The LGBT+ Avengers Stucky Fanfiction

Picking Up The Pieces

 "Steve. You should go home. Get some sleep. This is seriously unhealthy." Bucky said as he fiddled with the corner of his hospital blanket.

"Bucky, I just don't want to leave you here. I can't." Steve said, his voice betraying his exhaustion.

"Steve, please, just get one night of sleep. They're gonna let me out soon, I've heard the nurses talking. And then you can stay over at my place or something, I don't know. But, right now: go home and sleep. Please. You need it." It was true. Steve's eyes had gathered dark bags underneath them, his clothes were wrinkled and smelly. His bloodshot eyes sometimes grew a vacant look to them as he stared off into space, which concerned Bucky. Still, he didn't leave Bucky's bedside for more than half an hour. He refused to go every time the nurses tried to kick him out. He would not leave.

"Bucky, really, I'm not gonna leave. I just won't. Can't. I can't leave you right now." Steve's eyes sparkled with love, but his face was gaunt and haunted. He felt responsible for the fact that Bucky was in a hospital bed. What good was he if he couldn't even protect his boyfriend?

"Steve. Stevie. Please, just go get some sleep. You're worrying me. I'm doing fine. Look at me: all my tests are coming back good, I could run around the hospital if the nurses would let me, I'm eating normal meals, I'm even writing! I'm doing fine. They're gonna let me out soon. It's okay to go home and sleep, Steve." Bucky was pleading at this point. Steve knew it. "C'mon, Steve. Just go home for a little bit. At the very least go and take a nap."

"I'm not leaving, Bucky. What if something happens? I'm not leaving. I don't even need to sleep right now; I'm not even tired." Steve said, though his eyes were drooping. Bucky got out of his hospital bed (he was sure the nurses would kill him for that, but he didn't care) and went to sit in the chair beside Steve, wrapping his right arm around Steve's waist. Steve tipped his head onto Bucky's shoulder, and in five minutes he was out cold.

A nurse walked in. It was Nurse Jamie, Bucky's favorite nurse. Despite how cool she was, Bucky was still sure she was going to chew him out for getting out of bed. All of the nurses had been decidedly against that idea for the time being. She looked at him, seemingly about to scold him.

"Shhhh..." Bucky said, glancing at Steve, whose flawless porcelain-doll face was still resting peacefully against Bucky's right shoulder. "He's sleeping." Nurse Jamie just shook her said, laughing quietly.

"What am I gonna do with you two?" She said finally, then smiled a brilliant smile, "Well, I was just coming in to say that you're allowed to get out of bed and walk around now, if you want, but I see you made that decision yourself. You're gonna be able to leave this afternoon, we think."

"Well, that's a relief, nurse Jamie. I've been a bit worried about this one here." He nodded his head at the sleeping Steve. "He puts on a good tough-guy act, but he needs his beauty rest. When I finally get out of here, I'm gonna make sure he lies on his bed and sleeps for a full night." Nurse Jamie smiled, noting how cute of a couple they were. Then she bit her lip, as if she was about to say something. "What?" Bucky asked, noticing this.

"Oh, it's just... well, I mean. I read what you were writing while you were stuck in here. On the blog for that, like, social justice group. Anyway, I just- I wanted to thank you. It's very brave to continue on after something like this, and, well, it just means a lot to my wife and I that there are groups like you guys out there." Wife. Bucky had had a feeling. He smiled.

"I write about things that I care about. If the world needs it, all the better. I'm glad we're making a difference. Really, if that's all I accomplish with my life, it'll be a life fulfilled." Bucky replied, resting his head on top of Steve's. Jamie smiled, and Bucky smiled back, a shared understanding of certain hardships between them. She left Steve and Bucky in the room alone once again. Bucky held Steve close, remembering how he used to wrap himself around Steve when Steve had been the small scrawny kid in high school. How much everything had grown up since then.

* * *

"Hey, Stevie. Wake up, Steve." Bucky said, nudging Steve with his shoulder, "Hey, sleeping beauty. Guess what? They're finally setting me free."

"Hmmm?" Steve asked, rubbing his eyes as he sat up, his hair sticking up in odd directions from where it sat against Bucky's shoulder.

"Gonna have to be a bit more specific there, Steve. I don't speak 'hmmm'." Bucky said, attempting to gather together with his single arm the cards and flowers that had accumulated next to his hospital bed. Steve came over and scooped the items out of Bucky's grasp easily. "Oh, come on, I can at least carry some of it!" Bucky complained.

"Yes, Mr. 'They're-Finally-Releasing-Me-From-The-Hospital' I think I'd better carry these." Steve said resolutely. But Bucky was stubborn. He didn't like to feel useless in any way.

"C'mon, Steve! At least let me carry that little teddy bear?" He gave Steve the puppy dog eyes, and Steve gave in with a sigh, handing Bucky a small stuffed bear. Bucky hugged it to his chest as they walked out of the hospital.

"Well then, I think I want to go for a walk when we get home." Bucky said as they drove to Bucky's apartment. Steve raised his eyebrows incredulously. Some combination of Bucky saying "when we get home" and the fact that Bucky wanted to go for a walk left him at a complete loss for words. "Sound good?" Bucky asked Steve.

"I was thinking more along the lines of a nap. Or maybe like some microwavable dinner." Steve responded.

"Oh, c'mon! You just took, like, a three hour long nap on my shoulder. We can have microwavable crap after we take a walk. Deal?" Bucky asked, grinning. Steve was amazed at how positive Bucky was being right now, despite no longer having a left arm. It probably had something to do with finally having freedom after being cooped up in a hospital room for a few weeks.

"Okay, fine. But it's gonna be a short walk." Steve relented.

* * *

Both Steve and Bucky were still healing, so they took it slow and short, just walking to the coffee shop where Bucky worked and back. They didn't go in. Just smiled, remembering their chance encounter there before turning around. As they continued walking down the street and conversing with each other, Steve put his right arm around Bucky's shoulders, sheilding Bucky's lack of left arm from people's stares. Bucky noticed this, and it made him feel good, protected, despite the fear that everything in his life now possessed.

"Steve, I think we both really need to shave." He said matter-of-factly. Steve raised his eyebrows and looked over at Bucky.

"That's what you're thinking about right now? Shaving?" Steve asked.

"Well, yeah. We look like hobos, and I can't have that. It's unacceptable." Bucky stated with mock concern.

"Yeah, well, we haven't really had much opportunity to shave recently, now have we?" Steve asked, squeezing Bucky's shoulders. They finished their walk like that: Steve having his arm wrapped around Bucky's shoulders and Bucky acting like nothing was wrong even though he still hurt all over and was missing his left arm.