[ @andagony ]
He knew he’d said the wrong thing the second the words left his mouth. But Steve wasn’t going to take them back. He’d stand by those words until breath left his body for good. How many times was he going to have to lose Bucky? What if the next time he couldn’t get him back again?
A shiver of anger crept through him, but Steve managed to stamp it down. It wasn’t Bucky’s fault, but sometimes Steve just wished everything could go back to normal again. Whatever that was. Other people got to have friends and families and lovers; whereas he had to stand here and watch how his best friend became a stranger.
It was like everything that made Bucky Bucky was fading away and the Soldier was taking over. Steve opened his mouth to object, to apologise, anything... But the words turned to ash in his mouth. His palms itched as the solid arm under his hands was jerked away from him. Less than a foot between them but it might as well have been a mile.
He’d told him to stop. He’d told him not to touch him. And even though Steve wanted to grab Bucky and yank him back, he didn’t. Boundaries. It was all about boundaries and respecting wishes, and Steve worried he’d already pushed too hard. Gotten away with too much. Far more any anyone else would have had the privilege of doing so.
His friend looked so lost... Destroyed. The sickness swaying him and Steve found himself putting his hands out to steady him, but stopped short as he remembered. Don’t touch him. Don’t touch him. Don’t scare him off more than he’d already intentionally done so. His shoulders were tense and his chest felt tight, selfish anger roiling together with deep seated concern.
“Buck... Bucky... It’s ok just... Calm down... Breathe... It’s..”
It was all that left his lips before the tinge of iron slicked over his tongue and pain shot through him. Anyone else could have struck him and Steve would have taken it in his stride. But this was Bucky. Coupled not only with the emotional pain, but that ( like him ) Bucky had been built up to be a weapon. They could go toe to toe at the best of times, but Steve often pondered that if it came to it, the Soldier would always best him.
“BUCKY!”
Recovery was delayed but as soon as he could take a breath, Steve charged after him. Eyes focused on the space between his friend’s shoulders. His mind rushed with a thousand thoughts but he forced himself to push them aside and work on a game plan. Had to fix his mistake.












