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"I don't want a lot for Christmas," Bucky 'sang' loudly along with the festive music playing on the stereo, the reindeer antlers on his head bobbing merrily as he danced around the room, belting out the lyrics.
"Well that's good, 'cos all you're getting is coal," Sam yelled over the racket only to yelp, nearly falling off the sofa, when the Winter Soldier hurled a candy cane striped throw pillow straight at his head. "And that is exactly why," Sam added with a disgruntled huff, hugging the cushion to his chest.
Biting back his own laughter in an effort not to get caught up in the argument, Steve dragged his attention back to the sketchbook in his lap where he was trying his best to capture the festive tableau in a series of little drawings he hoped to paint later. The communal floor of Avengers Tower had been decorated to within an inch of its life. Garlands and twinkling lights hung from every available surface, themed soft furnishings had been tossed about to make even the sofa look Christmassy and the tree itself, dripping with tinsel and baubles, was so large it dwarfed even Thor. To top it off, the whole lot of them were dressed in the tackiest jumpers they'd been able to find and it was just about the best thing Steve had ever seen, from Tony's light-up masterpiece to Clint's 'when I think of you I touch my elf' monstrosity, complete with elf plushie hanging pointedly over his crotch. Admittedly his favourite was Bucky's contribution, although that likely had as much to do with the man wearing it as it did the design. Still, the simple aesthetic was far more to Steve's taste than the garishness of some of the others, the plain forest green knit decorated with two short words, picked out in white, with a few woollen pom-poms hanging neatly below. Of course, the words were 'well hung' and the three bauble-like bundles of wool were set out to look like a cock and balls, but it was no less elegant in its naughtiness.
That said, Steve didn't think he'd let the team down with his own offering either. His bright red jumper proudly declared 'jingle my bells', and there was even a little gold bell swinging from each of his pecs, although he had to acknowledge that it wasn't quite on the same level as the pure filth on display across the room. Still, he didn't have a single regret over his selection, what with the fact that Bucky had taken it upon himself to follow the instruction quite literally every time he passed by. Of course, that did leave him wondering what might have happened had he chosen to buy the version with the bells hanging on a level with Clint's elf, but then having his best friend repeatedly reaching for his crotch would doubtlessly have prompted a physical response from Steve that he would really rather avoid in public. Besides, as much as he would very much like Bucky to jingle his bells, he wasn't overly hopeful that that particular Christmas wish was likely to come true and as such he knew it would be far safer to keep his inevitable reaction to the other man's proximity to himself.
Not that he really had any cause for complaint. He'd had a lovely day, getting a head start on the holiday by celebrating Christmas eve with the whole team before those with real families went off to enjoy the day itself with their loved ones. Of course, those who didn't have better places to be were still planning to spend the following day together and he knew there would be plenty more fun to be had, but even so, he knew this was the part that would stick in his memory: Bucky and Clint, drunk on festive cocktails, dancing around the room and singing at the top of their lungs, Nat, Tony, Sam and, somewhat surprisingly, Bruce, engaged in an increasingly raucous game of Cards Against The Avengers, while Pepper and Jane, watched by a clearly fascinated Thor, played a far more civilised game of Gin Rummy with an absolutely tiny set of cards that had come out of a cracker.
Grinning contentedly down at his work, Steve added a little more shading to the Christmas tree before glancing up just in time to witness Bucky knee sliding across the floor, before belting at the top of his lungs, "Steeeeeve!"
"Uh, yes?" he offered, wondering if he'd missed something even as everyone else stopped what they were doing to stare, only Bucky was apparently still going, because the next moment he was bounding back onto his feet to carry on singing.
"All I want for Christmas, is you, Steeeeevie," Bucky pirouetted as elegantly as a drunk supersoldier was able to, before continuing to repeat the refrain until it faded to nothing, leaving him to fill in his own final crescendo in the silence that followed. "All I want for Christmas, is," the other man crossed the room, voice going low and sultry as he leaned down over him, "You," Bucky breathed, giving his left bell a jingle before turning on his heel and sauntering off, leaving Steve reeling behind him.
--
If he'd expected anything else from the moment, he was sorely mistaken. Bucky and Clint were already well into their rendition of It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year by the time Steve's nipple had stopped tingling and though his oldest friend didn't exactly ignore him, he didn't give him any special attention either, far too busy 'ding dong'ing loudly. In fact, if it wasn't for the way everyone else kept side-eyeing him, he might have thought he'd imagined the whole thing, because Bucky seemed to have forgotten all about it, working his way through several more festive tunes without so much as glancing in Steve's direction. It seemed a little ungracious to be disappointed, but he couldn't help the way his heart had leapt at the sound of the lyrics, whether the other man had meant anything by them or not, so who could blame him for wishing for a little more in the aftermath?
It took another half dozen songs for his friend's attention to fix on him again, but as the sultry sounds of Santa Baby filled the room, Steve was almost certain he wasn't imagining the way Bucky kept peeking over his shoulder at him. It wasn't anywhere near as obvious as his earlier performance, but as the other man sang along, swaying his hips seductively to the music, he did seem to keep looking back, almost as if checking that Steve was still watching him while he danced. Admittedly his friend didn't go as far as serenading him directly, though everyone seemed to be waiting for it, each 'Santa, baby' earning a sigh of disappointment when it wasn't replaced with 'Stevie, baby', but Bucky still seemed to be performing specifically for Steve's enjoyment, adding in an exaggerated wiggle whenever he dared to look away as if trying to entice him back.
Still, it wasn't until much later, when the music had quietened, the couples (and Bruce) had drifted off for an 'early night' and the drunkards had started to sober up, that Bucky finally acknowledged whatever was hanging in the air between them. Even then, it was only to confront him over the way he had barely stopped watching his friend since the Mariah Carey incident, although Steve didn't think he had any need to dissemble when the other man had clearly started it.
"What you staring at, Rogers?" Bucky demanded, his tone brimming with faux bravado.
"You," he shot back unashamedly. "You got a problem with that, Barnes?"
"Of course he doesn't," Sam answered before Bucky could respond. "He's like a damn child. 'Steve, Steve, look at me. Are you watching me, Steve? I'm singing you a song, Steve, do you like it, Steve? Steve?'."
"Fuck off, Wilson," Bucky rolled his eyes, but there was no heat in it. In fact, the ex-assassin actually seemed to be blushing.
"It was a very nice song, Bucky, thank you," Steve declared, unable to resist teasing a little.
"You're welcome," his friend sniffed haughtily, taking a sip of hot cocoa and somehow managing to get whipped cream on his nose. Steve wanted to lick it off.
Before he could do something stupid like offering to do exactly that, the other man swiped his hand over his face, wiping away the mess and absently sucking his fingers clean. Admittedly that did very little to keep Steve's desires in check, his mouth watering with the urge to wrap his own lips around those thick digits, but he did his best to push the thought from his head, instead focusing on sketching a little cartoon of his friend, his mouth twisted into a pout as he stared cross-eyed down at his cream covered nose.
"Cute," Nat commented as she dropped down beside him with her own cup of cocoa, her eyes skimming over the collection of drawings covering the page, every single one of them featuring Bucky, "You gonna draw him like one of your French girls next?"
"Maybe," Steve shrugged, refusing to be embarrassed by his mostly absent-minded doodling, even if it had been inspired by his inability to take his eyes off his friend.
"I bet he'd love that," Sam snorted, poking his fingers into his mug to fish out a mini-marshmallow.
"You're just jealous that he never wants to draw you," Bucky retorted, stretching out on the rug in front of the fireplace before fluttering his lashes coquettishly in Steve's direction. "How do you want me?"
"Yeah, Steve, how do you want him?" Clint echoed, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Do we all need to leave?"
"Hey, fuck that, I'm not going anywhere," Sam protested hotly. "They wanna get naked, they can do it in their own living room."
"Sure, whaddaya say, Buck?" he offered, playing the game even as he wished the other man would take him at face value.
"No way am I letting him kick us out, this is a shared space, Samuel."
"Exactly, and no one here wants to see your dick."
"Welllll..." Nat contradicted, shooting Steve a knowing look, though his friend was too busy verbally sparring with Sam to hear her, nor to notice the way Steve's cheeks immediately heated in response to the teasing.
"You keep telling yourself that, bird brain," Bucky shot back, wrapping one hand lewdly around the elongated central bauble hanging from his jumper and leering up at them.
"You're disgusting," Sam grimaced, pointedly turning away and focusing on his drink instead.
"You're drawing that?" Clint interjected from his perch on the back of the sofa where he too had taken an interest in Steve's work.
"Drawing what?" Bucky asked without making any move to get up from his sprawl across the floor.
"You, fondling your... baubles," Nat informed him, her attention still focused on the page as Steve attempted to add a little texture to the woollen pom-pom in cartoon Bucky's hand.
"Wait, which baubles?" Sam demanded, looking for all the world like he did not want to hear the answer to his ill thought out question. "Actually, you know what? Never mind."
Of course, Bucky was never going to let that go, but whatever he might have said in response got lost as he suddenly jerked upwards, struggling to catch the cushion Sam threw at his head without spilling his cocoa on the expensive white rug he was sprawled out on.
"Behave, children," Natasha reprimanded them and Steve had to bite back a laugh at the matching guilty looks that crossed both their faces.
"Are you just going to draw every face he pulls?" Clint asked curiously and it was only then that he even realised he'd started another sketch, this time of a chastened Bucky, pouting up at the viewer from the floor.
"Well I'm not now," he rolled his eyes in exasperation as his friend immediately began contorting his features into as many different faces as he could.
Ending his expressive roller-coaster with a shit-eating grin, Bucky settled back on the cushion Sam had thrown at him before offering a cheeky, "Try and keep up, Rogers."
Opting not to rise to the taunt, Steve simply focused on the page, sketching out a little trio of cartoon Buckys, jumping and spinning and waving his arms around, before adding a single speech bubble above all three and neatly printing the words 'Look at me, Steve!'.
He'd barely even got the text onto the paper before Clint erupted with laughter and even Nat permitted herself a low chuckle. It was enough to have Sam craning his neck to see what was so funny and when he too cracked up, Bucky's expression twisted into a scowl, evidently realising that whatever they were all laughing over, it was at his expense.
Feeling a little guilty at that, Steve added one final touch to the drawing, sketching his own face in the corner with hearts for eyes, before tearing out the picture and folding it into a paper plane. It wasn't his best effort and when he threw it at Bucky it veered off at the last minute, crashing onto the rug a couple of feet from where his friend was lounging, but it took little effort for the other man to stretch out an arm to grab it, carefully unfolding the page to see the drawing.
He didn't look up for a long minute and this time Steve couldn't even begin to read the expression on his face, but when he finally raised his eyes from the page, all he said was "Cute," before tucking the picture into his pocket and returning his attention to the last of his cocoa.
"He's going to have that framed and on the wall by New Years," Sam assured him, not seeming remotely perturbed by the glare that earned him.
"He'll have to find space for it first," Steve pointed out, smiling as he contemplated the mini art gallery that was his best friend's bedroom.
"I'll just take down the one of you," Bucky retorted, the threat so well worn by now that Steve could practically see the stuffing.
"Uhuh, sure," he bantered back, "I'll believe that when I see it."
"You just wait."
"Ooh, burn," Clint interrupted the back and forth, the sarcasm in his tone so thick it was palpable.
Bucky rolled his eyes at that, but didn't bother to argue, climbing to his feet instead and waving his mug at them, "Anyone want another?"
"If you're making," Sam nodded, holding out his own cup.
"Anyone besides Sam?" Bucky clarified, ignoring the other man entirely.
"Yes please," Nat lifted her mug, which was immediately whisked off to the kitchen.
"Asshole," Sam grumbled as he got to his own feet, stomping off after Bucky.
"So," Natasha turned to him the moment they were out of earshot.
"So?" he echoed.
"Are you taking Barnes to bed or not?" Clint elaborated before she could reply.
"He's just messing around, he doesn't mean anything by it," he reminded himself as much as he was reminding them, because his best friend was a flirt, always had been, and though Steve had often been his favourite victim, it didn't mean anything. It never had.
"He has a drawing of you, pride of place, in the middle of his bedroom wall," Clint pointed out.
"It's all he has to remember what I used to look like, he needs it when he has a rough night."
"And all your other drawings?" Natasha added pointedly. "You can't even see the wall, Steve."
"He's always had my art on the wall. Not like we could afford much else before and he said he liked it better anyway."
"Yes, because he likes you," she shot back immediately, the expression on her face making it clear exactly how much of an idiot she thought he was being. Still, that didn't make her right.
"Of course he does, I'm his best friend."
"He's not listening to us at all is he?" Clint sighed loudly.
"I'm listening, I just think you're wrong."
"All I want for Christmas is you, Steeeeevie!" The two of them abruptly burst into song, somehow managing to deliver the line in perfect unison without any obvious communication.
"Not you too?" Sam demanded as he walked back into the room, a frothy mug cradled between his hands. "Sorry, Steve, but I don't want you for Christmas."
"Good, because you can't have him," Bucky muttered, as he followed the other man through the door.
"Oh? And why is that?" Nat asked innocently.
"You know exactly why," he glowered at her, even as he carefully handed her a fresh cup of cocoa.
"And does Steve know why?" she pressed, lips quirked into an almost wicked looking smirk.
"He should," Bucky retorted, shooting him a speaking look, before crossing the room to curl up by himself on one of the armchairs.
"See?" Clint whispered meaningfully and Steve didn't want to let himself believe, not when there was every chance he could get his heart trampled if he turned out to be wrong, but...
Beside him, Natasha started humming Mariah Carey under her breath.
Was it possible, he wondered as he absently started on another sketch of his own Christmas wish; a glittering tree with the perfect gift underneath... Bucky Barnes, a ribbon in his hair and a smile on his face, waiting there just for Steve.
"I'm impressed you bothered with his clothes in that one," Clint commented and though Bucky didn't look up, Steve couldn't help noticing the way he visibly stilled, clearly listening to every word.
"That's the wrapping," he explained, watching his friend carefully as he added, "it's no fun if you don't get to unwrap your presents."
"Oh, I don't know," Bucky drawled, abandoning the pretence of disinterest, "I think I'd be happy with a gift tag." He finally looked over at Steve, meeting his gaze with an intensity that belied the light-hearted conversation, "Just a tag."
"Not even a ribbon?" Clint asked, still looking at the drawing and not seeming to care that he was interrupting a moment.
"Guess that would depend where it was..." his friend mused with a smirk before dismissing him again in favour of his drink.
Swallowing roughly, Steve tried yet again to remind himself that Bucky didn't mean it, but for the first time he just couldn't seem to make himself believe it. After all, if even Natasha thought there was more to his friend's words than casual flirtation then surely that had to mean something. Besides, the other man had never taken it quite so far before, had never seemed quite so earnest, and if Bucky did mean it...
"I think I'm going to turn in," Steve decided, tearing out his latest drawing before flicking the sketchbook shut.
There was a chorus of farewells as he got to his feet, but he barely heard them as he crossed the room, dropping the drawing in his friend's lap and forcing himself to wait to see the other man's reaction.
For a moment he didn't seem inclined to say anything and it was enough to have all of Steve's doubts flying back up to the surface, but then...
"Like I said," Bucky murmured as he tucked the drawing away, his voice soft enough that the words were clearly intended for his ears alone, "Wrapping is overrated."
"I'll keep that in mind," he acknowledged, just the tiniest bit breathless at the unusually blunt come-on, before finally turning away and heading towards the elevator.
As the distance between them grew, it became exponentially harder to keep himself convinced that Bucky really did want this. After spending so many years certain in the knowledge that they would never be more than friends, could one song and a few heated looks really be enough to turn their relationship on its head? Perhaps it was all a big joke? The other man flirting simply because that's what he did? Only if Bucky was known for being a flirt, Steve was known for being a reckless idiot and he'd wanted this for so long. If there was even the slightest chance that his friend was being genuine, he couldn't risk passing up the only chance he might have for something more, just because he was afraid. Besides, there was no reason he couldn't pass his own actions off as a joke if he turned out to be wrong, and if he was right...
Letting himself into the apartment he shared with Bucky a few floors down, he headed straight for his bedroom and the leftover gift wrapping supplies that he'd shoved into the back of his closet. Picking through the selection of trim, he selected five red satin ribbons of various lengths and a silver gift tag, cut into the shape of a star. Neatly printing the words 'For Bucky' on the reverse of the shiny card, he took his haul over to the bed, setting it in an untidy heap on the nightstand before getting to work on his clothes.
In a matter of moments he had stripped down to his skin and settled himself on the edge of the mattress. Pulling up one leg and then the other, he carefully tied a length of ribbon around each ankle, tweaking the bows until they were perfect before attempting to replicate his work on each wrist. It was a little trickier to get those right, with only one hand and his teeth to tie them with, but after a few false starts, he'd managed at least a semblance of a bow around each arm and that would have to do. Besides, so what if they looked a little wonky? It was the thought that counted, or so he'd always been told, and really, it was the gift tag that Bucky had prioritised and Steve could certainly use both hands to get that in place...
Sucking in a steadying breath, he spread his legs wide, picking up the fifth and final ribbon and wrapping it gingerly around the base of his dick. He was nervous enough that he wasn't even close to fully hard and he couldn't help being wary of tying the thing too tightly. After all, it was only supposed to be for the aesthetic and he had no intention of inadvertently giving himself a cockring, but at the same time, he didn't want it to be too loose and fall off.
After trying several different options, he finally managed to get the ribbon in place, wrapping the satin a few times around his dick before tying it loosely in place, threading on the tag and finishing it off with a neat little bow. Of course it looked a bit ridiculous, even more so than he'd expected, but he'd spent far too long on it to back out now and besides, though the thought of Bucky laughing at his penis wasn't the most thrilling prospect, he really would do damn near anything to make the other man smile, so... So, apparently he was really doing this.
Pushing himself to his feet, he gingerly crossed the room to the door, sticking his head around the corner to confirm the coast was clear. He was pretty sure he'd have heard if his friend had already returned home, but the last thing he needed was to be caught waddling down the hall in an effort not to disturb all his hard work and it couldn't hurt to make doubly certain he was still alone before he attempted the journey. Sure enough however, the apartment was dark and silent and a moment later, Steve was slipping out into the hallway and making his way towards Bucky's room at the end.
It wasn't until he tried the handle and found it to be open that it occurred to him that it might have been locked, but at least that was one worry he could brush aside as he crept across the floor until he reached the bed. Flicking on the lamps on each of the nightstands to fill the room with a warm glow, he climbed up onto Bucky's neatly made bed and tried to get comfortable.
There was a not insignificant part of him that wished for a robe or some other form of cover up, but his friend had been pretty clear with regards to his feelings on wrapping and Steve didn't have it in him to let the other man down, no matter how self conscious he felt. Besides, if he did turn out to be wrong about this, he was going to damn near die of embarrassment anyway, so he may as well commit to it. Except that, as he shifted and fidgeted atop the bed, trying to artfully drape himself across the sheets in a position that at least landed in the same ballpark as 'sexy', he found that he only felt increasingly more awkward and unattractive. Somehow, in his efforts to look his very best, he instead felt even more ungainly than he had since the serum had smoothed out all the sharp edges of his appearance.
Of course, it didn't help that he knew full well that if their positions had been reversed and it was Bucky sprawling out on his bed, wearing nothing but a few well placed ribbons, he would have made the whole picture look effortlessly beautiful. Bucky had always made everything he did look like a work of art come to life and Steve knew he didn't have a hope in hell of pulling off the sort of natural allure that his friend wore like a second skin. Still, he could try, and when the sound of the front door opening and closing was followed by the pad of approaching footsteps, he knew there was no time left for regrets.
Leaning back against the headboard, legs stretched out in front of him, he let his hands fall into his lap, the one concession that he allowed himself even as he forced himself to stay in place while the door creaked slowly open.
"Steve?" Bucky choked out as he stepped fully into the room, eyes wide as he stared at the sight in front of him.
"You, uh, you said you... So I thought you might..." He trailed off awkwardly, quickly giving up on explanations and instead simply lifting his hands from his lap. Holding them out to the side, he offered himself up with a, "Merry Christmas, Buck."
For what couldn't have been more than a couple of seconds, yet felt like half a lifetime, the other man did nothing, said nothing, but then all at once his lips quirked up into a downright predatory smirk and he began to move, prowling across the space between them like a wildcat on the hunt.
"So you're all mine huh?" his friend asked as he climbed onto the bed, settling on his knees at the foot of it and wrapping a hand around each of Steve's beribboned ankles.
"Mhmm," he squeaked as Bucky suddenly yanked hard, hauling him forwards by the feet until he lay sprawled on the bed in a slightly undignified heap.
"You moonlighting as Santa this year, Cap? Making everyone's Christmas wishes come true?"
"No, just yours," he managed to say, though he found himself thoroughly distracted by the mismatched fingers still holding on to his legs, rubbing light circles into his skin above the ribbons, "And, uh, mine, I hope."
"Oh? And what's your Christmas wish?" Bucky's right hand slid higher, stroking the length of his calf as he shifted a little closer.
"For you to accept my gift," he admitted, eyes darting unconsciously to the tag at his crotch.
Following the direction of his gaze, it was only then that the other man seemed to notice the silver star and with a raised brow he belatedly reached for it, lifting it delicately without so much as brushing Steve's skin with a fingertip.
He wasn't sure what reaction he was expecting; Surprise? Horror? Pity, maybe? Desire, hopefully... But when his friend flipped the tag over only to burst into peals of delighted laughter, Steve was pretty sure it wasn't that. Only before he could worry that Bucky was laughing at him, the other man had launched himself forwards, pinning him to the bed with the weight of his body as he captured his lips with his own.
The kiss was hot and wet and hungry, Bucky's mouth moving against his with a need that belied his earlier amusement and left him reeling. It wasn't quite enough to assure him that his friend wanted this as badly as he did, but it was pretty damn clear that the other man was at least up for something. Of course, Steve wasn't entirely sure how he'd put himself together again afterwards if this merely turned out to be a friends with benefits situation, or worse, a one off never to be repeated, but that didn't mean he had any intention of stopping. Hell, when it came to Bucky he'd always been willing to take whatever he could get, no matter that it wasn't enough, had never really been enough...
"Steve," the other man moaned against his lips, breaking him out of his thoughts at the same time as he broke the kiss. "Fuck, Stevie, where the hell did you learn to kiss like that, huh?"
"I'm not completely hopeless when it comes to romance, you know," he pointed out a little wryly. "At least, not any more."
"I know," Bucky assured him, his tone almost soothing, "You never were, you just didn't have the patience for the kind of girls I set you up with."
Steve didn't think that was entirely true. There had been nothing wrong with the girls his friend had dragged him on double dates with, they just hadn't been Bucky and with the other man right there to compare them to, it was no wonder he'd always found them wanting. Of course, becoming Captain America had certainly helped his romantic endeavours, but he suspected that the real reason he'd finally had a bit of success had had far more to do with being out from under Bucky's wing than from a few extra muscles. After all, it was no coincidence that Steve hadn't been on a single date since his friend had come back into his life. Not quite ready to admit to any of that, however, he simply pulled the other man into another kiss, thrilling at how easily Bucky allowed himself to be pulled.
He lost track of things a little after that, focusing on the embrace rather than letting his thoughts run away from him again and by the time they broke for air he'd mostly managed to forget his fears. He had Bucky now, hot and heavy on top of him and, if the hard length digging into his hip was anything to go by, just as interested in the proceedings as Steve was. He could worry about the rest later, but for the moment he had far more pressing concerns.
"Off," he demanded, tugging listlessly at Bucky's sweater when the fabric prevented him from getting his hands on the other man's skin.
"I thought you wanted to unwrap me," his friend pointed out with a smirk, making no effort to assist.
"I want you naked," he corrected, even as he fought his way beneath far too many layers to splay his fingers over Bucky's back.
"Then take off my clothes," the other man retorted matter of factly, and though Steve fought not to visibly react to the words, he couldn't help the way his cock twitched against his thigh.
"You could help, you know," he griped anyway, shoving at the material in an effort to drag it over his friend's head.
"I wouldn't want to deprive you of the experience," Bucky teased, though he relented enough to shift his weight, allowing Steve to pull off both his sweater and his t-shirt with one swift yank.
It would have been easy to get distracted then, with the other man's broad, muscular chest right there in front of him, but though he'd never been allowed to touch before, his friend spent enough time shirtless that the sight alone wasn't enough to waylay him. As much as he wanted to get his hands on all that delectable skin, he wanted to see the rest of him even more and without so much as a pause, he practically lunged for the other man's waistband. Tugging his belt free, he wasted no time shoving his pants down to his knees, until thankfully Bucky took over, kicking the clothing off the rest of the way.
"I'm surprised you didn't just rip them off," his friend mused, "I've seen what you usually do to wrapping paper, Rogers," and if that wasn't a challenge...
Grabbing a fistful of Bucky's underwear, he yanked hard, the fabric giving easily until it fell away completely, finally revealing the other man in all his glory.
"Huh," Steve commented absently as he gazed hungrily at his friend's naked body, "It wasn't lying."
"What wasn't?" Bucky asked, following his gaze and looking down at himself in confusion.
"Your jumper," he elaborated. "Looks like you're very well hung."
Bucky snorted at that but it didn't stop him from settling back over him, propping himself up on one arm as he let the other trail lightly across Steve's chest. "So you gonna let me jingle your bells?" he caught a nipple between his fingertips, tweaking it gently.
"I'd rather you sucked my baubles," he shot back practically on autopilot, the back and forth too ingrained to stop, regardless of the situation.
"I can do that," the other man agreed with a saucy little grin, leaning in to press a kiss to Steve's sternum before starting to work his way south, "You gonna let me wrap my lips around your candy cane too?"
"Mhmm," he hummed happily as Bucky's tongue dipped into his navel, making him shiver, "And if you're a very good boy, I might even let you slide down my chimney..."
"I'm not sure about the 'good' part," his friend smirked wickedly. "Pretty sure I'm gonna be on Santa's naughty list after this..."
"Well you can always sit on my lap instead," he suggested, "and I promise I'll give you anything you want..."
"Hey, I already told you, all I want for Christmas is you, Stevie," the other man practically purred and all at once the reality of the situation hit him like a sledgehammer.
"You really mean that?" he asked helplessly before rushing to add, "Because I want you. I want you so much."
"Yeah, I kinda got that," Bucky chuckled, reaching down to give the ribbon around his hard cock a gentle tug.
"But not just... This isn't just a one time thing... is it?"
"Hey, you know what they say. A Buck is for life, not just for Christmas," his friend informed him with a grin, "you know, cos a buck is like a deer or a rabbit or something and a pet is for-"
"I love you," Steve interrupted, beyond charmed by the other man's rambling and not even realising what he'd admitted until Bucky stopped dead, staring at him with wide, shocked eyes.
"You do?"
"How could I not?" he asked helplessly, the thought of denying it not even crossing his mind. "You're my best friend, I've loved you since we were kids."
"That's not the same-" Bucky protested, but Steve wasn't done.
"I've been in love with you since we were kids. I've always loved you," he said, voice as serious as he could make it. "I've always wanted you."
"Steve..." the other man murmured, eyes swimming with emotion, though whatever he'd intended to say never made it past his lips.
"Yeah?" he encouraged, hoping for just a little more.
"Steve," Bucky repeated, but then he was kissing him again, his naked body pressed right up against Steve's, and somehow it didn't matter that he hadn't said the words back. Steve knew. This wasn't a one off. It wasn't just friends with benefits. Bucky loved him too.
Wrapping his arms around the other man's back, he pulled him even closer, opening his mouth to the determined press of his friend's tongue and giving himself over to it. He could feel the heavy weight of Bucky's cock rubbing against his hip and the urge to thrust up, to get some friction against his own erection, was almost impossible to ignore, but they had all night and he had waited for this for so long. He didn't want to rush a single second of it.
Still, he couldn't quite resist the urge to chase a little something, and without any real conscious thought he spread his legs, encouraging the other man to settle between them, bringing their dicks into perfect alignment. It was enough to make him moan but rather than triggering a similar sound from the man above him, instead Bucky giggled, breaking the kiss and burying his face in the curve of Steve's neck in a mostly unsuccessful attempt at muffling his reaction.
"What...?" he tried, though he couldn't quite find the words to finish the question when his friend wiggled on top of him only to start laughing even harder.
"Your ribbon is tickling my, uh, baubles," the other man choked out eventually, still chuckling to himself as he shifted again, apparently chasing the sensation.
"I'll tickle your baubles," Steve retorted, though he couldn't quite keep the growing amusement out of his own voice.
"Mmm, would you?" Bucky purred in his ear, wiggling once more before pulling back enough to look down between their bodies.
"I mean, if you want?" he offered seriously, though it didn't stop him from flattening one hand over the other man's spine, attempting to pull him back down.
"Maybe," his friend acknowledged, resisting the pressure, "but I think I need to get rid of this damn tag first." He gave the star a less than gentle tug.
"You're the one who wanted the tag," Steve protested, trying not to whimper when the ribbon pulled tight around his cock.
"Of course I wanted it," Bucky assured him, even as he sat back upright. "I wanted to know you're mine," he paused to unfasten the bow, smiling fondly at the tag before retying the ends of the ribbon together and hanging it carefully on one of the bed posts. "Tied up with a pretty little bow, all for me."
"Tied up?" he echoed, his thoughts immediately running away with him, and at that his friend's expression turned positively wicked.
"Oh, you like that idea, don't you?" The other man finally stretched out over him again, pinning him bodily to the bed as he whispered into his ear, "You want me to tie you up, Stevie? You want to be at my mercy? All stretched out and helpless on my bed, for me to do anything I want with you?"
"Buck..."
"Yeah," his friend answered his own question with a purr, "You like that idea a whole lot."
"I like you," Steve couldn't help correcting, because sure the thought of the other man taking the ribbons he'd innocently tied around his own limbs and using them to tie him down was hot as hell, but he didn't need it, didn't need anything but Bucky.
"And you want to be all mine, is that it?"
"More than anything."
"Well then, I guess this year both our Christmas wishes are going to come true."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," Bucky breathed, "You're mine, Steve. You gave yourself to me and I'm not gonna let anyone take you away."
"Never," he promised without a moment's hesitation, after all, despite everything they'd already been through, here they still were. Steve defied anyone to dare even try and tear them apart again.
"Never," Bucky echoed, "Never."
"C'mere?" he tried hopefully, wrapping his arms tight around the other man's body and pulling him closer, though there hadn't been all that much space between them to begin with.
"I'm here," his friend assured him, "I'm right here," he finished, though the words came out half muffled against Steve's lips, not that he had any intention of objecting.
They kissed until they were breathless and then they kissed some more, clinging to each other the whole time as though, despite their vows, they couldn't help fearing that someone might try to pull them apart. Eventually though, the mood seemed to mellow, the desperate intensity of before melting into something sweeter as they exchanged slow, drugging kisses, their hands sliding over every bit of skin they could reach. In fact, he didn't even notice at first when Bucky's mouth finally left his own, too distracted by the feel of cool fingers rubbing circles into his thigh and the hot wet press of lips moving over his throat to register that the kiss had ended. Still, he was happy enough to roll with it, tilting his head to the side to give his friend better access and not even trying to bite back a moan of pleasure when Bucky started sucking on his sensitive flesh.
It came as little surprise when the other man opted to continue on his southerly trajectory, kissing his way down Steve's body at a slow but steady pace. His left nipple got a cursory lick, followed by a gentle nibble when the initial contact forced an embarrassingly pathetic whimper from his throat, but even that didn't seem to distract Bucky from his goal for long. A moment later he was on the move again, making his way down over twitching abs until there was no chance of mistaking where he was headed. Still, even knowing it was coming wasn't enough to keep him from crying out when Bucky's lips closed around the head of his cock, sucking lightly as he looked up at him, eyes dark and hungry.
"Fuck," he gasped helplessly, doing his utmost not to thrust into the wet heat of the other man's mouth.
"If you like," his friend smirked as he pulled back far enough to speak, though he pressed each word into Steve's skin. "You gonna let me come down your chimney?"
"I already said I would," he pointed out a little breathlessly, not even realising he'd spread his legs wider until Bucky huffed a laugh at his eagerness.
"Well if you're serious, there's lube in that drawer..."
When he all but lunged for the nightstand, the other man didn't even try to hide his amusement, but Steve couldn't bring himself to care. Not if Bucky was serious, because this was so much more than he'd ever dreamed he could have and the mere thought of getting fucked by his best friend was enough to have his heart pounding in his chest. Fortunately, and much to his delight, the other man did seem to be completely sincere and when Steve passed him the bottle, he immediately got to work, diligently slicking up a couple of fingers, before settling right back down between Steve's parted thighs.
"Tell me if you need me to slow down," Bucky told him as he pressed a tentative finger to his entrance.
"I will," he promised, though he didn't think it likely that he would need to, at least not any time soon... "But I'm not sure you can go much slower than this," he added when the other man still made no move to even increase the pressure.
"Impatient," Bucky retorted with a chuckle.
"Steve Rogers, nice to meet you," he offered in response, holding out his hand in greeting, because apparently his friend didn't know him at all.
The other man laughed harder at that, but rather than taking his hand, he instead pressed his face against it, nuzzling his cheek into Steve's palm, before dropping a kiss on the faintly calloused skin.
"Bucky," he groaned, using his raised hand to twine his fingers in his friend's hair and drag him closer. "C'mon, please?"
"Well since you asked so nice..."
The words were punctuated with the steady press of a thick digit, Bucky's finger slipping easily inside him and sinking in deep. It felt so good that he didn't even try to bite back his moan of pleasure, his hips canting upwards in an effort to urge the other man on.
"That what you wanted?" his friend questioned huskily, as if Steve's body language wasn't answer enough.
Still, he meant to say yes, but all that came out was, "More."
"More, huh?" Bucky asked and the words should have been a tease, only they were far too breathy for that and besides, the way the other man was looking at him made it more than evident how affected he was.
"Please?" he added, more to see his friend's reaction than because he thought he needed to beg.
Sure enough, Bucky's eyes went even darker, but at the same time, he gave Steve what he wanted, easing in a second finger beside the first and starting to work him open in earnest.
"More," he pleaded again when he couldn't bear to wait any longer, only for the other man to immediately indulge him, stretching his rim around a third thick digit and making him keen.
"Do you want me to wear a condom?" Bucky asked after who knew how long, once his fingers were fucking easily in and out of Steve's body and the both of them were left panting from the sheer anticipation of what was to come.
"No," he shook his head, not even needing to think about his answer though it wasn't something he'd ever done before. Admittedly it had been a long time since he'd needed to use protection for safety reasons, but even so, he'd never really seen the appeal of doing it without, especially when he was the one bottoming. Only he'd never had Bucky inside him before and the thought of having any sort of barrier between them when it wasn't strictly necessary... well he wasn't going to be the one to ask for it.
"No? You want me bare?" His friend shifted back over him, apparently in perfect agreement as he lined himself up without making any effort to grab a rubber. "You want to make sure you get yourself a white Christmas this year, huh?" Bucky added and for a moment the words didn't even register, but then...
"Buck!" Steve groaned, the joke so awful that it was enough to at least partially distract him from the feel of his friend's cock nudging teasingly at his entrance.
"Oh so that's where you draw the line?" the other man complained, shaking his head with faux exasperation. "I can come down your chimney, but I can't give you a little frosting?"
"What you can do is fuck me," Steve retorted, rocking his hips in an effort to remind his friend that they were kind of in the middle of something here.
"I can," Bucky agreed, only it sounded more like a question, almost as though he were asking for permission.
"I'd really like it if you did," he offered by way of an answer and much to his relief, the other man seemed to take him at his word.
"Gonna make you feel so good," his friend promised as he began to press slowly forwards, sinking into his body with an ease that made Steve feel as though he'd been made just for this. Not for war or for fighting, but for Bucky.
"You already are," he admitted on a gasp, "You always do."
The only response he got to that was a choked breath as Bucky bottomed out, stilling atop him with his dick buried as deep as it could go. It felt better than anything else he'd ever experienced and the other man wasn't even moving, but Steve didn't care. Hell he'd happily lie like this forever if he could, just enjoying the way they were joined together so intimately, regardless of the slowly growing need for more. Still, he did want more and the best part was, he knew he could have it.
Wrapping his arms around Bucky's neck, he tilted his hips, meaning to urge the other man on when something in his friend's expression stole the breath from his lungs. He looked broken open in a way he hadn't since the early days after he'd come home, but rather than the emptiness that had haunted his eyes back then, instead he looked as though he were lit from within.
"I love you too," Bucky suddenly blurted, the words seemingly torn from somewhere deep inside of him, "I love you too, Steve. So much."
"Bucky," he breathed, tightening his arms around his friend's body, "My Bucky."
"Yours. All yours. Always been yours. Fuck, Steve, I need... Fuck I need to move, please, I-"
"Do it," he interrupted the other man's increasingly desperate babble, "Give it to me, Barnes."
"Yes! Ohh..."
Whatever he might have said in return was effectively fucked out of him when Bucky pulled about halfway out only to thrust back into him with such force that it had the both of them shifting a good inch or so up the mattress. Instead, all he could do was brace himself against the headboard with one arm while the other slid down his friend's spine until he could dig his fingers into a firm, round ass cheek in wordless encouragement.
"Steve," Bucky moaned as he worked his way up to an almost brutal rhythm, "Steve, Steve, St-e-ve!"
And Steve wasn't quite sure how it happened, didn't even realise he'd moved his hand, but one minute he was holding on to the best ass he'd ever seen and the next he had his hand wrapped around his own cock, fisting it sharply in what little space there was between them. It was the beginning of the end then, not that he thought anyone could blame him when he'd waited what felt like multiple lifetimes for this.
"Gonna-" he started to choke out, but it was already too late, his muscles clenching as he spilled over his own chest without another word.
For a moment longer, the other man continued to move, fucking him through the aftershocks, but when Steve pulled his hand free, Bucky stopped too and that wouldn't do at all.
"No!" he insisted, grabbing a hold of his friend's ass again and attempting to urge him on, thoroughly uncaring of the way his messy hand slid over the other man's skin. "Don't stop, keep going."
"But-"
"Don't stop," he found himself begging, even as Bucky started thrusting again, picking right back up where he'd left off, "Gimme it. I want it, please."
"What?" the other man demanded, and though Steve had never seen his friend quite like this before, he knew him well enough to know when he was fighting a losing battle over his own self-control.
"You know what, come on."
"Say it," Bucky insisted, "Want you to say it."
"Come for me," Steve tried, "Fill me up."
At that, the other man seemed to choke on his own breath, but he was nothing if not a total fucking jerk, and even as he began to physically shake with the effort of holding back, he still somehow found it in himself to smirk.
"Say it, Stevie..."
"Let it snow?" he offered instead, doing his best to roll his eyes while still being railed into next week, but it was apparently what his dumbass friend had been waiting for.
"Merry. Fucking. Christmas," Bucky panted as, with one final thrust, he came, burying himself deep and rolling his hips in a filthy grind as he gave Steve exactly what he'd promised.
"Merry Christmas, Buck," he belatedly whispered back, wrapping both arms around the other man and holding him tight.
"You know," his friend mumbled into his neck, where he'd buried his face after collapsing on top of him, "I meant what I said before."
"You mean... You love me?" he asked a little tentatively.
"Well yes," Bucky acknowledged, the exasperation clear in his tone, "but that wasn't what I meant."
"Then what did you-"
"A Buck is for life," the other man clarified, and though he was clearly joking, there was a vulnerability to it that made Steve's heart ache.
Only before he could even begin to assure his friend that he had no intention of ever letting him go, Bucky just kept on talking and after that it was a wonder Steve didn't toss him right out of the bed on his pretty little behind.
"You can't just dump me back at the nearest Hydra base if you get bored with me..."
"You- What?" he demanded, grabbing Bucky by the hair and yanking none too gently, forcing his head up high enough that he could make eye contact, because surely he hadn't just...
"You have to keep me," the other man continued, expression wide and earnest. "You can't send me back for someone else to adopt if-"
"No," Steve practically shouted, slamming his hand over Bucky's mouth and cutting off the insane nonsense that seemed to keep spilling from it. "No you fucking don't. We do not joke about that. It is not funny. And of course I won't get bored with you. I'm not sending you back fucking anywhere. You're mine, Barnes and I love every stupid hair on your stupid head. I am never letting you go. You hear me? Never."
He waited a moment longer, staring determinedly into the other man's eyes before warily pulling his hand back to see what he had to say for himself. Still, for a second he thought Bucky was going to double down, or worse, brush it off as if it were nothing, but slightly to Steve's surprise, he did neither of those things, instead offering him a shy smile.
"I meant what I said before," his friend repeated, though this time he refrained from elaborating any further.
"I know," he offered in return. "I did too."
"I know," Bucky's expression suddenly brightened into a wide, open grin. "Best Christmas present ever."
"Pretty sure mine can give yours a run for its money."
"Nothing better than your love," the other man insisted, not even a hint of teasing in his tone.
"I beg to differ..."
"Guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one," Bucky relented, "and besides," he continued, his voice abruptly dropping into a low pur, "I can think of far better things for you to beg me for."
"Oh?" he squeaked embarrassingly.
"Mhmm... You wanna see how long you can stand being tied to the bed before you're begging to touch me?"
"Yes!" he gasped, the word escaping him without any input from his brain.
"Well then," his friend smirked as he began pulling at the bow on Steve's left wrist, "Merry fucking Christmas to me!"
And Steve could have argued back, could have pointed out that he was damn certain he was getting the better deal here, but perhaps he could let the other man have this one. After all, he'd already given himself to Bucky, heart, body and soul, so what was losing one silly little argument when compared to all of that? And besides, it was Christmas...
"You know what?" he asked, letting his usual stubborn streak spill over into his voice, even as he stretched his arms up above his head, making it that much easier for his friend to start tying him down.
"What?" Bucky retorted with an audible huff, obviously expecting another argument.
"May your days be merry and bright," he offered instead, watching with amusement as the other man's expression crinkled in confusion, only for understanding to dawn just as Steve added, "and may all your Christmases be white..."
To his immense delight, the words were barely out of his mouth before Bucky was throwing his head back with a roar of loud, unrestrained laughter, his whole body shaking with the force of his mirth. It was quite possibly the most beautiful sight Steve had ever seen; his best friend and the love of his life, naked and happy and right there with him, not just for tonight, but for every night following. If he never got another Christmas present for the rest of his life, he wouldn't care a bit, because he already had everything he could ever have asked for right there between his thighs, still giggling quietly to himself as he diligently bound Steve's wrists to the headboard.
All he'd ever wanted for Christmas was Bucky Barnes and somehow, after all these years, his wish had finally come true.