Sam and Bucky one shots

Long way home (bucky)

Warnings: Angst, fluff, ex-friends to lovers??

A/n: So this was originally a piece I wrote for someone who wanted some college Bucky fic with this 5sos song and I wrote it for them (albeit late😅) but I couldn't find their post again sooooo idk what to do. Hopefully they run into this. I feel like I kind of drifted from the song but you know.😭 not really anything Christmas specific in this because like the next holiday is Halloween and then thanksgiving (if you're from the US) so like😋 Anyway I hope y'all enjoy. Beta'd by @soorwellystan ofc😝🫶🏻

Pairing: College!bucky x reader

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You wonder if he still remembers.
How much fun you used to have as kids. Not caring about parties or sex. You suppose that'd be too hopeful. You followed him because he asked. By some miracle you both got into the same school but the second a frat accepted him it was like you meant nothing.
Ok maybe you're exaggerating. What can you say? School got the better of you. It was a constant cycle of studying. You didn't have time for any of the parties he invited you to the first month, so he stopped. He would also reject any of you invites to hangout out so it didn't make you feel too bad.
You didn't think anything of it. Midterms were coming up after all. You had better things to do but it would be a lie if you said it didn't hurt your feelings.
Eventually the texts became distant and so did your friendship. You made new friends though. Anyway it's not like ALL forms of contact we're cut off. There were still summer and winter breaks. It would be a bit hard to avoid him completely considering your parents were best friends. Which is how you ended up in this situation.
Winter break. With the fall semester over you decided to take a break from the heavy class flow and head back home for the winter. It was four hours from your university and the drive wasn't too bad. That is until there was a knock on your door.
You get up to open it, freezing in shock at the person standing there.
"Bucky?"
He gives you a shy smile way different from his usual cocky one he's adopted the past two years. "Heyyyy, y/n. Can I come in? I wanted to ask you something."
The sound of the microwave beeping shakes you from your state of shock.
"Oh I'm, yeah, sure. Come in." You lead him to the sofa offering him something to drink to which he declines.
You sit in silence for a while before he speaks "look uh. I- my ma mentioned you were headed back home for the break and I was wondering, if it's possible- and you could totally say no, if I can hitch a ride with you."
You stare at him for a bit. Not knowing how to respond.
"Don't you have a car" your words shock you both
"Oh um, it's in the shop" he lies not wanting to tell you about the girl who keyed it and slashed his tires after he drunkenly promised her a date and forgot. He knows you don't agree with his "playboy" ways having made some snide remarks last Christmas "Look you know I wouldn't ask if I had another choice."
You interrupt him with a scoff and sarcastic smile "yeah, I know. Trust me"
A hurt look coming across his face "that's not what I meant and you- look can i get a ride with you or not. My ma was really looking forward to seeing me and you're my only hope for that. So please?"
You sigh, closing your eyes and nodding your head. "Yeah, sure. I leave in 4 days. Should give you enough time to pack, right?"
He does a little cheer before you both get up and lead him to the door. "Thank you, so much. I don't know how I can repay you."
"Pay for the gas on the way back and we'll call it even."
He chuckles "you got it." He stands awkwardly at the door outside. Not quite knowing how to say goodbye. He tries to go in for a hug but before he can, you say bye and shut the door.
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The day is finally here and Bucky couldn't be more nervous. It's not the fact that he's finally seeing his family after 5 months or the fact that he's going back to his hometown. It's you, or more so sitting in the car for 4 hours with you. He'll be the first to admit that his feelings for you never fully went away. He tried to fill the void with girls and partying but there will always be a gap in his heart and he's trying to come to terms with that.
He knows you can never feel the same way about him. Not then and especially not now. Before you only saw him as a friend, your best friend and he was ok with that for a long time but then once you left to university and declined all his invites to parties he realized how unimportant he was to you. He eventually stopped asking and stopped texting you all together once he realized his attempts were futile.
He'd be lying if he said he doesn't miss you but no one has asked. I mean does occasionally interacting during Christmas count? That's a yes in his book.
He honestly can't place where things went wrong. You used to be his best friend. Better than Steve! You even followed him to his dream school. You helped him through so much and stuck by him through his awkward teen boy stage and his first break up. God he remembers that day, he swears you almost exploded when he told you Dot cheated on him.