Stucky One Shots

OTP Collection of Four

So these are slightly -- mainly -- angsty, so you can skip this chapter if you want. I'll probably sandwich this between two fluff ones, just in case.

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Bucky was probably dying. That wasn't new. No, what was new was that Steve, his calm and collected Steve, who hid his emotions even from him, was crying. He was panicking, and that wasn't making the situation any better.

Bucky stares up at him, his vision blurry with tears. Steve tries to stop the flow of blood, his hands shaking.

"Take a breath," Bucky mutters, more concerned that Steve is moments away from a panic attack, than the fact that he's bleeding out from three different places.

Steve doesn't hear him, applying pressure to the wounds he can. He concentrates only on that, ignoring his own ragged breathing, ignoring the steady flow of blood soaking his hands.

"I called an ambulance, okay, you're -- you're going to be -- " Steve swallows, cutting himself off before he sobs out loud. "God, Buck," he chokes, tears streaming down his face. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I - I don't know what to do."

Bucky winces as he pushes himself up a little, his vision dimming. "You're crying, Steve," he murmurs, his speech slower. He reaches up and cups his cheek, and Steve sobs.

"You're dying," he croaks. "The ambulance is coming, you just have to hold on." Steve goes back to putting pressure on the wounds, really shaking now.

"Take a breath," Bucky commands again, his hand falling down. "You'll pass out if you don't, it's happened before."

"I - I don't -- "

Bucky gives him a pointed look and Steve chokes back another sob. That look was so familiar, and it feels as if someone's punched him in the gut when he understands that it would probably be the last time he sees it.

He heaves a breath and Bucky watches, his own breathing getting fainter.

"Steve, promise me you'll keep going," Bucky mutters, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. Steve holds onto him tightly, trembling, head ducked. "You'll keep fighting, right? That's the Stevie I know." He smiles a little, remembering the tiny blond, and seeing him literally grow up into who he always wanted to be.

Steve wanted to be a perfect soldier. All Bucky saw was a good man. He was content with that being the last thing he saw.

"I promise." Steve squeezes his hand back and Bucky closes his eyes, looking at peace. He huffs his last breath and Steve remains there with him, until the end of the line.

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"Holy s***," Bucky mutters, pacing around the empty parking lot. "Holy s***. Okay, you're gonna be fine," he breathes, kneeling next to Steve and glancing over him for the twentieth time. The injuries don't disappear and all Bucky can do is stare for a moment. He had never seen Steve look so hurt before.

"Really... a confidence booster... when I can hear you swearing under your breath," Steve says through grit teeth, shutting his eyes tightly. His head dips towards his chest as he briefly blacks out and Bucky sits him up again, resting his blond head against his shoulder.

"You have to stay awake, okay? Can you do that for me?"

Steve doesn't reply, using all of his willpower to keep his eyes open and on Bucky, who was racking his brain on what to do.

"Hey - remember that time Tony pulled that prank on Clint? He had him convinced that Fury was a hired actor for two weeks," Bucky speaks, his mouth making his decision for him. Steve nods against his shoulder, struggling to stay awake. "Or -- or remember Halloween this year and we were chosen to hand out candy, and some punk stole the bowl and we had to track them down, only to find out it was just some short guy stealing food?"