You loved your best friends. Not in a romantic way, but in a sibling manner. You would lay down your life for either of them and it hurt you deeply that you couldn't help them be happy in the way they so desperately wanted and needed.

Life wasn't easy for anyone who didn't love the opposite sex. It wasn't even just hard living that way; it was almost impossible. The world tried to destroy them in any way they could, even letting them die just because their love wasn't the same as theirs.

You didn't see the issue though. You saw love as a beautiful thing that as long as it was between two consenting people, then that was all that mattered. Someone else's love was none of your business, like you deemed your love no one else's business but the one you loved. If only it could be that far when the love was between two men.

As long as you had known Steve, you knew that he loved Bucky. You didn't know for certain if it was romantic love, but as you got to know him you assured him that you supported his love if that was what it was. They were both relieved to have someone to talk to about it, someone they could finally express their love in front of without any concern of others finding out. You were happy for them in their happiness, you just wished they could show it to the world.

It wasn't the first time though that Steve had come to you with uncertainty of that relationship.

"We can never really be together though," he frowned. "I wish that we really be a couple, be happy together but no one would ever accept two men together. We could never be free of the stares, or the discrimination, heavens even the prosecution we would receive."

"No one needs to know," you assured him softly.

He cocked an eyebrow at you. "What do you mean?"

"For all people need to know, you are friends, maybe roommates even. What happens behind closed doors is none of their business. You may not be able to kiss in public or go out on dates but who said you can't go out together as what others may see as friends, or still be loving in your own home."

"But is that going to be a happy relationship?"

You shrugged your shoulders. "Who knows. But I know of many public relationships that are far from happy. Homosexuality isn't always going to be taboo or illegal. The world is at the brink of change and maybe you need to hold onto faith of that."

Steve thanked you for being reassuring of him and his relationship and hoped desperately that what you said was true.

~*~

Written by Charlotte.