Till the end of the line

He wasnt just a star to me. He was my whole damm sky.

The following week left Steve a mess. Even just the slightest brush of Bucky's skin would send shivers up his spine. He'd grown distant and quiet, seeming lost in his own world. A world in which his sole purpose for surviving was Bucky. Nothing else seemed to matter anymore, and it wasn't much longer before the Avengers stared to catch on. It didn't help when Bucky left for the week, stating there were matters he needed to take care of.
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'I'm not in love'

'So just forget it'

'It's just a silly phase I'm going through'

The song lyrics softly played from his phone, as he let them wrap around him.

"Steve, this has gone on way too long. We need to talk." The blonde had been standing outside on the balcony, staring off into the distance when the sound of Natasha snapped him back into reality.

"There's nothing to talk about," he replied flatly, little emotion in his voice.

Natasha rolled her eyes, walking over to the table and pulled out a chair. "Bullshit," she retorted, gesturing for him to come over and sit down.

Steve finally gave in, reluctantly taking a seat beside her, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Steve, what's going on. You've been completely out of it, ever since..." Tony's game of truth or dare was left unspoken. They both knew where this had started. "Just...we're all worried about you. Bucky's worried about you."

He drew in a sharp breath at Bucky's name, feeling his heart rate speed up just a bit. Since he'd been gone Steve had fallen into a pit of depression, unable to sleep most nights and hardly eating a thing.

"It's about him, isn't it." The way she said it made it sound more of like a fact rather then a question. Steve could only nod. Natasha fell silent, a thoughtful expression on her face. "I've seen the way you look at him. Like he's a star or something."

Steve finally sighed, shaking his head. "He's not just a star to me," he replied, pausing as he drew a hand through his hair. "He's my whole damn sky." Until that moment, he hadn't let himself admit how much Bucky really meant to him. Now he was finally accepting the facts: He'd let this man come into his life and made him his world.

Natasha leaned back in her chair, offering him a sweet smile. "Steve Rogers is in love." She said with a whistle, smirk blossoming on her face.

A blush slowly creeped onto Steve's face, the blonde turning away. "It's not that," he insisted, if anything trying to convince himself.

"Uhuh. Right, and that explains the fact that every time his name is mentioned you're suddenly blushing like a teenage girl."

Steve didn't have a comeback for that.

"Why don't you talk to him," she offered, meeting his gaze. "Tell him how you feel."

"Natasha, we've been best friends since childhood. Friends. He doesn't feel the same way about me."

"So what are you going to do then?"

Steve could only shrug, getting to his feet. "The same thing that I've been doing." He began to walk away, only pausing when Natasha spoke again.

"What happens when he gets back? You can't just avoid him until your feelings for him change. They're not going away, and you can't avoid him forever!"

Steve glanced back over his shoulder, cocking an eyebrow. "Watch me," he challenged, before turning around and walking back inside.

Natasha was right about one thing. His feelings weren't going away. The more time spent away from Bucky, the more intense his feelings grew.  The man was always on Steve's mind, and he became the only thing Steve cared about. He made Natasha promise that they're conversation would be kept private, and he did his best to seem okay around the rest of the team.  He was expected to be strong, like his life was perfect. Reality check: it wasn't. Even Captain America had it tough.

One night Steve was getting ready for bed, having just thrown on a t-shirt when he heard loud voices coming from the kitchen. Thinking nothing of it, the blonde prepared to get into bed when the door creaked open. Steve spun around, suddenly feeling his world freeze upon seeing who had opened the door.

"Hey," Bucky greeted softly, stepping into the room and closing the door behind him.

Steve swallowed, frozen in fear. Fear that he wouldn't be able to control himself around Bucky. Fear that he'd screw everything up between them. "I...I didn't think you were coming back until tomorrow." He finally managed, recovering quickly. 

A look of hurt passed briefly over the brunettes face, thought just like Steve he was an expert at covering up his emotions. It was a package deal that came with the war. "What, you enjoying your time away from your ol' pal too much? Not ready to see my handsome face?" Bucky snickered as he walked over to his side of the room, grabbing a similar outfit to Steve's.

Steve only rolled his eyes, following Bucky across the room. "You know I'm always glad to see you," he replied, stopping a few feet away. He couldn't trust himself getting too close. The words 'I love you,' just on the tip of his tongue.

"Yeah, well." Bucky pulled a strand of hair away from his face, sighing as he sat on the she of the bed. "I was able to come back a day early. Didn't realize I'd end up missing you so much," the brunette chuckled, leaning back against the headboard.

Steve thought he saw something behind the smirk that appeared on his friends face. Sincerity. "I missed you too, Bucky." If only you knew.

That night for the first time, Steve fell asleep, body facing away from Bucky. As much as he hated it, he knew he had to distance himself. The fate of their friendship depended on it.

"Good night, Buck."
"Night Steve."