(no subject)

[semi_stable]

When Loki suggests that they grab dinner, Bucky doesn't think much of it, really. It wouldn't be the first meal they've gotten together, not even the first at this particular restaurant. Honestly, once he thought about getting another one of those steaks, he stopped asking questions.

After spending the afternoon lounging around with Bopp and reading a book, he takes her for an evening walk and then showers. Since he has time, he trims the scruff on his face and cleans up the edges, and then pulls out the one black suit that he has in his closet. He bought it early on, first to blend in while he was spying on people, and then to do the same at the few parties he's been to.

It's too hot for a button down so he just puts on a dark blue v-neck tee underneath and finishes it off with his one black belt, and his one pair of dress shoes. As he pulls his watch off of the dresser, his eyes linger on the black leather gloves sitting in the top drawer. Normally, he'd wear then to cover his hand if he was dressing up and he pauses for a moment, looking down at his prosthetic and flexing his black and gold fingers. He swallows hard and then shuts the drawer, turning to look at himself in the mirror and smoothing his hair back with his hand.

"Ah, ah. Don't touch me. You'll get fur everywhere," he says as he hops out of Bopp's reach, turning to rub her behind the ears. "I'll be back."

It isn't too far to the steakhouse and the heat of the day is starting to burn away, so Bucky walks. He even whistles to himself a little on the way until someone looks at him and he realizes what he's doing. It makes him chuckle and he shakes his head, pulling his phone out of his pocket to compose a text.

I'm outside.

Comments

[semi_stable]

Bopp does her business and after Bucky tosses the plastic bag into the trash, he lets her frolic for a bit and ducks into the park’s little restroom to take care of his own business, trusting her not to run off.

After washing his hands, he comes out to find Bopp jogging up to him with a stick she found, and he throws it clear across the grassy area, watching her run after it. Maybe he should think about moving, for her sake. Keeping her cooped up in an apartment when she so obviously likes being outside feels a little cruel.

He could think the same for himself, but he’s not innocent like she is. He doesn’t deserve the best there is. He doesn’t set out to get nice things for himself, but as he turns to look over at his apartment building, knowing what’s waiting for him, he can’t help but to be glad that sometimes nice things find him anyway.

“Okay, come on,” he says after throwing the stick hard enough and far enough a few times for her to be panting as she trots back up to him. “Time to go home.”

Bopp pauses at his side while he connects her leash and then trots alongside him as they make the short trek back. As they walk, he talks to her out loud, trying to convince himself that he can at least look and see what other housing options might be available.

They head back upstairs and when Bucky lets himself into his apartment, he smells fresh coffee and sees Loki sitting on his sofa, thumbing through the book he gave Bucky as a gift. It makes him flush a little, and he smiles as he takes off Bopp’s leash and steps out of his shoes.

“I’m trying not to read it all at once,” he explains as he tosses Bopp a few treats. His own stomach is growling so he passes by Loki, reaching down to pat the inside of his knee as he does. “Come on, you can watch me make breakfast.”

[thewrongpath]

"There's nothing wrong with savoring something you enjoy," Loki said, snapping the book shut and leaving it on the coffee table where he'd found it. Off her leash, Bopp trotted over and nudged at his thigh with her nose, demanding attention. He scratched behind her ears, giving her neck a pat as he rose to his feet and followed Bucky into the kitchen.

"Are you in need of an audience?" He teased, finding a place mostly out of the way to lean. The kitchen, like in every assigned apartment in Darrow, was cramped and poorly lit, but was functional enough. More importantly, the size of it meant that Bucky was hardly ever out of arm's reach.

[semi_stable]

“You did say that you wanted to watch me slave over a hot stove,” Bucky reminds him in a dryly amused voice, smirking over at Loki as he leans against the counter, Bopp trailing after to sit at his feet. The sight of it makes Bucky warm with an emotion that he isn’t sure that he could put a name to, but it makes him happy.

He fixes two cups of coffee, each to their liking, and holds Loki’s out to him before taking a sip of his own, setting the mug down so he can rifle through the fridge. He pulls out eggs, bacon, and butter for toast, setting it all on the counter next to Loki and getting out supplies. He eats a lot of eggs so it’s easy enough to get a few frying in a pan while he puts the bacon in another, looking over at Loki as he pokes at it with a spatula.

It all feels so domestic, like warmth and safety, from Loki watching him, long fingers curled around one of Bucky’s few coffee mugs, to Bopp laying at their feet in hopes of something being dropped.

“Do you like plums?” Bucky asks after carefully flipping the eggs, reaching out to pluck one up from his fruit bowl and squeezing to make sure it’s right. He pauses, biting his lip softly, and then looks over at Loki almost shyly. Sharing things about himself still feels strange, but it’s easier with Loki. “They’re my favorite fruit. I can slice up a few.”

[thewrongpath]

"I do recall saying something along those lines," Loki admitted, taking his mug with a murmur of thanks. It was a small thing, that they both knew how the other took their coffee, but in that moment, it felt rather momentous.

At Bucky's question, Loki nodded, giving him an encouraging smile. "I'd love some."

There was quite a bit of food he was still learning about, having never been exposed to it for one reason or another, but plum trees flourished rather nicely in Asgard.

[semi_stable]

"Good." He gives Loki a private smile, watching him for a moment before the sizzling of the bacon draws his attention back to the task at hand. They're small things, really. Favorite foods, how they take their coffee, how they look first thing in the morning. Small but personal, too. There are so few people left that know these things about Bucky, and it's nice to know that there are still people who want to learn them.

Bucky isn't much of a chef, but this is a breakfast that he makes for himself often so he works quickly and efficiently, putting bread into the toaster and then slicing up plums in a way that casually displays his comfort and agility with a knife. He grabs a two plates and puts everything together, eggs over easy, buttered toast, bacon, and fruit, tearing a piece of bacon in half to toss one piece to Bopp and eat the other, unable to resist the smell with how ravenous he is.

"As promised," Bucky says with a smile, holding one plate out for Loki to take. "A standard American breakfast."

[thewrongpath]

There was a comforting rhythm to the way that Bucky moved about the kitchen, and Loki allowed himself the enjoyment of simply watching him. The food, however simple, smelled delicious, and soon, his own stomach was growling with impatience.

"Thank you. It looks perfect," Loki said, with playful sincerity, and leaning in to kiss Bucky's brow as he took the offered plate.

"Where should we sit?"

[semi_stable]

The kiss makes Bucky smile softly and he leads Loki to the small table in what functions as his dining room. It's near a window and Bucky cracks it open while it's somewhat cool outside, letting in fresh air before taking a seat. Bopp follows them and lays down near the table, not quite begging for food but letting them know that she is available if they happen to drop something.

"She always gets me to share," Bucky admits, chuckling at himself as he picks up a picks up a piece of bacon with his fingers and bites off a piece. "I guess I'm just a sucker for a pair of puppy eyes."

He looks over at Loki with a smirk, gaze lingering fondly for a moment before he picks up his fork and cuts into an egg, pleased to find the yolk nice and runny. Maybe it's just a quick two egg breakfast, standard at any diner, but it's the first time that he's cooked for someone in a long time, maybe longer than he can even remember, so of course he wants to have done a good job.

[thewrongpath]

At Bucky's pointed look, Loki answered with a smirk of his own, settling down to his meal with a contentedness he couldn't fully explain. It wasn't the first time he'd been cooked for, but rarely had it ever occurred when the other person wasn't getting paid to do so. It felt like a first, which ought to have been nearly impossible for someone his age.

He and Bucky and Sylvie continued to find new ways to surprise one another.

"This is quite good," he admitted, polishing off a second slice of bacon and reaching for his toast, tearing it into pieces which could be dipped into the perfectly runny yolk of his egg.

[semi_stable]

"I'll make them whenever you decide you want to put out," Bucky tells him, and even though the words are crude, his tone is warm and fond. It's just so much easier to say it that way than to tell Loki that he'll make these eggs whenever he spends the night, and to please feel free to do so whenever he'd like.

He knows that this won't happen all the time. Loki has his own home, has Sylvie to share a bed with, has his own life to live. But every so often, maybe he'll stay, and Bucky will always make sure to have things to make for breakfast.

"But I do feel like that's high praise coming from you," Bucky says as he spears a piece of plum with his fork, sucking a bit of juice from the end of it before biting it in half, savoring the taste of it as he watches Loki sop up his yolk, getting yellow on his fingertips as he drags the bread through it. Looking at him now, Bucky would never guess that he was royalty, or a god. He looks beautiful like this, relaxed and without pretense, hair spilling across his forehead.

Bucky finds that he just has to touch him, so he bites the rest of the plum off of his fork and lifts his foot under the table, resting his toes on top of Loki's for a point of contact.

[thewrongpath]

"What about if I want pancakes?" Loki asked, eyes smiling as he finished off his piece of toast and sucked a bit of butter from the pad of his thumb.

Beneath the table, Bucky's bare foot overlapped his own. Loki reached for his coffee, intent on hiding his wider smile behind the rim of his cup.

"What are your plans for today, then? No more throwing knives at trees?"

[semi_stable]

“Then I’ll make pancakes, greedy,” Bucky teases, biting his bottom lip as Loki tries to hide a smile. He takes this as a sign to continue and slides his toes over the top of Loki’s foot and up under the cuff of his sweatpants, brushing his ankle bone.

“No, I don’t think so. For some reason, I’m feeling rather relaxed today.” He smirks at Loki and tears another piece of bacon in half so he can give it to Bopp, who takes it from his fingers very gently and then scarfs it down.

“I’ll probably just hang out around here,” he adds, wondering if the question means that Loki plans on leaving soon. “What about you?”

[thewrongpath]

"We're still getting settled into the townhouse," Loki said, stifling at smile at the little exchange between Bucky and the dog. They were terribly sweet.

"I ought to go make myself useful there for a bit."

Under the table, Loki stretched his leg a bit, giving Bucky better access.

[semi_stable]

Bucky finds himself disappointed by the thought of Loki leaving, which seems a little odd after how much time they’ve spent together over the past twenty-four hours. He should want a break, but instead he just wants to drag Loki back into his bed.

He tells himself that he can’t ask Loki to stay longer, nor should he offer to come help with their home. He’ll just have to be okay with whatever Loki needs to go do.

“Okay,” Bucky tells him, smiling softly and sliding his toes up Loki’s calf and then back down to the top of his foot, resting there. “Tell Sylvie I said hi.”

[thewrongpath]

"Of course," Loki murmured, finishing off his coffee and stopping just short of smashing the mug. "She's thrown herself headlong into decorating, it seems. She might even have a job or two for you."

Chewing on the last of his bacon, he admitted, "It seems I'm rubbish at putting together furniture."

[semi_stable]

“Oh, I didn’t realize that I had volunteered,” Bucky says dryly, even though they both know that he’d no doubt do his best to do whatever she asked of him. The thought of Sylvie decorating brings a smile to his face. It’s good that she has a place of her own.

“As you can see, I don’t have much of a knack for decorating.” His smile is self-deprecating and a little sad, but why decorate a place that doesn’t feel like home?

“You? Not good at manual labor?” Bucky asks, as if he’s shocked by the news. “Oh, my stars and garters.”

[thewrongpath]

"Are you honestly saying you wouldn't?" Loki gave him a skeptical look. While Loki absolutely loathed the idea of putting the effort towards such thing, he would've done it for her. He knew Bucky felt the same.

"Do shut up. I labor just fine, when it suits me," he said with a smirk, jerking his foot out from under Bucky's only to switch their positions, his own toes slipping under the cuff of Bucky's sweats.

[semi_stable]

“I would,” Bucky admits, smiling wryly as Loki’s toes drag along his skin. It’s an intimate sort of touch, simple affection for no other purpose, and Bucky shifts his leg to make it easier for Loki, stretching it out under the table as he finishes his food.

“I know what kind of hard labor you prefer,” he teases warmly, picking up the last piece of plum with his fingers and eating it as he watches Loki’s face, licking juice from the pad of his thumb.

Once they’re all done, Bucky stands up and gathers their dishes, stacking the plates and hooking his index finger through the handles of both mugs so he can carry them to the sink. After setting them down, he checks on Bopp’s food and then washes his hands before wandering back into the dining room, unsure of what to do next.

He wants to lure Loki back to his room, try and convince him to stay longer, but it feels a little needy and that’s the last thing he wants to be.

[thewrongpath]

Loki remained where he was, pushing his chair back slightly from the table and twisting in his seat to watch the other man puttering around the kitchen. The easy quiet of the morning shifted, and Loki noticed Bucky's demeanor growing more unsure as he finished checking up on the dog.

When he returned to the little dining area, Loki reached out a hand for him, fingers curling to beckon him closer.

"Are you free on Saturday?"

[semi_stable]

When Loki reaches for him, Bucky closes the distance between them easily, grateful for some direction. This is all so new to him, being with a man, and also being in whatever sort of arrangement this is.

He wants it, all of it, but sometimes his footing feels a bit unsteady.

“I could be,” he replies with a soft smirk, taking Loki’s hand in both of his own and lifting it to press a gentle kiss to the center of his palm.

[thewrongpath]

"Would you kindly pencil me in?" Loki said, settling his free hand against Bucky's hip.

"We could see a matinee, perhaps? Or I could finally lure you out onto the dance floor. You've been very resistant, so far, but I seem to have worn you down a bit."

[semi_stable]

“A matinee, huh?” Bucky asks with a teasing smirk, reaching past Loki’s shoulder to put his metal hand on the back of his chair and twist it so that it’s flush against the wall and Loki is facing him. “Trying to get rid of me early?”

He looks down at Loki, shirtless and beautiful and lean, and gives into the urge to shift forward and straddle his thighs, settling down in his lap and resting his good hand on Loki’s shoulder.

“Dancing?” He makes a bit of a skeptical face and chuckles, sliding his hand up to the side of Loki’s neck. “You are good at wearing me down. I’ll give you that.”

[thewrongpath]

"Perhaps I'm looking for an excuse to spend more of the day with you," Loki countered, brow arched, a smile playing at his lips as Bucky settled astride his thigh.

"At the very least, let's get you inside, away from the food trucks for a bit."

[semi_stable]

“Ah, very smooth,” Bucky replies, but he can’t seem to help the soft smile that tugs at the corners of his mouth. He reaches up to touch one of the shiny black curls spilling over Loki’s temple and winds it around one black metal finger, holding it there for a moment before letting it spring free.

“I like the food trucks,” he says, but his protests are weak. He’s not a fan of nightclubs, but he is a fan of spending time with Loki. If he gets uncomfortable and genuinely wants to leave, he can’t imagine Loki denying him. Just like he can’t imagine himself denying Loki now.

“The ironically named Prohibition?” Bucky chuckles and then nods helplessly, thumbing at Loki’s jaw as he leans in to press a kiss to his forehead. “Okay, it’s a date.”

[thewrongpath]

"I'm sure we'll need to step out for a bite to eat," Loki assured him, tipping his head back to look up at Bucky and shamelessly leaning into his touch.

"Perfect," he murmured, taking Bucky's face into his hands and tipping him into a kiss, their lips meeting softly. "You'll let me pick you up this time?"

[semi_stable]

“Dancing does work up quite the appetite,” Bucky says in a deliberately innocent tone, as if that’s the only activity they’d be getting up to that could possibly burn energy.

Loki’s big hands cup Bucky’s face and he can’t help the pleased shiver he gives at the touch, eyes closing as their mouths meet. He deepens the kiss just a little, sweeping his tongue into Loki’s mouth and tasting coffee and egg.

“I’ll let you pick me up this time,” Bucky assures him as their mouths part, smiling as he rests their foreheads together. “Like a proper gentleman.”