"Don't cry," Steve muttered sweetly when he saw Bucky wiping at his eyes. He then chuckled at the ridiculousness of his words. "He said, while crying like an idiot." Steve never had any trouble making fun of himself, and he wouldn't start now. He grinned through the haze of tears, hanging on to Bucky's every word and gesture. Even the eyeroll was so Bucky that it made Steve's hope flare, realized. He had to keep telling himself, it really was him. This was real. This was happening. They were making a complete spectacle of themselves, something that would have never flown in Red Hook, where they grew up. They would have likely been assaulted by now, their moment soiled by hate and mindless rage over those who were different. Maybe this Preya place wasn't so bad, after all.
He was still grinning when Bucky said it had always been him. The words made him sway from sheer relief that his worst fears had been unfounded. His grin faded even as Bucky's face loomed closer. "Buh—" He didn't finish saying Bucky's name, and then he was being kissed. He should have known that, when it came right down to it, it would be the intrepid James Buchanan Barnes making the first move. He was so lost in the sensation and the dream-like quality of the surreal moment, that for a few seconds he forgot to kiss back. But when he did, he poured all of his love and devotion into that gentle caress. His arms surrounded Bucky and they held on to each other, kissing for one eternal moment.
When the kiss was finally over, Steve remained as he was, holding on to Bucky because he didn't think his legs would hold him up otherwise. He rested his forehead against Bucky's brow, eyes half-closed as he lazily rubbed their noses in a sort of Inuit kiss. He felt like he supposed people felt when they were high, or something like it. His lips tingled and a quiet joy blossomed in his chest, warming him from the inside.
"I'm such a coward. People think I'm brave, but I'm not," he mumbled, closing his eyes for a moment. "I love you, Bucky. It's a damn shame I've never told you, but that ends now. I love you. I want to be a family with you. I never want to lose sight of you again," he whispered like a lover. Then he pressed his mouth to Bucky's again, a chaste, softer caress this time.