Love Grows: Love Series 1 (demon!Bucky and pre-serum!Steve omegaverse au)

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JASPER SITWELL was on all accounts a little weird. Sweaty, mostly. Dabbing at his forehead and asking Steve if he was comfortable. Steve was, and he told the beta so. He had a small office at the Loch Firm and Steve felt bad for him to not have any windows since the firm was the garden level of a brownstone sandwiched between similar brownstones.

He wasn't just sweaty though. Oh no, he was also fidgety. Jumpy. Nervous. Constantly checking in with Steve and how he was doing. Steve supposed that his attentiveness was desirable, but mostly Steve just wanted to get it all over with. It was bad enough that he was even doing this when he had vowed to spend the rest of his life with Hodge, and now he was ending things. And once he went to his doctor after the baby was born, the bond wouldn't be there anymore either.

"Any questions?" Mr. Sitwell asked at the end of the consultation.

"No, I'm all good," Steve assured. Standing from the comfortable, expensive chair, Steve held his hand out to the bald man, "Thank you."

Briefly, the man glanced down at Steve's hand with wide, surprised eyes before taking Steve's hand in his sweaty one, "All a part of the job."

Smiling, Steve nodded, letting go. Mr. Sitwell opened the office door for him and said, "Ava will schedule your next appointment."

"Alright, thank you," Steve smiled, turning to leave only to bump into someone else. Trying to steady himself, he was grateful for the other person's help, "Ope. I'm so –" Stopping himself when he looked at the person, "Bucky?"

"Steve?" The brunet asked, pleasantly surprised to see him. "What're you doin' here?"

"I'm meeting with my divorce attorney," Steve gestured to Mr. Sitwell. "What are you doing here?"

"This is my firm," Bucky chuckled.

Steve looked around at the hall as though that encompassed the entire business, "Wow."

Playfully rolling his eyes, Bucky removed his hands from Steve and shoved him into his black slacks pockets. Steve took a moment to mourn the loss of touch, but only a moment. Especially when Bucky offered, "I was just about to get lunch, if you'd like to join me."

"Okay," Steve easily agreed. Turning back to his new attorney, he said, "Thank you, again."

"Of course," Mr. Sitwell squeaked out and re-entered his office.

Leading him towards the front of the house, Bucky used his key card to enter the lobby area. Steve continued walking straight, heading for the entrance, but Bucky stopped him with a light tug on his sweater. Steve's brows furrowed when he looked back at the brunet, but the alpha opened another door with a staircase.

"I already ordered a pizza," Bucky sheepishly admitted, leading up to the main level of the house. "But I can order something else, if you want. I'm pretty close with the delivery kid."

"Pizza 's fine," Steve assured, reaching the landing. Noticing that this most definitely wasn't a part of the business, Steve dumbly asked, "Is this your house?"

Bucky gauged Steve's reaction, nodding, "Yeah."

"Wow," Steve repeated, just as impressed as he had been downstairs.

A fond smile tugged at Bucky's lips as he led the way further into the house. Passing through the living room and into the dining room, Steve paused. There, on the wall was an oil painting of a delicate floral teacup with mystic blue tea. In awe of seeing his own artwork on the alpha's wall, he stepped up to it with one hand raised. Teasing, "If you wanted a picture, I would've given you one for free."