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Language:
English
Series:
Part 2 of Kiss Cam Adventures
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Published:
2017-02-20
Words:
1,491
Chapters:
1/1
Comments:
6
Kudos:
49
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4
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892

Homecoming

Summary:

Tony and Steve have settled on a truce, Steve quick to forgive after Tony readily admitted that his fear got the better of his judgment. But still, their relationship is soured and Tony knows he has to make up for what he put Steve through - and Bucky.

The video that inspired this Kiss Cam episode is linked at the end because I feel it would give the plot away too much if I liked it before the story.

Notes:

This is a fluffy and happy piece, but given the MCU Civil War and all I felt like I needed to deal with at least the background for that, so mentions of Bucky being a POW (and the Winter Soldier) and how it affected Steve and (some of) the others make a short appearance.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Tony, in his usual overzealous way, offered to buy the Dodgers back. Just because Steve is still a bit miffed about them moving to LA. The fucking West Coast. But apparently that's a common practice and he's not going to let Tony use his wealth to buy himself into the favor of people.

Which is why he very adamantly refuses to help Tony buy the Dodgers. Just because he can't say "LA Dodgers" without cringing doesn't mean he needs them to be the Brooklyn Dodgers again. He might be a man out of time, but that doesn't mean he can't go with the times and adapt. That's one of the things he always excelled at, adapting. His fighting style to his size (with a lot of help from Peggy), his tactics to times with coms (with help from JARVIS), and his Baseball affections to the Mets. Tony tried to convince him to give the Yankees a shot "Because they win, Rogers! They win games!", but the Mets are based in Queens which is closer to Brooklyn and were intended to replace the Dodgers (and the Giants, but he's just gonna ignore that particular fact). And he's always had had a thing for the underdog and against those who just could buy their way to fame and success.

But he's not as pure and white as the driven snow, even though Tony loves to make fun of how he carries himself, his manners and attention to etiquette. Pepper sure appreciated it and while the young lady who works with Thor's best girl doesn't hold back with the friendly ribbing he knows she appreciates that he's talking to her face or knit cap instead of her cleavage. Not that he didn't take notice, discreetly. Because he's old but not dead. And he feels like he has to make up for the fact that Bucky is still not around, still kept on ice until King T'Challa and his people (possibly) replaced the arm and figured out a way to fix his brain without causing damage to it. Missing Bucky and being needled into accepting by Vision of all people gets him tickets to a Mets game. He refused to sit in the stuffy box Tony offered, he wants the real baseball experience, close to the field, among the people. Like back before Bucky was shipped out to Germany, when they pooled their money to catch one last game. Wants to feel normal again, like a regular human, at least for a while. Drink beer, curse at the umpires, have fun. And not think about his friend, or the fact that during the trial that took place in Bucky's absence, he not only outed himself, but Bucky. Not think about how he started crying when Tony took the stand to badger Ross and defend Bucky, not think about how Natasha sat in his room, the day after the verdict, after Bucky was pronounced not guilty, was awarded back his status in the military and how she cried and asked if that meant she was a POW, too. He does think a little about the satisfaction he felt when multiple members of the GOP went into conniptions after the trial about him and Bucky making whoopee, though. 

Avoiding the issue is how he ended up here. Surrounded by other fans, staring at the big screen and cheering for couples to kiss. He's sure that Darcy, who insisted on tagging along, is going to be mute tomorrow the way she's shouting her heart out. But her enthusiasm is infectious so he stares up at the screen with her, sprawled out in his seat, his arm on the back of her chair in a friendly gesture and because it's comfortable. And he can't say he dislikes the feeling of someone being relaxed enough around him and his bulk to just lean back and bounce their head on his biceps. Apparently Darcy being around Thor has made her somewhat immune to the awe that his body still inspires in so many people. "Not that I don't ogle. Dude your body is way too hot in those too small shirts you wear not to, but no harm no foul right?" was all she said when he carefully investigated.

And now the kiss cam pans across them, stops, and pans back. Darcy ducks and pulls his arm from the back of her chair and he's surprised at the force with which she shoves at him. "They'll expect us to kiss if we're on screen like that! Don't you dare dude!", she hisses from between clenched teeth when he turns a hurt look at her. "I have my eyes on a guy in the command center and he's gonna shit his pants if Captain fucking America so much as pecks me on the cheek!"

Steve keeps his opinion to himself (shouldn't the guy be interested enough to make a move when Darcy expresses her interest no matter who else shows interest?) but pats her knee reassuringly to show he understands. He even leans a bit to the side, away from her, and pulls his legs back from where he placed his feet closer to her seat than his. But that doesn't seem to stop the camera operator from stopping on him. But they zoomed in too much, not catching Darcy or the couple sitting above them, so he's a bit at a loss what he should be doing. Next to him Darcy is cracking up and punches his thigh and then the announcer calls out "Hey! No one to kiss?" but continues on before Steve even can start shaking his head or contemplating pecking Darcy on the cheek and later explain the circumstances to her meatball in the command center. "I think we can do something about that!" and then the camera moves which Steve is pretty glad about because he's sure that he's looking a bit flummoxed.

"What do we got around here? Who can we find to kiss?" the announcer prattles on - and then the cam shows Bucky, fucking Bucky. With a black arm instead of the silver one, in what looks like parts of his Winter Soldier uniform only more modern, sleeker, but Bucky.

Before Steve even comprehends what he's seeing or process that the shrieking next to him and the pounding on his shoulder are both Darcy urging him to "Go and fucking get him!" he's up and doing exactly that, two long strides and he's up next to Bucky and he's holding him in his arms and feels the rigid metal arm closing around his rib cage, the warm flesh and bone one a bit lower and both squeezing and not letting go.

He imagined Bucky coming home, Tony mentioned that it would happen sooner rather than later, that they were working on it. "A few more months and who knows Rogers, maybe he's back making eyes at the dames, looking for a beard for the two of you!" and thought of how the first thing he'd wanna do was kiss Bucky, feel his lips. Maybe fantasized about even a kiss in public with how things were today and how back in the days Bucky had just one day sat the Commandos down and told them because he "knew they wouldn't give a fuck, Steve, you save our lives, who cares you're a queer?". But now that Bucky is here and that everyone knows he's into men he just wants to hold him, screw kissing, and never let go.

He's aware that there's a camera next to them, but he doesn't care, just presses his head closer to Bucky, feels his ear digging into his cheek, feels the wetness run along his nose and when did he start crying? Bucky is holding him just as close, his chin pressed against his shoulder, the nose against his neck, and his hand moving on his back, trying to pull Steve even closer. And even through his closed eyes he can follow the camera moving around them because the light changes and the camera man not too quietly whispers "holy fucking shit" over and over again like he's voicing Steve's thoughts. And then Bucky shifts, whispers "Tony isn't that much of an asshole after all." in that voice that Steve still remembers from the day after they freed the 107th and he leans back just a fraction, looks at Bucky and then they are kissing while the camera operator utters a last, heartfelt, "holy fucking shit" and then he only hears the cheers as the crowd goes bonkers.

When Bucky hickups into the kiss he can't stop himself from laughing, leaning back into the embrace and kissing Bucky's neck and cheek and shoulder. "you're a mad man, Barnes!" he whispers and Bucky, Bucky fucking laughs and kisses his neck in return, catches half an earlob with his lips, and answers "Yeah, but you love me." And isn't that the truth.

Notes:

This story was inspired by this kiss cam video.

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