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

Twenty-Four

No matter how much Steve tried to fight the large grin from breaking across his face, he failed. Every time. Steve looked so idiotic as he sucked in his cheeks in hopes of not smiling. Looked like a damn fool as he harshly pressed his lips together until they were white as he desperately fought against his own body.

Even after the double movie feature. Even after Winifred woke up and headed out to the barn turned art studio. Even after Tibby woke up and Bucky made her chocolate chip pancakes and she took over the living room TV and watched Teen Titans Go!, which slightly worried Steve. Sure, Eddie watched it back home, but Steve had never personally watched it. But boy did that episode where they all turn into veggie zombies open Steve's eyes.

Standing up, Steve went to leave the room when Bucky spotted him and curiously asked, "Where ya goin'?"

"Oh, uh," Steve paused, pressing his lips together again. Trying to fight that damn smile again, but couldn't when he was looking at Bucky. Especially not when Bucky had a plate of pancakes in hand. Steve averted his gaze to look down the hallway that led to the other bedrooms and gestured with his thumb in the opposite direction where the guestroom was. He stuttered out, "Just, uh, just..."

Bucky looked at the TV and told Tibby, "Tib, let Steve have the TV."

"But Bucky!" Tibby whined as she stomped over to the table where Bucky set her plate of pancakes.

"Tib," Bucky softly warned before reminding her, "Steve's the guest."

"No, it's okay," Steve reassured. Both brunettes looked over at him and Steve said, "I'm just going to... lay down. I'm... pretty tired."

"Oh," Bucky nodded and said, "Okay. Sure. Yeah."

There it was again. Steve's lips went to quirk up, but Steve wasn't having any of that. Instead, he turned and walked around the short wall that separated the hallway from the living room.

Once he was on the other side of the bedroom door, Steve pressed his back against the closed door and finally let himself smile. Of course, it didn't last long. Especially not when Natasha nearly jumped out of her skin at the rushed way Steve barged into the room.

"Jesus," Natasha breathed, holding her hand up to her chest. Cigarette almost burning her hair as she held it in the hand on her chest. Taking a drag, she scolded, "I thought you were Aunt Freddie."

"You're not supposed to be smoking in the house," Steve quietly sneered as he entered further into the room.

Rolling her eyes, Natasha waved off Steve's comment and took another drag from the cigarette while she sat in front of the open window. Blowing the smoke through the window, she asked, "How long have you been awake?"

Steve shrugged, but he could feel the grin tugging at his lips again. Natasha took note too. Her brows furrowed and she stubbed out the cigarette on the windowsill while she blew the puff of smoke out, "What? What's going on?"

"Noth-nothing," Steve stuttered out.

But Steve was a shit-liar. He always had been, and Natasha saw right through him. Closing the window, she narrowed her eyes at him and pursed her lips, "We're supposed to be friends. Best friends."

Steve rolled his eyes and said, "We are."

"And what did we learn from Stranger Things?" Natasha questioned, crossing her arms along her chest.

"'Friends don't lie,'" Steve automatically replied as he grabbed his yoga mat from the side of the dresser and shook it out.

"Exactly," Natasha confirmed. Standing, she placed her hands on her hips, "So, why ya lyin' to me, Rogers?"

"Don't know what you're talking about," Steve sing-songed as he sat cross-legged on the yoga mat with his resting palms up on his knees. Starting, as always, in the easy pose.

"You're so full of shit," Natasha scoffed, playfully hitting Steve with her pillow.

"Actually," Steve closed his eyes and exhaled, "I'm full of nothing but relief."

"Okay," Natasha sarcastically stated, climbing off the bed and entering the bathroom. Returning with her toothbrush, she removed it from her mouth and said, "If you're gonna bone my cousin, just be careful."

Steve choked on his saliva, completely breaking his concentration and causing him to break his pose. Natasha giggled at that and Steve kept coughing, reaching up to grab a half-drunk bottle of water from the dresser. Steve eventually gathered his wits, and he said, "I don't think you have to worry about that."

"Why?" Natasha's brows furrowed. She walked back into the bathroom and Steve worried that her family would be able to hear her as she called, "What? Is my cousin not good enough?"

Quickly, Steve stood from his spot on the yoga mat as he shushed her. With his eyes wide, Steve asked, "Could you try to be any louder?! I don't think Goat Steve heard you!"

"Relax," Natasha scoffed started her makeup routine. "You know that I'm only teasing because I love you."

"Right," Steve rolled his eyes. Leaving the bathroom, Steve asked, "Just love me a little less, huh?"