Hello everyone! This is just a little story that popped into my head after I watched Winter Soldier. This is also the first fanfiction I've ever written so i would love to hear some feedback. Reviews are welcome! Please enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Marvel Universe, the only things i own are the plot and the mistakes.
The Punk and the Jerk
Steve was making pancakes, one of the few things he could cook without setting the apartment on fire (Sam had forbidden him from making lasagna or any other dish containing cheese). He stood at the stove with his back to Bucky, who was sitting on the kitchen counter studying a box of cereal as if it were a deadly explosive he was supposed to dismantle.
"This is ridiculous," The Soldier said "I speak nine languages and have been to one hundred and fifty countries and I have no idea what any of these ingredients are. It's like these 'Kellogg's' people are trying to kill us or something."
"You don't have to eat it," replied the Captain. "Why do you think I made breakfast?" he turned holding plate piled high with freshly cooked pancakes, their sweet aroma gently wafting around the small kitchen. He set the plate down beside Bucky who put the box aside with a sigh.
"So much has changed," he spoke softly, staring at his metal hand shining in the morning light.
"Do you wish things were like they used to be?" asked Steve.
"Do you?"
The Captain was silent for a moment, and then he spoke very quietly. "No."
The Soldier's head shot up, his dark blue eyes staring into ones that were the colour of a summer sky as the Captain continued. "No I don't because if they were then you would be dead…and I know that it's the most selfish thing I've ever thought because of everything you went through but honestly Buck I don't know what I would've done back then without you I mean I know I had my missions but they were never the same without you and you were gone and I just-"
The Captain was cut off when Bucky leaned down and kissed him. Steve was surprised but he did not pull back so Bucky deepened the kiss, his arms moving around Steve's neck and Steve's were around Bucky's waist.
They broke, both breathing heavily. "I'm not him Steve. I'm not that guy from Brooklyn anymore. I'm just not."
"I know," Steve replied looking into Bucky's eyes. "You are everything he was and more" and he pulled Bucky down to kiss him again. Steve ran his hands through Bucky's long hair (which felt more amazing than he had imagined) and Bucky's had just slipped his hand under the hem of Steve's shirt.
"On your left,"
Steve jumped away from Bucky, knocking over the cereal box sending cheerios flying across the room. Sam was standing in the kitchen doorway, just back from his run and he had the biggest, goofiest grin on his face. "It's about damn time," he said and walked away chuckling to himself.
Steve smiled and turned back to Bucky who was looking at him like he was the only thing that mattered in this world or any other one. Suddenly shy Steve looked down and mumbled something about cleaning up the cereal.
"Oh no," said Bucky. "We're not done yet." He pulled Steve back over to him and Steve's last coherent thought was that he hoped Sam would stay in his room for a while.
"I still don't understand why these monthly reunions have to be held at my house," Tony whined as he held the door open, letting the group of remarkable people he called friends into his home.
"Because," Clint replied, making his way to the cabinet where Tony kept the bourbon. "You have the best bar in New York." Natasha smiled as she took her place behind the bar gathering bottles and glasses. It was an undisputed fact that Natasha made the best cocktails ever. Once Thor had had seven and tried to kiss her. That had ended with Thor suspended from the ceiling and being left there for twelve hours. Thor was not allowed to drink cocktails anymore.
Steve loved these monthly get-togethers for two reasons:
1. He loved his friends. They were the best part about waking up in the 21st century.
2. The parties had been great for Bucky – he was able to get to know the other Avengers and become more comfortable in this century.
The still hadn't told anyone that they were together (apart from Sam) because they were still pretty knew and they didn't want to make a big deal out of it.
Several hours, five bottle of vodka and one potentially catastrophic event later they were all dozing off on the balcony overlooking New York. Though most of her teammates were asleep Natasha was happy to sit and watch the night go by. Well she would have been except for the annoyingly persistent breeze that made goose-bumps appear on her arms and legs. Sighing inwardly, she got up off her chair to retrieve her jacket from the hall, careful not to disturb the others. What she was when she reached the hallway however brought a huge smile to her face.
The pair hadn't noticed her they were too engrossed in each other.
Steve and Bucky.
Nat almost laughed out loud. Sneaking off was not the Captain's style at all. Bucky was a much-needed bad influence on him. Bucky had Steve pinned against the wall and was kissing him fiercely and Steve was responding with great enthusiasm. Natasha cleared her throat. They were both so surprised that they sprang apart hitting the opposite sides of the narrow hallway. Nat had to use all of her training not to burst into laughter at the sight of the pair.
Bucky Barnes, the infamous Winter Soldier, his lips red and swollen, had purple marks all over his neck and his hair was a tangled mess.
But Steve… poor Steve.
His shirt had been ripped open the buttons littering the floor, his chest on full display, his hair just as messy as his partners' and he was looking at Natasha like she would be the end of him.
"Excuse me, boys," she said walking between the pair and picking her jacket off the hook in the wall. She turned and began to walk away but she paused and spoke very quietly. "Take care of him, Barnes."
Bucky looked at Steve. "I will," he replied but Natasha was already gone. She was unable, however, to stop smiling for the rest of the night.
Bucky Barnes had not seen Steve Rogers in three and a half weeks.
He was going insane.
He knew the mission was important and that remaining undercover was vital but he just missed Steve so much.
Steve. Steve. Steve
In the hope of a distraction Bucky had agreed to let Tony and Bruce run tests on his arm. They said they could give him an upgrade. They had just gone to fetch some extremely complicated piece of equipment, leaving Bucky in a lab containing several other complicated pieces of equipment. He was careful not to brush against anything as he began pacing.
Steve. Steve. Steve.
Where was he now? Was he safe?
Steve. Steve. Steve
Was he lying in an ally somewhere bleeding out? Was he in the middle of a firefight?
Steve. Steve. Steve.
"Bucky."
He spun around to find his Captain, shield dropped unceremoniously on the ground, almost flying toward him. Bucky had just enough time to sigh "Steve" before Captain America crashed into him, kissing him so fiercely, with so much need that Bucky stumbled, his back hitting against a table sending a microscope to the floor but Steve didn't stop. His hands were on Bucky's face, in his hair, around his neck. They only stopped when their need for oxygen was critical. They gasped for breath, their foreheads resting against each other.
"Sorry Buck," Steve whispered. "I just… I just missed you so damn much Bucky."
Bucky smiled and ran his thumb along the Captain's cheekbone. "I know Stevie, I know," before leaning in to kiss Steve again, letting him know just how much he had missed his Captain. Finally he was home, in Bucky's arms.
"NO! No, absolutely not!" a voice shrieked. Steve clung to Bucky as if he was his lifeline as they looked around. Tony Stark was marching into the lab, followed by a grinning Bruce Banner. "What is wrong with the pair of you? You were supposed to reunite on the balcony you idiots. Have you no sense of romance whatsoever? Super-soldiers, my ass! A super-soldier would know how to treat his partner right."
Bruce, who was still grinning, spoke to the stunned pair. "Thank you so much really I owe you one." Then he turned to Tony "I'll have the suit delivered tomorrow. The whole day Stark. I'll be watching."
Steve was staring dumbfounded at the two genii but Bucky had had enough. "What the hell are you babbling about?"
"About a month ago both Tony and I realized that you two idiots were in love with each other so when Steve went away on a mission we made a little wager on the circumstances of your reunion."
"Which should have been on the balcony!" Tony exploded.
"And now Tony has to walk around New York dressed like Big Bird from Sesame Street. Really, thank you again. Let's give them some space Tony." Bruce grabbed Tony by the collar and practically dragged him out of the lab, Tony rambling about vengeance the entire time.
As soon as the door shut, silence took hold of the room. Steve looked at Bucky. Bucky looked at Steve. They both burst into laughter.
Their laughter died after a few minutes and the two just stood there in the lab wrapped up in each other's arms. Steve had his head buried in Bucky's neck and Bucky just held him close.
"I really missed you Stevie."
"I know Buck, I know."
There were three things that Bucky was grateful in this new life: Steve, his new friends and the enormous gym that dominated the basement of the Avengers tower. It was just perfect. Exercise really helped him sort through his memories, which were coming back slowly. There was almost always somebody in the gym for him to spar with.
Today it was Steve.
Bucky both loved and hated sparring with Steve. He loved it because he knew could take his punches and give as good as he got. He wouldn't hold back.
He hated it because Steve insisted on wearing that stupid black sleeveless every time he sparred. It made it very difficult to focus on a fight when there was so much to look at. A slap to the head brought him out of his thoughts.
"Focus Bucky."
Now Steve would never let it show but he was having a similar problem. Bucky refused to wear clothes that actually fit him – they were always too tight and Steve kept getting distracted by the -
Steve ducked just before Bucky's foot made contact with Steve's face. He responded with three punched to the stomach, then a kick to the back on the knee. Bucky dropped but was back up a moment later, fist flying towards his chest. Steve jumped sideways and swung his leg toward Bucky's stomach, but Bucky caught his foot and twisted, sending Steve off balance and a jab to the ribs send him down. But Steve just got back up again. He charged at Bucky who gracefully somersaulted over Steve's head and landed on the opposite side of the ring.
Damn him.
Steve turned and Bucky tackled him. They both sprawled onto the floor but Steve wasn't finished yet. He pushed off the floor using all of his weight and the pair rolled over. Steve ended up on top of Bucky, his legs straddling his hips and he had the Soldier's arms pinned about his head. Steve stared down triumphantly at Bucky who was breathing hard but grinning.
'It is not fair' thought Steve. 'It is not fair for someone to look that good after a fight.' He couldn't resist. He leaned down and gave Bucky a quick but incredibly sweet kiss. He pulled back to look at Bucky but the only thing he saw was an arrow whistle past his face before he moved, into a crouch with Bucky behind him. Their threat was a major one.
Clint Barton, that bastard, was standing at the edge of the ring, his phone out, no doubt full of pictures of Steve and Bucky.
"I knew it!" he said, a massive smile on his face. "Don't get your panties in a bunch, I won't tell anyone, not till you're ready. These are just proof. I'll leave you boys to it." And with that he strutted out of the gym.
"You have really weird friends, Steve."
"Yeah I know."
"So how about two out of three?"
"You're on, Jerk."
"Punk."
Steve was on a mission again.
And Bucky was not allowed to go with him. Again.
No he got to sit around the stupid Tower and wait for Steve to come home. Nothing he did could distract him from the knot of worry and anxiety that had taken up residence in his chest. Exercise – No. Reading – No. Cleaning – No. he had even tried to bake something. That had ended in a small fire and he was never doing that again.
So the conclusion he had come to was that he should just sit in front of the TV and get started on the long list of movies Steve told him he had to see. So he watched the Back to the Future Trilogy, Tron, Star Wars - episodes 4, 5, and 6, the entire Star Trek Original series, Blade Runner and Dirty Dancing. He was about to start the Indiana Jones series when a voice on the floor above yelled "What?"
Bucky was up in an instant, racing up the stairs to find out what was going on. He stopped outside the door to the second floor commons area. He could hear Natasha and Tony talking inside.
"I don't understand, how did this happen?" Tony was saying. "It was supposed to be a simple recon mission."
"Clearly something went wrong. Someone knew he would be there."
"Somebody's going to have to tell Bucky."
"I –"
Bucky barged into the room "Where is he?" His voice was quiet, barely audible.
Natasha spoke without hesitation, "Mercy Hospital on 3rd"
Bucky was already gone, running to the garage, picking the vehicle that would get him there the fastest (Later he would realize he had taken Steve's favourite motorcycle). A drive that would normally take twenty minutes took seven and Bucky was at the receptionist's desk. "I'm looking for Steve Rogers, please." Bucky's voice shook with suppressed emotion. He couldn't lose Steve, he couldn't. He was all Bucky had.
SteveSteveSteveSteve-"Steve Rogers, he just came out of surgery. He's in room 107."
With a murmured thanks Bucky took off again, moving as fast as he could through the bleach-white corridors of the hospital, ignoring all the memories that threatened to resurface. He would deal with those later. Steve was all that mattered now.
Room 107. A stream of doctors was just leaving as Bucky walked in though the doorway and found him.
Steve.
His face was purple and blue, his arms were covered in burns and his chest was wrapped up in bandages. He stopped a doctor on her way out and asked about the damage.
"The burns are minor and they bruises should fade in the next few days. The trouble was the bullets. Two in the chest, one in the shoulder and three in the thigh. We got them all out though. He should wake in the next forty-eight hours." The doctor left as tears began to stream down his face. How did this happen? It was a simple mission. How the hell did his Steve end up in hospital with bullets in him? He pulled a chair over to the bed, sat down and gently took Steve's hand, careful not to disturb all the wires and tubes connected to the Captain.
He did not move from that spot for forty-eight hours.
Not when the doctors came in to do their checks. ('He was doing well,' they said)
Not when Clint and Natasha came into visit Steve and to tell Bucky what had happened. (Steve had been undercover in an office building which had mysteriously caught fire. Steve, being Steve, wouldn't leave until everyone was safe (excluding himself). Once he thought everyone had been cleared he had gone back in to make sure when someone showed up with a machine gun and a vendetta against Captain America. And then the whole building fell on top of him.)
Not even when Tony came in and threatened to drug him to remove him from the spot by the bed. (Bucky had responded with "do that and I'll cut off all of your toes and make a necklace with them." (Tony kept his distance for a while after that.))
Exactly forty-eight hours after his surgery, Steve the stubborn idiot woke up to find Bucky holding his hand and glaring at him (a mixed signal, if ever there was one.)
"Hey Buck," Steve croaked.
"Next time try not to let a building collapse on you dumbass."
Steve laughed weakly "Is this how you treat a noble and wounded soldier?"
Bucky had to smile. "You're a little punk you know that?"
"Jerk"
Bucky stood, not letting go of Steve's hand, and bringing his left up to very gently rest on Steve's cheek as he pressed a light kiss to his forehead.
"You had me worried there for a second."
"I'm sorry Buck."
"You've nothing to apologize for Steve, just rest. I think you've earned it."
The rest of the Avengers had shown up when the heard that Cap was awake but when they saw the two of them in there, they couldn't intrude. They were just too perfect together.
The Captain and the Soldier.
The Punk and the Jerk.
Steve and Bucky.
So that's it! Please let me know what you thought - All criticism is welcome! Thank you so much for reading my story!
(Sorry if there are any mistakes)