#buckbucky

Marge waits 55 years. John waits 47. They talk a lot, get to know each other better than they ever did while living. John admits what she's already begun to suspect. I'm in love with your husband. I always have been. They're sitting at the bar with whisky soured breath. Marge is quiet for a long time.

When she finally speaks it's with a bittersweet determination. He talked about you every day. I'm sure he still does now. He and I, well, our happiness was brief but it was tangible. John, you and Gale deserve that too. The world wasn't ready for it yet, but this isn't that world. He chose me because he loved me, but I think I always knew part of it was because he had to. I won't let him make that choice again. It wouldn't be fair to any of us.

John looks down into his empty glass. Are you sure?

She laughs. No, but it's what I'm going to do, and when he gets here I'll tell him so. I want to wait for our girls. I never did get to see them grow up. There's so many things I'd like to ask them.

But who knows how much longer you'll have to wait?

Marge shrugs, wipes her eyes. John takes her hand where it's resting on the bar top and squeezes. He doesn't know how to put into words how grateful he is.

What if it's all a mistake, what if he doesn't want me?

He will, Marge says. He will.

John waits in the lounge every day, leg bouncing restlessly. He chain smokes gloriously. It's like they said: smoking can't kill you twice.

Gale walks through the front doors to the after life exactly how John remembers him. Like in the next moment, they'll be shaking hands on the tarmac and going back up in the air.

John stands. Gale Cleven, your two o'clock. Gale turns and the smile that bursts across his face is illuminating.

John tries not to let his voice break, but he's trembling. What took you so long?

Gale doesn't reply to the taunt, just pulls John against him. I missed you, he murmurs. Missed you so goddamn much, Bucky.

Gale held out the mug of coffee, biting his bottom lip against a smile at John’s pleased hum when he took the steaming mug. He stood waiting for his next instructions.

Today was his first day as John’s pledge. His last week as a pledge before finding out who his big would be and initiation. Gale wanted it all to go perfectly.

“What’re you doin’ awake so early?” John asked, squinting at Gale as he propped himself up on an elbow and took a sip of his coffee.

“You have class at 8:00,” Gale answered, like it was that simple because it was. He hoped he didn’t have to explain much past that, it was too early for him to truly function.

“Your first class s’not ’til 10:00 today,” John argued, frowning at Gale as he took another sip.

Gale shrugged in response. Curt, Brady, Ev, Jack, and Dickie had all wanted coffee brought to them in bed the weeks he was their designated pledge. It seemed intuitive to do the same for John even if he was seconds away from faceplanting on John’s floor from exhaustion.

Gale’s lack of response seemed to incense him further as he reminded Gale, “you told me you hate mornings and you’re slow to get going in the morning.”

Nodding, Gale didn’t argue because he had said that and it was true. He hated the way it made John’s frown deepen.

John eyed him for a few beats before sucking on his teeth and asking, “how many cups of coffee have you had so far?”

“One,” Gale admitted, feeling sheepish and directing his gaze at the floor when John sucked on his teeth like he was disappointed.

“Alright, c’mere you nerd,” John ordered.

Gale’s eyes darted back up to see John holding his duvet up in invitation. It left miles of pale skin over obscenely cut muscles on display and Gale had to remind himself to keep his mouth closed.

John was inviting him to cuddle. In his bed. Under the covers. At 6:30 AM. On a Monday. While only wearing boxer briefs.

Gale didn’t know if he was in heaven or hell.

“C’mon, Buck,” John urged, a soft smile stretching across his face. “Veep’s orders.”

Nodding hesitantly, Gale kicked off his shoes before climbing onto the bed and letting John arrange him to his liking. They settled with Gale propped against the pillows slightly and John’s cheek smashed against his chest. He hoped against all hope that John couldn’t hear the way his heart was hammering in his chest.

John held up the cup of coffee and Gale obligingly took a sip, sighing in delight at the rich taste before letting his eyes fall closed. A pleased hum vibrated against Gale’s chest and he couldn’t help the shiver that wracked his body at feeling the noise coming from John.

They lay in silence for long enough that Gale started to feel sleep creep over him despite his usual struggle to fall back asleep once he was already up. John would occasionally nudge his chin gently with the mug of coffee and Gale would take a sip. Between John’s body heat, the duvet, and the coffee, Gale felt like he was wrapped in a cocoon of contentment despite being awake at such an unfathomable time.

“You don’t have to wake me up with coffee every morning this week,” John whispered before something sharp gently dug into Gale’s chest.

Opening his eyes and glancing down, Gale saw John propping his chin on his chest and peering up at him with sleep puffy blue eyes.

“If I do, can we do this every morning?”

It tumbled out before Gale could think twice and he lamented the flush burning down his ears. He mentally thanked whoever was listening that it was still too dark in John’s room for it to be visible.

“I’ll make you a deal,” John countered, smiling up at Gale with so much warmth Gale didn’t think he would ever be cold again. “Tomorrow and Thursday you can bring me coffee and bring yourself a second cup and we can do this again. Wednesday and Friday though, you sleep in and I’ll bring you coffee in bed and we can do this at yours.”

Gale didn’t even have to consider it. Wasn’t even going to bother asking Benny if he minded John coming into their dorm room.

He didn’t want to seem too eager though. Didn’t want John to know just how much he loved whatever had been building between them since John had thrown an arm over his shoulders and called him Buck 6 weeks ago on opening night of rush week.

He pretended to contemplate it before agreeing with a put upon sigh, “okay.”

“Knew you’d see reason,” John replied cheekily before holding the cup up for Gale to take the last sip.

When it was gone, John set the mug on his nightstand before crawling over Gale to get out of bed. It took everything in Gale to fight down the whine that wanted to escape his mouth.

“Now, you just stay there and look pretty while I get ready, okay?” John said as he started gathering what looked like workout clothes, Gale opened his mouth to protest. “I’ll try to get through everything quickly so that after I shower, I can come back and snuggle you some more, you little cuddle bug.”

Gale was so excited by the prospect he didn’t even bother to let himself feel worried about being so caught out. He just wriggled further under John’s duvet to John’s apparent delight and tracked him as he stumbled around the room to get ready.

He hadn’t taken a nap in almost a decade. However, after John left it only took moments for Gale to fall back asleep. Surrounded by the warmth of John’s duvet and the scent of John’s cologne and shampoo, Gale didn’t have a choice.