Bucky walked out of the recruitment center with his acceptances letter in hand, stamped and awaiting orders. Sure he felt pride swelling within him but his mind seemed to only drift to his best friend. After a quick scan he spotted the scrawny blond sitting on a bench not to far, head hung in defeat. The brunette waited for a moment as his chest tighten at the sight. He had tried to warn him, he knew they'd reject poor, frail Steve Rogers. But the blond was so admit on helping, assuring that he would be fine with that adorably determined expression.
Bucky couldn't help the grin that spread across his face at the memory, though he tried to conceal it for his best friends sake as he approached the smaller. Steve only glanced up at his friend to see what he knew he would see before letting his head fall again.
"You got excepted?" The smaller more stated then asked as he buried his face in his hands, feeling something akin to shame and humiliation.
"Ya, I guess." Bucky said nonchalantly as he folded and slid the slip of paper he had received in his pocket. Out of sight out of mind hopefully.
"You guess?" Steve asked as he raised his head slightly to look as his best friend with a confused and almost irritated look. "Do you not realize how lucky you are?"
"I wouldn't call being shipped to a foreign country and living every day in a shoot-or-be-shot situation as a lucky brake." Bucky said, masking his pride purely so his friend didn't feel worse about himself.
"You're going to be out there, defending this country, our home, but not useless little me." Steve said as he sunk his head back into his hands while Bucky held his tongue on the fact that the last in that list was the most influential. "I want to be out there with you." He couldn't stop himself, it's as if his common sense blacked out for a moment. When he came to, his lips where on the crown of Steve's head.
"Bucky?" Oh god. The brunette pulled back quickly and attempted a natural laugh.
"Aww, is the little one worried about me?" He said with a grin, praying that his cheeks where not as red as they felt. It didn't help that people turned and whispered in their direction, though he tried not to pay much mind to that.
"Tha-" Steve stuttered as he placed a hand atop his head. "This isn't something to joke about." Bucky thanked the lord Steve thought the kiss was a joke as he gave the blond a gentle smack on the shoulder.
"No sense in complaining about it now." The taller then stood, not wanting to continue sitting around where people could judge and question his intents after his little stunt. "Come on, let's go to the park, that will cheer you up. We might even get to meet a couple lovely lady's." He said, even though he honestly couldn't care less if they bumped into any women along the way.
Bucky slumped against a near by tree as he tried to catch his breath. The smoke from the fire made the air thick and almost unbearable while the thudding in his chest was loud in his ears. He looked over at Steve who stood beside him and couldn't help but stare.
He hadn't seen Steve in months, and it kind of felt like he still hadn't. At first glance, this man beside him wasn't Steve Rogers but Bucky could tell. Some things hadn't changed that much, his voice, his eyes, his determination and bravery, which where the only reasons they both got out of there in one piece.
"God Steve." Bucky finally said once his lungs could take in enough air to facilitate speaking. The blond had scared him him to death with that stunt, the thought of finally getting to see Steve again only to have him taken away permanently a few minutes later made his already queasy stomach almost give up on holding his lunch.
Bucky was to busy trying to push that heart braking thought from his head that he didn't notice Catain Amarica watching him with tired eyes. He wasn't aware that focus was on him until a pair of soft lips pressed against his slightly damp temple.
"Was the little one worried about me?" Steve said as Bucky slowly turned to him to find the blond grinning lightly. A smile that said he was tired and a bit shaken but undoubtedly happy that they pulled through and was attempting to lift the mood.
"Really?" Bucky said a tad dramatically which prompted Steve to chuckle. The brunette then gave his friend a playful shove as he laughed along, thankful for the dark of night hiding his blush.
"That will be all Mr. Barns, thank you for your cooperation." The man said as he gathered his papers and stood , the Winter Solder's glare piercing the back of his head as he left.
Bucky was in a rather fowl mood because S.H.I.E.L.D. had insisted in 'interviewing' him, though the brunette knew it was actually an interrogation to make sure he didn't back stab them at some point. Not that they where completely convinced of that yet but they would at least consider assigning him a mission or two, with supervision of course.
Honestly Bucky hadn't really been all that interested in getting back into the fight so soon, but he would go because that's where Steve was. Steve, Captain America, that's all he has left, the thought still hadn't wrapped around the brunette's head even with the brake he gave himself to figure things out. Then again, he should consider himself lucky that the one thing from his time he couldn't live without followed him, though the interim was painless for Steve.
After a bit of deep breathing to calm his nerves, Bucky stood and exited the room and was not surprised to find the captain there. The super solder had probably received a call the moment Bucky turned himself in which was a bit of a disappointment as the brunette had wanted to tell his best friend himself. Then again, after the spirit crushing 'interview' he just had, to come out and find Steve Rogers with heavy breaths, features like a man who hadn't slept in days, and an expression that made the Winter Solders chest throb almost painfully was like a saving grace.
"Bucky." The blond pretty much whispered before braking into almost a sprint and, before the brunette could respond, scooped the smaller into his arms. He pulled them chest to chest so Bucky could feel Steve's rapid heart beat, and probably let the captain feel his best friends heart skip at the embrace.
Bucky stood frozen for a moment, not sure how to react, until he decided that maybe he needed this, not that his pride would let him admit that. He let his chin rest on the others shoulder while his hands cupped Steve's waist with the intent of leaving them there, but when the taller tightened his grip, Bucky couldn't help but do the same. Then came a shaky breath, like big strong Captain America was holding back tears, and that broke the shorter.
"Come on Steve." Bucky said as his throat began to tighten from the damn that risked overflowing.
"Why... why did you leave after saving me?" Steve asked, not loosening his grip in the slightest. Bucky's chest seemed to be crushed and levitated at the same time as regret began to bubble. And just like that day over 70 years ago, Bucky couldn't stop his lips from moving, finding his best friends cheek.
"Was the little one worried about me?" He asked in a slightly humored tone, a smile on his face despite the snap in his heart at the way Steve tensed for a moment when he had been kissed.
"Worried?" Steve said as his hands lifted to cup the brunettes cheeks and gently pushed their faces apart slightly. Bucky only had a moment to look into those azure eye's, only a moment to fear how the blond would react before Steve pulled there lips together. It was quick and easily showed the tallers inexperience but it still made Bucky's mind go blank and world pretty much come to a skidding halt. Soon though Steve pulled away, hands still on the brunettes face, eye's staring into the shorters, and a light blush across his cheeks. "I was scared to death."
Hope you liked it. ^^ I'll be honest, I'm snot the biggest Steve x Bucky shiper. I'm more into Steve x Tony, but this (along with another story I've already posted) idea popped into my head and I just had to write it.
Th first part was a little awkward mainly because of the military talk, I don't know how it worked back then. ^^;