Winter's First Snow

When Frost Bites.

           Rent was due. Steve was sitting at the dining table counting out the money to give to their landlord while Bucky was at work. It was going on 6:30 and there was the loud knock on the door. Steve gathered the exact amount of money that he owed and opened the door. He gave a polite smile and handed the rather fat man the money then shut the door. He looked over to the lockbox that him and Bucky kept their money in and counted how much they had left. There was probably thirty dollars in there. That would be enough for food for the week and emergency money. Steve coughed once but then he kept coughing. His lungs seizing and his body begging for air. He felt like he was choking. He fell back onto the floor beside the dining table and rest his head against one of the legs and continued coughing, trying to take slow wheezing breaths. He closed his eyes and waited for it to stop but it didn't. The room was spinning, he felt like he was going to be sick and that he was dying all in the same moment. He kept coughing,  soft coughs that ripped at his sore throat and caused his body to convulse forward. The door opened and Bucky immediately ran to Steves side. He looked frantic. Like he didnt know what to do. But this was Bucky right? Bucky always knew what to do, didnt he? He pushed Steve to lay back and turned him onto his side, so that if he did vomit, which he looked like he was about to, then he wouldnt actually choke and die. Bucky looked Steve  straight in the eyes to make sure he was listening. "I'm gonna go down stairs to the payphone. Okay Steve. And then we're getting you to the hospital. You understand me?" Steve nodded slowly. The coughing had ceased for the time being
but who knew what could happen while Bucky was out on the phone.
            Bucky grabbed a handful of quarters from the box and ran out and down the stairs. He quickly grabbed the phone and slipped the quarters into the slot. His fingers fumbled over the dial but he managed to dial 911 and explain to them what had happened. They said that they'd send help and Bucky was quick to rush himself off the phone so that he could get back to steve.
             He pushed the door open and ran back to Steve's side. "Hey there Stevie how ya doin?" Steves eyes opened slowly and he gave Bucky a weak smile. They heard the sirens outside the apartment which meant the paramedics were here to take Steve to the hospital. They burst in the door and gently lifted Steve's frail form and carried him down the
stairs and into the ambulance. "You're welcome to ride with us if You'd like." One of the paramedics offered to Bucky. Bucky graciously accepted and climbed into the vehicle and with that They were off. On the road-literally-to recovery.
Bucky's hands shook. He was so afraid that Steve was gonna
die. That was his worst fear. When he met Steve in that his seventh grade year, park and he was having an asthma attack, he didn't actually know what he was doing, he just hoped that the poor boy was okay. He looked down at Steves young form. He still looked the same. So young and so small. Unlike Bucky, the war had hardened Bucky and left him with plenty of scars that he would have to deal with for the rest of his life.
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       The hospital smelled of fresh linnens and antiseptics. Bucky wrinkled his nose at the chemical smell. He followed after the men who pushed steve in the gurney. They rushed him into a small makeshift room with a curtain and told Bucky to stay out. He stood on the other side of the curtain listening to the mayhem going on around him. Sick and dying people being wheeled around all over the place. Bucky heard steve cough a little bit. He must have regained consciousness. He lost that on the way to the hospital. Bucky stood there tapping his toes and picking
at the dirt under his nails. A doctor came out looking very nervous. He turned to Bucky. He gave a small nod that told him he could go in and see Steve. But just before he
went in there the doctor stopped him. "Just know son, there's not much we can do for him. A lot of the medicines we have that could help with this would hurt his body more than it would help." Bucky was about ready to cry. It had been a tough night at work and a tough morning to follow it up with. He looked through the curtain at Steves small form. He looked fine. There was color in his face and he
looked like he was sleeping. And he was sleeping so peacefully too. "There's one thing we can do that would cure him." The doctor said after a long pause. Bucky whipped around to look back at the doc. "What is it? I don't have much money Doc. We can't pay for-" "It's not something you would need to pay for. It's never been used before. But it's very dangerous and could possibly... um..." Bucky looked like he knew the end of that sentence so the doctor just stopped talking.
        "No, he doesnt need that. He'll be okay, right? I mean look at him he looks fine!" A few tears had dropped down Bucky's face as he said that. He quickly turned away from the doctor to regain his composure. He pulled the curtain back and retired himself to the chair next to the bed and watched as nurses came in every few minutes to check his vitals or to see if he was awake and ask if he wanted something to eat. Each time he shook  his head looked at Bucky smiled a small sad smile like he knew the end was nigh. Bucky would try to force a smile back but this was Steve. They's known eachother since middle school. Steve could read Bucky's face in a heartbeat. But after that,
almost everytime, he fell back asleep. But when it happened
close to about five in the evening, Steve gave Bucky a stern look and gestured for him to come closer. Bucky of course obliged, he wasnt going to refuse the small sick man. Steve had Bucky lean his head down so his lips brushed against his ear. "I love you Buck. I just wanted you to know that." Bucky stayed there for a little while longer, just to feel Steve's lips against his ear. He glanced at the curtain ten
turned his head slightly, connecting their lips for a mere millisecond before he pulled back sharply and fell back into his seat. He wouldn't look at Steve, But he knew that Steve was blushing like a madman and smiling. The smallest smile
ever, but made of pure love...