Author's note: I apologize so so SO SO SO much for this late chapter. The senioritis is really hitting me :P

Summary: When exactly does one move to the next 'level' in a relationship? Well, Steve's about to find out. Basically it's a whole set up created by a certain red-head.

Steve has a problem. Nothing too major but.. it's a problem nevertheless, and he's not too sure how to go about it.

He's pretty sure this thing he has going on with Bucky—special friend, whatever Phil calls it—is getting kinda serious. Steve really really REALLY likes Bucky. But the problem? He's not sure how much he's allowed to show that.

He tries not to be too clingy or annoying, just the right amount. He doesn't push too hard, doesn't expect too much. Bucky is important in ways ways even Sharon couldn't compare. Sure she was his first and longest love, but Bucky's different.

So he often finds himself asking things like how much space should he put between them when they're sitting together? Is it socially acceptable to text your significant other (special friend, WHATEVER) more than five times a day? When is he allowed to introduce Bucky to his friends? Is it time that he can put some of his personal effects around Bucky's home? Will Bucky get mad if he leaves his toothbrush in the bathroom?

Steve realizes maybe he's being too cautious and overly careful about these things. Maybe he should just stop worrying and go with the flow. It's the journey, not the destination right? Well, something along those lines.

But he knows he's not alone. Bucky's in the same boat as well. He also puts a significant amount of space between them on the couch. He texts, but not too often that he'll end up annoying Steve. He's still a little timid coming into Steve's apartment, but does warm up eventually once Thor comes bounding at him. Still no personal effects of Bucky's at Steve's place, he's way too shy for that. So yeah, they're both kinda dancing around each not knowing how much space is too much space.

All in all it's driving Steve a little crazy. He wants those boundaries, but at the same time he wants to tear them all down and just cuddle Bucky like crazy. But then he steels himself and mentally slaps his head upside down. Boundaries, Steve. Don't test them.

Suffice to say those boundaries are indeed tested, and he's glad they were. Because if neither of them made that move, then they'd be stuck forever in that gray area. Looking back on it, it practically pains Steve that they were so awfully careful around each other. Luckily a very meddlesome red-head decided to intervene (even though she would never admit it).

It all happens when he receives a phone call from Natasha. Which is strange, because they barely know each other and have only really met a couple times. Also Steve finds her a little, what's the word? Ah yes, bone-chillingly fearsome.

She can be a bit intimidating, but she cares so fiercely about Bucky that he kinda has to like her by default.

"Uh, hello?" Steve answers a little too timidly.

"Steve, it's Natasha. In case you didn't remember, I'm a friend of James." It's something she often says whenever she calls. Which is usually like… once?

"Hard not to forget." He tries for humor but it gets no laugh on the other end, not even a chuckle. He's left with a sort of awkward pause and clears his throat. "So! What's up?"

"It's James," she answers promptly.

He feels some worry build up in his chest but has to remind himself it may just be nothing, nothing at all. "Um, what about him exactly?"

"He's sick." Is it just him, or does she sound even more icy than usual? Maybe it's just cause they're talking on the phone. Nevertheless, he feels some relief when he realizes it isn't as serious as he thought it was.

"Oh. Fever or something?"

"Yeah, fever. He's being a bit—" she makes a disgruntled-sounding noise "—stubborn."

Steve, a bit surprised on his part, barks out a laugh. "Of course he is."

He hears an amused huff on her end and considers that a win for getting some kind of emotion out of her. "Yeah, typical."

"So, I'm guessing this is where I come in?"

"Well he won't listen to me."

"But you think he'll listen to me instead?" Steve winds the phone cord around his fingers. Yes yes, he is one of the very few in New York who still has a non-wireless phone. Sue him, he's old-fashioned that way.

"Basically, yes. He likes you."

Steve coughs and stares at the wall uncomfortably. He would duck his head to hide his blush but then remembers she can't see him.

"You should thank me. It's a compliment." Somehow he detects the faintest hint of a smirk in there.

"Um, right. So should I go over now or…?"

"That's up to you. Just make sure he isn't dead or lying in his own vomit or anything."

Steve makes a horrified-sounding noise.

"Kidding, kidding. But seriously, check up on him will you?"

"R-right," he replies a little unsteadily. He can't handle her quick change in demeanor sometimes. One minute she's all stiff and icy-scary, and the next she's a caring bundle of love. This is gonna take some getting used to.

"I guess I'll.. keep you updated?"

"Thanks."

The line ends there. Steve places the phone back in its holder and has to take a minute to gather himself. Okay, Bucky's sick and being stubborn. This should go well, right?

He hears Loki purring below him and rub his head against Steve's leg. He bends down to scratch the cat behind the ears and smiles. "I know buddy, I know. Gotta do this, right? Otherwise I won't be a good… friend." Loki tilts his head and meows.

Whether the cat actually notices the blush on Steve's face will remain a mystery for now.

Bucky gave Steve a key to his place a while ago. Scratch that, Steve may have watched Bucky take out the hidden key from the potted plant near his door.

Steve sighs as he swipes up the key and turns it over in his fingers. This is a huge invasion of privacy, but if Bucky's being stubborn then there's no other way right? RIGHT?

He sighs again, inserts the key in the lock and turns it ever so slowly. He hears the click, then the door opens and he slowly steps inside.

There's nothing really out of place. Just a couple clothes strewn about on the floor, some dirty dishes in the sink, but other than that nothing abnormal to suggest Bucky is anything but Bucky. Steve remains by the entryway and listens for any footsteps within the apartment. He should probably call out to Bucky, text him, do something other than stand there like a total creeper.

He doesn't really have to though because he hears a grunt and some shuffling and Bucky comes out with a huge quilt wrapped around his shoulders. His hair is a mess, he's got that five o'clock shadow, and his eyes are droopy and tired. He looks very sick is what Steve's decided.

"Steve?" He croaks out in surprise. He opens his mouth but starts coughing instead. Steve doesn't react until the coughing turns more violent and he rushes to Bucky's side.

"Hey, hey. You okay?" He rubs Bucky's back up and down, and then for some reason he.. massages? Just the area between Bucky's shoulder blades and then back down to his lower back, nothing more. But he's massaging Bucky and he doesn't know why and he's about to draw his hand back.

Bucky's coughing continues but the pleased little noise he makes forces Steve to keep massaging. He hasn't protested yet, which Steve guesses is okay. He quickly guides Bucky back to his bedroom because this is—this is getting weird. And why is he going into Bucky's bedroom? Oh god he can't think about all these things right now. He has a sick, uh, significant other to attend to.

"Steeeeeeeeve," Bucky drawls out and lols his head back.

Steve jolts and stops his hands. Bucky makes a whine of protest which has Steve digging his fingers in a little deeper. "B-better?"

"Mhmm. Yeah… yeah, better," Bucky sighs contentedly and flops down onto his bed. When Steve doesn't follow he peeks a very expectant eye out.

Steve rolls his eyes and tuts at Bucky mock-exasperatedly. He sits on the bed and resumes the, uh, massaging, watching Bucky's body visibly deflate and sink further into the mattress. Has he mentioned he's sitting on Bucky's bed yet?

"Have you eaten anything yet?" Steve asks without trying to give away his very obvious panic attack.

Bucky shakes his head, but with his whole face plastered into the mattress it looks like he's rubbing his face against it.

He decides to take that as his queue to get off the bed because he's on Bucky's bed. "I'll go make something, okay?"

He barely moves an inch when Bucky's left hand shoots out and grabs Steve's shirt.

"Steve, um—"

They both freeze at the unexpected movement. They both look like deers caught in headlights, blinking and staring and not really knowing what to do or say and okay this has to stop this is just getting ridiculous.

Steve awkwardly pats the hand still on his shirt. "I-I'll, um, be right.. back?"

Bucky bites his lip and scrunches up his face like he wants to say something, but nothing comes out. Eventually he relinquishes his grip on Steve's shirt. "Yeah.. kay." He settles back into the pillows and closes his eyes. Before Steve can even think twice about it, he plants a quick kiss on Bucky's head and high-tails it out of there.

He leaves the door partly opened in case Bucky needs something and waits for his beating heart to calm down. Was Bucky's hair messy and most likely unwashed? Yes, probably. But that's not what Steve is freaking out over.

He's freaking out over the fact that Bucky just totally and completely let Steve into his bedroom, allowed Steve to see him at his worse, and then not even question it. This is so beyond the boundaries they've set.

He takes a calming breath, counts to ten in his head, then makes his way into the kitchen and starts fussing about. The most he scrounges up is some leftover chicken broth, so he decides on soup and some sandwiches. Minutes later he carefully shoulders past Bucky's door with food in his hands. He makes sure Bucky is actually half-awake before stepping inside and standing by the foot of the bed. He'd rather not sit on the bed again. He tells himself it's because he doesn't want to spill the food, that's all, just being careful not to dirty Bucky's best sheets.

Steve hears a sniff from Bucky and he lifts his head up. He evaluates the food like there might be a poison concoction hidden beneath, but one look from Steve is enough to shut up him up. He accepts the bowl of soup and blows a couple times.

"It's not any five star restaurant food, so I hope it'll do for now," Steve says. He fidgets as he watches Bucky drink up the soup. Even if it isn't five star food, he still hopes Bucky sort of likes it.

"It's good," he grunts out around his spoon.

This puts a satisfied smile on Steve's face and he places the sandwiches on the bedside table. "Eat these when you've got the stomach for them," he orders.

Bucky does a half-hearted, sloppy salute. "Yes sir."

Steve stays at Bucky's place for the remainder of the day, transitioning from the living room to the bedroom whenever he's feeling particularly worried. He considers cleaning up around the place, but he feels that would be a huge invasion of privacy. So he just settles for washing up the rest of the dishes once Bucky's done with his food.

Bucky still has yet to ask how Steve got inside, what he's even doing here, and just why in general. It's a little disconcerting to see Bucky's not as worried as Steve is, and as much as Steve wants to ask, Bucky is feverish and he needs to take care of him. He just.. doesn't know why Bucky's so okay with this. From Natasha's phone call, he had assumed Bucky was against anyone taking care of him but he's welcoming Steve with open arms.

Again, it's disconcerting.

With nothing to settle his nerves, he decides to watch some TV. Of course he keeps it to a low volume so as not to wake his, um, boyfriend? Sure, boyfriend, in the next room over.

He's about 30 minutes into this wildlife show he's watching when he hears a faint, "Steve?"

He's off the couch in seconds and he's embarrassed to say he's almost out of breath when he reaches Bucky's room.

"Hey Buck. Everything okay?" He asks from the doorway.

Bucky beckons him over with a lazy arm. He rushes over and the moment he sits down he stills as Bucky snuggles up next to his thigh and drapes an arm across his lap.

"Um. Bucky?" He says after a beat.

"Mhmm?"

"What.. are you doing?" He asks a little breathlessly.

"Snuggling," comes the muffled voice. "What's it look like?"

Steve almost laughs, he does, but he's still kinda in shock because normally Bucky wouldn't do this. Bucky will keep his distance until he gets that silent permission from Steve and vice versa. They don't—he—this has never happened out of his own volition.

"So you're okay with.. me just being here?"

"What do you mean?" Bucky asks. Steve hesitantly brushes back Bucky's hair. When his fingers graze the corner of Bucky's ear the man shivers and snuggles even closer.

"I mean… you don't mind me being here?" He clarifies.

Bucky lifts his head up to look Steve in the eye. "Of course not," he says with all seriousness. "Why would I?"

It kinda throws Steve for a loop because he sputters and looks completely thrown off. "But I thought.. you.. but.. Natasha said you were being stubborn!"

He quirks up an eyebrow. "Natasha called you?"

"Yes!"

"Huh." He looks thoughtful. "Explains a lot."

"Hence me coming here and… taking care of you."

"Well, she made the right call. I wouldn't have just anyone taking care of me like this," Bucky says with that serious look again.

Steve's eyes are probably bugging out right now. "So.. you don't mind that I just barged into your apartment?"

"Nope."

"And used your key?"

"Noooope."

"And am sitting here in your bedroom?"

"No, no, aaaaaand nope." Bucky pops the 'p' at the end for good measure.

"….Seriously?" Steve nearly squeaks out. This definitely wasn't what he was expecting at all.

"I mean we're together now, aren't we? Actually it's probably about time I gave you a spare key," Bucky says casually. He draws little loops with his finger on Steve's thigh.

"So we're… we're there? We can.. do stuff like that? Giving each other spare keys and whatnot?" Steve glances at the finger drawing loops and he can't help smiling at that. The way Bucky's doing it is so casual, normal— trusting. He's totally fine with all THIS.

"I don't see why not," Bucky half-shrugs.

"O-okay. Okay that's—yeah, okay." Steve sucks in a calming breath and exhales slowly. This is good. They're getting somewhere. This is actually okay.

When he glances back at Bucky he's got this puzzled expression, like he totally doesn't see what the whole problem is or is even aware of Steve's mini freak-out.

Suddenly Bucky wraps another arm around Steve and he squeaks as he's drawn into a sort of hug.

"B-Bucky?"

He doesn't reply, just rubs his face against Steve's thigh and inhales deeply. Neither one moves or says anything, and it's surprisingly very calming after everything Steve's been through today. Very very calming.

"So um, Nat may have told me she'd be coming over..."

"What?"

"But like, she never said she was sending you over which, you know, is an entirely different, totally separate thing-"

"Buck what are you talking about?"

"Um, well, basically I wasn't very surprised when you came over because I thought it was Nat. So you could say I was waiting for you? In a sense? Maybe not you exactly, but I was waiting for 'Natasha.'"

"...What?"

"Which, you know, evidently it-"

"..."

"I mean it's not-"

"Enough."

(Steve wants to shrivel up and die and possibly chew a certain red-head out.)