While capturing these images initially, I had it in mind to create two separate posts featuring these 2 species of insects. That's usually how it goes: an insect is found, and its images are showcased proudly with a bit of text highlighting notable features, behaviors, or something that happened as the pictures were taken. However, a shift over the last few years on this blog has resulted in more combination posts that feature 2 insects in order to highlight similarities or differences between them. In this case, we continue on from a previous post with these insects and get both types of highlights while leaning more towards the similarities. Particularly as the species shown in today's post are sorted into the same genus (Isodontia) and both were found within the same location among a forest of blooming goldenrod. Before diving in, let's have a quick refresher in order to distinguish between the two Wasps found here. Firstly, the individual with dark-colored wings and legs featuring a prominent brown-coloration is a Brown-Legged Grass-Carrying Wasp (Isodontia auripes), while the overall smaller individual with all-black legs and smoky wings is a Mexican Grass-Carrying Wasp (Isodontia mexicana). An examination of their bodies is the best way to successfully identify these solitary Wasps as the color of their wings can vary. As well, in flight you might see one carrying a blade of grass or insect prey in the form of a Katydid or similar insect.
Following up from the prior post featuring both of these species, additional information has also come to light which is of great importance when it comes to identification. The dark body and brown coloration of the legs of I. auripes are notable among North American Grass-Carrying Wasps, but such characteristics can be common in species from other families. For example, Wasps such as the Katydid Wasp (Sphex nudus) and Wasps within the Podium genus have a strong superficial resemblance. For a while, I was even convinced that I misidentified these individuals, but Sphex Wasps tend to have a unique look to them with a shorter waist, and Podium Wasps appear more slender with larger mandibles for transporting prey. Grass-Carrying Wasps are no slouches when it comes to moving prey themselves once the adults emerge during the summer months. Despite their dainty form, they can firmly grip a stung Orthopteran and transport it to their brood chamber tubes concealed by grass. The adult Wasps will feed on pollen or nectar, and that usually means coming into close proximity with other flower-loving insects (of which there are quite a few among the goldenrod flowers here). In case of a confrontation, both of these Wasps may be more likely to flee against larger aggressors but can bite and sting if they need to. While it's best to air on the side of caution, if their sting would be painful, a species of Grass-Carrying Wasps would have received a caution in the Schmidt Pain Index, but I cannot confirm. As such, it's best to leave them - that to say both species - be while navigate flowers and simultaneously collect food for themselves (and/or larvae) and carry out pollination.
Pictures of both the I. auripes and I. mexicana Wasps were taken on August 20, 2023 with a Google Pixel 4. In addition (for clarity), while the sting of both these Wasps contains compounds which paralyze Orthopterans for transport, the effects are unlikely to be severe in humans unless one is allergic to Wasp venom. Their bite is definitely not venomous.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch âą No registration required âą HD streaming
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch âą No registration required âą HD streaming
Bucky actually despises taking the cheating spouse jobs. He hates that people are so desperate for proof that their spouse is cheating on them so they could get out of their prenupâbecause itâs always someone rich enough to need a prenupâand he hates that thereâs no trust in relationships anymore and he hates the way the people who ask him to do jobs like this always look down on him.
But money is money and Bucky doesnât have a lot of it so he always takes the job because bills donât care about your moral standards.
Doesnât mean he has to be happy about it though.
And heâs not. He always calls Nat or Stevie during the long vigils so he can complain about these stupid jobs and how ridiculous they are and did you know that not only is Senator Johnson cheating but heâs cheating with one of the male interns working on his reelection campaign and thatâs just gross and a massive abuse of power. And Nat or Steve always act like theyâd be patting his hand if they were there with him. Nat always reminds him that these jobs are worth it so he can take the jobs that actually mean something and Stevie always spends a few minutes ranting about the state of political corruption in this country and how itâs going to hell in a handbasket. Bucky likes those rants. They make him feel better.
Problem is, this latest cheating spouse case? Heâs pretty sure itâs not a cheating spouse.
Tiberius Stone, CEO of Viastone, has been married to his spouse for the last five years and recently set his eye on a pretty young socialite who aspires to be an actress, go figure. So now, of course, he wants out of his marriage but the problem is that his spouse, one Anthony Stark, is a ruthless son of a bitch who managed to trick Stone into a prenup thatâll wipe him of all heâs worth if Stone breaks off the marriage for anything less than infidelity.
Bucky got a look at the prenup when he was doing research for this case. The thing is vicious and blatant enough that when heâd read through it, he had kind of wondered if Anthony Starkâwith his pretty doe eyes and wicked smileâhad been sucking Stoneâs cock when he got him to sign.
Fortunately for Stone, Anthony Stark has been mysteriously leaving the house late at night and early in the morning and shaking off every other tail that Stone has put on him, hence the private detective.
Bucky prides himself on being the best private detective in the entire state of New York (with the exception of Miss Jones, who somehow manages to be twice as good as him while permanently drunk) so itâs easy peasy for him to stake out the mansion for a few days before he spots Stark leaving the house one early morning with an oversized suitcase and a squirrely look about him before getting in his car and backing down the driveway.
He grins to himself and settles back to wait. He doesnât need to do what other PIâs do and follow the guy at a respectable distance because heâs got something better: a tracker, stolen from his time with the army and discretely placed on the underside of Starkâs car.
Except Stark gets halfway down the driveway and then stops, gets out of the car, kneels down, and fishes around underneath the car until he finds what looks like Buckyâs tracker. He flips it over, pulls a tiny screwdriver out of his pocket and fiddles with it for a moment before sticking it back on the car.
ThatâsâŠweird.
Bucky watches him pull out of the driveway and drive off and then checks the GPS on his phone to see where the tracker is going. And thatâs when he realizes that Anthony Stark is going in the opposite direction that the tracker is claiming.
âFuck!â he exclaims, scrambling for his car.
Heâs certain that Stark must know heâs behind him if heâs beaten every other PI Stone has sent after him. But Stark doesnât bother backtracking or trying to lose him or any of the other tricks heâs seen employed by people who think theyâre following. No, he just drives right into the heart of the city and pulls up toâŠthe VA hospital.
What?
Bucky grabs his binoculars, adjusting them just in time to see Stark stop at the front entrance and a couple nurses come out to greet him as he gets out of the car. He switches the audio part of the tracker on, wondering if Stark hadnât managed to turn that off at least.
ââif you need help with installation,â Stark says, rounding the corner to the trunk. He pops it open and unzips the suitcase, emerging with a handful ofâare those arms? And what looks like a leg andâ
âHoly shit, you sick bastard, heâs not cheating on you at all,â Bucky mutters. And heâd be willing to bet that Stone knows it too cause this? This isnât really the kind of thing you can hide. This is the kind of personality that seeps out in other ways no matter how much Stark might try to act like an asshole.
âIâll be back tomorrow evening with another batch,â Stark finishes as he hands off the last of the prosthetics to the nurses.
âThank you, Mr. Stark,â one of the nurses says fervently.
âDonât mention it,â Stark says causally. âSeriously, donât.â
He watches them go and then sets off across the parking lotâright toward Buckyâs car. Aw fuck, he knew he shouldnât have just followed him but Stark discovering his bug had really thrown him off. For a brief moment, he entertains the thought of just leaving but heâs pretty sure that would create more problems than it solves.
Stark smiles sweetly and taps on his window. Bucky rolls it down and waits for the riot act.
But when it comes, all Stark says is, âIf Ty wants a divorce, he can have the balls to tell me himself.â Then he glances at Buckyâs empty left sleeveâhis main souvenir from the armyâand adds, âI can help with that, if you want.â
Then he walksâno, thatâs a fucking sashayâback to his car, gets in, and drives off.
And Bucky drags his gaze away from Starkâs ass, sinks lower in his seat, and mutters, âIâm fucked, arenât I?â
Iâve been sleeping on the ship of Bucky/Sam/Tony and here I am correcting that misstep. Watch out for under the cut!
--
âSo youâre finding out who your new heavenly partner is today, right?â Bucky asked, not looking up from his bowl of cereal.
Sam stabbed at his bagel, scowling. âYeah.â Ever since Steve had transferred out of Shouldering, heâd been put on leave until he could be paired with a new angel.
It had been annoying, watching Bucky go off to work, so he was glad he was coming off leave. He hated having nothing to do, and he especially hated that there was nothing he could do to speed up the process. He didnât begrudge Steve his promotionâhe had wanted to go into being a Guardian for centuries, after allâbut he hated that heâd have to get used to another person. Heâd had Riley as a partner first, and theyâd gotten along splendidly, but one day heâd disappeared, and Heaven was tight-lipped about those kinds of things, but even he could tell that something bad had happened. He wished heâd gotten a chance to say goodbye.
After Riley, heâd been assigned to work with Steve. Theyâd butted heads a few times in the beginning, but once theyâd gotten past the typical Heaven and Hell politics, theyâd become fast friends. And Steve had always talked about becoming a Guardian angel, had wanted it with every ounce of his being, so he hadnât been surprised that Steve had eventually gotten the promotion. Sam was happy for him, honestly, because heâd gotten to know Steve really well, and he deserved it! Heâd make a good Guardian. And Steve had said heâd put in a good word to make sure he was partnered well.
He just⊠wasnât in the mood to learn how to work with someone new when his two previous partners had been so good, as petty as it was.
âBeing a house-husband is still an option,â Bucky said after a moment, and it made Sam realize heâd totally mutilated his bagel.
Sam sighed, scowling down at his plate. Maybe, if he didnât hit it off with his new partner, heâd take Bucky up on it.
.-.-.-.
His new partner was wearing a suit.
âAh, uh, interim partner,â the angel said, frowning at him.
âSteve never wore a suit,â Sam said, and he couldnât help the fact that it came out as somewhat accusing. He felt like he couldnât be faulted for it, though, because the suit was⊠it was doing wonderful things for the angelâs body, especially the way the slacks cupped hisâ
The angel, who had previously introduced himself as Tony, immediately looked sour-faced. âSteve never sat still long enough for one.â
Sam opened his mouth, then closed it again. Yeah, that sounded like Steve, actually. âOh.â
âAnd Iâm just your interim partner,â Tony continued, a tablet appearing out of thin air that he immediately began scrolling on. âSteve put in several names as possible partners for you. The problem is, all of them want to advance in their careers, too, and as youâve shown no desire to move on yourself, we want to find a partner who will stay with you.â
âSo you assigned me an interim partner to leave me,â Sam deadpanned.
Tony looked up at him in surprise, then let out a somewhat self-deprecating laugh. âOh, donât be fooled. I havenât Shouldered in millennia, and Iâm hard to get along with besides, so youâll be ecstatic to get rid of me by the time weâve found a suitable partner.â
Sam shrugged, noncommittal. Heâd heard about pairings that bickered so much that their human charges mostly ignored them, but he was more of the âsit down and talk it outâ type. Other demons told him that that wasnât particularly normal for their kind, but Sam chalked it up to being another reason why he was not eaten by a more powerful demon in his adolescence. Some older demons just wanted to vent! Who knew! Sam did, and no one took him seriously about it.
âAlso since Iâm basically banned from interacting with humans, weâre not really going to be Shouldering anyway,â Tony continued, finally looking up from his tablet. âWeâre just going to be assessing first-time Shoulderers. Youâve been doing this for centuries and you come highly recommended, so I figured youâd be okay with that?â
Sam frowned, crossing his arms as he considered the proposal. On one hand, he liked more hands-on work; he enjoyed actually helping humans. On the other hand, it might help him in his own work to see how other demons and angels worked together.
âYou can definitely make fun of the other Shoulderers when weâre on break,â Tony added.
âYes!â Sam exclaimed, pumping his fist, and then was nearly bowled over by Tonyâs shy smile, as if pleased to have made him happy. âI mean. That sounds great, Tony, thank you,â he said, trying to be professional.
Tony shrugged, still smiling. âItâs nice to know that you enjoy your job,â he said honestly. âAnyway! I have to go give my replacement some information that I forgot when I left, so weâll start tomorrow? Iâll send you some files about who weâll be shadowing.â
âSounds good,â Sam replied, reaching out to shake his hand. âNice meeting you. I hope we work well together.â
âWell, Iâll certainly try to make it bearable,â Tony answered, amused, and then disappeared in a pleasant little âpop!â like a soap bubble.
.-.-.-.
Bucky, of course, asked the important questions as soon as he got home. âIs he hot?â
âYes,â Sam replied. âAnd he was wearing a suit.â
âSteve never wore a suit!â Bucky exclaimed, offended. âAnd with proportions like that, he would have killed people he was so hot.â
Sam threw his hands up. âRight?!â
âIâm gonna kick his ass the next time I see him,â Bucky muttered.
Sam paused, then let his arms drop to his sides as he said, âBucky, you canât beat up everyone you find attractive.â
âWatch me,â the brunet replied.
Sam stared at him with all the disappointment he could muster before finally saying, âHeâs small. Heâs like, eight inches shorter than Steve.â
Bucky turned in his seat to give him his full attention, eyebrows raising in surprise. âTiny and in a suit? Why. What does Heaven have against you.â
âWhy do you think Heaven has something against me?â Sam asked, brows furrowing together in confusion.
âI mean, you cry over tuxedo kittens a lot,â Bucky reasoned.
âOnly when Iâm drunk,â Sam argued immediately.
Bucky rolled his eyes, turning back to the table to begin scribbling in his daily report again. âIf you say so.â
âAnyway, heâs only an interim partner until they find someone suitable for me,â Sam explained, sitting down across from him. He pulled out his tablet and opened his email to find the files that Tony had sent over. âSo I wonât actually have a human to Shoulder for until they find a permanent one. Weâre just gonna be acting as auditors, I guess.â
âThatâs not bad,â Bucky said thoughtfully. âIs it confidential? Or can you come home and tell me funny shit thatâs happened?â
âI mean, Iâm sure I can at least fudge enough details for plausible deniability,â Sam mused. âBesides, angels are insatiable gossips, so it would get out eventually anyway. Oh! And his butt looks like a peach.â Then he smiled smugly as Bucky spewed his coffee all over his paperwork and shouted at him because he had to redo all of it.
Bucky was always really nice to him in apology for yelling. Really nice.
.-.-.-.
Working with Tony was a delight.
He was clearly good at his job, whatever it was, because he always made pithy comments and cracked jokes while they were auditing how other angels and demons Shouldered, but his official write-ups were clear, concise, and factualâSam knew this, because apparently they had to sign off on each otherâs reports to make sure they agreed with each other about how the job had gone. Sam had no idea why Tony thought heâd get tired of working with him, because even when they were silent, bent over taking their notes, Tony was good company, a long line of heat from knee to hip, because they had to be close if they wanted to compare their observations.
And the suit. Oh, the suit.
Tony still showed up in a perfectly fitted suit, and looked just as handsome as the first day, but as he grew more comfortable with Sam, he started taking pieces of it off. Sam actually whimpered when Tony unbuttoned and took off his suit jacket, vest snug around his trim waist. Then Tony started unbuttoning and rolling up his sleeves, which made the selfish part of Samâs heart hiss when he noticed the angel and demon they were auditing had looked at his arms as well. One time, Tony even picked the laces on his loafers undone and kicked his shoes off. Fuck. Bucky loved the vulnerability of socked or bare feet. Tony was checking all of their boxes in a bed-mate.
âDo you want to come to my place for dinner?â Sam blurted out at the end of one of their auditing assignments. âBucky wants to cook for you.â
âOh!â Tony said, surprised, but then he was frowning, shoulders beginning to hunch up. âUm⊠I donât⊠usually eat?â
âYou donât eat?â Sam repeated, bewildered, then paused, suddenly remembering all the times he, Bucky, and Steve had gone to the bar together and Steve had indulged in a heavenly mead but had never picked at the bowls of nuts or ordered a meal like they had. âHuh,â he said, surprised.
âBut I can eat!â Tony added hurriedly. âI just usually donât because we donât actually need to. But I can! Um, but I donât like meat.â
Sam frowned in concern. âI donât want you to put yourself out, Tony.â
âItâs not, I justâI forget, sometimes. That demons like to eat,â Tony admitted shyly, looking down at his feet and shuffling in place awkwardly. âI donât really have a lot of friends. Only a couple of âem are demons, so it never occurs to me that you guys eat sometimes.â
âThatâs adorable,â Sam told him seriously. âIs tofu okay?â
Tony looked up at him, blinking. âI canât say Iâve had it, but as long as itâs not meat, Iâll try anything.â
âTony, I just need you to know that Bucky will be absolutely disgusted that Iâm making him prepare tofu, and telling him so will be the highlight of my day,â Sam said.
Tony opened his mouth, then closed it again. He looked vaguely concerned, but also a bit leery, like he didnât know if it would be demonophobic to say anything about it. Sam did not tell him that almost every demon enjoyed making angels wonder this. âOkay,â he finally said, frowning.
âGreat! Iâll text you about a half an hour before itâs ready? Will that work?â Sam asked.
âSure,â Tony answered, nodding. âThatâs good. Do I need to bring anything?â
âJust yourself and a smile,â Sam told him cheerfully.
Tony laughed, teasing, âSounds like you want me to show up naked!â
Sam would absolutely love it if Tony showed up naked, and Bucky definitely wouldnât complain, but he figured that might be coming on too strong. Instead, he said, âBucky is very interested in seeing you in a suit. He doesnât believe angels wear them.â
Tony blinked at him, then scowled, mulishly muttering, âIâm gonna kick Steveâs ass.â
âI know that feeling,â Sam assured him, and Tonyâs lips quirked up into a smile again.
.-.-.-.
âS. Small,â Bucky said after Sam had shown Tony into their apartment.
Tony whipped around to glare at him, then paused awkwardly when he realized that Bucky easily had six inches on him and was built like a brickhouse. ââŠBig?â he answered nervously.
Bucky frowned at him and told him, very seriously, âYou are small and pretty like a songbird.â
âI, uh,â Tony sputtered, eyes wide with shock. âThank you?â
âI have cute aggression,â Bucky added, and then visibly forced himself to return to the kitchen. âGive me a minute. Fucking brimstone and bats youâre so pretty.â
Tony stared after him, unsure whether to be terrified or not, then looked up at Sam in concern. âUm?â
âHeâs not usually this much of an instinctive garbage can,â Sam assured him. âI tried to warn him that you were attractive, but I guess I didnât do you justice.â
âRude. Iâm fucking ethereal in my beauty,â Tony answered, more on instinct than anything else. Then he tilted his head in confusion. âWait. Didnât you say Bucky was your husband?â
Sam raised his eyebrows. âYeah, but like⊠Iâve got eyes.â
âWhat,â Tony said, and probably would have continued, except Bucky came stomping back out of the kitchen to approach him directly. âUh.â
âDoes your ass really look like a peach?â Bucky asked sternly.
Tony reached back to grab his butt, frowning up at him and brows furrowing together in concern. âYes? Iâve been told? Eep,â he added when Bucky lifted his hands to cup his cheeks and pull him closer.
âI wanna eat it like one,â Bucky growled.
âEep,â Tony squeaked again.
Bucky glared down into his eyes a moment longer before he let him go and turned to stomp back into the kitchen. âBut after dinner. I made tofu edible and youâre gonna eat it.â
Tony gaped after him in a mixture of terror and confusion, still clutching his ass.
âWhy donât you have a seat,â Sam suggested, gently placing a hand between Tonyâs wings and urging him toward the table.
âYour husband just said he wanted to eat my ass in front of you and youâre telling me to take a seat?!â Tony spluttered, but still allowed himself to be eased into one of the chairs.
Sam smiled a little. âWell, I mean. Iâm kind of hoping that youâll let me suck your dick while you ride his face, so it would be kind of hypocritical of me to be angry.â He hooked his hand under Tonyâs arm so that he didnât miss the chair as he yelped in surprise. âBut if youâre not interested, we can just have a lovely dinner, and I wonât be offended if you donât want to work with me anymore.â
Tony stared up at him, wide-eyed and silent.
Sam patted him on the shoulder and then began shuffling things around on the table so that it could fit all of the dishes Bucky was bringing out, unconcerned about the lack of answer. Tony had never been speechless before, but he figured that this time definitely warranted it, and he was honestly kind of looking forward to hearing how Tony would react.
Tony had actually had three bites of the stir-fry Bucky had made before he burst out, âWhat if I donât even like having sex with male-presenting beings?â
âThen I will cry,â Bucky answered.
âHe wonât,â Sam said hastily when Tony stared at him in affront. âWell, I mean, heâs an ass man so he might actually cry a little, but not to guilt you or anything.â
âWell,â Tony said mulishly. âI suppose my ass is a treasure.â
Bucky held his hands up. âJust wanna cup each cheek and bury my face in âem.â
Tony gaped at him, still looking a little offended. That was normal, thoughâmost people were put off by how earnest Bucky was about eating ass. Luckily, Sam was all for it, so it had never been a problem for them.
âAnyway, if youâre not down to fuck, we can just be friends,â Bucky added with a shrug. âWe did it with Stevie. Although that asshole did yell at me for being forward when all I did was say I could bounce a quarter off his ass.â
âHe yelled at you for actually bouncing a quarter off his ass,â Sam corrected. âI think he was embarrassed that it bounced so far though.â He looked back at Tony with a shrug. âBut no pressure. I like you as a friend and Bucky always likes feeding people so if you donât want to do anything sexual, thatâs fine.â
Tony ate some more stir-fry, then set his fork down. âI donât really do⊠casual sex anymore. I am⊠Old.â
Sam and Bucky blinked at him in surprise. âHow old are you?â Sam asked.
âI am Old with a capital âO,ââ Tony corrected, and he looked pleased when they blanched.
âIf youâre one of the angel elders why the fuck are you working with me Iâm a baby compared to you,â Sam sputtered.
Tony immediately frowned at him again. âI told you. We wanted to find someone who was in Shouldering for the long haul. Itâs why we can only audit other pairsâIâm too powerful for most humans to behold.â
âCan you really turn into a flaming ball of eyes?!â Bucky asked excitedly.
Tonyâs frown deepened into a scowl. âWhy?â
Bucky gave him his best bitch face. âBecause thatâs sexy, Tony, obviously.â
âI donât have an ass to eat when Iâm a flaming ball of eyes,â Tony told him, and then threw his hands up in despair when this only seemed to give him a moment of pause. âI donât like being a flaming ball of eyes. It scares people and I donât know how you think it can be sexy when my being can only be pierced by a more powerful angel or a devilâs horn, and thatâs not exactly pleasurable, if you know what I mean.â
They didnât, but they also didnât tell him so, because telling Tony they had never flirted with someone Old seemed like a bad idea when they still very much wanted to pinion him to their bed for the rest of eternity.
âWe donât really do casual,â Sam cut in before Bucky blurted out that heâd figure out a way to make piercing him with his horns pleasurable or die trying, because he knew Bucky would, if given the chance. âBuckyâs got a possessive streak, so weâd definitely want to be exclusive.â
Tony stared at them for a very long time, thoughtful, before he frowned in confusion and asked, âHeâs possessive and has terrifying cute aggression? Who hates him,â and Bucky snorted his wine out his nose.
.-.-.-.
In the end, Tony had to turn them down, but only because he felt weird dating them while also technically acting as Samâs superior. Made him feel like he was taking advantage somehow, heâd said.
So the minute Sam got paired with a new angel for Shouldering and waved Tony goodbye, he texted Bucky, and they were both waiting at Tonyâs door by the time he got back from his office.
âYouâre not wearing a suit,â Bucky said accusingly. âYouâre even cuter now. I canât handle this.â
Tony, clad in a well-worn pair of jeans and a human band t-shirt, blinked at him in complete bewilderment. âWhat?â
âDressed down is good on you,â Sam explained, elbowing Bucky in the ribs. âI miss the vest a little, but you look slightly more approachable now. Less like Iâll be smote if I touch you.â
âWhy would you be smote,â Tony asked him, still very obviously confused.
ââŠDonât you smite people who touch you without permission?â Bucky asked, which was answer enough.
âWHY DO YOU THINK I WOULD SMITE SOMEONE FOR SOMETHING AS STUPID AS THAT WHEN THIS ISNâT EVEN MY TRUE FORM,â Tony bellowed, wings flying up in a threat display, but Bucky didnât look perturbed by it, instead leaning around so he could get a better view of Tonyâs ass in those jeans. Tony snapped his wings at them. âDonât ogle me when Iâm yelling at you!â
Bucky held his hands up placatingly. âAlright.â
âSo now that weâre not working together, how about we go on a date?â Sam added, before Tony could continue to scold either of them.
Tonyâs wings fell as he blinked up at them in surprise. âHuh?â
âYou, us. A date. Show you we want commitment,â Sam explained. âWe thought maybe youâd like to take a swing around the edge of the solar system and then maybe we could come back to one of ours for a snack? You donât have to eat the snack of course, but Bucky and I enjoy eating.â
ââŠWell, I do like seeing PlutoâŠâ Tony mumbled shyly, peering up at them from under his lashes. âI guess that would be alright. Yeah, that sounds nice! What are you guys going to have for a snack? If itâs not meat, maybe Iâll try it too!â
Bucky opened his mouth, but Sam hurriedly slapped him with his own velvety bat-wing, sending the other demon skidding across the clouds with an offended squawk. âBucky brought a cheesecake,â he said sweetly.
Tony frowned up at him, unimpressed. âWas he gonna say my ass? He was gonna say my ass, wasnât he. I donât put out on the first date.â
âWhat about the second?â Bucky called out to him as he stood up and dusted himself off.
âYouâll need to see if you earn a second one,â Tony informed him imperiously, and then looked up at Sam with a smile. âWhat kind of cheesecake? Iâve had that. I like it.â
âWe brought a couple different toppings,â Sam said, smiling back at him. âYou can have your pick.â
Tonyâs feathers fluffed as he beamed up at him. Sam could only gape, because holy shit, he suddenly understood what Bucky had meant when heâd said, âyou are small and pretty like a songbird.â He just wanted to tuck Tony into their apartment and keep him happy and sated until the end of time.
âYou see,â Bucky hissed as Tony stepped into his apartment to send off a couple emails before they left. âYou see? Iâm not just especially demonic youâve just never actually found another person you wanted to keep like me. Our honeymoon wasnât three decades long because of me, remember, it was because you didnât want it to end and you wanted to make sure I smelled like you. Youâre not in better control of yourself, youâre just pickier than I am.â
âBrimstone and bats,â Sam breathed, aghast, as he realized the truth in his words.
.-.-.-.
The date went so well that they got to learn that Tony put out on the second as long there was already a promise of a third.
