Not Without You {Steve/Bucky Fic} COMPLETED

Chapter Three

Up. Down. Up. Down. Up. Down.
Bucky threw the rubber ball in the air with his metal appendage and then caught it. Over and over.

He had probably been doing it for the last hour. What else was be to do? Steve was a meeting with the Avengers, leaving Bucky in Steve's apartment alone.

Buck wasn't sure he minded, though. Honestly, he would stroll around the living space and snoop around a bit. Try to discover something about the Steve he lived with now, and not the one in the 1900's.

This Steve was different.

This Steve could get a date- and very easily, too. Women would claw their way over to him, smothering their mouths in lipstick and batting their false lashes at him, in hopes of getting Captain America to take them home. He wasn't getting beat up in back alley ways for picking fights, either, but actually winning fights. You had to have a lot of nerve to try to pick a bone with Steve Rogers these days.

Some things were the same, however.

Steve Rogers was the same good man, never running away from a fight and always doing the right thing.

Though he could attract women, he didn't use it to his advantage. He went on a few dates, but he was a gentleman, opening doors and meeting parents. Never anything risque.

Bucky still hated it.

Steve was now with a lovely woman, Sharon Carter. Steve smiled at her, wrapped his arms around her, and even kissed her.

Bucky could tell that Steve adored the woman, bringing her flowers, making her dinner, taking her dancing.

It all made Bucky's heart ache.

Why couldn't he dance with Steve?

Why couldn't he snuggle up with the super soldier on the sofa as they shared popcorn and watched a cute movie?

Why couldn't he make a nice dinner for Steve when he came home from work?

Wait.

Maybe he would do just that.

Bucky set off the find the phone that Steve had given him, and used it to look up a recipe.

He still had trouble understanding the concept internet, but he did know is that it could give you basically anything you wanted.

According to 'Google', pancakes were fairly easy to make.

Did Steve like pancakes? Bucky didn't know.

He took a deep breath as he gathered the supplies the recipe called for. Hopefully Steve liked pancakes.

************************

The door opened, and Bucky immediately tensed up in his seat.
He tried to casually read his book, but the excitement was bursting out of him.

Steve would love his surprise, he just knew it.

He rushed into the kitchen before Steve would have a chance and lit the two candle sticks he had set out on the white table cloth.

Bucky had carefully arranged the warm, syruped pancakes and the buttered toast out on little plates, along with completely setting the table with forks, knives and napkins.

He bit his bottom lip as the footsteps approached the kitchen.

But.

There were two sets of footsteps.

Bucky blushed as Steve entered the kitchen, accompanied by Sharon Carter.

No, Bucky thought. Not today!

"Um, Bucky? " Steve asked hesitantly as he took in the sight of his kitchen. "What's all this? "

"Erm, " Bucky stammered, all previous excitement now replaced with dread. "Well, I thought, that maybe, you know, since you were gone, I would- "

He was cut off by Sharon's laugh.

"Oh, Bucky. " the blonde giggled.

"Did you invite a girl over? " She pit her hand over her mouth. "That is so sweet! She sure is lucky. "

She nudged Steve. "Stevie and I were going out to dinner anyways, right Steve? "

Steve blinked, not completely registering what was happening. "Um, yeah!" he smiled softly. "Just thought I would come check on you."

Bucky nodded and looked at the floor.

"So, we'll go now, and have fun with your date. " Steve said as he took the Sharon's hand and exited the apartment.

The brunette just stood by the table for a moment, dumbfounded.

Steve had left.

Bucky shook his head as he blew put the candles, turned on the overhead light, and ate his lukewarm pancakes.

Without Steve.