Natasha looked at the message that popped up on her screen. She read through it and smiled. "Hey Clint, another one."
"What does it say?" he called out.
"'Please keep this on anonymous. I have a crush on a guy who is studying to be a teacher. To the guy in the varsity jacket and the man bun, I think you're gorgeous.'"
"Who's it from?" Clint asked, walking over to where she was seated on the lounge.
"Not telling" she smirked.
"Aww Nat" he pouted
"Also because the guy it's addressed to doesn't have Facebook."
"How do you know that?"
"I know these things."
"I'm more curious as to know how you know who it's directed at."
She chuckled. "Well, there is only one person who fits that description."
He sat next to her, leaning against her shoulder. He read the confession and looked at the name. "Sam Wilson? Who the hell is that?"
"Studying counselling. In his last year here."
Clint shook his head. "Not sure. Who is the person he is talking about?"
"James."
"James?"
"Barnes."
"No way."
She chuckled. "Yes way. If you were a student here you would know."
He laughed. "I'm too old to be a student here."
She rolled her eyes. "No you're not." She kissed his cheek. "Well… I guess you are a little old" she teased.
He kissed her neck. "Whatever you say babe."
She smiled and kissed him again before posting the confession. "But don't you think it's a shame that James might never see it?" she sighted, knowing she may just have to take matters into her own hands.
He shrugged. "I'm sure he has a friend who has Facebook."
She hummed. "I'm sure you're right."
He smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"Netflix and chill?"
She rolled her eyes. "I have to go to class old man."
…
Steve found Bucky lurking around in the library, hair tied back in a small, neat man bun, his jacket wrapped around his waist as he flicked through history books.
"Hey."
"Steve, what's up?" Bucky said, looking around at him.
"Not much. Thought I'd come and say hi."
"Thought you had class?"
He chuckled. "How long have you been in here? My class finished almost twenty minutes ago."
Bucky looked at his watch. "Oh. Fancy that, I've been in here for two and a half hours reading."
Steve shook his head, grinning. "You always get so distracted."
"Hey, that isn't true. I was just looking at this book-"
"Why don't you hire it out?"
"Can't, its reference."
"Shame. Let's go grab lunch, yeah?"
He nodded. "Good thinking." He followed Steve out of the library. Steve looked over his shoulder. "By the way you should have seen the newest confession on the college confessions Facebook page."
James rolled his eyes. "The what page?"
"This is why you need Facebook."
James shook his head. "So I can read some dumb confessions? I don't think so. Anyway, I just know that a bunch of people I don't like or know will try and add me and I don't want to deal with that shit."
Steve walked into the cafeteria, Bucky wandering over to the café. Steve followed him over. "Black coffee and some sort of cake, yeah?"
"I am not that predictable" Bucky said in the worst defence ever.
"Oh yeah?"
"Mm-hm." He stepped up to the counter. "Just a large black coffee and is that pumpkin pie?"
"No."
"Oh, well, then I will have the red velvet then."
"I don't always drink black coffee and cake" Steve muttered sarcastically.
"Whatever."
The lady passed him the plate with the cake on it. "I'll get you to wait to the side."
"Thanks." He stood to the side, eating his cake standing up.
Steve stood next to him. "So, I didn't get to tell you why I mentioned the Facebook page."
"Because I didn't care?" Bucky replied.
"Well, I am going to tell you anyway. It was about you."
Bucky looked at him. "Um… what?"
"Someone had a confession about you" Steve repeated.
"What did they say?" Bucky asked curiously, going so far as to look up from the cake at Steve.
"Someone has a crush on you."
"On me?" he chuckled. "Doubt it."
"Well, lots of people do, I always have girls come up to me for your number. I never give them your number, and never tell you cause I know you like dick."
Bucky choked on the piece of cake he was eating and had a rough coughing fit. "Christ Steve" he gasped. "Can you put it more eloquently than that?"
"You think vaginas are gross."
"You should stop now."
"So anyway" Steve said, grabbing his phone from his pocket. "They are obviously studying here, but I knew that they were talking about you even though your name wasn't actually mentioned."
"Huh. How do you know it was me then?" Bucky asked, grabbing the coffee from the lady. "Thanks."
She nodded and walked back to the register.
"I know it was you cause they said they had a crush on the guy with the man bun and varsity jacket."
Bucky scoffed. "Steve, I would say that description covers at least twenty percent of the males at this college."
"Well, that might be, but I will also add that they know what you're studying teaching."
Bucky hummed. "I am sure there are others who have the same style jacket and hair as me who are studying teaching."
Steve shrugged. "I still think it's about you."
"Pass me the phone."
Steve agreed, holding his phone out for his best friend.
Bucky sat on the table and stared at the screen. "No."
"Crazy huh? Definitely you."
"Oh, I was gonna say that there is no way that's me" he chuckled. He passed Steve's phone back, which Steve pocketed.
"I could have sworn…" he shrugged. "Do you have class today?" Steve asked, changing topic.
"Yeah, not until two thirty" Bucky replied, sipping his coffee.
Steve looked at the time on his phone, almost one, and nodded. "I can see why you were spending so much time in the library."
"I have a lot of work to do" he sighed. "Plus I start back at work on Saturday, so yeah… it's only going to get busier."
"So, not going on any dates?" Steve joked.
"Pfft. No. As if I even have time for any of that normally. Anyway, I don't see you dating anyone."
Steve raised a brow. "Will you ever?"
"Don't be like that." He finished his coffee and threw the cup in the bin. "Aren't you going to buy lunch?"
"Yeah. Aren't you going to eat something healthy?"
"I had an apple this morning."
Steve knew that arguing with Bucky would get him nowhere, so he went to buy food instead.
…
Sam watched as the short blonde walked away from his dark haired crush. All he had to do was walk by and start a conversation, but he knew that there was no chance that he would actually do it. He had no idea who this guy really was, he had simply fallen in love with his appearance, as shallow as that sounded.
However, he had written a confession, but that didn't mean that the brunette would know it was about him. He seemed rather oblivious about the social happenings around the campus. Perhaps he wasn't on that page on Facebook, or maybe he just hadn't been on Facebook that day. He was sure that the brunette would figure out it was about him. He seemed to be a smart guy.
He finished eating his lunch, deciding that he might walk by the brunette in an attempt to start a conversation on his way to the café for a coffee. He threw his rubbish in the bin and made his way over, thinking about the different ways this conversation could go. He was about seven feet away from the brunette when his small blonde friend re-joined him. He sighed to himself and walked past the two of them, his heart smashing against his ribcage when the brunette made eye contact with him and actually smiled at him, before his friend and him left the cafeteria.
Sam couldn't believe it. The brunette had such a charming smile. He had actually smiled at Sam. He was so distracted in fact, that he didn't even realize that the lady was waiting for him to order his coffee. He ordered quickly, feeling his cheeks heat up, paid and moved to the side.
"Sam Wilson?"
He looked around at a man he didn't know. The man looked to be several years older than him, and didn't look like a student, although Sam wasn't one to judge. He understood that anyone could go back and study. "Who's asking?"
"Clint Barton" the man said, holding out his hand.
Sam raised a brow, but shook the man's hand anyway. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise" Clint smiled. "So, I'll get right to it. I'm just here to inform you that Barnes doesn't have Facebook."
Sam frowned. "Pardon?"
"James, the brunette with the man bun and varsity jacket."
Sam frowned. That was how he had described the brunette on the confession site. "What do you know about any of this? Are you a student here?"
Clint shook his head. "Not a student. Just someone who wants to help you out. The brunette with the man bun and varsity jacket is named James, and he isn't on social media."
"How do you know?"
"I have my sources."
Sam frowned. Could he really trust this man he didn't know? He would like to think he could. "Well, thanks for letting me know" he replied cautiously.
"I just didn't want you to wait forever for him to see your confession, if he doesn't get shown the confession. You know what I'm saying?"
Sam nodded, but found it odd that this man, who he didn't know, and who didn't attend the college just happened to know who Sam was, his anonymous confession and who his confession was about. He was about to ask Clint about it when the lady passed him his coffee. When he looked back around, Clint was gone.
He sighed and made his way to his next lecture. Today was just too weird to try and figure out. He shouldn't have bothered with that stupid confession.
…
James glanced back over his shoulder at the other student before he looked back at Steve. "Did you see that guy back at the cafeteria?" James whispered excitedly, looking at Steve.
Steve looked at him. "Who?"
"When we were leaving?"
"No idea what you're talking about."
James sighed. "Never mind."
"I'm curious now."
James shrugged it off. "It's fine."
"You thought he was cute?"
"Yeah. I guess I did" he replied softly, his cheeks red.
Steve chuckled and looked behind team. "Damn, I don't see him."
James look around. "I don't either" he sighed.
"What are you two looking at?"
James turned around and faced Natasha. "Oh, hey Nat" he smiled. "How are you?"
"Good. So, what are you up to?"
Steve shrugged. "Just having lunch" he said, holing up the sandwich he bought, still wrapped.
She hummed. "Cool." She looked at James. "Have Facebook yet?" she asked.
He shook his head. "Nope. Anyway, why are you doing this?"
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Steve already told me about the confession things, but figured it's not about me."
She raised a brow. "Oh yeah? Well, that's interesting discernment you have there."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"How did you figure it wasn't you? Everyone is saying it's about you" she chuckled.
James paused. "Wait… they are?"
"Yep. One of the girls in my first class was disappointed that someone was gonna sweep you up."
"Cause it's not obvious that James doesn't like pussy" Steve said.
"It's is so weird hearing you say that" Natasha chuckled. She leaned against the wall. "Yeah, so, who do you think it's about then?" she smirked at James.
"Pass me your phone" he sighed.
She smiled and got into the confession and passed it to him. "As they say, 'you haven't made it unless you end up on the College Confessions Facebook Page'" she chuckled.
Steve chuckled along with her.
James frowned. "Well… yeah… I guess it does fit me…"
She looked at Steve. "So, you told him about it?"
Steve nodded. "Of course."
She chuckled. "Good work." James felt her eyes on him as he typed a reply. "What are you doing?"
"Making a rendezvous."
She chuckled. "Okay. It's going to be under my name."
He shrugged. "Don't mind. I'm sure they'll understand."
…
She waited until they were gone before looking at the response James had types out.
'Hey. Everyone has been telling me about this, but unfortunately I don't have a Facebook account, but I just wanted to let you know I wanna meet. How about the fountain near the dorms at six tonight? I'm gonna assume you will agree, since I probably won't see your response. I guess I'll see you then. J.B.'
She smiled. "Sam Wilson you better show up" she chuckled to herself.
…
"Well, you haven't made it here unless you get a confession on the Facebook page" Wanda said.
James chuckled, perhaps Natasha wasn't making that up. "Well, there you go, even you've seen the post huh?"
"Of course. I think it's nice. Like it's a total secret admirer situation. I also saw you replied, Natasha" she joked.
He rolled his eyes. "I know."
"So, going to get Facebook?"
"Nope."
She nodded. "I suppose there is no real need for it. It's just nice to talk to my brother" she smiled.
He nodded. "That's true."
She scribbled some notes down in her neat cursive. "So, you're actually going to meet them?"
"Sure am. I want to be sure it's about me."
"I think you're the only person who doesn't think it's about you" she chuckled.
He smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. I just… I guess I just thought that no one really noticed me."
"Well, you are conventionally attractive."
He raised a brow, a grin on his face. "What?"
"Tall, dark hair, muscular, attractive, you see? That is you."
He hummed. "Never thought that about myself."
"I'm surprised" she joked.
He chuckled and looked back at the lecturer, knowing he had fallen behind. "Can I borrow your notes Wanda?"
"Of course."
"Thanks."
"Well, you help me out a lot, so it's the least I can do. So, you have any idea who your admirer is" she asked, tapping her pen on the table absentmindedly.
He watched the pen tap up and down on her page. "Um… no… but I…." he pulled his attention away from the pen. "Wanda, listen, I had this crazy experience at lunch."
"What happened?" she asked, eyes wide.
"I saw someone I had a crush on."
She pulled back from him, frowning. "Um… that's not crazy."
"No. I mean… I have never seen this guy before, but he was beautiful."
She nodded. "Guess that could be crazy."
"It felt it."
"Felt what?"
"Like this little zap through my body. Like electricity. It was incredible. But all I did was smile at him like an idiot" he sighed.
She rubbed his back. "Hey, if your admirer ends up being a girl, then you can go find this guy instead."
He chuckled. "I can't debate that logic."
…
Sam felt like everyone must have seen the message under his anonymous confession, since the fountain was now packed with students all whispering. He wasn't impressed by the sudden horde, but if this worked in his favour to meet James properly, then he didn't really mind.
He sat on the bench, trying to keep calm. This could only go better than his non-existent lunch encounter.
He looked around, hoping to catch a glance of James. James. It suited him well. He chewed his lip nervously. He saw the short blonde man James was usually seen with. If he was nearby, then James wouldn't be far.
He reached to his jeans pocket and felt for his phone, about to check to see if he had cancelled this whole meeting when he saw James walk over with the girl from his class. He felt his heart beat faster. James was here. He stood up and slung his bag over his shoulder, making his way over.
James seemed a little nervous, the blonde man and the girl from his class seeming to be trying to pep him up.
Sam smiled and approached James. "Hey, James?"
James turned around and his whole face lit up. "Hey" he smiled back.
A few people who were loitering around stopped to watch their interaction. The girl from his class threw them a glance and they all looked away again.
"You know my name?" James questioned.
"I only found out today. Seems everyone knew who my confession about" he chuckled.
James laughed. "Everyone I know knew it was about me too" James admitted. "Wow. I am so glad that's it's you."
"You knew me?"
James shook his head. "When I saw you at lunch… I was more than a little infatuated."
His female classmate chuckled. "A little" she mumbled, the blonde man joining her soft laughter.
"So in a way my confession was a good thing?" Sam asked.
"Absolutely" James replied.
Sam smiled. "Oh, sorry, I'm Sam Wilson."
"James Barnes."
"Well, how about I buy you dinner?"
"You mean coffee and cake" Steve added jokingly.
The girl nodded in agreement. "That is his favourite meal."
"Leave me alone" James said, waving his hand at the two of them.
"I'll see you in class tomorrow."
"I'll give your notes back then. Thanks Wanda."
She winked. "Welcome." She turned and made her way to the dorms.
"I'll see you tomorrow" Steve waved and walked away.
"So, did you bring them in case this went bad?" Sam asked curiously.
"I think I unintentionally invited everyone when I responded to your confession."
Sam chuckled. "You know, I think I have to agree."
"So, where are you taking me?" James asked.
"You like desserts?"
"I wouldn't think like them anymore than the next person" he said, in a strange defence.
Sam ginned. "Well, I do know a great dessert restaurant?"
"Let's go."
…
Wanda looked at Steve. "You're lucky to have a friend like James. He is lovely."
"You must be Wanda?" he asked curiously.
"He mentions me?" she asked, taken aback.
"Yeah. You're a good friend to him so maybe I should thank you."
"Oh… I never realized that he mentioned me out of class, you know?"
Steve nodded. "Understandable. But James is a good friend to those he is friends with. Even if he won't get Facebook."
Wanda chuckled. "Yes, we have had the Facebook debate a few times." She chewed her lip. "Please don't think of me as a gossip, but I have a roommate who has quite the crush on you."
Steve raised a brow. "Me?" he deadpanned.
Wanda nodded. "She talks about you quite a bit. Perhaps I can organize a time for you two to meet?"
"Oh, you have to be mistaken. It won't be this Steve" he chuckled.
She raised a brow. "Steve Rogers, first year art student?"
He paused. "How-?"
"She is quite infatuated with you. Walk me to my room?"
He nodded. "It does get dark quick-"
"Indeed" she agreed. "So, you're an artist?"
He chuckled. "A little bit. I hope to work in art when I'm older. Maybe I'll just be a teacher."
"That is still a good job. I am studying teaching too."
"Really?"
"That is why I am in James' class. We are both studying history teaching. This is my room. Do you think you could wait here for a minute?"
He nodded.
"Thanks Steve. Thanks for walking me back."
"Welcome."
She closed the door.
He wondered how long he would be waiting. Did she have somewhere to go afterwards? He turned around to look down the corridor when the door opened behind him. He spun around only to come face to face with Sharon. His mouth almost dropped. "H-hi Sharon" he said, trying to keep his composure.
"Hi Steve" she smiled, her cheeks a flushed pink. She was so beautiful. So ridiculously out of his league. "Wanda told me you were out here."
"Oh, right. Yeah. She asked me to walk her back. I wasn't lurking-"
"I didn't think you were" she smiled kindly. "I am glad she asked you to wait."
"Y-yeah?" Steve stammered.
She nodded. "Wanna have lunch together tomorrow?"
"I would like that."
She ginned. "Great. I'll see you at the cafeteria around twelve thirty?"
He nodded.
She pulled him into a quick hug. "Sorry-"
"Don't be."
She smiled. "I'll see you then." She opened the door to the room and he briefly saw Wanda wink at him and flash him the thumbs up.
He couldn't believe it. His way out of his league crush actually wanted to have lunch with him tomorrow. He felt his phone vibrate. He grabbed it from his pocket as he walked back to his dorm. A friend request from Sharon Carter. He accepted and his phone vibrated again when he got a message.
'Hi Steve. I was thinking maybe we could go somewhere nicer. Text me back?'
He swallowed hard when he saw her mobile number. Well, nothing ventured.