Till the End of the Line: Our Beginning | Stucky Fanfic

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

1937

Bucky walked into the Rogers' apartment, looking just like it did when Sarah passed four months ago. He shuffled out of his boots and his coat, taking off his hat. "Steve?" He called, walking further into the living room. "You home?"

"Kitchen!" Bucky moved towards the kitchen, a small smile on his face. Steve was washing dishes, his sleeves rolled up and his eyebrows and nose scrunched as he focused on scrubbing the pots and pans clean. "How was work?"

"It was good. Almost done with it. I dunno if they'll want me on the next job," Bucky said sadly. He grabbed a rag off the counter and started to dry the dishes. "I also took the long way home, if you didn't notice, and I might have found us a place."

Steve nodded. "How much?"

Bucky shrugged. "Didn't ask. I just know that it may be the best place we can find. May not be in our price range, but I can scrounge up some more money, maybe pick up another job or something. I think you'll like it. I even met a man who lived in the building," he paused for a second before leaning in to whisper in Steve's ear, "with his partner."

Steve dropped the dish into the water and turned around to face Bucky with a raised eyebrow. "His partner?" Steve's tone was hushed, as if the walls would expose their secrets to the rest of the world. "How do you know?"

"He told me. Kinda. He hinted at it," Bucky mumbled. He shrugged and set down the rag, moving his arm to trap Steve in place. "Mentioned how there were mostly men in the building, roommates that keep to themselves. Then he winked at me and his eyes lingered a bit too long on my body. Felt kinda gross, if I'm gonna be honest. Anyways, he asked me if I was thinkin' about movin' in and then when I said I might, he asked if I had a girl. I was honest and said it was complicated, then he downright asked me - all secretive like, mind you - if I was queer." Steve's eyebrows practically flew to his hairline.

"He asked you?" Bucky nodded, a smile on his face. "What'd you tell him?"

Bucky's smile faltered a little. "I didn't say anything, just kept quiet. Figured that was safer than answering in the public. He didn't seem to judge me, though. Which is good. Then he went on to explain that the block and the one beside it were mostly queers. Like their own little neighborhood. He told me that if I did move in and I had a fella, no one in the building would judge us. That just about everyone was queer in the building and if they weren't they kept their mouths shut." His grin grew wider, showing off his teeth.

"This sounds too good to be true, Buck. I dunno. Maybe we should just find some place by the docks? It'd be cheaper-" Bucky shook his head. "What?"

"Stevie, I know we haven't done anything yet. But we're bound to at some point. 'Specially if we got a place for ourselves," Bucky whispered. Steve blushed, his blue eyes innocently wide. A smirk laced its way on Bucky's lips, his cocky, easy-going aura intensifying. It only made Steve blush further. "Hell, the only reason we haven't is 'cause we're in your Ma's house and the whole building knows we live here together. We don't need a neighbor hearing us and tellin' my Ma and Pops they heard us. They'd kill us."

Steve nodded with a sigh. "I know. But how can we trust these people?"

Bucky shrugged. "Dunno, Stevie. Maybe this weekend we can check the place out? Talk to the landlord about it? Hell, we can meet a couple of the neighbors. I think the guy, Mark, lives on the third floor. He said we can come over any time. Whatcha say, Steve?"

"I don't see the harm in looking at it," Steve mumbled. Bucky let out a silent cheer, pulling Steve into his arms and planting a sloppy kiss on his lips. Steve giggled and pushed him away. "I gotta finish these dishes. Start dinner?" Bucky nodded, stealing another kiss before he moved to get dinner started.