home (300 words) by ace_does_words
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Marvel
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Clint Barton/Steve Rogers/Natasha Romanov/Tony Stark
Characters: Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov (Marvel), Clint Barton, James "Bucky" Barnes, Tony Stark
Additional Tags: Couch Cuddles, Polyamory, Living Together, Triple Drabble, POV Steve Rogers, Fluff
Series: Part 5 of fourormore bingo 2025
Summary:
Home is where the heart is, that’s what Steve was told when he was young.
And maybe it’s messy. Or maybe Clint forget to clean the coffee pot for one reason or another. Or Tony fell asleep on the couch and Steve has to carry him to a bed so his back doesn’t ache. Or Natasha and Bucky messed up cooking lunch or dinner or breakfast.
It’s still home.
[read on Ao3, link above, or on tumblr, below the cut]
Home is where the heart is, that’s what Steve was told when he was young.
And maybe it’s messy. Or maybe Clint forget to clean the coffee pot for one reason or another. Or Tony fell asleep on the couch and Steve has to carry him to a bed so his back doesn’t ache. Or Natasha and Bucky messed up cooking lunch or dinner or breakfast.
It’s still home.
Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, one kitchen, and a couple other things Tony insisted on needing. Steve would’ve been happy with the bare minimum, but maybe that’s his childhood speaking. He’s pretty sure he would’ve been happy with anything so long as he had his four by his side.
Tony, with his at times odd mannerisms.
Clint, at his best or at his worst.
Natasha, the second woman he’s loved.
And Bucky, who he’s had by his side since day one.
So long as they’re with him, it’s easy to live.
Easy to bask in the warm glow of catching a glance of all four of them simply relaxing with each other in the living room. Splayed and tangled on a pull out couch Clint had found in a free pile with Natasha. Speaking quietly and comfortably amongst each other.
“Room for one more?”
They all shuffle around until Steve can comfortably fit amidst the tangle.
Definitely home. Soft, comfortable, he’s not sure what else he could want. It’s hard to even try and imagine anything other than this.
Just the five of them. Happy, for once, relaxed and casual. Stress off of their shoulders. It’s nice watching them become less tense as the months pass and they can settle into this twist of domesticity.
Home is where the heart is, Steve’s pretty sure he left his with the people he loves.
written for @fourormore 's 2025 bingo, this time featuring winterwidowhawk+steve. because. watch me. important to note that in this fic stucky are married, winterhawk are fwb, winterwidow is soft romo, clintnat are dating, and steve 'n clint really are just friends. ambiguous canon. enjoy my nonsense.
wordcount: 1760
Ao3 Port: https://archiveofourown.org/works/66356107
Bucky isn't good at trusting other people with proper loyalty.
Bucky is good at going out for drinks with Clint (even if he can't really get drunk). He's also good at listening to music with Natasha (even if he has a hard time listening). He tells himself he's the best at giving Steve kisses to the tip of his nose (even if he is shorter).
He also tells himself he doesn't deserve any of their loyalty because he's failed at being loyal to any of them in a traditional sense of the word. If he really was loyal he wouldn't need all of them in different ways. He'd only need one of them to fill all those roles for him if he really was loyal.
And sure, maybe they do know that he's failing miserably at being a good partner, so he isn't cheating, but he still feels like he is. Feels like he's betraying all of them. He'll go to Clint for blunt honesty and Steve for familiar comfort and Natasha for solace in silence- he won't just go to one of them.
Can he even be loyal to so many in this way?
Bucky doesn't know. He knows that he was "loyal" to everyone in HYDRA, but that was different, so, so different than this. This is tender touches, this is gentle words, this is care and adoration.
And he wants it from all of them at once and he doesn't know why he's not happy with just Steve or just Clint or just Natasha. He knows he should be. He knows that one partner should be enough. He knows that he is enough for all three of them, their busted up boyfriend that they like taking care of, he's probably too much of a hassle for just one person anyways.
-/-/-/-
Bucky sits beside Steve.
Natasha and Clint across from them.
He’s never asked them all to come with him at the same time. He’s pretty sure Clint and Steve and Natasha would all be at each others throats by now, even if he’s done his best in telling them what he’s doing. That he’s being a disloyal, greedy, whore that isn’t satisfied with just one partner.
They still didn’t care much.
Hell, even now, they don’t care. All sitting in a booth at a fast food joint aware that they have all been with Bucky. Aware that they currently all are with Bucky, they didn’t drop that status just for today.
They’re all sitting around this table and they’re all Bucky’s partner and they’re all not being weird about it.
“Buck, you in there?”
Clint’s snapping his fingers in front of Bucky’s face as he speaks, mild concern is present.
Natasha swats away his hand, “Have some class, Clint.”
“I’m good.”
There’s a slight elbow to his side, “You sure?”
Bucky nodded. “I’m good, Steve.”
“Good. Now, whaddaya want?” Clint asked. He slid a menu across the table, “I’d recommend the classic burg’ if you’re coming up short, you can have some of Nat’s salad.”
“No, you cannot,” Natasha said, “Probably not.”
“Aww, Nat’s got a soft spot for Bucky.” Clint singsongs the words in a teasing tone even at the risk of Natasha knocking his lights out.
“Bucky,” Natasha starts, pointedly glancing to him, “What do you want?”
Bucky pauses. “A burger...?”
“I’ll have a classic one too,” Steve tacked on.
“Nice. And we’re splitting the bill, right?”
“Yes, Clint, we’re covering for you.”
“Thanks.”
-/-/-/-
This is the part where Bucky is pretty sure they all split off and he finds himself in one of their beds late in the night.
Instead they just, keep walking and talking with him across the town. It’s weird. They should be letting him be right now. Maybe a little bit disgusted with him considering how bold a move it is to bring all three of his lovers to the same fast food joint. Or at least a little betrayed that he’s with all three.
He’s not upset though! He could never be upset about them wanting to stay with him, wanting to be with him. He’s just confused is all.
Could be the 1940’s mentality creeping through. Poisoning his conscious with the idea that he’s a horrible person for seeking out happiness in a dreary life in this specific way. He wouldn’t be shocked if it was that, but also, he wouldn’t be shocked if he really is the scum of the earth for this. No one else is like this.
They’re still with him as he coasts through far too many thoughts in his mind at once. He’s not drowning in them but he definitely isn’t swimming against the current very fiercely either. The word loyal bounces around his mind a lot. Is he loyal. Is this loyal. Is—
“Bucky, you’re killing me.”
Bucky jolts, scrambling away from Natasha. Those words cut just a bit too deep.
She’s rubbing at her collarbones, where Bucky’s arm rested. The not human arm. The heavy and cold and annoying one.
“If you’re gonna lay down on someone with your metal arm then lay down on Steve.” There’s a slight bite to her tone.
Clint gives a snort of laughter. “Go easy on him, Nat.”
“You’re not the one with a bruised collarbone.”
Bucky retreats to Steve, laid out on his torso comfortably. There’s no complaints from him. Doesn’t even stunt his breathing much and for a moment Bucky yearns for a simpler time when Steve could probably get knocked over by a gust of wind.
That moment passes fast when there’s a hand on his back rubbing lazy circles. It’s nice. So nice. So easy and plain and layman but it’s just, so pleasant. It lets him untense if nothing else, a sigh working through his body as he relaxes in the calm of the moment.
Someone’s playing with his hair.
He blinks open eyes he hadn’t realized he’d closed. That lazy amber sunset has faded into moonlight streaming in. Steve is asleep under him, hand still resting on his back.
“Nat?” Bucky’s voice is a groggy sound.
“You’re a light sleeper,” Natasha said, almost humoured.
“You knew that.”
“I know, try and go back to sleep.”
She spares a kiss to his cheek.
He gives a small okay and closes his eyes.
Natasha is still toying with his hair as he fades out.
-/-/-/-
Bucky wakes up in bed almost alone.
Clint is laid out beside him, cup of coffee in hand. He glances briefly to a very dishevelled looking Bucky, “So that’s why you never stay the night when we hook-up.”
Bucky groans out a mild, “Shut up, Clint.”
“Naw.”
“Where’s Steve?” Bucky drags himself up and sways his legs over the edge of the bed as he speaks. He’s still half asleep.
“Kitchen. Making breakfast.”
“Nat?”
“Talking to Steve.”
Bucky falters, then speaks, “No one left?”
There’s a pause, “No...? Did you want us too?”
Bucky doesn’t answer.
“We can go if you want, me and Nat can leave you with Steve if you’ll feel less weird about it.”
Bucky’s just confused. He shakes his head.
“Cool.” Clint sidles up next to him and offers him a hand on the shoulder, “You want anything on your pancakes?”
“Pancakes?”
“My idea.”
“Butter and maple syrup then, maybe some whip cream.”
-/-/-/-
Bucky comes to the conclusion that he can be loyal to all three of them after they spend more days all together.
It’s not a normal thing by any stretch, god no, they all have their own lives and their own homes and don’t revolve around each other.
But they do gravitate to Bucky in their own ways and Bucky easily sticks to them like glue whenever they drop by. They return the hospitality tenfold in their own way if Bucky is coming to them when he needs them.
Natasha usually likes to settle with a blanket and a movie and gentle things that betray her sharpened demeanour. Clint is always ready with crappy food that tastes almost nostalgiac even if he didn’t have it back then (except spam). Steve likes to simply sit with Bucky beside him, leaning on him, taking as much presence as he needs.
They’re crucial, all of them are, he needs all of them.
And that’s... Okay.
He’s not going behind their backs to see another. They all knew from day one. They’re all buddy buddy with each other whenever they meet and hang out. It’s almost odd, almost offputting, almost wrong.
But it’s also nice. Really nice. Even nicer that he won’t be hunted for sport for wanting this like he would’ve all those years ago.
He wears a ring on one finger for Steve, eternal and unbreakable bonds made physical (they match and Bucky can only hope Steve was lying about the cost). He wears purple for Clint’s sake, they’re casually dedicated so there’s no need to break the bank (Clint got a star tattoo on his shoulder after Bucky said it was fine). He wears necklace in the name of Natasha, it has her symbol as the charm and pleasant leather material (Natasha has his name engraved on the her belt for luck).
Bucky deems them symbols of good fortune, proof that this is real, that it isn’t all going to come crashing down on him. The nagging fear that it will still festers in the back of his mind, picks at edges that are frayed. That he really did fail, that his loyalty is false and not enough for them, that they’re waiting to ditch him.
Steve just holds his hand a little bit tighter whenever he voices those fears and says something sweet and saccharine that warms the chilling fear. Natasha makes sure he understands such a notion is nonsense as she holds one hand in each of her own. Clint takes the more upfront method of grabbing his face and kissing him followed by a quaint assurance of “shoot me if I ditch this.”
He’s quick to nod in response every time, letting the words wash over him and clean out the buzzing fear.
-/-/-/-
Bucky Barnes has one husband, one friend he knows inside out, and one girlfriend (whose boyfriend is the same friend he fucks).
He’s found a way to be loyal to all of them.
They’re all loyal to the promise of this never ending as well.
In the process, he’s eliminated most every worry of disloyalty.
Whenever it returns they let him be loved however he needs.
Look At This Stuff Isn’t It Neat? – Martha Walker/Shirley Campbell/Juliette Nichols/Lady Jessica Atreides/Elizabeth Woodville/Jenny Lind/Rose the Hat/Mae/Riza Stavros/Ilsa Faust/Miranda North/Morgana.
A/N: A new fic for @fourormore 's bingo card I have.
It's quiet, at first, as Martha settles the blanket over the sleeping girl. Juliette, her sweet Jules, has been working hard to rescue people. First had been the small, slightly timid blonde girl, Elizabeth Woodville, someone lost who had been trapped in Holland’s care for too long. Then Jenny Lind, a precious, nervous singer who seemed to tremble if anyone raised their voice, later had come Rose the Hat, a girl who refused to let anyone close until Mae had arrived, the two falling into an easy friendship, Ilsa Faust had arrived, then Miranda North, lead into the room by Riza Stavros who was also holding onto a nervous looking Lady Jessica Atreides. Morgana had been the last, drawn to them by meeting Rose.
Shirley, when she comes home finally, smiles at the sight of Martha curled around Jules, the others wrapped into one another.
“Well, look at you Walk, you and your collection of girls… you have a type…”
“So do you.”
Martha’s answer is soft, Shirley smiling as she slips into the bed.
“Guess so, move up…”
It’s an unusual polycule but for them it works.
