Thinking about Steve being so afraid that the serum would change his love for Bucky.
The moment Erksine tells Steve that the serum will cure him of all his ailments, his heart stalls and his stomach sinks. He tries desperately to not give himself away when he meets the doctor’s eyes.
“All of them?” He asks. If his voice comes out small and trembling, he can pass it off as being in total awe of the concept of being healthy. And he is. But…
Erskine doesn’t seem to notice anything amiss as he smiles kindly and places a warm hand on Steve’s shoulder. “All of them.”
Steve lays awake that night, praying to a god he hadn’t spoken to since he lost his mother. Please, he begs. Don’t take this from me. Let me keep this one thing. It isn’t long, though, before his thoughts devolve into apology after apology to Bucky. Despite how much he loathed the thought of it, if he must lose his love for Bucky in order to be there for him—to protect him—, then so be it. It’s horrible, and painful, and bitterly unfair, but Steve Rogers will sacrifice anything to save Bucky Barnes.
The moment he steps out of the machine that transforms him, Steve notices most of the changes immediately. He’s big and tall. The world is bright and his heart feels strong. He can actually breathe. When he chases after the man that murdered Erksine, his thoughts and legs move fast—faster than Steve ever thought possible.
It’s only at night when Steve finally realizes.
He still loves Bucky.
He still wants to hold him in his arms, run his fingers through his hair, and kiss him breathless. He still loves him. He still loves him. Amidst his relief, Steve feels confusion. Erskine said the serum would cure him of all his illnesses. And it has, all except for this one thing. It’s then when one thought hits him with all the weight of the world;
They’re not sick. They were never sick.
Their love was never wrong.
