Frayed Lines

In which Steve is sad.

"Bucky?" Steve repeated to himself quietly, still shocked. Bucky looked up at him with tears in his eyes and hugged him tightly, just like he used to when Steve came out of the hospital.

"I- I'm so sorry Steve. I didn't know what I was doing and-" Bucky hiccuped.

"It's fine Buck. As long as you're here now, everything's okay." Steve smiled down at him and helped lead Bucky to his couch. Bucky shakily placed his head on Steve's lap as Steve ran his fingers through his hair.

"I went to the Smithsonian and tried to remember. I only remembered when I saw my grave though." Bucky sighed in content as he relaxed, Steve's fingers doing the work.

"As long as you remember me, I'm fine with however you did it." Steve chuckled. "But how did you find my house?"

"That... Natasha dame. She's really... something. You got the hots for her?" Bucky smirked up at a blushing Steve.

"Eh, I guess?" He stuttered. "But there are more important things to discuss. Maybe later today... it's 4 in the morning Buck." He stared down sleepily at the snoring soldier on his lap. "Good night."

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Natasha rode up to Steve's apartment. After sending dozens of texts about not needing anymore sleep after 70 years in ice, she finally decided to get up and see what was holding the training up.

As she walked up he steps, she heard a shriek inside. Rushing up with a pistol in her hand, she kicked down the door to find a water covered James.

"Nat! How are ya?" Steve gasped for breath as he tried to stop laughing.

"Someone happened to forget that we're testing the Avengers today." she smirked. "But if you really don't want to help, I'll have one ass off of me."

Steve looked at her with fake indignation and sighed. "She's right Buck. I'll be back at about 6:00."

As Steve went into his bedroom to change into his uniform, Bucky and Natasha stared at each other, checking the other out.

" I guess Stevie was right when he talked about your beauty miss." James smiled at her with a gleam of amusement in his eyes.

"Steve? You talk about me?" Natasha laughed as Steve walked back in the room.

"What?" He stuttered. "Oh, Bucky...he was asking if I knew any beautiful dames so you kinda came to mind." he mumbled under his breath, blushing.

She continued laughing and patted him on the back. "What a flatterer! Alright, it was nice meeting you Bucky." she smiles back at him as her and Steve exit.

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*few months later*

Steve punched his frustration into another punching bag. So much has gone on in the past few months with Bucky. First, he became an Avenger, which Steve was fine with until he just HAD to get a huge ego. Pushing Steve around, being an ass hole in general, and flirting with Natasha was getting Steve a little annoyed. After all, Steve did like Natasha. And Bucky knew it too.

He sighed as the punching bag flew into the wall and landed on the pile. "Guess that's enough for today." he mutters to himself.
After cleaning up and showering for the meeting, he went down to the conference room.

Looking down at his folder, he looked at their next mission which was set up in Dubai. By now, Steve was used to the occasional surprise. But whatever he expected when he walked into the conference room, it definitely wasn't two half naked assassins on a conference table.

"What the hell? You never learn how to knock?" Bucky sneered. A hot-faced, mortified Steve focused on the ceiling pattern as Natasha put her clothes in order.

"I asked Jarvis to announce an Avengers meeting in fifteen minutes. You probably would've heard it if you didn't disable his protocol." He glanced back at the pair, Natasha mostly covered up now. She had seemed as cool as ever. Incredible. He was more embarrassed yet he wasn't the one found half naked on a table.

"But maybe we should push the meeting back fifteen minutes. And use the conference room down the hall." Steve sighed and looked at Bucky. "You're not official but you can come too."

"Yeah, no thanks," Bucky replied. "You kids have fun." He pulled Natasha closer to him again. "Are you done yet? Cause I'm not quite but a half hour can get me there."

Son of a gun-

"Yeah, I'm done." Steve said. "But could you get a private room next time? It's not that hard, you both live here."

"Oh it's still hard." Bucky replied. "Though you're kinda putting a damper on things."

"I can't believe you talk like that in front of a lady." Steve said. Bucky and Natasha both responded at the same time.

"I'm not going to faint at a little innuendo, Steve." Natasha sighed.
"Fucking Boy Scout." Bucky smirked.

Steve wasn't one to quit and walk away from a fight, but this was one he really didn't want to have.

"Jarvis, reinstate the normal protocols in conference room two."
"Yes sir." Jarvis answered.
"Audio confirmation please." Steve said. A moment later, Natasha's voice came over the speakers.

"-such an asshole to him?" She was saying.
"Yes I do." Bucky said. "He expects me to be his friend. I ain't interested, but he will not take a fucking hint. You know the only reason I went to his place was so that I could get back on my feet."

"You can't blame him James." Natasha sighed. " You may not remember much of your life before, but you are Bucky Barnes."

"Maybe I was that guy seventy years ago. But now I don't want him in my personal life and I sure as hell don't want him in my bedroom."
"What a sweet talker you are." Natasha laughed.

"Jarvis, end audio." Steve walked down the hall to conference room three, allowing himself to slam the door behind him. Throwing the USB drives on the table before sinking down on the floor, he sighed.

He'd never seen a couple like that, were they even a couple? Did everyone else know? Steve knew what it was like to be on the outside, but never with Bucky. And he thought that maybe Nat might've been interested in him too, considering their closeness.

Steve sighed and rubbed his face with his hands. He had thought about what it would've been like, bringing Bucky to his home and having him be treated by the beat doctors money could buy. He knew Bucky wouldn't be the same after being stored in cryogenic freezing, but there would still be some Bucky underneath. He thought that they would've been fighting side by side again and loving each other like brothers.

It didn't happen that way though. And no matter how much Steve wanted it to happen,it didn't. And it hurt.

It hurt when, after a fight, Bucky stayed by Clint instead of Steve. And it hurt when he turned down Steve's offer to go running in favor of Natasha. When Bucky laughed at Tony's jokes but his face went blank when Steve walked into the room.

"Jarvis," Steve said. "Please tell everyone that the meeting is postponed. I think I'm sick."
Without waiting for a reply, he bolted down the fire escape, so no one would see him, and rode off on his motorcycle.

"Time to learn what the 21st century has in store for you Stevie." he muttered to himself. And for the first time in months, a smile graced his lips.

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A/N: Sorry I didn't do one of these in the other chapter. But I think you get the groove of this story. Thanks for reading and keep going :D.