Day Seven
Bucky couldn't bring himself to feel too disappointed by the fact that dinner with Steve hadn't led to any romantic proclamations or makeout sessions behind one of the cabins. He allowed himself to bask in the sensation of being the only camper that Steve seemed to be taking an interest in. He was special after all.
"What do you think he sketches?" Alex asked after Bucky told him and Clint about his dinner conversations with Steve. They were drifting along the lake in a shoddy canoe while Tony, Bruce, and Peter were actually paddling around in another canoe. Bruce and Peter were enduring Tony's commands. Tony was posed at the front of the canoe, obviously imitating the famous picture of George Washington standing at the bow of a boat.
Bucky shrugged. "Beats me. He didn't really seem to want to talk about. He just kept staring at his food until I completely changed the subject. You don't think it's anything weird, do you?"
"Define weird." Clint grinned.
"Sponge art." Bucky mumbled.
"You've seen that video?" Clint looked beside himself with joy.
"Unfortunately."
"Oh my gosh, wiggles." Clint shook his body.
"No." Bucky glared at him.
"Is this fun or WHAT?"
"Stop."
"Oh, a virgin edge!"
"I will sink this damned boat." Bucky threatened. His mouth curved into a smile that he couldn't bite back.
"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Alex looked from Bucky to Clint with a concerned stare.
"Trust me, you don't want to know." Bucky assured him.
"It's the greatest video of all time." Clint interjected.
"I'm just hoping that Steve isn't some crazy artist with weird habits. I don't know. Maybe I'm overthinking it. I usually do. It's probably nothing to worry about. He's probably just shy about showing his work to other people."
"Yeah, but he likes you." Clint reminded Bucky. "He should want to show you something like that."
"Maybe you should go to his cabin and ask to see his sketches. He said 'anytime,' didn't he?" Alex agreed.
"Well, yeah, but…"
"Hey, Tony!" Clint leaned over the side of the boat to catch Tony's attention.
"What? Can't you see that I'm trying to win the Revolutionary War over here?" Tony demanded indignantly.
"Yeah, yeah. This'll only take a second." Clint rolled his eyes. "D'you know where Steve is right now? Or when he's gonna be back in his cabin?"
Tony's gaze shifted from Clint to Bucky. His mouth curved into a wry smile.
"Just show him. He likes you. He went to dinner with you. He doesn't seem to scare easy. Just show him." Steve mumbled to himself, his voice muffled by the sketchbook he had placed directly over his face.
It had been twelve hours since Bucky had asked about his sketches and Steve still did not know how to respond. He wanted to show Bucky everything. He wanted Bucky to see exactly how he viewed him; perfect. What he did not want, however, was to send Bucky away screaming.
"I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of this." Nat supplied unhelpfully from across the room. "Anyone would be flattered to have someone draw a picture of them. Nobles used to pay people to do it all of the time."
"Yeah, but they posed for those. Bucky doesn't even know that these exist. And some of them are from the first day of camp. That can't make me look good."
"I wouldn't say that. They make you look like a romantic."
"He'll think I'm a psychopath."
"If he does, then he obviously isn't for you."
"But I want him so bad." Steve whined, placing his hands on top of the sketchbook in a display of agony.
"Then do something about it. Show him the stupid sketches."
"What if he doesn't like the way he looks?"
"Then he probably has a problem with mirrors, too. Your sketches look exactly like him, Steve."
"What am I supposed to say to him when he sees them?"
"How about 'I've been desperately in love with you since the moment I saw you and I'll drive my best friend absolutely insane if you don't love me back'?"
"That could use some work."
A knock on the door diverted Steve's attention from his despair. He removed the sketchbook from his face and looked at Nat curiously. All of the other counselors had activities and Coulson was tied up in a budget meeting. Steve couldn't imagine who was on the other side of the door.
"I'll get it." Nat rolled her eyes and sauntered over to the door.
She was so cool.
Steve wished that he could steal just a fraction of her cool and aloof persona. It would be incredibly handy to have around Bucky.
"Oh, Bucky." Nat's voice sounded from the other side of the cabin.
Steve's eyes widened. He threw his sketchbook under his bed and dashed over to the mirror. He looked like a disaster. His hair was sticking up at all angles, his clothes were wrinkled, and there were lines across his face where his sketchbook had been resting. He was in no state to see Bucky.
"Uh, hi. Is...Steve here? This is his cabin, isn't it?" Bucky's uncertain voice made Steve's heart jump in his chest.
"It sure is. He's back in his room. I'll see you later."
"Oh, you, uh, you don't have to leave. I was just…"
"No, it's fine. I actually have a very important meeting with your cabin-mate right about now. Have fun." Steve could hear the laughter in Nat's voice.
He cringed as he waited for Bucky to step into the disaster that was his existence.
Fuck.
If Steve looked good when he was alert and composed, he looked damn near devastating when he was lazy and bedraggled. His hair was ruffled, his clothes were hanging from his body, and his eyes were soft and kind. Bucky nearly turned around and ran straight out of the door.
"Bucky," Steve's voice kept him trapped in place. "Hey. What're you doing here? I thought that you were taking over the lake with Tony."
"I was." Bucky nodded dumbly. "But then we finished. The lake isn't very big."
"No, it isn't." Steve agreed, still looking at Bucky curiously.
Maybe this had been a mistake.
Maybe having dinner with Steve didn't mean anything to him. Maybe he just considered Bucky a friend; a friend that was now inviting himself into his cabin. A friend that was overstepping some serious boundaries.
"I was just wondering if I could see your sketches. You know, the ones we were talking about last night. You don't have to show me if you don't want to, I just...uh...well, you said anytime and I just thought…" God, he was an idiot.
"Oh." Steve said. "Yeah, right. The sketches. I'd forgotten about that."
Of course he had. While Bucky was agonizing over what Steve might be thinking up and drawing, Steve was lounging around his cabin with Natasha. He probably hadn't given their conversation a second thought.
"I'm sorry. If I'm bothering you I can just…"
"No, no, you're not bothering me." Steve shook his head, a warm smile crossing his face. "I told you anytime, didn't I? No time like the present."
Steve sat down on his bed and patted the space next to him. Bucky stared at that space. That space was so full of promise. So close to Steve.
Alone. In a cabin. On a bed. With Steve.
Bucky's legs trembled and threatened to buckle out from under him as he crossed the room and perched at the very edge of the bed. He didn't trust himself to relax quite yet.
Steve didn't seem to notice Bucky's nerves. He just leaned over and pulled a notebook out from under the bed. It was very clearly worn; papers were jutting out from every angle, the cover was nearly falling off, and the smudged words "Property of Steve Rogers" were scrawled across the front page.
Steve Rogers.
Bucky hadn't known that Steve's last name was Rogers.
He liked it.
It fit.
Steve handed the book over, eying Bucky cautiously. He was probably worried that Bucky might tear a page out on accident. Bucky was worried about the very same thing. His concern evaporated almost entirely as he sifted through the sketches, though.
"These are really good, Steve." He murmured as he flipped through each page.
There were drawings of animals, plants, scenery, and, of course, Peggy. Bucky couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous that she had held his attention long enough for him to draw so many pictures of her. He had clearly worshiped every single line of her.
Steve beamed at Bucky's compliment.
"Thanks. Oh, ah, I don't know if you should look at the more recent stuff. It isn't really good." He said, reaching his hands out towards the book. He seemed eager to get it out of Bucky's hands as quickly as possible. Bucky held it out of reach with a playful smile.
"I'm sure it's great." He reached over to the book and flipped through the pages until he reached something that forced him to pause.
There were a number of sketches that looked eerily similar to him. Bucky turned to look at Steve for some kind of explanation.
"Shit." Steve mumbled instead. His face was dark red, his eyes were averted, and his mouth was curved downward into a severe frown. Bucky took his behavior as a confession. His heart raced and a smile lit across his face.
"Is this…" Bucky was hesitant to even ask. "Is this me?"
"It's weird. I know it's weird. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean…" Steve rambled, shaking his head and looking thoroughly embarrassed. Bucky couldn't stop smiling.
Steve drew him. Steve had actually taken the time to look him over and recreate the image of him on paper. And it wasn't even that he had done it just once - he had done it numerous times. He had drawn him at least twenty times in seven days. Bucky was beside himself with happiness.
"Why are you sorry?" He was almost afraid to ask. He didn't want to let anything ruin the bubbly sensation in his stomach.
"Because I know that you don't feel that way about me. You've got Alex and now I've -"
"Alex? I don't care about Alex. I've just been worried about how you felt about me."
"You…?"
"How do you feel about me, Steve?" Bucky was shaking with excitement.
"I want you." Steve answered simply. His face was red but his eyes were certain.
"In what way?" Bucky asked suspiciously. "As a model? As a friend? As...more?"
"Yes. To all of that. And more. I want you in every way. In any way that you'll let me have you." Steve replied, watching Bucky carefully. He looked serious but apprehensive. He was telling the truth but looked very unoptimistic about the outcome of the conversation.
Bucky could hardly believe it.
Steve was afraid of rejection.
As if anyone would ever reject him.
"I…" Bucky's mouth dried up. He was at a loss for words.
Steve seemed to take Bucky's silence as a bad sign. He looked down at the ground and let out a sigh.
"I like you."
Steve's head snapped back up. He looked at Bucky incredulously.
"You do?"
"Of course I do! How have you not noticed? I'm a mess every time I'm around you. Why do you think I fell over during boxing? I was too busy thinking about you to notice anything. I fell off those damned ropes because you held my hand and I lost my entire train of thought. I haven't exactly been subtle about it." Bucky probably shouldn't have been admitting to any of those things. They were embarrassing and Steve might not have liked him well enough to overlook that.
"Let me take you out." Steve said.
Apparently he was not put off by Bucky's confession.
"How? We're stuck at camp." Bucky reminded him.
Steve shrugged. "I've got the night off in two days. I can borrow Coulson's car. I'll sneak you out of Sam's cabin just after lights out and have you back before morning roll call."
Bucky grinned stupidly. "It's a date."
Yaaaaaaaaaas. The babies have finally found their words. I love it.
Oh, also, the sponge video. I'm still not certain why I made the reference, but it seemed like youthful Clint would be all over watching and making fun of viral videos. If you have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about, this is it: watch?v=V_OVxxIvqVw
Anyhow.
Next chapter is Steve and Bucky's date. Who's excited? I am! It's going to be a much longer chapter than the ones I've previously posted, though, so please be patient with me. I think they've earned a nice, long date after all of their awkward moments.
