1. Steve
The first time Steve finds out about the apartment, he doesn't hesitate. It's been weeks now. Months, since the events in D.C. They've tracked him everywhere. Brooklyn, Russia, Germany, everywhere they could think of. And then there's this text from Natasha that finally got in touch with the Ukrainian authorities, and somehow Steve knows she's right. That's where he'll be.
He doesn't want to tell Sam, though. A part of him is scared that going to meet Bucky with some strangers is just going to freak him out. And Sam's been through enough trouble for him already. For both of them actually.
Of course, there's this other part of him that's just being selfish and reckless and deep down, he knows that if he can finally meet up with Bucky, it has to be just the two of them, face to face, no one around and nothing but the truth. He knows that it's potentially dangerous and Bucky may not even remember him at all and he definitely shouldn't go alone but, well, he doesn't care anymore. He's tired of always following the most reasonable path. And if Bucky's the irrational one, he doesn't mind stepping aside.
Then again, right now, there's nothing he wouldn't do for Bucky, really. Not after failing him so many times. He can't let him down again. Not again. Not after letting Bucky being taken away by the Nazis, and not after letting him falling down from the train and not searching for him. Not after letting him going back to Hydra, not after the helicarrier. The world would collapse upon itself that he'd still go for protecting Bucky before anything else. He's done failing Bucky when Bucky never failed him.
That's how Steve finds himself walking up the stairs of an old Romanian building and Sam thinks he's on a mission somewhere in Spain - which was true for a while, actually, he simply took a small detour and kinda lied about how many days it would take. He doesn't allow himself to think too much and before he can realize it, he's standing in front of a peeled off door that seems too easy to break down, and his knuckles have already knocked on the wood twice.
And then he's staring at the door as if he could pierce it by staring at it for too long, and he feels like his legs are shaking and oxygen can't reach his brain anymore because what if he made mistake? What if Bucky's not here? What if Hydra found him again? What if he's here but standing behind the door with a loaded sniper, and Steve is just « the mission » again? What if he's here but doesn't even recognize Steve's face and simply chooses not to answer the door?
But the door clicks open, and Bucky's here, and it's his gloved metal hand that's opening the door and not holding any gun. He stares at Steve for a moment and Steve is too afraid to move, to breath, to think, because he's too close to make yet another mistake right now.
Bucky's voice is hoarse and low when he finally speaks, as if barely remembering how to form that particular word.
« Steve ? »
When was the last time Bucky said his name? Menacing tears threaten to fall as he tries to clear his throat to answer something coherent. He never took any time to actually think about what he'd have to say.
There is fear in Bucky's clouded blue eyes, fear and apprehension, and Steve wishes he could do something - anything - to make it disappear. But Bucky doesn't trust him yet, looks like he doesn't even trust himself, and Steve can't ask him to. It's too soon, it's too scary, even for Steve - even more so for Bucky.
So the door is slammed shut before Steve can say anything, and everything feels like slipping through his fingers as Bucky runs away from him.
(Steve stays in the hallway, sitting on the floor for hours, staring at the closed door before he takes out a piece of paper and scrambles his phone number on it along with the words I'm your friend. You don't have to run away from me. Then he leaves as well.)