Tag: Pairing: John “Bucky” Egan/Gale “Buck” Cleven

With a yawn, he unlocks it and pulls it open, and that yawn becomes a squeak, which becomes a cough, which becomes “Buck?” He squeezes his eyes shut, rubs them with his knuckles, and pries them back open.

Gale is still there in the soft light of the hallway, the leather of his A-3 jacket gleaming and crusher cap angled just-so, toothpick a taunt and temptation both in the corner of his mouth. He’s smirking and, if John didn’t know better, blushing as he gives John a quick once-over. John looks down at himself. Lipstick is still smeared on his nipples. Clearing his throat, he tugs the robe tighter shut, shielding his chest from Gale’s sight.

Blue eyes flick up to his, amusement crystal clear. John feels faint. Perhaps this is how a Victorian felt upon seeing an ankle.

“Hey, Major,” Gale says, his familiar drawl like fingernails over John’s skin, scattering goosebumps. John wants to shiver. He abstains. “You’re a hard man to find.”

Source: peacetime like a liminal space, by mercess – Masters of the Air (TV 2024) [Archive of Our Own]

Adult, post-canon. I read this a while back but somehow don’t think I recced it? Anyways, this is a wonderful POV for a Bucky who’s been trying (in vain, obviously) to fuck Gale out of his system with random women in New York. Except Buck finds him and shows him that just maybe, he doesn’t have to get over him at all.

He doesn’t think he could – he knows he said he’d be Buck’s best man but… he doesn’t think he can do it. Doesn’t think he can stand at the altar and watch as Gale marries the girl of his dreams, the one he’d gone back to even though he spent more time with John than he ever has with her.

And if that’s a petty thing to think, then so be it.

               Howdy, Buck!

He starts the letter, sloppily penning it with his head in his hand, sitting on the ground at the coffee table.

How many horses does it take to make a cowboy? Is one enough? Her names Eurydice, real fancy! Hope you got my last letter, since I got no reply and all. Do I need cows to be a cowboy? I could get some, I have the land now. I think the cat in the barn is having kittens, it’s getting real busy around here. I think Peg wants to set me up with her daughter. Didn’t you say you want to go back to studying physics? Sometimes I dream about you dying and I need to know you’re alive. Say hi to the loveliest Marge for me!

Your newly-minted rancher,

Bucky.

Source: knocking on the door of unhappiness – Chapter 1 – MarionetteFtHJM – Masters of the Air (TV 2024) [Archive of Our Own]

Adult, post-canon. Bucky is back home and trying to cope without Buck. It doesn’t go so well, in spite of a lovely horse and some new friends.

Gale’s not sure who he’ll be without the war, without the Hundredth, without a B-17. But he knows he won’t be Buck without Bucky. Won’t be himself without John.

Perhaps that’s why John tried to slip away unnoticed tonight, why he came out here and tucked himself into the copilot’s seat. An attempt to sever a limb, one he knows he can’t take home with him.

Source: flak-happy, fancy-free – Chapter 1, by mercess – Masters of the Air (TV 2024) [Archive of Our Own]

Adult, set on VE Day. Bucky disappears on Gale, and Gale doesn’t hesitate to go find him. Perfect first time fic.

One corner of Gale’s mouth ticks upward. John wants to press his thumb to it. Gale has to know John is looking, but he doesn’t protest it, doesn’t try to stop it. He doesn’t even look back, as if content to let himself be watched.

They’ve been dancing around this for so long now that even Gale, with his two left feet, is an expert at it. He could dance it without music, upside down, and backward, and still make it look pretty. They linger and the music begins. They lock eyes and take that first step. They laugh and twirl in time, easy and free. It feels weightless. It feels like an anchor. One day, they’ll cut the chain loose and see where the wind takes them.

Source: my type – Chapter 1, by mercess – Masters of the Air (TV 2024) [Archive of Our Own]

Adult. This fic is like a beautiful dance indeed, as Bucky and Gale decide to try some new steps on the wing of a plane (of course)…

The first time a replacement asks about it–because Major Cleven doesn’t seem the type to collect odds and ends–Demarco barks a laugh and buys the replacement a drink.

“It’s not Cleven’s collection. Well, it is. But it’s not.”

The replacement stares at Demarco. “Uh-huh. Clear as mud.”

Demarco sighs. “They’re all his, but he didn’t pick them, okay?”

“That’s no clearer.”

Demarco shrugs. “You’ll figure it out.”

Source: Love Tokens, by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic) – Masters of the Air (TV 2024) [Archive of Our Own]

G, outside POV, no homophobia. This is an absolutely adorable look at Buck and his darling magpie Bucky.

Buck reads people, and these pilots are tired and drunk and a little pissed off because they wanted to do the jobs themselves. He can sympathize. He really can.

But it’s one thing to tease about how Bucky touches. It’s another to imply that it’s wrong somehow. Bucky’s touch is one of the few things that brings Buck a little quiet in this fucking war, and he won’t have it insulted.

So, there’s going to be a fight.

Source: A Kiss with a Fist, by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic) – Masters of the Air (TV 2024) [Archive of Our Own]

G, canon-divergence. So, what if Buck had taken the fight against the RAF guys? This is a short, gorgeous, slightly feral Buck POV.

“Come to London with me,” Bucky says to Buck, leaning in extra-close so his mouth just brushes Bucky’s ear. “If you’re lucky, maybe I’ll let you come by the time we fall asleep tonight.”

Buck makes a near-silent strangled noise. He straightens and cuts Bucky a sharp look. Bucky licks the corner of his mouth and meets his gaze, challenging Buck in the way that always makes him arch his back the tiniest bit if he knows what to look for.

“We’ll take a Jeep,” Bucky says once the back arch has been achieved. “Maybe we’ll stop on the way, see how you’re feeling.”

Source: A Tease too Far – Chapter 1, by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic) – Masters of the Air (TV 2024) [Archive of Our Own]

Adult. Bucky is a fucking tease. Buck can’t help responding. Delicious, delicious semi-public filth…

Bucky expects guards and guns, maybe a fight. He keeps his seat even as the door opens, ready to spring up if needed but trying to hold himself in check.

There’s two sets of footsteps, and then Bucky looks to his left where they stop.

It’s a guard, all right. And next to him, still in his uniform, is Buck. He’s bruised and busted, though not as badly as Bucky. He’s standing at ease, like he’s not shocked to see Bucky.

But Buck looks not shocked to people who don’t know him a lot of the time. Bucky, though, he can read that face like his favorite book. And Buck’s face is stoic, but there’s mayhem in his eyes.

Source: A Daring Escape, by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic) – Masters of the Air (TV 2024) [Archive of Our Own]

Teen, canon divergence, established relationship. I wish this was longer, but I have a serious competence kink, and there’s something delicious to Bucky and Buck being all “efficient and stabby” when killing Nazis, as the tags on AO3 say. 😉 Also, background polyamory mention.

Bucky’s the first to admit he had some pre-conceived notions about Buck’s sex life when they first kissed. Because Buck had kissed him soft and a little clumsy, and so Bucky had figured Buck was a virgin or near enough.

And then Buck dropped to his knees and pulled Bucky’s dick out of his trousers and sucked him dry in about two minutes flat.

And. Well.

Source: Surprise Suprise – Chapter 1, by Perpetual Motion (perpetfic) – Masters of the Air (TV 2024) [Archive of Our Own]

Adult. As I said in my comment: Short, hot, and delightful!

John had grown up poor and loved and knew how to give it out. Buck had been raised poor and hated and all he knew was how to lap it up like a stray dog. He’d bitten many a hand that had fed him but not John’s, never John’s.

Source: press your tired hands against my lips darling, by Swifty_Fox – Masters of the Air (TV 2024) [Archive of Our Own]

Teen, introspective Gale POV after he escapes without Bucky. This is pre-slash of the best kind (which in my head absolutely leads to a happy ending), an amazing, totally believable Gale and an emotional alternative version of the conversation in the cockpit in episode 9.