Chapter Text
They met online. Not like on one of those embarrassing dating sites, it was through Twitter. They found each other because they liked the same films, the same TV shows, the same music. Bucky and Steve spent months talking to each other. There were no prolonged awkward silences. They even video chatted once or twice.
Every time that Bucky spoke to Steve, Steve felt a tight knot twisting inside his chest. He thought maybe that it would go away over time. It didn't. It just got worse and worse and Steve never said a word to Bucky. He knew that Bucky didn't feel anything like that for him, why would he? So they just stayed friends.
Every year, in summer, Steve came up to New York to see family. He always spent a week with them. He knew that Bucky was living in Brooklyn and hoped that if he made his way into the city, they would bump into each other and meet. He knew this wouldn't happen of course, they hadn't even spoken about meeting each other. But Steve still wished they could see one another. Once Steve got into New York, he and Bucky were messaging each other in the evening as they usually did.
Steve: [21:12] Y'know... I think I'm so close to you that I can smell you... Jeez, Buck, ever heard of a shower?? >:)
Bucky: [21:17] I guess you got to NY alright... You're so weird, Stevie
Steve: [21:19] You know it ;))
Steve sighed. He often thought he was too intense with Bucky. Too strange. He had insecurities, thought that Bucky didn't really want to be his friend, that he would eventually just stop pitying Steve. There weren't many lining up to talk to Steve, he didn't exactly radiate charisma.
Bucky didn't tweet that night. When Steve hadn't heard from him the day after though, Steve was worried that Bucky had finally cut him loose. The knot in his chest grew tighter and tighter as the silent treatment continued. Maybe Bucky had broken his phone... Or lost his charger?? But soon Steve started to fear the worst of all things. He had heard stories about what Brooklyn was like in some areas. He quickly banished those thoughts from his mind. But they still came back, haunting him each time.
Steve missed him so much, it was unbearable. Some people would find it silly how they had only known each other for a few months, and that they hadn't met. But Steve didn't care what other people thought, he just wanted to know what Bucky thought. After three weeks, Bucky's friend Clint, sent Steve a message.
Clint Barton: [18:26] Hey man, Bucky's internet is down, his friend Nat told me. Don't worry he isn't ignoring us
Steve was relieved by this message, but the picture that came after made him smile so much that his cheeks hurt. The picture was a selfie of a redhead but in the background, there Bucky was, laughing with his friends. Steve didn't hear anything about Bucky until almost two months after that. Clint sent Steve another picture of Bucky, still smiling with his friends. Steve noticed that Bucky had had his hair cut. He looked good, even cuter than before. Steve felt better until he realised that Bucky was still not talking to him or answering his direct messages on Twitter. Steve still refused to move on. He couldn't get over how wonderful Bucky had been. That weekend, he received something in his email inbox that wasn't marked as spam.
-----From: [email protected] -----
-----To: [email protected] -----
How did I only just see this??????...
It was a reply to an email that Steve had sent the day he left for New York, attached was a selfie of him boarding the plane. The day before Bucky disappeared. A wave of emotion came over Steve and he sobbed with happiness as his best friend returned to him. Then he couldn't understand why Bucky hadn't messaged him first at all. Steve was trying to piece together so many scenarios in his mind, he lost track. He had so many questions and was too shy to ask them. He couldn't be rude poking around in Bucky's probably private business as soon as he returned his months-old email. But Steve needed to know what he'd done. To improve himself. Make himself better so Bucky could be his friend again