For around the 8th time in the last 20 minuets Steve scanned the crowd of party goers.
"Looking for someone?" Bucky finally asked, getting a tad annoyed with his friends wandering eyes. Though it was posed as a question, the brunette knew the answer already.
"Ya," Steve admitted with an apologetic smile. "I heard Tony would be coming." Stark, of course. Captain America had been fawning over the inventor for months though he hadn't admitted that to anyone yet. It was getting increasingly annoying to many who could see the attraction like the blue in the sky. The person most troubled by it however was Bucky as he had often been pretty much abandoned at party's or something similar Steve had dragged him to to help the Winter Soldier adjust to the new world. The best friend would be having a good time sticking close to Steve when Stark would walk by and suddenly the blond would be trailing him like a baby chick, leaving Bucky to sit there awkwardly, not yet sure how to socialize with the people of this time. Though the shy glances from across the room between the redhead and blond where sickeningly sweet, Peggy had never entranced Steve to abandon Bucky like Tony did. What made this Stark so alluring.
If he was honest with himself, Bucky had often wished that Tony wouldn't show up or even better, just pop out of there lives, but he knew that would brake Steve's heart. Was it so bad to wish Stark would stop showing up and stealing the one thing that grounded the military veteran? It was only Steve and Bucky left and the brunette clung to that familiarity with all his might, but Captain America didn't seem to need that crutch as bad. Maybe Bucky was old fashioned, to caught up in the past or just not over the acceptances of being jumped through time but he couldn't reach out to the new world just yet. He needed time, and at first Steve was always there to help him along it, but now he was drifting.
"Tony!" Steve called, face lighting up as he jumps to his feet. Looks like lady luck wasn't on Bucky's side again today.
"Steve." The billionaire replied with his usual smooth grin as he approached their table. "And you brought Cold Shoulder with you." He said, looking down at Bucky who only spared a quick glance as he tried not to show his displeasure. It wasn't Tony's fault Steve was so attracted to him and he was apparently to stupid to notice, to the frustration of the blond. Bucky could relate to that.
Steve stood with an almost stupidly cheerful grin that made the Winter Soldier's chest tighten, and watched the shorter. "I'm glad you two are here tonight, I'm about to put on a bit of a show." He said with a head gesture towards the stage on the other side of the room.
"Oh?"
"Ya, It'll be happening pretty soon, try not to laugh at me okay?" Tony said with a little chuckle himself which Steve was quick to join in on softly.
"What is it?" The blond asked, grin only widening.
"That's a secret." The inventor said as he fixed his eyes on Steve's. "What I will say though is that I've finally realized something that's been there for months and I'm going to do something about it." Bucky's stomach churned, along with it dropping a few stories.
Before anything more could be said Tony walked away, disappearing into the crowd like he hadn't just made Steve's chest feel like it's just collapsed in on itself.
The super soldier stared blankly at the spot where Tony once was as Bucky stared at him quietly, hating how mesmerized the blond was. Soon enough Steve slid back down into his seat and turned to his friend, hands beginning to rub together nervously.
"D... do you think..."
"I don't know." Bucky sure hoped not.
Soon all attention was called to the stage as an almost nervous looking Tony took the microphone that was handed to him, though he hid it behind that veil of confidence he loved so very much. Steve stood as the billionaire began to speak, Bucky not far behind. Tony went on to greet everyone, crack a few jokes, then the 'show' started.
"I've actually been holding back on something for a long time now because I was.. to be frank, a bit of a chicken. I was worried about how some people would react, or more specifically, how someone would feel." Then Tony's wandering eye's met Steve's and the blonds heart flipped, his breath caught in his throat and his body tensed. "Pepper." Tony turned to the side stage and a spotlight instantly illuminated the obviously shocked and confused woman.
Buck's eyes instantly went to his best friend who stood as if frozen in spot, mouth agape as if he wanted to say something, maybe scream.
Miss. Potts was almost forcefully pushed on stage which caused her to stumble slightly but she was quick to gather up as much composer as she could muster at the moment. When she got to Tony, he took both her hands in one of his, got down on one knee, and Steve ran. Without a word the super soldier turned and shoved his way through the crowd, Bucky not far behind, and tried to escape.
"Pepper Potts, will you marry me?"
Steve could run from the people, the sight, but he couldn't avoid hearing the cheers and applause from the inevitable answer. He couldn't escape his throbbing brain, the stinging in his throat, the braking of his heart.
Eventually he made his way out of the building, down the street, and to a secluded ally where he finally stopped to rest, having used a lot more energy then needed. He could hear his name being called in the distance but he didn't respond, he just stood there, mindlessly watching his breath coming out in warm white gusts of heat compared to the cold night air. Finally the shouting stopped as the blond heard footsteps come to a halt behind him, though he didn't turn to look at who he knew to be his best friend.
Bucky stood in silence, not sure what to say or do as guilt built up in him as he had pretty much wished for something like this to happen but he never truly wanted it. Maybe lady luck was on his side... damn her.
"Steve?" He finally said, taking a slow step towards the taller. There was no response, just slow breaths as Steve tried to keep in the tears that prickled his eyes. After a deep breath himself, Bucky reached out and laid his mechanical hand on Steve's upper arm, causing the blond to flinch only slightly. "Steve I... it will be okay." This was far more awkward then it should be, but then again Bucky hadn't comforted his friend since before he had become Captain America.
"It doesn't feel like it will be okay." Steve said quietly, trying to keep his voice in a normal tone. He knew in the back of his mind that yes, time would make it easier to deal with, but right now he could only focus on this odd sense of betrayal that really had no right to be there.
"I know how you feel-" The shorter was cut off however by a sharp, cold, bitter laugh.
"How... how could you possible understand." Mr. oh-so-smooth Bucky Barns that always seemed to snag the lady's, even two at once sometimes so poor little Steve Rogers wouldn't feel left out.
Steve hung his head lower in hopes that the brunette wouldn't see the tears he just couldn't keep in as his breathing became choppy. "You don't know how much it hurts, to-"
"To watch the person you love fall for someone else?" Bucky cut it, causing the blond to lift his head. Steve turned, abandoning his attempts to hide his tears, and looked at his best friend who showed a sad, hurt, yet somewhat reassuring in a self pitying sort way, smile. "I know what it feels like, it's happened to me, twice."
I wrote something, Yaaaay! It's only a one shot, Booooo!
I know, I know, sorry to leave it there but I have no idea where to go after this. I know in general I think that at first Steve needs to think about things but after some thought he decides to give it a shot and then love happens. :3 But that's about all I got and I didn't wanna write it.
Especially since I personally am more of a Tony x Steve shipper then Steve x Bucky, but I can see why people think it's cute. I even have another story in mind that's more cute, though is also a little bitter sweet.
To be honest you all probably saw the ending coming but I hope you all still like it. ^^; It was a lot more obvious in the first draft. My editor thought Tony was going to purpose to Steve, which is good because that was the intent. I wanted the readers to think the story would be Tony and Steve getting together and Bucky being all sad but then surprise them with Pepper. Hope it all worked on you too.
Just in case people are confused because I deleted the part that explained it, when Bucky said it happen to him twice, it was when Steve fell for Peggy, 1, then when he fell for Tony, 2.
I may not be all over the Steve x Bucky train but I still made me feel feelings that hurt me, I hope I was able to do the same to you.