𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞-𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐲 ➸ 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲 ✓

XII

"how it feels to rest, on your patient lips. for eternal bliss, i'm so glad to know"

steve rogers had death wrapped around his finger and james buchanan barnes living in his apartment. it was like a positive and a negative, some days being so sick he couldn't leave his bed and other days he felt like there was no illness inside him at all.

he had bucky at his side constantly, rubbing his back and kissing his forehead, making sure he was always okay.

it was a soft saturday morning, steve decided to take the day off work, he told peggy the day before it was what he needed. it was rare for steve to do so, he never gave up. he felt his body giving up, none the less he stayed lit a golden yellow colour as bucky kissed him in the morning.

"we're doing something today, i'm getting you out of this bed, rogers" bucky grumbled, his legs spooked around steve as he kissed the back of the small boy's neck carefully.
"hmmm, okay" steve whispered as bucky arose from the bed, shirtless. his shorts hanging from his v-line and hip bones as he walked to the kitchen.
steve stretched and yawned before sitting up in the bed, awaiting bucky to return with breakfast as he usually did.

"here you go, lovey" bucky smiled. handing steve a plate of toast with poached eggs and avocado. steve smiled. he was truly blessed to have bucky.
"what's your plan today then, barnes?" steve said, a half piece of toast in his mouth as he ate.
"well" bucky swallowed the egg. "your walls are bland, your doors are bland, your halls are bland. i'm changing it today" bucky smiled. steve rolled his eyes
"and since you are such an incredible artist, you're helping me" bucky held steve's face before kissing his forehead.

steve nibbled his toast as bucky got changed, throwing on a khaki shirt and black trousers. his hair still messy and wet from the shower. steve loved it.

"i'll be back, just you wait, love" bucky kissed steve's forehead again before stepping out the door.

steve finished his breakfast and did his dishes. it was all he could handle before crawling back to his bed. he slept lightly, his head ached and his body was warm. steve slept for about half an hour before bucky returned home. he was carrying two bags full of cans of wall paint. steve was confused.

"you see these walls my dear, these beige walls, these beige halls? i can no longer stand to look at them, they are draining you. i'm going to make them more steve rogers style. the energy you eminate, i shall bring it in here" bucky smiled, unpackaging the paints and placing the canisters on the table next to steve's bed.

"this wall, this one right here is where i want to start, i need the help of your incredible artistic abilities" bucky grabbed steves hand and helped him stand up next to bucky. bucky grabbed the two paint brushes and handed one to steve.

the two full cans held a bright yellow shade, a white shade and a brown shade, colours needed to paint sunflowers.

"make them bright, make them bold" bucky smiled as he picked up a brush and dipped it into the bright yellow before painting curved petals on steve's bedroom wall. steve was shocked at bucky's gesture, he smiled none the less. nobody has ever cared for him like this. bucky detailed the flowers across steve's wall carefully and perfectly as he could, still messily as he knew nothing about art.
steve loved them because bucky made them, no matter how sloppy they were.

steve painted his with a steady hand, covering the other half with twisted vines and paintings of sunflower baskets hanging from the top of the wall. it was a perfect shrine the both of them put together, the wall looked beautiful when they stepped back, the two boys were covered in yellow paint.

"look at it, it's so beautiful, just like you, my sunshine" bucky held steve's face between his hands before kissing his lips softly. leaving yellow hand prints on steve's face they both giggled before leaving to paint the walls of the main hall, so whenever they got home they would be welcomed by beautiful sunflowers surrounding them. steve grew tired quickly, bucky helping him finish his paintings as he started to lose his breath. he sat down and waited for bucky to finish, watching from the bottom step as he drank a cold glass of water.

bucky forever ignored the fact steve was dying. he didn't ever believe it, he won't believe it. steve doesn't act like he's dying, but his body does.

"look, sweetheart. your walls are now covered in, well. self-portraits of you, my sunflower." bucky smiled proudly after finishing the paintings on the hall walls.

"bucky, nobody has ever done anything like this for me before, thank you. i love you" steve smiled as he took in every detail of the walls.

"i love you too, more than you may ever know. i love you enough to shrine your walls with beautiful colours of paint that cost me more than they should have, all for you, my sweet" bucky wrapped his arm around steve's shoulder before walking steve to the living room.

bucky places a vinyl on the record player and sways with steve to the music, steve has to stand on bucky's feet lightly so bucky could lead the dance.

"it's been a looong, looong time"
bucky sang.
"haven't felt like this, my dear, since cant remember when"
steve smiled at him.
"it's been a long, long time."
bucky closed the gap between their lips as they continued to dance.

steve loved him, so so much. bucky was his home and it will be forever his home. steve wanted to keep him forever. bucky wanted to keep steve forever. they were one and others soulmates.