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" Why the fuck do I have a knife emoji next to my name in your contacts?"
Steve looked over at the couch and saw Bucky lounging with what Steve had to imagine was his phone in Bucky's hands.
" Bucky, it's rude to go through people's phones," Steve lectured. Not that he cared, sure the knife emoji might be a hard sell, but for the most part he was just thrilled that Bucky was curious enough to look through his phone.
" I'm an assassin, you expect me to respect boundaries?" It used to be that statements like that depressed the hell out of Steve. Bucky, you're not an assassin-
But those days were gone; Steve knew better now. It was just coping mechanism- a common one.
" Why the knife emoji? I should have like at least two hearts next to my name not a fuckin' knife."
Aw, fuck, why'd he have to be so fucking cute?
They hadn't really spoken about their relationship, there hadn't been a time or place for it really.
Steve supposed he could blame Nat for the emoji, it sounded plausible enough, but…
" And how long has my birthday been your password? 0310 is way too easy, Steve," Bucky lectured sagely.
If you took away the phone out of the conversation it could've been 1938, Steve thought warmly. Bucky lecturing him on how the world actually worked was a regular occurrence back in the day.
" Easy for you," Steve countered, "And I don't mind you going through my phone."
It wasn't like Steve used it all that much. Sam and Nat were the only ones who texted him regularly, with the occasional meme from Shuri. Steve was pretty sure Bucky used his own phone more- confirming Steve's long running, Pre-Winter Solider, theory that Bucky would've adapted to the future way easier than Steve ever could.
" Okay, Stevie, but why the knife?"
Steve melted a little at the nickname and looked back at his bowl of ice cream sitting on the kitchen island infront of him. He hated wasting food, but he didn't really feel ice cream anymore.
Steve left the bowl, convincing himself he'd clean it up before Bucky saw it, and walked out of the kitchen and around the couch to join Bucky on it, sitting opposite from him. His back braced against the arm of the chair.
Bucky raised an eyebrow at him.
Bucky hadn't used knives before in the war beyond that of a tool and Steve hadn't thought much of it then, but he knew way before the mask came off that he was going to draw the Winter Solider wielding a knife if he survived that first encounter because in addition to coming out of nowhere, the guy also had to be mesmerizing with a knife.
But the Winter Solider was Bucky.
Steve hadn't seen Bucky as the Winter Solider with a knife again since then, but the affinity for knives had carried over. Bucky wasn't allowed guns- a condition that hadn't bothered him- but usually had at least one knife on him somewhere. Probably more if the sheer amount of knives that Natasha could pack on her in any given situation was any indication.
Bucky didn't clean his nails like Natasha did- an action that Steve was convinced was entirely for intimidation than any practically- but he did play with one sometimes.
It was infinitely more mesmerizing than it had been in D.C.- probably because Steve could give it his full attention without adrenaline racing through him and desperately trying to dodge the blade.
" You like knives," Steve said finally.
Bucky made face. I'm an assassin, Punk. Steve imagined him saying, not that Bucky deemed to actually speak it.
" It's mesmerizing, Jerk," Steve explained, flushing a bit.
Bucky grinned slowly, " You always did like drawing my hands. You like a man whose competent with a knife now, Stevie?"
Back in the day Steve hated when Bucky teased him, but now Steve was just grateful Bucky was here to tease him.
" I like you," Steve said confidently, ingoring his embarrassed flush.
Carefully Bucky moved one socked foot to rest over Steve's bare toes. Initiating physical contact was something Bucky struggled with, and the significance of the action wasn't lost on Steve.
" I like the stealth suit," Bucky replied, cocksure grin still on his face," Might even be better than the original tights."
Steve gasped in faux shock and clutched his chest," You take that back right now, James Buchanan."
They'd be okay, knife emojis and all.