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Bucky had been rescued from Hydra a year ago and there was still so much he did not know about living in the 2000s. He had spent 70 years stuck in an underground compound and did not know how much the world had changed since the 1940s and in what ways.
When Bucky got more comfortable, Steve and him picked up where they had left off. Although Bucky still felt uncomfortable with Steve kissing him in front of the Avengers, he was happy to have gotten his boyfriend back. At least he still had someone from his past, from the 40s.
But this did not keep him from feeling safe in public.
That day, when he felt Steve’s hand grabbing his, he tensed a little. People would see them. They would get in trouble; Bucky could feel it.
“Hey, you okay there, Babe?” Steve frowned. His boyfriend had gone weirdly quiet.
Bucky could feel people’s gaze on them; his skin prickled. He felt like suffocating. He had gone through so much with Hydra, but he wasn’t ready to go through anything else just because he was queer. But he didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to bother Steve with his worries.
“I’m fine, Love, don’t worry.” He forced a smile.
They continued shopping for a while. Ever since he had moved in with them, Bucky had started working out with Steve and Tony. Not because he had a goal in mind, like a mission, but because he wanted to. Because he could want things now. Because the Avengers let him chose what he wanted or not. Anyway. He had gained some muscle mass and needed new clothes.
“C’mon, Babe, you need new jeans. You can’t keep wearing the same two pants,” Steve chuckled, putting his hands on his boyfriend’s waist, and kissing the crook of his neck.
“Steve, what are you doing?” Bucky asked as he pulled away from his boyfriend. “People could see us!” Panic was clear in his voice.
Steve smiled defiantly. “Well, let them.”
“Stevie, I— I don't wanna go to jail or— or be sent to conversion therapy.” His eyes were pleading him to understand. He loved Steve to pieces, but he didn’t want to risk his life with him to go to conversion therapy. Or go to jail. Bucky knew what people did to queers like him.
Steve looked at him with soft eyes and a sad smile. “Babe... things have changed since the 1940s.” He put a hand on his cheek. Bucky avoided looking at him. “Look at me, Buck.”
Bucky looked at him.
“It's not illegal anymore. We can hold hands in public or kiss and we're not breaking the law. I'm sorry, I should've told you before trying to kiss you. It's just— sometimes I forget that there are so many things that you still don't know about this century and I can't wait to show you.”
Bucky cocked his head. “It’s not illegal anymore?” He frowned.
“Uh-uh. And you know what? People like us can get married now. And we can adopt, and─”
“So… I can do this, then?” Bucky grabbed Steve’s face and pressed his lips to his. He’d been wanting to do this since the 1940s. It had been worth the wait.
“Erm, excuse me, sir?”
Bucky pulled away, heart pounding in fear. Though he now knew this was legal, it would take his body some time to truly get used to it.
A woman was looking at them fondly, a little girl by her side. The child looked at Bucky’s arm in awe.
“Hi, my name’s Katy, and this is my daughter, Mia. She was wondering if she could touch your arm? If that’s okay with you, of course!” The mom looked embarrassed by her daughter’s infatuation.
Bucky looked lost for a few seconds, before answering. “Uh, sure.”
He crouched so he was at the child’s height. He took off his jacket so all of his arm was showing, instead of just his hand. Steve watched him, in shock. This was the first time Bucky took off his jacket in public. After everything that had happened with the Winter Soldier, he was ashamed of his metal arm, and thought it would scare people away if he showed it off, so every time they went shopping, Bucky would hide it.
“Woah!” the little girl said. “It’s so cool!” She then took off one of her shoes, then her sock, only to reveal a metal prosthetic foot. “We’re twins, Sir!”
Bucky chuckled. She was adorable.
“How did it happen?” Katy asked, “if you don’t mind me asking.”
“I fell off a train when I was younger.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, I was trying to help a friend.” He glanced at Steve, smiling.
Mia put her sock and her shoe back on. “Can I hug you, Sir?”
“Of course.”
He wrapped his arms around her. He heard her whisper something in his neck. Hail Hydra.
“What?”
She pulled away, and took off her mask, revealing red skin.
“What the hell?” he whispered to himself.
Bucky woke up panting. He looked at Steve sleeping soundlessly beside him. He ran a gentle hand in his hair.
“Hmmm,” he groaned.
Bucky smiled. He was so lucky to have him. He lay back down and sighed happily.
The End