Chapter Text
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as putting the finishing touches on a deal. He’s a salesman after all, and locking down (or locking up) Sharon has been just out of his reach for years. Now, though, it’s about to happen. He’s almost free, and he can finally give Steve everything. There’s nothing holding him back from his happiness.
It takes everything in him to remain calm the rest of the morning as they wait for Sharon to return from a business meeting across town. If he had his way, he’d pull Steve into his office and spend the morning fucking the love of his life on his massive mahogany desk. When he leaned down and whispered that into Steve’s ear, he blushed bright red and shrugged away, but Bucky has plans for this evening—once they’re back at the penthouse without anything between them anymore. Those things involved very dirty, very raunchy, very—
Licking his lips, he forces himself to stop because he’s getting a boner, and he definitely doesn’t need that when they all reconvene in the boardroom in Tony’s office and pounce on his conniving, lying bitch of a soon-to-be ex-wife.
For one brief moment, Bucky thinks back to when he met Sharon and what attracted him to her in the first place. She’s brilliant, driven, and incredibly capable, but that’s at the expense of everyone around her. She acts without an ounce of compassion or care, which wipes out any beauty in his opinion. He’d needed her, though. She’d looked at him with what he’d mistaken for kindness and rescued him from the self-hatred and loathing he’d felt following Alex’s betrayal.
He gives himself a full minute to appreciate that he’d been a completely different person when he got involved with her, to forgive himself for being so desperate that he’d been fooled by her persona. For a fraction of a second, he mourns losing who she used to be—or who he’d thought she was—and then he lets it all go. Yes, he’d needed her at one point, but that time is long gone. No matter what she did for him in the past, it doesn’t give her an excuse to act criminally and plot to pin all her nefarious actions on him.
When he gets the call, he almost jumps out of his skin. Inhaling deeply multiple times, he forces himself to remain calm and pushes to his feet. He hurries to the stairwell and pounds down two floors to where Steve’s desk sits. Striding toward his lover’s cubicle, Bucky practically vibrates with excitement. When he leaves the office today, he’s going to be free.
Steve senses him before he arrives, if the way his head jerks up and his brow furrows is any indication. Without Bucky having to say a word, Steve closes the file that’s open on his desk and tucks it into a drawer. He carefully secures all sensitive data and gazes up at him when Bucky comes to a stop by his workstation.
“It’s time.”
Chin jutted and face white, Steve nods and gets to his feet. Bucky reaches over and threads his fingers through Steve’s. They’re going into this together. A pang of something surges through him, and he has to fight down the urge to sweep Steve up in his arms and run the other way. He wants to protect Steve from the vitriol Sharon will throw his way, even if that means she wins. For the first time since he started trying to take her down, he realizes that he loves Steve more than he hates her. As they take the elevator two floors up to Tony’s office, Bucky pulls Steve close.
“We can run,” he offers, although it makes him physically sick to even suggest letting his almost ex-wife get away with her crimes. “If you don’t want to do this, we can go.”
Lifting his head, Steve shakes it firmly. He’s still pale and clearly nervous, but the blue of his irises blazes as he studies Bucky’s face. “No. I don’t want to run. I want you to be free.”
“She’s going to—”
“I don’t care,” Steve assures him. “I don’t care what she says about me. She doesn’t even know me. Let her talk. She’s guilty. I know it. You know it. She knows it. We’re not letting her get away with it.”
Overcome with emotion, Bucky lowers his head and presses his lips to Steve’s. The angel in his arms came to him while he was flying and followed him back to earth. Now, he’s Bucky’s anchor, keeping him in place when he wants to flee. Steve’s too good for Bucky, but he makes everything better. For the first time in a decade, Bucky’s on the verge of genuine happiness, and all he has to do is walk through the door to Tony’s office and take it.
They slip inside quietly, but those already inside are not. Tony’s joking with Natasha, and Sam’s gazing at them in bemusement. When Natasha reaches over and places her hand on Sam’s forearm, Bucky doesn’t miss the sparkle in her eye. They’re boisterous in their excitement, and none of them are willing to allow Bucky or Steve to focus on what could go wrong. Bolstered by their enthusiasm and surety, Bucky releases Steve’s hand and slips his arm around Steve’s tiny waist. When Steve leans into Bucky and places his cheek on Bucky’s chest, he releases a shuddering breath and steadies himself.
The door opens, and Sharon’s eyes narrow immediately when she sees who’s waiting for her. Sauntering into the office, she crosses directly to him and presses against him. Her perfume is so strong it almost chokes him, and he turns his shoulder to shield Steve from her.
“I’ve missed you, husband,” she purrs, and he catches a whiff of liquor on her breath. She’s not at her peak, which is a blessing. That doesn’t mean she’s not still lethal.
“Sharon, have a seat.”
At Tony’s brusque directive, she shrinks away from Bucky and sinks into a chair. It’s as obvious as day that she knows she’s in trouble. She tries to pretend otherwise anyway.
“Successful meeting this morning,” she tries, but Tony waves her off immediately.
“Sharon,” Tony begins firmly. “For years, I’ve been concerned about discrepancies in your sales reports. There’s no question that you’re a born salesperson. Bucky’s been your only real peer here since I hired you, so it’s both frustrating and infuriating that things have come to this.”
Twitching in her chair, she blusters for a few seconds, blaming Bucky immediately for whatever it is that Tony’s noticed, but Tony holds up his hand for silence. It works.
“We’ve been trying to find the source of the discrepancies for a long while, and you’ve hidden your tracks well. I have to hand it to you. We might not have ever been able to prove what you’ve been doing without Steve’s help.”
Straightening in her chair, she turns a silvery glare toward Steve, who shrinks into Bucky’s side. Leaning down, Bucky deliberately shields Steve with his body and murmurs words of comfort in his ear. If Sharon’s about to unleash her temper, Bucky intends to drown out her hatefulness with words of love.
“Don’t look at him,” Tony barks, his patience obviously wearing thin. “This isn’t Steve’s fault. This is yours. You stole from Stark Industries. You broke the law. You are going to prison. Not Steve. Not Bucky. Not anyone else in this room. You are. Do you understand me?”
“Mr. Stark, I don’t—”
Cocking his head, he studies her coolly. “Are you going to lie to me and tell me that you haven’t been embezzling money, cooking the books, and sabotaging my company? Do you have the balls to do that, or are you going to own up to what you’ve done? I’ll be honest, Sharon. I’m impressed you fooled us for so long. I’m a bit of a genius, and you stumped me. You really did very well at making a fool of me.”
Although it makes Bucky cringe to hear Tony’s compliments, it’s a brilliant strategy. Sharon’s too arrogant to deny her crimes. She won’t want anyone else to take credit for her achievements, even if they are criminal. Grinning maniacally, she leans back and crosses her legs.
“No, I’m not going to lie,” she sneers. “Why would I when it’s obvious I’m the best damn employee you’ve got? You know it’s true, Tony. Sure, Bucky can sell, but he doesn’t have that killer instinct anymore, does he? Not now that he’s been tamed like a pussycat. Except, he doesn’t even like pussy, do you, honey? No, you like cock. Look at him. He’s practically a baby, and you’re—”
“Shut up,” he hisses and clenches his free hand into a fist. “Shut up, you dumb fuck. Don’t talk about him, and don’t talk about me.”
Shoving back from his desk, Tony rises and announces, “I don’t think there’s any reason to even bother giving you a chance to explain. It’s not going to make any difference. FBI agents are waiting in the lobby for you. Don’t try to sneak out another way. It’ll only make things harder for you.”
“I don’t—”
Without bothering to pretend to be interested, Tony asks, “Bucky? Do you have anything you’d like to say to your wife?”
Grinning broadly, Bucky practically chirps, “You’ll be served with divorce papers as soon as you’re placed under arrest. Thanks for that weird change to our will, darling. I’ll enjoy spending your fortune on trips to paradise with my new lover. Have fun rotting in prison.”
A loud shriek erupts from her, and she bolts out of her chair. Fingers curved like talons, she charges at him, but Sam steps in front of him before she can even get close. Although Sam’s significantly slighter than him, he’s apparently incredibly strong. He twists her arm behind her back before Bucky can even process what’s happening. Her spewed venom fades to ragged sobs as she sinks to her knees, her world falling apart around her.
Security pours into the room and drags her away, and Bucky can finally breathe again. He vows to pay his lawyer a massive bonus for putting himself in Sharon’s warpath. Without a doubt, Bucky knows Sharon will be served as soon as she’s detained. It’s the best form of karma he can imagine, and he sags in relief.
Tony tries to celebrate with him, but he’s too drained to participate. Instead, he’s desperate to get Steve alone, make sure he’s okay, and begin planning their future now that Bucky’s got his life back. For his part, Steve’s quiet and willing to be led down the hall to Bucky’s office where he shakes in Bucky’s arms.
“Are you okay, baby?” Bucky breathes into Steve’s soft, fluffy hair. “I’m so sorry.”
Laughter bubbles from Steve as he cuddles into Bucky’s chest. It’s an unexpected sound, although it’s better than music to Bucky’s ears. Puzzled, he tips Steve’s face up by his chin and tries to decipher Steve’s mood. Tears stain his cheeks, but his eyes are filled with mirth. It’s beautiful and sexy at the same time, and it makes Bucky want to get him naked immediately.
“Fuck her,” Steve snorts. “Fuck her, and the horse she rode in on. Bucky…you’re finally mine.”
“I’ve always been yours, and I always will be,” he vows, as emotions well in his chest.
After Alex and Sharon and a dozen other disappointments, Bucky’s found who he’ll love for the rest of his life. It’s a miracle. He’ll never understand how he lucked into his happily ever after, but he’s almost stupid with gratitude. He’s also half-crazed with lust.
“Not here,” Steve begs. “I want everything with you, and we can’t here.”
Hands shaking, Bucky pulls back and inhales sharply to get his libido under control. As much as he wants to bend Steve over his desk and fuck into him until he blows all over the hard surface, Bucky understands. It’s a miracle Tony hasn’t followed them down the hall to gloat about finally nailing Sharon.
“Fuck,” he mutters, but he manages to control himself. It’s difficult, though, because Steve looks delightfully rumpled and sweet.
“And…” When Bucky raises an eyebrow, Steve blushes and adds, “…and I want to visit my mom. I need her to know, to understand. I want her to love you as much as I do.”
Although the thought of facing Sarah Rogers again terrifies him, Bucky understands how important this must be to Steve. Since they met, Steve’s been dealing with his guilt. Although Bucky’s parents haven’t been in his life for a very long time, he doesn’t have any fond memories of them. As a result, he can’t comprehend the close relationship Steve has with his mother. Still, he knows it’s important to Steve, which means it matters to him.
Because he can’t quite control himself yet, he brushes butterfly kisses over Steve’s face and asks, “When do you want to go?”
Blinking huge blue eyes at him, Steve squeaks, “Now?”
Groaning, Bucky closes his eyes. He needs to get his hands on Steve’s body, but that’s going to have to wait. After all the sacrifices Steve’s made for him, he has to return the favor. Keeping it in his pants for another few hours isn’t nearly as essential as Steve repairing the rift with his mother.
In the end, Sarah’s more than gracious, which brings hot tears to Bucky’s eyes. He’s forgotten how wonderful it feels to feel loved and respected by a maternal figure, and he finally gets that experience enfolded in Sarah’s arms.
“I’m so sorry you’ve been through so much, Bucky,” she says softly. “I didn’t understand the situation, and I’m sorry I suspected the worst about you. My Steve loves you so much, and I’m sure I’m going to love you more and more as we get to know each other. Thank you for making him so happy.”
He doesn’t want to let her go, but he finally loosens his grip and wipes his eyes. Tears stream down Steve’s face, and Bucky reaches for him next. Their kiss is wet but so tender and loving. Bucky’s heart cracks in his chest, and he’s overwhelmed with appreciation for his new beginning. Unloved, neglected, and unwanted for years, Bucky’s been through enough. Now, he finally has a loving, healthy, committed relationship with a wonderful man who challenges him and satisfies him completely. It’s almost too much.
“All right, you two,” Sarah teases when they finally break apart but can’t look away from each other. “As much as I’d love to get to know you better and catch up with my son, it’s as obvious as I am old and wise that you two are dying for each other. Get out of here. Go. We’ll have dinner in a few days. Once you’ve come up for air.”
Thankfully, Happy puts up the privacy screen because they can’t wait the time it takes to drive from Brooklyn back to their penthouse. As soon as the door closes, Steve’s on him. Frantic and eager, Steve straddles him and grinds against him as he confesses his love in between enthusiastic kisses.
Although it’s incredibly uncomfortable, Bucky stops the dry-humping and moves Steve off his lap so he can get on his knees on the floorboard. He unzips Steve’s pants and gets his prick out through the opening. It’s still perfect, hard and a deep pinkish brown at the tip with a pearl of fluid leaking as Steve squirms. Lowering his head, he takes Steve in his mouth and runs his tongue over the salty skin. He hasn’t given a blowjob for a while, and that’s a tragedy because Steve obviously loves it. His loud cries echo in the interior, and he pulses his hips into Bucky’s mouth.
“Buck, I can’t,” he gasps, but Bucky has every intention of proving him wrong.
Doubling down, Bucky pins Steve’s hips to the leather and sucks him as hard as he can. It doesn’t take long before Steve yelps and salty, creamy fluid fills Bucky’s mouth. He swallows, drinking Steve down with every bob of his throat. Squirming and whimpering, Steve tenses before melting into the seat.
Bucky keeps Steve in his mouth until he’s soft, just because he loves the feel of Steve on his tongue. When he finally lifts his head to gaze at Steve through his eyelashes, he finds Steve staring at him with hazy eyes and a goofy grin on his beautiful mouth.
“I love you,” he sighs. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”
Even though he’d love to sit like this for the rest of his life, Bucky finally pulls off and stretches up to find Steve’s lips. Steve licks into him, and Bucky wonders how Steve tastes to himself. To Bucky, Steve’s as sweet as candy.
“I love you,” Bucky breathes. If he tries to say it louder, he won’t be able to speak. “Can’t wait to get you home and back in our bed. Our bed. I fucking love you, baby. I can’t believe I’m finally free.”
“I want to marry you.”
“I have a ring in the dresser,” Bucky admits through a smile so wide it threatens to break his jaw. “I want to marry you, too. As soon as possible. As soon as the divorce is finalized.”
The car comes to a stop, and Bucky finally glances out the window. They’re home.
“Sir? Should I circle?” Happy asks from the front seat.
“No. It’s fine. Just give us a minute.”
Nudging Steve’s hands away, Bucky kisses his spent cock and tucks it back inside Steve’s pants. He adjusts himself, although it doesn’t hide the bulge of his erection, but that doesn’t matter. He plans to usher Steve as quickly as possible through the lobby and to their apartment where he’ll be naked in seconds.
Steve’s pliant and cuddly as they finally emerge from the car and make their way to the elevator. Tucked under his arm, Steve can’t stop giggling, and it makes Bucky smile and chuckle in return. Then, they’re inside their place, and the door closes behind them. Leaning against it, Bucky draws Steve to him and lowers his head. Steve’s mouth meets his, and Bucky’s heart soars.
This is where life is good. This is where love found him. Way up in the air.