Just little soulmate one shot! Enjoy :)

Bucky traced a finger over the small black spiral that rested on the skin over his heart like a tattoo. The night before last he'd left for a party with a pale mark that looked like a scar, and he'd woken up the next morning with a black mark and a killer hangover.

He'd met his soulmate and couldn't even remember it.

For the past day and night, Bucky had been thinking back to that party. He remembered finding Tony, the guy who invited him to the party, before a cup of punch had been thrust into his hand. The punch was some toxic concoction of tequila, vodka, wine, and a blend of different fruit juices. It had actually tasted alright, but he'd felt himself already getting buzzed by the second cup.

He remembered chatting with Tony's girlfriend and soulmate Pepper for a little while, but the events of night really started blurring together when, on his fifth cup of the punch, he made his way outside and met the host of the party, Sam. Bucky knew absolutely nobody there, not even Tony, really. He was just a regular at the cafe where Bucky worked. Sam seemed to like him enough, at least, and together they did several tequila shots.

The shots were a bad idea. A horrible one. His memory had been hazy enough already, but after the shots all he remembers is that he was halfway through being introduced to Sam's soulmate Riley when everything went dark.

It wasn't the first time Bucky had been blackout drunk, and it certainly wouldn't be the last, but he just wished he'd been a little bit more sober when he'd met his fucking soulmate of all people.

And it wasn't just a fresh soulmark he'd woken up with, either. An hour after he'd woken up, a reminder popped up on his phone to let him know that he had a date with some guy named Steve on Sunday. The next day. Despite the common name, Bucky didn't actually know anybody named Steve, but sure enough there was a new contact under that name in his phone.

He'd texted him to confirm that they had in fact made plans. Steve replied a few hours later, saying that he was sorry that he couldn't remember making the plans, but he had a reminder on his phone that let him know about them. They both knew it was odd that they'd set up a date with each other so soon after the party, but seeing as they didn't already have plans, they decided they might as well go through with it.

Bucky pulled his hand away from the mark on his chest to slip a shirt and sweater on - both black, of course. He might not know Steve, or even remember meeting him, but he was going to look good anyway. And Bucky knew for a fact that he looked amazing in black.

He was almost ready to go when he received a text.

Steve (9:46am): I know it's weird going on a date with someone you don't remember meeting, so if you wanna back out, I'm not gonna hold it against you.

Bucky scoffed, rolling his eyes. Steve had texted him the night before with the same worries, but refused to be the one who cancelled.

Bucky (9:47am): See you at 10. I'll be the brunette dressed in black.

He threw on a black coat, wound a scarf around his neck, pocketed his phone and wallet, then headed out. In both of their reminders, the original plan for the date was for it to be held at a some fancy cafe in Manhattan, but their sober selves had decided somewhere local in Brooklyn would be better, seeing as they both lived there. Bucky, understandably, didn't want to go where he worked. So he suggested his favorite coffee shop, close to home, and was thankful when Steve agreed to go there. Bucky wasn't lazy, but it would only be a ten minute walk in the frigid winter air before he arrived.

There was a small part of himself that felt bad about what he was doing - going on a date with a stranger after he'd recently met his yet-to-be-identified soulmate. But Bucky wasn't dumb. He knew he'd met Steve at that party sometime after he'd blacked out, which meant there was a possibility that Steve was his soulmate. It did seem too good to be true though, if he was being completely honest with himself, so Bucky decided not to get his hopes up.

He got to the cafe with a couple of minutes to spare, so he joined the line to order a coffee while he waited. It was a busy morning, Bucky noticed. Those waiting for their coffees were staring off into the distance absently or tapping at their phones. At least most of them were leaving once they got their order, so there were plenty of tables free.

Bucky had just joined those waiting for their coffees when somebody tapped on his shoulder. He turned around to see a gorgeous blonde, not much taller than him, smiling shyly.

"Are you Bucky?" He asked, brows drawing together almost as if he was afraid Bucky would say no.

"That's me." A wide smile broke out across his face. Yeah, he'd been a little nervous to meet him, he wasn't afraid to admit that. "Steve?"

"Yeah," Steve replied, matching his grin. His shoulders sagged with relief and his demeanor instantly changed. "You weren't wrong about being the brunette dressed in black. I can't see a single spot of color on you."

"Is it intimidating?" Bucky asked, smiling coyly as he waited for the answer.

Steve barked out a laugh. "A little."

"Good." Bucky grinned, just as the barista called out Steve's name for his coffee. "Go find us a table, I'll join you in a minute."

"Sure thing."

It only took a few more minutes for Bucky to get his coffee, and he headed straight down the back of the cafe to where Steve had claimed them a table, away from most of the other customers. Bucky was glad for a little privacy, seeing as he was unsure how this whole thing could go.

It might just be the date from hell.

"So," Steve started when Bucky had gotten comfortable. "I have to admit, I don't think I've ever met anyone named Bucky before. Not that I don't like it, it's just unusual."

Bucky rolled his eyes but smiled, sipping at his drink. "Yeah, I know, it's a childhood nickname that somehow stuck. My full name is James Buchanan Barnes."

"Like the president?"

"Unfortunately."

Steve grinned, obviously amused by it all. "Well, Mr President, what do you do for a living?"

"Other then run the country?" Bucky asked, raising his brow. "I'm actually a barista at Shield most days. Coffee was my calling."

"Shield, really? I usually go there every Sunday!"

"No shit?" Bucky was shocked. Steve had been so close all this time and yet they hadn't met until that party. "I never work on Sunday, which is too bad. We could've met sooner."

"And not while blackout drunk at a party," Steve agreed, mimicking Bucky's thoughts. "How do you know Sam, anyway?"

Bucky grimaced a little, thinking of the man he'd met at the party. Even that memory was faint and slightly blurred. "I don't, actually. Uh, Tony, if you know him, is one of my regulars and suggested I go. It was a Friday night and I had no other plans, so I thought I might as well. How do you know him?"

"He's my best mate, met him in college when I was going for my morning run." He shrugged, leaning back in his chair, cradling his coffee between his large hands.

Bucky checked Steve out slowly, and noted that yes, Steve definitely looked the type to go on morning runs for the simple joy of it. He was built, with amazingly wide shoulders and a strong jaw. He suddenly wanted to know what the rest of Steve looked like, under his clothes.

"I'm sorry that I don't remember meeting you at the party," Steve admitted, blushing furiously. Bucky wasn't sure if it was because of the apology or from being so obviously checked out, but decided he didn't care. He liked the blush.

"It's okay, I don't remember either. But we're here now and that's all that matters." Bucky leaned in and gave Steve his most dazzling smile, hoping to see him blush again.

Their little moment was interrupted by the clunk and then splash of a coffee knocked over. They turned to see what had caused the accident, only to find two women staring at each other in awe, hands clutched over their chest. The woman sitting down had bumped her mug, while the one standing had obviously been waiting for her order. She absently slipped into the seat across from the first woman and let out a soft, "Hi."

"Oh, wow." Bucky tried to keep his expression neutral, but he would never get over seeing two soulmates meet for the first time. He turned back to Steve, wondering how he was going to react.

"I can't wait to meet my soulmate," Steve said wistfully, still staring at the two women who were deep in conversation, ignoring the spilled coffee beside them. One of the workers was heading over to clean it, dishcloth in hand.

Bucky knew then that Steve wasn't his soulmate, and felt a little sad at the thought, but he had told himself not to get his hopes up. It really was too good to be true. "Yeah, me too."

Bucky really like Steve already. He was easy on the eyes and easy to talk to. They seemed to get along, and hell, his drunk self had thought he was worth sober Bucky's time, so that had to count for something. And if Bucky's soulmate wanted to meet him, then that was fine, but he would happily date Steve in the meantime. If Steve still wanted to, that is.

And he did. The rest of the date went smoothly after that, the two of them talking about everything and nothing for a couple of hours before they left with plans to meet up again in a week's time.

Did Bucky feel bad for liking Steve so much when he had just met his soulmate? Yes, of course he did, he wasn't completely heartless. But did that mean he wasn't excited for his and Steve's second date? No way in hell.

This time they planned to go out to a bar on Friday night, exactly a week after their first drunken meeting. Bucky's soulmate hadn't found him or contacted him in any way, and for that he was a little glad. He was really looking forward to seeing Steve again, and if Steve's texts were anything to go by, he was just as excited as well.

Despite his excitement, though, doubts started to crowd his thoughts. Maybe Bucky's soulmate was waiting for him to be the one that went looking. He'd made no effort so far, the knowledge of which made him feel immensely guilty. But how was he even supposed to go about finding them? Bucky didn't remember most of that party, and he supposed he could ask Tony if he knew anything, but the man hadn't been in for a coffee all week. That wasn't completely unusual, as Tony sometimes travelled for work, but Bucky didn't know who else to ask. Sam might know, but the only way to get in contact with him was through Steve, and he really didn't want to potentially ruin what they had.

Or were going to have. He didn't really know yet, but until he somehow found his soulmate, the possibilities were endless.

Bucky made it to the bar a little late, underestimating the time it would take to get there on foot. He looked around and spotted Steve saving a small booth for them near the back, like he had in the cafe, and immediately felt all his negative feelings from earlier erase the second Steve's face lit up with a wide smile.

"Sorry I'm late," Bucky apologised once he was seated in the booth beside Steve, and shrugged off his coat. "Can I buy you a drink to make up for it?"

Steve ducked his head a little and blushed. "Sure. Just a beer."

Bucky headed to the bar to order their drinks feeling more than pleased with himself at how he'd already managed to get Steve to blush so early in their date. He enjoyed seeing the red rise in his cheeks, contrasted with those baby blue eyes and soft blonde hair. Bucky thought about how great it'd feel to run his hands through that hair for a moment, but snapped himself out of it. He barely knew the guy and hadn't even had anything to drink, so why was he already getting lost in those kinds of thoughts?

They stayed at the bar for a few hours, sharing stories and learning more about each other. Both made sure not to drink more than enough to get a nice buzz, not wanting to have a repeat of the first time they met. Bucky already liked Steve, but by the end of the date he was really starting to fall for him, and hard.

"Can I walk you home?" Steve asked, a hopeful little smile on his face. "Your apartment's not too far out of the way from mine."

"Sure," Bucky agreed, wondering how it was possible for the night to be going so well.

He boldly reached for Steve's hand as they headed back to his, grinning madly as Steve accepted his hand with a blush. They chatted quietly amongst each other, leaning in close together to fight off the chill, puffs of breath visible with every word and laugh. Steve didn't just stop at Bucky's building, but walked him up to his mid-level apartment as well. They paused outside the door, Bucky steeling himself for a moment. He wanted more, and now was the time to ask.

But it was Steve who spoke first. "I had a great time tonight, Buck. I really like you. A lot."

Bucky wanted to melt into a puddle. "You do?"

"Uh-huh." And then Steve leaned in and pressed his lips to Bucky's, kissing him soft and sweet. When he pulled back there was no trace of a flush on his cheek, but instead he wore a dopey, lopsided smile. "Been wanting to do that all night."

"How about we do that some more?" Bucky suggested, unlocking his door and gesturing to the darkened apartment beyond.

"I don't think I should." Steve looked sad, like he regretted saying that, but he squared his shoulders stubbornly. It was almost like he was fighting himself. "Sorry, Bucky. I really do like you, and because of that, I wanna take things slow."

"Yeah, that's okay, just know that the offer's always open." Bucky shrugged and grinned cheekily, covering up the small disappointment he felt. He didn't want to push Steve into moving faster than he wanted. He would respect his boundaries.

Steve grinned back, leaning in slowly. "I'll remember that." He kissed Bucky again briefly, lips lingering a little before he pulled away. "Night, Buck."

"Night, Steve."

Maybe the reason why Bucky's soulmate hadn't come to find him is because they rejected him. It happened sometimes. A person who met their soulmate might already have a partner they're committed to, or their soulmate does something that disgusts them, or maybe it's the simple fact that they don't want fate deciding who they're destined to be with.

All three things were very real possibilities for Bucky, but it was the second one his mind wouldn't let go of. What if he'd done something to make his soulmate reject him? What could he have done? Perhaps they'd seen him drunkenly making out with someone right before they met and were marked. Or maybe they'd seen him flirting with Steve all night and felt hurt, like they weren't good enough. Or the other way - they thought Bucky wasn't good enough for them.

If only Bucky could actually remember what had happened, and save himself from all this over thinking.

It didn't matter how it happened in the end, though. Bucky got rejected, and upset, drank more than usual which was why he didn't remember a thing. It was also the most likely reason why he was so into Steve despite meeting his soulmate. Unless one of them rejects the other, they have a hard time forming romantic relationships with other people. Bucky was definitely not having problems with that.

But… What if he was wrong about the rejection afterall? And his lonely soulmate was out there trying to find him somehow. Maybe they were in a similar position to him, and couldn't remember that night at all and now had no idea of what to do.

Shit, Bucky needed some advice if he was ever going to get his brain to shut up. Almost on auto-pilot, he went and messaged the two people he trusted most; Clint and Natasha.

Bucky (4:56pm): I need both of you to come over asap, it's an emergency!

Nat (4:56pm): We'll be there in 10

Clint (4:57pm): With beer! 8==D

They did bring beer, and two pizzas as well. Bucky figured they'd already ordered them when he'd texted, and was grateful they'd adjusted their plans just so they could help him out.

"So, what's the emergency?" Natasha asked, settling onto the couch with a beer in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other.

Clint nodded, mouth full of food. "Yeah, what's up?"

"I met my soulmate," Bucky admitted, quickly holding up a hand to signify he wasn't finished before he could be interrupted. "It's not what you think?"

Natasha frowned at him. "What do you mean, 'It's not what you think'? You met your soulmate, so what's the problem?"

"Yeah, man, we should be celebrating!" Clint added, holding his beer up in a toast. "Meeting Nat was the greatest day of my life, I don't see how meeting your soulmate could be bad."

"It could be if I don't actually remember meeting them!"

"Uh, what?"

Bucky sighed, pulling down the side of his sweater to show off his black mark. "Just over a week ago, my mark was normal. Then I went to a party, got drunk, and woke up alone the next morning with a black mark. I met my soulmate and I was too fucking drunk to remember."

"Oh, shit." Clint pulled a face.

"Hmm…" Natasha pouted a little, thinking. "Have you, you know, tried looking for them? Asking around to see if anyone knows who it could've been?"

"I considered it," Bucky frowned, knowing he didn't try at all. "But as far as I know, they haven't tried finding me… And I may have met someone else at the party that I'm really into. I don't want to ruin what I have with him by asking all his friends if they know who my goddamn soulmate is."

"Who is this guy?" Clint questioned, mouth again stuffed full of pizza. "Do you remember meeting him or were you too drunk at that point?"

"His name's Steve, and we were both too drunk to remember meeting each other. Didn't even know about him until a reminder on my phone said I had a date with him the next day."

"Convenient," Clint laughed.

"Very," Natasha added, with a smile and a shake of her head. "Bucky, have you considered that maybe Steve is your soulmate? You met him the night you met your soulmate and just happened to plan a date with him. Doesn't really seem like a coincidence, does it?"

Bucky shook his head. "No, I considered he might be. But on our date we saw two soulmates meet, and he let slip that he couldn't wait to meet his. If he hasn't already then he isn't mine."

"Well, shit." Clint put down his beer and reached over to pat Bucky on the back. "That's rough, sorry mate. I was kinda hoping it'd be this Steve guy."

"Thanks, Clint." Bucky shifted in his seat, knowing he had to tell them his new theory, even though he'd rather not think of it. "So, I was wondering, do you think my soulmate might have rejected me that night? For whatever reason."

"Why do you think that?"

Bucky shrugged. "Because I can't see any other reason why I'd be so into Steve. If I met my soulmate, and they didn't reject me, I just figured I'd be more preoccupied with trying to find out who they are, rather than pursuing a relationship with another man."

"We can't know for sure if that's what happened. They might still be looking for you, who knows."

"I guess you're right…" Bucky groaned, rubbing a hand over his face in frustration. "So, what do I do? Keep pursuing Steve or break things off in the chance that my soulmate is looking for me?"

Natasha pulled him in for a hug, and rubbed slow circles around his back. "Just follow your gut instinct, Bucky. It'll let you know what to do."

Bucky's gut instinct was telling him to keep seeing Steve.

If that meant his soulmate had rejected him, so be it. When Bucky was with Steve, all his worries faded away and he felt relaxed and happy. He wanted more of that, which is why he immediately called Steve and invited him over for a movie night.

Steve came over the next night with pizza and beer, much like Clint and Natasha had. Bucky put Netflix on and settled in the couch comfortably, though he noticed Steve failed to do the same. He sat a little stiffly on the couch, seeming a little nervous. Bucky wondered if maybe inviting him over made Steve think he just wanted to have sex, and though that wouldn't be a complete lie, that wasn't Bucky's intention. He simply wanted to spend time with Steve.

To keep him at ease, Bucky kept his hands to himself and stayed on his side of the couch, hoping Steve would relax once he saw that Bucky wouldn't try to put any moves on him. But if anything, it had the opposite effect. Steve was still tense and now fidgeting, barely paying any attention to the movie, instead staring off to the side as if lost in thought. Bucky himself was starting to feel uncomfortable as well.

Was he wrong after all? Was this sudden change in their dynamic a sign that Bucky's soulmate was not only still out there, but close to finding him? Did it even work that way? Bucky wasn't so sure, and knew he should just confront Steve about what was going on.

He paused the movie and turned to face Steve. "Is everything okay? You seem a little nervous… Did I do something?"

Steve didn't act like he was surprised by the question, though the fidgeting didn't stop. "No, it's not you, sorry. I've, uh, I've been keeping something from you. I thought it'd be okay, but then I started to feel horrible about it and didn't know what to do." He looked up at Bucky nervously, as if he was worried that he would be mad.

But how could Bucky be mad at Steve, when he too was keeping something from him?

"I'm not angry," Bucky reassured him. "What is it?"

Steve took a deep breath, preparing himself. "The night we met, when we were at the party, I met my soulmate. I don't remember meeting them, though. And then I had that date planned with you, and I was so nervous because I thought you were my soulmate. But then I let it slip that I couldn't wait to meet mine, and when you agreed, I figured you weren't it. But I wanted to continue seeing you anyway."

"And now you feel guilty because your soulmate is somewhere out there, probably looking for you, while you've been going on dates with me." Bucky couldn't believe what was happening. He couldn't believe that Steve had been going through the exact same inner turmoil as him.

"Yeah, I do feel guilty…" Steve scrutinized Bucky with his gaze. "How do you know?"

Bucky shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Because I met my soulmate at that party as well."

"No way." Steve's whole face changed, the worry and guilt falling into slack-jawed awe. "You don't think?"

"I do." Bucky nodded eagerly, scooting closer to Steve.

Steve leaned in close to Bucky, unable to keep his distance anymore. "We have to be sure. I'll call Sam, see if he knows."

"You really think there's a chance that we both met our soulmates at the same party, and ended up with each other instead?" Bucky raised an eyebrow, challenging him.

Steve shook his head, pulling his phone from his pocket and dialing Sam almost immediately. "I can't take the chance, Bucky. I need to know it's you."

Sam answered on the third ring, and Bucky listened as patiently as he could while Steve tried to confirm their theory.

"Was I with anyone at your party? Yes? Man or woman? Did he look like an artfully scruffy version of that hot doctor from The Martian, only younger, prettier, and with longer hair? No, I am not a lovesick fool, Samuel! Was it him or not? Yes? You better not be fucking with me right now." Steve looked up suddenly. "He hung up on me."

"Good." Bucky grinned, and in the next moment he was on Steve, claiming his mouth in a searing kiss that made him feel more alive than ever.

Bucky finally had his soulmate, and being the idiot he was, didn't even realise he'd been with him the whole time.

Bucky licked the salt off his hand, downed the shot, then stuck the wedge of lime into his mouth. How many had that been? Four? Five? He couldn't exactly remember, but Sam had offered to do some tequila shots with him and he couldn't say no. If he was any less drunk, he might've regretted it, but rational reasoning was beyond him by that point.

"Riley!" Sam called out drunkenly, breaking out into the goofiest loved-up smile Bucky had ever seen. A fair-haired guy came over and Sam immediately pulled him in for a sloppy kiss. His smile was still there when they broke away. "Bucky, this is Riley, my soulmate."

"Nice to meet you," Riley greeted him, slurring a little.

"Yeah, you too." Bucky smiled politely but was starting to feel awkward by the way Sam was nipping and sucking at Riley's neck. Sam seemed to notice his discomfort and doubled his efforts, making wet sucking noises. "I'm just gonna... go inside."

Bucky quickly left the two lovebirds be, heading inside to find the bathroom. A woman with a low cut dress tried to corner him almost instantly, but he managed to escape her advances. He avoided the people that wore low cut necklines or kept the top of their shirt unbuttoned. They did so in an effort to show off their incomplete soulmark, letting everyone else know that they were single and looking.

Bucky thought he could feel their desperation rolling off them in waves.

Sam's apartment was reasonably large, so when he found the bathroom to be occupied, he figured he should check the bedrooms for any en suites. He thanked his lucky stars when he found one, and that it was empty too, and went about his business. When he was done, Bucky stumbled out of the bathroom to find a large blonde sprawled on the bed, humming to himself.

"You alright, man?" Bucky questioned, making his way to the side of the bed. Up close he could see how handsome the blonde was. All wide shoulders and strong jaw.

The blonde looked up at him and grinned. "Yeah, all good. Just avoiding a ravenous woman... and man... and lots of people..." He trailed off with a wave of his arm, getting a good look at Bucky. "I'm Steve."

Maybe it was the alcohol, but Bucky felt dizzy when he looked at Steve. He was just so goddamn beautiful. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts and reply. "I'm Bucky."

And at that moment, a strange tingle ran through Bucky's chest, and he felt a cold burning sensation over his heart. Steve must've been feeling something similar, because he looked down at his chest with a frown. Bucky was too drunk to know what it was immediately, but when he pulled the neck of his henley aside, he saw that his soulmark was now black.

He looked up to see Steve doing the same thing, and he too had a fresh black mark over his heart. Bucky couldn't believe what was happening. He'd met his soulmate. He'd me his soulmate. And his soulmate was so damn perfect.

"Holy shit, Bucky," Steve breathed his name and half sat up, holding out a hand for Bucky.

Bucky took it, letting himself be pulled on top of Steve, straddling his narrow hips, arms braced on either side of his head. Steve held his face carefully, like he might break it, like he was the most precious thing in the world.

"Fuck, you're my soulmate." Bucky wanted to laugh and cry and never let him go. "We're soulmates."

"Yeah..." Steve seemed at a loss for words, unable to look away from anything but Bucky's eyes.

Bucky made the first move, ducking his head down and claiming Steve's lips, which parted for him eagerly. They were both drunk, and the kiss was hot and wet and they moaned as their lips slid together messily. Bucky broke the kiss to lick and nip at Steve's jaw and neck, working his way down. When he pulled the neck of Steve's shirt to the side and started sucking at the soulmark, Steve gasped and jerk his hips up into Bucky's, but slowly pushed him away.

Steve shook his head when Bucky dived down to claim his lips again. "As much as I'd like to sleep with you, Bucky, I kinda wanna be sober for our first time."

Bucky frowned, but nodded to show he understood. "Better not get carried away then." He slid off Steve's body and fell to the side, but immediately snuggled into him anyway.

"I wanna do this properly," Steve said after a moment of sweet silence. "We should go on a date."

"I'd like that," Bucky agreed, nuzzling into Steve's neck.

"When should we go?" Steve started running his hand through Bucky's hair.

Bucky tried to remember when his next day off was, and when he did, he sat up and bit his lip to hold back a grin. "I'm free this Sunday."

"Really?" Steve sat up now too, grabbing at Bucky's hand earnestly. "I am too. It's perfect. First date with my soulmate and it's only a day away."

"It's gonna be so fucking romantic." Bucky couldn't remember the last time he felt this happy. It bloomed in his chest and spread to every inch of his body. He leaned into Steve's body, letting himself be wrapped in his soulmate's embrace.

"We should go to that new Hydra cafe in Manhattan," Steve suggested. "The one that Alexander Pierce just opened."

"God yes. At ten?

"Sure."

"Wait, what if we're too drunk to remember our plans?"

Steve cursed. "Damn, I hadn't thought of that. Should we put a reminder in our phones or something?"

"Good idea. And set it for midday tomorrow, so we'll definitely get it."

Bucky pulled his phone out of his pocket at the same time Steve did, and thumbed in the reminder: sober bucky u have a date w steve on sunday day 10am hydra

"All done." Bucky looked up at Steve and grinned. "I can't believe I just met my soulmate."

"I know, it's like a dream."

"We should swap numbers, before we forget."

Steve grimaced. "Shit, I didn't even think of that."

The exchanged phone numbers, and resumed cuddling, talking about how excited they were for their date. Everything was going smoothly, until Bucky started to feel more than a little queasy.

"Ah, fuck," he groaned, rolling off the bed. "I think I'm gonna puke."

He made it back into the bathroom in time, the tequila and punch making a reappearance, but at least he had Steve there to rub his back.

"Of course my soulmate throws up on me only ten minutes after we met," Steve said with a laugh once Bucky had rinsed his mouth out.

Bucky scowled and dragged Steve back into the bedroom, pulling him down onto the bed. "I got to the toilet in time and you know it. Now shut up and cuddle me."

"Happily."

And they did cuddle, and kiss, for a short time longer, until Sam found them there and kicked them out, making them go their separate ways. For a little while, at least.