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Bucky was sitting in the back corner of a secondhand bookstore when he got Steve’s text canceling their date for that night. Bucky wasted no time in calling him back, exiting the bookstore hastily and rounding the building to the alley to get the privacy he needed.
“Hey Buck,” Steve coughed as he spoke, voice hoarse and strained.
“What is wrong?” Bucky asked, heart pounding in his throat. Steve could be hurt or in trouble, Bucky already calculating the fastest way to get to anywhere in the city.
“I’m fine, Buck, really, just my asthma flaring up with the cold weather,” Steve explained, but Bucky wasn’t convinced. “Are you at home? I shall come take care of you,” he insisted, already heading toward Steve’s apartment building.
“No, no, Buck, I’m not at home,” Steve coughed again, and it sounded like he was hacking up a lung.
“Where are you, then?” Bucky asked, freezing where he stood. Logically, there was only one other place for Steve to be.
“The hospital,” he muttered stubbornly.
“Which one?” Bucky demanded, cataloging all the nearby hospitals in his head and where they were in relation to him.
“I’m not telling you that, you’ll just come hover,” Steve protested immediately.
“You either tell me or I hack into every hospital’s database to find which one you are being kept in,” Bucky said sharply, glancing around to make sure he was still alone.
“That’s a huge invasion of my privacy,” Steve replied, and Bucky could tell he was angry.
“And if it wasn’t your health on the line, then I wouldn’t be breaching it, but you are sick enough to warrant a hospital stay and I am worried,” Bucky waited while Steve considered his words before finally giving him the hospital he was in. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
He could hear Steve say something over the phone but he hung up before he could make out what it was, already climbing the fire escape to the top of the building. True to his word, he arrived at the hospital nine minutes later, entering the lobby to step up to the front desk with a fake smile on his face.
“Hi hon, how can I help you?” The woman manning the front desk asked.
“My boyfriend was admitted today, and he forgot to tell me what his floor and room number are, and I think he fell asleep cause he’s not answering his texts,” Bucky used the charm that made all the girls knees weak for him back in the ’40s, knowing how many people still fell for it this century.
“What’s his name?” the woman asked, turning to her computer. He gave her Steve’s full name and was directed to room 3056 on the third floor.
“Thank you so much,” Bucky said and hurried to the stairs, as he could climb them much faster than an elevator. He opened the door and made his way down the first hallway, following the signs to find Steve’s room. Luckily, despite it being a double room, the other bed was unoccupied.
“I was trying to tell you you didn’t have to come before you hung up on me,” Steve said, glaring at Bucky.
“If I were sick, would you want to take care of me?” Bucky asked, and Steve’s stony silence answered his question. “I want to make sure you’re okay? Have they figured out what’s going on?”
“Pretty sure it’s pneumonia,” Steve shrugged, wincing a bit. “I’ve had it before, they know what meds work. I’m just hoping I can get out of here tomorrow.”
“Steve, you need longer than that to recover from pneumonia,” Bucky frowned.
“Maybe, but my wallet won’t recover from more than one night,” Steve adjusted himself on the bed, wincing again.
“Steve,” Bucky sighed, not wanting to rehash an argument they’d been having the majority of their relationship. “I have the money to pay for this. Let me.”
“Absolutely not,” Steve shook his head. “I can take of myself and I can pay my own bills.”
“And I could help you,” Bucky said firmly. “You don’t have to take that weight on your own, I am your boyfriend and I have the means to help you.”
“You’re my boyfriend, not my investor,” Steve snapped. “I’m not taking your money, Bucky, end of conversation.” Bucky sighed but knew better than to push right now. Steve was already agitated he had to be hospitalized, fighting would only stress him out further.
“Fine,” Bucky muttered and dragged the chair in the room over to Steve’s bedside, propping his feet up on the bed. “What are you watching?”
“Judge Judy,” Steve answered, throwing him the remote. “You can change it, I’m not really paying attention.”
“Fuck no, I love seeing her rip people to shreds,” Bucky said, turning the volume up just a bit instead. Steve rolled his eyes and grabbed his phone as he leaned back against the pillows, likely checking his emails. They weren’t alone for long before a nurse came in, smiling when she saw Bucky.
“And who is this then, Steve?” she asked as she checked all of his vitals.
“My boyfriend, Bucky,” Steve rolled his eyes. “You should’ve seen him when he got here, acted like I was on my deathbed.”
“Every bed you’re in could be your deathbed,” Bucky deadpanned, glaring at Steve. “With your immune system.” Steve shrugged, knowing he couldn’t argue that.
“Well, I’m glad to tell you that this bed is the one,” the nurse laughed lightly. “You’re doing good and you’re already improving. We’ll have you out in three days.”
“Three days?” Steve asked, eyebrows raised. “You can’t get me out any sooner?”
“I’m sorry, not if you want to make sure the pneumonia is properly treated. Any earlier and it will very likely return within a week or two and you’ll be right back here,” she explained. Bucky watched Steve carefully and he could tell that his boyfriend wanted to keep pressing the matter but Steve was smart enough to know that discharging himself early would only lead to a longer hospital stay down the line.
“Is there anything I can get him to eat?” Bucky asked the nurse with his most endearing grin.
“Anything hot,” she answered. “Soup, stew, a hot sandwich, pasta, really anything.” Bucky thanked her and waited for her to leave the room once more before taking Steve’s phone from him.
“What do you want to eat?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Steve huffed as he tried to grab his phone back but couldn’t reach far enough.
“Soup actually sounds really good,” he admitted. Bucky nodded and placed an order from the deli a few blocks away for a bowl of soup and some bread for Steve, and a sandwich and homemade potato chips for himself.
“They’re delivering it, and I even got them to come straight to the room,” Bucky dropped Steve’s phone on the bed next to his thigh. “After you eat, you need rest.”
“Buck, you’re not my caretaker. I know what I need when I need it,” Steve argued, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Steve, I’m always going to worry and try and take care of you. It comes with the territory of a relationship, doesn’t it?” Bucky asked, sighing in relief when Steve just nodded. “Good, now, let’s finish watching Judge Judy tear this bastard apart.”
By the time their food arrived, the episode of Judge Judy had ended and they had moved on to Jeopardy!. Bucky was having a riot guessing at almost every single question, making them as outrageous as possible to get Steve to laugh. He only stopped at the knock on the door, and he retrieved their food, tipping the teenaged boy that had delivered it.
“Hungry?” Bucky asked as he unloaded the styrofoam containers. Steve nodded and pulled his tray closer so Bucky could set his bowl and spoon down, happily tearing the lid off.
“This smells fucking delicious,” Steve groaned and leaned forward to take his first bite. “It tastes fucking delicious too. Thank you for getting me some food, Buck.”
“No problem, sugar,” Bucky said and kissed his head briefly. “All part of taking care of you.” Steve rolled his eyes but turned his attention to the TV as he slurped his soup.
“Didn’t your mother teach you any manners?” Bucky kicked at Steve’s foot as he began eating his own sandwich.
“No because she died,” Steve said without hesitation.
“She didn’t die until you were 19, you piece of shit,” Bucky scolded as his phone rang. He checked the caller ID to see that it was Sam, and decided it might be worth it to answer. “Hello?”
“Hey man, you good?” Sam asked.
“I’m fine,” Bucky said, a bit confused. “Why do you need to know?”
“Stark figured out you were in a hospital,” Sam said easily. “Just checking you’re okay.” Bucky wanted to head straight to the tower to give Tony a piece of his mind about the invasion of privacy but Steve needed him more.
“I’m fine. Steve got sick and had to be admitted,” Bucky explained.
“You know you could have brought him here, right?” Sam said. “You’re an Avenger, you get the benefits and so does Steve.”
“I would prefer to keep Tony as far away from him as possible,” Bucky said seriously. “If it was possible, it would be completely different continents.”
“Tony isn’t that bad,” Sam tried to reason. “And the medical care is a hundred times better than you’ll get in any hospital, and it’s free.”
“I pay for it with my place on the team,” Bucky retorted, though he did glance at Steve. Technically, he wouldn’t be paying for his bills if he could get Steve to agree to go to Stark Tower. “I’ll work on it.” He hung up then, and looked at Steve.
“What?” Steve asked, knowing his boyfriend well enough to know when he had something he wanted to say.
“I’m an Avenger-”
“I’m aware,” Steve interrupted. Bucky rolled his eyes but continued without comment.
“Which means I get free healthcare courtesy of Stark Industries. And so does my partner,” he ended, watching Steve pointedly.
“And?” Steve asked, drawing it out condescendingly.
“Don’t be a smartass. You wouldn’t have to pay if you went to the Tower. No bills at all,” Bucky said. “And it’d be much better than any care you get here.” Steve watched him for a long moment.
“No,” he finally said. “I like this hospital. I like the nurses and the doctors.”
“If you go to the Tower, you might get discharged earlier,” Bucky tried to persuade him. “Sugar, please, I just to make sure that you’re getting the care you deserve, not just what you can afford.” Steve sucked in a breath, staring at Bucky for a very long time.
“Fine, call Tony,” he finally relented, crossing his arms in a huff. Bucky let out a sigh of relief and called Sam back, telling him to arrange a transfer for Steve.
“They’ll be here in less than an hour to get you and move you to the Tower,” he told Steve, leaning in to take his hand. “Thank you. I know you hate what you think is charity, but I just want you to be the best you can. And unfortunately, Tony has the best. Of everything, really.”
“I know. If things were reversed I would have drug you to the Tower myself,” Steve admitted, squeezing Bucky’s hand. “I know I have a lot of pride, sometimes too much. It’s why I need you around. You keep it in check.”
“I don’t know, I like your pride sometimes,” Bucky said with a small smile, tugging Steve into a kiss. “Like when you’re so sure of yourself and confident. I like that. Or when you know what you want and you’re not afraid to ask for it.”
“Oh shut up,” Steve muttered, blushing a bit. Bucky shook his head and smiled even wider.
“Never. I will spend the rest of my life praising you.”
“You’ll only make my pride worse,” Steve rolled his eyes, but couldn’t keep the fond grin off his face.
“Worth it.”