( He leaned back against Tony and sighed. Eyes closed, head tilted back ) Sorry about that. I don’t know where that attitude came from. ( yes he fkking did. )

( he stares at Tony for a minute, unable to help how insecure he feels — but he finally moves as he’s told, and sits down. Just waiting for Tony while he picks at his fingers )

. . . Pepper’s hair. Right. ( he’s totally not hyper jealous of that woman. . . ) You could just go play with her’s. Mine’s not as. . . satisfying, I’m sure.

( he snorts and shakes his head ) You don’t even have bows ~

Pig tails? Hah, my hairs not long enough, dork.

( he chuckled and held his hands up in defense ) Apologies. Please, mess with me ~

( boops his nose back ) Is that what you wanted?

( blinks and dead pan stares at Tony ) Hello, Tony.

|| would anyone like to rp?

How does one seem like a crunchy guy, hm? ( takes the bowl and quietly thanks him before he gets their eating utensils out and hands Bruce a fork. He then walks to the table and waits for him ) This looks amazing. It smells amazing. I’m starved.

Uh, yeah, you know… just us… a lunch date. WAIT — I mean — not a date date, just y’know, us together — oh god, like us alone — but y’know not entirely alone, we’d be in public — Just. Us. At lunch.

“Cmon, let’s get some food. I need to eat after this. All reared up in a fit,” he said and huffed, then let go and reached down to intertwine their fingers.

Oh, that’s too bad. Was gonna see if you wanted to go out and grab a bite with me. Maybe next time. ( smiles softly, kind eyes lingering over the other )

( he looked over and chuckled a bit before he took the piece and ate it quickly, a hum to follow ) I love bacon. Prefer it chewy ~ Got a preference on bacon, bruce?

“Yeah, so this wasn’t something I wanted to know.”

@geniushero.bsky.social JUMP ATTACKS !!!!!!

He nodded and then moved to hug her against his frame, wanting to be close for a moment. This wasn’t some game… people couldn’t play with them as pawns. This was 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 life together, and 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 got to choose what to do with it. They were not just coworkers, they were not just friends. Natalia is —

This was all…. A lot. He had never thought of this as being an issue, it just hadn’t occurred to him. That’s not the type of mindset he had about this. About life. It was stressful. “What do we do then? I’m sorry, but this isn’t an area of my expertise, Talia. Do we just not look at the media? —

How was he supposed to respond to that? He was quite literally the symbol of US freedom during a pivotal time in history. His whole persona had been for America and freedom. But Steven stood for what was 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙤𝙪𝙨. Things that were pure and proper. Her being treated like this was not that. —

He gave her a look as she said that, head shaking small as he got closer. Arms crossing over his chest. “That’s not gonna happen, dork. But what he just insinuated in there? That was wrong. I’m sorry you had to hear all of that, Talia.”

He looked behind himself for a moment as she walks out before back to Ross. “This is disappointing. I didn’t think you of all people would go so low. You need to get your head screwed on straight and start looking at the real problems we’re dealing with. Focus on sending aid to Sokovia. Better —

Steve stood up then. “Don’t talk to her like that. If we want to be public with our relationship, we will. If we don’t, then we won’t. We get to decide. Not you. Not the government. Not the media. I don’t give a damn what she’s done in the past, that isn’t her anymore. She’s an avenger. She shows —

Steve was putting it together now. They didn’t like golden boy Roger’s with someone like Natasha. “Wait — tell me she’s lying. This isn’t what this is about, right?” He was praying to God that they weren’t treating him like government property and telling him what he could and couldn’t do.

“I don’t understand why this is being brought up to begin with? Why is this a topic we are discussing right now?” he asked, his tone of voice changing to a bit more captain-y as his guard raised up. The man even sat up in his chair. “They can speculate all they want. We aren’t hiding our —

“Okay, we’ll stay like this,” he whispered.

Ah. That’s what they were talking about. 𝙍𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩. “We’re engaged, Ross,” he said flatly, just letting it out, “But our personal lives are nobody else’s business. Point blank. I don’t want my relationship flaunted and obsessed over by the media.”

Steve frowned a bit. He had given them so much reassurance for so many years. Why couldn’t they believe him? “. . . Bucky, I’m literally at the marriage license office with you. I’ve begged you to be my spouse for years. Are 𝙮𝙤𝙪 sure you want me to be your partner?”

Just before their names were called Steve flicked the spit ball at her, but then snapped his head over as if he had been caught! He didn’t even get to see where it landed!!! “Excuse me? What about us?”

He saw the look, and he didn’t care. He was enjoying messing with her right now. Y’know, they always say that the person you love most is the person you want to annoy all the time. And gosh was he being annoying right now. He picked up the paper ball she threw back at him and put it in his mouth.

“Up? You’re fine where you are, I love when you cuddle me, Bucky,” he said, “But if you want me to sit up I can.”

He didn’t react to her kick, but when nobody was paying attention to them his flicked another paper ball at her and hit her right in the middle of the forehead. He had to stifle his laughter into a cough.

He chuckled softly and shook his head. “You’re cute. This is just our separate informations. The clerk up there will make our marriage license up, and when we sign it then we’re married,” he explained kindly.

Throwing little paper balls at @nataliovna.bsky.social from across the room during a meeting.

He figured if Bucky wanted to fill it out they would, but he knew all the answers for it. Even their social number. “There we are, all done,” he said once he finished, looking at the form before handing Bucky the pen. “You just gotta sign your name.”

“I love you,” he reassured them, nuzzling in to get some Bucky cuddles.

“That’s right, no tugging on your hair. You’re gonna hurt yourself, Buck. I don’t want you doing that,” he said softly, “Good job on remembering that, baby.”

Well, that’s very considerate of you. ( he takes the pill while Bruce was watching, just to ease his nerves ) Alright, you’re gettin’ a real hungry super soldier on your hands here, Bruce. I don’t wanna scare ya, but I’ve been told I can get “hangry”. ( it was all said in a joking manner, —

( he smiled at how much Bruce seemed to care. gosh, he was so 𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙚 sometimes. it made Steve’s stomach do little flips. his eyes softened a bit as he watched the other for a moment, almost reaching to touch him but kept his hands to himself instead ) I promise I’ll eat something good, for you.

He helps Bucky into his lap with a little smile, trying to encourage them as he helped them up. “There you go, baby. I’ve got you. Daddy’s here.”

“We’ve already a great one so far,” he said and turned his head to kiss the side of Bucky’s. “As long as we’re together, doll.” Steven stayed there for a minute before he started filling Bucky’s paper out for them.

“That’s okay,” he said quietly, hand lightly squeezing Bucky’s. His voice then dropped down to a whisper. “All you need to know is that we made it.”

Suddenly Steve doesn’t know what to do. Seeing his partner so distraught and emotional was making him want to *do something! How could he help? “Bucky, honey, it’s alright. . . I’m right here, Stevie’s not leavin’ ya. Just get it all out, doll.”

( Steven smiled small at Bruce’s reaction to the entire situation, it even drew out a low, light hearted chuckle from him. Laced with endearment. Steve nodded small, understanding that the other probably felt overwhelmed ) . . . Do I at least get to keep the flowers?

|| SORRY the holiday weekend + work + my family taking up my off time has led me to not be able to be as active as I would like to be.

( sometimes he could honestly be a bit pathetic in this area of life. It was not his expertise by any means. 𝙗𝙪𝙩 — it did show how non-perfect he was. People seemed to have a stereotype for Steve, and that just wasn’t true. He was still that little, socially awkward, perpetually lonely guy —

Oh? So you’d. . . Wanna dance with me as your professional date? Your social safety blanket? I think that’s what you’re meaning. ( he’d go along with it — albeit disappointed )

“Careful,” he said softly, “Don’t hurt yourself, sweetheart. You’re alright. Just breathe and feel your surroundings.”

He squeezed Bucky’s hand a little tighter for a moment at the thought. “. . . Do you remember the first time we talked about, well, fantasized about marriage with one another?” he asked quietly.