"Your turn, Steve."
"What are the choices again?"
Tony stared at him in disbelief. "Seriously, it's the name of the game. Truth or Dare. Is that so hard to remember?"
Steve blushed a little. "I've never played this before." He muttered defensively, crossing his arms. "…dare."
"Hmm." Tony's eyes glittered rather menacingly with possibilities. "If you were Clint I'd have you flash Director Fury during an important meeting. If you were Nat I'd get you to pour hair dye into the team's respective bottles of shampoo. I'd make Thor try to eat his own hammer. Bruce could stick posters of-"
"Yeah, okay, I'm aware of the terrifying scope of your imagination." Steve interrupted with a laugh. "What's my dare?"
Tony smiled like a cat. "song lyric text Bucky."
Steve's brow creased in confusion. "What?"
"So behind. So young and innocent." Tony rolled his eyes and sighed theatrically.
Steve gave him a look. "I'm 90."
"Details!" Tony responded breezily. "All you have to do is text the lyrics of a song to Bucky, one line at a time. Simple."
Steve continued to frown. "Well I guess that's not so bad but…wouldn't it seem really weird? Bucky won't understand what I'm talking ab-"
"Ex-actly." Tony deadpaned.
Steve still looked uncomfortable. He shuffled around on the sofa and chewed his bottom lip awhile before asking "which song?"
"The next one that comes up on my playlist."
"…why are we even playing this game?"
"Because it's fun and a good way to spend time with a friend in between meetings. Now stop stalling." Tony triumphantly pressed play on his mobile and they both leaned forward to listen. Steve's face turned pale. Tony's smirk widened.
"He'll never have heard that song." Steve said a little frantically.
"That's the point, how many times do I have to tell you? Besides, you can tell him it's a joke afterwards."
Steve really wasn't show how his best friend was going to take it. Bucky was a man who had only recently managed to put his mind back together after it had been shattered by severe emotional and psychological disturbance. He was also the man Steve had secretly been in love with for what felt like his entire life.
Tony, tactless as ever, huffed impatiently. "Are you going to do it or not? Forfeit is take of all your clothes."
Steve sighed and typed the first line of the song Perfect by P!nk into the message bar. Feeling slightly queezy, he clicked send.
Steve: made a wrong turn, once or twice
The reply was almost immediate.
Bucky: Steve are you ok?
Tony snickered. "I wonder if he'll ever get the hang of text talk. Hey, what are you doing? Stop!"
Steve had been desperately typing back that he was completely fine and not to worry and that it was just a stupid prank. Tony quickly snatched the phone off him.
"If you don't do the dare then you forfeit!" he screamed. Seeing Steve's alarmed face, he added "the dude can handle it, Steve."
Steve: dug my way out, blood and fire
Bucky: yes you did Steve but why are you saying this?
Steve: bad decisions, that's alright
Bucky: Steve.
Steve: welcome to my silly life
Bucky: your life is not silly please tell me what is wrong!
Steve put down his phone and wailed "I can't do this it's upsetting him!"
"But you're just getting into it." complained Tony. "a few more lines. Then we'll tell him."
Steve: mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood
Bucky: I'm here now Steve I will protect you.
Tony squealed like a little girl. Steve's heart turned over. He felt so bad for making Bucky worry, yet he couldn't curb the warmth that spread through his body at such deep concern.
Steve: Mr no way it's all good
Bucky: where are you?
Steve: it didn't slow me down
Bucky: Steve I want to come and find you. Tell me where you are.
Steve: mistaken, always second guessing
Bucky: where are you.
Steve: underestimated, look I'm still around
Bucky: I know how difficult it was for you back then and I'm so proud of you for what you have become but you were just as great then as you are now.
"Steve, your eyes are more sparkly than usual. You're not about to cry, are you?
Steve quickly wiped at his face. "No."
Tony was suddenly distracted. "Oooh see the next verse? This is gonna be so great!"
Steve: pretty pretty please, don't you ever ever feel
Bucky: what? Feel what?
Steve's heart was pounding as he typed in the next line. He really meant it this time.
Steve: like you're less than perfect
He ignored Tony's snickers as he waited urgently for the reply. He'd never dared to confess his feelings before – what if it had ruined their friendship? Then he would have been left with nothing. But now…now it was legal. Now it was harder and harder to keep his feelings under control. His phone beeped.
Bucky: steve
Steve: pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel like you're nothing, you are perfect to me
Bucky: do you mean that
Steve felt a wave of panic crash over him. What if Bucky thought he was admitting his feelings? What if he freaked out?
Steve: Bucky Im so sorry this is just some stupid lyric texting prank tony is making me do please I'm fine dont be worried Im sorry
Tony sighed in disappointment. "It was just getting interesting…" he complained wistfully.
They waited for a long time.
"Tony why hasn't he replied?" Steve muttered nervously.
"Maybe he's driving…" Tony suggested awkwardly.
"He doesn't have a car, Tony!" Steve snapped.
"Well, he's probably just busy." Tony tried to smile reassuringly.
They waited a minute longer. By now Steve was chewing his fingernails to shreds. Finally, he screeched "Oh God he's so angry he's run away and I'll never see him again. Hydra will find him and torture him and take back his mind. Oh this all my fault why did I ever-"
Beep
Bucky: so you didn't mean it then?
Steve: no it was just a joke please don't be too mad
Bucky: not any of it?
Steve: what do you mean?
There was another long silence. Steve realised Tony was hanging over his shoulder, just as glued to the screen as he was.
Bucky: nothing see you later
Steve gulped. "He's mad."
"What?!" Tony wailed loudly, making Steve leap out of his skin. He started muttering frantically to himself under his breath. "he can't do this to me it's so obvious why can't he just…"
"Just what?"
"Are you a complete idiot?" Tony screamed in frustration. "Can you not see what's going on here?"
Steve stared at him, nonplussed.
"Oh my God." Tony pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Just tell me Tony." Steve sighed, rolling his eyes.
Tony took a deep breath. "Bucky is just as much in love with you as you are with him."
Steve turned bright red. "I'm n-n-not in, in l…love with B-bucky Tony that's just absurd…wait, what? What did you say?"
"Bucky. Is. In. love. With. You."
Steve felt his mouth drop open. At the same time, he felt a wonderful balloon of hope swell in his heart. "How do you know?"
"WE ALL KNOW! EVERYONE KNOWS! HOW COULD ANYONE NOT KNOW?!" Tony looked like he was in serious need of a bag to breath into. Steve looked like he'd just witnessed a miracle. Then a sudden death.
"Oh my God I'm such an idiot! now he thinksI don't care about him! Where's my phone?"
Steve: you are perfect to me Bucky
"Reply reply reply!" chanted Tony. A few seconds later…
Bucky: you are perfect to me Steve
Steve: where are you now?
Bucky: why
Steve: because I want to tell you that I love you
Bucky: this isn't a lyric texting prank is it?
Steve: no
Bucky: I love you Stevie
Thank you for reading! Hope you enjoyed it. Please do leave a review to let me know what you thought or offer any suggestions for future fics :) ;)
(DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN MARVEL OR ANY OF ITS'S CHARACTERS, NOR AM I MAKING ANY MONEY FROM THIS)
