Chapter Text
"Oh, I am heartily tired of hearing about what Lee is going to do. Some of you always seem to think he is suddenly going to turn a double somersault, and land in our rear and on both of our flanks at the same time. Go back to your command, and try to think what are we going to do ourselves, instead of what Lee is going to do."
-Ulysses S. Grant
Leaning forward over the saddle, Steve laughed as the cold wind whipped through his hair. His horse’s hooves thundered below him, and he could hear Bucky riding behind, about a length back and on his left. They hadn’t gotten out of Timely for a few days, and Bucky had been chomping at the bit to expend some energy. When Steve suggested they ride out to a canyon a few miles north of the town, Bucky practically sprinted to the stables.
“Come on Rogers!” Bucky yelled as he nudged his horse forward and shot past Steve with a happy grin on his face and his long hair streaming behind him.
“The hell?”
Steve leaned forward and drew up alongside Bucky. Together, they charged over the open space, side by side as they’d always been. It felt good to ride again, and it felt better with Bucky teasing and joking in a way he hadn’t since taking down Schmidt’s gang. At loose ends since then, Bucky spent more time at the saloon than normal, and he’d been taking his role as security for Natasha extremely seriously. In particular, he seemed to have taken an interest in one of the brothel’s new girls. To be fair, Darcy Lewis was beautiful and sassy with a figure that would make any man drool. Bucky seemed enamored, and Steve absolutely wasn’t jealous. Not at all. Except completely.
Pulling his horse to a halt, he leaned over his pommel and looked out over the edge of the canyon. It stretched for miles, and it took his breath away. Bucky’s mare pranced next to him, turning in tight circles until Bucky clucked. She stilled, then, and Bucky turned to look at him with the sun angling off his face.
“Not a bad view, is it?”
Unable to take his eyes off Bucky, Steve shook his head. “Not at all. Best thing I’ve seen in a long time.”
“There’s more to come. Right, Stevie? In a few months, we can ride out of here. Aren’t you ready?”
“Course, I’m ready,” he replied, his heart constricting at the hopeful expression on Bucky’s handsome face. “Can’t wait to work a claim out there. Don’t you think striking it rich is on my mind?”
Narrowing his eyes, Bucky stuck out his tongue. “No. No, Rogers, I don’t. Money’s never held much use for you, has it? Honor. Duty. Courage. Those are what you’re worried about almost all the time, not gold.”
“Well…”
“Gold’s what I want, isn’t it? I can work the land and find nuggets the size of my hand.”
Grinning at Bucky’s fantasies, Steve asked, “And what would you do with all that gold?”
“Build you a big house. Buy you all the paints you’ll ever need. Make sure you never want for anything again.”
Hiding a pleased smile, Steve glanced to the west, right into the sunset. “Gonna make me a kept man, Buck? What will the ladies say?”
“They’ll say, ‘There’s that Captain Rogers. Look how handsome. So striking in that suit.’”
“A suit? You’re gonna dress me up? That’s a little like putting lipstick on a pig, isn’t it?”
“But you’ll be the prettiest guy in all the land.”
“Okay, you can stop now. I’m not your girl.”
Reaching over, Bucky clapped him on the shoulder and waited for Steve to look at him. When he did, Bucky winked. “No, Stevie. You’re more important than any girl I’ve ever had. Always have been.”
Pleased, Steve ducked his head and allowed the silence to surround them. Wind whipped, and the horses shifted. Otherwise, everything was quiet, almost eerily so. It smelled like snow, which made him want to scream. They’d been in Timely for so long, putting their new life on hold while waiting for the weather to clear. If he was this impatient to head west, Bucky had to be coming out of his skin with the delay. He’d been dreaming of California for much longer than Steve had.
“Smells like snow.”
“I know.”
“Might delay our leaving again.”
“I know that, too.”
Hoping not to upset him anymore than necessary, Steve spoke slowly but deliberately. “I reckon we can’t leave earlier than April, as it is. That’s another…”
“Two months.”
“You gonna be okay with that?”
Leveling a gaze at him, Bucky shrugged. “Is there anything I can do about it?”
“Not likely.”
“Then, I’ll probably survive. Besides, I can’t ever really get bored with you by my side. Race you back.”
With that, he pulled the reins and dug in his heels. Shooting off toward town, Bucky cut a dashing figure. Ass bouncing in the saddle, back straight, shoulders broad and strong, he seemed invincible. If not for the missing arm, Steve was sure no one could ever best him.
Bucky had a good head start before Steve had the wherewithal to follow. Spurring his horse, he chased his best friend with a grin on his face that belied his uneasiness. As they raced, the temperature dropped, and the first snowflakes began to fall just as they reached the stables.
Grabbing the reins of Bucky’s horse, Steve nodded for him to head to the saloon. He wanted a few minutes to compose himself before he joined Bucky. “Go see your girl,” he told Bucky as he walked the horses into their stalls.
“She’s not my girl.”
“More yours than mine. Besides, I’m sure Natasha could use your help. The cold’s going to drive all sorts of people to the brothel tonight. You’ll probably have your hands—hand—full.”
“According to you, I’ll have my hand full of Darcy.”
Snorting at Bucky’s crude observation, he unbuckled the saddle of his horse and waved him off. Once Bucky left the stable, he put his head down on his horse’s back and inhaled deeply.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Clint said as he exited the tack room.
Groaning, Steve lifted his head and rolled his eyes. “I’m so tired of winter.”
“What’s wrong with winter? It’s been pretty mild.”
“When will the passes be open? We want to get to California as soon as we can.”
Clint sauntered over and took the saddle from Steve. “You really in that much of a hurry? I thought you and Barnes were fitting in pretty well here.”
“Fitting in doesn’t mean that we’re home.”
“Is that what you two are looking for? A home?”
Blushing furiously, Steve shook his head. “It’s not like that, Barton. We’ve lived in each other’s pockets since we were kids. Brothers in arms and all that. All three of them.”
“I’m not suggesting anything. I’m just asking if that’s what you two are planning? Setting up a homestead together? Or a claim? Not sure where you’re headed.” Clint joined Steve in wiping down the two horses. “Either way, I can understand why you want to get started as soon as possible. Living in between for too long is no fun. With Barnes’ arm and being at war, I’d guess you’ve been unsettled for a long time. So has he. Makes sense that you want to give him a stable life.”
“So, when will the passes be open?” he asked quietly.
“Give it another two months. Maybe six weeks if the weather holds. You can get out of here then.” Taking the brush out of Steve’s hand, Clint grasped him on the shoulder. “If I don’t remember to tell you later, best of luck. Now, go. Get out of here. Go find Sergeant Barnes.”
When Steve pushed into the saloon, the first thing he saw was Bucky with Darcy on his lap. Grin on his face and whiskey in his hand, Bucky looked at Darcy like she lit up his world. Sick to his stomach, Steve turned to leave the saloon before he did something stupid.
By the time Bucky crept back into their room, Steve had worked through his anger and sadness and was well into denial. He had no reason to be upset about Darcy. Bucky and he were nothing to each other besides best friends. If Bucky found a woman, then that was no business of his.
“I thought you’d be asleep.”
“I’m watching the snow,” Steve answered quietly from his perch by the window.
“It’s pretty. If it wasn’t keeping us here, it’d be even nicer.”
Steve heard the tinkle of Bucky’s belt buckle and forced himself to turn around. No matter how many times it happened, Bucky in his skivvies still made his heart jump into his throat. Obviously, he’d had a few whiskeys at the saloon because Bucky’s cheeks were an adorable pink that made his pale eyes sparkle like silver.
Only your friend. Just a friend.
He repeated that to himself multiple times, but his heart didn’t get the memo. When Bucky pulled back the quilt and climbed into bed, Steve fisted his hands in an attempt to remain calm.
“You coming to bed? It’s cold as shit in here.”
Nodding carefully, Steve crossed the room in three strides and climbed into bed next to Bucky. Bucky shifted immediately, snuggling into his side and tucking his head into the crook of Steve’s neck.
“You’re always so warm,” he murmured. “I hate the cold. Always hated the cold. Wouldn’t mind being snowed in, though.”
“You wouldn’t?”
“No. Not with you. You remember the blizzard we had in Brooklyn back when we were kids? We had so much fun throwing snowballs and building forts in the streets before it melted.” Chuckling softly, Bucky sighed, “That’s one of my favorite memories from childhood. You were so tiny, almost up to your ears in the drifts, but you could sling a snowball like a champ.”
Heart fond, Steve nudged into Bucky with his chin. “That was a lot of fun. Maybe we could recreate it tomorrow. If there’s enough snow. I haven’t made a snowball in a long time.”
Bucky grunted, but it was obvious he was well on his way to deep sleep. Although it had been a long day, Steve couldn’t follow. Instead, he watched the snow fall through the curtains and cradled Bucky against his chest when he whimpered in his sleep. The flakes grew fatter and heavier throughout the night, and finally lulled Steve to sleep a few hours before sunrise.
When he woke, he could feel Bucky in his arms and pulsing against his hip. Over the months they’d been sharing a bed, this had happened multiple mornings, but Steve had brushed it off each time. However, Steve wasn’t over the emotional turmoil of the previous day, and he decided he didn’t want to ignore it this time.
Instead of letting Bucky fuck against him, he dragged Bucky over his body and spread his legs to welcome Bucky in between them. For several seconds, Bucky didn’t wake and kept rolling his hips to grind against Steve’s morning wood.
Senses heightened as blood sang in his veins, Steve pulled the quilt up to cover Bucky’s shoulders. Outside of the cocoon of the bed, the room was bitterly cold, but Steve was hot beneath the covers. When Bucky opened his eyes and looked deeply into his, Steve thought he would burst into flames.
“Don’t stop,” Steve begged as a flood of emotions crossed Bucky’s face in seconds. “Don’t stop. I don’t want to visit the brothel, and I’m damn tired of my hand.”
“Stevie—”
Voice gravelly, he pleaded, “It doesn’t have to mean anything. Don’t make me pay one of the girls for something I’m so close to right now.”
“We shouldn’t—”
Thrusting upward, Steve grinned as Bucky’s eyes darkened. “We can jack off separately outside this bed, but it’s cold as fuck. There’s a foot of snow on the ground out there, I bet. Do you really want to—”
“Okay, Rogers. Shut your trap.” With a grin, Bucky muttered, “Talking so much, I almost went soft.”
“You are definitely not soft.”
Grinding against him, Bucky punched a moan from Steve’s chest. Eyes locked, they rocked together, grinding against each other until Steve felt sure he’d die in seconds. Bottom lip caught between his teeth, Bucky rutted against Steve in uneven strokes. The rough cotton of their long underwear was nothing more than a thin barrier between hot, thick shafts.
“Fuck,” Bucky grunted as his hips jerked out of rhythm. “Stevie, I’m gonna…”
“Me, too,” he groaned in response. “Don’t you dare stop. Don’t— Oh, God. Buck. Christ Almighty!”
Shaking apart, Steve felt the spurt of wet heat soil the front of his skivvies. He wasn’t sure if it was only his release or not, but he didn’t stop rubbing against Bucky until he moaned and collapsed on top of him. Breathing hard, Bucky lifted his head. Looking completely dazed, Bucky blinked at him a dozen times before rolling onto his side and panting for several minutes.
Steve’s head didn’t stop spinning until Bucky groaned and finally crawled out of bed. Instead of cleaning himself with some sort of modesty in the frigid water from the room’s pitcher, he stripped naked and sucked in a breath when the rag he wetted hit his skin. Too stunned to do anything but gape, Steve appreciated Bucky’s lean backside and perfectly rounded ass. Even his missing arm seemed artistic as Bucky twisted and contorted himself to clean his armpits and his privates. When he finished, he tugged a clean pair of undergarments from his bag and dressed quickly.
“Your turn,” he grumbled as he climbed back under the covers. “Colder than shit. I’m not moving from this bed until I’m starving.”
With a pleased grin on his face, Steve washed himself as quickly as possible, dressed, and climbed in next to Bucky. Sometime in the near future, they’d have to leave to the room to rustle up food, but that could wait. Until then, Steve planned to enjoy every second of this private time with Bucky because the snow would melt eventually. When it did, things would likely change between them again. Steve wasn’t sure he was ready.