Disclaimer: I don't own them, obviously.

Twelve months fourteen days ten hours. That was how long it had been since SHIELD fell, since the last time Steve had talked to Bucky. He had caught a glimpse here and there on his search for him but never more than the back of his head in a crowd of people or a random shot when Steve was in danger. That had been fun to explain to the Avengers when they were called together and a shot took out an enemy soldier sneaking up on them before anyone could act. It was Clint that told him to leave Bucky be for a few months and let him come back to him. Besides all that, Steve needed a break after going through too many brick walls to count and shot in the shoulder.

Using his small fortune (acquired through back pay and a mysterious donation from a fund created by Howard Stark sixty years ago), Steve bought an old house in New York in a nice neighborhood. He had a yard, a porch, and a two-car garage for his motorcycle and the sports car Tony shoved at him one day. It was his new home away from the Avengers though Sam, who had moved to New York, only lived a mile away next to Clint and Natasha. How that had happened Steve would never understand.

It was July 4th at one in the morning. Steve had woken up from yet another nightmare, Bucky falling from the train and then his own plummet into the Artic, in a cold sweat. He shivered violently and pulled his blanket around him closer trying to fight off the cold. He could feel the ice building around him. He could feel his body freezing solid. What he wouldn't do for JARVIS's alert systems right about now.

A sudden banging on his door jerked Steve out of his episode. He stood up on shaky legs and went to his front door flipping on switches as he went. Not bothering to check to see whom it was Steve yanked the door open ready to kill Stark if it was him with another foolish idea about going across the world for the best sake on the planet. It wasn't the heat wave hitting him that made him freeze up completely. No, it was the pair of blue eyes looking at him from under brown bangs that had escaped the loose ponytail the man had.

"Steve." His name had dropped from those lips and hit him like a lightning strike, hard and fast. "Hey, Steve, you okay? I could see you shaking."

"B-B-Bucky," Steve stammered. "Bucky." The blond fell into the brunet's warm arms and into the blistering heat of the July thunderstorm overhead. "Buck."

"Yeah, it's me punk," Bucky replied wrapping his soaking arms around his old friend. "You didn't answer my question. You know I still look out for you Steve. You were thrashing about on your bed and shaking like crazy. Are you all right?"

"I am now," Steve replied into Bucky's shoulder and it was the truth. Safe in Bucky's arms, Steve was better than he had been in months. A smile crossed Bucky's face and he leaned his head against Steve's for a few brief moments. Steve felt rain on his neck and remember it was raining out. He leaned back and looked into Bucky's eyes with hope.

"Come in from the rain, Bucky. Please."

"I was hoping you'd invite me in. I'm a bit wet now. It's worse than that one storm when we were pinned down in the foxhole for a week. Remember that? We were sharing a foxhole with Stark since his stupid ass decided to show up out in the field to see his gear in work on the wrong freaking week." Steve laughed and moved out of Bucky's arms so he could come into the house.

"Didn't he end up with a cold?" Steve asked.

"And Peggy had to play nurse on the plane ride back and you had to stop her from strangling him?" Bucky countered. "Good times." Steve closed the door while Bucky hung up his coat and shook the water out of his hair. "Got any coffee?"

"I'll make us a pot."

The two boys from Brooklyn made their way to the kitchen and Steve brewed up the only coffee he knew how to make, army coffee. Bucky grinned at the familiar smell and gulped down his first cup before pouring himself another.

"God that's good. I've missed coffee. Hard to get the good stuff when you're struggling buy, reminds me of before the war," Bucky said. A look of sadness crossed his face as he stared at the coffee cup in his metal hand. He sat down at the kitchen table while Steve brought out some cookies that Natasha had brought over a few days ago. "I remember Steve, pretty much everything. Few gaps in my time with HYDRA but I remember everything up until I fell off that damn train." He looked up at his old friend. "I. . . I didn't want to come back because I don't think I have the right to be Bucky again. I've done so much evil Steve. I know it wasn't really me but there was a part of him that was me. I hurt so many people Steve." He looked back to his hands. "I'm just glad I wasn't the one that killed Howard. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had done that. That boy, Tony, he's Howard's son right?"

"Yep and he's just as much a pain in the ass as Howard was but he's reliable too. Howard went off the deep end after we. . ."

"Yeah I know," Bucky muttered. "Feel sorry for the kid."

"He's mended Bucky. And you do have the right to happiness. God Bucky, look at Bruce Banner and Natasha. Hell even Tony has a list of kills made. He wiped out whole groups of terrorists by himself. If you feel so bad about it, do something about it. Work with me on the Avengers. Your sharp shooting has saved me a number of times." Steve reached out and put his hand on Bucky's metal one. He squeezed it softly causing Bucky to look up at him again. "Please Buck, I can't lose you again."

There was silence for a long time. Steve almost expected Bucky to deck him and run but he hoped he wouldn't. Finally, Bucky squeezed his hand back.

"Do you remember that night after you freed me from that HYDRA base and we camped out on the way back to the Ally base?"

"Yeah."

"Remember how you pulled me against you to keep warm and swore to never let me go?" Steve nodded silently. "I told you I wouldn't want it any other way. That hasn't changed Steve." He searched Steve's face for something. "I'm with you to the end of the line, punk, and you know lines never end."

Steve laughed softly and bumped his head against Bucky's shoulder. "That's cheesy even for you."

"I know," the brunet chuckled. "But it fits. I, uh, don't have a change of clothes. Do you mind if I borrow some?"

"Not at all. I suppose you know where my room is?"

"Yeah. You should get some more sleep Steve, you look like hell."

"I'll take care of the coffee and then go to sleep. Go change. There's a guest room across the hall from mine," Steve said softly. There was something in his voice as he stood and started to take care of the coffee that caught Bucky's attention. He told himself to deal with his soaking clothes first.

The coffee, only a fourth of a cup, ran down the drain and Steve reset his coffee maker for his usual morning coffee but he had added a few hours. He wanted to sleep in.

Steve jumped slightly when a necklace lowered over his head and the chain touched his skin. He looked down to see a dog tag there on a chain and a ring. Steve raised an eyebrow and turned around to look at Bucky.

Bucky was in a pair of Steve's shorts but had forgone a shirt. A matching necklace, with a tiny Captain America shield charm on it, hung around his neck. His hair had been let down, it was longer than before, but it suited him well.

"Found it at a base I had been sent to. My tags." Bucky reached out and touched the ring. "Had that ring made in Germany last fall, look at it." Steve looked down at the ring and saw an inscription on it. It had his name, birthdate, Bucky's name, and his birthdate. "This way neither of us can forget who we are and when we're from."

"Bucky," Steve whispered. There was that tone again. Bucky smirked as he finally placed exactly what it meant. He stepped closer and caught Steve's face in his. Their lips met in a soft delicate kiss. Steve, initially, put his hands up against Bucky's shoulders to push him back but the brunet stepped closer still until their chests were touching. All the fight in Steve died and he kissed back. It was a long few minutes before Bucky separated from Steve and stroked his cheek. "Buck."

"Wanted to do that for a while," Bucky confessed. "It's legal now." A smirk played on his lips. "I'm not going to lose you again Steve, never again."

"Good." Steve kissed him back and put both his hands on Bucky's waist. He pulled his lips away and leaned his forehead against Bucky's. "I love you Bucky. I always have." Bucky smiled and gave him a chaste kiss on the lip.

"And I love you Steve." He pulled the blond after him to Steve's bedroom and peeled off his shirt. Bucky flopped down onto the bed and pulled Steve on top of him. His arms wound around Steve possessively. "Mine," he whispered in the blond's ear.

Steve chuckled softly and laid his head against Bucky's shoulder. He wrapped his arms around Bucky and held him tight. "My Bucky Bear," Steve mumbled against Bucky's neck.

"Jeez, not that again," Bucky complained. "You've been calling me that since we were six."

"Five actually," Steve said with a yawn. "You were my replacement teddy bear. You're still good for that. Only thing that can make me sleep good." He looked up at Bucky. "I'm glad you're back."

"I'm home Steve. Home to stay." Bucky pressed a soft kiss to Steve's forehead. "Stevie Doll." Steve slapped his chest playfully before dropping his head back down onto his shoulder. "Night Steve."

"Night Bucky. Welcome home."

The two boys from Brooklyn fell asleep with smiles on their faces and slept for ten hours, something they hadn't done in nearly seventy years.

I can honestly say I never thought I would ever write any guyXguy and put it on the internet in my life but I ship Stucky so much and there just aren't enough short little stories for them. This is a one-shot. Flames will be ignored.