《Brothers in arms》 Family secrets Doctor Banner continues to search for a cure, or at least some sort of tranquilizer for the Hulk. So he asks the two supersoldiers for some blood samples. He does research with Tony and finds that there are great similarities between the gene sequences. Out of curiosity, he takes a DNA test and finds out that the two are siblings. He shows his friend his findings, who is so shocked he can''t even joke: ¡°Holy shit Bruce, is that really true?¡± ¡°I checked it twice to make sure. I don''t understand it, but it looks pretty obvious!¡±, the professor confirms. ¡°Anyone else know about this?¡±, the billionaire asks, but when Banner shakes his head, he replies: ¡°Then... you''d better destroy the data! Everything! Just maybe keep a print so we can show the two.¡± Bruce gulps: ¡°You want to tell them?¡± ¡°They have a right to know, don''t they?¡±, Tony reckons, and finally the scientist agrees. So the two science freaks go to inform their men out of time. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Bearing bad news When they knock on Buchanan''s suite, they hear exuberant laughter and Barnes calling out: ¡°Come in, it''s open!¡± So the two tinkerers walk into the apartment, where Steve is romping around the sofa with Bucks, just to be caught and pulled onto the seat by his boyfriend, where they kiss tenderly. Bruce has to look away, and Tony sucks in the air between his teeth: ¡°Ou. Listen boys, can you take a break from displaying your affection for each other a moment?¡± Bucky wants to provoke him: ¡°What''s the matter Stark, jealous?¡±, and starts French kissing Steve in a particularly lascivious manner. But tense as he is, Tony lashes out: ¡°Guys cut the crap, this is serious! Stop it!¡± The two thus look at the scientists in alarm. Finally, Iron Man goes to sit on the coffee table before the two and enlightens them. At first, Steve denys it: ¡°Say Tony, have you no shame? That''s not funny!¡± Bucks just frowns bewildered as his sweetheart turns to Banner: ¡°And you''re going along with this kind of prank, Bruce? I''m very disappointed in you!¡± But the good doctor replies in a hoarse voice: ¡°Cap, it''s true! I ran the test myself.¡±, and he shows them the printout. While the two supersoldiers look at the lab results in shock, the professor adds rueful: ¡°I shouldn''t have done that, especially not without your consent. If only I hadn''t! But the sequences all looked so similar, I wanted to understand what was going on!¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Steve finally breaks down crying: ¡°This can''t be true! Please, it can''t be true!!¡± Meanwhile, Bucky stares at his feet with his mouth open in shock. At some point he remarks: ¡°You know, I sometimes wondered. Me and my siblings. We''re all one year apart, except for my sister and me. I always found it weird that Steve''s birth year was the only one where my parents didn''t have a kid, while it usually went on and on.¡± At last, Tony tries to calm them down, and leaning forward, putting his hands on their knees, explains: ¡°Look guys! Nobody knows about it but us. See, as you two... can''t... make babies together, there would be no victims! We can just forget about it and that''s it.¡± But Steve replies desperate: ¡°How are we supposed to forget about it? Do you have any idea, what this means for us?¡± Bucks wants to argue: ¡°But honey, he''s right, it doesn''t really change anything between us!¡±, but Steve exclaims: ¡°Doesn''t change anything? It changes everything!¡± And when his lover reaches out for him, he jumps up and runs out of the room. Rude awakening For a few days the couple avoids each other and the scientists. Steve sleeps in his own room again, even though they continue to say good night to each other, and it''s appearant that both are longing for one another. On the third night they can''t take it anymore, and Bucks persuades Steve to come in. They talk about their relationship and how much they miss each other. Cap cries and finally lets his old comrade comfort him. They hold each other, come closer, Bucky caresses him, Steve gives in and kisses him. They kiss harder, undress, go to lie down in Bucky''s bed. But before things get serious, Steve chickens out. He''s lying on top of his boyfriend, who fondles his hair, cooing: ¡°Honey, please, it''s alright! Please don''t torment yourself like this, nothing bad can happen!¡±, but Steve whimpers: ¡°I can''t. I want to, but I just can''t!¡± And when Bucks asks: ¡°But why not?¡±, he just sobs: ¡°Because you''re my brother!¡± His buddy comforts him, and eventually gives in: ¡°It''s okay. I still love you. We don''t have to do it. But may I hold you in my arms?¡± Steve finally nods, and they end up sleeping together, but not with each other. ?? The next morning the Avengers have breakfast together, as they often do, in Stark Tower''s large kitchen. The two arrive a little late, which is actually not unusual, but then Sam jokes: ¡°Hey Cap, did you still have to recover from getting your gun polished by your brother-in-arms?¡± Clint scolds: ¡°Falcon, not before breakfast!¡±, but Scott and Wanda snort. However, Steve freezes and drops his plate, which smashes on the tiles. He panics, looks from Sam to Bucky and the scientists, until his friend reassures him: ¡°Hey, it''s fine Stevie! Calm down!¡± Cap stammers: ¡°Then why does he say that? Why is he saying that?¡± The White Wolf swears: ¡°It was just a joke, nothing more!¡± Then Bruce adds under Cap''s stare: ¡°We didn''t say anything!¡±, and Tony quickly nods, but nervously looks around. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. The others are now curious, and Sam asks confused: ¡°Why, what did I say? You''re often late because you still want to cuddle, so what?¡± ¡°That''s nothing to be ashamed of!?¡±, Scott mumbles puzzled, but Nat is getting alert: ¡°Guys? What''s going on, what''s this really about?¡± Steve is so desperate, he has to support himself against the wall, slides to the ground, and crouches down sobbing in shame, causing the whole group to turn to him in alarm. Bucky wants to comfort him: ¡°Darling...¡±, but Steve pushes him away: ¡°We can''t do that anymore!¡± Noone understands, but Barnes is now frustrated and hisses: ¡°Do you want us to break up, is that what you want?¡± Some gasp in shock, but Rogers wails: ¡°No. But it can''t be! We''re not allowed to be together!¡± Barton asks: ¡°Cap, is this still about you being gay? That''s okay, we accept it!¡± And Wilson confirms: ¡°Yeah man, we''re behind you all the way, it''s all good!¡± But then Steve exclaims desperate: ¡°We are brothers! He''s my brother!¡± Everyone is staring now, and Lang asks perplexed: ¡°You''re what now?¡± Rhodes turns to Tony with a frown: ¡°You knew that?¡± Bucks gets angry and snaps at Steve: ¡°Noone would have known, nobody noticed anything, but you have to go and open your big mouth!¡± Falcon stammers confused: ¡°Uh, what? The fuck, bro?¡± Romanov turns to Stark and Banner: ¡°And you knew about it too?¡± Cap desperately wants to explain, looks up at his friend for help: ¡°No, Bucky, we, I...¡± But his darling scoffs: ¡°Oh no, you made your bed, now lie in it! Seriously, what would have been so bad if we had just forgotten about it?¡±, he turns away angrily, ¡°I''m going for a walk, I have to get out of here. Get in touch when you''ve calmed down. And just so you know!¡±, he looks at the others as he puts on his cap and leaves, ¡°I don''t give a shit what you think!¡± To clear things up Bruce takes on the task of informing the team: ¡°They didn''t know. I was researching on the serum and comparing their DNA. That''s how I found out.¡± Tony adds: ¡°And after he discussed it with me, we let them know. Since then I''ve done some research that I actually wanted to talk to you about in private!¡± He looks at Steve, who just gives him a helpless stare. So he reports: ¡°Well. So for example, the way things look, it is actually extremely unlikely that your father, Joseph Rogers, could be your biological father. At least if he last saw Sarah Rogers on his official home vacation and didn''t steal away unauthorised again. If he didn''t, your mother would have had to be pregnant for the full 40 weeks of gestation, plus an additional two!¡± Coulson leans in baffled: ¡°But I always thought it was said that Rogers was born prematurely?!¡± Bruce nods: ¡°That''s the official verdict! It is actually mentioned twice in files about Steve''s health.¡± Cap tries to calm himself down, but holding his head keeps muttering: ¡°It can''t be true! Please, this is a nightmare.¡± ¡°But Sarah could still be his mother, right? Maybe... she had a lover?¡±, Scott speculates, but Cap scolds: ¡°Never! My Ma was faithful, she never looked at another man after my father''s death, she didn''t want anyone else!¡± But then he realizes that it doesn''t exactly speak for him and he stays silent. Tony however goes on: ¡°Well. There were also a few problems with Sarah... Basically, she became a nurse because she wasn''t doing so well physically either, and she wanted to help others like herself. It may well be that she was infertile.¡± ¡°What?¡±, Rhodes and Clint ask, Coulson also frowns, and Steve looks almost offended at him, but Tony explains: ¡°Believe me Rogers, this isn''t easy for me either. But you see, she was married to your father for five years! And in all that time she had never been pregnant. And then, when her husband is basically no longer around, it suddenly works? So, if it wasn''t on him and she didn''t have someone else...¡± Bruce interrupts: ¡°Which you deny. And the way you speak of her, I think she would have told you who your father was if... well, if it wasn''t a disgrace.¡± ¡°But that could still be the case!¡±, Natasha notes, ¡°She could have had a lover, maybe even a married man, that would have been a scandal!¡±, and when Steve is about to object outraged, she adds sad: ¡°Or if she was raped.¡± Steve swallows his protest, and the others bow their heads uneasy. Tony argues: ¡°There are no signs of that. And it''s like Buchanan said: His family had one child after another, and his father didn''t earn much. His mother was often in the hospital where Steve''s mother worked, they lived basically next door to each other, they knew each other! I think it is more likely that his family would have gladly given up a sick child. Who''d be better suited than a nurse? With perhaps an unfulfilled desire for motherhood? Maybe Steve''s father had even agreed to it, who knows what they last talked or wrote about. She then could have tried to make sure that Steve was always connected to his birth family, even though they didn''t want him.¡± All falls silent while everyone digests the news. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ?? Sam helps Steve up and gently puts his arm around his shoulders to give him some support. Natasha finally concludes: ¡°Well guys, gotta be honest with you: I actually had more trouble getting used to the relationship between Thor and Loki! They grew up knowing they were siblings, even though it turned out to be a lie. In your case, it''s the other way round.¡± Clint nods: ¡°I agree with you, Nat! You didn''t know of this, otherwise I''m sure things would have turned out differently.¡±, and Wanda like Tony before comments: ¡°Besides, what harm does it do? You can''t have any natural offspring. I know if Pietro and I had fallen in love without knowing we were twins, it could have turned out ugly. But nothing can happen with you, neither accidentally nor on purpose, so nobody would suffer from it!¡± But Steve sniffles: "But it''s wrong! I... I can''t reconcile this with my conscience. Damn it!¡± He completely lost his appetite, so he turns to leave. Sam follows him, tries to comfort him on his own, encourages him to speak out. And so he reveals to him: ¡°I miss him so much! I''ve sworn I''d never let go of him again, but now it feels like I''m doing something sinful, when the two of us just talk alone! And I wanted... I had planned to propose to him! And now we''re drifting apart..." ?? For the next few days, the revelations hang like a shadow over Stark Tower. Cap buries himself in his room behind supposed work, and Buchanan avoids the rest of the group because he doesn''t want to be asked about Steve. Tony and Bruce try to get throught to the two again, but it''s no use. The Avengers grow concerned for their Captain, and Bruce is pained by his guilty conscience. Family feud To distract himself, Buchanan ends up going out, dancing and flirting. Tony, who deeply regrets having told the two, informs Cap, who after a moment''s hesitation follows his sweetheart. When he arrives at the bar at Central Parc, Steve watches a stranger approach Bucks. He gets jealous and separates the two: ¡°Hey Casanova, find someone else!¡± Bucky grins: ¡°Oh, so you do miss me?!¡± The man growls: ¡°What''s this about, is he with you?¡± Steve fends the guy off: ¡°Yes he is! He''s my brother and he doesn''t need someone like you!¡± The dude looks baffled, but Bucks has his mouth fall open. Fuming, he rushes past his buddy. Steve follows and complains: ¡°What was that for, Bucky? Do you think it''s gonna make things better, if you just throw yourself at loose men?¡± Bucks counters: ¡°What, are you worried I''ll ruin the family''s reputation? What do you care if your brother is a slut, huh!?¡± Steve shoves him angry: ¡°Stop talking like that, damn it!¡± His friend continues to provoke him: ¡°Or what? You send me to bed without dinner, and don''t let me play with your toys anymore?? We may be related, but you''re not my father! Even though I''d love to call you Daddy!¡± Steve yells at him: ¡°Stop talking like that, stop it, God damn it, stop!¡±, punches him, and they fight. But they hardly hit each other, struggling and shoving each other for a long time, backing away from the busy street, into the park. Eventually they end up on top of each other behind a thorn bush. Steve sits on Bucky''s chest, and though his friend doesn''t fight back anymore, he keeps beating him, screaming out his frustration: ¡°Do you have any idea what this is doing to me? How ashamed I feel before you? Before of our friends?? How I loathe myself when I think of what we''ve done? How disgusted I am with myself? And do you think I don''t care about you anymore?¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He suddenly realizes how much the scene resembles that on the helicarrier, and the one in Siberia with Tony. Then he stops abruptly, puts his fists on the grass and howls: ¡°I miss you so much! I''m crying into my pillow, because I can''t sleep without you in my arms! I get dressed in the hallway, because there is noone fooling around with me in the bathroom. I''m scared of getting too close to you, and someone realizing what we are. It hurts so much...¡± Bucky takes him in his arms and fondles his hair. Steve continues to sob: ¡°I love you so much! I wanted to marry you, damn it! I wanted us to be together forever, to always have you by my side, and now everything is ruined!¡± Bucky asks in a serious tone: ¡°Stevie, honestly... if you listen to your heart... do you want us to break up? Do you want to part with me?¡± He looks at him nervously and Steve looks back in pain, but finally shakes his head. Bucks then asks: ¡°Why actually is the possibility that we might have the same parents such a bad thing to you?¡± Steve pauses to consider it. They come close to each other once more, but when Bucky tries to kiss him, Steve turns away, sighing: ¡°I can''t. I can''t do this anymore. It''s just wrong.¡± Epilogue Thus their relationship is revived. Steve moves back in with Bucky, they spend their time together, sleep together. And with each other. None of the friends complain, everyone is happy that their dream team is back together. And so they prepare the wedding as quickly as possible. The night before, which the couple spends in peace and quiet at home to celebrate their ''bachelor party'' in their own way, Bucky asks: ¡°Well, nervous? Are you still worried what shame we''re bringing over our families?¡± But Steve surprises him: ¡°No. I know we''re doing the right thing. I visited my Ma''s grave today.¡± Bucks looks at him astound, so he explains: ¡°I told her everything. But I didn''t feel like I was confessing anything to her. And then I remembered how she would say: ''Steve, always be honest, do the right thing, take responsibility. But above all: be true to yourself! If you can still look at yourself in the mirror, then what you are doing can''t be so wrong! Don''t forget that.''¡±, he smirks, ¡°And that''s what I plan to do!¡± He takes Bucky''s hand and closes: ¡°I know we''re doing the right thing!¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Put a stop to it They eventually get up and slowly walk back. Not hand in hand. Just side by side, Buchanan with his arms stretched tense, Cap with his arms crossed in distress. Silent at first. Then Steve starts to berate himself: ¡°I should have known, I should have noticed...¡± Bucks quickly intervenes: ¡°How? How were you supposed to know, explain that to me?¡± Steve reminds him: ¡°We''ve always been attracted to each other...¡±, but his buddy replies: ¡°Because we were friends and we love each other!¡±, to which Cap bears the question: ¡°But what if that''s the reason?¡± Bucky argues: ¡°And what if the tests are wrong? What if it''s not even true? What if our DNA is just alike because we got the serum!? Then what?¡± Steve wants to object: ¡°But Bucky... the other factors...¡± ¡°What if they''re also wrong?¡±, his buddy defies, but Cap shakes his head: ¡°You can''t just ignore it, Bucky!¡± They''re back at the tower, but Steve takes the side entrance. He doesn''t want to meet anyone and Bucks follows him. When they''re in the elevator to their floor, Bucks addresses him again: ¡°Stevie, honestly... I love you! And not because you could be my brother, but regardless! Simply because you are you!¡± His sweetheart looks at him discouraged and whispers: ¡°Bucky...¡±, yet he already adds: "Seriously Steve, we... we always wanted to be together! You felt that too, didn''t you? And that''s why we''ve always been close friends. Because we loved each other even then. But back then we weren''t allowed to be together because we are men. And now we''re not supposed to be together again because we may have the same blood? Dammit Steve... when is this going to stop?¡± His lover looks at him questioning: ¡°What?¡±, but he clarifies: ¡°When are you going to stop letting others tell you if you can love me? When are you going to stop letting society dictate what''s okay, when it''s just between you and your partner? When will you finally decide for yourself?¡± They''ve arrived at their floor, and together they go to Steve''s room. Looking around, he opens the door, pondering: ¡°That... It''s... It''s just wrong! It''s gross...¡± ¡°So is taking cock up the ass!¡±, Bucky throws in with a suggestive grin, and Steve quickly shuts the door behind him, blushing: ¡°Darn Bucks... if you put it that way, sure, it is...¡± ¡°But you got used to it anyway! And now you love it. Right?¡±, Bucky continues to tease as they sit down. Steve can''t look at him and Bucks adds: ¡°I know you''re still embarrassed. You were brought up much stricter than me, because your Ma had to do everything by herself and was so concerned with your health. And you always listened to her, like a good boy. But now you know that it''s actually not a bad thing!¡±, he reaches out and lifts his chin, so that Steve looks at him, ¡°Those were old rules, old laws, but they''re rubbish! I thought we agreed on that.¡± ¡°But Bucky, incest, that''s something much worse! There''s, there are reasons, why it''s disgusting...¡±, Steve throws in, but Bucky interrupts: ¡°But those don''t apply to us! We''re not perverts, we don''t want to have sex to do something forbidden, but because we love each other! And nothing bad can grow from our love, so why should it be evil?¡± Still miserable, Steve stays silent, but puts one hand on Bucky''s to snuggle it briefly against his cheek. Bucky gives him an encouraging smile. Cap starts anew: ¡°But what will people think?¡± His boyfriend frowns and huffs in dispair: ¡°Who cares?! And anyways, only our friends know about it. Do you honestly think they''ll go and announce it somewhere, to make people gossip about us?¡±, he looks at him firm, ¡°Even Rhodes and Loki sided with us before, when people got upset or accused me of turning you gay! Noone''s gonna tell. Or do you want that?¡± Steve looks serious at his friend and explains: ¡°I''m afraid I''ll spill it myself. Like I did the other day. You know me, I''m an honest person, I don''t want to lie! What if I mess up, and it slips out?¡± Bucky drops his hand and looks down in resignation. Steve crosses his arms in front of his chest, staring at his feet as well. Then Bucks says quietly: ¡°If it bothers you that much, then there''s really no point in us staying together. Then we have to break up.¡± Steve closes his eyes, trying to hold back tears. Then he hears Bucky getting up. He says nothing more, just turns away and walks towards the door. Steve''s heart is beating faster, he''s angry, desperate, but at the same time hears his inner voice tell him: ''He''s right. It''s for the best.'' But just as Bucks turns the handle, Steve hears him in his head, again questioning: ''For whom?'' His love opens the door and is about to leave when Steve quickly says: ¡°Wait!¡± He opens his eyes and looks back at his friend, but he keeps moving forward as if he hadn''t heard him. Steve puts his arms down and calls again: ¡°Wait!¡±, but Bucky, halfway out the door, just murmurs: ¡°It''s not like we''ll never see each other again. We just won''t touch each other like we used to. And maybe we''ll both find someone new to make us happy.¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ?? Steve gets up. Suddenly he remembers a scene from his childhood. How his mother would bathe them together, when they got dirty playing, because Bucky''s mum would get mad. How they would hold each other and play around. How he and Bucky laughed. How happy they were together. Over and over. All their life, making each other happy. And he thinks about how now, in this day and age, they were allowed to stand by each other, allowed to finally show, and live their love for each other. And he doesn''t want to give that up. Bucky is already in the hall, when Steve runs after him. His friend turns around in surprise, as he flings himself into his arms, hugs him tightly and states: ¡°I don''t want that!¡± Bucky looks at him confused, puts his arms on his shoulders and is about to argue with him, when Steve goes off: ¡°I want to sit in the bathtub with you! And I want to shower with you, and cuddle with you, and sleep with you, and hold you!¡±, he looks at him firmly, ¡°I want to ride my motorcycle with you, and feel how you press against me, and hold on to me. I want to hold hands with you when we go for a walk!¡±, he gets more and more euphoric and louder, ¡°And I want to kiss you when you are happy, and kiss you when you are angry, and kiss you when you are sad, and just kiss you, morning, noon, and night, just like that!¡± Bucky stares at him and has to hold his breath for a moment, when Steve puts his money where his mouth is, and kisses him with heated passion. Then he concludes: ¡°I don''t want to give you up. I don''t want anyone else to make me happy, you make me happy! I want us to be together, and I want to make love to you, and I finally want to goddamn marry you!¡± Bucky looks at him with a mixture of hope and doubt, so Steve just picks him up and insists: ¡°I love you, Bucky! I don''t want to lose you. Never again.¡± His sweetheart looks down at him completely overwhelmed and replies amused: ¡°And that''s why you want to put a ring on it and drag me into your cave, or what''s this gonna be?¡± Steve has to chuckle and lets him down, and Bucky laughs with him. And then some more people laugh. Steve turns around to see Nat, Tony and Rhodes standing in the hallway, looking at them with friendly smiles. He doesn''t even flinch. Just smiles back. Tony simply asks: ¡°Did you finally jump over your shadow, Rogers? Are you guys back together now?¡± Steve raises a brow at Bucky, who looks a little embarrassed. And then he just gets on his knees. His buddy looks at him nervously as he takes his hands and gulps, to explains softly: ¡°I''m sorry I was such a coward! I promise, from now on I will always fight for you, no matter who or what my opponent is, even if it is me! I miss you so much Bucky. That''s why I want to officially ask you, and in front of witnesses: James Buchanan Barnes, will you marry me?¡± Bucks looks at him with an embarrassed smile. He opens his mouth, but can''t say anything. He tries again, but nothing comes out. So he closes his eyes, and a few tears fall to the floor, as he simply nods. Steve quickly gets up and takes him in his arms, when Bucky finally howls: ¡°YES! Yes, dammit yes. Yes, I want to marry you, you stubborn, overly correct, dutiful bastard! I love you!¡± And they hug each other tight. Their friends applaud, Rhodes puts two fingers in his mouth for a piercing whistle, and Tony pulls out his cell phone, snaps a photo and sends it to the group, adding: ¡°Rogers just proposed to Barnes! He said yes!¡± Steve just keeps holding his sweetheart, who hugs him overjoyed. He continues to whisper: ¡°I''m so sorry, I was so scared, I should have known better. I love you, please forgive me!¡± ¡°It''s okay Stevie!¡±, his lover whispers back, ¡°I just missed you so much, my heart nearly broke. I thought I was dying!¡± Steve hugs him even tighter and when the clapping slowly dies down, he pulls him back into his room, throws the door shut and his cell phone, which suddenly begins to beep and vibrate like crazy, on the wardrobe. Bucky also takes his out to put away, when Steve kisses him again and explains: ¡°I''ve got a lot to make up for. Do you feel like it?¡± When Bucky sees the sparkle in his eyes and the hopeful look, he has to smile again, and more than willingly lets Steve pull him into the bedroom.