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“I’m fine, I swear!”, Bucky looked up towards where the voice came from and saw that one blond, skinny kid again. This time limping into the emergency room, hand on his ribs, with the only thing keeping him on his feet, the larger guy. “You say that every time”, the larger guy said while helping the blonde over to the seats in the waiting room. “Take a seat and I’ll sign you in” and before the blonde even got to open his mouth, the larger guy was heading across the room to the front desk. Bucky looked up to where the blonde had been seated on the opposite side of him. The blonde smirked, “We gotta stop meeting like this”. Bucky smiled vaguely, the pain in his jaw not doing him any favours. “I agree, what’s this? Four times in two weeks?”, he asked and the blonde huffed while slunking down into his seat, eyes on him. “You should at least give me your name, you know, for next time” the blonde said and Bucky snorted, shaking his head lightly before answering, “Bucky”. Blondie smiled and nodded. “Bucky. I’m Steve and that’s Sam” he said and nodded towards where the larger guy now stood leaning over the counter towards the nurse on call. Steve looked like he was going to say something when Bucky’s name was shouted out from the woman entering the room.
“For Christ's sake, James!” the woman said while hurrying over to Bucky. Bucky looked equally as confused as Steve did. “Weren’t you out tonight?” Bucky asked while the redhead took a seat next to him. “I was yes, then Claire called. Said you stumbled in on your own with a broken jaw” she said and not-so-very-gently turned his head to see the bruising. “Jesus” she sighed before standing up again, leaving her coat and purse on his lap and then heading over to the front desk. Bucky shook his head lightly and looked after her before looking over to Steve who had his eyebrow raised. “James?” he asked and Bucky nodded slightly. “Given name, but she only calls me that when she’s mad” he explained. “Huh”, Steve said before sitting up in his seat again. “So, is she your girlfriend?” he asked, looking over to Natasha and Sam, who were now talking to each other instead of the nurse. “Foster-sister, actually” Bucky answered and started getting out of his seat when Natasha waved him over. “Oh. So, no girlfriend?” Steve asked and Bucky smiled. “No girlfriend” he said before walking, more waddling over to Natasha with her things. The nurse opened the door for the pair and Sam returned to Steve, sat down and held up a piece of paper between his fingers. “I should really come with you more often” he grinned and Steve huffed, holding onto his aching ribs, waiting for his nurse.
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Two weeks later and he was back. This time the waiting room was close to full when Natasha helped him in. Tired and maybe a little drunk still, he was laid down on three chairs when he heard someone sitting down on the chair next to his head. “Hey you”, Steve said and Bucky smiled, not even opening his eyes when he answered, “Hello to you too. Haven't seen you here in a while” he said. “You're the one who hasn't been here” Steve said, looking down at him. “Rumlow was on vacation” Bucky answered, slightly slurring his words, yet grinning like a madman. Steve huffed and carefully moved some strands of hair off Bucky’s face. “We really gotta stop meeting like this” Bucky yawned, looking up and meeting Steve’s gaze. Steve snorted, “A date then?” he asked and looked up to where the nurse called his name. “I’ll call you” he said as he stood up and walked across the room, leaving Bucky laying on the chairs, brows knitted together in confusion. Natasha sat down on the empty seat and looked down at Bucky. “So, blondes huh?” she grinned and Bucky sighed. “He said he’d call me. How?” Bucky muttered, lost in thought. Nat shook her head and helped him up and towards the nurse who called his name next.
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“And don’t you fucking forget it!” came the voice from outside the doors to the waiting room. Steve looked up from where he was flipping through the pages of some magazine that was left before he arrived and held an ice pack to his jaw. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Bucky but the smile faded when he saw the blood running down his face. Outside the door was a guy screaming threats directed to Bucky, the only thing stopping him was the three guys holding him back. All three wearing the same outfit, such a gang, Steve thought. Bucky himself was held back by three other people, the only one Steve recognized was the one Sam had told him about previously, Natasha. Together, the three of them dragged Bucky inside while the other three dragged, who Steve could only imagine being Rumlow, away from the hospital. Bucky was seated next to Steve, and Natasha pointed her finger at the two of them. “You, stay. You, make sure he stays” she said before walking to the front desk.
Bucky muttered something about what a joke the guy was and Steve snorted before holding his own ice pack against Bucky’s temple. Bucky hissed at the sensation, “Thanks”. Steve shook his head lightly, holding the ice pack for him. “I thought we were done meeting like this” Bucky grinned and Steve looked at him before he replied “We were but then you decided to show your stupid face here anyway”. Bucky huffed and inspected Steve’s jaw. “What happened to you?” he asked and Steve shrugged, “Just a guy at a bar being handsy.” Bucky nodded, nodded towards his knuckles, “Looks like you got in a few punches yourself.” Steve grinned, “You betcha”, he said before gathering his things and leaving for the nurse.
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“I’m coming!” Steve shouted while walking out of his bedroom to the door, which was getting a real pounding. “Goddamn three o’clock” he muttered before opening the door, knitting his brows in confusion at the sight before him. Natasha and the blonde from the emergency room a few weeks ago, helping a visibly drunk Bucky to stay on his feet. “Hi”, Natasha said, moving a lock of red hair out of her face. “It’s a super busy night at the hospital so Claire sent us here? Do you mind if we dump him on your couch? Rumlow’s out for blood” she said and Steve nodded slowly. “Um, yeah, sure”, Steve said and stepped aside to let them in the door. “Isn’t he soooo pretty?” Bucky slurred while being helped over to the couch. “Like wow, look at him” he continued and Natasha rolled her eyes.
After leaving Bucky shoeless on the couch, Natasha gave Steve a note with her number. “Thank you and don’t worry, he’s usually not an annoying drunk”, she smiled before walking out with the blonde. Steve sighed and sat down on the coffee table, looking at Bucky who was muttering things into the cushions. “Sleep tight” he said before standing up again and returning to his bedroom.
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The smell of coffee and the sound of someone humming in the background was what Bucky woke up to. Smiling he heaved himself off the couch before falling onto his stomach again with a huff and a groan. Bucky turned his head when he heard the sound of glass against glass and saw Steve putting a glass of water and an aspirin on the coffee table. “Breakfast in the kitchen”, he said before walking back to where he'd appeared from. Bucky groaned while sitting up and swallowing the aspirin before standing up and taking off his jacket and walking into the kitchen, taking a seat by the counter. Steve put a cup of coffee in front of him, taking his own cup and sitting on the opposite side of him. “So, rough night?”, Steve asked and smiled when Bucky nodded, taking a sip of coffee. “Rumlow’s back in town and he’s pissed” he sighed. “What did you even do to make him so angry?” Steve asked, putting a plate of fruit in between them. “Well, first I broke up with him because he was so dominating. Then I, apparently, made his girlfriend break up with him so she could go out with me”, Bucky explained while chewing on a grape. “Which was not what happened. He's an ass and she was in a bad situation, what's a guy gonna do?” He said and Steve snorted. “We're more alike than I first thought”. Steve took another sip of his coffee before looking Bucky in the eyes, “So, tell me more about yourself, James”.