All It Took Was

Bucky enlists in the U.S. Army after a year-long break following high school. He leaves quickly, almost abruptly. Steve gets left behind and struggles to fit in when he goes to university. He finds friendship after graduation in Manhattan and begins to build his future.

Eleven years later, Bucky is back in Brooklyn, but he's different. A shell of who he once was.

this is updated earlier on ao3 at red_em_el if you want quicker updates!!