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

Twenty-Nine

"Is it always this hot?" Natasha complained, wiping the sweat from her forehead and effectively causing her choppy bangs to stick straight up. Not that she minded as she started painting the top coat on Bucky's toenails.

"Well, it is summer," Bucky chuckled, laying on his back on the deck with one arm behind his head and the other resting easily on his stomach. His brown locks attractively mussed despite the strands that were sticking to the back of his neck due to his sweat.

"It is summer," Natasha mocked, playfully pinching Bucky's ankle.

"Hey," Bucky complained with a chuckle, lifting his head from his arm and looked down at her. Natasha childishly stuck her tongue out at him and wiped at the sweat on her forehead again while Bucky pushed the slipping sunglasses back up his nose. As Bucky returned his head to his arm, he turned to look over at Steve and asked, "She always like this?"

Steve smirked and ducked his head as he laid on his stomach, working on a new sketch. Casually kicking his legs, trying to focus on that movement rather than on the way his heart stuttered from Bucky opening up just a little bit more. As they got to know each other just a little more. Steve knew that if Bucky hadn't been so observant, and wasn't watching him sketch, he'd sketch Bucky in that moment. Bucky was too pretty not to.

And although Steve wanted to do nothing more than to fill up his sketchbook with Bucky, he refrained. Instead, he drew the backyard and the overfilling flower boxes that held such beautiful plants that they could almost be considered as beautiful as the boy in front of him. Almost.

Lightly sketching, Steve looked up and noticed that Bucky watching him. Steve's heart stuttered and he tried not to seem too obvious as he purposely looked further past Bucky to the plants again. Fully aware that Bucky was watching him. Even though Bucky was wearing sunglasses that hid his eyes, his face was turned towards Steve and Steve could feel those ice blue eyes on him.

"This what you do? For fun?" Bucky asked.

"Do what?" Steve and Natasha simultaneously questioned.

Bucky smirked, raising to lean on his elbow as he looked between the pair. Reclining back again, Bucky chuckled, "I'll just take that as a yes."

Steve and Natasha exchanged a look before both ducking their heads and getting back to their separate projects. Glancing up, Steve realized that Bucky was still facing him and a chill shot down Steve's spine. A slow smile stretched at Bucky's lips as he rolled his head to face the sky again. Steve's eyes stayed on Bucky and he spotted that his eyes were closed, making Steve feel like a complete dumbass.

"For real though," Natasha started. Practically whining as she complained, "How do you even survive here?"

Casually, Bucky shrugged his left shoulder as he chuckled, "It's summer."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Natasha scoffed, pinching Bucky's ankle again.

"She always like this?" Bucky repeated, rolling his head to look at Steve again.

Trying to fight his grin, Steve teased, "I'm pretty sure that you already have that answer."

"Yeah," Bucky dramatically sighed, "I guess you're right."

"He usually is," Natasha informed Bucky, causing Steve to roll his eyes.

"Yeah?" Bucky asked, intrigued, still looking at Steve.

Steve blushed and argued, "No."

Even though Natasha loudly answered, "Yup," making sure to smack her lips at the end for emphasis. Steve's ears were red -- he knew it -- and he shook his head in silent protest while Natasha bragged, "Stevie's a genius sprinkled with some clairvoyance."

At Natasha's words, Steve shook his head and dropped his head on his arm over his sketchbook. Knowing that he was blushing more than he wanted to be. Probably blushing down his neck too. Maybe even the bottoms of his feet.

"And he's modest," Natasha added, fanning air onto Bucky's toes to dry the polish faster.

"Yeah," Bucky agreed, confirming, "I gathered that much."

"Yeah?" Natasha questioned as Steve peeked up at Bucky. Bucky was back to facing the sky, but his left hand was no longer resting on his stomach. Instead his arm was extended, resting in front of Steve's sketchbook. Almost touching the sketchbook. Steve knew that all Bucky had to do was stretch his fingers out and he'd be able to touch the pages.

"Yup," Bucky confirmed and Steve watched as a smirk tugged at the corner of Bucky's lips. That simple gesture causing Steve to feel all cozy and warm, but not as much as when Bucky teased, "And a talker too."

"Right?" Natasha giggled, not being in on the joke, but still playing along as she feigned annoyance, "I can never get him to shut up."

Bucky softly chuckled and advised, "Cereal and coffee works pretty well."

Pressing his lips together, Steve failed at keeping his smile in check. Looking over at Natasha, he noticed how her brows were furrowed. It was obvious that she was about to ask, but Steve simply shook his head. Natasha studied him for a moment before deciding against it and turning her attention back to Bucky's feet.