orangetoughguy | phone post

[KNOCK KNOCK. Nothing loud. Just two knocks. Seriously, Steve, what's this all about.]

[Steve opens the door and lets Freddy in with one motion. His apartment is clean - there are some old-fashioned propaganda-style posters on the wall, and there's no sign of Bucky or the dog.]

Hello, come on in.

Hey.

[Shuffling in, Freddy's taking a look around too like he's discovered a new place.]

So what did you take up baking or something?

I wouldn't have invited you over if I had made it, I like you, Freddy.

[Yes, the door is already closed when he says his name.]

Bucky brought it home, we already ate most of it.

[There's just a brief turn of his head for hearing his name spoken by someone other than Larry but as quickly as it came it's gone. He knows Steve's no knucklehead, the doors are shut and the place is empty.]

Give me a break, I've got a strong stomach.

[If only Steve really knew just how strong. He pats himself over his still post-desert taut belly.]

Ask Bucky about my attempt at making spaghetti sometime.

[He leads Freddy to the kitchen where the pie is still sitting in the box. He begins by cutting a couple of slices]

Pictures would make it better.

[Food is food and Freddy here is ready to dig into his slice of good old american apple pie. He won't ask what else Steve wants though, if only to let the guy say it himself and also to not presume Captain America might actually have ulterior motives. That'd be unpatriotic.]

[He laughs a little and hands Freddy a plate with pie. No whipped cream but it looks delicious]

Anyway, it probably wouldn't kill you, but it would make you wish it had. We ate out a lot.

Oh yeah?

[We? As in Bucky and me? Fork in hand, om nom nom nom nom. He's shoveling the pie up pretty fast for a guy with a still healing shoulder, but at least Freddy's out of the sling.]

Yeah. The diner down the street pretty much knew what we'd order each day.

[He takes a bite of his own pie]

And here too.

Nice to have somethin' pretty regular and stable around this kind of place.

[Chomp chomp chomp chew. Yes he spoke with his mouth semi-full.]

It's more stable than the last few months back home were.

[A pause]

I didn't realize how much I needed him around.

He's your wingman right? Besides he's from home, of course you need him around.

[Freddy's picking at the crumbs now, he's gonna clean his plate for sure.]

[He looks a little confused.]

We were land troops, neither of us fly planes.

Uh...it's an expression...nevermind, it just means you guys rely on each other.

[He's rubbing his finger around the plate to pick up more crumbs.]

Oh.

[Pause]

He said he was taken the other day.

[Steve is kind of....well, not quite blushing, but he does seem really intent on his pie]

Taken, huh? By who?

[He's got his suspicions because Bucky there, he don't act a thing like the Bucky he remembers growing up. Seems more like a devil-may-care ladies man type, not to the extent of one Stark Sr. but close enough. Freddy just keeps on listening more than talking though.]

Me.

[There's a hint of pride there, because Bucky can have anyone he wants but he chose Steve, Steve who is still pretty baffled to as why people as spectacular as Bucky and Peggy want to spend time with him in a romantic capacity sometimes]

Me? As in....

[Speak more explicitly, Steve Rogers.]

[Oh, god, now he really is blushing, because even talking about this with Bucky is hard, although Steve has heard worse back in the barracks]

I guess he's my sweetheart.

[Do people still use that term?]

[Oh God he said sweetheart. He really said sweetheart. Really really sorry, Captain America, but Freddy has to laugh. Don't hate him because deep down Freddy loves you.]

Sorry. Sorry.

[Just...give him a moment and stuff. Yep.]

[He doesn't hate him but he does flush with embarrassment. GOD FREDDY BE MORE SENSITIVE]

Guess people don't say that anymore?

[WHAT HE CAN'T HELP IT HE'S NOT EXACTLY A COUNSELOR.]

Old people, maybe. [Like not even his mom and dad, more like his grandparents. Ahem okay Freddy's calm again.] I'm kidding, man, you can call it whatever the hell you want. It's your thing, your and his...thing.

[Plate pushed aside now so he can pull out a cigarette.] How'd this happen anyway? I mean, you knew right? Him sayin' he's taken wasn't news to you was it?

[He nods]

Well, we had....

[Oh god he can't say it.]

It wasn't news but he had never said it before. It just seemed. I thought maybe he would still go on dates with girls and kiss them and be with them.

Had....

[Stuck on that part for a moment. See, Steve, if you're gonna wanna talk about it you have to actually talk about it.]

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