Archive of Our Own

It's when Sam takes him flying that Bucky realises they're friends.

It's not the first time he's flown with Sam; they've got enough missions under their belt together that he's flown with Sam more times he can count, though usually those were more of the I'm-going-to-throw-myself-off-this-really-tall-building-Sam-plz-catch-me variety.

Between catching both him and Steve, Bucky is surprised Sam hasn't gone grey.

They're out flying for real today, just zipping along and enjoying the view and testing Sam's new wings and their carrying power, and cracking jokes on the way.

"I hear Stark has plans to build you and Barton a hi-tech bird's nest on top of the Statue of Liberty," Bucky shouts over the wind. It's only half a lie; Stark has plans for a bird's nest but he is not planning for it to be on top of the Statue of Liberty.

"The Statue is occupied, dude," Sam shouts back. "And honestly do you see me living with Barton anytime soon?"

"I don't know, thought you'd appreciate the company of a kindred spirit! Ah, don't drop me man, that's not cool -"

"He's an assassin!" Sam shouts. "And a dumbass to boot!"

"I'm an assassin! Doesn't stop you from hanging out with me!" Bucky shouts back.

"Yeah, but you're dating Captain America," Sam points out. "Which is basically a seal of approval. I mean. Look at me. Certified appropriate company for freedom and justice personifie -" Sam is abruptly cut off by Bucky punching him (none too violently) in the kidney. "Not cool!"

"I'll show you freedom and justice," Bucky grumbled, but he's grinning. "I call dibs on Steve tonight."

"Uh-nuh, Steve has that art thing with Pepper in Malibu. He said he'd stay the night and go visit some schools in the morning, be a role model to some kids and everything."

Sam sets them down on top of Stark Tower and they take off their flying goggles. "Well, fuck Malibu," Bucky says and Sam nods.

"Yeah, fuck Malibu. Come on, let's go annoy Stark," Sam says and then adds, "whatever spy-hole Stark is planning, I'm not going to be part of it anytime soon. Especially not if it's going to be codenamed Bird's Nest."

Bucky laughs and wonders when they became friends.

***

Steve and Bucky have their first anniversary and neither of them mentions that they technically have their 80th anniversary about four months from now. Does it count when you've both been assumed dead for seven decades and only recently got back together? Bucky thinks it doesn't, but then he looks at Steve and thinks maybe it does.

It's difficult, because Bucky had had something resembling a life for a while; he had someone - he remembers loving her very much. He was a different man then and she was a different woman, and these days there's nothing between them but the quiet agreement to never go back there again. Does it count?

It probably counts.

And then he thinks, what are the odds that three people lived to see their nineties (and in Bucky's case, the lovely round number of 100) through three completely different means and yet end up in the same place? He laughs to himself and Steve gives him a curious look but doesn't ask.

Sam was the one to introduce both of them to video games, way back when Bucky still didn't have his head screwed back on right. He'd gotten the hang of the Playstation really fast, but absolutely hated the Nintendo Wii. Steve had liked Mario Kart and absolutely adored SingStar, which Sam only agreed to play because Bucky owned Steve in every single play-through, and Steve's cheeks turned a really wonderful shade of red. (Bucky also secretly likes that shade, so all's good.) All three of them agree they like multiplayer fantasy games, which are really not that different from their day jobs, so it's anyone's guess why they choose those games to wind down with after taking down dinosaurs in downtown Manhattan or another supervillain or terrorism threat.

There's a lot of "you kill that one I'll get the other one!" and "shit I ran out of arrows can I have some of yours" and "fuckyeah move upgrade time". Also "my x button jammed again! For fuck's sake, Sam, I thought you fixed this shit" and "aw man, don't blame it on me, you're the one with the violent fingers!".

So, Bucky sometimes goes to Sam's place without Steve just to play video games, and he leaves with movie recs and mixtapes, which he sometimes listens to alone and sometimes with Steve, and sometimes he asks Natasha's second opinion on the movies.

Sam has rapidly become Bucky's friend, which is kind of weird because shouldn't they be rivals? Shouldn't they be competing for Steve's time and attention?

***

Their 80th anniversary comes and goes quietly and Bucky goes to see Sam, because Steve is hanging out with Stark, or something like that, and Natasha is out of town with Clint.

They make pizza. They have beer. There is a movie on TV. It is strangely effortless and nice, and as Bucky watches Sam do the dishes, smiling and turning the radio up to sing along to it and occasionally bumping his hips against Bucky's, he thinks he understands why Sam is so important to Steve. He dries the dishes quietly and puts them away, and when he leaves Sam's apartment that night he can feel a calm settle deep in his bones.

Sam is an easy man to like, after all.

***

There's a viewing of Snow White in an old cinema downtown, and then one of Gone With The Wind. It's 30s week, and there are old newsreels before the movies and buttered popcorn the old fashioned way and hand painted vintage posters. They even have the original film projectors for an extra touch of authenticity, which Bucky thinks is hilarious because the very same cinema has 3D.

Bucky goes with Steve to see The Wizard of Oz for 30s week. They get popcorn and there's the whir of the projector and there are people dressed in semi period-appropriate clothing.

The whole thing is so surreal that Bucky feels like he's flitting in and out of reality. Looking at Steve, he doesn't seem completely at ease either.

"I remember that newsreel," Steve says.

"I don't," Bucky says and then continues, "but I remember that movie a lot differently."

They're standing outside the cinema, looking at the stream of dressed up people with their modern haircuts and their iPhones leaving the cinema. The plan was to get milkshakes after, but it doesn't feel right now.

"We went on a date like this, didn't we?" Bucky says then. "Same movie."

"Yeah," Steve answers. "We did."

They go home and when Natasha asks later how the movie was, Bucky just shakes his head.

The next week is 40s week and they don't go.

Bucky talks to Sam about it, which comes as a bigger surprise to Bucky than it does to Sam, apparently.

"Yeah, man, recreating dates is probably not a sane thing to do," Sam says and Bucky smiles.

"I don't think that part was on purpose," he says. "Though knowing Steve, it might well have been."

"Mmmh." Sam nods. "Didn't think Captain America would be the romantic type, but there you go. I probably shouldn't tell you how he picked me up. It will destroy your illusions. I thought I was in a bad porno, or possibly rom-com."

Bucky laughs and needles the story out of Sam over the course of the evening anyway.

***

"Do you sometimes feel like your life should be a rom-com but then you discover you're in a horror movie with a sitcom soundtrack?" he asks Sam one day.

Sam stares at him. "I'm trying to figure out what's scarier, a horror movie with a horror movie soundtrack or a horror movie with the canned laughter of a sitcom instead, and I can't." He pauses. "I think you broke me."

Bucky rolls his eyes at him. "Seriously though."

"Yeah," Sam answers. "I do." He shrugs. "And then it passes and I'm back in a rom-com. I'm talking to you, aren't I?" He grins and Bucky would splutter if he weren't so used to Sam by now.

"Next time I walk in on you and Steve in the shower I'll bring the music," he says and this time Sam splutters.

He keeps his word. It takes two months and a lot of careful avoidance and a double date with Stark and Pepper (not Bucky's idea, and not Steve's either - Sam's money is on Natasha pranking them all and Clint's money is on JARVIS. The mystery is never solved.) and a handful of superhero missions and pizza baking with Sam, but the day comes.

Bucky knows that Sam stayed the night at Steve's and he knows he's early for his own date with Steve, so his chances of success are about 80%, he thinks. He lets himself into Steve's flat quietly and when he hears through the open bedroom door that the shower is on, he recalculates his chances of success to 99.99%. Better not to be too optimistic.

There's a stereo in Steve's bedroom so Bucky tiptoes through, fishing his MP3 player out as he goes. He manages to hook it up without making a ruckus, and then he listens. The shower is still on, and he can hear Sam and Steve in there - they sound like they're wrapping up, so Bucky isn't a minute late.

He turns the volume up high and then...the tones of a soulful romantic ballad fill the bedroom. There's a split second of silence in the shower, and then the shower is abruptly turned off.

"BARNES!"

Bucky collapses laughing on Steve's bed when Sam comes charging out, dripping wet with a towel haphazardly slung around his hips. Steve follows, just as wet and towelly, albeit more confused and Sam struggles to not laugh while pretending to be furious at Bucky.

"I dunno what to yell but I'm yelling at you!" Sam yells.

"How's that for a rom-com," Bucky wheezes and Sam finally loses it and cracks up completely.

Steve looks at both of them in total bewilderment. The ballad is still playing, though Bucky's MP3 player has fallen off the stereo and is hanging by its connecting cable.

"Steve, your boyfriend sucks," Sam says, trying to get his breathing back under control.

Bucky laughs harder. "That's not the only thing I do," he says, between laughs, and Steve drops his face in his hands.

"What is happening to me?" he moans.

Sam smacks Bucky, who smacks him back. Sam roars like a warrior and jumps onto the bed to better fight Bucky, and Steve flees into the bathroom.

They never tell Steve what that was all about.

***

The bird's nest is never realised, much to Clint's disappointment.

***

Sometimes Steve's sheets smell of Sam and Bucky wonders if Sam notices when Steve's sheets smell of him. He burrows into the sheets, inhaling the scent of both of them and when Steve smiles at him, Bucky smiles back.

***

It's low-season for superheroing, so they all take time off and rent a cabin in the woods for a couple of weeks. Steve is excited the entire week leading up to it, says he's really happy to get to have both his favourite men all to himself for a time, and his joy is so contagious that Bucky finds himself getting a little bouncier than usual.

"It's weird though, isn't it?" Clint says, handing him a beer. "How does it even work? Do you have separate bedrooms and Steve just moves between them? Alternating nights?" Clint frowns.

"I have a strong urge to punch you," Bucky says, cheerfully. "Just saying."

"I'm curious, that's all!" He holds up his hands, and manages to spill some of his beer. "Aw man. Look at that." He makes a face and Bucky laughs at him.

"It's not a problem," he says then, taking pity on Clint. "We've always managed to work things out just fine."

"You're kidding. You aren't jealous?"

Bucky raises an eyebrow. "Of whom? Sam or Steve?"

When Clint gapes, Bucky just grins and punches him in the arm. "Weren't we going to prank Stark? Come on."

"But -"

"No," Bucky says pointedly. "I'm not discussing this with you."

They go and reprogram Dum-E to play the Care Bears theme song whenever Tony says "you are a disgrace", "you are a failure", "I should sell you for scrap" or other things to such effect.

***

What neither Sam nor Bucky foresaw was that Steve is really into this cabin in the wood thing. Like, really, really into it. They have electricity, sure, and running water, but there is a lake nearby and the closest town is a two hour ride away, so Steve insists they catch their dinner. Every. Day. Through a hole in the ice.

Also, the cabin has bunk beds. Bunk beds. (Bucky calls dibs on top bunk and then has to fight Steve for it. Meanwhile, Sam deposits himself in the top bunk and plants his figurative flag by means of his duffel bag. Steve ends up with the bottom bunk and Bucky with the middle.)

Three days into their vacation, Bucky corners Sam in the kitchen while Steve is out chopping firewood or some such wholesome shit.

"Where the fuck did this whole cabin thing come from?" He whispers urgently, glancing out the window. Steve is whistling. "There's no cell reception!"

"I don't know!" Sam whispers back. "It's fucking winter!"

"Did something hit him on the head?"

They turn to look at Steve through the window. His cheeks are red from the cold and he's still whistling. There's a considerable pile of firewood growing higher and higher next to him.

"Fucking scary as hell," Sam says and Bucky just nods.

"Do you think it's revenge for that time when we replaced his t-shirts?"

"No. Oh no. No. I refuse to believe it."

After a week of fish for every single meal they stage an intervention and put Steve in the back seat of the truck and go for a proper grocery run. They buy enough food to last a nuclear winter.

On the plus side, during their entire stay at the cabin, Steve is really handsy - as in, about a billion times handsier than usual, an "it's impossible to go ten seconds without finding Steve Roger's hand(s) somewhere on your person" type of situation - and neither of them find reason to complain about that.

Even if they have bunk beds and catching Steve alone is a challenge so insurmountable that they just plain give up and resign themselves to the wholesome fratboys-at-a-cabin thing Steve has got going on.

***

The thing about dating Steve, Bucky thinks, is that it's very much two for the price of one. It used to be like that; it used to be that Bucky was the "get one free" in the deal, during the war, when Steve had met Peggy. It wasn't until after, until seven decades later that the tables turned.

He knows Steve and Sam were together already before Bucky returned to himself, it was plain as day, and he'd struggled with it because dammit, Sam isn't the "get one free", Bucky is.

But Sam is part of the Steve package now, and has been for the past few years, and Bucky isn't minding it as much as he used to. Because the thing is, he realises, is that he has always been part of the Steve package and that Sam has had to accept that from the beginning. Sam was there alongside Steve during the whole Rebuilding Bucky thing, he'd waited for Steve when he'd spent long hours with Bucky, he'd been there with Steve during the hardest times, and he'd extended his own hand to Bucky, even if he didn't have to.

He supposes that Steve is a buy one get two for free kind of package deal these days.

***

Bucky suggests all three of them go on a date together. Steve trips over his own feet and nearly spills his Starbucks coffee, so Bucky has to catch him and pull him straight.

"I'm serious," he tells Steve. "We hang out a lot but it's always you and me on a date or you and Sam on a date, and I just thought that maybe it'd be nice to go together some time."

"You're actually serious," Steve says and forgets all about his coffee. "I. Uhm. I don't know. I mean, we went on a holiday together, didn't we?"

"Not the same thing." Bucky gestures with his own cup. "We hung out for three weeks in the woods. It wasn't very couple-y to be honest."

"Oh." Steve is quiet. "Would you like us to be?"

"I don't know man. I was just saying. Maybe I'd just like us to be, I dunno. Less split up?" Bucky sips his coffee, but Steve just stares at him uncomprehendingly. "Dude, I just mean, we know you have two boyfriends, okay? I just see no reason to keep pussyfooting about it."

"Are we pussyfooting?" Steve frowns.

"I'm just saying," Bucky repeats. "It's okay to talk about what you've been up to with Sam. I'd like to hear about it, is all." He takes the lid off his coffee and throws it in a nearby dustbin. "And, you know. You can kiss him in front of me. I'm not going to fucking faint." That earns him an embarrassed noise from Steve. "He makes you happy, yeah? So, I'd like to hear about it. And maybe he does too, who knows? And maybe it'd be fun, going on a triple date or whatever, you know."

They walk in silence for a while, Bucky eventually finishing his coffee and then appropriating Steve's when it doesn't look like he's going to remember he even has it.

"I thought you didn't like Sam," Steve says eventually.

"Dude," Bucky snorts. "Have you been paying attention at all? We hang out all the time. We're friends." He pokes Steve. "We hang out every Thursday for pizza, beer and movies unless the world needs saving. You know that."

"I do," Steve admits. "I guess I didn't really think anything of it."

"Well, you're an idiot," Bucky says.

Steve smiles. "You're buying me another coffee, by the way. Coffee stealer." He pokes Bucky. "Stealer of coffees."

Bucky buys Steve another coffee and Steve doesn't exactly promise to talk to Sam, but Bucky knows he will. Eventually.

***

Sam gets a super secret mission with Rhodes, Natasha and Clint and they're only supposed to be gone for two weeks, but two weeks turn into three, then four, and suddenly it's six weeks and Bucky is going out of his mind. He and Steve both, and Bucky's increasing restlessness is 60% because Steve is climbing the walls. Not literally, but close.

They go annoy Stark and Hill of lack for something to do and eventually Pepper has to throw them both out.

When did Sam become this integral a part of Bucky's life?

***

Steve grows a beard in Sam's absence.

"Dude, you're pathetic," Bucky says. "You are growing The Beard of Sorrow."

"I'm not!" Steve protests. "I'm just, uh, trying something new!"

"Have you seen yourself in the mirror lately?"

Steve glares.

"Have you seen yourself in the mirror with the helmet on?" Bucky presses.

"You're one to talk," Steve grumbles. "With your long hair and permanent stubble."

"I don't make fashion choices based on how far away my boyfriend is," Bucky says. "I also don't wear a helmet. You look ridiculous."

"I don't look ridiculous," Steve protests.

Bucky sighs. "He called last night, dude. It's not that bad."

"It's just a beard!" Steve says.

"An ugly beard. Seriously, I don't want to be seen with you in public with that monster on your face."

Steve walks away and sulks for a week. Meanwhile, the beard grows long enough to be trimmed and properly groomed and everything. He looks less trashy and more like those hipster kids Bucky keeps seeing on the streets, but he's still pathetic.

Sam calls a few more times, and Bucky even gets to talk to him too - granted, one time he has to wrestle the phone from Steve to do it, but still.

***

When Sam comes home Steve is in a meeting, so Bucky is the first one to throw himself at him. It's pure relief, he tells himself, but Sam is pleased to see him and Bucky fills him in on Steve's beard situation while he drives them over to pick up Steve.

Infuriatingly, Sam likes the beard and Steve says he's going to keep it permanently, which makes Bucky groan loudly and threaten to withhold Steve's sex privileges for as long as he has the beard, which makes Steve look rather stricken and Sam crack up.

It's an empty promise, but the beard is gone two weeks later.

Bucky apologises and Steve apologises and they're both dumb fucks, but the beard is gone and Steve looks like Steve again, and that's all that matters. He should probably tell Steve as much, but he doesn't.

He thinks maybe he's not the only one who likes some things to stay recognisable.

***

The following week Bucky makes an appointment to get his hair cut.

He takes Sam with him, and an old photograph of himself to show the barber.

"Is this about the beard?" Sam asks.

Bucky shrugs. "Maybe." He shows Sam the photo. They're walking as the shop is just down the end of the block. "What do you think?"

"I think you look way too serious on that photo," Sam answers. "I thought you liked your hair long."

"I do like it." He tugs on his ponytail and runs it through his fingers, it's gotten quite long. He meant to trim off the ends a few weeks ago, but never got around to it. He twists it into a bun and ties it back up. "I was just thinking maybe I'd like a change."

"For the old?" Sam gives the photo back.

"For the sexy." Bucky smirks. "The ladies like a well-groomed man, didn't you know?"

Sam raises an eyebrow. "I didn't know you had a lady in your sights."

"Ah, no...not exactly." Bucky pockets the photo and looks away. "Guess I just want to look good for my man, you know?"

"So this is about the beard!" Sam says, cackling.

"No need to be so gleeful about it," Bucky grumbles and pushes him. "I'm being serious."

"All right, all right." Sam stops grinning. "You getting a shave too?"

"I don't know." Bucky rubs his chin, feels the stubble under his fingers. "I like this."

"It's sexy," Sam admits. "Honestly, I don't think you need neither shave nor cut, but if you want to, sure go for it. Both are good looks on you."

"Yeah?"

"Yep. We're here." Sam indicates the shop on their left. "Are you getting that cut?"

Bucky looks at the shop front. He glances at Sam, who's looking at him expectantly, and then makes the decision. It's not that difficult a decision to make, when it comes down to it, but he's rather gotten used to his hair like this. "Yeah. Come on."

He gets a shave and the haircut according to the photo. The barber styles it for him afterwards, until it looks exactly like it used to, a lifetime ago. Bucky gets off the chair and turns around to face Sam, hands awkwardly outstretched. "So? What do you think?"

Sam puts the newspaper he was reading away and looks him up and down. He whistles. "Yeah, I'd tap that," he says and Bucky actually blushes.

"Right," he says, stomach fluttering. "Uh, thanks?"

"It's hot," Sam says, then grins. "Can I go with you to see Steve? I'd like to see the look on his face when he sees you."

"Okay," Bucky answers and throws a self-conscious look into the mirror. He squares his jaw, thinking he can grow it all out later if necessary. "Sure." He pays the barber and he and Sam start the walk back. "You don't think he's going to go caveman on me and carry me off into the bedroom, or something?" he jokes, nervously, praying that Sam doesn't notice.

He feels different now, which is stupid - it was just hair.

Sam gives him a look. "I can't answer for Steve, but hell, I would."

"Shut up," Bucky mutters. He rolls his shoulders, trying to shake off his unease, and then glances at Sam sideways only to discover that yes, Sam is checking him out.

Maybe he is freaking out a little.

What's the etiquette for sleeping with your boyfriend's boyfriend?

Google probably knows. Bucky discreetly looks it up on his phone, but Google only returns results on etiquette for sleeping at one's boyfriend's parents' house, which is so not applicable to this situation.

Well, shit.

***

Steve doesn't go caveman on Bucky, but he does stutter for about ten minutes while Sam laughs in the corner and Bucky secretly preens. Or not so secretly, but he is pleased and so relieved that he allows Steve a kiss so heated that Sam slinks out of the room and leaves them to it. (Bucky knows he's spying on them from the doorway, though.)

Natasha does a double take when she sees him, and Clint whistles.

Even Stark eyeballs him, which is kind of really terrifying.

***

Sam and Steve's fourth anniversary comes up, and Bucky had planned to stay out of the way for their sakes, but then Steve gets called away and Bucky winds up at Sam's place making pizza.

It's Thursday, after all.

"I'm sorry," Bucky tells Sam, once they've planted their arses in the sofa and put the movie on, plates of piping hot, homemade pizza and cans of cold beer on the coffee table in front of them.

"It's not so bad," Sam says. "But thanks." He's been quiet all day, and when Bucky looks closely, he seems anxious.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." But Sam isn't looking at Bucky, and suddenly the air between them is strange.

"Look, I can leave if you want," Bucky says. "Steve's not here and it sucks, and I don't want to rub it in, you know?"

Sam sighs, leaning back. "No, don't go. It's me." He shakes his head, then sighs again. "I can't really explain it." He looks at Bucky now, and he's all sincerity. Bucky would normally have made a comment about Steve rubbing off on him, but now is probably not the time. "I'd appreciate it if you stayed. Okay?"

Bucky studies him for a moment. "Okay," he says. He hands Sam his beer and the odd tension drains away.

If Bucky had to give a reason why he likes hanging out with Sam, he'd say "he radiates calm" or "he's an easy person to talk to" or "I'm comfortable around him". Increasingly, the reasons are also "I could look at him all day and not be bored" or "I'm really happy when I spend time with him" or even "maybe I have a tiny crush on him". That last one is a lie.

That crush is not tiny.

Steve calls halfway through the movie and Bucky's insides melt at the look of delight on Sam's face, and then do a somersault when Sam tells Steve that yes he's having fun, he's hanging out with Steve's other boyfriend (wink at Bucky) and they aren't missing him in the slightest, which is a lie and apparently makes Steve laugh on the other end of the line.

***

Next time Bucky sees Steve he considers talking to him about Sam, but then he decides against it.

***

Natasha comes over to hang out and Bucky nearly talks to her about Sam, but in the end all that happens is he braids her hair and listens to her stories about Clint's latest misfortunes. He makes a mental note to tease Clint about those later.

***

Steve, Sam and Bucky finally go on that triple date. Bucky is nervous, for some strange reason; it's not like he doesn't see both of them on nearly a daily basis. They just never really go out, the three of them, not like this, and knowing it's actually a date makes it worse.

They look good, too. Steve is wearing his date clothes, which is really just one outfit he wears to all dates with slight variations; the man can't dress himself to save his life. Sam is wearing a classier version of his everyday outfit. Bucky eats them both up with his eyes and tells himself he's not there to date Sam, he's there because they have an unconventional relationship structure and it's about damn time they acknowledged it in the open.

He completely fails to notice the furtive glances Sam sends him all evening, focused as he is on holding himself together and paying attention to Steve. Steve, who seems to be really enjoying himself if his amusement is anything to go by, as well as the delighted looks and radiant smiles he sends both of them.

It'd been a good idea when he suggested it, Bucky thinks, but after the fact he's not so sure.

***

He should probably talk to Steve, but he can't bring himself to do it. What would he say? "Hey Steve, I don't mean to reuse your lines or anything, but about that thing where one falls in love with two people at once, and all, about that. About Sam." Yeah, no.

***

Steve's sheets smell of Sam sometimes, and Bucky presses his face into the pillows.

***

Thursdays with Sam don't exactly become more awkward, or tense, but something has changed between them and Bucky can't figure out how, or why, so he attributes it to himself and his rampant emotions.

***

They go on more of those dates and Bucky wants to crawl out of his own skin.

***

He applies himself to Steve with such a force that Steve becomes worried, and at one point quietly asks if he's having a setback, and Bucky doesn't know how to answer that. He wants to crawl inside Steve, where everything is always the way it should be, where he can wrap himself in Steve's love and adoration and give himself back tenfold.

***

The breaking point comes in early summer, during that inexplicable lull in superheroing that always comes right before the holiday season really kicks in and the supervillains come crawling out of the woodwork.

Sam comes over early. They're going to have a barbecue at Bucky's place for some dumb reason ("we're never at your place, Buck"), because Sam is the one with the nice garden and everything, but here they are, and Sam is early. Steve promised to bring the foodstuffs and all the Avengers and their respective friends and partners will be along in the evening.

The problem being that Sam is early and they have nothing to do until Steve brings the groceries, because Bucky already did that responsible adult thing where he set up a table in the garden and prepped the grill so it only needs turning on at a strategic point in time, so they're basically just puttering around the house and escalating the sexual tension, until Bucky remembers his host duties and offers Sam a beer.

All that changes is they have beer in addition to the sexual tension. Oh, and they are in the garden, because that's apparently what you do when you offer people beer pre-barbecue.

Bucky is going insane.

"So, listen," Sam eventually says, but whatever he was going to say dies in his throat as Bucky puts down his beer, grabs him, and kisses him to within an inch of his life. "That works too," Sam says after a while, slightly breathless. "I was going crazy, man."

"Yeah," Bucky says against Sam's lips, and that's how they end up making out under his chestnut tree until Steve shows up.

"That's new," Steve observes and they're so startled they break apart and Sam falls over a tree root. "Took you long enough," he adds and offers Sam a hand to pull him up.

Bucky covers his face with his hands. "Steve," he croaks, not sure if he's embarrassed or turned on, or both.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," Steve says, sounding way more amused than he has any right to be, and when Bucky finally looks, Steve is leering. The smug fucker. "All right?"

Sam, who's rubbing the back of his neck, just nods, so Bucky nods too, and Steve gives each of them a kiss, picks up the grocery bags and goes inside.

"Okay, wow," Bucky says and then he and Sam are laughing hysterically. Every time they think they're done laughing, they look at each other and they're off again until their stomachs hurt and their cheeks are sore.

"Yeah," Sam says eventually, having finally composed himself, and looks at him. He's smiling and his eyes are sparkling, and Bucky feels this delicious warmth spread in his gut. "We good?"

"Yeah," Bucky answers. "This - this thing. It isn't instead of Steve," he says and Sam shakes his head.

"Hell no. There's no replacing Steve going on here." He's staring at Bucky's lips. "This is just more." He looks up and there's this wide grin on his face that maybe makes Bucky melt a little bit.

"Hell yeah." Bucky lets out a little giddy laugh. He pulls Sam in for another kiss. "Let's go help Steve in the kitchen, yeah?"

Steve is peeling potatoes in the sink and Sam sidles up to his right and Bucky to his left. Bucky sticks his hand into Steve's back pocket and plants a kiss on his cheek. Out of the corner of his eye he can see Sam do the same, and Steve laughs delightedly.

There aren't the words to describe how much Bucky loves Steve, and especially not now, with the sunlight catching his smile and the ease with which he loves him back. Both of them.

Things are going to be very different from now on, he thinks and catches Sam's eyes. It's a good thing.

"Salad," Steve says, nudging Bucky. "And marinade," he adds happily, pointing the potato peeler at the bag of groceries in front of Sam. "The meat is in the fridge."

"You are disgustingly happy," Bucky says, only because expressing his own happiness right now is still a little difficult. He gets out the chopping board and sneaks a glance at Steve, whose grin is ear from ear, and then at Sam who looks like he's trying not to combust from joy.

"Mmh," Steve agrees. "I've reason to be."

Bucky thinks maybe he might combust as well.

It's a wonder they get any food ready in time, what with all the kisses being sneaked left and right, and if Sam and Bucky steal off for a short while, Steve doesn't mention it and only gives them a smug grin when they come back, and fake-complains that he was left to fuss with the skewers all by himself. Sam tackles him and Bucky goes outside for a while, just to get some space before the hordes arrive, listening to both of them laugh in the kitchen.

He pops a beer open and waits for them to join him.

(When Clint shows, he takes one look at the three of them and then groans. "How come I have three fucking divorces under my belt and then there's you wholesome fucking fuckers -" Natasha smacks him and he abruptly shuts up. Sam placates him with food and Bucky resolves to find out who exactly Clint was married to all of those times.

He gives Natasha the weirdest look when he finds out and she gives him such a quelling look that he never says a word about it.)