About Last Night: Green Series 1 (Pre-Serum Omega!Steve x Alpha!Bucky MPreg AU)

Twenty-Four

"Sorry," Bucky apologized once the Barnes family left. "I know they're a lot."

"They're fine," Steve assured, rearranging the books on his shelves so Bucky's would fit too. "It was nice having them here."

"You su–" Bucky cut himself off when Steve gave him a look. Instead, Bucky teased, "Yeah? You might not want them to know that. Then you'll never get rid of them."

Smirking, Steve joked, "The only Barnes I've ever wanted to get rid of is you."

"Ha," Bucky deadpanned. "Let's hope Squirt gets their sense of humor from me."

"Oh, bite me," Steve said in jest while Bucky tossed his head back to laugh. Steve rolled his eyes but loved the sound of Bucky's laugh over the soft sound of the radio.

"When and where, baby?" Bucky playfully replied, briefly ducking his head into Steve's neck. Rubbing his stubbly cheek over Steve's smooth skin, causing a shudder to roll through the petite omega and causing Bucky to pull back, chuckling.

Childishly, Steve stuck his tongue out at the laughing alpha, even as his cheeks burned red and he muttered, "Shut up."

Bucky just laughed some more. Steve wished that he could keep up a poker face of faux annoyance, but he couldn't. There was just something to Bucky's laughter that made Steve finally understand when people claimed it was contagious. The chuckles bubbled out of Steve whether he liked it or not and his hands went to his protruding abdomen as he did so.

As his laughter died down, Steve noticed the affectionate way that Bucky was looking at him and asked, "What?"

"Nothing," Bucky shook his head, but that fond grin stayed.

So, Steve moved onto the next box. Finding things wrapped in newspaper, Steve carefully removed one of the items and unwrapped it. In his hand, a small mosaic cylinder lay. The same colors as his key chain. Steve held it up and curiously asked, "What's this?"

"Oh," Bucky held his hand out for it. Brushing their fingers along one another's as they exchanged it, Bucky explained, "It's a mezuzah. You place it on your doorframe, and it protects your home. Or at least, that's how we've always thought of it. I mean, technically, it's supposed to remind us of our heritage and be a symbol of God's love... or something."

Nodding, Steve looked over the beautiful item, "Are you going to hang it up?"

"You'll let me?" Bucky's brows shot up in his shock. It was clear that he didn't want to make Steve do anything he wasn't comfortable with as he quickly claimed, "After all, it's more of a superstitious type of thing for me."

Steve's brows furrowed as he looked up at Bucky, "Superstitious or religious, it's something that's yours. Do you want to hang it?"

"It's your place, though." Bucky shrugged, "And you're a Gentile."

Playfully, Steve rolled his eyes and stepped closer to Bucky. Wrapping his arms around the alpha's waist, Steve reminded, "It's your place too. I want this to feel like home."

Bucky preened and leaned down to kiss Steve. Carefully, Steve touched Bucky's hand that held the mezuzah. Leaving the kiss short and sweet, Steve shrugged, "Plus, I like the idea of having something protecting us."

"Yeah?" Bucky asked. Steve nodded, and Bucky kissed him again. Around Steve's lips, Bucky said, "I'm gonna need a hammer and nails."

"You're in luck," Steve smiled, reluctantly removing himself from Bucky's warm frame. Crossing the room to the kitchen, Steve ignored how empty the place felt with the Barneses gone – along with his dining table – and opened the junk drawer. Finding an opened package of small nails and a hammer, Steve held them up and turned to smile at Bucky.