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It had been a tough mission. The first thing Steve did when he got home – after giving Bucky a quick kiss – was have a nice, long, hot shower. He couldn’t wait to just fall into bed and snuggle up with Bucky.
After his shower, he walked into his room with his towel around his waist and smiled when he saw Bucky sitting on the edge of the bed, playing with his phone. Bucky still had his own bedroom, but he spent most nights with Steve. Steve pulled out an undershirt and some boxers to wear, but he let his towel fall to the floor in an obvious way, and made a show of putting the underwear on. He watched Bucky’s face as he did so, to see if he would look up, and maybe tell Steve he wanted him naked, but he didn’t.
Steve was a little disappointed. He wanted to fool around, but he always let Bucky initiate sex. He knew Bucky had grown comfortable with telling Steve when he wanted something and when he didn’t, or if he liked something or not; but Steve was still hyper aware of letting Bucky make every choice for himself, so he didn’t like to suggest anything.
When he was dressed, he crawled onto the bed, making sure to brush past Bucky as he did. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes as soon as his head hit the pillow. He felt the bed dip by his legs as Bucky moved closer. Steve peeked an eye open to watch as Bucky settled himself cross-legged at the foot of the bed.
“Let me give you a foot rub,” Bucky said. “You’ve been on your feet for hours.”
“You know that doesn’t bother me, Buck. Besides, I know you. You’ll tickle me.”
“I won’t,” he said sincerely. “I promise.”
Steve tentatively offered his left foot and as soon as Bucky had it in his hands, he tickled the bottom of it. Steve jerked his leg away. “Bucky! You said you wouldn’t.”
Bucky grinned. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist. I won’t do it again, I swear. Relax.”
Steve offered his foot again and leaned back, sighing in contentment when Bucky began to massage it. He started by taking Steve’s foot in both hands, his thumbs holding on underneath, and rotating his hands back and forth so that they twisted around the foot. He then slowly twisted them up to the ball of the foot and firmly pressed his thumbs in.
The metal of Bucky’s hand felt surprisingly cool and soothing. Steve no longer looked at Bucky’s arm as something tragic, it was now just a part of who Bucky was. It didn’t matter that someone had designed it to be used violently, Bucky used it how he wanted, which was calmly and sweetly. Because it was his.
Steve jumped a little when he felt something wet and looked down. Bucky had pulled out a bottle of lotion from somewhere and was smearing it over Steve’s foot. He could smell peppermint and it tingled his skin. Bucky held Steve’s foot up to his nose. “Mmm,” he said, “delicious.”
Steve laughed. “You weirdo.”
Cupping the heel of Steve’s foot, Bucky pushed it down towards the bed, pointing Steve’s toes at his chest, then he flexed it back in the direction of Steve’s head. He dotted his thumb around the bottom of Steve’s foot, really pushing hard. Steve groaned, he didn't need the foot rub, he never got sore feet, but boy did it feel good.
Bucky moved his hand up to Steve’s toes and pulled on them one by one. He wiggled them around, then pinched them and slowly slid his fingers up until they popped out of his grasp. He made a fist and pressed his knuckles into the bottom of Steve’s foot, twisting and pushing. Then he gave that foot a final squeeze and moved to the next one.
Holding Steve’s right foot in both hands, he stroked along the bottom with his thumbs. He moved his fingers up to the top of the foot and dragged them along the metatarsals, rubbing his fingers between each bone.
Then he settled the foot in his lap and massaged the top of it with the heels of his hands. He moved his hands up Steve’s calf, making circles, and then moved back down again to the ankle, making smaller arcs on the skin.
“You’re good at this,” Steve said.
Bucky smiled. “Well, I looked it up on YouTube.”
He positioned both of Steve’s feet in his hands, so that Steve’s heels were sitting on his palms, then he pulled the heels towards him, pushed them back again, and repeated the motion several times. He let his palms slide back up to Steve’s calves.
Steve had been lying back on his pillows, watching Bucky do all this. Seeing how Bucky carefully held Steve’s foot in his metal hand, while he massaged the sole with the other, so attentively, suddenly overwhelmed him.
The last few months had been so good. Getting to kiss Bucky every day, sleeping in his arms. And the sex. Wow. Steve never knew he could feel like this. “I love you, Buck”, he blurted out, before he even thought about what he was saying.
Bucky looked up in surprise, Steve’s foot still in his hand. He smiled and looked down. He started lightly twirling his index finger over the top of Steve’s foot.
Steve was embarrassed. “Aren't you going to say anything?” he asked.
“I am,” Bucky said playfully. He continued drawing on Steve's foot. It took Steve a while to realise what Bucky was doing. He was using his finger to trace words onto the top of his foot. I love you too.
“Oh.” He paused for a moment, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. “Really?”
Bucky laughed. “Of course I do, you idiot. Did you really think if I didn’t, I’d be sitting here massaging these big ugly things?” He held up one of Steve’s feet in demonstration.
“Hey!” said Steve. But he was pleased. In fact, he’d never felt so happy. He couldn’t keep the huge grin off his face.
Bucky tickled Steve’s foot again, for just a second, but held on tight when Steve tried to pull it away. He leaned down and kissed the top of it. But he didn’t end the foot rub there, he went back to thoroughly massaging every inch of skin on Steve’s feet, and his calves too.
Steve lay back on the pillows and closed his eyes. “This really is relaxing,” he said, and let out a huge yawn.
“I guess you’re too tired to fuck then?” Bucky said.
Steve’s eyes sprang open. “I never said that. Actually, I just had a big burst of energy. I don’t know where that came from.” He leaned up on his elbows, trying to look seductive.
Bucky smirked. He let Steve’s foot fall to the bed and crawled up his body for a kiss. “That’s what I thought.”