For littleguyfrombrooklyn

[endsinafight]

Call him a borough snob, but Bucky would always prefer Brooklyn over Manhattan, even if Manhattan was where both his therapist and physical therapist were. Thanks in great part to Steve, who'd gone along with him to both appointments for the last couple weeks, he was starting to feel more comfortable being out and about, even if it still put him on edge. Today, though, he was out on his own because Steve had been called to duty the day before for some kind of mission that he hadn't even been given details on. Just that SHIELD needed him. And Steve being Steve, stepped up to the plate.

That whole thing put him on edge, too. He'd tried texting him a couple times, but Steve hadn't responded yet, so he just hoped his friend was safe and not in any trouble he couldn't handle. He reminded himself that Steve was essentially an actual superhero, and he wouldn't let his thoughts drift too far into worry. Hopefully.

He was in the middle of flagging down a cab after his physical therapy appointment, too tired to walk all the way to the subway when things went to hell.

The sky opened up with a bright light and there were fucking spaceships darting around, shooting at people. For a moment he thought maybe he'd fallen asleep and was having some kind of fucked up dream, but no. Within moments the street was filled with panicked people screaming and running, and there were fires and smoke and utter pandemonium.

"What the fuck?" he muttered, standing frozen in place for a few seconds until he spotted one of the things heading for a woman and two children just a few feet away. He moved fast -- faster than he realized he even could, scooping the crying kids up in his arm and yanking the woman out of the way just as the ship fired at the spot they'd been standing. He pulled them under the cover of an overhang -- not that it would do much good for long.

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[endsinafight]

He chuckled quietly at that, exhaling. "Glad you're okay," he said, voice dropping as he reluctantly pulled away to look at him.

A few feet away, Natasha was watching the pair of men with interest, though she said nothing.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Steve pulled away, very reluctant, because Bucky did. He reached out and cleaned off some soot that was right underneath his eye, clucking a little when his dirty hand just smeared more dirt on Bucky.

“Sorry,” he said, his voice low and intimate. His stomach was tight with a lot of feelings, as he looked down at Bucky. He felt warm and almost out of breath, for reasons other than the fight.

“Cap!” Tony shouted, and Steve flinched.

[endsinafight]

Bucky held his breath when Steve's thumb brushed just beneath his eye, heart skipping a beat in his chest at the unexpected and quiet intimacy of the moment. His stomach did that weird thing again and this time he recognized it because he wasn't a complete idiot. It was butterflies. At that realization, his cheeks grew warm but he refused to look away from Steve.

At least until a familiar voice bellowed for Steve.

"Thought I saw him flying around," he said, mostly because he didn't know what else to say at the moment. He drew in a breath, glancing over his shoulder to where Tony was standing with a small group of people that looked like they'd just been involved in the battle. Probably were, he surmised considering they were all watching Steve. He arched his eyebrows and looked back at his friend. "Looks like you've either got some new friends, or a fan club." He grinned.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Steve grimaced. He didn’t want to let go of Bucky or go back to the rest of his new team. This was a strange, quiet moment in the middle of all this chaos—but Tony had already broken the seal and Steve forced himself to step back, give Bucky a little space. He rested his hand on Bucky’s back, though, greedy to touch him and wanting to make sure he had something to lean on if he needed it. He was limping and the ground was uneven.

“Colleagues,” he said. “Fellow soldiers. Friends definitely seems like it would be too strong.”

He thought back to their fight on the helicarrier and made a face. He wanted to say something that made clear that if Bucky was classified as a “friend” to him, these people weren’t anywhere close—but he couldn’t find the words not to make it too intense and awkward.

[endsinafight]

Bucky leaned into Steve instinctively, not necessarily because he was hurt, but because being close to him just felt right. He looked over at the group, taking them in one at a time, from Tony Stark, whose Iron Man suit looked like it had been singed in battle, to a tall broad-shouldered man with long blond hair and a cape, to a man with a bow and arrow strapped to his back, and finally to a fierce looking red-headed woman who looked far too interested in him and Steve. He wasn't sure where the Hulk had gone -- but he was noticeably absent now, and that was kind of strange considering his size.

He glanced sideways at Steve at that, trying unsuccessfully not to feel secretly pleased by the correction in terminology. It wasn't that he didn't want Steve to have other friends. It was just that it was kind of nice having him all to himself. And yeah. He might be in trouble.

Still, he smiled faintly. "Other heroes." He nodded.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

“Who’s this, Steve?” Romanoff said, bright eyes sharp on them both. Her observation made Steve feel like squirming away from Bucky—but he was a stubborn son of a gun, and the second he had that impulse, he leaned in closer.

“My friend and neighbor, Sergeant Barnes,” Steve said.

[endsinafight]

The tiniest of smiles touched her mouth and she nodded. "Nice to meet you, Sergeant," she greeted, patting the archer's back momentarily before striding over toward them and extending her hand. "Natasha Romanoff."

Bucky pressed his lips together, resisting the urge to glance at Steve sideways before extending his hand, as well, and giving her a firm hand shake. "Likewise," he told her, nodding.

"We're going to grab something to eat. Schwarma. You coming?" Natasha smiled at Steve.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Steve was hungry enough that he felt his stomach twist painfully at just the mention of food. But he cast Bucky a sideways glance, before agreeing.

“Up for it?” He said, quiet.

[endsinafight]

It was almost humorous, really. They'd fought aliens in the middle of Manhattan and Steve had to be starving, but Steve was still giving him the chance to say no to a meal out because of his ongoing anxiety.

His lips quirked upwards slightly and he nodded. "Yeah, I could eat." Which was probably an understatement. He was famished. And exhausted.

Natasha hummed, then flashed them a smile. "Excellent."

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

“Is any place going to be open?” Steve asked, looking around them at the devastation. It was hard to see his city broken like this, and he pretty quickly looked down.

“I know the place,” Tony said. “I’m not sure this guy even has a lock on the door, I’ve never seen it closed. Chop chop. Foods on me and I’m starving. Buck Rogers.”

He said the last right at Bucky, nodding in greeting. Thor’s eyes lit up.

“Captain, this is your brother?”

[endsinafight]

Bucky had wondered the same thing, and guilt flared in his chest at the realization of just how many people weren't going to be going home to have dinner with their families and friends tonight, or ever again. He didn't have to see the news to know that the casualties from this battle would be sky high. He had a feeling that was what Steve was thinking about at the moment, too.

Clint snorted at the Buck Rogers comment. "Pretty sure Cap doesn't have a brother," he told Thor.

"Friend and neighbor," Bucky responded, holding his hand out toward Thor. "Bucky Barnes." He nodded back at Tony.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Thor looked between Tony and Bucky, as he reached out to shake Bucky’s hand.

“Thor Odinson, god of thunder,” he said. “Is Rogers a nickname?”

“Tony is just being an ass,” Steve said, peaceably. He didn’t sound too upset about it. He was too hungry and tired to be too worked up.

“Excuse me,” Tony said. “Considering I nearly died saving the lives of millions, you guys gotta be nice to me.”

[endsinafight]

Bucky blinked a couple of times. "Thor?" he echoed, a little dumbfounded. He'd liked literature enough that he'd actually paid attention to things like mythology, and he couldn't help but wonder if this was some sort of a joke. God of thunder? Seriously? There had been some wicked lightening earlier and the guy was holding a wicked looking hammer in his other hand. Aliens were real, and so were gods.

The day was just full of surprises.

He shifted his gaze between Thor and Steve and finally let it settle on Tony. "I think you said something about food."

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Steve leaned in and whispered to Bucky, “I don’t know about god, but he sure as hell can control thunder.”

It was really weird. This was a strange, strange world. Maybe this made him a coward, but he wanted to go home and eat pizza and pretend like nothing had changed.

But he followed along to the little store where Tony lead them, keeping his hand on Bucky’s back.

[endsinafight]

Bucky didn't really know what to say to that, because anyone who had the ability to control nature seemed like they'd probably achieved some sort of god-like status. Then again, Bucky hadn't believed in one overall God in years now.

He followed Steve and the others, listening as they talked quietly but Steve remained silent and he could feel his tension like it was Bucky's own. He wondered if maybe he should have turned down dinner and given Steve an out, to boot. He was hoping against hope that Brooklyn hadn't been hit by any of this, that their building was still standing and they had a home to go back to. The hand on his back was comforting, even if he was mildly surprised that Steve kept it there all the way into the place Tony had told them about.

Within a few more moments they were sitting around a table, plates of food and glasses of various beverages to boot. All of them were dirty and in various stages of exhaustion, and Bucky couldn't help but marvel that not a single one of them had seemed to give a second glance at him, just accepted him into their little circle like he was one of them when he very definitely wasn't. It spoke volumes of their respect for Steve.

"Ever had Schwarma?" Clint questioned as he took a bite of his food, directing his question to Steve and Bucky.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

“I haven’t,” Steve said, after swallowing the massive bite he’d stuffed into his mouth the moment it was in front of him. “Gotta say, Buck, if you haven’t either, it’s really going to damage my view of you as a world-wise sophisticate.”

He smiled at Bucky—a crooked, familiar grin that felt more and more like it belonged to him. Even just a couple bites of food made Steve feel a little better. (It was probably also that, from the inside of the little restaurant, he couldn’t see any of the destruction outside.)

[endsinafight]

Bucky arched an eyebrow at Steve, grinning back at him and shaking his head as he picked up his glass of water and took a long drink. "Schwarma's a Middle Eastern dish, Stevie. I was stationed in the Middle East for almost ten years." He took another bite of food, nudging Steve's foot beneath the table.

"Where at in the Middle East?" Clint asked.

"Afghanistan," he answered, pressing his lips together and glancing at him.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

“I’m a dope,” Steve said, cheerfully. “You know that. All I know about shawarma is that I like it.”

He nudged Bucky back under the table, cheeks a little pink with pleasure at the nickname and casual affection. Tony’s eyebrows were near his hairline. This wasn’t at all how he’d seen Steve for the past couple days. That Steve had been dour and serious, with no sense of humor at all.

“I spent some time in Afghanistan,” Tony said. “Got to know the Ten Rings pretty well. You ever fight those guys, Barnes?”

[endsinafight]

"Yeah, I do," Bucky agreed, feeling warm and pleased when Steve nudged him back, and not for the first time he wondered what it might have been like to have Steve around his entire life. He wondered if it was weird that it had taken him almost 28 years to find a best friend, but he dismissed the thought just as quickly as it came. He didn't care that it had taken that long, because Steve was there now.

Natasha leaned back in her chair, picking up her glass and sliding her gaze over to Tony momentarily before glancing back at Barnes.

Bucky shook his head. "No. But I'm passingly familiar." He kept his voice carefully neutral. He knew Tony's history with the Ten Rings was rough, to say the least. Tony wasn't a soldier, but he'd been held hostage for several weeks by that terrorist cell.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Steve’s eyes flicked between Tony and Bucky. He’d done some research, slowly and painstakingly, when he’d first met Tony with Bucky. It seemed odd to him that the man would so casually bring up his confinement and torture, but he was an odd guy.

“Huh, that’s a shame,” Tony said. “They could have done with some good murdering. Make up your mind on that arm yet? You’ve been leaving me hanging for awhile.”

“Tony,” Steve said, reprovingly.

[endsinafight]

Being held in captivity may be something he and Tony had in common, but it wasn't something Bucky really wanted to discuss with him -- or any of the others around the table. He hadn't even talked about it with Steve. It wasn't a nightmare he really wanted to dump on anyone else. Besides, that was what therapy was for, even if he was reluctant to talk about it there, too.

"You'll have my answer soon," Bucky said, voice dropping as he shoveled another bite of food into his mouth, mostly because he didn't like attention being called to the obvious when so far none of the others had even mentioned it.

"Wait, what are you talking about?" Clint looked between them in confusion.

"Tony's piloting a program for medical prosthetics," Natasha said casually, inclining her head ever-so-slightly, fixing her gaze on Bucky.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

“You’re a terrible conversationalist,” Steve told Tony, gesturing with a wrap. “You’ve gone for torture, war, and life-altering medical procedures.”

“Says the guy who barely said three words together before his boo showed up. Now look at you, giggling like a schoolgirl,” Tony said.

Steve rolled his eyes, taking another bite, and glanced at Bucky as if to say, can you believe this guy?

[endsinafight]

"His boo?" Thor echoed, looking more than a little confused.

Bucky felt Steve's gaze on him and he turned his head, meeting his eyes and grinning at the look on his face, stifling a chuckle as he reached for his glass of water.

"It's basically a boyfriend. Or significant other," Clint supplied, taking a bite of his food, too. He looked at Steve and Bucky with a contemplative expression, clearly wondering if there was any truth to Tony's statement.

[littleguyfrombrooklyn]

Steve felt his stomach clench when Clint said that, looking at them both with interest. He glanced at Bucky and then took a large bite of his food, not wanting to speak first and be too quick to deny it. He didn’t want to make it seem like he was appalled, or anything—it wasn’t true, they were just friends. But it wasn’t like the idea made Steve jump to push it away.

When he finally chewed and swallowed, he smiled at Bucky, warm, before turning directly to Thor.

"Tony’s teasing me. Bucky and I are friends."

[endsinafight]

Thor tilted his head at that, then nodded, a small, knowing smile on his face that he hid behind his glass when he took a drink. "I see. Midgardian language is always fascinating to me."

"For the record, Cap, I don't think any of us would've judged one way or the other," Clint said with a small smile.

"I gotta say, Stark, I kinda find your continued interest in Steve's sex life to be a little disturbing," Bucky added, arching his eyebrows, hint of a smirk on his face as he took another bite of food, too.