

"Nuh -" Steve managed. He nodded. "'Mazing."

"Perfect." Bucky bent down and kissed him soundly, running his fingers back through Steve's hair. Then he turned to where Tony was still standing between his legs, smiling down at the two of them softly. "Now what?"

Tony's smile turned predatory. "Now…" He folded down over Bucky and licked a stripe up his chest. "Thought maybe you'd want to feel me for real?"

"Yes, please." In one mind, they both shuffled up the bed so Bucky was fully on his back with his head on the pillows and Tony kneeled between his thighs. Steve curled in a C next to them on the bed, boneless and sated, watching.

Bucky hooked the back of Tony's neck and drew him down into a kiss as Tony pushed inside him, claiming the space that had been Steve's just a minute ago. Watching their bodies slot together sent a new ripple of arousal through Steve's core. His body wasn't quite up to the task, but he could tell it wouldn't be long before he could get it up again with the two of them being that enticing.

Tony rocked into Bucky, and Bucky's fingers curled into his hair, holding on for dear life. Tony broke the kiss with a gasp. "Rough and dirty, huh?"

Bucky nodded. Tony started f*cking into him hard enough that the bed protested, and Steve moaned, blood throbbing slowly but steady back down to his softened co*ck.

Tony slowed and chuckled softly, dropping his mouth to Bucky's chest to nip at him. "I'm going to come like that," he said, smiling.

Bucky wrapped his arms around them and rolled, startling Tony who yelped then laughed, settling on his back, pressed tightly up against Steve now. Bucky smirked down at them then settled his knees on either side of Tony's hips. He rolled back and forth and Tony moaned, throwing his head back. Bucky kept riding Tony, and Steve dropped his gaze down to where their bodies met, Bucky's hard co*ck, red and leaking, jutting proud over Tony's stomach.

"I'm close," Bucky gasped.

Tony reached out and grabbed a handful of Steve's hair. "Come here." Steve gave in to the pressure as Tony guided him down to his stomach. "Get ready to catch his come like a good boy," Tony rumbled at him, and Steve snapped his hand to his own co*ck, unbearably turned on, even as his body protested another erection so soon.

Steve rested his head on Tony's stomach and turned his eyes up to Bucky who found them and latched on. He opened his mouth so every time Bucky rocked his hips forward, the head of his co*ck rubbed over Steve's tongue.

"Oh god, Stevie, baby, you look amazing like that." Bucky's hand joined Tony's in Steve's hair, tugging just enough that there were tiny pinpricks of igniting pain. Bucky moaned, long and low, and sped up, Tony's free hand on his hip, encouraging him to keep moving. "f*ck!" Bucky finally swore and his whole body clenched up before he released, shooting into Steve's mouth and over his cheeks and neck.

Steve darted his tongue out and lapped at Bucky's co*ck, only succeeding in making more of a mess before Bucky laughed breathlessly and guided him back. "Whoa. Too much, honey."

Steve rolled back onto Tony's stomach and turned to look at him. Tony was beaming. He took a finger and ran it through the mess on Steve's cheek then slotted it between Steve's lips so he could suck it clean. "That is such a good look for you."

Steve had spiraled up - or maybe down - to a completely new plateau of arousal. His body was buzzing, co*ck miraculously hard again, his head spinning gently. Bucky shifted off Tony's lap and spread out long on the other side of him, earning a kiss while Steve watched them lazily from where he was still pillowed on Tony's stomach.

Tony's co*ck twitched up against Steve's neck and he rolled towards it, realizing that Tony was the only one who hadn't come yet. His co*ck was hard, shiny with lube and Steve's come from f*cking it out of Bucky. Steve shifted up while Bucky and Tony continued making out and wrapped his lips around the head, sucking gently. That shocked a satisfying noise out of Tony so Steve pushed up on one elbow and slid down, mixing his come on Tony's co*ck with Bucky's come on his lips and swallowing both down as he swallowed Tony to the base.

Tony rolled his hips up slowly, the sounds of gasping kisses still coming from the other end of the bed as Steve bobbed his head up and down, meeting each thrust, Tony's co*ck pressing against the back of his throat. Tony was hot and hard against his tongue, stretching his lips deliciously. His hand tightened in Steve's hair and he gasped, a moan muffled by Bucky's mouth against his. Steve redoubled his efforts to get Tony off, sucking and working his co*ck faster, tongue stroking his co*ck on every upslide. Tony tensed up, hips lifting off the couch, and then his come pulsed on Steve's tongue, mixing with Bucky's and his own.

Steve slid off, sucking deep breaths into aching lungs, and Bucky's hand landed on his jaw, stroking the curve of cheek gently. "Wow," Steve croaked out, and Tony laughed.

"No f*cking kidding. Woof."

Steve shifted around on the bed to face them and found Tony and Bucky both looking down at him, grinning.

"You are such a beautiful mess right now, Stevie."

"A piece of art."

Steve's cheeks heated without his permission. "I feel like a deflated balloon."

Bucky chuckled. "That sounds sad, sweetheart."

Steve's laugh came out more of a giggle. "A happy, deflated balloon."

"I feel fantastic," Tony declared. "Your boy has a mouth like a hoover," he said to Bucky, presumably just to make Steve's blush deepen, which it did.

They all cleaned up. Tony opted to take a shower, but Steve and Bucky forewent one until the morning. While Tony waited for the shower to warm up, Bucky leaned Steve against the bathroom counter and used a wet washcloth to wipe the come off his face. When Steve looked over to Tony, he was sitting on the edge of the tub, gazing up at them with a soft, warm smile on his face. "What?" Steve asked.

"Bucky gets such a dumb look on his face when he's taking care of you," Tony said brightly. "It's gorgeous."

"f*ck off!" Bucky said, swiping at him with the wet facecloth and making him giggle and scramble inside the shower to escape.

Steve rolled his eyes affectionately and wobbled his way back out to the bedroom to find sweatpants to pull on. He could hear Bucky and Tony's voices from inside the bathroom throughout Tony's shower, but he was too wiped to do anything more than tip onto the couch and float, enjoying the post-org*sm buzz.

"Stay for dinner?" Bucky asked Tony, as they stepped out of the bathroom together, bringing a cloud of sweet steam with them. Tony was wearing his boxers and one of Steve's t-shirts that Bucky must have grabbed for him. He looked amazing in it. "You're welcome to stay the night, if you want. If you can."

"I'd love to." Tony stretched with a groan. "Not sure I could actually make it home, anyway." He laughed. "I'm wobbly jelly."

Steve ordered pizza and they all piled on the couch in a happy, sated nest of loose limbs and heavily blinking eyelids. It was warm and soft, the TV burbling softly in the background, and Steve wasn't entirely sure whose knee was pressed into his back but he was comfortable and easy and…

"Bedtime, honey," Bucky whispered in his ear, and Steve let himself be drawn to his feet. They tumbled into bed together, and Steve found himself in the middle, Tony pressed tight against his chest and Bucky draped over his back. It should have been overheated, but Steve didn't have a chance to get uncomfortable - he drifted off to sleep in a heartbeat.

**

Steve woke up early, and he slipped out of bed, leaving Tony plastered to Bucky's chest. He took Eddy out for a quick bathroom break then fed her and Hopper. While they were chewing happily, he stepped into the shower.

When he came out again, a towel around his hips, he found Tony, on the living room floor, with Eddy in his lap, leaned against his chest and Hopper in his arms, stretching up to snuffle whiskery bunny kisses to Tony's cheeks. Eddy gazed up at him like he hung the moon; Steve knew the feeling.

"Good morning."

Tony swiveled his head around to smile at Steve. "Good morning. How're you feeling?"

"Amazing. Kind of sore." He laughed. "But in a really good way."

"Same. I was going to figure out how to make coffee but I got bogarted." He pointed at his lap full of fluff.

"Completely understandable. I'll make coffee. And hopefully the smell will rouse sleeping beauty."

Sure enough, when he and Tony both had a cup in hand, Bucky appeared, blinking blearily. Steve handed him his own coffee and they all sat at the kitchen table, watching Hopper lollop around the room and chew the edge of the couch. They didn't talk much, Tony scrolling through his emails on his phone and Bucky occasionally dropping back off to sleep, but it was peaceful and comfortable.

"Oh! I have something for you," Steve said when Tony announced that he had to get going. He set his empty mug down and crossed the room. He dug out the now-dry coffee cup painting that Tony had liked and handed it to him. "For when you're too busy for the real thing."

Tony stared at it, wide eyed. "You can't just - you can't just give this to me."

"Why not?"

"Don't you need it for your collection?"

"Oh, no. That's just a practice. A warm-up. But you seemed to like it so…"

"Oh, wow. Well, yeah, I love it. Reminds me of the cafe. Thank you."

Steve preened under the praise, and Tony got up to set the painting next to his bag. Then he turned back to where Bucky and Steve had both shuffled closer to him. "I'd best be off," Tony said, smiling in a way that made his eyes twinkle.

"You don't have to leave yet," fell out of Steve's mouth before he could wheel the words back in.

One corner of Tony's smile twitched up higher than the rest. He reached out and twined his hands through a fistful of the front of Steve's shirt. "I have to go work, hot stuff. No rest for the wicked, even on a Sunday. Especially on a Sunday where the wicked spent all Friday night and Saturday morning thinking about exactly how wicked he was going to be on Saturday night. Thanks, though. I had a great time." He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Steve's lips, warm and soft.

When they pulled apart, he turned to Bucky and did the same.

"Have a good day," Bucky breathed.

"I don't think there's any doubt of that." Tony grinned. "Gonna be high on endorphins for four or five months, I reckon."

He gathered up his stuff, throwing his bag over his shoulder and picking up his painting. Bucky reached out and hooked one of his belt loops, reeling him in for another kiss which made him laugh. "My car's waiting."

"Okay, fine."

"I'll see you guys soon. You can call me any time." Tony winked again then whisked out the door.

Chapter 22

Chapter Text

Steve sketched out Eddy's smiling face next to DUM-E's mechanical arm on Tony's cup on Monday morning, then filled it with a dark chocolate mocha. He walked it over to Tony's booth, leaning against his side of the table as he slid it over.

Tony grinned up at him. "Hey, you."

"Hey. How's work going?"

Tony ran his tongue along his bottom lip. "Little distracted." He winked. "But it's going well. We're releasing the first beta version of the medical device communication software this week." He picked up the cup and laughed at the art, then took a sip, his eyes falling closed with pleasure. "Mocha… my first drink here."

Steve knew he was probably looking down at him with an inappropriately dopey look on his face, but no one was looking at them, and he couldn't seem to make himself stop. "So Bucky graduates next weekend."

"So I hear. Pretty amazing. I've been trying to come up with an appropriately extravagant graduation gift, but I feel like you're going to be no help there."

Steve frowned. "Don't go over the top, Tony."

"You can't tell me what to do."

"So you're coming, right? Bucky said he got you a ticket for the ceremony. And, obviously, the party at our place after, which is a surprise so he knows all about it."

Tony laughed and shifted on his seat until his arm brushed against Steve's leg. "Yeah, I'll be there. Wouldn't miss it. I've commissioned a four-foot wide glitter covered sign proclaiming him the best nurse in New York."

Steve chuckled and resisted the urge to reach out and run his fingers through Tony's messy hair. "No sign. Just be there. He's nervous."

Tony gazed up at Steve, his eyes softening. "Thanks for inviting me."

"He wants you there, Tony. We both do." They stared stupidly at each other for a moment. "sh*t. I should get back. Get your work done!" Steve turned back to the counter, shooting another look at Tony over his shoulder who was watching him go, chin rested on his hand, laughter in his eyes.

**

Steve took the day of Bucky's graduation off work. He painted for a while, but his brain kept wandering back to the night they'd all spent together, the feeling of Tony's heated skin under his hands, Bucky's voice whispering in his ear. Waking up in a comfortable bundle.

After an hour with no progress, Steve took out his phone, and without really thinking, texted Natasha the thought that had been on his mind for far too long now, without a clear answer.

Steve: What do you do if you love two people at the same time?

A few minutes later, Nat texted back.

Natasha: f*ck them both at the same time.

Steve: Tried that. Didn't help.

Steve's phone immediately started ringing.

"Did you and Bucky get freaky with Tony?" she asked, before he'd even had a chance to say hello.

Steve sighed. "Maybe…"

"Goodness, Steven. Well done. So what's the problem?"

"I don't want just sex. I want the other stuff too. But with both of them, and I don't know what to do about it."

"Sounds like you're doing just fine."

"Har har. Except it's not fine. Because it was just one night."

"Does it have to be?"

Steve tipped backwards on the couch and rapped his fingers on the side of the couch. "Maybe? I mean… maybe not. I know Bucky enjoyed it. Tony seemed to enjoy it. He made a joke about us calling him and he's been just as flirty as he was before. But if we do this again, don't we just end up back here, but worse?"

Nat hummed. "Sounds like you want the days too, instead of just the nights."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you and Bucky both have feelings for him, right? And he seems to have feelings for you two. So why stop at one night? Or two. Commit to something more serious."

Steve was silent for a long time. "Like… a triangle relationship."

Nat chuckled. "Google polyamory, hun. It's already a thing. You don't have to invent anything."

"Hmm." Steve picked one of Eddy's toys up off the floor and fiddled with it. "I saw that mentioned a few times when I was looking for help with my feelings for Tony, before I knew Bucky was okay with it. But I didn't think it was -" he cut himself off.

"Didn't think -?"

"Like - that it was something we could do? I don't know. People just… do that?"

"Sure, why not? Your relationship is already just something arbitrarily decided on by you and Buck. if you want to change it, change it."

"Seems like a great way to hurt both Tony and Bucky."

"Maybe. But all relationships are a great way to hurt and get hurt. Seems like a great way to get everything you all want, too. And the way things are now seems to be hurting you, already, possibly both of them too. But what do I know?"

"A lot. Honestly. Don't know what I'd do without you."

"You ready for the party?"

Steve welcomed the change of subject, even as he lifted his tablet and typed polyamory into the search bar. "I can't believe he's graduating. I'm so excited. And so f*cking proud of him."

"I'm bringing an unholy amount of that watermelon beer from Tony's party. It was actually pretty good."

Steve barked out a laugh. "Wonderful. He'll be thrilled. He's too ashamed to buy it himself." The search results were drawing Steve's attention. "I'll see you tonight."

"Good luck figuring things out." Nat hung up.

Steve scrolled through the results, trying to find something that fit what he was going through, but it all seemed to be geared towards people who somehow knew they were inclined towards relationships with multiple people before they were even in them, meetups for the community in their area, or people who were worried about their partner having feelings for someone else and asked the community for help in figuring it out. Frustrated, he went back to Wikipedia and started working his way through it and the related articles.

It felt like both an answer and not an answer. It was an answer in that, objectively, it was the right solution. But the more he looked, the more stories Steve found, and they didn't all end happily, of course. No one could tell him if it was the right choice for them, if he and Tony and Bucky would be better or worse off if they started a new relationship together. And of course they couldn't, but it didn't make jumping off the cliff any easier to know that poly relationships suffered from the same things all relationships did, which meant people could change, people could screw up, and hearts could get broken.

Over and over, every article stressed how important communication was when it came to making these things work, and Steve honestly didn't know if he was good enough at communicating his feelings. It usually took him so damn long to figure them out in the first place, that by the time he could communicate them, everything had already gone to sh*t. Getting Bucky was sheer dumb luck. It felt like undue good karma for him to get to have someone like Tony as well. It wasn't as simple as just loving each other, and it wasn't as simple as a monogamous relationship, as much as he wished it could be reduced to nothing more than want.

Change was always scary, and he couldn't help but admit to himself that he still had some discomfort with the concept as a whole. It just wasn't something he'd ever seen people do before. He had no role models. People… people would judge them. He already got enough sh*t for being with one man. Maybe Tony would think it was weird. Maybe Bucky would get mad that Steve wanted more and more from Tony. Maybe they'd try it and they wouldn't know how to make it work and it would all fall apart.

But the flipside was not having a relationship with Tony, and that didn't feel right either. Nothing felt right. Nothing would feel right as long as his stomach was churning with this much anxiety.

Steve sighed and tossed his tablet aside. He needed to talk to Bucky about it, but it would have to wait, because in two hours, he was going to watch Bucky graduate, and two hours after that, fifteen people would be cramming into their tiny apartment to celebrate. He forced himself to put it from his mind and focus on getting through the day.

Tony met him on campus, waving him over to where he'd inevitably run into someone he knew. The woman he was chatting with shook his hand and stepped away as Steve approached. "Hey, Tony."

"Hi." Tony smirked. "Nervous?"

"Yes. I don't know why." Steve laughed. "I'm not the one who has to walk around on stage."

Tony's smile softened, and he wrapped his arm around Steve's shoulders, leading him off towards where the chairs were set up. "He's gonna be great."

Tony's low voice and the heat of his body up against Steve made Steve flash back to last weekend. Tony had a dirty glint in his eye that made Steve wonder if he was thinking about it too, but then again, Tony almost always had a dirty glint in his eye.

Natasha and Clint were already seated when Tony and Steve found the right row. Steve settled down beside Nat and shot her a smile. She leaned in. "Google say anything interesting?"

He shrugged. "It's all interesting. Unfortunately, I can't google my head on right."

She reached over and found his hand then squeezed. She kept his hand in hers as the dean took the stage and started his speech. When Bucky crossed the stage, Steve screamed so loudly his voice cracked, and he caught a glimpse of Bucky peeking out at the audience and shaking his head with a barely contained smile.

While they waited for Bucky to change, Steve snuck his apartment key into Natasha's hand as he hugged her, and she ran off with Tony and Clint in tow. Steve waited by the doors for Bucky, and when he stepped out, Steve threw his arms around him and kissed him. "I'm so f*cking proud of you."

Bucky held him tight, face buried in his neck, and let out a shaky sigh. "Thank you." Bucky stepped back and ran his fingers through Steve's hair to fix where he'd mussed it up. "So how long do you have to pretend to keep me occupied while Nat and the others get the apartment ready for the surprise party which I'm going to be super surprised by?"

Steve shrugged. "Like an hour and a half? Might be funny if we come back just early enough that they all panic. But I'm supposed to get a warning text when they're ready."

"Alright, perfect. Coffee?"

Steve laughed. "Absolutely."

They killed time at a cute little cafe not too far from campus. It was nice, but not as nice as Steve's, and he noticed with a little thrum of self-satisfaction that they didn't have any local art on the walls, just printed out stock photos of happy families in fields and cascading coffee bean waterfalls.

When Steve got the text, he and Bucky took the subway back to the apartment. "Ready?"

Bucky nodded, so Steve unlocked the door and ushered him through it first. The apartment exploded with cheering, and Steve dodged a tsunami of silly string that covered Bucky in a multi-coloured mess.

It was the warmest Steve could remember feeling in a long time. Everyone was happy and laughing, hugging and joking, sharing food and shooting silly string at each other. He made a big show of giving Bucky his pink scrubs. Even Eddy had dressed up for the occasion, a large red bow hanging from her collar, and she went from guest to guest earning kisses and secret doritos, betrayed by orange dust on her nose.

Everyone drank enough to get silly, but not enough to be worrisome. They told embarrassing stories about Bucky, all tried the watermelon beer - which Steve had to admit, wasn't that bad - and even broke into song more than once when Clint started humming a few bars to set them off.

Sam left first, needing to cover the coffee shop the next morning, and a few other friends filed out with him. Some of Bucky's school friends had come, but most of them had parties of their own to attend to, and it wasn't too late when Natasha, Clint, and Tony were the only remaining guests.

Tony took the opportunity to present Bucky with his gift: seasons tickets to the Nets, courtside, which was the first time that night that Bucky was legitimately surprised. Steve finished off his second beer watching them argue good naturedly in the kitchen about their favourite teams. The gift was oddly comforting. If Tony couldn't see them all being in each other's lives in a year, it seemed like a risky thing to give. Somehow, bizarrely, the tickets felt like a nod towards commitment - after all, Tony had to know it'd be him using the second ticket, not Steve - and that was settling. Maybe Tony was signaling to them that he'd be interested in more. Or maybe Steve was reading entirely too much into it, and it was just that the gift was exactly what Bucky wanted.

Nat came over and swapped his empty beer for a full one. "Hey, hun. We're heading out. Any longer and Clint's going to need to be airlifted."

Steve looked back up from where he'd been staring down at the floor while he thought and found Clint draped against Tony's side, Tony laughing so hard he looked at risk of collapse himself, while Bucky gestured wildly and emphatically, probably trying to convince Tony that whatever Clint had just told him wasn't true.

It was probably true.

"Okay. Thanks for coming." Steve hugged her and kissed her cheek.

"Goodnight."

While Nat gathered Clint up, Steve tidied a few bottles out of the way then sunk back into one of the kitchen chairs. He was tired, but it was the best kind of tired.

Chapter 23

Chapter Text

Steve slumped low in his chair, skin warm and tingling from the food and the beer and the laughter, still humming with the happy buzz of seeing Bucky graduate and the joy of the party. Tony appeared at his side, tumbling down into a chair in a haphazard way that put him almost in Steve's lap. He had confetti in his hair. Steve reached out and flattened his palm over Tony's knee squeezing in silent affection. It was so easy to be comfortable around him now. Tony grinned over at him.

Bucky came back from walking Nat and Clint out and considered them, hands on his hips, any seriousness suffering greatly from the mess of silly string that still covered the top of his head. "What kind of hanky panky is going on over here?"

Feeling bold, Steve brought his hand up from Tony's knee and furrowed his fingers through Tony's hair, who all but purred. "I thought this was what you wanted for your graduation present?" he teased.

Tony's eyebrow shot up, and he nuzzled into Steve's touch, his eyes dark and heated and he turned to fix them on Bucky's flushed face. "Really?" he asked, drawing the vowels out long and teasing.

"Maybe," Bucky said. "It might have come up."

Tony grinned like a shark. "I've got no plans tonight."

Steve guided him closer. "I think maybe you do now."

Tony tilted his head in question, and when Bucky nodded, he flowed up and over, into Steve's lap, straddling his thighs. He ran both hands through Steve's hair then bent down to kiss him. Steve gripped his waist tight enough that he wouldn't be surprised to find bruises there. He felt Bucky sit down beside them, in the chair Tony had vacated, and his hand landed on Steve's stomach, slipping in between him and Tony. Tony's tongue pushed roughly between Steve's lips and he felt everything start to go a bit hazy at the edges when Tony ground down on his lap.

"Oh, f*ck," Steve breathed. He was a little tipsy and more high on happiness than the alcohol, but it was just enough to make him feel reckless and giddy. He grabbed the bottom of Tony's thighs and stood, lifting him up.

"Whoa!" Tony held on tight. He broke into a laugh then leaned forward over Steve's shoulder as he carried him off towards the bedroom. Bucky pressed up against Steve's back, and he could hear them making out, chests and backs and hands all bumping wildly as they bounced off each other all the way down the hallway.

Steve deposited Tony on the bed and folded down over him, with Bucky rubbing smooth hands up the back of Steve's shirt then back down again to cup his ass. He and Tony scrambled at each other's clothes, managing to get most of it to the floor as they traded, eager, messy kisses. "Maybe we should," Steve breathed against Tony's lips, "give Bucky a gift. We're both so proud of him."

Tony hummed with pleasure and hooked his chin over Steve's shoulder. "Definitely."

Steve rolled off him to lie beside him on the bed, both of them looking up at Bucky. Steve propped himself up on his elbows. "You're wearing too much clothing," he told Bucky, who quickly dropped his pants to the floor with a smile. Steve dropped to his knees in front of Bucky and Tony did the same beside him. Tony leaned his head against Bucky's leg and smirked at Steve.

"He deserves a present, doesn't he? For doing so well in school?"

Steve nodded. "He does."

"Stop teasin'..." Bucky whined. He ruffled his fingers through both their hair, and Steve watched the way his fingers curled and pressed in Tony's. As one, he and Tony turned and licked their way up Bucky's hard, leaking co*ck. "Holy sh*t."

Tony's tongue brushed against Steve's and he curled around Bucky's shaft, reaching for it again. The warm, wet heat of Tony's mouth kept pressing against his then disappearing as they worked their way up and down Bucky's co*ck.

Delicious noises fell from Bucky's mouth, his hand tightening on Steve's head. Tony backed off a little to let Steve swallow Bucky down to the base, then he kisses his way along Steve's cheek while Bucky held him, nose against his stomach, swallowing around his co*ck. Tony licked at the seam where Steve's lips met Bucky's skin, sucking and lapping and kissing both of them. His hand snaked over into Steve's lap and hot fingers wrapped around his co*ck, rolling smoothly and slowly up and down, just keeping him hard but not advancing things.

Steve almost choked and Bucky released him. He slid back and sucked in a deep breath, but he barely had a chance to let it out again before Tony was cupping his cheeks and drawing him in for a hot, wet kiss. His tongue pressed into Steve's mouth and explored him, like he was finding the shape of Bucky there, then he broke away and took his turn swallowing Bucky down.

Bucky groaned again then twisted around and sat down hard on the bed. Tony folded over his lap and bobbed his head up and down, sucking him off. Steve couldn't resist pressing up against Tony's back, the rough carpet digging into his knees. He stretched his arms out to cover Tony's and wrapped his fingers around Bucky's waist. Steve drew a line of kisses down Tony's spine, tasting his skin, finding a scar between his shoulder blades. He traced it with his tongue, desperate to know the story behind it.

"Oh, f*ck, Tony," Bucky whined, and Tony pulled away with a soft laugh.

Tony leaned back against Steve's chest in a heart-stoppingly trusting way, sending Steve back to sit on his heels, then he brushed his fingers up both of Steve's thighs. Bucky looked down at them and Tony dropped his head back into Steve's shoulder. "It's your special day." Tony licked behind Steve's ear, his eyes still on Bucky. "So what do you want?"

Bucky's heated eyes scraped down their joined bodies, settling on Tony's co*ck jutting out from where he arched his hips forward. "I want to watch you take Stevie apart," he breathed.

"That would be my genuine pleasure," Tony purred. He nuzzled into Steve's neck. "How does that sound to you?"

Steve met Bucky's eyes over Tony's shoulder and the heat in them sizzled down his spine to settle deep in his core. "Amazing," he gasped out.

Tony rocked up to his feet and leaned forward to kiss Bucky, which shoved his beautiful ass in Steve's face. Steve ran his hands up the back of Tony's thighs and over his curves, but before he could get a proper handful, Tony turned and held out a hand. "Come here, gorgeous."

Steve took his hand and Tony pulled him up to his feet and into a kiss, then rotated them so Steve could slide down onto the bed on his back. Bucky settled on his side, propped up on one elbow and Steve turned to look at him. He was flushed and smiling, rock hard, his co*ck still slick from his and Tony's shared spit, and, f*ck, that was so hot, Steve had to squirm in place.

"Eager?" Tony asked, grinning like a shark.

Steve raised an eyebrow at him. "You're touching my incredibly rock hard dick, can't you tell?"

Tony looked down at his hand, as if surprised to find it was stroking up and down Steve's length. "Oh yeah, would you look at that?"

Bucky snorted then broke into full on laughter. "You guys are dorks."

"Don't ruin the mood," Tony chastised, poking him in the chest.

"I'm pretty sure 'horny dork' is the mood," Steve corrected, feeling a rush of giggles sliding their way up his throat too. He was full of happy buzz, just soft and warm, with his cheeks a little redder than usual and his gestures a little wider than usual.

Tony laughed at that and folded over him to grin against his lips for a moment before pulling the bottom one between his teeth and sucking it gently. "I believe I was asked to take you apart, Mr. Rogers."

"Whenever you're ready, Mr. Stark," Steve quipped back, a little too breathlessly to have the bite he intended.

Tony just hummed, and Steve expected him to slide down his body to tease him more with his mouth and his fingers, but instead, Tony shuffled up until he was straddling Steve's chest, pinning his arms to his sides with his knees. Tony furrowed both hands back through Steve's hair, and Steve melted under the touch. He felt trapped, but in a good way, contained, like the bits of him that threatened to fly away from him in his excitement and anxiety couldn't move like this. Tony's weight was steady but not restricting, and Steve was still able to fold his arms up take hold of Tony's hips. Tony's co*ck lay heavy on Steve's chest, the tip leaking precome against his neck. "So pretty, baby," Tony murmured.

"Oh," Steve gasped. "Yeah…" The edges of the world softened a little, like he was in an old movie, and Steve had the distinct impression he was smiling dopily, but Tony didn't seem to mind, the lust-heat still burning in his gaze.

"You ready to take my co*ck?"

Steve hummed in approval and nodded. Tony grabbed a pillow from the end of the bed and lifted Steve's head up, tucking the pillow behind it. He stroked himself a few times then rocked his hips forward so he could press his co*ck to Steve's lips. Steve opened his mouth, his tongue darting out to taste. The salty musk of Tony's skin was similar to Bucky's but different enough that Steve couldn't forget that it was a new co*ck resting on his tongue. He sucked and swallowed, moaning when Tony's eyes fell shut and his head tipped back.

After a few minutes, Tony stilled Steve with a hand, then spun around, feeding his co*ck back into Steve's mouth as he bent over him. Hot, wet heat surrounded Steve's co*ck and he resisted the strong urge to f*ck up into Tony's welcoming mouth. Steve brought his hands to Tony's hips, thumbs digging into his soft skin as he twitched his hips up to meet every bob of Tony's mouth. He couldn't lift his chin or move his own head much, just opening wide and sucking down every inch of his co*ck that Tony fed to him.

A hand on Steve's ankle made him startle, and then Tony was moving away, leaving Steve's co*ck hard and wet, cooling in the air. The hand on his ankle materialized into Bucky who was standing at the side of the bed, between Steve's legs. He kissed Tony, even as Tony was still rocking his hips up and down, f*cking Steve's throat. The noises of them together made Steve's co*ck twitch up, desperate for some attention, but neither touched him.

Steve moaned, the sound wet from his spit and muffled by Tony's co*ck. Tony chuckled. "Poor, Steve. God, but he feels good."

Bucky pressed closer between Steve's legs and Tony's shifted up so his hands could slide down Steve's thighs then part his ass, presenting him to Bucky. He was practically sitting on Steve's face at this point, just rocking back and forth, keeping Steve filled up and drooling around him. Bucky eased Steve's apart and then his thumb brushed over his hole, Tony still keeping his ass parted for Bucky's easy access.

It was so objectifying. It should have been mortifying, but Steve's co*ck just kept throbbing harder. The two men's voices murmured softly above him, but Steve couldn't make out the words. Then the familiar blunt pressure of Bucky's lubed co*ck rubbed up against his hole. Steve's legs parted even further on pure instinct, and Bucky pushed, sliding into him. Tony's hands moved from his ass up his inner thighs, rubbing softly as if he needed to be soothed.

Tony shifted again, his co*ck nearly sliding free of Steve's mouth, but he stretched up with his lips and caught it, sucking, making Tony moan. But it was a muffled sound, and Steve realized that Tony and Bucky were making out, while Tony f*cked down his throat and Bucky sunk deep into his ass.

Tony started thrusting again in earnest, and Steve clung to him, gripping his waist as Bucky gripped his, tugging him closer to the edge of the bed so he could press deeper, torturing Steve's prostate. Steve moaned around Tony's co*ck and his thrusts became choppy and uneven. Bitter precome burst on Steve's tongue, and Tony slumped down over him with a groan, as Bucky started f*cking him rough and unrelenting. Bucky's movement pushed Tony's co*ck even further down Steve's throat and he shook and whimpered them came, flooding Steve's mouth and forcing him to pull careful breaths in through his nose.

"Ah, f*ck -" Tony tilted off Steve onto the bed, and Steve swallowed then gasped in a breath. Bucky gave no quarter, folding Steve's knees up and slamming into him, his eyes closed and his mouth fallen open with pleasure.

Steve took two handfuls of the sheets, feeling like he was on the verge of sobbing, then Tony twisted around and curled up against him, one arm over his chest, drawing tiny patterns on his arm. Tony pressed his lips to Steve's ear. "You look so good like that, getting destroyed by Bucky. He's going to take you apart, isn't he? You're so close already. Look at your co*ck."

Steve tipped his chin up and then both looked down at his rock hard co*ck, red and leaking against his stomach. "Yeah -" he gasped out.

"Bet the feeling of you clenching around him makes Bucky come. He's so close already. Look at his face."

Steve cut his eyes from his co*ck to Bucky's face right as Bucky's eyes opened and met his. Tony licked along the curve of Steve's ear then whispered. "Come on, baby. You're gorgeous when you come." And Steve shuddered to pieces.

Bucky f*cked him through it as Steve's untouched co*ck pulsed and spurted, covering his stomach with hot come. Tony purred in his ear and Steve reached out wildly until Tony took his hand and locked them together. He was starting to feel overwhelmed, on the verge of pain instead of pleasure, Bucky's co*ck still stretching him wide and slamming against his prostate, when Bucky folded down over him and stilled with a grunt, pressing deep inside and spilling.

Bucky pressed an open-mouthed kiss to Steve's stomach then crawled up onto the bed and collapsed. Steve used his grip on Tony's hand to reel him in for a series of soft, languid kisses, easing him down from the peak, and slowing his heart rate back to normal.

"I need a shower," Steve groaned when they parted. His chest was covered with come, his face a mess of come and drool, and come leaked from his hole down towards the bed.

"Me too," Tony rasped.

Bucky burrowed further into his pillow.

Steve poked him. "We're taking a shower. Are you coming?"

"I have just come enough for seven lifetimes," Bucky mumbled. "I'm going to sleep. You guys can do literally whatever you want. Just don't wake me up."

Tony threw his arms in the air. "Blanket consent! Let's build a waterslide on the stairs."

"You nut. We don't even have stairs." Steve grabbed Tony around the waist and hauled him off the bed, making them both stumble and giggle as they made their way to the bathroom. Inside, Tony leaned back against the counter, unabashedly naked and still covered in the mess from their fun. If Steve's body had any blood left at all, the sight would have him rock hard. Steve turned the water on and waited, rocking back and forth as he ran his hands up and down his arms.

"Cold?"

"Little bit."

Tony reached out and ran his thumb across Steve's cheek, making him flush from head to foot. He smiled.

"Yeah, okay, not cold anymore," Steve grumbled, the back of his neck no doubt bright red. He tested the water and found it hot so he stepped in and gestured Tony in with him.

Tony shuffled up against him with a grin. "Bit of a tight fit."

"We prefer cozy."

"It is." Tony landed one hand on Steve's hip, somehow chaste even though they were both naked and wet. "It is cozy. I love it here."

"We love having you here."

Tony hummed with soft pleasure.

"Can I wash your hair?"

"I mean - well, yeah. If you want to. Better keep it PG13 without Bucky, though."

Steve picked out a bottle of shampoo from the mess on the tub edge. "We're wet and naked, I think it's already past PG13." He waggled his eyebrows at Tony who turned around and tipped his chin up to give Steve access to his hair.

"Just keep those naughty fingers to yourself, mister," Tony teased.

Steve combed Tony's hair back from his face with a smile, pressing his chest to Tony's back. "Are you sure that's what you want?"

Tony groaned as Steve scraped his nails across his scalp. "Okay, nope. Naughty fingers are a go."

The rest of their shower was an easy dance, falling quiet as they found a rhythm, washing each other off, and running soft fingers through each other's hair. They made it quick, stepping out together and drying off before returning to the bedroom. Steve brought a wet washcloth and gave it to Bucky who was still flopped sideways across the bed, but hadn't fallen asleep yet.

Steve collapsed on his side of the bed, and when Tony crawled up between them, he pressed up against his back and wrapped a tight arm around his waist.Tony sunk into his hold, and Bucky shifted on the other side of the bed, but Steve was feeling the heavy pull of sleep now and he closed his eyes and started to drift off.

He didn't know how long it'd been when he floated up again - maybe only a few minutes - but he could hear Tony and Bucky's whispered voices next to him. He couldn't quite grasp what they were talking about, something about Tony's arc reactor plans and the flying car.

Steve snuggled up deeper against Tony's back, tucking his face between his shoulder blades. He reached out and slid his hand over Bucky's hip, finding him and Tony wound completely together. Happy, warm, and safe, Steve drifted off to Tony and Bucky's soft whispers in the dark.

Chapter 24

Chapter Text

Steve leaned back against the counter by the coffee grinder, the sharpie lid gripped in his teeth as he focused on the cup in his hand. The background noise of the cafe was nothing; all his focus was on sketching out a little cartoon robot on the cup he held. The only thing that broke through were the frequent chimes of the front door that would draw his eyes up and over.

Tony had kissed them both and left early the morning before and Steve and Bucky had spent the rest of the day floating around in a happy haze. Between Bucky's graduation and Tony, it was hard to feel anything but amazing. Tony had texted when he got home safely, then sent over the barcode for Bucky to redeem his present, and followed it with a silly set of mostly random emojis.

It was less scary to think about commitment when Steve was falling asleep with all three of their body heats mingling under the covers. The stories and cautions and clinical descriptions he'd read online took on a new light when tinted by soft satiation instead of anxiety. They'd come together so naturally, so easily - that was a good sign, surely? Steve vowed to talk to Bucky the next chance he got, and hopefully they could both talk to Tony soon after.

Steve had called Tony later that night, just wanting to chat but with the excuse of a question about the validity of the fluid mechanics in a TV show he was watching. Not that he needed an excuse, these days. But Tony hadn't answered, so he left a voicemail. Steve lined the finished cup up on the back counter next to a few others, ready to be used if kids came in or a particularly stressed-looking student.

Or Tony. Tony always got a special cup.

But by Steve's first break, Tony hadn't shown and a young couple was in his booth. Steve shot him a text with a picture of his occupied booth. Coming in today? I still can't afford bail, but didn't get a reply.

Steve: Tony hasn't shown up. I'm bored.

Bucky: You could try doing your job.

Steve: Rude.

Steve's phone chimed again with a picture of Eddy lying on her back, fast asleep, with Hopper standing on her chest, periscoping towards the camera. He grinned down at them, saving the picture to show Tony when he came by.

But by the early afternoon, Tony still hadn't shown, and Steve had to consider the possibility that he wasn't coming in that day. It sucked, but it wouldn't be the first day the cafe had been Tony-less. Steve supposed he was just craving him more than usual, after the other night. He sent Tony the shots of Eddy and Hopper, just in case he was having a rough day at work, then focused on the coffee.

When his shift was over, Steve went straight home. Bucky was working out at the gym, which he'd follow with grocery shopping and picking up dinner, so Steve took Eddy for a walk, then let Hopper out of his cage and started setting up his paints. He didn't bother with a thumbnail this time - he knew exactly what he was going to paint. He sketched out the barest of outlines then set to work.

It took far more layers of colours to capture the deep brown of Tony's eyes than he expected but three hours later, he was happy with how it was turning out. He wasn't finished, but he needed to let what he had dry so he stepped back to find a paper towel.

A hand on his lower back made him yelp and spin around. Bucky was standing there with a plastic bag full of styrofoam containers that smelled amazing. Steve tugged out his earbuds. "sh*t, Buck. I didn't hear you at all."

Bucky laughed then looked over Steve's shoulder at the painting. "Wow."

Steve twisted his brush between his fingers. "Do you think he'll mind?"

"I think he'll love it."

Tony's eyes looked back at them from the canvas, bright and twinkling with something only he knew, the way he'd look across the table at Steve with a slight smile that was both affectionate and surprised. The corners of his eyes were crinkled with soft laugh lines and one of his eyebrows quirked up ever so slightly.

Steve sighed at the painting then turned it to the wall to dry and started cleaning up. While he washed his brushes, Bucky set up plates and opened up the containers. Steve came up behind him and wrapped his arms around his waist. He pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. "I invited Tony to join us for dinner, but didn't hear back," Bucky said. He turned and placed a full plate in Steve's hands.

Steve settled on the couch with his plate and took a bite of the chicken. "Hmm. Have you not heard from him at all since Sunday morning?"

Bucky's forehead creased. "No, I haven't. I figured you two were texting. Is he okay?"

"I don't know. That's the thing. I called him Sunday night and never heard back. He didn't stop by the cafe, and I texted him a few times with no response."

Bucky frowned at his salad. "Maybe he had to travel again on short notice."

"Maybe." Steve pushed his food around, his stomach souring. "Sort of thought we were past the whole not communicating thing. I don't know. We see each other often enough that I don't think it's unreasonable to think he'd text, at least, and let one of know, if he's going to be away for a few days. He has before."

Bucky hummed.

"What?'

"Well… I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but… you know he's not our boyfriend, right?

Steve was torn between asking what the "wrong way" was, feeling vaguely pissed off for no reason that he could see, or admitting that Bucky had a point. "Yes..? I know. But, like, Natasha would tell us if she had to leave the country, don't you think? I just meant like that."

"I'm…" Bucky set his plate aside and rubbed his hands down the thighs of his jeans. "Babe, I meant that he might be with someone else."

"I - Oh." Steve stared at his food. He really wasn't hungry now. "Right, of course. I honestly hadn't even thought of that. Why - I mean why wouldn't he, right? Have someone else. We're just…"

Bucky took Steve's plate away and set it aside too then drew him close, running his fingers up and down the outside of his arm. He kissed him once. "We've talked about how he dates other people. I thought you were okay with it?"

Steve rolled the question around in his mind. He thought about how much nicer it would be if they were eating this meal with Tony on the couch too, able to hug him and kiss him whenever he wanted. "I… I don't think I like the idea of him with someone else. Which I know is messed up because all of this is based on you and me being cool with someone else, so I feel like a hypocrite. It still freaks me out a bit. Like… I don't want you thinking it's because there's something you're not giving me. I didn't know it was possible to feel this way about more than one person at once and it's still a little… overwhelming."

Bucky kissed him again. "Confession? I don't like the thought of him dating either. Obviously, he's free to be with whoever he wants, but I don't like thinking about it."

"Do you think -?" Steve shook his head, cutting himself off. Was this the right time? It was getting wrapped in anxiety again.

"What?"

"Well… people do it, right? Form threes, I mean. I… uh - I did some googling." Steve ignored Bucky's eyebrow hitting the ceiling. "I looked up some stuff and Natasha gave me some advice, some ideas. It was hard to find people talking about our exact situation, but I probably just don't know what to search for. Before, when it was just me having feelings for him, I saw those terms floating around and they made me uncomfortable. Because I didn't want it to seem like I wanted to take what you and I have, cut it in half, and give that half to Tony. But all this time, I've been loving him, without it costing anything from how much I love you. And you really like him too. The other night was amazing. It was different, easier. We're practically dating him already, I feel like, and he seems to know it. He keeps laughing at how hopeless we are," Steve said with a smile of his own, and Bucky chuckled. "But we're hitting a point where we're going to have to either stop sleeping together, have a conversation about what it would mean to keep sleeping together but not be exclusive, or offer Tony more commitment and make this thing a - a -" Steve gestured in a vaguely triangular shape. "If he wants that."

"Huh." Bucky leaned back against the couch, eyes wandering over to stare at the back of the front door. He curled his fingers up through Steve's hair, and Steve leaned into the touch, letting him process that. "How do you see a three-way relationship working, if we were to all decide on that?"

"I think… I think it would take quite a bit of effort. And careful planning. We'd be dating him, basically, as a couple, I guess? But also… each of us on our own? Or really, more like each of us dating the others, plus all of us as a three, as well. I think that's the only way it works, to make all the connections strong. I don't know if he really feels that way about me, though, or if you two have that between you. It felt like it, though, the other night."

"Have you given this a lot of thought?"

"No. Not really. I mean, it never really occurred to me as something we could do before I talked to Nat. I don't know why. I had a vague idea that people do it, but that it was for other people. I don't know what Tony thinks about that kind of thing." Steve sighed and slumped against Bucky, hiding his face. "Sometimes just being gay and out feels like a lot. It would be a lot squared to be in a three person relationship as well. But I don't think fear is a good reason not to do something."

Bucky pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "You're right. It's not. I like your point about all the connections needing to be strong, the pairs and the three."

"I've been selfish, we both have, figuring we could have everything we wanted from Tony without offering him commitment in return. But that's not fair. Or if that is all we have to give, then we have to accept that he's going to be with other people too. Or maybe that means it's best if we take sex out of our relationship and go back to being friends. I don't know."

Bucky breathed out a heavy sigh. "I'd miss him. A lot. If we did that. Friends feels like a big step backwards after what we've shared. But if that's what he wants, obviously, I'd rather have him as a friend than not at all."

"Me too. How would you feel about offering him more, though? Have you thought about it?"

"I like it… I like the idea." Bucky pressed a kiss to the side of Steve's face. "I'll admit, it's crossed my mind. But it's a bit different than starting a relationship with one person, where if it ends, it ends. There's so many things that could go wrong, ways one or all of us could get hurt. And maybe he likes you enough to want to date you, but not me. I'm not sure how I feel about that yet. I'd have to think about it. Not taking it off the table, just… still not sure. And of course that's all assuming that it's something he'd want. If he wants to keep sleeping together casually, we have to decide if we want that too."

"I'm scared that even bringing it up will turn him off us. And after the first night we spent together, everything was amazing and I felt like it was all working out, but after the party… it was different. Wasn't it?"

"It was definitely different." Bucky frowned down at his phone where it sat on the coffee table. "Maybe that's why he hasn't talked to us. Maybe the different scared him off."

Steve squirmed where he sat. "I feel like I keep trying to fix this and I just make it worse."

"It's okay, babe. We'll figure it out. With him. I hope he calls tomorrow. I miss him already."

"Me too."

"I, uh." Bucky broke off in an uncharacteristic way and Steve leaned back to get a look at his face. He was pink.

"What?"

"I'm falling for him, too. I mean, I get it, how you feel. For him. I think I'm feeling it too. Or on my way there. Fast. Scary fast. The other night was really… it was amazing. That's why I'd want it to be a balanced triangle. I'm falling for him."

"Oh my god, Buck…" Steve stroked his thumb over Bucky's cheek and kissed him lightly.

"What if he doesn't want to talk to us anymore, though?" There were real nerves threaded through Bucky's voice and it made Steve both pleased and worried. "It's not like him to not be chattering in the group chat all day. What if we did something wrong?"

"It's okay. You're right. We'll figure it out. All we can do is be honest about how we feel, right?"

Bucky nodded. "Right."

But Steve had a feeling neither of them got much sleep that night.

While Bucky was at work the next day, Steve spent his afternoon off drawing Tony again. He opened his sketchbook to a blank page, gave up on any hope of working on his project, and sketched him over and over in every way he could think of. He started with snapshots from their two nights together - Tony on his knees in front of Bucky's legs, Tony sprawled out on the bed, covered in come - but then they shifted - Tony curled up on Bucky's chest, Tony laughing in a puddle of sheets.

Steve took a picture of each one with his phone and texted it to Bucky, who sent him a mix of stressed and horny emojis in reply.

That night, when Bucky got home, he took the sketchbook and opened it in his lap. He sighed down at a sketch and ran his finger down the length of Tony's leg. "I thought about it all day. We really do need to ask him to be a part of us. It's terrifying, because change is always terrifying, but I keep thinking about the possibility of life without him and I just… I don't want it. I know we can be happy just the two of us, but we can be more with Tony there. Not like something's missing, just like… also. I miss him. And the thought of him being with someone else makes my heart ache. If you're really comfortable with it, I'm in all the way."

Chapter 25

Chapter Text

I don't want to bother you if you're busy, but we're actually starting to get a little worried. Is everything okay? If you tell me you're okay, I'll stop fretting. Bucky's fretting too. We miss you.

Steve stared at the text still sitting unanswered in his messages ten hours later. He'd finally broken down the night before and gotten needy, but even that hadn't pushed Tony to write back, and now he was really concerned. Tony's social media was all normal, but quiet, and there was no mention of any travel or conferences. The only two other times Tony had disappeared was his trip to Europe after Steve's rejection and the night he was on a date and turned his phone off. Steve tried hard not to think about why Tony might be on a date that lasted three days. God, what if he'd fallen for someone else and they'd missed their chance? What if it took them too long to figure out that this could really work and they'd ruined any shot of it starting at all?

Steve spent most of the day texting nervously with Bucky, and when they both got home that night, they grumped around the apartment, eating leftover pizza and bickering pointlessly.

"Did we do something wrong?" Bucky asked for the hundredth time, when nine o'clock hit and Tony still hadn't texted.

Steve sighed. "I don't know. Maybe after the party was too much. We didn't talk about it before. Maybe… maybe he could see how gone we both are for him and he doesn't know how to let us down easy."

"Tony doesn't do anything easy."

A knock made them both startle, and Steve stood up, wiping his morose pout off. It was unusual for them to get a knock on the apartment door since you needed a key to get through the main foyer, but sometimes a salesman would wait for someone else to go in and sneak in with them. Steve pulled it open a crack then wrenched it the rest of the way when he saw what was waiting for him.

It was Tony.

He was leaning with one hand against the door frame and the other burrowed into his hair and he looked awful. Dark bags under his eyes made his cheeks look gaunt and sunken and his clothes were rumpled and dirty.

"Tony? Are you okay?" Steve ushered him in, and gestured towards the couch, but Tony immediately set off pacing back and forth across the apartment instead of sitting.

"Look," he started. Then he stopped again. He made it to the wall then spun on his heel and paced back the other way. "Look. Look - it was a mistake, okay? This was a mistake. I should have said no. I'm sorry."

Steve cut his eyes over to Bucky and watched his face fall then twist back into a carefully controlled frown. "Us?"

"Yeah." Tony gestured between them. "Us. This. Bad idea."

"Oh." Steve shuffled over to sit on the couch, a cushion's space between him and Bucky. "I see. Sorry. I didn't mean to bother you, with the texting, we were just worried about you." So that was that. Tony was breaking up with them and they hadn't even had a chance to tell him they wanted more. It didn't matter, though. He wanted less.

"What? No, no. That's okay. I should have - I mean I should have replied. But - I mean, that's what - I'm just. f*ck." Tony sat down hard on the couch between them and dropped his face in his hands.

Bucky reached out and tentatively squeezed his arm. "What's wrong, Tony?"

"I made a mistake agreeing to sleep with you guys. I knew it was too good to be true, and I did it anyway. I've been in love with Steve from, like, day one, with that stupid octopus cup -"

"It was a squid," Steve choked out, heart crawling its way up his throat. It was clear Tony liked him, a lot, but love?

"- and his dumb, gorgeous smile and every damn stupid thing about him. I just fell really hard. So hard that when it turned out he was taken, I had to go to Europe for two weeks and cry into croissants and thirty dollar coffee. Which, I'll note, I thought didn't taste as good as his, so that's the level I was at.

"Then I met Bucky, and I thought I'd hate him because he had what I couldn't have, but then he turned out to be funny and nice and also super stupid hot and I couldn't begrudge him for it. And my jealousy just sort of quadrupled in every possible direction."

"Tony - what -?"

But Tony kept barreling on. "Then we all became friends and it was like the clouds parting and a rainbow appearing behind it. I could have been completely happy with just that for the rest of my life. Seriously, you guys are so nice to be around that I wasn't jealous anymore. It didn't hurt at my game day party, or at the cafe after, it was just amazing.

"Then you asked me to sleep with you, and that 'yes' was out of my mouth before my brain had a say in the matter. And then, quite frankly, my dick took over. And, god, it was so good and you're -" Tony stuttered to a halt and scrubbed both hands over his face. He stood suddenly and marched a few steps across the living room again. "It was perfect, honestly. Exactly what I wanted. You are two of my best friends and getting to relax and show that to you however I wanted was really wonderful. I thought we had it all figured out. Our friendship for the feelings, and sex for the tension. Perfect!

"Then the party happened. And that was amazing too. I was so happy that morning after, I almost forgot to need coffee. That's the effect you guys have on me. But then I got home and I thought about how adorably rough Bucky is in the morning and how Steve pretends not to understand basketball so we won't include him in conversations, and I realized that it's not something I can deal with anymore. I'm - I - I have to go. I just - I'm way too f*cking in love with both of you to handle this with grace. And it's not fair to you. You two have each other and I'm - I'm - Well, it hardly matters. But I'm only torturing myself, and while I'm told I'm pathologically bad at introspection, I can tell that the longer this goes on the worse it's going to be when the hammer falls and I'm - I just - I'd like to say I can't afford another two weeks in Spain, but, actually, I can. But I can't, also, you know?"

Tony took another step backwards towards the door, and Steve rocketed up to his feet, terrified that he'd leave and disappear again but this time forever. "I love you!" he blurted out.

Tony's jaw dropped and he gaze cut sharply over to Bucky. "Oh, Steve," he whined, backing up three more steps. "I really have to go."

"Wait." Bucky stood too, one hand twitching out towards Tony. "Wait, please? Can we talk?"

"You really want to talk to me? I feel like I'm tearing everything down, ruining this amazing thing you guys have and I'm really not sure I can live with that."

"You're not ruining anything, Tony," Steve said as gently as he could. He gave up holding back and moved up until he could reach out and take Tony's hand. "I promise. Will you listen for a moment? We just have something we need to say and then you can go, if you need to."

Tony looked to Bucky who nodded. "Okay." His hand clenched around Steve's then retreated, shoved into his pocket.

Bucky, never one for dragging things out, said, "I love you too," and Tony visibly rebooted.

"What?" His voice was rough and broken.

"It was a bit hard for me in the beginning there, I can't lie. There were a few nights when I wondered if the best thing I could do was let Steve go so he could be with you."

"Buck…" Steve's chest tightened painfully. He didn't know that.

"But then I really got to know you, and, instead, I just wanted you around all the time. Both of you." Bucky stepped closer. "I'm in love with you, Tony."

Tony shuddered, his eyes squeezing shut, mouth a hard line. "Buck… you shouldn't -"

"You're right," Steve said. "After the graduation party, it was different. Or maybe it was always different and it just took that night for us to realize it. But we talked about it and… well, we'd really love you to be part of our relationship. Actually, no, we want to a start a new relationship with you. Not a fling, not just sex, a third - equal. Plus the three pairs. I'll admit, neither of us has any idea how to do that, and I get that sometimes it won't be easy, but we both love you, so much, and the idea of not having you around, with us, really hurts. I also… I'd like to be exclusive. We both would, with you. Just the three of us and no one else. But I understand if you're not okay with that, and we can talk about it. That is, if you're interested in any of this at all."

Tony's stared at Steve, but his expression was unreadable. "Really?" he asked.

"Really," Bucky said firmly. "If you'll have us."

Tony swallowed heavily. He blinked down at the ground for a moment then shook his head. "No."

Steve's heart screeched to a halt, shocking the breath out of his lungs. He'd known there was always the possibility that Tony would turn them down but it still rippled pain through his nerves to hear it.

Bucky blinked wetly and dropped his arm to his side. "Oh. Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't -" He started to take a step back, but Tony grabbed his sleeve, stilling him.

"Don't - it's not your fault." He wouldn't look at Steve. "I love you both, I do. And I… I can't believe you love me, too. But - I can't do this. I'm not equipped for it. Everything felt like it made sense the first night we spent together, but now I'm just -" he winced, then shook his head. "I can't. Please don't hate me."

"God, Tony, we could never hate you. Of course you can say no. I hope we've never pressured you before -"

"Course not. Like I said, it was fine until it wasn't. This just isn't my forte." Tony stood there, staring miserably at his shoes, and Steve couldn't resist. He held his arms out in an offer. Tony tipped into them with a sad sigh, and Steve hugged him close.

"What do you want?" Steve tried.

"I don't know. I guess - I want things to go back to the way they were that first time, but I know that's not possible. So I think we should stop sleeping together."

Bucky nodded. "Okay. No problem. Whatever it takes to keep you in our lives. You still okay with being friends?"

"Yes, please. I don't want to lose you guys. I don't want to lose any of this. I just - I can't..."

"It's okay. You won't," Bucky assured him. "Not over something dumb like sex. And we will continue to love you, but if you don't want to hear about it, we can keep that to ourselves."

Tony's jaw worked and he shifted in Steve's hold, making his arms drop away. Cold air rushed in in Tony's place. Tony shrugged. "I don't know. Feels really f*cking nice when you say it, but... " He shook his head again, wrapping his arms around himself. "This is awful." He barked out an empty laugh and shot Steve a wet look. "I am such a hot mess, right now."

Steve sent Bucky a desperate look but he looked just as lost, shrugging back when neither of them thought of something to say. He couldn't understand what it was that made Tony say no. If he loved them too, if it felt good to be loved, why wouldn't he want more of it? "I'm really sorry we upset you, Tony. Is there anything we can do?"

"Oh no, Steve. You didn't upset me. Don't think that. You guys have been nothing but lovely. It's not - it's not about you. Not really. This is my - my thing. I'm sorry. It was really sweet of you to ask. And brave." Tony hummed roughly, like he was getting choked up, and all Steve wanted to do was wrap him up and kiss him and promise him everything was going to be okay, but Tony didn't want that from him. "Look - I saw this coming, okay? I figured you'd get there eventually, when I continued to manage not to completely implode this whole thing. And I should have said no at the grad party, but it was just too easy. Too sweet, too nice. So I'm sorry for stringing you along."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for. Nothing. We should have talked before we slept together again, anyway. That's on all of us."

Sensing stress, Eddy waddled over and leaned against Tony's legs, grinning up at him, and he huffed out a pleased laugh. "Hey, sweetie. Thank you." He bent to kiss her on top of her head. "I should go…"

"Are you sure you're okay? You can stay here tonight. Just as friends."

But Tony shook his head. "I have a car waiting. I just - I wanted to tell you in person. I'll call you tomorrow. I promise. Thanks for understanding." Tony leaned over Eddy to hug Bucky, then hugged Steve again. He didn't meet either of their eyes as he turned back to the door.

"Goodnight…" Steve said after him as he slipped away down the stairs.

Bucky's arms circled Steve from behind and he squeezed, chin hooked over his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, honey."

"Me too."

Chapter 26

Chapter Text

A loud buzzing jolted Steve out of sleep and he fumbled around blearily on the nightstand until he found a ringing phone. It didn't feel right in his hand. He answered. "'Lo?"

There was a pause. "Steve?"

"Hmm?" He looked at the caller. Tony. And this wasn't Steve's phone. "Tony?"

"sh*t, Steve. I'm sorry. I woke you up, didn't I?"

"Lil bit." Steve smacked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I was trying to call Buck on his last night shift and wish him congratulations."

"Oh." Steve registered that he was alone in bed. He and Bucky had stayed up far too late worrying about Tony, and in the end, Bucky probably only had a few hours of sleep before he left for his shift. "He must have forgotten his phone." Steve looked at the phone in his hand. "This is his phone."

"Damn." Tony's wince was audible. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay. It's not your fault." Steve looked at the clock. It was three in the morning. "Why are you up anyway?"

There was a long pause. "Couldn't sleep."

Steve sat up, shaking the last of sleep from his head. "Are you okay?"

There was another pause. "It's fine."

"Tony…" Steve rubbed one hand over his face and folded forward, the phone cupped to his ear. "You don't sound okay."

There was a soft thunk through the phone, and then Tony sighed. "I have nightmares sometimes. Side effect of growing up with my dad. It's no big, but once they hit, sleep is f*cked. Figured I could chat with Bucky since he's up anyway." Tony's voice was tight, and it squeezed Steve's heart.

"You can talk to me."

"You should sleep."

"Tony…" Steve murmured, and Tony made a small noise. "Even if we're not dating, I still care about you. You're my best friend. I'd rather take care of you than sleep."

Tony sighed. "I don't - I don't even know what to talk about. I just… miss you. I hate the way we ended things the other night. I can't stop thinking about it, and I -" Tony cut off and didn't seem like he was going to continue.

"I can come over."

"What? No, no. It's way too late. Early. Whatever. You should sleep. I'm - I'll be okay. Maybe, uh, maybe I can come by the cafe tomorrow, and we can -" Tony cut off with a sad noise.

Steve swung his legs over the side of the bed. "Too late. I'm already awake. And if you'll have me, I really want to see you. Hey, Tony? You want to have a ridiculously rich moment?"

Tony laughed, but it sounded damp. "Sure."

"Order me a car."

"Are you sure? You don't have to come..."

"Yes, I'm sure. Call the car." Steve hung up as he pulled on sweatpants and a sweater then wrote Bucky a note and left it on the kitchen counter next to Bucky's phone.

Babe -

You forgot your phone. Tony's having a sh*tty night so I went to his place. I think you should join us when you can. He sounds upset. I don't have to work until 2.

Love you,
-S

Then he called Tony back on his own phone. "I'm dressed."

"Okay. The car will be there in five minutes. I could have come to your place, you know," Tony said.

"I know. I like your place, though. Even if it terrifies me a little bit."

Tony laughed. "What terrifies you?"

Steve crept out of the apartment with his shoes under his arm, past sleeping Eddy and Hopper, not wanting to make them think it was breakfast time. He locked up then pulled his shoes on, phone stuck between his shoulder and his ear. "I feel like I'm going to bump into something, break it, then find out it was worth five million dollars."

Tony laughed again, soft and delighted, and already he was sounding more like himself. "Remind me not to tell you how much I spend on my toilet paper."

There was indeed a car idling at the curb, a sleek, black car, and a broad man jumped out at the sight of Steve and opened the back door. "Good evening, sir, though I guess it's more like good morning now." He smiled as Steve winced.

"Sorry to have you driving around in the middle of the night."

Tony said, "Is that Happy? Are you in the car?"

"I'm in the car, Tony."

"Oh, it's no bother!" the chauffeur said. "I like driving at night. It's quieter. And I happened to be in the area, so luckily you didn't have to wait long."

"Thank you."

"Say hi to Happy for me," Tony said in his ear.

"Oh. Tony says hi."

"Heya, boss!"

Steve navigated the complicated three-way conversation all the way to the tower, which only took a little over twenty minutes. Happy helped him out of the car with a smile, then drove off. Steve took the elevator up to the penthouse, still on the phone with Tony. "Are you in the workshop?"

Tony snorted softly. "No… I'm still in bed. I've been in bed the whole time we've been talking. I usually get up and build stuff but…nuh."

"Don't move. I'm coming to you."

Steve stepped out of the elevator and turned around to trot up the stairs. The light was spilling under Tony's door and he knocked lightly as he hung up the phone then stepped in.

Tony was the centrepiece in a mess of twisted blankets that suggested he'd been trying to sleep for some time. He laughed and shook his head when Steve appeared. "Feels ridiculous to order door-to-door Steve service on the phone."

Steve grinned back. "That's what I'm here for."

"Don't you have to work, back in Brooklyn, at ass o'clock in the morning? I'll have to send you back in a helicopter to dodge traffic."

"Nope. Afternoon shift. Sam and Darcy have the morning."

Tony nodded then started plucking at the seam of his duvet, and Steve dropped down to sit on the edge of the bed. "I like Sam and Darcy," Tony said idly.

"I think it's actually physically impossible to not like Sam and Darcy." Steve resisted the urge to reach out and place a reassuring hand on Tony's leg. He didn't know if he should ask Tony about his nightmares or change the subject to something fun. But he couldn't think of anything fun to start with.

Tony sighed and squirmed under the blanket, then his expression twisted. "I think I f*cked up again."

Now, Steve couldn't stop his hand as it darted out and found Tony's ankle. "What's wrong?"

Tony met his eye, expression twisted with pain, but gaze steady. "I said no to you two when I didn't really mean it."

"Tony -" Steve cut himself off. He didn't really know what to say to that. "Didn't mean it?"

"I want it. I want you two. All I can think about is how nice it would be to wake up with you guys, to call you my boyfriends, to have more nights like Bucky's graduation. I want every night to be like that. I thought it would be the last thing I'd want, but I want it."

As much as Steve wanted to yell me too! And throw himself at Tony, he forced himself to take a breath instead. "If that's how you feel, why did you say no?"

"Because I'm absolutely going to f*ck this up. I've never had a successful, long-term relationship. Ever. I've only really had two that were any kind of serious at all before they went down in flames. And you guys are so good at it. I'm scared to even have a fish and you have a dog and a rabbit and you make it work. And I have this horrible fear that when it implodes, I'm going to take what you guys have down with me."

"Tony…"

"When I asked you out that day… it's not like I saw this grand, decades spanning relationship ahead of us. I thought we might date for a few months, have some delightfully athletic sex, I'd meet your dog, and then we'd break up and I'd find another coffee shop. That's how it goes. That's how it's always gone. The serious that you guys know how to do is not a serious I'm good at. I may be older than you, but I'm a f*cking wreck when it comes to taking care of relationships in my life. It's only by the grace of god and a very careful lack of sex that's kept Rhodey and Pepper around so long."

Steve gave Tony's ankle a gentle squeeze then reclaimed his hand, wanting to give Tony his space. "You know…" he started. "I'd only been in one serious relationship before Bucky. And it didn't end well either. And before Bucky and I figured our sh*t out, I thought I was straight. I still have weird panicky moments about it, about us. What if it really is a phase and I suddenly wake up and don't find him attractive anymore? What if we break up and I'm too messed up to date girls or guys after? But Tony… how often do the wrong relationship end well, anyway? You have to end your second-last relationship to end up in your last one. The one that sticks." Steve chuckled. "Though, I guess I'm being greedy and trying to have both. But maybe... maybe this could be the right one? I don't want to push you, because of course it's up to you at the end of the day, but I think this is worth a try, and worth the risk. We fit… it feels right and good. I love you. And even if you don't want to have sex with us or kiss us or call us your boyfriends, I'd still be really happy if I could keep loving you in a way that feels right for all of us, even if it's not the traditional way things are done."

"I love you too," Tony said softly, his lips twitching up into a tiny smile. "I - I know you can't speak for Bucky, but I think I do want to give it a try." He nodded to himself. "Yeah. If you guys will still have me, I very much would like to kiss you and sleep with you and call you my boyfriends. Very much."

"Oh my god." Steve folded down until his forehead hit the bed then he jolted upright again. "I can absolutely speak for Bucky right now, Tony. All we talked about last night was how sad we were that you said no. If you want to change your mind, I can unequivocally tell you that we are in, all the way."

Tony laughed weakly, breathlessly. "So you didn't move on to the second place winner, huh?"

"Only you. Always you." Steve leaned forward and wound his fingers through Tony's. "Can I kiss you?"

"Yeah, I'd like that. If you're sure it's okay."

"Definitely okay."

Tony nodded, so Steve shifted up the bed and braced his other hand on Tony's other side. He pressed their lips together softly, sliding his nose along Tony's and breathing in his scent. It wasn't their first kiss, not technically, but it still felt like one. It was the first kiss where Steve's heart felt completely unburdened, where he poured in every ounce of feeling he had for Tony without reservation, and Tony gave to it, softening with a sigh and furrowing his fingers back through Steve's hair. When they parted, Tony ran both hands down the sides of his face. "God, I'm exhausted," he said with a laugh.

Steve smiled, heart full. "Think you could sleep now?"

"Probably."

"I can go out to the couch. Let you sleep."

"Really? After the emotional outpouring, you're going to sleep on the couch? As long as you're sure Bucky won't mind, I'd rather have you right here."

"He won't mind. He forgot his phone like a dummy, but I left him a note to meet us here. Wouldn't hurt to text him too, actually. He'll check his notifications before he leaves."

Tony grabbed his phone from the bedside table and started typing with a soft smile on his face while Steve stripped out of his sweater and dropped his pants to the floor, leaving only his t-shirt and boxers on. Tony lifted up one end of his fluffy white comforter in welcome. Steve crawled in and wrapped his arms around Tony's waist, drawing him close. He immediately shuffled back against Steve's chest with a happy sigh. Steve ran his fingers down Tony's side, up and down, until the tension there started to melt away. "Love you," he whispered into his hair. It would never stop feeling amazing that he could say that.

"Mmmm. I love you too. Thank you for coming."

"You can always call me. I'll always come. Dating or not."

Tony sighed happily and finally relaxed all the way. After a few minutes, he twisted around, until they were lying chest to chest in the dark room. They exchanged a little light conversation, a few lazy kisses, but as time wore on, Steve could see how tired Tony was, and he fell silent. Sure enough, it wasn't long before Tony's breathing had steadied out. It was warm and cozy in the bed, snuggled up together in the crisp, cool room. Steve pressed a kiss to Tony's forehead as he slipped off to sleep himself.

Steve woke briefly to the bed dipping, and he blinked his eyes open to see Bucky climbing in on Tony's other side. Tony shifted in his arms, and Steve's hold automatically tightened around him.

"Everything okay?" Bucky whispered.

Steve glanced at the clock. It was after six in the morning. "What did Tony text you?"

"He said he'd, 'thought some more about my perfect ass and decided to date us after all.'"

Steve snorted out a laugh, and Tony shook with silent giggles in his arms. "Something like that."

Bucky brushed Tony's hair away from his face. "You really changed your mind?"

Tony nodded. "Yeah. I was just being dumb. And scared. I do that. When things get too much I hide and then try and bail out of everything. The whole serious relationship thing is kind of terrifying, but I still want you. Be my boyfriend? Check yes or no."

"Absolutely." Bucky snuggled up behind him and one of his hands found Steve's hip and squeezed. "You going back to sleep?"

"I guess we should talk about things, figure out all the details," Steve said, yawning.

"Can we talk later?" Tony asked. "I know we need to, but I'm going to need a direct IV of caffeine to even remember my middle name at this point."

"Of course." Steve kissed him again. "And it's Edward."

They settled down into a happy tangle of limbs, Bucky pressing his own kiss to Tony's lips before nuzzling into his neck. But Tony seemed awake again and he shifted around fiddling with the hem of Steve's shirt. He turned his face up to Bucky. "You really love me?"

"I really love you."

"So what did it for you? The season's tickets?" There was real unease wound through the joke.

"Nope." Bucky bent and pressed an honest kiss to his lips. "I started falling for you when you introduced me to that dumb robot of yours. And I hit the bottom when we went to the game, just you and me."

"And Steve? Was it the light clay?" Tony turned to him. Steve kissed him too, and opened his mouth to reply, but Bucky got there first.

"Oh no, Stevie's loved you since day one. With the dumb octopus cup."

"Bucky," Steve chastised, his cheeks heating, but Tony only smiled.

"He has?"

"Yup. Since you said you liked his painting in the cafe."

Steve rolled his eyes, snuggling in closer, wrapped snugly against Tony's back, Bucky's hand warm on his hip.

"Also. He draws you naked."

"Bucky!"

Chapter 27

Chapter Text

Steve woke up in the middle of a sea of warm, but sadly empty, blankets that smelled like Bucky and Tony. He heard the clink of dishes from down the hall, followed by Bucky's muffled laughter. He rolled over and looked at the clock. It was almost ten.

He padded down the hall, not bothering with pants, and before he had registered the kitchen, Tony was flowing into his arms and kissing his neck. Steve hummed with pleasure, eyes still half closed.

"Thanks for coming last night," Tony said softly.

"Always." Steve twisted down to pull Tony into a proper kiss, then the smell of coffee drew him back up, looking over to where Bucky was expertly handling the espresso maker. It felt like a dream, a fairy tale, that he was here with both his men, happy and loving him. "Putting me out of a job, Buck?"

"Like you ever make coffee anymore," Bucky shot back. "Not sure you even remember how, Mister 'ooh I've got payroll to do' and 'let me just draw on the cups, some more.'"

Steve thought that over for a minute, keeping Tony curled in his arms. "Does that mean you're making me a latte?"

"Of course I'm making you a damn latte," Bucky grumbled.

Tony already had a pile of baked goods with jam and cream cheese laid out on the table, so they gathered there together, each with a cup of coffee and a bagel.

"How do you see this working?" Tony finally asked.

Steve flushed with a giddy sort of anxiety. "I have no idea."

Tony laughed. "Good start."

"Look," Bucky started, "we can't ignore the fact that Steve and I already live together and have a lifestyle built around that. But we don't want to make you feel any less loved."

"But I am," Tony said simply.

"Tony -" Steve choked out.

"No. Listen. It's simply not possible that after a few months you love me as much as you love Bucky." Tony reached out and took Steve's hand in his. "And, honestly, I'd be kind of freaked out if you did. If this were a two-person relationship and after two months you wanted to move in together and get a dog and a rabbit and a joint bank account, people would call you crazy. And you would be, probably. But that's okay. This is new. We have to let it be new.

"If there's one thing my experience with failed relationships can bring to the table, it's that you can't rush love. We can't make this -" Tony gestured between him and them "- go faster, any more than you guys could try and backtrack what you have. I don't expect this to be equal or easy right away. It's okay, sweetheart." He squeezed Steve's hand, while Steve's chest fluttered at the pet name. "Honestly, I'm still pretty terrified by all of this. I can't promise the seriousness of it all won't freak me out, now and then, but my goal is to talk to you about it instead of running and hiding and then having a breakdown in your living room."

The look on Bucky's face was so utterly beautifully desperate for Tony in that moment that Steve fell in love with both of them all over again.

"Dates," Steve said. "We'll go on a lot of them. In twos and all together. You're right, Tony. We can't magically make this relationship with you be four years old, but we can try extra hard to make sure you feel loved and valued despite that. So my ask is that you tell us if you ever don't feel that way. If you ever feel like we put you second. We've done enough of that over the last few months. No more."

Tony nodded. He was grinning but he kept twitching his lips back to neutral as if someone had once told him not to smile so much. Steve leaned over and brushed his fingers through his hair - because that was something he was allowed to do now.

"I love making you smile," he whispered.

Tony blinked at him, wide eyed. He cleared his throat roughly. "Feeling pretty damn loved and valued right now, gotta say."

"Good. And just to be clear… it's just us, right?" Steve couldn't help but ask. "If you're seeing someone else -"

"I'm not. Just you two. That's no hardship." Tony twisted the cream cheese knife around in his hands. "I don't…"

Bucky squeezed Tony's upper arm. "What is it?"

Tony huffed out a breath. "Like I said, I have a lot of experience with casual, but not much with serious. I've been around the block a time or two with breaking up, but never seemed to manage the long term thing. I'm busy. I work a lot, even when it seems like I have a lot of spare time, it's usually because I'm making up for it in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping. I travel a lot, sometimes at the last minute. I'm so in love with both of you, and I want nothing more than to be in this relationship, now that I've had a chance to adjust to the idea, and I'll take it as seriously as it deserves, but I don't want to give you false expectations of what it's going to be like dating me. The freakout I had the other night? I can't promise I won't have another one."

"It's okay, Tony," Bucky said. "We know you're busy. We've kind of been dating you for a while without meaning to, or really understanding that we were. But I think Stevie and I both have a pretty good idea what you're like, and we love you. And the rest of it that we don't know yet? I'm excited to find out."

"We have our things too," Steve added. "I never wash dishes and Bucky will go a shockingly long amount of time before he changes the sheets. I get lost in my art… Bucky goes into nurse mode if you stub your toe and makes you elevate it for an hour."

"I do not."

"And he lies," Steve added with a smirk. "We're not looking for some perfect, idealized version of you. We just want you."

Tony nodded. "Okay. I'm going to eat my bagel and try not to implode."

"You do that."

"Oh wait. I have one more question."

"Shoot," Bucky said.

Tony turned bright eyes and a sneaky smile on Steve. "Do you really draw me naked?"

Steve huffed. "Eat your bagel," he grumbled, vowing to give Tony the sketchbook at some point.

When the food was done, Bucky announced that one of them would have to go home to feed the pets and take Eddy for a walk. Steve volunteered, but Tony didn't want to split them all up yet, so he packed some work things in a bag and went back to Steve and Bucky's apartment with them.

Eddy was thrilled to have everyone home, wagging her tail and snuffling up the bagel crumbs on their pants before flopping back down in her bed. Bucky rustled around by the door then came and sat down next to Tony on the couch. He held out a key in the palm of his hand. "To the apartment. I get that it's too soon for us to all live together, but you're always welcome here. Even when we're not home."

Tony picked up the key. "I can come hang out with Eddy and Hopper?"

Ed wagged her tail from the other side of the room at the sound of her name, not lifting her head but thumping on the floor a few times before falling asleep again.

"Of course."

"You guys already have access to the penthouse. So, same deal. Feel free to go over there and eat my food and watch the big screen. And antagonize DUM-E with coins."

Steve fed Hop then sat on Tony's other side, draping his arm over his shoulders and buzzing with soft pleasure when he leaned into the touch. He stretched his fingers out to brush down Bucky's neck too. "I love you guys," Steve said, and they both turned to smile at him. "We can figure this out. I believe in us."

Bucky laughed softly at that and bent down to kiss the side of Tony's head, eyes on Steve. It made butterflies flutter through Steve's chest. Eddy, feeling that love was being handed out unfairly to far too many beings that weren't her, pushed herself to her feet again and waddled over with a grin.

Bucky patted her on the head and she laid it heavily in his lap, tail meandering back and forth. "Girlie needs a walk. You want to come with, Tony?"

"Sure." Tony took his key ring out and carefully wound the apartment key onto it before following Bucky back to the door.

Steve stood and stretched. Despite not getting much sleep, he was feeling energized. "I'm going to paint for a bit. Have fun." He kissed each of them, thrilling, but also enjoying acting like it was all normal for them, since hopefully it was, from now on. As they stepped out the door, Steve saw Tony slip his hand in Bucky's.

Steve put his headphones on and let Hopper sniff his way around the apartment while he got out his canvas and set to work again. He was up to the one of Eddy's nose. He brushed her fluffy fur around the bright black smudge of her nose, smiling to himself just at the image of her. He thought about Bucky and Tony wandering to the park, hand in hand. Maybe they were talking about Tony's arc reactor project, which Bucky had taken such an intense interest in, or the medical software development Tony had pitched to the R&D board. Or maybe they were talking about Steve. His ears heated at the thought.

He thought about the two of them making plans for what they might do to him, pinned between them and gasping. Steve cleared his throat, realizing his brush hadn't moved on the canvas for some time. Thoughts like that were going to have to wait for later.

Forty minutes later, Bucky and Tony returned, and Steve started packing up his painting to prep for work. "Oh, Tony. I have a question for you."

"If it's asking me to play strip poker, the answer is always yes, gorgeous."

Steve laughed, digging through his haphazard pile of painting stuff. "Well, in a minute, cause I have to change for work anyway, but mostly I wanted to ask you if it's okay if I offer this -" he pulled out the painting of Tony's eyes - "for my gallery event."

Tony stared at it. "Really?"

"Yeah. You gave me the inspiration for the whole collection. Paint what you love. I love you. I want you up there on the wall with Bucky and the others, but only if you're comfortable with it."

"I'd - uh - that'd be really amazing, actually. I'd be honoured."

An anxiety that Steve didn't even know had been brewing settled, and he hid the painting back with the others. "Thank you."

"Date tonight?" Bucky asked, and Tony winced.

"Ah I have a timezone meeting tonight. I can hang out til like six or so and then I have to head to the office."

Steve insisted that Bucky and Tony have the first official date that day. As much as he wanted a shot at Tony on his own and more time with the three of them, it felt important that Bucky and Tony get their time together. As a compromise, the two men agreed, but also planned to have it at the cafe while Steve was working.

Not wanting to broadcast it to the whole staff, Tony and Bucky stood shoulder to shoulder at the register but didn't kiss, or flirt, or touch any more than usual. Unable to trust himself, Steve bit his lip and cleaned the milk jugs while Darcy joked with his boyfriends and took their orders. He caught Tony's eye as they took their drinks and walked over to Tony's booth, and he smiled, warm and soft and secret, and for the first time, there wasn't any guilt there, no little twinge and thought of Bucky or worry that Tony was getting left behind, because Bucky was there too, holding Tony's cup and bending over to whisper something in his ear.

Steve kept half an eye on the booth while he worked, heart fluttering every time one of them smiled or fluttered their eyelashes at the other.

Clint elbowed him at one point. "Looks like Tony's making a move on your boy." He waggled his eyebrows, making Steve laugh. Then he paused, looking considering. "Or possibly Bucky is making a move on your boy. Not sure."

"Let me know if it works," Steve quipped back. "Either one." Then his stomach squirmed. Eventually, if things went the way he was hoping they'd go, they'd have to tell their friends. "It doesn't -" he started, then he fumbled, unsure what he was going to say. Clint stopped and looked at him. "Uh… would it bother you?"

Clint blinked slowly, gears audibly turning. "If Tony and Bucky were making a move on each other?"

"Um… yeah?"

"It… wouldn't it bother you?"

Steve cleared his throat. Last chance to backtrack. "....No."

"Oh." Clint ran a washcloth over the counter then froze. "Oh." He tossed the cloth over his shoulder and leaned back against the counter. "As in… if it were just a one time thing, you wouldn't bother telling me?"

"It's looking like… not a one time thing."

"And Tony's moves are in your direction too, yeah?"

"Yeah."

"Huh."

"I didn't really think about how other people would take it." Steve sighed. "Sorry. You probably don't want to hear about it."

"It's fine, man. I don't mind. I think it's nice - sorry I should have said that right away. I could tell there was some tension going on, and this seems like a great way to solve it, if you're all happy."

Steve nodded, unable to keep a smile from twitching his lips. "We are."

Clint clapped him on the back. "That's all that matters. You do you. But I don't care how many boyfriends he has, Bucky promised to play League with me on Friday night."

Steve laughed, giddy with relief. "I'm sure he'll be there."

Clint wandered off to tidy up the pastry case and Steve leaned back by the sink, gaze unerringly finding his two loves. They'd leaned in over the table with one of their phones between them, face up, Tony pointing down at it while Bucky shook his head. Their other hands were side by side on the table, close enough to touch, Tony's thumb darting out every now and then to brush over the side of Bucky's.

Steve picked up a cup and a sharpie and drew a square on the side. He sketched out the edge of a table and two hands resting on top of it, wound together. He smiled down at it. That would be one more for his collection.

Chapter 28

Chapter Text

"I think you and Tony should go on a date tomorrow," Bucky said, as he flipped grilled cheese in a pan for dinner.

"Really? I was kind of giving you two space to bond more. And tomorrow we could have an all three night."

"I know. And it's good getting to see him more, but you guys need time too. I think he misses you a little bit. I don't know if he doesn't want to ask or he hasn't thought of it, but he and I have had like three dates and you two haven't had any, beyond hanging out at the cafe. You should go out tonight. We'll all three spend the weekend together. He already said he was free."

"Okay." Steve pulled Bucky into a kiss. "Thank you."

Steve: Dinner tomorrow night? Just you and me.

Tony: Sounds perfect. I know a place. Pick you up from home or the cafe?

Steve: Home. I'm on a short shift tomorrow.

Tony: Great. Can't wait.

There was a break just long enough to be noticable, and then Tony added, Love you.

Steve grinned down at his phone like an idiot. It still made his stomach explode with butterflies every time Tony said it. Love you too.

"What are you grinnin' at?" Bucky asked, smiling too.

Steve beamed. "Tony loves me."

"Of course he does. You're very lovable." Bucky handed him a plate with a grilled cheese and kissed the top of his head.

In a way, Steve had been counting all his time with Tony at the cafe over the last few months and felt it was somewhat unbalanced, but it wasn't really fair to think that way. He and Tony needed time together that was a real date, accepted and acknowledged, as much as Tony and Bucky needed time to get to know each other better.

Tony couldn't come over that night, so after they'd put the pets to bed, Bucky and Steve set up a video call from their bed. Tony looked tired from work, safety glasses pushed up into wild hair and dark bruises under his eyes, but he smiled when he answered.

"Hey, darlings. How was your night?"

Steve hooked his chin over Bucky's shoulder to get a better look at the screen. "Good. Missed you, though."

"Same."

"How's work going?" Bucky asked.

"Really good. The new element is going to work. The reactor is really coming along. Then it'll just be a matter of R&D figuring out the best use for it."

"Flying car…" Bucky whispered.

Tony grinned. "I know, babe. Next Christmas."

"f*cking score."

Steve flicked his nose. "Stop encouraging him. We should let you keep working."

Tony sighed at the screen. "I really really want to suggest that instead you don't. Because Bucky has a look in his eyes that I'm deeply enjoying, but if I don't do this now, I won't be free for our date tomorrow, so you're right. But I want pictures."

Bucky laughed. "Who said we're going to get up to anything?" But his hand snaked back to curl around Steve's thigh.

"You don't have to say anything at all," Tony purred. "Goodnight, lovelies."

"Goodnight, Tony."

"Goodnight." Bucky reached out and flicked off the screen.

Steve kissed the back of his neck then rolled him flat and pressed down on top of him. "Was Tony right?"

"Tony was so right."

**

Steve woke up to find Tony had blown up the group chat in response to the pictures they'd sent of the night before. He lay around in bed for far too long scrolling through Tony's thirsty emojis and feeling the bubbly thrill of a new relationship fizz through him. Bucky was still snoozing beside him, off work for a week before his new position started at the hospital, and Steve realized with a start that he was going to be late for work if he didn't get his ass in gear.

He spent the day fantasizing about his date and, according to Sam, "smiling too much" as he waltzed around the cafe, making drinks and doing paperwork. Back home after, he set up his painting supplies, starting a timer on his phone for an hour before Tony would arrive so he could shower and change.

This last painting was cutting it pretty close to the wire, but as soon as he started floating his brush across the canvas, all his worries drifted away. He knew exactly how he wanted this painting to look, and it was coming out exactly the way he wanted to.

When the timer went off, he stepped back and smiled at it. It was perfect. Just a few more sessions and he'd be done, just in time for the opening.

Steve washed his brushes and turned the painting to the wall to dry. He put Hopper away, took a shower and fretted about his clothes for a while. It was kind of fun, worrying about what to wear. He and Bucky had lived together for so long before they dated that they'd never had this little rushes of exhilarating anxiety - what to wear, what to smell like, how much hair gel to use. He wanted to look perfect for Tony, but was also pretty confident that Tony would find him as stunning as he would find Tony, no matter what.

At 6:20, Steve heard a key in the door and then Tony greeting Eddy with an indulgent number of kisses and coos. "I'll be ready in a second!" he called out.

"No rush!"

When he finished buttoning up his shirt and stepped out into the living room, he found Tony trying to teach Eddy to balance a treat on her nose. Steve chuckled as Eddy tipped her head down to drop the treat then bent and munched it up for the third time. "You should get a dog, Tony."

Tony shrugged. "I'd forget to water it. I like getting to borrow yours, though." He straightened up and smiled at Steve, eyes raking down over him. "You look amazing."

"You too." Steve reached out and drew Tony into his arms, pressing a kiss to the side of his face. It was definitely different, being free to be with Tony like this without Bucky around too. It was thrilling and scary and wonderful. Maybe the fear would always be there, that if he screwed this up, he'd be screwing it up for Bucky too, maybe breaking three hearts at once, but the sheer perfection of breathing in Tony's scent and kissing him and knowing Bucky would be nothing but happy for them was so undeniably good that all the fears squashed down to the bottom where they could be ignored, left to rot.

"Ready?" Tony asked, stealing another kiss.

"Ready."

They wound their hands together as they walked out of the apartment, and Steve wondered if any of their neighbours would see and be confused. For the first time, that thought made him giggle instead of fret. Clint's easy acceptance had steadied his foundation.

At the restaurant, their waitress led the way to a private booth in the back, and Steve and Tony slid into place. Steve picked up the menu and started flipping through it. He looked up to find Tony watching him dopily. "What?"

"I already know what I want. Figured I could take the chance to ogle."

The back of Steve's neck heated. "How are things going with Bucky?" he asked.

Tony smiled, a soft, small, private smile that made Steve's heart skip. "Good. Great. Amazing, really. Thank you for sharing." Tony rapped his fingers on the table. "Kind of surprised about the solo date, though. Weren't we all going to meet up?"

"Hopefully you're free for that over the weekend. Buck thought it was a good idea for us to get some alone time. I know we've spent all that time at the cafe together but it was… limited. Or - constrained?"

Tony smiled again. "Yeah, I know what you mean. This is our first time out as a couple. I can just grin stupidly at you and hold your hand and tell you I love you. Pretty damn great."

"It really is."

Steve eventually picked something to eat, though he was so distracted that he was sure he'd only really considered half the menu. It all looked good, though. Conversation flowed as easily as it ever had, more easily, really, now that they didn't have to hold back any feelings. It never stopped bringing a happy rush with it, every time Tony mentioned loving Steve, loving Bucky. It felt too good to be true, but he really believed it was.

When their plates were cleared, Steve insisted on paying, since the date was his idea, and Tony seemed pleased by it, even if he thought it was a bit silly. Tony bought them plenty of presents, though, things Steve could never hope to repay him for. He hoped making a gesture - what he could afford - would be enough to make sure Tony knew they would never take advantage of that. Not that Tony ever seemed bothered in the slightest.

"Normally if a date was going this well, I'd ask you back to my place." Tony tugged on the sleeve of Steve's shirt as they stood to leave. "Should we go back to yours, instead?"

Steve pressed up closer against Tony's side. "I'd like to go to yours, if that's okay. It's just you and me tonight."

"Bucky's okay with that?"

"I'll double check, but yeah." Steve took his phone out.

Steve: It's okay if we go back to Tony's, right? Do you want to join us?

Bucky: I'm good here. I want you two to have your date night. Just text me if you stay the night so I don't wait up. Love you. Have fun. (wouldn't say no to some pics, js)

Steve laughed. "He's good." He dropped his voice low. "He wants pictures."

"Smart man."

They left the restaurant, and Tony had a car waiting for them already. They slipped inside and Tony pressed close in the backseat, winding his fingers through Steve's. The drive was too slow, Steve's breath coming in hot pants by the time they stumbled into the elevator. Tony backed Steve up against the wall and descended on his neck, nipping and biting and making Steve moan.

Tony led them to the bedroom, but when he reached for the front of Steve's pants, Steve flinched without meaning to. Tony stilled. "You okay?"

This was not a time to bite his tongue. Steve faced honesty with hot cheeks. "I haven't had sex without Bucky in a long time. Still feels a little like it should be wrong. I know it's okay, it's good, but the natural instincts haven't been updated yet."

Tony smiled. "We don't have to do anything at all. Not until you're ready."

Steve fiddled with the hem of Tony's shirt. "Bucky said you guys haven't done anything more than making out without me."

"Plus a little groping," Tony said with a laugh. He smiled indulgently, then added, "Someone has to go first." He nuzzled up against Steve's chest and went soft and limp. "Doesn't have to be tonight, though. We can just cuddle. Watch a movie." He paused. "Maybe a little groping."

"I want it to be tonight." Steve hooked fingers under Tony's chin and tipped his face up so he could kiss him. "I - I like it when you take charge," he managed to get out, against Tony's lips. "Bucky prefers when we're on an even footing, but I like being told what to do. And I like it especially when you do the telling."

Tony's grin shifted predatory. "Is that so? Well…" He kissed Steve back, tipping him down onto the bed on his back and pressing over him. "You promise to let me know if I tell you to do something you don't want to do?"

"Yes."

"Okay then. Take off your shirt."

Steve hurried to comply, stripping his shirt off and tossing it off the bed.

"You're so beautiful." Tony drew kisses down his neck then sucked hard on his nipple. He folded Steve down onto the bed, pressing him into the duvet with biting kisses.

"Tony -" Steve gasped. His hands snapped to Tony's hips and dug in. He was narrower than Bucky, lean and tight. Steve bent his knees on the other side of Tony and hauled him in closer.

"I want to ride you," Tony said, voice sandpaper rough. "Would you like that?"

"Yes." Steve rolled his hips up. "Yes, please."

The please seemed to drive Tony into action. He stepped back and pulled his shirt off then kicked his pants to the floor. With Steve's help, they got the rest of his clothes off, then Tony crawled up Steve's body and straddled his hips, resting back on his thighs to run his hands up Steve's chest. Steve had seen Tony naked twice now, but it still felt like an amazing gift he had yet to earn, to be able to stroke his palms up Tony's bare thighs to grip his hips. He gazed in open appreciation, eyes dancing over every inch of Tony, and Tony smiled softly and stilled, letting him look.

"My first drawings didn't quite do you justice…" Steve traced his collarbone with one finger. "Actually, I don't think any pictures can do you justice."

Tony leaned over and pulled a bottle of lube out of his bedside drawer. "You still have to show me those."

Steve hummed. "It's nothing on real life."

Tony slicked Steve up then sat back, gripping Steve's co*ck in one hand to rub the head over his rim until they were both wet and ready. He sat back slowly, sinking down, and Steve gripped his lip between his teeth hard enough to hurt, forcing himself not to thrust up into Tony's welcoming heat. "Ah, Steve, you're so good. Being so still and waiting. You want it to be all up to me, yeah? You're just going to lie there and take whatever I give you."

"Yes, please, Tony, god. I want to be good for you."

"So good," Tony murmured. He settled on Steve's lap, muscles clenching around his co*ck, and Steve tipped his head back, breathing through his teeth. God, he felt so good.

"Tony…" Steve whined. He rolled his hips in tiny upward jerks, needing more, but not able to take it unless Tony started to move.

"Hold on, love." Tony rustled around at the end of the bed and came back with his phone. He aimed the camera down at Steve who felt himself blushing furiously. "Show Bucky how good it feels," Tony instructed.

Steve groaned and looked at the camera, imagining Bucky at home, stroking himself off to pictures of him and Tony bound together. "Tony… please move."

Tony chuckled then rocked back and forth on Steve's lap. "Like that, baby?"

"Yes -" Steve held both hands up, elbows pressed into the mattress, and Tony dropped the phone and wound their fingers together, bracing himself against Steve's hands. They set a rhythm, Steve thrusting up and down and Tony rolling back and forth. Pleasure grew and built deep in Steve's core, the slick heat of Tony's hole sliding down his co*ck making him moan each time.

Tony guided Steve's hands to his chest. "Play with my nipples."

Steve stroked his thumbs over Tony's nipples, pressing and tweaking them.

Tony's head tipped back and he moaned, increasing his pace. "Yeah, baby, like that."

Tony's praise flushed hot through Steve's veins and everything else fell away as he focused on nothing but bringing Tony pleasure. When Tony leaned forward, Steve brought one hand to the back of his neck and the other to his hip and drew him down over him, shifting on the bed to f*ck up into him while getting his mouth on Tony's chest. Tony braced his hands flat against the headboard and moaned wantonly when Steve latched his lips over his nipple and sucked.

Pushing Tony over the edge became Steve's singular goal as he rolled Tony back and forth across his lap and laved his tongue over his nipple, sucking the nub between his teeth, biting gently then licking it soothed again.

"Oh, f*ck, Steve." Tony folded over Steve completely, bouncing on his co*ck. He dropped one hand to Steve's hair and held on tight. "Touch my co*ck, baby. Jack me off."

Steve snapped one hand from Tony's hip to his co*ck and stroked firmly, letting the movement of their bodies drive Tony though the hot grip of his fingers. Tony gasped and groaned, then jerked back, pulling his chest away from Steve's mouth. His own lips fell open and he squeezed Steve's wrist hard enough to hurt as he shuddered then came, shooting over Steve's chest until he was dripping.

"f*ck -" Tony collapsed forward over Steve, and Steve wrapped him tightly in his arms, breathing in the scent of his shampoo mixed with sweat and sex. "I love you."

"I love you too." Steve felt almost as if he'd come himself, buzzing and boneless - floating untethered.

"One sec." Tony slid off his lap, pushing a soft whimper of Steve as he slipped loose from his body. Tony rummaged around in the drawer next to his bed and came up with some wet wipes. He cleaned Steve's chest, then his own, following the path of his hand with his lips, kissing his way across Steve's stomach. "Anything you want, baby?"

But Steve felt as if his ability to make decisions was off somewhere else. He blinked up at Tony and shook his head. "Just wanna feel you."

"Well," Tony said, bending to smack a kiss against his lips, "that we can do." He put the wipes away and turned out the light then settled back into bed, his back against Steve's chest. He took Steve's arm and wrapped it around his waist, winding their fingers together. Steve burrowed into his neck, pulling him close, unable to stop his hips from rolling to rub his co*ck along the crease of Tony's ass. "Yeah, that's the idea." Tony arched his back and the head of Steve's co*ck caught on his rim. "f*ck me, sweetheart."

Steve groaned and pushed back into that tight heat. The room was dark and warm, and Tony had pulled up the covers so they were snuggled tightly together. Steve rocked back and forth, sinking deep inside with every leisurely thrust. He gathered Tony tightly against him, kissing his way up Tony's neck and earning a sleepy moan.

Tony's fingers tightened around his as his moans stretched out longer, Steve's thrusts getting wilder as he climbed towards the peak. Tony's muscles clenched around his co*ck and under his hand, shuddering against his chest, hot and tight and here and -

Steve pulled Tony sharply against him as he came, his org*sm suddenly leaping to a crest and breaking hard. He throbbed deep inside him, coming hard and rough and unforgiving, pumping Tony full of his come.

For a moment after, they just lay there, panting together. Then Tony turned in Steve's arms and pulled him into a sloppy kiss. "How do you feel?" he murmured.

"Amazing." Steve found his mouth again, his hips still rolling gently as his body started to wind down. When Tony relaxed in his hold with a sigh, pressing his face against Steve's chest and going limp, Steve fumbled around in the bed until he found Tony's phone. Tony didn't move, his breath soft and even. There was a new Snapchat message from Bucky: f*ck you're hot. Steve laughed softly, wondering what the picture had been, then dialed Bucky's number, heart swelling when he saw Tony had him in his contacts as "B" followed by eight different heart emojis.

Bucky answered with a, "Hey, babe."

"Hey," Steve slurred, his tongue heavy.

"Have a nice time?"

"Mhm. Amazing. I'm going to sleep here, okay?"

"Of course. Give Tony a kiss goodnight for me."

Tony shifted on Steve's chest. "Goodnight, Buck." He kissed Steve's chest, presumably in lieu of kissing Bucky. "Come over tomorrow."

"I will. Goodnight."

"Goodnight. Love you." Steve hung up and set the phone aside, then curled around Tony, drawing him as close as he could. He kissed him once for Bucky and again for himself, and then sleep claimed him.

**

Steve woke to Tony shifting in his arms, then realized Tony was waking because Bucky was climbing over them, getting into bed. Steve rolled over and detangled himself from the sheets. Bucky had a stack of styrofoam containers in his hands and on one of the bedside tables was a cardboard holder with three large takeaway coffee cups.

"What's this?" Steve asked, his voice still sleep thick.

"Breakfast."

"Wow." Steve leaned up to pull Bucky down into a kiss that couldn't find its end, slow and sweet. He could taste the cool outside air on Bucky's lips, puffs of it leaking out of his jacket every time Steve tugged him closer. "Love you."

"Love you too." Bucky twisted around and kissed Tony on the head who grunted in response. "How was your date?"

Steve tugged Tony deeper into his arms and shifted back until he could feel Bucky against every inch of his bare skin. "Perfect."

Chapter 29

Chapter Text

Steve hovered by the back door, heart in his throat and breath not hitting deep in his lungs where he needed it. He wiped sweaty palms on his pants and bounced on his toes. Two shoulders bumped up against him, one on either side.

"You okay?" Bucky asked.

Tony leaned in. "Did you throw up?"

"No and no. What if no one comes?"

Tony tucked his arm through Steve's his solid warmth both steady and comforting, and on the other side, Bucky wound his fingers through Steve's. "It's going to be great, babe," Bucky said. "You're probably going to sell out night one."

"Also, I might have casually emailed invites to a few people so I predict a full house," Tony whispered.

"Tony!"

"Don't judge me, I'm super proud of you."

"Ahh. I can't believe this is finally happening." Steve bounced on his toes again. "Okay. Okay. I've got this. I can talk about my art for four hours, no problem."

"Plus, there will be food."

"I don't think I can eat anything."

"I'll fill my purse with canapes," Bucky assured him.

"You don't have a purse."

"I'll fill Tony's purse with canapes."

"I think Tony should pretend to be the artist," Steve said, pulling both his boyfriends even closer. "They're going to ask me about my process and I don't know what it is."

"Just tell them you paint best after a good blow j*b," Bucky said. "Or during."

"I hate both of you."

Tony leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Come on, babe. You can do this."

And it turned out: he could.

Every time Steve looked up, stomach fluttering with nerves, he caught sight of either Tony or Bucky. And every time he shuffled into a corner, spending too long choosing a cheese puff so he could avoid the eye of someone he didn't know trying to catch his, Tony would appear at his elbow, squeezing his wrist and saying, "Steve! I don't think you've met…". And every time Steve stammered around prices when someone asked how much for a commission, Bucky's hand would land gently on his lower back and Steve would find the strength to get through it.

Natasha showed up, finding Steve's hand and squeezing in silent congratulations, and Pepper was there too, schmoozing. Tony had indeed invited people, some of whom made Steve's heart stutter in his chest. But as the night wore on, his pocket filled with business cards and his hand was sore from shaking. His cheeks were sore from smiling too.

He was so exhausted by the end of the night that he could barely walk, but he also couldn't stop grinning. He squished himself in the back of a cab between Bucky and Tony and they made their way back to the apartment. Bucky squeezed his upper arm. "You did it! It was amazing."

"It really was." Steve leaned his head onto Bucky's shoulder and wound his fingers together with Tony's. All that fretting and painting and stressing and now it was over. "Thank you for coming guys."

"Couldn't pay me to miss it," Tony said. "Oh and speaking of paying, I might have bought something."

"Tony… the only things for sale already belonged to me."

Tony grinned over at him. "Yeah, but I couldn't let someone else buy this one. It's special." He shoved up closer against Steve's side and tipped his head against his shoulder.

Back at the apartment, Tony opted to follow them in and spend the night, instead of continuing to his place. Even though their relationship was still so new and fresh, Steve still felt a little pang of aching every time Tony spent the night elsewhere. It didn't make sense to all be living together yet, but that didn't mean he didn't feel the empty place beside him in bed where Tony should have been, and though he hadn't wanted to pressure him to stay tonight, he was deeply happy that he was.

Bucky and Tony took Eddy for a walk, as had become their routine, while Steve fed Hopper and prepped Eddy's meds. When they returned, he put Eddy to bed then made hot chocolate for three. He found Bucky and Tony curled up on the couch together, Bucky sideways with his legs over Tony's lap, mouth pressed to his ear and whispering something that made Tony smile and laugh.

Steve handed a mug to each of them, then settled on Tony's other side with his own. He pulled Bucky's feet into his lap and started rubbing his thumbs into the soles. Bucky tipped back over the couch arm with a groan.

"Some day I'm going to buy this building and convert the whole thing into one big apartment," Tony declared. "With a king bed."

Bucky poked him in the side with the foot that wasn't being rubbed. "Don't you like being smushed up with us?"

"Course I do, but I don't know if you've checked lately, but you two are enormous. We're smushed up in my bed. Your twin is verging on dangerous."

Steve rolled his eyes. "It's a queen, Tony."

"God, does that mean they make beds even smaller than that?"

"Har har." Steve bumped a kiss to his cheek. "But no neighbours? I'm all about that. Go ahead and buy the building."

"Maybe I will."

They snuggled together and drank their hot chocolate, before stripping down and crawling into bed together. The hot press of naked skin all around him felt more like a dream to Steve than when he actually fell asleep, sweaty and sated and surrounded.

**

Despite Tony's promises to buy the building, they all decided to start spending more time at Tony's apartment. He had an area of the living room bunny proofed, and every weekend, Steve and Bucky would pack up Hopper and Eddy and make the trek to Tony's where they'd stay until Monday morning. To Steve's relief, both the dog and the rabbit settled in well there, enjoying the change of pace and the toys that Tony spent far too much money on.

Tony also did indeed have a king sized bed which was worth its weight in gold.

Tonight, though, Steve woke to the huge bed suddenly feeling cold and empty on one side. He blinked his eyes open to see Tony pulling on sweatpants in the corner then slipping out of the room. Steve yawned and checked the clock - 3:00. Tony's phone was next to the clock, and even unlocked, Steve could see multiple missed calls and messages, mostly from Pepper, in his notification feed. He slid out of bed too, reaching for Bucky's hoodie.

"Stevie?" came Bucky's rumpled voice from the mess of sheets. "Okay?"

"Tony got up. You can go back to sleep."

Bucky sat up and stretched. "Nah, I'll come."

They both tossed on a mix of each other's clothing and shuffled down to the workshop. Tony was sitting cross-legged in his office chair, fingers on his keyboard. Bucky leaned over and pressed a kiss to the side of Tony's face. "Hey, babe. You alright?"

"Yeah. Just -" Tony gestured vaguely towards the screen and Bucky nodded.

"Alright." He flopped down on the couch and Steve joined him, winding their legs together. He dug his tablet out from under the couch and opened an art program, doodling idly. When none of his sketches in progress tickled his fancy, he closed the sketchbook program and opened the light-clay app that Tony had built in just for him. He lay the tablet flat in his lap and built up the little, glowing, holographic sand grains, not making a particular shape, but just enjoying bending it to his will.

Tony hadn't been lying when he said sometimes he got hard to live with. When he was overwhelmed, he'd shut out the world, sometimes including his boyfriends in that. But they came to learn that all he needed was space, and they had each other to lean on while they waited for him to crawl into bed with them at two in the morning, lifting Eddy up onto the mattress with him so they could make a big messy pile in the crumpled sheets.

They were sharing a bed often enough now that the nights without Tony felt odd to Steve. The nights with neither of them were different, though. Tony and Bucky had regular date nights that ended back at Tony's apartment, or back at Steve and Bucky's, if Steve was alone at Tony's, as he sometimes was. Steve worried about it, at first, thinking he'd lie awake all night, cold and lonely and missing them, maybe even jealous. But he didn't. It was kind of nice, really, to have an evening with just him and the pets, and there was a sort of anticipation, looking forward to when he'd see Tony and Bucky the next day and hear all about their date and what they got up to after, or having his phone chime with pictures and video clips that made his heart race. It was like long, drawn out foreplay - both emotionally and sexually - and he often fell asleep hard but refusing to touch himself, imagining how they'd show him they'd missed him when he saw them next.

He loved seeing Tony and Bucky fall deeper and deeper in love, and he loved being a part of them when it was all three of them. He even loved these moments, when one of them was scared or frustrated or hurt, and the other two would prop him up. It was stabler, like a tripod, having one on either side to support you when you got shaky, and he loved being able to be that for Bucky and Tony, and to have both of them there for him when he needed.

Tonight, what Tony needed was a little bit of space. Not so much that he'd be alone down here, but just about the width of the room. He'd come to them when he was ready.

Sure enough, it was less than two hours later that Tony pushed his chair back and shuffled over to them. Steve had built a tiny city out of the light clay, but he set it aside when Tony flopped over the couch on top of both him and Bucky. Steve ran his fingers through Tony's hair.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Bucky asked.

Tony nodded. "I can sleep now."

Steve doubted it, but at least lying in bed would be more restful than sitting and staring at his computer screen. "Okay, let's go."

Tony rolled down to his feet and moved to follow Bucky out of the workshop, pausing to pick up Steve's tablet. He smiled down at the tiny city. "I love this. You should save it."

Steve's cheeks heated and hastily poked the save button and turned off the tablet. "I was just dicking around."

Tony chuckled and pressed up against his chest. "I like it when you dick around."

"Will that help you sleep?"

Bucky threw his arms around their shoulders and drove them towards the door. "Let's save negotiations for naked and in bed, okay?"

But once they were naked and in bed, sleep took it's hold, even for Tony. After Tony had picked up his phone and clicked around for a bit, Steve and Bucky crushed him between them, four hundred pounds of weighted blanket pressed up against either side and pinning him to the mattress. They all fell asleep before hands could wander anywhere inappropriate.

Only a few hours later, Tony's alarm went off, and Steve suppressed his yawns, knowing it would only make Tony feel guilty. They got up with him, Steve making him coffee and Bucky distracting him from his nerves until he finally packed up and kissed them both goodbye.

"Knock 'em dead, babe!" Bucky called after him. He dragged Steve back to bed and they turned the TV on, wrapped around each other as they sipped coffee and picked at a shared croissant. Finally, the internal SI newsfeed cut in. Various networks would show clips later, but Steve and Bucky wanted to watch the whole thing.

"Hello, everyone. Please take your seats. Mr. Stark is here to read a statement and then take your questions." Pepper waved everyone down to quiet and waiting, then gestured Tony in.

"He looks good," Steve said.

"Pep got in there with the makeup brush." Bucky snorted. "He's going to sleep for two weeks after this."

"Good. He deserves it."

Bucky ran his fingers up the back of Steve's neck then hooked him and tugged him close. "Maybe we should let him take us down the Caribbean. He could use the break."

"Yeah, we probably should. He wants to."

"It's so expensive."

"You know what Tony would say to that."

Bucky shushed him. "He's going to talk."

"Thanks for coming everyone. Almost eighty years ago, my father started this company and built it into the empire it is today. I'm proud of what he's done, but I've always wanted to keep SI moving forward, doing better. Innovation doesn't stop, shouldn't ever stop. So I'm excited to announce a new initiative, and SI's new focus for the coming decades. This - is an arc reactor."

The screen behind Tony lit up, and Bucky started vibrating next to him. "This is so cool."

"God, I'm so proud of him. Look at him."

"We don't even yet know the scope of what we can do with this new form of sustainable energy, but our goal at SI is to find the limits and then harness them. By this time next year, all SI headquarters around the world will be running on reactor power alone. We're going to explore every avenue and chase that innovation that my father showcased at the Stark Expo every year. Who knows? Maybe we can finally make a flying car that works." Tony's eyes flicked to the camera and his smile deepened.

"That's my man!" Bucky shouted. "Yes!"

Steve burst out laughing and tackled Bucky back down to the bed. "He is isn't he?"

"He is." Bucky's grin was almost blinding. "Yours too."

"How did we get so lucky?"

"No clue. But whatever it was, it was all me. You just pouted around and drew on coffee cups."

Steve laughed again and kissed Bucky. "That's true. He kept them, you know. Even after Spain."

Bucky tugged him down into his arms and burrowed into his hair. "He loves you so much."

"He loves both of us."

"We're making it work, right? He's getting the attention he deserves? It feels too easy." Bucky started rubbing his hand up and down Steve's back in slow, soothing circles.

"Yeah, I think so. He says we are. I think it feels easy because it feels so good." Steve curled up against Bucky's chest and they watched the rest of the press conference, excitement fizzing in Steve's stomach as the energy from the crowd of reporters increased. Eventually, Tony handed things off to a few of his R&D department heads and stepped down from the podium. Steve picked up his phone to send some congratulatory texts, but then the elevator hummed and he waited, head tilted to the side, listening.

A minute later, Tony burst through the door and flung himself on the bed on top of them. "Done!"

"Tony! Don't you have meetings and stuff?"

"Yeah, probably." He rolled over and grinned up at them. "They can wait a minute."

Bucky bent over him and kissed them, then Steve pulled him on top of him and stole several kisses of his own. "You did an amazing job."

Bucky had his phone out. "I'm starting a social media campaign for the flying car."

Tony laughed and knocked Bucky's phone away, dragging him in until they were both kissing their way up his neck. "I have to go back to work," Tony panted, squirming between them, "but I'm going to get through it by imagining the both of you as my kept men, up here waiting for me in nothing but aprons and watches."

"Tony, I'm pretty sure you don't own one apron, let alone two. Also I have to work today, too."

"Stop ruining my fantasy."

"But," Bucky drawled, "we will definitely be here waiting when you finish tonight, and while there won't be aprons, there will be pizza. And, hey, I've got all day here with nothing to do. I bet I can find something even better to dress Stevie up in."

Tony chuckled warmly, his smile bright and eyes dancing, sending Steve's heart into fits of impressive gymnastics. "I love you guys."

Steve squeezed him close. "We love you too. And tonight we're going to show you how proud we are of you, as well."

"Mmm," Tony hummed. "Pizza and p*rn?"

"Pizza and something, alright," Bucky muttered against Tony's cheek.

"Suddenly," Tony said, running one hand down each of their thighs, "my work day feels a hundred times easier to get through."

Chapter 30: Epilogue

Chapter Text

Steve sketched out a whale on the last of the cups and handed it over the counter to Darcy who added it to the lineup. "Alright, that's me for the day," Steve said.

"Tony picking you up?" Sam asked, and Steve nodded.

"He should be here any minute."

Darcy sighed and folded herself over the counter, chin propped up on one fist. "When are you guys going to get married, already? I want to be a bridesmaid."

Steve snorted. "What? Being godmother to Tesla isn't enough for you?"

Darcy shrugged. "Fairy godmother. And that's great, but I want a party! Where everyone gets wasted so I can get Bucky to finally tell me the story of the time you got arrested -"

"Never happened."

"- and I can be swept off my feet by a hot groomsman."

"You already know everyone who would be a groomsman already. You can get your feet swept out without the party."

"I'm just saying."

"I know, I know." Steve patted her on the head as he stood. A sleek, black car had just pulled up outside the cafe. "If we ever decide to get fake married, because you know very well we can't get properly married, you will definitely get to be a bridesmaid."

"Deal."

Sam reached over and clapped Steve on the shoulder. "See you next Monday, man."

"Don't burn anything down." Steve zipped up his jacket, a sleek, brown leather one Tony had presented him with one day with a promise never to reveal how much it cost. "Bye!" He pushed out the cafe door and trotted across the sidewalk and around to the passenger side of the car.

"Hey, sweetheart. How was work?" Tony leaned over for a kiss before he put the car in gear. He was wearing the tie Steve had bought for him last month, and Steve preened at the idea of powerful businessmen all over the world seeing Tony in something he'd given him. If he pulled down his collar a little, they'd see something else he'd given too. Steve grinned at the memory.

"Good. We found a replacement for Peter since you swiped him again for the internship program."

"Oh, yeah?"

"His name's Harley. Good worker, but still a bit overwhelmed by everything. Clint's been looking after him, though."

"That's awesome."

"What about you?"

"Good. But I'm tired. Lots of meetings. Looking forward to tonight."

Steve smiled over the console at him. "Me too."

They beat their way through town then hit the open highway and Tony let the car go, speeding northeast. Steve leaned his head against the window and watched the trees flick by. He thought he'd miss the city, but he really didn't.

Tony's plan to buy out their building hadn't worked out - between zoning and having to relocate all the residents just for a ramshackle building in a sketchy neighbourhood, it wasn't worth it - and after much back-and-forthing, his real estate agent had found them a place upstate that wasn't at all what they were looking for but was somehow perfect. It had a yard and a driveway and an extra building in the back they'd turned into Steve's studio.

Now, Steve and Tony commuted into the city together on Mondays and Tuesdays, Tony to check in with the office and Steve to work two shifts running the cafe. Tony had given him a loan - which, despite Steve's protests, he charged interest on in the form of kisses - to buy out the owner, and Steve had promoted Sam to his manager. Steve spent the rest of the week painting, and the commissions had been rolling in steadily.

SI had bloomed in the last two years. Tony had become a household name in both green energy and medical software development, and the change to reactor power for his HQ buildings had gone off without a hitch. He still stopped by the cafe whenever he could, though it wasn't quite as often. It didn't matter, though, because every time they had a party, everyone from the cafe was invited.

Bucky worked at the local hospital three days a week as well, though his shifts were twelve hours each which meant all three of them were together four days a week. Tony had bought him a car and left it in the driveway on the day they moved into the new house, swearing up and down it had come with the property. It didn't escape either Bucky or Steve, however, that the car was a special edition model called Rocket , and Bucky was only a little bit disappointed that the abstract wings decaled on the side were decoration only.

It was pure heaven, waking up in bed with both of them. Or, more likely, waking up alone and hearing Tony and Bucky blowing something up in the workshop. Just the thought brought a smile to Steve's face.

"So I was thinking of a bouncy castle for Bucky's birthday," Tony said, breaking Steve out of his musings.

Steve laughed. "But we're not inviting any kids."

"Who said anything about kids?" Tony grinned over at him, waggling his eyebrows.

Steve rolled his eyes. "Feels like we're living in a bouncy castle, already."

Tony turned up the drive and the house came into view, not entirely unlike a castle with the way it perched on a hill, in dark stone and aged wood, the autumn leaves fluttering to the ground around it. As the car pulled to a stop, the front door opened, and Tesla came shooting out of the door, his little collie butt tucked under as he zoomed across the lawn then bounced up and down by Tony's door, barking.

"Baby!" Tony threw his door open, and Tesla launched himself up into his hold, squirming as he stretched up to lick Tony's face. Tony tucked him under one arm like a football and carried him across the lawn, his briefcase in the other hand. Tesla's fluffy tail smacked against Tony's back, wagging back and forth so fast it was almost a blur.

Bucky stood in the doorway, hand on his hip. Eddy was fast asleep on the porch at his feet, apparently not even noticing Tesla rocketing himself over her. Steve bent and rubbed her head until she blinked awake and hauled herself up to her feet, tottering into the house after them.

Steve pulled Bucky into a kiss while Tony released Tesla into the bunny room to chase Hopper around while he binkied. "Hey, honey. What are you doing home?"

Bucky's hand dropped down and squeezed his ass. "Did a half shift. Lena wanted to swap for next Thursday afternoon so we split."

"Mmm, nice. I know I'll regret it next Thursday when you're not here, but right now I'm glad."

Tony shucked his jacket and fell into Bucky's open arms, burrowing a kiss against his neck. "Second the gladness coupled with future regret. Does that smell like dinner?"

"Thought you guys might like lasagna."

"And he cooks too," Tony said, sneaking a handful of Bucky's butt as he turned back to the kitchen counter. "We snagged a good one."

"Sure did." Steve hooked his arm around Tony's shoulders and pulled him close. He kissed the side of his face, breathing him in for a moment. He smelled the same as he did the first time Steve hugged him. He glanced over Tony's head, towards the living room where, in a place of pride over the fireplace, Steve's painting of their shoes hung.

Tony and Steve made a salad, arguing over how thick to slice the cucumbers and throwing all the rejects over the island into Hopper's pen, half of which Tesla got to first anyway. Steve had spent the money from his first painting commission on a bunny mansion, but having a house big enough that the rabbit had his own half-room made it sort of a moot point, anyway. Still, it was nice to look over and see all the interlocking sections with ramps and toys and bowls.

They ate together at the dining room table, sharing work stories and discussing the latest Knicks-Nets showdown. After dinner, Steve helped load the dishwasher then took Eddy and walked across the half acre backyard to his studio. He was working on a portrait commission that was due in only a few weeks so he was putting a little time in it each night, even on the days he was working at the cafe. Besides, it would give Tony and Bucky a little alone time to make up for him getting Tony to himself through their commute. He imagined them side by side on their phones staring at their fantasy basketball lineups and he smiled.

Eddy flopped into her bed in the corner, and Steve turned on the radio then started setting up his paints. He fell into the rhythm of work easily. Pinned next to his canvas was a line of reference pictures - the tiniest little aussie shepherd puppy he'd ever seen. He had to be careful showing the finished painting to Tony or there would be another "he's just a foster" like Tesla, showing up at their door in Tony's arms, his adoption papers ending up signed before the first night was out.

When Steve was down to a layer that needed to dry before he could paint anymore, he cleaned up and switched the radio off. Eddy took a little shaking to pop out the deep sleep of a senior, but she lifted up to her feet and went out with him. Steve took his sketchbook back in with him, planning to do some thumbnails while they watched TV that night. Eddy snuffled around in the leaves for a pee, so Steve waited on the porch for her to finish, then after she went in, he finished up the quick sketch of a tree he'd started while he waited.

The sun was threatening the horizon, so Steve went inside after her and locked up. He hung up his jacket then went into the living room to find his boyfriends.

On the huge L-couch were Tony and Bucky, Bucky sprawled along one side of the L with Tony lying back against his stomach. Hopper was snuggled down on Bucky's legs and Tesla was smushed between Tony's side and the back of the couch, all four paws hanging limply in the air while he snored. Eddy had climbed her doggy staircase so she could flop across Tony's feet, head hanging off the edge of the couch. The lights were low and everyone's eyes were closed, sweet and peaceful.

Steve perched silently in an armchair. He flipped to a new page and sketched out the shape of them all - his family. He'd just managed the curve of Bucky's cheek when Tony's eyes blinked open and he smiled. "Join us," he murmured, opening his free arm and making Tesla twitch and snort in his sleep.

Steve didn't need to be told twice. He set his sketchbook aside and crossed the room to crawl up Tony's body and rest his head on Bucky's lap next to Hopper, one arm hooked around Bucky's waist. Tony turned to face him, pressing a kiss to his nose then closed his eyes again. Bucky sighed softly and his hand settled on Steve's head, skating back through his hair. "Not too bad, huh, Stevie?"

Steve grinned and shuffled down further on the couch. "I'll admit, you guys are pretty damn nice to come home to."