#sentryfalcon

‘You know we shouldn’t.’

‘Maybe we should, no point in saying love is love and them shaming us.’

‘Aww we’re like Romeo and Juliet.’

‘Yeah because one of us is going to die thinking the other did when they didn’t.’

‘Way to bring down the mood, sunshine.’

‘You’re still coming over, right?’

‘I’d be crazy not to.’

Bob couldn’t help but laugh a little at the text message. He and Joaquin had been secretly-not-so-secretly seeing each other behind the rest of their respective teams backs. Sam and Bucky were going through some kind of rough patch and through the very short yet painfully long meetings trying to sort out the legal issues Sam had complained about to Joaquin, Joaquin had offered to tag along as emotional support.

Which didn’t last all of too long once he caught sight and scent of burgers and milkshakes. What can he say? A burger and milkshake won’t hurt every now and then. What did hurt was seeing the burger and milkshake occupied by some brown haired, derpy guy. Not the meet cutes of all meet cutes, but hey it’s better than ripping a steering wheel from the hands of someone you’d learn and grow to love.

Now they were going behind their bosses backs with little white lies.

“What’s got you grinning like a school girl?” Ava asked, sitting next to Bob and trying to peak over his shoulder.

Bob huffed, turning his phone off and putting it screen down on his lap. “I’m hanging out with a friend, if you must know.” He explained rather vaguely. To which Ava was only going to push.

“Ooh, you have other friends aside from us? How rude. I’m telling Bucky.” She joked, poking Bob in the shoulder.

“Tell me what?” Bucky asked, sounding as tired and exhausted as you’d expect someone living with and managing John Walker and Alexei Shostakov to sound.

“Nothing.” Bob tried to quickly shut that door, Bucky didn’t need any more stress on his shoulders.

“Bob’s got friends that aren’t us.” Ava teased, watching as Bucky moved to sit across from them with a tired sigh.

“That’s.. good. I’m glad you’ve made friends outside of us.” Bucky said with a small smile before closing his eyes and leaning his head back. He really just needed an hours uninterrupted sleep, but no. No he couldn’t have that. Not even now. And before you mention it, this man refuses to sleep in his bed without his partner beside him. So chances are you’ll find him passed out on a gym bench. Or the couch.

A crash came from the kitchen, followed by some angry Russian yelling, mixed with a frustrated Georgian accent. And a disappointed sigh as Bucky got back up. “When I grow up, I’m not having kids.” He muttered to himself before going to break up whatever friendly conversation turned argument this was. For the fifth time this week.

Ava grinned, leaning in and resting her chin on Bob’s shoulder. “So, tell me everything.” She hummed, looking at him keenly. These two were close, very close friends. Both touch starved and afraid of hurting someone if they lose control of themselves. They found comfort in knowing they’d struggle to accidentally hurt each other.

Bob shook his head, playfully pushing away at her face. “No, never. Secret. My secret. You just told my secret to Bucky, so I’m not telling you this one.” He huffed out when Ava pouted at him.

Ava let out a sigh when the pout didn’t work, laying down on the couch and resting her legs across Bob’s lap. “Whatever, spaceman.” She said dramatically, emphasising her sadness at Bob not sharing his secret.

Bob shook his head, picking his phone back up from under her ankle. “If you’ll excuse me Ava, I have to go.” He mumbled, carefully moving her legs off of himself. “I’ll tell you a little about it later if you’re lucky.” He offered, which seemed to satisfy her based on the wicked grin on her face.

“I’ll hold you to it, blondie.” Ava teased, which probably ruined all her chances at having that secret shared.

“One time! One damn time!” Bob groaned, walking off to take the elevator up a floor to his room. The Vault Quartet lived here more often than Bucky and Alexei, and by more often, they really just lived here. They had their own floors to avoid each other and also manage their own spaces, like living on their own.

It wasn’t uncommon for others to be invited or invite themselves to one another’s floors. As the elevator doors dinged open, he nearly ran smack bang into Yelena, who also seemed invested in her phone.

“Oh- sorry.” Bob apologised, gently trying to guide her around him with a hand on her shoulder. “I’m just, just going to my room.” He didn’t need to explain anything to her, but he always did. It was an unspoken rule, but they explained most things to each other. Where they’re going, what they’re doing, when they’ll be back. Some of the media figured it was because they were dating, even though Yelena was far from interested in guys romantically, or at all, and Bob was very interested in guys. They were siblings, really. The kind of sibling you randomly grow close to and check in on after a whole fuck around of a traumatic experience.

Yelena looked up at Bob, pulling a face at him. “I think there’s something in your room. Something alive. I didn’t check it out, thought it was just you getting changed or something. Just.. be careful. Do you want me to come with you? I’ll just come with you.” Yelena said, putting her phone away and taking Bob’s arm in hers.

“Oh, oh no. No, it’s okay. I’m okay. I left the tv on my room. It’s okay, I promise.” Bob panicked, pulling his arm from Yelena’s and stepping in front of her, his hands out. Dammit, Joaquin. Someone’s gotta teach him to be quieter.

Yelena looked at Bob, slightly confused before shrugging. “Okay. But I’ll be checking up on you later. Don’t forget, it’s movie night tonight.” Yelena said with a smile before pressing the down button to the elevator and stepping in.

Bob nodded, a small, awkward smile on his face before he let out a sigh of relief as the elevator doors closed. He made his way to his room, knocking on his own door.

The door opened, Joaquin beaming at him, his clothes changed out for Bob’s own. Joaquin pulled Bob into the room by the waist, toeing up and pressing a kiss to his lips.

Bob kissed back with a dopey smile on his face, his hands holding Joaquin’s face like he was delicate.

When they parted, Joaquin looked up at Bob, grinning. “Hey, sunshine. I missed you.”

Bob nudged the door to his room shut with his foot, giving Joaquin a look with no heat behind it, but it was paired with a love sick smile. “Yelena heard you fumbling around in here, y’know.”

“Oh, wow. I missed you too, Joaquin. How was the mission, Joaquin? Oh it was great, thanks for asking babe.” Joaquin said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he pulled away from Bob and sat down on his bed. “Cmon, she didn’t come in here. We’re fine.”

Bob rolled his eyes, poking Joaquin in the forehead. “She’s suspicious. She’ll be checking up on us at any random moment. Also, I did miss you, flyboy. Feel free to tell me about the mission, if you’d like.” Bob offered, sitting down next to Joaquin, before giving up on the whole idea of sitting and lying back.

Joaquin flopped onto his back, looking at Bob. “God I love that nickname. And you really wanna hear about the mission? I mean, it’s mostly Sam kicking ass and me doing cool shit that no one ever sees. So he never believes me.”

Bob rolled onto his side, propping himself up on his elbow. “Go on, tell me about all of the cool shit you do that no one ever sees.” He loved to hear about Joaquin’s missions, his day, every little thing. “Oh, you’re okay, right? I mean, you don’t look bruised or battered, and I definitely didn’t feel you up a little for any wounds before.”

Joaquin laughed a little, shaking his head. “And here I thought it was just because you missed me a little more than normal.” He shook his head, unable to wipe the smile from his face as he looked at Bob. “No, I’m okay. A few hits landed here and there, but nothing major. No stab wounds or bullet wounds, no broken bones or fractures. Just a couple bruised ribs and a twisted ankle.” Joaquin explained, gesturing to the slightly inflamed ankle, trapped in the white sock.

“Oh. I’ve got some bandages around here somewhere if you’d like it wrapped.” Bob offered, moving to get up and rummage through his drawers. “Plus, you are not sleeping in my bed with your nasty work socks on.”

Joaquin sat up, laughing again. He usually found a reason to smile as is, but when he was with Bob? He was just absolutely swooning and laughing and smiling at everything Bob said and did. “My socks aren’t nasty! They’re clean, thank you very much.” But, he did as he was told, taking his socks off, rolling over and leaving them with the folded pile of his under clothes and the suit behind the bed he’d take home and clean tomorrow tomorrow. Or Bob would sneak off and wash later. It was fifty fifty.

Bob found the bandage, walking back over to Joaquin. “Clean? After you wore them? Mister, ‘no one ever sees me do anything at work’? You’re unreliable.” Bob joked, kneeling down. “Now hold still and let me wrap this for you. I’d hate for you to accidentally hurt your ribs even more just from bending over to wrap your ankle.”

Joaquin grinned, sitting up and keeping still as Bob wrapped his ankle up. “Anyone would think you’re in love with me.” He teased, to which Bob looked up at him with an awkward smile.

“I thought we’d established as much.” Bob replied, pinning the end of the bandage off to the base of the bandage.

Joaquin gave Bob a soft smile, shrugging playfully. “We have. It’s just nice to hear it sometimes.”

Bob stood up, looking at Joaquin. “Sometimes, or all the time?”

“Okay, okay. All the time.” Joaquin answered before pulling Bob down onto him, unbothered by the bruised ribs.

Bob on the other hand was extremely worried for the bruised ribs as he placed his hands on either side of Joaquin’s shoulders, looking down at him. “Woah! Dove, you can’t just pull me down like that! What if I hurt you? Especially since you’re already hurt. I don’t want..” to make things worse.

Joaquin smiled up at Bob, taking in every detail of his face. His brown blue eyes, his paper thin top lip, the slightest hint of stubble coming through on his face, the way his eyebrows are slightly uneven. “You make everything about me, about this life better. I love you.”