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Steve knew Bucky was protective.
He always had been, especially when Steve was smaller and frail, always picking fights he couldn’t win. But now, Steve was okay, he could look after himself and yet, Bucky seemed even more inclined to protect Steve. Bucky was a bulky male, there was no denying it. He was beefy; his muscles bulged, turning Steve’s knees to jelly and along with that defiant look on his face, that growl in his voice when he got angry, it was enough to scare anyone away.
That being said, Steve wasn’t in any dire need of help.
He’d stepped out to go into town to buy some supplies, ones they’d need for when they were ultimately, going back home. All that had happened was a man shouting out slurs in a language that Steve did not understand and chose to ignore. The taunts continued until Bucky was there, dragging Steve away, after having punched the drunken man in the face.
“Buck,” Steve sighed, a little breathless as the other male backed him against a wall, down a small, vacated cobbled path, “I’m fine.”
Bucky towered over him. They were about the same height, though Bucky always seemed taller. Maybe he was, just by a smidge but Bucky was larger, and that made Steve feel warm inside. He liked Bucky being able to manhandle him and hold him. It made him feel safe, oddly enough.
“Stevie, you didn’t hear what he was sayin’,” Bucky growled, placing his hands on Steve’s hips, “baby, none of that is true.”
Steve smiled and reached up, kissing Bucky’s lips, “Buck, I couldn’t understand him anyway.”
Bucky’s face crumpled into a soft smile and he reached for Steve again, kissing his forehead, “good. He was an asshole.”
“I don’t care,” Steve shrugged, nuzzling Bucky’s neck, “he can say what he wants, won’t change who I am.”
“Oh my,” Bucky teased, pulling Steve flush against him, “is Steve Rogers, actually taking the high road and not pickin’ a fight, for once?”
Steve laughed and shoved Bucky’s shoulder, “shut up.”
“Nah, you love it when I run my mouth,” Bucky grinned, kissing down Steve’s neck. Steve sighed and bared his neck for Bucky to litter pecks and brushes of his soft lips against warm skin.
“Not lyin’ there,” Steve grinned and closed his eyes, Bucky laughed against Steve’s neck and pulled him closer, right into his embrace. Steve smiled; wrapping his arms around Bucky’s neck, resting his chin on the latter’s shoulder, while Bucky’s went around his waist.
“You know, Natasha’s heard back from Tony,” Bucky said quietly, “said that somethin’ is happenin’.”
“I know,” Steve replied, voice muffled by Bucky’s shoulder, “we’re gonna have to go back, Buck.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Bucky said, tightening his grip on Steve, “like we always do.”
Steve smiled and tucked his face into Bucky’s neck, “look at you, being all diplomatic.”
“Since when have we ever backed down from a challenge?” Bucky chuckled, cupping Steve’s face, “since when have you ever backed down from a fight?”
Steve rolled his eyes, “I haven’t. And I ain’t gonna.”
“That’s my boy,” Bucky grinned, kissing Steve’s forehead, then seriously said, “whatever happens, I’m with ya, okay? Baby, me and you, ain’t nothin’ ever gonna change that.”
-*-
Leaving Wakanda seemed to come sooner than ever. The team talked it over with Natasha; she told them that Tony had been feeding her information on Ross’ tyranny and the oncoming fears about another invasion, one that Ross would not acknowledge.
Clint would go back. He’d do anything for Natasha.
Wanda didn’t have any reason to trust Tony, but she trusted Steve, so she agreed.
Scott just wanted to prove himself, Sam went where Steve went and Bucky was always on Steve’s six.
T’Challa for all his peace and wonder, agreed to come back and help, so long as the casualties to innocent people were not drastic, if any. Though, honestly, no one could promise that.
“I’m gonna miss this place,” Bucky said, lying back on their bed, the bed that had been theirs for quite some time. Steve nodded and joined him, turning on his side to face his boyfriend.
“Me too.”
It was the evening after the big debate and everyone was sleeping off their decisions, the morning would tell what would come of everything, once and for all.
“You know T’Challa said we’re always welcome back,” Bucky smiled softly, kissing Steve’s forehead, gently beginning to massage Steve’s head.
“I know,” Steve sighed, looking up into Bucky’s eyes, “but I was thinkin’…I love it here, but I miss – I miss –
Bucky cut him off with a kiss and mumbled against the blond’s lips, “I miss it too. Maybe when this is all over, we can go look for apartments?”
Steve smiled, bright and elated, “I already did. Well, before you were back…I found our old place. It’s different, but it still felt like…somethin’.”
Bucky grinned and pinned Steve to the bed, kissing him passionately.
It said, ‘I love you’.
It whispered, ‘I love everything about you’.
It screamed, ‘your eyes and smile’.
It felt like, ‘your heart and warmth’, and most importantly it was home.
Like Bucky could turn his back to the world and say ‘fuck you, this is ours’. Even if he wouldn’t literally do that, this was just as true; this was theirs and always would be.
They dissolved into a mess of laughter and whispered love confessions, things like:
“You’re so perfect, Stevie.”
“Buck, please – oh!”
“Love you so much, baby.”
“Love you too Bucky, love you too.”
This soon turned to sweaty bodies, clothes thrown on the floors haphazardly, heated moans and the slide of Bucky entering Steve so easily. The warmth he felt there, it was right where he belonged, on top of Steve, in Steve and fuck, he was never going to get used to it.
Not when Steve mewled beneath him and whimpered and begged for Bucky to make love to him, so much so that Steve was sobbing by the end of it all.
If it was their last night here, they sure as hell were gonna make it count.
-*-
It was settled then, the next morning over breakfast, a casual meeting between those involved. Natasha had information from Tony – where to go when they came and what would happen. No doubt they’d have to stay undercover due to Ross, but the Complex was back under Tony’s control, they would be safe until they made their next move. They needed to make sure that when the invasion came, they’d be ready.
Ross might be in the dark, but that didn’t mean they had to be.
“Why not just go back when this all starts?” Aneka, T’Challa’s bodyguard asked.
“If we do, it’ll be too late,” Natasha replied grimly, “we need to go back to follow leads, see if what Tony suspects if actually unfolding.”
“And if it’s not?”
Natasha looked at the fierce looking woman and shrugged, “then we leave again. For now, the main thing is getting back to Tony. We all knew this day would come, we can’t hide here forever.”
“I would not call it hiding,” T’Challa smirked, “this is, after all, my home.”
“And we’re very happy and glad you allowed us to stay,” Natasha smiled, sincerely, “me especially. But if we stay and do nothing, more people will die, our friends will die…”
“What about Bucky?” Steve asked, frowning, “the second he goes back, they’ll try to arrest him.”
Natasha shook her head, “no they won’t. Tony…has would you believe it, told the press that Barnes is innocent. That he didn’t have anything to do with the attacks; his Hydra past is also out there, but then so is mine. They know it was mind control. Besides, when the people saw you defend Bucky, they knew that whatever you must be doing is for the protection of your friend. They might be unnerved by him, but they know that he’s Bucky Barnes, not the Asset.”
Bucky smirked and cleaned forwards in his seat, his flesh hand gently stroking Steve’s, “do they know about everythin’ that’s happened here?”
“I haven’t told Tony about the place or where we are. Only that the triggers in your mind have gone and you’ve battled the mind control. It’s why the people are seeing Ross for who he is – Tony also released pictures of what they did to Sam, Wanda, Scott and Clint,” Natasha said, “they know now that the Accords, aren’t what they were set out to be.”
“So, if we go back and we fight this Thanos guy,” Scott started, a little confused, “what happens to the Accords then?”
Natasha shrugged, “nothing. They’ll go. But then, by that time…SHIELD will be back. New and better – I know it’s not ideal, it’s not what we all want, but it’s better than answering to the government and army.”
“Nick is gonna come back?” Steve asked, raising an eyebrow.
Natasha smirked, and shook her head, “no. Not Fury. He’ll be back there, in the shadows but there’s someone else.”
“Who?” Sam asked, frowning, “what aren’t you telling us?”
“I think it’s best if he tells you himself. That and he’s got a new team, his co-director will be a woman named May and their deputy is Daisy Johnson.”
“What is his name?” Wanda asked, “is it someone Steve knows?”
“You could say that.”
"You'll love him, kid," Clint chuckled, once Natasha had spoken, "he loves all this magic stuff."