spaces_between | This isn't the Little Mermaid

[ Steve sighed softly; Bucky was digging in, just as stubborn as he was, and he was not in the mood to coerce him into doing something that isn't like him. HYDRA had done its level best to erase his nature and replace it with their own, and he could never do that to him, no matter what the stakes were.

They just had to be additionally careful, and Steve just had to be far more vigilant, that was all. He would never let his Bucky feel trapped again. He leaned in and pressed his forehead against him, frustrated but still hopelessly fond -- he loved him beyond all measure, and he would not push anything on Bucky that he didn't want. ]

Just so I'm prepared. What kind of food do you like when you're nesting? The usual?

[Considering he was just starting to get a grasp on some of his old instincts, he was unlikely to let them go even for Steve. No, these were important to him, especially if it was for the benefit of the child inside of him. The little flutter of gentle butterfly wings agreed and he shivered in pleasure. He would protect that baby with everything that he was and everything that he had, and he knew that Steve would as well.

His fingers combed through Steve's hair, nuzzling their noses together as he savoured the close contact as always. He hummed a soothing noise in an attempt to take the edge off of Steve's obvious frustration. They couldn't move anywhere that they couldn't be found, so it was best they were comfortable.]

Meat generally. Creatures to build strong bones and scales. No doubt mostly fish, but I think I remember seals and even jellyfish sometimes.

[He issued a soft pleased trill at the words, basking in them and rolling them over in his mind. How many had thought him nothing more than a weapon or a curious challenge to see just how far they could push before he acted out? How many had wanted to see just what he could do from a safe distance and tried to set up a situation to prompt him. Steve was always different, not always soft but different.

He straddled Steve's waist, legs spread wide still to balance himself on the bed so he could smooth his hands up his mate's bare chest and roll Steve's nipples between his fingers as they kissed.]

You just can't get enough saying that tonight, can you? You. Are. Mine.

[ Yeah, Steve wasn't planning on carrying seals into their home for him to eat it -- it would raise so many eyebrows, for one, but he made a note to visit the fish markets in the morning. He made a soft noise, hands trailing down to smooth over Bucky's ass as he kept him flush against him. ]

I'll feed you well, Buck. Make sure you have everything you need. [ Bucky succeeded, of course; Steve was appeased, sort of, but he was definitely a little more amenable, as far as everything was concerned. ] And it would be cute to watch you nest. Is there space for me?

Edited 2015-04-24 14:14 (UTC)

I can never get enough of saying it to you at all. I want you to remember it.

[ Steve said firmly, leaning up into his touch with a soft gasp. He enjoyed everything that Bucky was doing to him, and knew that he would give his life for him -- the same way Bucky had done. They were together at last, and it was all he could ever hope for.

He sighed softly, catching a hold of Bucky's hand, guiding it down to his cock, already thickening underneath his lover. ]

[He was certain that his mate would do everything possible to provide for him and their little one, but not even he knew how much he would require. This was all very new for them both, and he suspected that it would be as much a trial and error routine for him as it would be for Steve. He was still looking forward to it, the first time he'd looked forward to anything in a long while.

His hands slid around Steve and repeated much the same way with his mate's ass, fingering between the cheeks leisurely.] I know you will. You are a good mate to and for me. [He nibbled up the side of Steve's jaw before sucking on an earlobe.] Depends how far along I am. You might have to squeeze in if I am very big.

Unless HYDRA finds me, there is no way that I can forget.

[He arched his chest, circling his fingers around the nubs of flesh and watching Steve with half-lidded eyes. Something reached him from Steve's gaze, and he found the corner of his lip tugging upwards in a faint smile. He was relearning.

He shifted backwards on Steve's thighs a little and his metal fingers curling around the his mate's cock and stroking to encourage it to full wakefulness again. Yet, he kept shifting down, sliding his legs between Steve's as he came to nestle between them and flicked his tongue against the swell of his mate's hip.]

[Instinct was not the only thing that had grown over the last few months, but it was the sharpest and always boiling close to the surface more than anything else. He paced the apartment walls, listening and waiting for signs of danger to him, his mate or anything that he considered his. He followed Steve to the market occasionally, but that was getting more difficult as his girth became more obvious and burrowing Steve's hoodies were not exactly doing the trick to hiding him completely. The bathtub was his second favourite place to sleep and always seemed to be full of water now.

However, he knew the new instinct was old, older than he was. It came from a memory from one far older than he, someone with more experience in matters of family and child-rearing. He at first paced around the apartment, restless and unable to settle before he was pulling pillows off the couch and then abandoned them. He rooted in the kitchen cabinets but was unable to wedge in, so he abandoned those as well. Steve's room of things of old had no interest to him, so he abandoned that as well without only a step inside.

He finally settled in the bedroom closet. He shoved out shoes and other objects from the floor, only exploring boxes looking for soft materials. Blankets and sheets from the bed were pulled in and twined together intricately. He lined the forming nest with Steve's shirts from the hangers above, left to get the couch cushions and pull them in as well. Spare towels and linens were also eventually victim of his pressing need, the rise of hunger with it, as he laced, braided and wrapped all this material into a nest that filled the entire closet.

In his search for other items to make it higher and protective, he found it. An old brown hat with a gold metal pressed just above the visor. He knew that hat, he thought. He had worn that cap long ago, but he couldn't remember the decoration much. It was shiny and continually attracted his attention until he slipped the military cap on his head, and it fit perfectly like it had always meant to be there.

He settled and folded his mismatched arms across the top of the intricate nesting edge. He was hungry. Slowly, he began to sing for his supper, to draw in anything - anyone - in his range, summoned by the song of his superiority and his pressing need to feed the swell of his belly that was filling rapidly with a growing child. It was the first time he had nested and the first time he had sung to draw in any living creature to his proximity.]

I'll squeeze.

[ Steve didn't mind the lack of space as long as he was with Bucky and their little one, the precious, tiny life growing inside of him. He eased down Bucky's body, kissing the swell of Bucky's stomach before he murmured softly. ]

Hello, baby. This is your daddy. You be good.

[He narrowed his eyes when Steve left him and wiggled down his body, and he set his hands on his mate's head, digging his fingers in to scratch at the other man's scalp. He stilled at the affection to the barely evident sign of what lay in his flesh, but it was the words that softened him.

He peered down and watched Steve, having never experienced this type of interaction before. He doubted it was a practice found in his kind if it felt so surprising now.]

Hmpt, if you're involved, she will misbehave whenever she can. Keep... talk to her?

[ He was relearning, and Steve brightened -- it would never cease to amaze him, the way Bucky steadily became more and more of himself as the days passed, repairing himself even if there were many scars that would not heal.

His breath caught in his throat when Bucky shifted, when those warm metal fingers grasped his cock. He only arched his hips into them, thrusting with a gentle desire that was only just beginning to awaken. He could never deny his lover anything, even if there was a pleasant ache in his bones.

He swallowed hard, looking down at him, fingers moving to tangle in his hair as he cradled his head, curious at where he planned to be heading towards. ]

[ Steve's smile was entirely unrepentant -- of course she would be a handful, she's their daughter, and he would enjoy every moment with her. There was so much potential for her, so much in the world he wanted to show her; they would protect her with their lives, and he stroked his lover's belly. He was sure that she was nothing more than a bean at this stage, but it didn't matter.

She was growing, day by day, and she would get bigger and stronger. He kissed him there, continuing to talk to her. ] You'll grow up to be healthy and beautiful, and you'll come to see the world. We'll protect you from all the terrible things, and make sure you live your dreams, whether on land or in the sea.

[ He looked back up at Bucky, smiling. ] I hope you know how to swim, too, or your other daddy will be very disappointed.

[ Bucky was big, very big -- they couldn't hide it now, no matter what they tried. Their child was growing inside of him, on the occasion kicking (Steve liked those occasions, because it reminded him of what was to come), and Steve had been delighted by it. But with the impending arrival of their child came a change of Bucky's instincts. He had been right; Bucky had different needs now, and would very often make them known; his appetite had also increased to cater for the life inside him, and Steve this time had to go to the market alone.

When he came back, however, he paused when he saw someone trying to jimmy open the lock on his door, and the unmistakable, alluring sound of singing, Bucky's seductively sweet, tempting call -- and he frowned. He told him not to do that.

Catching the man by the back of his shirt just in time (it was a stranger), Steve only shoved him on his way and told him to leave, before opening the door and slipping in quickly, locking it. ]

Bucky!

[ He snapped -- they were close to being discovered by another person, and the guy hadn't known how close he had been to getting eaten. He had brought back two entire large salmon fish that weighed an easy 50 pounds each, and he felt his scowl dissolve just a little when he witnessed Bucky nestled in his makeshift nest in their bedroom closet, lined with his shirts, cushions, and towels.

...He was going to have to get more of those. But his attention wasn't on that, it was on the cap that he'd apparently found for himself, and it was as if he was transported back to the past again, when his mate had been more innocent, beautiful in his uniform and jaunty cap, a smirk on his features.

Still, he recovered quickly. ]

What are you doing?

[He peered up the length of Steve's body, his hand still stroking his mate but his blue eyes intense and fixated on Steve's face. He tipped his head slightly with the press of fingers through his hair before turning his head just enough to blow cooler air across the hot flesh that he was currently stroking with his hand.]

Will you hunt down HYDRA with me, Steve? Have you ever sought revenge before?

[His mate was so determined but pure, untainted even after all that the blond had done. It was that perception that allowed him to get lost in the sight of Steve's body and those blue eyes that had no doubt so long ago captured him.]

[While they would never know until the time whether or not it was a son or daughter, he fixed himself on what they both wanted. He, of course, would not be disappointed either way, and his focus was more on the strength and health than anything. Steve would love anything he was certain because his mate was far more giving and tolerant than he was.

He hummed at both the kiss and the words, letting them play pleasantly through his mind. His hum turned into a tune, low in his throat, husky and without any particular draw for anyone's attention.] Hmmm and you will survive well or I'll eat you. There is always time for more breeding.

[He hissed softly and glared down at Steve.] She will be born in water. If she sinks, you can rescue her.

[There was sound at the door after some time, and he only continued, laying in wait and wiggling in the nest that he had built. It was perfect, just the way that he wanted it and nothing out of place. The cap on his head only accented just what he was going to do when that creature finally made its way to him and there would be nothing left, probably not even bones. It would be a glorious feast.

He sang until the door opened and Steve's voice called out his name. Then his jaws snapped shut, and he huffed and sunk deeper into the nest so that only his nose, his eyes and the cap appeared over the edge. He had tipped the cap so that he could peer up at his mate when Steve finally appeared, and he shifted on his side, exposing the significant swell of his belly as if to say 'she made me do it'.

Of course, his attention then darted at the smell of fish, and he hummed a pleased sound as if he had been caught doing nothing wrong, least of all luring people into the apartment. He lounged despite his size, unable to accomplish the same beauty he would have expected had he been in water and his lower half covered in scales.]

I was... singing for my supper. I hear that is a phrase that humans use? I was just being more literal than you people do. [He leaned his head out of the nest to peer towards the door.] Is my meal coming still, or did you chase it off?

I told you not to do that.

[ Bucky was in a fussy mood, he knew, and was evidently relying on his (very generous, very effective wiles) to get his way, from the adorable way the cap sits on his head, those bright, beautiful eyes peering at him from his nest to the way he rolled over to show him his belly (Bucky, no), every movement calculated. He was catlike, beautiful and heavy with his child, but Steve was having none of that, even if his gaze lingered on him.

He adored Bucky, reveled in the way he carried their child for weeks and weeks without complaint, and although many things had gotten steadily complicated, Steve knew that he was in this for life, that they were bonded together and nothing would tear them apart.

His frown deepened, all the same. The salmon fish had been deposited on the dining table, because there was no way Bucky was going to eat them in his...nest? Was that a nest? His beautiful, charming mate was pretending nothing was wrong -- which wasn't new, considering what he was, but Steve was doggedly trying to teach him, anyway. ]

You're not to do that anymore, Buck. You can't sing for your supper, not when I'm bringing you food. Can you do that for me? That person isn't coming. [ He crouched before him, leaning over to stroke his cheek. ] No people when you're pregnant.

[ Steve paused -- there was always a cold-blooded, animal quality to Bucky that reminded Steve that his mate was a creature of the sea, the fact that he allowed himself to be bound to Steve didn't mean that he was tamed. No, far from that -- the sea had its own rules, and so did creatures like Bucky.

But the idea of Bucky eating their baby didn't sit well with him, and he frowned. ] Even if she doesn't survive well, she deserves a chance. You can't -- end it just like that.

I wanted to take them all down when you were lost to me.

[ Steve's eyes flashed, remembering his rage, his anger, his grief and the incredible, overwhelming loss of losing someone he loved more than life itself. It was difficult trying to focus, especially when Bucky decided to blow cool air against his cock.

It twitched, dripping with pre-cum, and he shuddered. ] I thought I did. Turns out, it wasn't enough. I'd hunt them down with you all over again.

You did not appear to survive long without me.

[He didn't give Steve a judgmental look, but his expression softened in the face of his own words. Such dedication was not entirely heard of outside of family groups, but Steve had always gone above and beyond for him, and he had tried to do the same for his mate. The fact that Steve had been lost to the ice soon after his apparent death was not lost on him.

He flicked his tongue to gather the beads of pre-cum into his mouth, hissing in appreciation of the taste.] Where there is belief, there is a need to fight. HYDRA is not so easily dispatched, especially not now.

You've told me not to do many things.

[And not all of those had received any kind of favourable response from him either, not when he had instinct plucking at him and hunger insisting itself in his belly. He simply had to be more careful next time, especially with his nest complete and it was safest within it. There was no need to fuss over it, decide what was missing or what needed to be added to help things along to his satisfaction. It was just the way that he wanted it.

It appeared that his antics had not won his mate over based on the frown that Steve wore, and he huffed softly and pushed himself up to his feet. He was less awkward than human females in the same state, rising as gracefully as his girth would allow and standing in his nest it the closet. He intended to keep it right here.]

You weren't here, so I sang. A pity though... whoever was coming probably would have enjoyed it at first. [He reached out to try to grab Steve and pull his mate into the nest where he was standing.] But after I give birth is fine?

[There was a part of him that enjoyed shocking Steve with his nature, things that had never come up when they were young. He didn't understand war, not even now, but he understood the limits of survival and wasting resources on something that could never survive without assistance all the time. He had no time for such things.

He hardly had time for his own disability, and if there wasn't an arm attached there all silver and metal, he would had fought to live but would have accepted that he could very well die because of it too.] You survived despite the odds. If she cannot do the same, it is a disgrace to her and us to keep pushing her along.

She's got our genes. She'll fight if she needs to.

[ And Steve believed in that -- their girl could grow up to be perfectly healthy, and maybe she wouldn't, but whatever it was, Steve would happily devote everything he had to her, no matter what Bucky said. He would even protect her from him, too, if it came right down to it, because that was what being human was.

He kissed his belly again, reaching down to spread his thighs and lay kisses against the inside of them, too. ] She'll do us proud, you know. Imagine what a child with both our traits can do.

I'm counting on it. She will fight, and she will survive.

[There was the strength of conviction in Steve's voice, and it sent a thrill through him as it always did. That was the tone and words that inspired men to walk into war knowing very well that they could die. It always attracted him to Steve's side, even when his friend was small.

He lounged on the bed, moaning at the kisses and stroking his metal fingers through Steve's hair.] A troublesome, vicious child who picks fights and wins at any age.

I wasn't here because I had to buy you fresh fish.

[ Steve said patiently -- he didn't mind that, he didn't; he loved feeding Bucky, getting him healthy and strong and more than able to nourish the life that continued growing inside of him. His attention was caught by the way his mate rose, graceful and gorgeous and that cap, that cap brought back so many memories that his gaze was drawn to it, too, to years gone by that were lose to them now.

He swallowed, before he reached out, wanting to pull him out instead of keeping him inside. He had half a mind to dismantle some of those items so that he'd busy himself with making his nest again the next time he had to go out. Leaning over to kiss his mouth, he shook his head at him, all disapproval. ]

Hard to enjoy something when you're being eaten alive. [ He observed dryly, and said. ] No, only Hydra. We talked about this.

This isn't the Little Mermaid

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7 Months Later

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