Reminiscing •A Stucky Love Story•

Kissing Barnes.

Steve grabbed my waist and put our foreheads together. I knew everyone was watching, but I didn't care. This moment was for Steve; that's it. He pulled me even closer. "I'll wear your bracelet. I haven't taken it off since you left and I never will."

    I giggled and nodded. "Okay." He stared at my eyes. His eyes were still wet with tears and I saw the hurt in them. I whispered, "Kiss me, Steve."

    "Wha- what?"

    I lowered my voice even more. "I know it's weird, Stevie. But you never got the chance to kiss Bucky. I know it hurts that it's my eyes you're looking at and not his. So, kiss me. And only think of my eyes the whole time. Then it's like Bucky."

    He stared into my eyes again, and I waited until his eyes were closed to shut mine. Then he kissed me. It was different from our first one. This was desperate. I knew he was crying when my lips got wet. They tasted like salt. I was about to pull away when Steve did. "How much time do we have?"

    I blinked. "What?"

    "When do they get here?"

    I closed my eyes. "I don't know. I think, maybe, they'll probably get called upon today."

    Not glancing at anyone else, Steve pulled me. "Leave in an hour." I sighed, but nodded. So, he pulled me to his room.

    He closed the door and sat on the bed. When I sat beside him, he grabbed my hand. "I shouldn't have kissed you."

    "Did it help?" He didn't respond, so I added, "To think of Bucky when it was me?"

    He let go of my hand. "It was weird. Super weird. But, I think it helped. It was cool to see his eyes when it was your lips. But now I just wish it was really him. I should've kissed him before, but now I guess I never will." The loss of hope in his voice almost made me blurt out that Bucky was alive, that I was going to save him, that he was the person coming for me. He started talking again, but kept his eyes on the door in front of him. "We almost did a couple times, though."

    I smiled softly. "I know."

    The sounds of fists hitting the punching bag echoed through the hallway. I had three bottles of water in my arms as I walked back to Steve and Bucky. Bucky was trying to teach Steve to fight; everyday we found him in an alley with his hands up. He was usually bloody when we got there, and his opponent, who was usually twice his size, wouldn't have a scratch. I rolled my eyes as I remembered it.

    The closer I got, the more I could hear Steve's exasperated breaths. "Buck, I think I need a break. I'm going to have an asthma... attack." He took a deep breath. "I'm having a hard time," he wheezed, "breathing."

    My elbow was on the door, prepared to open it. I heard Bucky could chuckle and imagined his smirk. "There's other ways you can lose your breath, Stevie."

    I heard Steve's deep breaths quicken. I nudged the door open quietly and peeked through. Steve's arm was almost touching Bucky's chest. His eyes were closed, and I saw his chest moving up and down heavily. He tilted his head up. "Like what, Buck?"

    Bucky was looking down at him with a grin on his face. His eyes were soft, and his head was tilted to the side. "Well, Stevie," he leaned closer. I saw Steve's chest stop moving; the sounds of his breathing were gone. "Ever kissed anyone?" Bucky closed his eyes, leaning down toward Steve. Steve shook his head, still not breathing. "You want to?" Steve's hand touched Bucky's chest, and he raised himself up on his toes. Bucky cupped Steve's cheek and put his forehead against Steve's. I saw his lips part and I moved away from the door.