Begin Again: Every New Beginnings Book 1 (Mortician!Steve and Baker!Bucky AU)

Thirty-One

Following Bucky through the kitchen to the back of the shop and back up to his apartment. Vinnie hopped up from where he had been dozing on the velvet teal beanbag in the corner of Bucky's living room. Tail wagging like crazy, the Weimaraner approached the men and instantly started licking wherever he could to get some of that ruined frosting.

"Down," Steve chuckled when Vinnie acted as though he was going to jump up on him. And since he was the well-trained good boy that he was, he listened. So, Steve scratched between his ears and praised, "Good boy."

"I think he deserves extra p-u-p-c-a-k-e-s," Bucky spelled out in case Vinnie understood while he entered his bedroom.

"I don't know," Steve teased. For a moment, he just stood there. Awkwardly wondering if he should follow Bucky or wait there for further instructions.

Not even a moment later, though, Bucky returned with clean clothes in his hands. Gesturing towards the bathroom across the hall from his bedroom, he informed, "You can have first dibs."

"Thanks," Steve worried his lower lip with his teeth while taking the clothes. Trying to suppress just how powerful of an effect the simple brush of their hands had on Steve. Glancing up to see Bucky pulling the scrunchie from his hair, letting the strands cascade around his shoulders.

Bucky was beautiful.

And Steve was in trouble.

Not only was Bucky his friend. But Bucky was his engaged friend. What the fuck am I doing? Steve couldn't help but question himself. Aloud, he asked, "You sure?"

"Yeah," Bucky reassured with a small, private grin.

Inching towards the bathroom, Steve teased, "I'll try to save you some hot water."

"Showering together would help, if that's a hard issue for ya," Bucky stated. It took all of half a second for Bucky to realize what he said.

Sporting matching blushes and wide eyes, Steve was rendered speechless while Bucky rambled, "That was a joke. That was definitely a joke. I don't want to shower with you." Somehow, Bucky's blush darkened, and he continued, "Not that there's anything wrong with you. I mean, look at you. You're practically a walking wet dream." Somehow, Steve's blush darkened, and Bucky continued, "I mean, those shoulders? That beard? Those eyes? We've talked about how I had a thing for lumberjacks. Really, it was like a third gay awakening. The first being when I eight and I was wanting to be G.I. Joe one minute, and then the next I wanted to be with G.I. Joe. Of course, at eight I really wasn't thinking about liking anyone, let alone boys more than girls. With the second being -- And this isn't me coming on to -- I'm engage-- I'm gonna stop talking now."

Blinking, Steve tried to make sense of it all. More flattered by that disaster of a rant than by any relationship he had ever been in. Biting back his grin, Steve appreciatively questioned, "Thank you?"

"You're welcome," Bucky tensely confirmed, before awkwardly walking around Steve to the stairs as he suggested, "Please, try to save me some hot water?"

"I'll think about it," Steve teased, entering the bathroom.

Quickly closing the door, Steve rested against it for a moment. Heart racing as he tried to settle himself down. Only, he didn't want to try and talk himself out of Bucky's compliments. Although Bucky was getting married to another man, Steve wanted to believe that maybe if things had gone differently, he could've been that man. And more than anything, his teen self would've died from happiness if he found out that one day Jimmy Barnes, the track star, thought that he was attractive.

Forcing himself away from the door, and directing his attention to the clawfoot tub with the bumble bee patterned shower curtain. Just above the tub, a beehive bathmat proclaimed, Bee-utiful! Everything from the pale blue walls to the black and white checkered tile floor to the fluffy sunshine yellow towels, was adorable.

Steve hoped that Anthony Stark appreciated being loved by Bucky the way Steve knew he would, if he happened to be so lucky.

Instead of wasting any more time, Steve efficiently removed his clothing. Trying to gather most of it from his hair into the work shirt, Steve placed that in the sink. Only once he was naked did he suddenly wonder if he should've asked Bucky how his shower worked. Of course, then Steve wondered if Bucky would've even done so, considering how flustered he had been.

A smile tugged at Steve's lips as he thought back to it now. Hell, it made him so giddy that it even earned a twitch from his flaccid dick. Which, he really needed to be careful with that. But his crush practically admitted to reciprocating that crush, so sue him.

Luckily, Bucky's shower was basic and easy to figure out. Soon enough, he was standing under the hot spray while he lathered Bucky's lavender shampoo in his shaggy blond hair. Taking in big, lungful whiffs of the scent and trying to picture what it'd be like to wake up beside Bucky and nuzzle his face in those seemingly soft brown tresses. Wondering what Bucky looked like with toothpaste foam around his mouth when he brushed his teeth. Or if he sang in the shower. Or any other domestic task that others who had been privileged enough to witness probably took for granted.

Almost losing himself in his daydreams, Steve shook his head and quickly washed the rest of his body. After all, he didn't want to leave Bucky with a cold shower.

At least, not unless it was due to Bucky getting hot because he was thinking of --

Nope! Steve quickly dried off and chastised himself, Don't go there.

Nevertheless, Steve did want Bucky to think of him. Whether it was something positively filthy that would definitely cause Steve to blush if he ever found out about it. Or if it was simple, day-to-day stuff. Like passing someone wearing a flannel, and think of Steve. Maybe even try out a new cupcake recipe and wonder what Steve would think of it.

Sure, Steve knew that he was setting himself up for failure with having hopes like that. But he couldn't help himself. It was difficult not to fall in love with--

Just like that, Steve lost his footing and his stomach dropped from the top of the Empire State Building. How could he be in love with Bucky? More so, how could he not realize it sooner?