Natasha sipped from her coffee. "Well, if you have brought us all together something important must have happened."
Clint nodded in caffeine induced excitement.
Sam nodded. "C'mon, spill."
Steve could feel his cheeks heat up. "I met someone."
Natasha's eyes widened. "No way! When? How? This is so exciting, what do you think Clint?" she said, elbowing him.
"I want to know more" Clint said.
"Oh" he looked down at his coffee. "Well... I was on my way back to my apartment from art school when I met him"
Natasha bit her lip, looking way too excited. "Tell me more about him. Is he tall?"
Steve nodded. "Yes. He is taller than me."
Sam chuckled. "I don't think that's hard."
Steve rolled his eyes. "Thanks for reminding me Sam."
Natasha waved her hand to dismiss Sam. "Well Steve, describe him. What does he look like?
Steve swallowed nervously, looking past Natasha. "Oh god, its him" he squeaked.
Natasha looked over her shoulder to the tall man with the brown hair cut just above his shoulders standing at the counter. "Oh my god, he is totally your type."
Sam grinned. "Call him over Nat."
"No, please don't" Steve whined, his face burning.
Nat, having zero empathy at that moment in time, waved at him. "Hi there!"
Steve felt himself die of embarrassment. All he needed now was the ground to open up.
The man looked over, frowning, until his eye met Steve and grinned.
"He is coming over" Natasha whispered, fist-bumping with Clint under the table.
The man sat down next to Steve. "Hey there" he smiled at Steve.
Steve blushed. "Hi."
"So, these are your friends?"
Steve nodded.
"You didn't tell me you spoke to him" Natasha said.
Steve blushed. "I never said anything about you guys."
The man raised a brow. "You were telling your friends about me?"
"I just mentioned that I met you outside of school. We didn't really talk" he added, looking at Nat.
She shrugged, a small smile on her face. "So, what's your name? Didn't catch it."
"James. Call me Bucky though."
"Bucky? Okay" she nodded. She looked at Steve. "At least he is easy on the eyes."
Steve groaned, wishing he could slip under the table and hide.
Sam chuckled. "You should have known not to mention it to Nat, you know what she is like."
"I know. I regret everything."
Bucky looked confused. "Wait... what is going on?"
"You should go on a date with Steve" Natasha said, picking up her coffee. "What do you say?"
Bucky smiled and looked at Steve. "Sure. As long as Steve wants to."
"He would love to."
"Why are you doing this Nat?" Steve asked.
"Because you won't do it yourself."
There was no way he could deny it. He would have just admired Bucky from afar.
Clint chuckled. "Good work Nat."
She smiled. "Thank you."
Sam looked at Steve. "You should be glad you know Nat. She can get straight to the point."
Steve nodded in agreement.
Bucky looked at Nat. "So, do you usually help your friends out with dates?"
"Just Steve. He is precious."
Steve rolled his eyes. "Nat-"
"Look at you-"
"I know what I look like."
"Look at him" she said to Bucky, pointing at him.
Steve sighed.
Bucky smiled. "Yeah, he sure is."
Steve blushed. "You guys are the worst."
Nat chuckled. "You'll thank me."
Sam chuckled. "You would have thought you wouldn't have had a chance with this guy, don't be dissing Nat."
"He is just embarrassed" Clint said in his defense.
"Thank you Clint."
"Welcome Steve."
"Anyway Sam, I don't think I am good enough."
Bucky rolled his eyes. "Don't be like that."
Steve raised a brow. "Do I look like I am?"
"Yes. Absolutely."
He blushed and looked away.
Sam chuckled. "Have some confidence."
Nat nodded. "You should be thanking me" she joked.
"Thanks Nat for causing me enough embarrassment to last at least the next ten years."
"So dramatic" she grinned.
"So" Bucky started, drawing their attention from Steve. "What do you all do? Study? Work?"
"Work" said Sam, sipping his coffee. "Where is your coffee?"
Bucky frowned. "I forgot it." He stood up and walked over to the counter.
Nat leaned forward. "He is perfect" she said. "You better go on that date."
Clint nodded. "If it gets uncomfortable, just message us and we will come save you."
Sam nodded. "We sure will" he said, cracking his knuckles.
Bucky sat back down with his coffee. "How about we have a double date. Steve and me and you two" he pointed at Natasha and Clint.
Nat chuckled. "We aren't dating. Clint is already married."
"Oh, okay. Sorry Clint" Bucky apologized.
"We are just really close friends" Clint shrugged it off. "Most people think we date."
"They are more like siblings" Sam added.
Clint nodded. "Yeah, that's how it is."
Bucky raised a brow. "So, guessing no double date."
"Well, not this time" Natasha chuckled. "Steve will be fine."
Steve rolled his eyes. "Thanks Nat."
"Welcome."
He looked at Bucky. He was just so attractive. How was he even remotely interested in him? He bit his lip.
Nat looked at him. "What's wrong Steve? You look nervous."
"Just thinking."
Bucky sipped his coffee. "Have I overstayed my welcome?"
"No, not at all" said Natasha. "But if you want to shout us another drink, feel free to do so" she joked, setting her empty coffee mug down.
"If you want one-"
"You're very sweet. You remind me of Steve. You have this old person feel about you."
"Wow! Thanks Nat" Steve said.
She shrugged. "Its hardly a bad thing."
Sam chuckled. "Steve is the old man in our group."
Bucky chuckled. "So, he is the most charming then?"
"Absolutely."
He smiled. "I think I already knew that."
Clint stood up. "Another coffee?" he asked Nat.
She nodded. "Thank you."
"Sam, Steve-"
"No thanks" said Steve.
Sam shook his head. "I wanna sleep tonight."
Clint chuckled. "Fair call. Same as before Nat?"
She nodded. "Thanks." She looked at Steve.
"What?" he asked cautiously.
She chuckled. "You being you."
Bucky looked at her. "Well, since your like the mother in this situation."
She snorted indignantly. "Gee, thanks."
"I would like to ask your permission to take Steve out for dinner tonight."
"As long as you don't have sex after, I am fine with that" she replied, straight faced.
Steve turned bright red. "Nat!"
Sam was laughing. "Oh god, Nat, seriously, teach me how to do that."
"Do what?"
"Say that with a straight face."
"I was just being serious."
Sam looked at Steve. "Guess you won't be getting anything with mama Nat in the way."
"Don't make this any weirder, please" Steve asked.
Bucky chuckled. "I can promise that Natasha."
"You might break him" Clint said, setting Nat's coffee down.
Steve groaned.
Natasha smiled. "Thank you. You can be papa Clint. We have to keep and eye on Steve."
"Then who am I?" asked Sam.
"You can be Steve's friend. Feels like we're ganging up on him" said Clint.
"Can I still make jokes?"
"Sure."
"Awesome."
Steve groaned. "I should have stayed home."
"Yeah, probably" said Sam.
"But then you wouldn't have gotten this dinner date" Nat pointed out.
"And I also wouldn't have been embarrassed by you all. That would have been nice."
Nat waved her hand dismissively. "Steve, some things only happen once in a lifetime."
Steve nodded. He couldn't fault that logic.
"Well, how about we head off?" Bucky asked, looking at the time on his phone.
"Sure" Steve said. He looked at Nat who smiled and winked.
Steve waved at her.
"See you later" Clint said.
"You have fun, alright?" Sam smiled. "Sorry, I feel like I am still gonna laugh at what Nat said."
Steve looked at Nat.
"What? I was just looking out for you."
Bucky laughed. "You're friends are something else."
"I know" Steve replied.
...
"When you said 'let's go back to my place' I had no idea this is what you meant" Bucky chuckled.
Steve shrugged. "Well, nothing like ordering in pizza and sketching a beautiful person."
Bucky smiled. "You are too lovely baby."
Steve blushed lightly at the nickname. He looked back at his sketch. He truly felt that his sketch would do Bucky no justice. This man was too beautiful.
"How is it looking?" Bucky asked curiously.
Steve shrugged. "You definitely look better than my sketch."
Bucky chuckled. "You are very charming Steve."
"Maybe. I just feel... a little awkward" Steve shrugged. "I look at you and you're... perfect."
"What do you mean?"
Steve sighed. "Look at you. You're like some sort of Adonis. You look healthy and you're confident-"
"And you know what? None of that really matters if there are things in your life you aren't happy with."
Steve looked at Bucky. "What do you mean?"
"I might look confident, sure, and..." he sighed. "I might look well and good, but I hide my own... I don't think I should call it a disability, because to me it isn't. Maybe insecurities. But..." he reached up with his right hand and pulled his sweater over his head. He reached over to the left side of his t-shirt. "I know you didn't notice before... I was sitting on your right, but this arm, not real. Its a prosthesis."
Steve was sure his eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline. "How?"
"Army."
That was the only word he needed to say. "Sorry-"
"Don't apologize."
"I didn't realize."
He shrugged. "I don't really show it off."
Steve walked over and sat next to him. He cautiously looked up at Bucky.
Bucky nodded. "You can touch it. Don't be shy."
Steve bit his lip and touched it. It wasn't what he expected.
"Clever, isn't it?"
Steve nodded. "Yeah, incredible."
Bucky lifted Steve's chin. "You're lovely, Steve, you know that?"
Steve blushed and leaned up, kissing his lips chastely.
Bucky smiled. He wrapped his arm behind Steve's back, pulling him in for a deeper kiss.
"Don't tell Nat I invited you back to mine."
Bucky smiled. "Deal."