cw: language
greetings. some of ya'll wanted a part 2 to the "cuddling" oneshot so it has arrived
a/n comment here [:
not sure how to feel about this one uhh we'll see
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Captain blinks lethargically as his consciousness starts to return. Despite feeling groggy as hell, he-- though he would only admit it over his dead body-- felt oddly refreshed from their shared period of rest. How long the nap had been, who the hell knows, but it was now well past when the sun had set.
Once he's finally able to maintain his gaze without his eyelids drooping, his eyes fall on Steve, still peacefully asleep. With more awareness, his mind skims with more detail the events of the previous hours, and, remembering their current, intimate circumstances, Captain feels the faint glow of warmth spread across his face.
With a tired, blank-- that's a lie, he's flustered as all hell-- expression, Captain's eyes gloss over Steve's countenance. Though he no longer felt like falling back asleep, he felt much more at ease with the sight of the tranquil soldier.
Though he's aware there are no eyes on him, a feeling of bashfulness overcomes him when he lets his gaze fall onto Steve's goggles, scanning his own reflection. Thinking about it now, was it wrong? To watch over his sleeping, platonic partner in such an endearing manner?
Was it even platonic? What the hell even were they anymore?
As a way to keep himself from further bitching about his inner desires, he decides to wake up the napping soldier. He lifts up his head, and raises the arm resting on the dry earth to place his elbow on the floor and his head on his hand. Then, he gently lifts the arm wrapped around Steve to give the other soldier light taps on his shoulder.
Captain clears his throat to rid of the waking raspiness, then mutters, "Hey, sleeping beauty."
"..."
He blinks his eyes closed in frustration, then tries again.
"Steve." The soldier doesn't budge. Still sound asleep like a damn baby.
Captain turns his head to the sky and rolls his eyes. With a displeased groan, he quietly calls, "God... whoever the hell is up there... Wake his ass up, please..."
Met with silence once more, Captain then focuses on the sky itself. It was darker out than he'd realized-- nearly pitch black--, but he noticed the sky was littered with stars.
Captain normally spared no time for sentimentality, but his mind grew calm at the act of focusing on something as simple as the stars above. It had been quite some time since he'd gone out to actually pay any attention to them.
The leader turns to lie on his back for a more comfortable position, and crosses his arms behind his head as he looks up into the abyss of stars.
He lets out a more-or-less contented sigh as he turns his head back to the other, still-asleep soldier, wondering how the other would react to such a captivating sight. His eyes can't help but roam over Steve's features once more, and he sighs again to himself, that familiar glow burning with a tad more intensity at the mere act of looking at the other.
Captain lets out an almost dispirited sigh this time. "Goddamnit, Steve.. what're you doin' to me..."
"Whaddya mean, Cap?"
Captain blinks with wide eyes in surprise. Though he was thankful he hadn't jumped, he had definitely felt his heart nearly bounce out of his chest. How long has this bastard been awake for?
"Well good morning, sleeping beauty," Captain starts in a casual tone, dodging the question as he, as nonchalantly as he can, turns his head back to face the stars. Damn their opaque goggles.
With a yawn, Steve subconsciously gives Captain a few gentle pats on his chest as he, with a groggy voice, responds, "Good morning."
Steve slowly moves his head around to get a better sense of his surroundings as he starts actually waking up. Upon finding himself wrapped around his captain in a koala-like manner, Steve, with a most flustered, panicked expression, quickly retracts his arm and leg and turns away from the other to face the sky as well.
"Uhm-- Sorry, sir..." Steve mumbles, and internally cusses his past self out. How the hell had they gotten like that? And why hasn't his ass gotten beat up by now?
"About fucking time, soldier," Captain jokes with a forced chuckle. He tries his best not to express in his tone that he wouldn't have minded staying like that.
There's an awkward silence before Steve mutters in amazement, "How long has it been since I've seen the stars?"
With a rather edgy chuckle, Captain nods. "As if we've ever had time for this shit."
Steve beams and whispers, "God. It's beautiful."
Captain's gaze momentarily drifts over to where Steve lay, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
The tense atmosphere slowly dissipates as the two watch the sparkling sky together.
"So... the hell happened to you?" Captain speaks up after a few moments of silence.
"What?" Steve laughs with mainly with confusion at the vague question, and a hint of apprehension.
"Somebody drug you or some shit? What trouble did you get into this time?" Another moment of bewilderment passes before Steve bursts out in laughter. Captain side-eyes him with a mix of irritation and slight relief.
"I'm not here to dick around, sir. The past few weeks have just... been a pain in the ass." Steve shrugs with a questionable grin.
"How so?"
Steve is thrown off guard by the unexpected sincerity in his captain's tone. With a shaky sigh, he slowly turns to his side to face the other again to speak, and his insides flutter when he finds that Captain had already done the same.
"Err, well." Steve scratches the back of his neck, and plasters a nervous grin on his face. "It's hard to explain."
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." The tone of Captain's voice was unreadable, but the other could plainly hear the touch of genuineness in his voice regardless.
Trying with much effort to ignore the butterflies in his stomach, Steve starts to frown and says, "Why're you suddenly bein' all... genuine? It's scarin' me, Captain."
The leader smiles at the real reason, but decides to answer, "Enjoy it while it lasts, buddy. You'd rather I get pissy about the shit you pulled?"
Though it's not visible, Steve rolls his eyes with a small smile and looks back up to the sky for a moment. Then, to both of their surprise, the soldier glides his arm across the space between them and slides his hand over Captain's, both hands facing downwards.
"Thanks anyway, Cap."
Captain furtively glances at their stacked gloves, then at Steve, with a startled, and even more flustered, expression. After a moment taken to process the act, he too beams softly with a silent, content exhale, and once again turns his body to face the sky.
Steve was already embarrassed from his own action, so it doesn't help when he feels Captain's hand flip underneath his own and gently wrap his fingers around his hand with a reassuring squeeze.
Captain couldn't seem to find the right words to continue the conversation, so he settles for his small act of reassurance to close it off, lying in silence while Steve intently watches their intertwined hands with a sheepish expression. Captain pretends he doesn't notice.
Captain decides to poke fun and teases into the open air, "So how about getting back to the base?
"Or does the sleeping beauty need a kiss to get the hell up?"
The thought of the gesture sends a thrilling chill up Steve's spine, but he tries to laugh it off as a joke.
"That could be arranged," Steve returns with an amused chuckle.
"Alrighty." In mere moments, Steve's smirk is replaced with a nervous, uncertain grin as Captain swiftly lifts himself off the floor and turns towards the other, and, the two men's hands still interlaced, plants both hands on the ground on either side of Steve's head, making him-- though it doesn't get him very far, being on the ground-- pull back in initial surprise. The lascivious leer from the man above him makes the round-goggled soldier squirm on the floor with anticipation.
"Pucker up, buttercup."
The round-goggled soldier scoffs. "That's cheesy, Cap." He playfully presses a hand on the other's vest and pretends to lightly push him back, gazing shyly to the side.
"You don't mind." A simultaneously lovable and punchable smirk on Captain's face forms.
Steve rolls his eyes with a grin and grasps the straps of Captain's vest. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. C'mere."
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uhh wee