Hidden Love ~ Stucky

25

Bucky gazes over to a sleeping Steve in a hospital bed, running his thumb gently over top of his knuckles in a calming matter. He had gotten out of surgery only an hour beforehand and Bucky had refused to leave his side. He needed to be there when Steve awoke. After all, it was his father who pierced a bullet into his side.

He had a line in his right arm attached to a drip that had a controlled dose of fentanyl inside of it and a heart rate monitor. Bucky hated the sight.

Steve looked peaceful, dark thick eyelashes resting atop his rosy cheeks. His chest rose and fell at a gentle pace, easing Bucky's nerves and allowing a sigh to slip through his lips.

He was deathly afraid that Steve wasn't going to make it. He had lost so much blood, too much to survive. But the surgeon had managed to save him and Bucky would be forever grateful.

His phone was buzzing with hundreds of missed calls, mostly from his father, but Bucky could care less. Steve was his number one priority. He didn't care if Tony wanted him home, he was going to stay by Steve's side until he was awake and Bucky knew that he was okay.

"Hey.." a gentle voice cut Bucky from his thoughts, and he turned to see Sam making his way into the room. "I didn't think I'd see you both again tonight.. what happened?" Sam took a seat beside Bucky, resting his gaze on his unconscious friend.

"My dad.. came and tried.. tried to take blaze away.. Steve shoved me out of the way and they started arguing.. and then I saw some of our workers and leaped onto Blazes back and sent us through the woods.." Bucky whispers, bowing his head. "When.. when Steve found us.. he was so beaten and was bleeding so much.. and I realised that my dad had shot him.. I.. I'm sorry.."

Sam's eyes widen at the sound of the boy breaking down into sobs, and he quickly places a kind hand atop his knee. "Hey hey, it's okay." He soothed. "Steve's okay, don't apologise. You did nothing wrong.. your father was the asshole who shot him, not you."

"I know.. and I had already convinced my dad not to go and shoot Steve.. fucking hell."

"Don't beat yourself up. Steve wouldn't want that."

Bucky fakes a smile and gives a small yawn. "Yeah.. yeah I know."

Sam returns the gesture with a chuckle. "Tired?" He asks, removing his hand from the others knee.

"Yeah."

"Go climb up on the bed with Steve. I'm sure he wouldn't mind waking up to you being there with him. And anyway, I'm not meant to be in here so goodnight.."

Sam walked swiftly out of the hospital room with one last goodbye before closing the door and heading towards his own room. Bucky blushes at the suggestion the other had so casually said and found himself following.

He curls into Steve's good side that had not been operated on, placing his arm gently over top of his chest and closes his eyes. "Goodnight, Stevie.." He whispers.

******

Steve heard the soft echo of beeps bounce around his ears, and smelt stark bleach that stung his nose and causes him to wrinkle it in disgust. He flutters his eyes open, squinting them ever so slightly to adjust to the light and gasped at the feeling of another's warm breath on his neck.

Slowly, Steve strains his eyes down and nearly falls out of bed at the sight. Bucky was fast asleep cuddled into his side, hair messily sprawled over his face and his hand clutching lightly at the others hospital gown. He looked absolutely adorable.

He desperately wanted to kiss the boy right then and there. Cup his tinted cheeks. Kiss down his neck and across his collar bone. Listen to him whine and giggle, puckering his lips for another kiss. He wanted it so badly.