Well, when you decide which one it is you let me know and we'll go from there. [Sour and sweet and all the shades in between; it's the summation of their friendship and something special to them. Steve breaks all of Bucky's rules about keeping people at arm's length. Everything that Bucky tries to do to keep himself apart from people, to keep them safe from him — and Steve breaks right through it like he belongs right at Bucky's side.
He always has; that space has always been for him. Bucky just never thought that he could deserve to have so much of Steve's attention, not anymore. To know that he does is something he both treasures and guards fiercely.
And the looks that Steve's giving him? They make his stomach flip flop a little bit because while Bucky most certainly knows how to flirt — and he's damn good at it — flirting with Steve and knowing that the attraction is mutual? That's something entirely new.
It's a good thing he doesn't know about that half-formed impulse to lick syrup from his fingers or else things would escalate very very quickly.]
Maybe just a little. [He laughs though, and not unkindly. Even in lightheartedness like this there lurks a potential for heavy topics and heavy concerns and Bucky doesn't want to steer toward those waters right now. It's not complete avoidance; they've talked about the darker cast their lives now have, talked about how they've ended up where they are and even talked a little bit about hardships endured. But this isn't the time for those thoughts to intrude. No, this is a time for everything that's warm and welcoming, time for Bucky to retrieve clean plates and plastic wrap from the cabinets so that pancakes can slide right on with the wrap stretched carefully over top.
It gives him a good opportunity to watch Steve, as well: to watch his blush, to watch his hands as they maneuver the spatula, to watch the play of the muscles across his shoulders as hands and arms move. To just sit and watch, because he hadn't been kidding earlier: Bucky likes looking at Steve. A lot.
And once the pancakes are done? Once everything that needs to be packaged is packaged, once the stove is turned off so that there won't be any more adventures in burning? Bucky reaches out to touch Steve's shoulder, to let his fingers drag along it to find the side of his throat, his cheek. He keeps it gentle, not forceful; wants to draw Steve in with an invitation, not a command.]
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He always has; that space has always been for him. Bucky just never thought that he could deserve to have so much of Steve's attention, not anymore. To know that he does is something he both treasures and guards fiercely.
And the looks that Steve's giving him? They make his stomach flip flop a little bit because while Bucky most certainly knows how to flirt — and he's damn good at it — flirting with Steve and knowing that the attraction is mutual? That's something entirely new.
It's a good thing he doesn't know about that half-formed impulse to lick syrup from his fingers or else things would escalate very very quickly.]
Maybe just a little. [He laughs though, and not unkindly. Even in lightheartedness like this there lurks a potential for heavy topics and heavy concerns and Bucky doesn't want to steer toward those waters right now. It's not complete avoidance; they've talked about the darker cast their lives now have, talked about how they've ended up where they are and even talked a little bit about hardships endured. But this isn't the time for those thoughts to intrude. No, this is a time for everything that's warm and welcoming, time for Bucky to retrieve clean plates and plastic wrap from the cabinets so that pancakes can slide right on with the wrap stretched carefully over top.
It gives him a good opportunity to watch Steve, as well: to watch his blush, to watch his hands as they maneuver the spatula, to watch the play of the muscles across his shoulders as hands and arms move. To just sit and watch, because he hadn't been kidding earlier: Bucky likes looking at Steve. A lot.
And once the pancakes are done? Once everything that needs to be packaged is packaged, once the stove is turned off so that there won't be any more adventures in burning? Bucky reaches out to touch Steve's shoulder, to let his fingers drag along it to find the side of his throat, his cheek. He keeps it gentle, not forceful; wants to draw Steve in with an invitation, not a command.]