A/N: This is just a simple one-shot I thought of one night. Please feel free to review.
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Also, this fanfic is very fluffy.
He loved to watch the sunset. He had always loved to watch it, especially when he was younger. The way the rays would pour onto old wooden floors, the colours that those last rays would paint the clouds and of course the sight of the first star of the evening- these were all things that he loved about it. He loved the memories, too. Memories of him and a dark haired young man sitting on the balcony near his smalll flat, talking about various topics that crossed their minds at the time.
He closed his eyes and frowned. That dark haired man... He wondered what he would say if he saw him at the moment. It had all happened so fast. He had gotten so accustomed to being a powerful hero that he had forgotten who he was before the miracle that was science had made him into Captain America. As he sat in his modern apartment, however, he was very much aware.
He was not sure what precisely had happened but somehow the serum had worn off and he had been returned to his original form- that of a small, thin young man. He supposed he should have prepared himself for it as the doctor had not stated that the serum's effects would be permanent. However, he would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed...and ashamed. He stared at his shield, sadly, which lay in the middle of his livng room. He had not been able to lift it up, despite it being made of a lighter metal than steel. He stepped away from the window and closed the curtains, his dark blue eyes tearing up slightly.
It had been three days since he had returned to his original form. He had gone to bed and all he remembered was feeling ill during the night and then he had woken up as his old self. He knew it was not his fault it had worn off but he felt as if he were a failure. The words of Tony echoed through his brain and he felt sick. Everything special about you came out of a bottle. Perhaps he was right, Steve frowned and looked around his apartment. No, he thought to himself. It wasn't his apartment, it was Captain America's apartment. The clothes did not fit him, the shelves were too high and the shield was too heavy. He did not belong there.
A timid knock at the door suddenly caught his attention and Steve did not need super powers to know who it was. He glanced at the Bucky Bear sitting on his couch beside him and slightly narrowed his eyes at it, as if it was the teddy bear's fault he had a visitor. He did not move to answer the door and the knocking became louder. "Steve?" said the familiar voice. "Steve, open the door. I know you're in there."
The blond man still did not move and he could hear the agitation in his visitor's voice. "Don't make me rip off this door, Steve."
Steve sighed and walked to the door, wiping at his eyes so that they would appear dry. He opened it timidly and stared at his visitor.
"Well, finally! You know, everyone's worried-" Light blue eyes glanced at him and then widened. "Steve?"
The blond began to tremble, a mixture of anger and fear running through his body. "Don't look at me like that... With that pity in your eyes..."
Bucky immediately closed the door and grabbed Steve by the shoulders. "What happened? Did you get hurt or something? How long has it been?"
Steve pulled away from his friend and walked to the lounge, where he curled up on the couch with the Bucky Bear. Bucky sat opposite him and flushed slightly at the teddy bear in his friend's arms, but did not mention it. Steve took a deep breath and spoke softly. "I didn't get hurt or anything. It seems the serum just wore off. The doctor never said it would be permanent..."
"Steve, I'm sorry." Bucky was at a loss for words as he stood up and went to embrace his friend. It was so strange. He had gotten so used to seeing his friend as Captain America that he had forgotten just how little Steve had been once. It felt odd being able to wrap his arms completely around the other man with such ease.
Steve's bottom lip trembled and he suddenly pulled Bucky closer, burying his face in his friend's shoulder as tears began to stream down his face. "No, it's my own fault. I was so caught up in being this amazing hero that I forgot that I'm just this kid from Brooklyn and deep down I knew that this may happen but I just never really wanted to think about it. I couldn't stand the thought of being weak again... Of being useless again."
The sobs escaping the smaller man's throat tore at Bucky's heart. "Steve, you were never useless. Even as a kid, you had a lot more guts than I ever had. You're honest, brave and kind. So what if you aren't tall and muscular anymore? You're still my best friend, my Steve and that's all that matters."
Steve sniffled and stared up at Bucky, who smiled at him warmly. Steve flushed and wiped his face. "But Bucky... What will I do? I can't be Captain America anymore..."
"That's okay. You have plenty of skills and I'm sure your friends have connections to get you a nice job." Bucky ruffled his friend's hair. "Besides, this way, they can't complain that I hover around you too much because you look like you need someone to hover around you."
Steve shot his friend a slightly annoyed look. "Gee, thanks, Buck. Way to boost my confidence."
Bucky laughed and grinned at Steve, who became weary. "Remember when I used to throw you over my shoulder and walk around with you and you and you would be all angry about it?"
"Yes, I remember. You would do it in a bar, sometimes, to impress the ladies with your amazing strength and I'd get upset until you bought me some ice-cream." Steve smirked. "Even back then you were a bit of a criminal, bribing me like that, hmm, mister Winter Soldier?"
Steve was the only person who could call Bucky that or even utter those words in front of him without being killed or severely injured. And the little punk knew it. "I'm glad you remember." Bucky smirked and threw the skinny blond man over his shoulder. "Cos I really missed doing it!"
Steve yelled and squirmed angrily. "You could've done this while I was taller, too, you jerk!"
"Yeah, but it wouldn't have been this funny or satisfying." Bucky jumped around a bit and laughed as Steve made feeble attempts to punch and kick him. Eventually, he placed the blond down and grinned at him.
Steve was slightly red in the face with annoyance, but he felt a lot better. He had actually nearly forgotten his current dilemma and was instead just happy that Bucky seemed more like his old self. He knew that his friend would never be the Bucky Barnes that he had lost all those years ago, but he was glad that most of the man's memories had returned and that he was more comfortable around Steve.
Bucky smiled as he sat beside Steve on the couch and noted that his friend's mood had lightened up slightly. After the fall of HYDRA, Steve had searched for him and he had been the only one who had trusted him as well. He had helped Bucky so many times- whether it was comforting him after a nightmare or explaining to the Avengers countless times that the dark haired man was no longer the Winter Soldier, Steve had always been there for him. He had never given up on Bucky and now it was Bucky's turn.
"Hey, Steve... I know how important being Captain America is to you, but, I want to let you know that I think you're a wonderful person inside and I'm with you, whether you're Captain America or just little Steve." Bucky hugged his friend, tightly and rested his chin on top of the blond's head.
"Thanks, Bucky. That means a lot to me." Steve smiled and returned his friend's hug.
"Hey, listen, if you want me to, I can stay over tonight and then tomorrow I'll get Banner and Stark to come over. They can use my blood to remake the serum, maybe even find a way to make it permanent, if that's okay with you." The two friends stared at each other.
"Bucky, I can't ask you to-" Steve began, but Bucky held up his metal hand in protest.
"You're not asking, I'm offering. There's a difference." Bucky smiled. "I really don't mind, Steve. It's the least I can do."
Steve basically leapt into his friend's arms and tears ran down his face, but they were not tears of sadness. "Bucky, thank you so much! I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you..."
"Just be yourself, Steve. There's no better reward for me than that." Bucky patted the blond's hair and they sat in each other's arms for what seemed like hours, but neither one of them minded.
Bucky smiled as he heard Steve breathing steadily. The blond had fallen asleep. He picked his friend up and carried him to the bedroom, laying him down gently on the bed so as not to disturb him. However, Steve's dark blue eyes snapped open just as Bucky was about to leave and a slightly scared expression seemed to appear across his face. "B-Bucky?"
"What's wrong, Steve?" The dark haired man turned to face his friend.
"D-Don't go..." The blond sat up fully.
"I'm not leaving, don't worry. I'm just going to sleep on the couch." Bucky gave a reassuring smile, but his friend still wore the same expression. "Or woud you feel better if I slept next to you?"
Steve flushed, slightly embarassed, and nodded. He moved over as the dark haired man came to lay beside him. "Thanks, Buck."
"Don't mention it." Bucky smiled as Steve moved closer to him and layed his head against Bucky's shoulder. "Goodnight, Steve."
"Goodnight, Bucky." Steve smiled and for the first time in three days, he felt at peace.
Even if he could never be Captain America again, even if he had to live the rest of his days as a normal; skinny man... Even if he had nothing, he still had, and would always have, Bucky.