And 54 onwards.

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"You're the most amazing, incredible, beautiful being I've ever met."

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"You're the most amazing, incredible, beautiful being I've ever met."

Bucky snorted and smiled playfully. "Is now really the time for that?"

Steve managed a tight smile. "Just wanted to say it. Before I die."

"You aren't dying," Bucky dismissed as he kneeled beside him and studied his wound. "That should heal in a couple hours."

Steve looked at him. "Still, I meant my words, Buck."

Bucky glanced away and blushed, then sighed and sat next to him. "Shock is one hell of a drug, Stevie. You're rambling."

"No, no, I'm not," he argued, propping himself up on his elbows. "You really are, Buck."

He couldn't look at him without blushing. "Steve," he sighed, biting his lip. "You aren't the romantic type."

"Dying brings the best out in me," he drawled and Bucky looked at him pointedly. "Yeah or maybe I'm just losing a lot of blood."

Bucky shook his head, and, knowing he had to keep him awake for as long as he could, he continued asking about it. Steve stubbornly refused to say anymore until finally he said those words: "I love you."

Bucky smiled nervously and shook his head. "Bruce is coming by shortly, okay?" Could he say it back?

Steve leaned back and managed a nod. Bucky was kind of surprised at how well he was holding out for. After a moment of thinking about it, Bucky took his hand, squeezed it and replied, "I love you too."

The smile on Steve's face told him everything would be okay.

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"I'll find her and bring her home, I promise."

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"Bucky, I need you." His voice was urgent. "She's gone."

Bucky stood up slowly. "Katrina?" He paced a little. He knew how much she meant to Steve. "What happened?"

"She was in a car chase and I was running after her. She got lost somewhere. What if they took her?"

Bucky hated the fear in his voice. He swallowed and nodded to himself, still hesitating.

"Please, Buck."

And that was all he needed. "I'll find her and I'll bring her home, I promise." He owed it to Steve. Katrina was a sweetheart, quiet and reserved, and Bucky... well, he tolerated her. He still didn't like how much time she took from him and Steve ever since she'd waltzed into his life.

But he loved Steve, so he would find her.

He set out and began searching, tried calling to her, but nothing. Steve joined him later, his face a worried mask.

"What if she's gone for good?"

Bucky put a hand on his shoulder and smiled reassuringly. "She's fine, Stevie. She has to be."

He didn't look convinced.

Hours later, when dusk was setting, Steve spotted her in an alley, beat up, lying on the ground. He ran over and picked her up, and looked her over.

"See? I told you," Bucky said proudly, walking over. "Still, I shoulda' brought the treats, that would have gotten a better reaction." He looked her over. "She okay?"

Katrina lifted her head and blinked bright green eyes at Steve. She was okay.

"Why you love that cat so much is still a mystery to me."

"I'm just glad the pound didn't get her first, we really need to get her a tag," Steve muttered as he pet the cat and carried it gently.

"We? It's your demon-cat, Stevie, not mine."

Steve pouted a little. "Please help me raise my demon-cat?" He lifted Katrina, who blinked lazy eyes at Bucky, who sighed and stroked her head. She licked his hand and he smiled a little.

"Okay, only for you," he relented. Maybe Katrina the cat wasn't so bad. After all, she made Steve happy, and in the end that was all Bucky wanted anyway.

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"You embarrassed me this evening."

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Bucky stepped into the room, glaring at the blond, giving him his deadly gaze reserved for him. He pushed him against the wall and Steve blinked at him almost innocently.

"So what'd I do now?"

Bucky growled something low in his throat and stepped closer. "You embarrassed me this evening."

Steve raised an eyebrow, playing the fool. "Did I?"

"You know d*** well what you did," Bucky hissed, pulling Steve closer to him. Steve glanced at his lips briefly.

"So what're you going to do about it?" he murmured, feeling his back press against the wall.

"I oughta' beat your *ss," he growled and Steve smirked.

"Kin -- "

Bucky shut him up.

He pulled him to the bed.

He pulled out a controller, glaring all the while. He threw it at Steve and put the game in.

Mario Kart was how they solved all playful feuds.

"You are so going down," Bucky warned and Steve smirked.

"I'm ready for you, Barnes."

Clint walked by as he heard one of the two yelling obscenities, and the thumping of a bed. He took a sip of his coffee, turned around immediately, and walked down the other end of the hall.

"Son of a b****!" Steve exclaimed, bouncing on the bed in his frustration. It creaked with every movement; Steve desperately needed a new bed. Bucky smirked at his reaction, amused.

"Told you I'd beat your *ss."

"Shut up."

That was fun. (Wonder if I could ever actually write a smut one...)

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"I couldn't do it... one look in their eyes and I knew I couldn't kill them. For that I am sorry."

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"God's sake, Rogers," Pietro laughed, shooting him a look. "Kill something."

"It's a zombie game, Steve. They're dead. They're zombies." Bucky tried to hide the fact that he was rolling his eyes.

"I couldn't do it... one look in their eyes and I knew I couldn't kill them. For that I am sorry," Steve said dramatically. Pietro rolled his eyes and took the controller from him, pausing the game.

"Okay, how about this one?" He started up the computer and made his way to a game called 'Can Your Pet'. He wordlessly handed Steve the mouse and leaned back, covering his mouth casually as he watched. Bucky shook his head at Pietro behind Steve's back.

"This one's suspiciously cute," Steve murmured as it walked him through creating a baby chicken, naming it, and beginning to play with it.

"You can feed it, see?" Pietro pointed to a spot on the screen.

Steve nodded, letting his guard down. For a moment, he forgot Bucky and Pietro were getting him to play horror games. For a moment, he was at peace.

"Try that one." Pietro pointed to a bike on screen. So Steve clicked it, and watched the screen, his smile sliding off of his face.

"Wha -- oh, s***!" He watched, eyes wide with horror at what happened to tiny Buckaroo. He sat back in his chair, and Bucky shot Pietro a glare. Pietro was silently giggling in his seat, quaking with laughter.

"Okay, big guy. Let's go do something productive," Bucky spoke, taking Steve's hand.

"Why would they do that to Buckaroo?!"

"Steve, it's just a game -- "

"No, no, nonono, that is morally wrong and the ethics of it all -- "

Bucky was trying hard not to look amused. Pietro had given up on that while Steve ranted about that horrible game. Bucky simply led him away from the computer, sighing.

"You're welcome," Pietro called after them, grinning.

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"Did you enjoy yourself last night?"

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"Did you enjoy yourself last night?" Steve asked Bucky as he walked over and leaned down next to him. Tony zoned in on the conversation.

"I had a great time."

He raised an eyebrow. That could only mean one thing: sex, obviously. With a grin on his face, he approached Steve casually as they sat on the couch together.

He casually checked for any, ahem, marks, and leaned over to Steve. "I thought you were a virgin," he mused and Steve looked at him, eyes wide with confusion. Bucky looked over and frowned a little, sipping his water.

"Um -- "

"So what's the deal with you two? Just romantic in bed?"

Steve turned red and shuffled uncomfortably. "Tony -- "

"Aren't you two a little too old for sex?"

Bucky choked on his water and coughed, wiping his face. Steve was beet red. "Tony -- "

"Stark," Bucky warned, wheezing. "Shut up."

"I'm only curious," he protested.

"I'm asexual," Steve stammered, clearly uncomfortable. Tony looked between the two and realised he had widely misread the situation. "Last night we went out to have dinner and watch a show."

Tony stared off, pursing his lips. Crap. "Ah." Really smooth, Stark. Way. To. Go. "So. Um. Anyway."

"With that done and dusted, I'm going... yeah. I'm just going." Bucky looked at Steve to check if he was okay, then walked off when Steve nodded at him to go.

The awkward silence was going to strangle Steve. He cleared his throat. "I'm, ah, in a relationship with Bucky. We don't -- don't -- "

"It's okay, you don't have to say it."

Steve looked at him carefully. "So I am... a... virgin, but -- "

"Forget it," Tony interrupted, clearing his throat. "Sorry I asked." Steve got up to leave but Tony stopped him. "And, um, it's okay, you know?"

Steve smiled a little. "I know." He walked away and Tony leaned back, running a hand slowly through his hair.

"That happened."

So I had a headcanon that Steve is asexual, and I wanted to try it. (Let me know if I wrote anything wrong)

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Anything particular you guys might want to read?