Call It What You Want: Home Series 1 (Trans!Steve and Pan!Bucky Summer AU)

Fifteen

As it turned out, Bucky did manage to burn the pizza rolls. Somehow. Luckily, they weren't burnt too badly and were instead just kind of too crispy. But that was okay. Steve enjoyed his food with a little more crunch. Of course, that didn't stop Natasha from insisting to make more the, "right way."

"You don't have to eat 'em," Bucky quietly told Steve as Steve popped another pizza roll into his mouth.

Steve's brows furrowed as he looked over at Bucky, still chewing the delicious bite size piece of heaven. As Steve swallowed the bite, he reassured, "They taste fine."

Bucky just stared at Steve for a moment. Steve adverted his gaze, but out of the corner of his eyes, he could see Bucky nodding. Glancing up in time to see Bucky directing his eyeline down to the plate of pizza rolls in front of Steve.

"Are you sure you don't want to have any good pizza rolls when they're done?" Natasha questioned as she returned to her seat in the red chair.

Shoving another burnt roll into his mouth, Steve happily, playfully, corrected Natasha, "These are the good ones."

Natasha rolled her eyes before linking her fingers together on the table. Evaluating Bucky as she interrogated, "So, what's it like being a genius?"

"What? I'm not -- no, I'm... I'm, uh, not," Bucky nervously chuckled. His brows furrowing as he asked, "Why would you think that?"

"Because you're a genius," Clint stated, reaching over to take a pizza roll off Steve's plate. As he chewed the roll, his face twisted in disgust and he joked, "How can you eat these? They're awful!"

Steve shrugged, ate another pizza roll. Peeking a glance at Bucky to find him blushing. Bucky caught Steve and quietly tried to defend himself, "I'm not a genius. Really, I'm not. The furthest thing from one."

Clint rolled his eyes and shook his head while mouthing, "Don't listen to him." Then he lifted his hands and moved them around his head as though he was gesturing that Bucky had a big brain.

Smiling, Steve popped another one into his mouth. Unintentionally attracting Bucky's attention to his mouth in the process. Butterflies started fluttering in Steve's stomach, but he couldn't take his eyes off the handsome brunet in front of him. Even if Bucky couldn't keep his gaze on Steve and bashfully ducked his head while his high cheekbones started to turn pink.

Well, until a loud clang came from behind him. Bucky's gaze flittered around Steve and Steve turned to look behind himself. There, Steve spotted Sam picking up the pans that had been knocked onto the floor while Brock stood there, laughing. Shaking her head, Natasha stood from the table. Making sure that her black flannel pajama shorts wouldn't reveal anything, before dropping to pick up the pans along with Sam.

Since Natasha was helping, Brock dropped down too. Steve narrowed his eyes as he studied Brock. Suspicious that Brock was only helping in hopes of winning Natasha over. Or to possibly try to see up her sleep shorts.

"What's going on?" Winifred questioned, surprising everyone with her sudden appearance.

"Sam knocked over some pans," Brock claimed.

Winifred's brows furrowed and she walked around the large kitchen island to find Sam, Natasha, and Brock. Closing her eyes, Winifred took in a deep breath before turning and heading out of the kitchen. Grabbing a couple of the burnt pizza rolls and blowing kisses to Sam and Bucky on his way across the living room and to the room across from the guest room.

"You know," Natasha started, standing up, "You shouldn't blame things on your friends."

"What?!" Brock chuckled incredulously, standing up as well. He pointed over at Sam and accused, "He did do it!"

"Right," Clint scoffed, sarcastically agreed. Leaning towards Steve, he asked, "Can you believe him?"

A smile stretched across Steve's face and he shook his head as he turned back to look at Sam as Sam mocked, "That's me. Sam "Butterfinger" Barnes."

Natasha laughed at that. A big hardy laugh, that was possibly too loud and inappropriate, but it was the nicest sound that Steve had heard from her in a while. Sure, Steve was privy to the occasional giggle and snort. But this was different. This had been missing since Sarina got sick. This was home. And Steve didn't care if it woke the whole house up. It had been long overdue. Steve would sell his soul if it meant that Natasha could be happy again. But for now, Steve would simply take it as a sign that this summer could be amazing.