Next To Me // A Stucky Au

Chapter Eleven

Over the next few days, Steve forced himself into a routine, and when he was at home he buried himself so deep into his work he didn't have time to think. He woke up early and stayed awake late into the night so as soon as he lay down he was asleep and so he didn't have to think. Of course, this often left him very tired in the mornings, but it was nothing a bit (or a lot) of coffee couldn't get him through.

Because if he did think, he would think about Bucky, and how stupid he was for kissing him like that and how Bucky probably hated him.

He was walking home from work, because his car was still broken. He looked, up feeling something was off, and he was right. He saw a man, a big, buff guy who looked like he had a bit to much of an ego, and a young woman who was hurriedly walking away from him. He was following her and he could see that she was trying her best to get away from him without being to rude.

Suddenly, the man reached out and grabbed her waist. Steve heard her yell at him to get off of her and decided that he couldn't just watch. He made his way over to the man, and tried to bring himself up to his full hight, but he wasn't very tall.

"She said leave her alone," he said to the guy, who looked around at him quickly, snickering when he saw Steve's hight. "Are you deaf as well as stupid?" The man turned around to face him fully now, his hands sliding off the woman's waist. Steve gestured for her to run, and she did so without any hesitation.

"And what're you gonna do abou' it?" He asked, smirking. Then he looked around, realizing the girl was gone. "You lost me my girl!" He yelled, and drew back his fist. He threw a punch at Steve, who just about dodged it and stepped back wards into the alley behind him. The man threw another punch, and this time Steve wasn't so lucky. It hit him square in the face and he heard a sickening crunch coming from his nose. Steve tried to throw a punch back, but the man blocked it easily and gave him a kick in the stomach that sent him flying to the end of the alleyway. Disoriented, Steve tried to stand back up, and throw another punch, which failed yet again.

"Ya don' give up, do ya?" The man said, laughing at him at this point.

"I could do this all day," Steve replied, before the man punched him one final time and Steve fell, to the ground. The world around him started to go dark, and Steve felt the man kicking again for good measure, before he passed out.

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Bucky was walking to the coffee shop that was down the road from his apartment and heard someone groaning from the alleyway. Curious, and also wanting to help, Bucky made his way down the alleyway and saw a small figure lying on the ground. He got closer and bent over his face to see who it was.

"Steve?" Bucky gasped, shocked, but the only response he got was a groan. "Oh my god, Steve, we need to get you home." With that Bucky picked up Steve and slung him over his shoulders in a fireman's carry. He rushed home as quickly as possible and lay Steve down on his couch, rushing to get the first aid kit to clean any wounds he could see.

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When Steve woke up, he was suprised to find himself laying on a couch instead of the dirty alley he passed out in. He tried to sit up and look around but as soon as he tried to do more then lie down, he got dizzy and his head hurt. He heard someone come throughout the door and tried to look over to see who it was, but failed.

"Thank god, you're awake," said the person and Steve froze. It was Bucky. Bucky hated him, didn't he? Why would Bucky find him and decide to help him? "You got quite a beating, Steve, thank god I found you." Bucky tried to help Steve to sit up, and he eventually got him settled on the couch. "You got a minor concussion, I think, and a fractured nose, not to mention that great big cut on your stomach. But you'll live." Bucky sat down next to him, handing him a bowl of soup. "Eat this, it'll help."

Steve took the bowl gratefully and looked down. He sat in silense for a few minutes, every now and then eating spoonfuls of his soup.

"I'm sorry, Buck," he eventually managed to say, his voice quiet and timid.

"Well ya should be, you gave me the scare of my life, findin' you in an alley like that. Don't ever do again. Please."

"No not that," Steve replied quietly, "for the other day, at the park. You probably hate me. You know what, I'll just go."

Bucky's face softened, and he grabbed Steve's wrist pulling him back. It's not like Steve would've had the ability to walk yet anyway. "You have nothing to be sorry for," he said and pulled steve tightly into a hug. Steve let himself relax at last, melting into the hug and putting his arms around Bucky's big, warm chest. He buried his face in Bucky's chest, whispering how he was sorry over and over again, while tears streamed down his face. Bucky rubbed circles down his back, avoiding any bruises or cuts he knew about.

"It's gonna be ok, Stevie, its gonna be ok." Bucky whispered, hugged him tighter. Steve clung to Bucky like he was all he had left, and just cried. Bucky was silent for a while, trying not to let Steve see the silent tears that were now running down his own face.

Once Steve's crying had died down a bit, Bucky arranged his face, hoping it wasn't to red from crying, and pulled back, cupping Steve's face with his hands.

"Don't worry, Stevie, " said Bucky gentally, placing his for head on Steve,"I'm with you til the end of the line."

"Til the end of the line."

A/n: helleoooo !!!!! Look, i was a semi decent person in this chapter!!! Anyway, because a stucky au would be horrible without any stucky, they are together again. What did you expect? Anyway, bye bye! I need sleep!