The Best Friends to More Meme

[disassembling]

the best friends to more meme

There's nothing in this world quite like a true, blue best friend that you can rely on. They've been with you through thick and thin, good and bad. You want to have fun? They're the first person you look for, because they always know how to bring the best out in you. You need a shoulder to cry on? Don't worry, they're already here. You need to bury a body? ...you should probably reconsider your priorities, but you know your best friend will be there with a shovel and a smile. You'd never ruin this friendship for ANYTHING in the world.

Something's brewing that may do just that, though. One of you has feelings, has for a long time, and that spells trouble. Unless you keep that to yourself and remain platonic, of course. Repression in this case might be a good thing.

Only it's too late. The cat's out of the bag, whether it's by confession or by accident. What to do, what to do? If feelings aren't returned, can you turn down a friend, or will you force something that isn't there just to make them happy? If feelings are returned, will you risk changing the perfect thing you have?

Comments

[waypastasking]

Steve snorted softly. "If you say so," He didn't believe his friend for one second, but he hadn't hit him yet, so maybe that was a good sign.

"Flattered?" He looked over at Bucky shocked. He never for one moment would have thought he would hear that come out of his friend's mouth. "I don't understand. How can you be flattered?"

It would be so easy to just lean into his touch and just forget about everything that was said, but he couldn't do that, especially after his question.

Steve looked at his best friend sharply. "You think I don't know that? Why the hell do you think I didn't want to tell you in the first place. I can just add this to my list of things that make me a complete and total outcast."

[disassembling]

He wasn't so sure what was shocking about being flattered that someone he respected and had been friends with happened to like him beyond friendship. It seemed the ultimate compliment, though he supposed that most people would be weirded out about it. He wasn't and that was all that mattered to him. In some ways, he admitted curiosity because he was now thinking about it. Steve had the way of changing his perceptions, challenging his ideas of the world and how people dealt with other people.

"Because I'm obviously attractive enough to grab your attention that way," he said as he shifted his arms and folded them behind his head, looking utterly relaxed even about the topic. Cool and calm had always been his mantra. "It's a great compliment, Steve."

Well, as long as Steve realized that people didn't consider the attraction of two men normal, he was fine. He would protect that as much as he liked to think he kept Steve at least a little out of trouble. "You can trust me with anything," he said firmly, the teasing nature dropping away utterly. "Nothing you say will turn me against you. We're to the end, my friend."

So cute

[disassembling]

He suspected that neither of them would last long in the land of the wake. The military was one of those places where one got sleep when one could and a missed opportunity could be paid for with one's life at a later date. Even with his muscles aching and his guts clenching almost uncomfortably, he took a great amount of pleasure of the freedom to hold her with his feelings exposed and the soothing nature of her presence with his own. "Yeah, they did, and you showed them every time." Actually, she got beat up a lot and he wandered into the midst and broke up the fight, maybe taking a punch or two himself. "I was never worried about you. I had your back."

He had closed his eyes by this point, just smelling her hair and resting in the cot that was probably supposed to be uncomfortable but felt like heaven to him right now. He grunted softly at her thought on what might have happened. "We would have all eventually died," he said simply, with a coldness that one had to develop in war, seeing friends and comrades die.

and then train will happen...look at me ruining the cute moment

[eleutheria]

Falling asleep was just such a sweet and tempting possibility right now, in retrospect, if she tried enough she could pretend they were back in Brooklyn and their rundown apartment, maybe a small part of her wouldn’t have minded if that had been the case, but there were other things going on in the world and maybe once those were over they could think about it, as it was she wasn’t sure if they were even going to be together after he recovered or not. “Well at least with my words I did, I think I got more hits than what I could deliver.” And wasn’t that the truth, just like afterwards she was left with a feeling of disgust and dread that that people had not cared she was a woman to try and beat her up, making her wonder just how many more like that were in the world. “That’s why I never worried, I always knew that.”

Her body tenses a bit at that deliberately cold yet truthful words, if she had been a few days late maybe Bucky would have died and just the thought of losing him, it’s really something she will rather not think about. “Well then, good I arrived when I did.” With a small sigh she moved to rest one of her hands over the arm that was draped over her waist, as if it belonged there and it probably did now. “How…how are you feeling after…everything?” She hadn’t been able to ask him that either and she wanted to know if he was fine or needed to talk about it to get closer to being fine.

Oh you

[disassembling]

James knew that she had taken far more hits than she had ever delivered, but her efforts were worth a lot more to him on that matter. She had taken on boys far bigger than her and had never backed down from a single one even when it had probably been better that she did. He admired both her gall and, in some regards, stupidity in such fights. She had showed the world that no bully would stand between her and justice. "You showed the world that it was the way you are. You stood up to everyone that you could."

He hummed a sound of agreement to her words, nestling his nose deeper into her hair and tightening in his arm on her waist in a silent thank you for finding him. He relaxed as her arm fell over his, the place he thought that it was good to be. Yet, her question caused his eyes to open and peer at the back of her head. No one knew what had been done to him, what he had been injected with or the affect. He didn't even know, so he went with the simplest truth he thought he could give to her. "Nothing some food and rest can't cure." He paused, feeling his muscles in a way he hadn't before. "And maybe some whiskey."

i had to ruin the lovely moment with that reminder

[eleutheria]

“I tried at the very least even if the outcome rarely paid off and it ended with you getting in trouble as well trying to get me out of being killed.” And come to think of it, he had kept her alive in more than one occasion, it wasn’t only the fighting but also the wars that her own body started during the winters or the start of spring, or when she was unlucky enough to get sick, if he hadn’t been there she would have surely died.

She supposed that in a way going to find him could count as returning the favor, but she knew his motivation to take care of her had been the same one she had when she went to look for him. There was a small frown at his answer, it was the truth but at the same time it wasn’t, maybe he wasn’t ready to talk about all the things that had happened and she knew the military wouldn’t care if he was or not when they decided to question him. Rather careful and slowly, she turned around to face him and studied his expression, she couldn’t begin to start to imagine what they had done to him, she rested a hand on his chest and smiled at him –deciding she wasn’t going to press for answers right now. “Well I can’t promise the whiskey, but at least I will try to see if I can find decent food for you.”

You're a ruiner

[disassembling]

He never thought any of the school yard fights or the ones everywhere else in the streets were bad enough for her death, though her medical conditions made it debatable actually. He had never wanted her to fail, but he knew that he couldn't always be there to save her either and she had to make her point clear. He would always step in when things got bad enough, but he let her have her swings when he could. "Well, what are friends for if not to pick you up after a fight?"

He shifted his arm up so that she could turn without hindrance, though her new strength made him wonder if she could actually overpower him now. He settled his arm back around her waist, but he allowed his fingers to caress the small of her back though her clothing and gave her a little smile. He knew she knew he wasn't talking, that he wasn't telling how his muscles burned and ached in his body, how his guts occasionally felt like they'd turn to ice at any moment. There was no reason to concern her; he had made the thirty mile walk back through hostile territory. "Decent, no. Food, probably. You don't need to baby-sit me; I'm a big boy and don't worry about me, okay? I'm alive and that's all thanks to you." Because it was easier to turn the conversation about her than face some unknown factor.

yes i am *evil chirpy laughter*

[eleutheria]

She snorted just a bit and shrugged a bit. “Well then you must be quite a saint in whatever standards friends are being measured or you raised the bar to way too high standards, since you did more than picking me up after a fight.” And she really didn’t needed to repeat all of the things he had done and how she had been so lacking in giving back the same, she had been kind of a burden most of the times due to her health, but hopefully once this was done, things were going to be different.

Her fingers idly moved to smooth the fabric of the shirt he was wearing, of course she was aware he wasn’t telling her everything, she knew him that much but she also knew when to back off when it was needed and to approach when he was ready, she just hoped that happened before they tried to force the information out of him and not care about how he exactly felt about it. “I am not babysitting you, I am just being nice to my…” She stopped there, not sure how she was supposed to end that sentence now. “…you and I don’t think that is a crime or forbidden, so I can do what I want.”

[disassembling]

He didn't think that he had done anything more or less than any other best friend would do if the circumstances had been the same, but most people didn't want a scrawny kid as a friend. He happened to have taken to Stephanie as strongly as she had taken to him when they were kids and it was everything they could do to be friends together. "I think you are making me into a far more valorous man than I actually am or was. I only did what everyone else would do for a friend." That was what he believed.

He felt the pressure of her fingers on his skin through his shirt, felt it more keenly than he thought that he should. It was probably just getting back to old roots when he had been denied so many months and then the torture he suffered under while with Hydra. His arm tightened around her waist, holding her close and finding comfort in it. "To your?" He caught her slip immediately. "And I'm sure after some more sleep and a meal, I'll be just fine."

[eleutheria]

Maybe she was being a bit blinded by her own personal bias when it came to him, he had after all been her first and only true friend, which had been such a wonder for her back then since she had lacked those and yet he had stayed and seemed to actually like her, but she knew that she wasn’t the only one that thought he was a good person. “Nah, not a lot of would have done all the things you did for me and I might be a bit biased, but hey I can be allowed to have that.”

She lightly bit her lower lip, hesitating about telling him or not, but probably it was best to do so since he was the other part of the equation. “…I am not sure how am I supposed to refer or you want me to refer to you, this is new territory for me Buck, you’re the one that has the experience here not me.” Not that she minded or was particularly jealous at remembering that, she had no claim over him beyond friendship and things had been different then. “Are you sure?”

[disassembling]

She had her opinion on the matter and he had his. He had been taught many base values, but his relationship with Stephanie had always been something he enjoyed. There was never a second thought to hanging out with her or pitching in to drag her from a fight, keep her caught up in school or warm at night in the winter when things got bad for her, soothing her when her heart would do things it shouldn't. "I guess that's why we're best friends, then right? We have each other's backs until the end of time."

He had to admit that he was endeared by her confusion on the matter, and it seemed like the best opportunity to push his charm on her again. He smoothed his hand up her back, foreign to him now that it was so broad and filled out with muscles. "That would depend if you are going to accept my proposal to date," he said, his smile indicating that he had been waiting and planning this from the start of her getting into bed with him. "No, not entirely sure, but it's all I've got right now."

[eleutheria]

She chuckled just a bit. “I guess so, I mean we seemed to click instantly or at least after I stopped yelling at you when you moved in to save that first time, remember?” Had she been different she might have thought it was romantic that something like that happened, that he had come to save her like a knight in shining armor, but back then she had just been pissed at him for thinking she couldn’t defend herself and somehow that had evolved into the relationship they had right now.

Giving the circumstances and the positions they were in at the moment, she was very and painfully aware of the hand moving up her back, in a way she really hadn’t been in the past, in the past his touch had only been something to focus and keep her steady when she had been too cold to even think properly, now it was different. “Oh it seems that you lured me right where you wanted me to be, Mr. Barnes and really I don’t think I can refuse such a proposal.” And really lame way to say yes, but she had in a way; a small sigh escaped her lips. “It’s alright; you know that when you’re ready to talk about it, I will listen.”

[disassembling]

Ah, yes he remembered his state of bemusement when she had turned on him and yelled at him for stepping in and saving her from getting really roughed up. He hadn't liked that kid anyway, but her fiery nature had drawn him in, at odds with his cool calmness that had only developed more as he aged. "Yeah, you stopped when I poked you in the nose and told you that you were cute and I'd like to wipe the blood from your face with my handkerchief." That was a day he would never forget, how they had looked at each other as school kids and then bonded together after that.

He didn't touch her to make her uncomfortable, but he could feel the way she reacted to him anyway. He smiled a little to ease her, rubbing back down to the top of her backside. "I knew you could never actually refuse a charmer like me," he drawled casually, though he was very pleased to hear her say yes to him. Who would have thought he'd be dating in the middle of a war anyway? "Nothing really to say. They caught us, roughed us up a bit, worked us like slaves and then for whatever reason I was singled out to go to isolation. I don't remember much after the first jab."

[eleutheria]

There might or might not be a small flush at his clear remembrance of that day, of course he was going to remember she didn’t expected otherwise from him, just like she hadn’t forgotten her reaction to that. It had been the first time someone, asides from her mother, had called her cute and she had been just too shocked to stop him from wiping the blood from her face and then telling him not to walk her home later that day, since he wanted to make sure she didn’t got into more trouble. “God, I am sure that was going to be one of the stories you’re going were going to tell our respective grandchildren to amuse them or something.”

She rolled her eyes just a bit. “You’re way too cocky sometimes, Buck.” But she didn’t wanted to admit that yes, his charm sometimes worked with her as well, he didn’t needed to have that confirmed. She was quiet for a bit while she listened to him, she knew there was probably more to the experience, things he will rather not talk about and will probably never be ready to say. “They are going to question you.” It left her lips before she could stop it. “They are going to ask you what happened and maybe sent you back home, I am not sure yet.”

[disassembling]

James knew that he had seen her transfer into school, had been curious enough about her small size to see who took her in. Well, her attitude had certainly made everyone turn a head, but not all of them for a good reason. He was popular, a friendly smile and a good looking kid who helped out but could be tough and rugged. He had taken her in that day and never regretted it for a moment. "It probably will be actually. It's a pretty memorable first meeting, you have to admit."

Well that wasn't a very nice thing to say after she had just agreed to date him for real and not those funny double-dates he arranged. He would treat her right after all, show her the ropes and ease her into the whole love thing. "You never complained about my cockiness before, you know," he muttered, though that wasn't necessarily true. She had called him on it a few times. Yet, the idea of being asked questions didn't bother him. "They won't send me home. I have no injuries and I can still shoot a gun. That's what a man needs to be in this war."

[eleutheria]

Well she probably hadn’t cause much of a good impression that day when she had picked a fight right from the start, but another girl was being teased and she just couldn’t stand there, it was then, strangely enough, that she remembered that girl had also turned into a sort of a friend for her –not as close as Bucky, but she was the other person she could call close friend and it was another girl that had kind of…well understood certain things Bucky couldn’t. “It was but I don’t think our grandchildren or anyone for that matter needs to know I was a crazy kid back then, you know.”

The rather pointed look she gave him about that cocky comment was enough to prove that statement false, she had mentioned before though it had never really been heartfelt. She bit her lip again and looked down at his chest, she really didn’t wanted to tell him it was more likely due to the fact of whatever Hydra might have done to him and they might be interested to know, she took a deep breath and looked at him with as much of a calm expression as she could manage. “I suppose you’re right, I am not sure where they might be sending your unit though.”

[disassembling]

He was probably more amused than he should be over the fact that they had been dating less than an hour and she was already talking about grandchildren. Those usually involved having children first, and he had only had one kiss with her and it hadn't entirely been serious. Certainly nothing that would lead to him bedding her, and certainly not here in an open military camp. "Well, they might like to know to realize where their own sense of craziness comes in? That will be a trait passed down through you."

He simply smirked in the face of the look that she gave him, but his cockiness was apart of him as her sense of justice was part of her. He knew she didn't mind it. His hand swept between her shoulders to soothe her, having caught the downcast look to his chest. He knew what she was thinking, but he wasn't going home. He was able-bodied regardless of his sting to his muscles. "Wherever they deem us most useful. I'm a soldier, and I know I have to go where I'm ordered. I'll fight harder knowing I have you to come back to like this."

[eleutheria]

Well the talk about grandchildren wasn’t exactly meant of any possible grandchildren coming from any possible children they might have together, that thought hadn’t particularly crossed her mind, the one that had thought and was kind of the base thought for this was the fact that she had no figured their friendship was going to last up till that point, when they had both grown old and made their own families and were still close friends, she hadn’t dared to consider the possibility of them going beyond the friendship sphere. “No, you’re not allowed to say that to my grandchildren.”

The inherent cockiness of his was something she had learned and adapted herself to live with; she accepted it as part of him just like he accepted her need to defend others that needed it, even if she lacked the means to do it effectively. “Yeah, I know they are going to wait a bit to make sure you’re all ready.” She smiled at him at that and she was probably going to have the same motivation once she was out there as well. “Then I will do the same, I will try my hardest to stay alive and come back to you then.”

[disassembling]

James knew they were dating, and his mind had already shifted over to that mentality because he was used to working that way when women that he asked out. He suspected Stephanie was just plain clueless and had no idea what to do with the whole dating aspect of their relationship. He was definitely going to have to ease her into it. "Your grandchildren will probably be my grandchildren too," he pointed out with a smirk. "Unless you plan on dumping me after the war?"

He was prepared to be shipped out again soon, knew that he would be ready and didn't question it. He was still angry about the war and his role in it, but he learned to not ask questions about they were all hear. He knew freedom, but why did anyone have to fight so hard for something so basic? "Like I said, a good sleep and a meal, and I'll be good to go," he said, trying to ease the painful fact that they might not go out into the field together. "Do you have your orders on where they are pushing you next?"

[eleutheria]

And yes that’s Stephanie doing a bit of a double take and looking like a deer caught in highlights, clearly the thought of them having children and then grandchildren together hadn’t crossed her mind, God, she was already failing at this dating thing, was it the normal thing to think about that kind of things? Dammit, she should have tried a bit harder to get more experience, maybe if she had been a bit more open and less prone to fighting, someone might have been interested long enough for her to learn the basics. “Well then, we can say the crazy is from you then.”

She didn’t exactly look convinced, maybe physically he was going to be ready, but shouldn’t his mind be in the same state? She thought it should be, but then she didn’t make the rules here and she will have nothing more to do but to accept them. “…Yes, they are using some information I got from the base and it was enough to bring forth some action.” And she knew they were still trying to figure out who to send with her and God, how she had wanted to ask them to allow Bucky to go with her, but she doesn’t wants to force him going after Hydra after what happened. “So…I guess I am officially in the military now.”

[disassembling]

James couldn't help but chuckle at the way that she looked at him, and he thought that it served her right for bringing up grandchildren in the first place. She had jumped into that with both feet as she always seemed to do with most situations that she found trouble in. It endeared him to her all the more. "The crazy is clearly not coming from me. They will get their good looks and charms from me. They get crazy stiff-spine antics from you." Not that either of them were ready for kids; it was a war for goodness sake. They hadn't dated more than an hour.

He knew that look, but there was a war going on and recovery would come after they had won. He'd have plenty of time to think about everything that had happened to him after they had put an end to this. "What kind of action are they putting you into this time? Hopefully something where you have actual military backing." He was pleased to know that she would no longer be a call girl but military personnel. That's what she wanted. "I guess you'll get to command your own unit now, right? Being a Captain and all."

[eleutheria]

There’s a small pout, one that she will forever deny appeared on her face so he might as well forget he ever saw it, and really it wasn’t her fault she had not jumped to that conclusion. “They might also get your cocky attitude and may God save us all then.” She really could kind of picture that, it was still a bit too early for this kind of talk but she could kind of picture it and it was something she knew they were not ready to have at the moment, in the future and in a safer world then yes she will come back to this image. “And as long the crazy courage is the only thing they inherit from me, I will be happy.” She is not sure if, despite the serum, she can still pass down any of the ailments she had, Erskine hadn’t been sure either.

“Yes, I am going to have some backing up, but apparently they will try to make it a small group so we don’t draw much attention and they are still trying to see who they will send with me.” She supposed there was no harm in telling him about this, he wasn’t going to go rattling to others about it and she had been careful to avoid exactly what she was going to be doing then, but she was glad she was going to be doing something useful instead of dancing and singing around.”Apparently, I think they are going to make the rank official since the Captain was only part of the stage name and all, nothing more than show.”

[disassembling]

Oh he saw the pout, enjoyed it even, but he knew better than to mention it as well. He let her live in her denial, and he leaned in to kiss her forehead affectionately at the idea everyone would need help if any child of his inherited his cock-sure attitude. "I'm not sure getting beaten up in back alleys is actually considered courage, though rushing off to save your future boyfriend was very courageous." He made a show of swooning like so many of the women around him often did, but his was far more dramatic. "My hero."

He nodded his head, pleased that she was being treated seriously, even if he wondered about the team that was being put together for her. He would have to look into possibly applying for a role in it, since he had proven himself a good soldier and sniper in the field. "You get some say in the soldiers you are taking with you, right? It's going to be your team." He knew that military had a way of deciding things, especially in situations like these, but Stephanie had made it clear she could command. "Because if that team needs a sniper or a good gunman, I'm your man."

[eleutheria]

“It is when you got there for the right reasons and most of the times that was the case, the others were just idiots that thought I was an easy prey or something.” There had been certain things she had told him in full detail about that particular brand of encounters and it was something that she was probably never going to tell him, she was going to take those secrets down with her, besides it hadn’t gone to something major. She prodded him on the chest, maybe a bit too hard but it was to make a point here. “Stop being such a drama queen, and damn right I am your hero right now, it was about time I got that role.”

Again she bit her lip and slowly nodded. “I think I am or at least Peggy mentioned that I was allowed to do as much.” And she trusted Peggy a bit more about letting that happen than colonel Phillips, but she really hadn’t actually looked at anyone in particular and she really wasn’t surprised when he offered, she knew that was going to come and she just smirked at him. “Oh is that so? Well I might need to consider it then, but I first need to make sure you’re alright and fully recovered.”

[disassembling]

He bowed his head a little to her wisdom, aware that she was willing to sacrifice more than anyone else he knew for the entire idea of what was right and wrong. That was a strong streak in her, though he knew some of it had to do with something to prove back then being so small and mocked for it. "Your reasons were always respected by me. I was just there to pull you out on the other side." He winced at the sudden prod to his chest, reaching between them to rub the spot. Yeah, she certainly had gotten a lot stronger than he remembered. "It is. I always knew you had it in you," he said and leaned in to steal a kiss from her.

Well it was good that she was getting control over her own command, that she had a say in the men that she would take with her into the fire of wherever she was going. He suspected Colonial Phillips had to take her word now that she had proven herself so good at soldiering and leading missions. "I'm ready for combat right now, Captain." He gave a small salute. "I've got more reason to be on that special ops unit than anyone."