InsaneJournal

Who: Steve, Bucky, Derek
What: Pizza and beers
When: Late November
Where: Kitchen to start?
Warning: Low/None
Status: Completed via Gdoc


Steve wanted to spend time with both Bucky and Derek, to have some time for his best friend and his Fiancé to get to know each other better. So, in that vein, he’d made arrangements with Bucky and Derek that they would go out for some pizza and beer. He was actually quite nervous. The last Bucky who’d been at the Facility got along pretty well with Derek, but would this one? Likely. Probably. Steve was telling himself not to worry, that his best friend and his Fiancé both loved him, so even if they didn’t like each other, they would get along for him.

They were set to meet in the kitchen at 6, and head out from there. Steve had been stuck in meetings all day, and hadn’t even had a chance to change his clothes before he headed to meet up with the two men he loved most in this world (or any other). It was really important for him not to be late. He wanted to spend every minute he could enjoying time with Buck and Der.

Bucky had met Derek at the masquerade, though with his date and the many other people who’d wanted to catch up, they hadn’t really had much time to interact. Then he’d started working in the garage and tried to keep his demand for Steve time to a minimum so the love birds could have their privacy. The invitation had been so typically Steve, he couldn’t refuse, and he’d finished up early so he could shower and change before meeting his best friend and his fiancé.

Pizza and beers didn’t sound like he needed to dress up, so he wore what he’d worn to the cookout. Only this time he forwent the sunglasses. It wasn’t a surprise to him that he hadn’t beaten Steve there and he smiled at his friend as he stepped into the room. “Busy day?”

Steve turned at the sound of his friend entering the kitchen. He’d been expecting Bucky and Derek to come and join him--or it could have been one of the other random residents of the Facility--so it wasn’t a surprise when Buck came wandering in. Steve broke into a bright grin that only his childhood best friend could bring from him, and reached over to wrap his arms around his friend in a tight (brief) hug. “Pretty much always around these parts. How about you? Does Tony have enough cars to keep you busy in the garage?”

Never before in Derek's life had he needed to resort to any kind of pain medication, and that was with being shot and electrocuted and half a dozen other things that would have killed him thrice over if he'd been human. Yet here he was, chomping down Advil like it was candy, and resorting to twice the daily limit in one go just to take the edge off in order for him to be sociable. It was fine. Everything was fine. He could hang out with Steve and get to know this version of Bucky a little better, and it would be great.

Rounding the corner to the kitchen, he put a smile on since he'd already heard their voices, but it turned into a smirk very quickly. "I hope we all realize the irony of three people with super metabolism going out for beers." Derek chuckled and bumped his shoulder with Steve's, his smile softening around the edges again. Normally, he would have gone in for a kiss, even just one on the cheek, but virtually no one he knew was comfortable with public displays of affection. "Hey, Bucky. If it helps, you don't smell like you've been in the garage all day, except for the barest hint of car metal."

“Have you seen that garage?” Bucky chuckled quietly as he hugged Steve back, smiling at his best friend as he pulled away. “There are more than enough to keep me busy, and teaching Frigga slows things down.” Not in a bad way. Far from it, she was actually picking things up pretty well. His eyes went to the door as he heard Derek outside and he offered a smile, watching as the werewolf positioned himself at Steve’s side.

“Still tastes alright and I get to play normal for a while.” Bucky shrugged, a hint of amusement showing in his eyes as Derek commented on his smell. “You sure that’s not my arm?”

Steve chuckled softly. Not only was it enough to keep a mechanic busy, but it was also a mechanic's dream. So many cars from different times, with different needs. It was sure to keep Bucky on his toes. Steve nodded. "I want to hear more about your relationship with Frigga. Taking out Thor's mother? The Queen of Asgard? There's got to be a story there." He clapped his friend on the back.

And then Derek was by his side. Steve reached a hand down and wrapped his fingers around his Wolf's. It was strange to see Derek so... pale. Even paler than normal. Steve was concerned... but tonight was a night for drinking and eating, celebrating being together in this place. "Not looking to get drunk," because they couldn't, "just... like he said. Play at normal." Steve squeezed Derek's hand just a little. "C'mon. We can borrow one of Tony's expensive cars."

Even though every signal he was getting from Bucky told him he was kidding, Derek still felt like he'd made a giant misstep. Seriously, what the fuck was wrong with his brain lately? Having Steve's hand in his helped mitigate some of the rising embarrassment, but not enough to keep him from ducking his head, which he then shook briefly. "Different metal smell. Cleaner." God, why couldn't he just stop while he was ahead? "I used to drive a Camaro. No idea what I was trying to prove with that."

Derek gave Steve's friend another half-smile that edged quickly into a smirk as he nodded toward him. "You probably know the cars best. Pick something fun that's barely street legal. Steve can have shotgun so you two can gossip about dating Asgardian royalty right out of the semi-literal gate."

“She called me handsome, and you know how I react to that.” Bucky’s lips curved into a smirk, one he hadn’t used in a long time. It wasn’t much of a story, but none of his dalliances pre-war had been either. “I didn’t expect to be courting Thor’s Mom, almost as soon as I set foot back here, believe me.”

His gaze slid across to the young wolf, noting the unsure embarrassment and kicking himself slightly. His humor sometimes could be a little off, but he’d thought that one was a relatively safe shot. “Shuri will be glad to hear that. Vibranium is a big deal, it should smell good.” Flashing a quick smile, Bucky moved toward the door. “There’s a ‘69 Camaro SS down there you’d take a shine to, I bet.” At the mention of something fun and barely legal, he tilted his head, “I know just the one.” It didn’t bother him at all that they were heading back to the place he’d spent his whole day, they wouldn’t be there long. The car in question was tucked a little away from the others. Unsurprising as it was likely one of the rarest, albeit relatively modern, “McLaren F1. It’s a lot of fun.”

Steve nodded, squeezing Derek’s hand. He could tell that something was not right with his Fiancé, but he had no idea what it was. Maybe drinks weren’t the best idea right now… but everyone had to eat, right? Steve could make sure that Derek got some good food in him, and later when they were alone together in their room, he could ask. Get to the bottom of it. For now, though, he was going to try and keep things light and positive. He really wanted Bucky and Derek to get along.

“To the garage then?” Steve asked, turning to lead the way down the hall. Thankfully, it was a short walk to get to where the cars lived. He chuckled while they walked. “A pretty lady tells you you’re handsome, and suddenly you’re smitten?” That sounded a lot like the Bucky he remembered. “Is she the only person who’s caught your eye?” Steve remembered how Bucky used to have a date with a different person every night of the week. Steve was never like that, though. He didn’t do well with girls at all back in the day.

It wasn’t his place, but the ki-, young man, at Steve’s side didn’t look a hundred percent. Which made him wonder if going out was a good idea. But Steve and Derek seemed determined to, so who was he to argue? Besides, if Steve’s fiancé flaked out, between the two of them they could get him back in one piece. Probably. Could you even take werewolves to doctors? Or would a vet be better?

His thoughts had overridden his social skills momentarily, but the teasing from his best friend filtered through and he lifted a hand to land a shove on Steve’s upper arm. “I’m not smitten.” He looked across at Derek, “For the record, I never have been either. Don’t let Steve misinform you. I’m a charmer, he’s the type who falls.” Unless it’s from a train, huh, maybe not.

“There are a lot of people here.” Bucky shrugged, picking up the keys as he passed the safe built into the wall, the door of which slid open as his fingerprints were recognised. “Sarah, but Sam’s already played the brother card.” He gave the couple an incredulous look, “After one smile and hello. Can you believe that?” The McLaren’s gullwing doors lifted as he unlocked the vehicle and he nodded toward the unconventional three seat interior. “Hop in.”

"Less hopping, more sliding, because I don't hop." Derek shook his head at the absurd car. It was everything he'd asked for though. Street legal and ridiculous. Perfect. He grinned at Bucky over the low top of the car. "Can't say I really blame Sam. You're a great guy, Bucky, but I would've put the fear of God into you if you'd made eyes at my older sister Laura. Or, in a perfect world, I would've let my mom do it. Then again, do we ever really approve of anyone who might want to date the people we care about right away?"

“Been a long time since God scared me.” Bucky shot back, smirking across at Derek before climbing into the driver’s seat. “And Steve can take care of himself so I’m not warning you off. If this were pre-serum I’d have you hanging by your ankles over Brooklyn Bridge.”

Derek snorted a laugh and shook his head with a wry smile. "I'm actually really enjoying the visual there. Kudos."

Steve laughed. "With you? One smile and hello is all it takes." He grinned at the banter between his Fiancé and best friend. This was the way it was supposed to be: Happy. Loving. He climbed happily into the back of the car, then took Derek's hand when his Wolf joined him. "As scary as you are, Buck, I'm not sure dangling by his ankles would be enough to scare this one away." He squeezed Derek's hand. … At least, Steve hoped so.

Grumbling under his breath (mostly for show) in response to the teasing, Bucky closed the doors and started the car. He maintained careful movements on the throttle and steering, until reaching the wide driveway outside the garage. Then he gunned the engine and revved up the gears as he sped out of the complex, the gates only just fully open as they shot through. “So, where am I headed?” He probably should have asked before setting off, but he could only go in one direction until they left the private road which led to the facility.

Derek peeled himself off the back of the seat once they were on a straight stretch of road. Good thing he didn't get motion sickness. But there were directions to be had. Fishing his phone from his pocket, he leaned in enough to get at the console, found a convenient cord waiting, and plugged it in. The voice that came up sounded suspiciously like FRIDAY's, and Derek stared at the console as it began to direct Bucky in soothing tones. He hadn't quite sat back all the way, and wound up sprawled across Bucky's lap as the car took a curve at breakneck speeds. "Er, sorry…"

His hand was trembling a little and his face was beet red when he let go of the grip he'd taken of Bucky's leg and finally got into the correct seated position. "Speed demon," he accused without any real heat just loud enough to be heard over the engine. Derek's mouth twitched into a grudging smile. "And I thought I was bad with my Camaro."

Steve grinned at the speed behind the craft. It was considerably more than when he and Bucky were driving around in the 30s and 40s. Even more than most of the vehicles that Steve had the chance to drive on his own. (Wouldn’t it just make sense that Tony would have the nicest, most expensive toys?) He didn’t even mind being jostled in his seat when Bucky took curves at breakneck speeds. Steve’s hand found Derek’s once more and he gave it a squeeze.

“This place has the best pizza in the area, so I’m told.” Steve offered by way of conversation. Though, at this pace, it wouldn’t take them long enough to get there to have a conversation.

The speed demon comment was rewarded with a little laugh and he nodded a thanks for the handy GPS device, barely flinching when he briefly had a lapful of werewolf. Judging by the map on the screen, it wouldn’t take long for them to get there. Glancing in the mirror at the two of them Bucky just smiled and shook his head; they were annoyingly well matched and cute. He may have taken the curves a little faster than necessary just to see what they’d do. The hand holding was grossly adorable, and insanely awkward at that angle but each to their own. “I gotta ask… when did pizza become so popular with everyone? Last I knew, your favorite was hamburgers. Is it Clint’s influence?”

“Clint and his protégé,” Steve commented, smirking softly. “I think the pair of them--along with a handful of others, like Tim?--have the whole facility addicted to coffee and pizza.” He turned to smile at Derek, then gave his attention back to Bucky in the front. “This car is certainly something else,” he added. “I never think to borrow this one when I’m going on errands. It always seems a waste to drive it if I’m just hopping to the Wakandan Consulate or the Lighthouse for a meeting.”

Derek opened his mouth and then shut it to snort. "I was about to make a comment about you humble bragging about your foot speed before I realized that could apply to everyone in this car." He was proud of himself for not outwardly reacting to the casual mention of Kate, because something uncomfortable squirmed in his stomach. Instead, he rolled his eyes to the heavens as his shoulder went colliding with the side of his bucket seat on another curve. "With May having gone back to New York, I guess it's up to me and Sarah to make sure you all get some kind of nutrition in your diets. I wonder if I could sneak kale into the pizza crust or vitamins in the coffee. I will ninja healthy things into your food if I have to."

“Why run when you can take a motorbike?” Bucky looked vaguely disgusted at the idea. Even though he usually went for a run just to burn off some energy every morning, he didn’t usually run places just because he was capable. Maybe he was getting lazy in his semi-retired years? “I don’t think she’d do well on commuter trips. She likes the open road.” If he patted the wheel as he spoke, then that was his business and nobody else’s. “You can put vegetables on pizza. I wouldn’t try messing with the coffee unless you want actual ninjas to kick your ass.” Hitting the brakes and turning the wheel, he launched them into the parking lot and slid into a space in one motion. “We’re here.”

Steve chuckled softly at that. Funny how of all the people in this world and other worlds, he ended up madly in love with someone who matched him speed for speed, strength for strength. It was good to know that they were all in good company. Steve glanced over at Derek once more at the mention of May having gone to New York, and wondered for a moment about Peter. He made a mental note to poke around, reach out to the kid, reach out to people who knew the kid. Make sure he's okay. Then he shook his head with a laugh. "I don't think I can protect you from the ninjas if you try to mess with their coffee." Then he had to grab onto something as they slid into the space. "Jesus, Buck. You're crazy." He laughed again. "I'm not sure I could handle this spaceship the way you can."

Once Derek had pried his hand off his own knee after that heartstopping parking job, he snagged his phone as the doors came up and clambered out. His neck popped audibly when he rolled it out, after which he stretched out his arms as well. Super fancy car plus insane handling equaled a tense ride that left him just a little sore. It was fine, really. "I'm beginning to understand what a menace I was to the Beacon Hills Sheriff's department. Actually, my driving was the least of my problems when it came to law enforcement." Looking across the car's low profile, he grinned at Steve's best friend. "And while I think you might appreciate my almost-criminal exploits, I don't want Steve to make his Disappointed Captain face at me. Lots of arrests in my history, but no convictions. I'm either the worst bad guy ever or a Moriarty-level genius. Probably depends on who you ask." Derek chuckled and nodded to the building. "First round's on me."

Once they were both clear of the car, Bucky locked the vehicle and tossed the keys at Steve. “You can try out the spaceship on the way home.” Quirking an eyebrow at Derek, he just smiled, amused. “Not sure I trust your little troublemaker not to drive even faster than I do.” Planting himself between the two of them for a moment, he put his arms around their shoulders and brought them into his sides briefly before letting go and wandering into the restaurant ahead of them. Steve would know what he’d meant by the gesture, he didn’t need to get all mushy on them with the actual words.

Steve caught the keys and grinned as he slipped them into his pocket. He was looking forward to giving it a try on the way home… not that he was anywhere as much of a speed demon as his best friend or his fiance. “I wouldn’t, either,” Steve said, smirking over at Derek. Then Buck pulled them both into an embrace, and no more words needed to be said on that topic. Steve understood completely. He patted Buck on the shoulder, took Derek’s hand, and moved with the pair of them into the restaurant for some good food and even better company.