/AN: I've changed up how I'm going to write this, so it goes up by year. Hopefully you all enjoy, and please remember to leave a review!/
It was 1941. Steve had gotten used to the idea of being alone in his house, or rather he would have, if him and Bucky hadn't been spending everyday together, including this one rainy day. Bucky had been at Steve's all day, since the rain wouldn't stop long enough to let them go anywhere, and by nightfall it was going on just as strong. "Steve, I can just hail a cab, honestly, I don't wanna bother you," Bucky insisted when Steve suggested he just stay over, "'Sides, you must be sick of me now, after hanging out with me all day."
"Nope. Sorry, Buck. Not sick of you, and I can't let you go outside in this." Steve was adamant on keeping his friend safe, even if he wasn't in any real danger. "It's better in here than out there." Bucky looked out the front window at the downpour, the puddles didn't have time to settle without wind or rain disturbing them more, and at this point, Bucky knew he had to let Steve win. "Fine," Bucky agreed, "now you're stuck with me all night too." He smirked at Steve. Steve got a bit red in the face, "C'mon Bucky, I'm not s-stuck with you," he stammered. In all honesty, Steve had never been sure if he only thought of Bucky as just a friend, especially now after spending the last year with almost only him. He could never tell him that, or anyone that for that matter. If he mentioned it to his mother, she would have said "Well he's your best friend" or something along those lines. Every time Bucky smirked Steve tried to stop goosebumps from showing, Bucky had been the cause for Steve blushing on more than one occasion, everything about Bucky just made Steve question himself and their relationship. But he could never tell him that. Though unknowingly to him, Bucky felt the same. He couldn't explain it either, they've been friends for so long, so that had to be it, just because they're friends. the only reason why Bucky was always looking out for Steve was because they're friends. Nothing more, or so he had said to himself. "Alright, not stuck, but thanks for letting me stay, pal." It wasn't the first time he had stayed at Steve's, but normally Sarah was there when he did, more recently if they had stayed together, it was at Bucky's house. That's not to say that anything would go on between them, but it was different.
The two were sitting on the floor in Steve's room. Steve spent a lot of the time drawing in his sketchbook, leaning against one wall, while Bucky sat near him listening to the radio, leaning on another wall. Steve enjoyed art, it was one thing he had always been passionate about, and he was quite good at it. His mother had told him that he could be a famous artist if he had put his mind to it, and he wanted to. He glanced over his sketchbook at Bucky to begin his next drawing. Starting with the outline of his face, his sharp jawline, then drew a smirk. He smiled to himself at the thought of Bucky's smirk. Finishing that, he went onto his nose and ears, wanting to save his eyes for last. About that time, Bucky turned the dial on the radio to get rid of the static. It played the end of an advertisement for a baseball game that would be taking place the next week, and Steve looked up, "Ball game next week? We should go." Bucky looked at him when he spoke, "You got it, pal," he said then looked back to the radio, and Steve went back to sketch Bucky's hair. What the radio played was now news on what was happening overseas, "There is the foundation to an even bigger problem than anticipated for America, as soon as we get word we're needed, we'll need as much help as we can get." Bucky frowned slightly at the broadcast. "Looks like it's kind of inevitable by this point." Steve looked back at him, "Well if they need us, they need us. We should sign up together," the two smiled at each other. "You got it, pal," Bucky repeated, and after a pause, he turned off the radio and moved next to Steve, "What're you drawing?" Steve smiled more when Bucky moved closer, he felt his warmth against his side, and he felt the urge to lean against him, with his head on his shoulder, but had to fight it. He hadn't yet finished with the eyes, but it was still clear who was in the drawing, so he leaned his sketchbook over for Bucky to see it. "Aww, it's me!" Bucky grinned, "looks just like me. Even has that dumb smile," he chucked. Steve looked over at him, still smiling, "It's not dumb. It's cute, and it's a good look for you…" he blushed a bit, then continued, "brightens up your stupid mug." Bucky smirked at his friend, similar to the smirk Steve had drawn, "Y'know you've been making a habit of this whole callin' me 'cute' thing, if I didn't know better, I'd think there was some kinda meaning behind it. Especially since you always find a way to insult me afterward. You'd think you were flirting or something," Bucky teased. Though he said that, he couldn't help but hope he was right. Steve chuckled, "You started it," he smiled at his friend. He wouldn't, no, he couldn't actually admit it to Bucky that there was truth behind his words, he figured it would be unrequited, and didn't want to lose him as a friend over something so superficial. Steve got up to look outside, it was still raining, it had calmed down a bit, but it was still coming down hard. "Wonder when this will clear up," he thought out loud, Bucky looked up at him, "Changing the subject?" he asked while laughing, then continued, "I'm sure it'll stop by tomorrow. After all, if it hasn't cleared up by morning, I guess I'll be stuck here for longer." He smiled at Steve, somewhat imitating his concern from earlier.
"Oh, shut up," was all Steve said in reply.
Steve looked back at Bucky. He could never pinpoint why of all people Bucky could have been friends with, he chose the scrawny kid who liked art, and always picked fights, and why of all people that Steve could have loved, did it have to be his best friend? "Hey, Buck, lemme ask you somethin'," he sat back down beside his friend, "Y'know when we were kids, and I got into a fight with that jerk at school, and you pulled him offa me?"
"You mean, when we became friends?" Bucky looked at him, confused as to why he was asking.
"Yeah, that. I guess I was just wondering why you helped me, and why you decided 'hey, I wanna be friends with that guy'?"
Bucky looked more confused now, Steve had never really questioned that before. He looked forward to think. After a good amount of time had passed, he looked back at him, "Well, I guess I thought I needed to help you out. Everyone else was cheering that guy on, but no one wanted to help you. Kinda pissed me off, I guess. Once I got involved, and stopped the fight, I just kinda figured that I should be friends with you, stop you from getting into fights, I guess. No reason like needing to be your friend to protect you or anything," he said that, but knew it wasn't exactly true, as they got older, Bucky had found he was stopping more and more fights Steve got into. Then he continued, "I just wanted to. I'm glad that you wanted to hang out with me too." Steve looked at his friend, smiling when he said that. Bucky was honestly the best guy Steve had really known, and was glad to call him his friend.
"You knew I wouldn't stop getting into fights, anyway" Steve said, he didn't always want to fight, but there were so many bullies in the world, and Steve didn't like them at all. He would constantly stand up to them to show them that they couldn't pick on the little guy.
"Yeah, I knew that," Bucky laughed. "But at least you always have 'em on the ropes." That was normally something Steve said after Bucky had found him in some alley or parking lot with some guy pushing him around. Bucky looked back at the sketchbook that was now on the floor, Steve put a lot of detail into his drawing of him, and Bucky couldn't help but blush a little, as it meant Steve paid attention to the little details about him, and it made him happy. He looked over at Steve and smiled again, "Thanks for being such a great friend," and he put his arm around his shoulders in a semi-embrace, and both of their hearts seemed to quicken, while their cheeks turned a light shade of red. But neither of them moved away.