The Bachelor: 10 Men 1 Stark (The Bachelor Marvel Au)

Drowning In Jupiter.

Steve started to stir in his chair that seemed to be growing smaller by the second. He pulled Bucky's brown leather jacket tighter around him and tried to get a few more minutes of sleep. He gave up on that idea fairly quickly when his head couldn't find anything to lean against and the tops of his thighs were starting to cramp. He stood up and popped his back before running a hand through his hair in the mirror and heading to the cafeteria. 

He grabbed a single-serving plastic container of cereal and paid, deciding not to strike up a conversation with the cashier as he normally did, it being the ungodly hour of 5:30 in the morning. He made his way to the elevator and to Bucky's room. He opened the door and closed it behind him turning around to find Bucky standing in front of the T.V., trying to mess with the channels. 

"Hey Stevie." 

Steve's brain didn't know how to function. As much as he desperately wanted Bucky to wake up, he wasn't prepared for it. He just stood there, stunned like an idiot. 

"You brought me cereal? I love cereal."

"Yeah-yeah, sure, you can-you can h-have it," Steve stuttered, still paralyzed and staring at Bucky. Bucky noticed Steve's stillness and walked over to him waving his hand in front of Steve's face, trying to grab Steve's attention. 

"Hello? Earth to Steve. Cookie? Anyone in there? Are you home-" Bucky was cut off by Steve almost knocking Bucky over in the tightest hug he had ever been in, cereal falling to the floor to be damned. Bucky could feel Steve sobbing around him. "Stevie... my cereal..." Bucky trailed off sadly. 

"Fuck your cereal," Steve mumbled into Bucky's neck-shoulder area. 

"Stevie..." Bucky trailed off once again, sounding offended. 

"Sorry, sorry. I'll buy you another cereal." Steve whispered, his voice cracking.

"Yay," Bucky whispered back. Steve could barely function. He was having a breakdown. He didn't know why, Bucky was back, but seeing him as himself and not mad at Steve washed away Steve's anxiety but also scared him to death. He couldn't stop thinking about what would happen if Bucky had flatlined. ( say this about graphs in math. like when theres no slope and its just y=4 or something rather than y=2x+4 ill just say it flatlines at 4 and people like freak out for a hot sec its hilarious. highly recommend)  

But he was here. And so was Steve. They were together again and that's all that mattered. Bucky was crying now too. Everything was still such a mess but it was all starting to come together. All they needed was each other for it to all come together again. Because they were all they needed. As long as their friendship was intact, nothing else mattered. 

"Steve you're going to break me."

"Sorry," Steve loosened his grip on Bucky but didn't let go of him. He wasn't doing that anytime soon, even if he had hung onto his arm for nearly 4 days straight. 

"Is that my jacket?"

"Shut up, it was cold and you're a cover hog," Steve joked.

"You weren't in the bed, were you? I mean it's fine if you were. I don't really ca-"

"I wasn't. That was the joke Buck. You were a cover hog because you were the only one using any. "

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"I get it now."

"Yeah."

"It's funny."

"Thanks Buck."

"I just thought you meant you slept in the bed with me, which would have been fine. I was just confused because I couldn't move, so I couldn't have fought for the covers." Bucky rambled out, quietly and calmly. Steve lightly laughed to himself.