Next To Me // A Stucky Au

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Peggy thought back to the manic last two or three weeks. It wasn't just the concerts that had made it so busy, booking a flight from New York to London last minute had been crazy too. But, however much she complained, it was worth it. It was worth it to give Bucky their awesome suprise reunion in London, and so Clint and Laura could have their own awesome, but not so suprise, one when they got back to New York.

The O2 areana was huge, Peggy thought she would have trouble hiding Steve from Bucky, but all Steve really needed to do was act like he was just one of the regular people going to the concert. He was doing a brilliant job, and over text he sounded like he was having a brilliant time. They agreed that he would come back stage and meet Peggy about half of the way through the show, which is when, Peggy noticed, the point they didn't go back to back stage until just before the end. She liked to call it the point of no return.

The band came off the stage for a little while, maybe three or so minutes before they went out and did encores, which Steve took as his cue to leave. He jumped out from backstage, making sure he was in the shadows so the audience couldn't see him. He then tried to get to the very frount, which wasn't nearly as hard as he expected, being his size.

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Bucky took a quick sip of water (aka he downed the whole bottle in one go) before heading back on stage. His smile shone contagiously, and an extra song did absolutely nothing to help the surges of adrenaline that were rushing through him.

"Okay, thank you all for comin' tonight!" He yelled out to the audience, earning a huge cheer back. "I'm sorry to say-"

"Hey, Bucky!" That caught Bucky's attention. No one called him Bucky, not unless they knew him. And that voice... sounded like Steve's. He looked into the crowd and saw Steve, right there smiling at him. Steve. Steve. His Steve, the one he hadn't seen for months, was right there.

"Steve?" He asked, not into the microphone this time, but to Steve. He nodded, and Bucky felt shocked it wasn't all some kind of cruel, happy dream. He beckoned for Steve to join him on stage, then turned to the rest of the Avengers. "Did you guys know?" They all nodded at him.

"You know what," Bucky said, into the microphone now, having regained his cool, "I have one last song for you. One that I was plannin' on releasin' in New York, but seein' as this beautiful little shit," he lifted Steve onto stage, "decided not to tell me he was goin' to be here today, we're playin' it now. This is for you, Steve."

The music started up and he waltzed Steve around the stage, just like they had done back at Steve's house. It was beautiful, a mix of Natasha's drumming, both Clint and Sam's guitars, but what Bucky loved the most about that moment was the fact Steve, Steve, was here, and Bucky was dancing him around a stage, infrount of thousands of people, and that Steve was here. Then Bucky started singing, his voice rich and happy as he pulled Steve slightly closer to his chest.

'Something 'bout the way that you
Walk into my living room,
Casual and confident,
looking at the mess I am,
And still you,
Still you want me.'

Bucky heard Steve let a small laugh. "Of course I want you, you idiot," Bucky laughed, and looked down at Steve's face, which had joy radiating out of it at every angle. He couldn't get enough of it. Why does my boyfriend have to be so pretty, he thought to himself. Well, he hand properly seen Steve for months, you could let him off.

'Stress lines and cigarettes,
Politics and deficits,
Late bills and overage,
Screamin' and hollerin',
But still you,
Still you want me.'

Bucky twirled Steve around, trying to look at Steve from every angle he could before he pulled Steve closer to him and span him round faster as the music sped up and got louder as they got into the chorus.

'I've, always let you down,
Shattered on the ground,
Still I find you there,
Next to me.

And all, stupid things I do,
I'm far from good as true,
Still I find you there,
Next to me.'

Bucky, with just the corner of his mind, Could hear the crowd cheering now. Even if the weren't cheering, he wouldn't have cared, because all he really cared about was there, right infront of him, his blue eyes sparkling in the lights, and even if it was dark, it was perfect. He wouldnt change it for anything.

'There's something 'bout the way that you,
Always see the pretty veiw,
Overlook the mud and mess,
Always lookin' effortless,
And still you,
Still you want me.

I got no innocence,
Faith ain't no privilege.
I am a deck of cards,
Vice or a game of hearts,
And still you,
Still you want me.'

How am I this lucky? Bucky thought as he watched Steve laugh and smile and dance. I have an angel, he thought, and Steve sure did look like one, even though his shirt was slightly creased from all dancing and his hair stuck up in every direction. In Bucky's opinion, that just made him even cuter, but, then again, Steve always looked cute.

'I've, always let you down,
Shattered on the ground,
Still I fing you there,
Next to me.

And all, stupid things I do,
I'm far from good as true,
Still I find you there,
Next to me.'

Bucky's voice got quieter now. The music slowed, and he broke apart from Steve a little bit. He angled Steve's face up so he could see him, desparate to see all o him before it was to late. Tears started flowing down his face, and Bucky could see that there were already tear tracks down Steve's face, a radiant, joyful smile shining through them.

'So thank you,
For taking a chance on me,
I know it isn't easy,
But I hope to be worth it.'

So thank you,
For taking a chance on me,
I know it isn't easy,
But I hope to be worth it.'

It took everything Bucky had to stop his voice from cracking, and he poured every emotion he had into the song, really, really, genuinely meaning something for once in his life. Then, something took hold, and he belted out the song with everything he had.

'I've, always let you down,
Shattered on the ground,
Still I find you there,
Next to me.

And all, stupid things I do,
I'm far from good as true,
Still I find you there,
Next to me.'

Bucky couldn't help himself. The song had finished, his song for Steve, so he kissed Steve, putting all the months of missing and wanting into that one touch. Bucky didn't care about the crowd around him, because it was just Steve and him, him and Steve. He didn't want to let go, not now, not ever, so for a few more seconds they just stayed, existed within one another. When they pulled apart, even though they didn't want to, they stayed in a tight embrace, foreheads resting against each other. He stared into Steve's beautiful, blue eyes not being able to get enough.

"I love you, Bucky," Steve whispered, taking Bucky's breath away.

"I love you too, Steve," he whispered back. He knew that even if they hadn't said anything, they would've both known it, in their heads and in their hearts.

It's Steve, he thought to himself, overjoyed, Steve, Steve, Steve, Steve, right here.

Next to me.