December 4: "hi we're neighbours and omg are you alright i could smell cookingburning - whoaaa now that's just embarrassing? step aside i'll handle this"
Steve was struggling to his apartment with an armload of groceries when he caught a whiff of smoke. At first he thought nothing of it, but then he heard a screech and then a long string of curses from the neighboring door.
Bucky had lived beside him for about three years now. They had become fast friends when Steve had moved in and Bucky had offered to help haul his couch up the stairs. What Steve soon discovered was that Bucky was amazing, caring and funny-not to mention that jawline-and so Steve maybe developed a little crush on his neighbor.
They were on a little bit of rocky ground at the moment after Bucky had accidentally stumbled into Steve's apartment one night after drinking with his friends. He was completely smashed and between Steve trying to make him drink some water and trying to make him lay down, Bucky had grabbed Steve by the shoulders and smashed their lips together. Before Steve could even react Bucky had pulled back and dropped onto the couch. "Love you, Stevie." He mumbled before he fell asleep.
Steve sat on the floor just staring at Bucky with his hand to his lips and his mind going crazy. The word 'maybe' made laps around his head, even long after he got up and lay in his own bed; needless to say, he didn't get very much sleep that night.
When morning came around, at first it seemed that Bucky hadn't remembered what had happened, but after a while, it was obvious that he was just pretending. Steve decided that if Bucky wasn't bringing it up, then he wouldn't either. So they had had several awkward weeks of avoiding each other and pretending that nothing was wrong.
So Steve, admittedly, hesitated before knocking on Bucky's door. "Buck? Is everything okay in there?" After another long stream of curses, Steve decided just to barge in. What he found was smoke pouring out of Bucky's oven and Bucky himself dancing around cursing and trying to throw water into it. He looked up, startled, when the door slammed back shut.
"Steve?" He said breathlessly, stopping and staring. He was interrupted when another cloud of smoke billowed out of the open oven.
Steve jumped into action. "How did you even do this?" He yelled as he grabbed a rag from the counter and approached the oven.
"I was trying to make lasagne and it just caught in fire!" Bucky said, nervously wringing his hands as Steve reached into the smoke and grabbed the pan out, choked because of the smoke.
Steve dropped the smoking pan into the sink with a heavy cough and turned the water on. "Things like this don't 'just happen'." Steve said. He started going around the apartment and opening windows. Bucky joined him and Steve coughed and then continued talking. "Remember what happened after you caught your pants on fire trying to make pancakes?"
Bucky mumbled something and pointedly didn't look at Steve.
"What was that?" Steve asked as he turned the water off and picked up a pan to start fanning the smoke out the windows.
"That if I wanted to cook something to come get you first." He said begrudgingly.
"Exactly. That is to prevent things like this." Steve said "You need to be more careful-" He broke off into hard coughs that ended in wheezing breath.
Bucky rushed over to his side as his breaths got more and more shallow. "Deep breaths." He said, rubbing Steve's back. "Where is your inhaler?"
Steve gestured to his coat which was over with his groceries where he had dropped them by Bucky's door. Bucky quickly grabbed it and handed it to Steve; then he moved them over to the couch so Steve could sit.
When Steve's breaths evened out he turned to send a weak glare at Bucky. "This is your fault, you know."
"Well maybe if you weren't ignoring me, I would have asked you for help." Bucky said harshly, but still rubbing his hand gently up and down Steve's back.
Steve scoffed. "I'm pretty sure you have it the wrong way. You are the one that has been ignoring me." he said.
Bucky stopped his hand and looked at Steve. "Maybe we can agree that we've been ignoring each other." He said.
"Fine, but only if we agree to stop ignoring each other." Steve said, turning to look Bucky in the eyes.
"Deal." Bucky said. "We started this over something stupid anyway."
"Yeah, I understand that you were drunk and didn't mean it." Steve said, turning slightly away from Bucky.
They sat in silence for a few seconds before Bucky said with a soft voice. "What if I did mean it?"
Steve jerked his head back to Bucky. "What?"
"Nevermind." Bucky said, looking down with a blush covering his face.
"No. You do not get to do this." Steve said grabbing Bucky's face and making it face his own. "What did you mean by that?"
Bucky tred to turn his face away, but Steve held it in place. "I-um I said what of I did mean it. Because I did. Mean it, I mean."
Steve got that determined look on his face. "Well, if you meant it, I'd have to do this." He said before leaning in and pressing his lips to Bucky's.
Bucky sighed against Steve's lip and pressed closer. They probably would have stayed with their lips pressed together forever if Steve hadn't started coughing again.
After he stopped they looked at each other before letting out nervous chuckles.
"Don't you dare ignore me this time." Bucky said.
Steve smiled. "Only if you promise not to try your hand at cooking anytime soon."
"You've got yourself a deal." Bucky said before pressing his lips back against Steve's.
Part of a 25 part Christmas AU series.