Soon after we all split up to head home, Steve offered to walk Sharon home, to which she accepted, mental note to ask Nat if they're dating. Sam and Clint jumped into a battered jeep with Bucky at the wheel and offered us a ride but Nat and I preferred the walk. It only took around 15 minutes to get back to the dorm, after changing and settling in to our own beds, light was off and Nat was scrolling through her phone, it illuminating her face.

"Hey Nat, thanks for inviting me, honestly I had fun, you've got some nice friends"

"No problem, honestly though you can just tell them to shut up if their questions are too much, Clint is awful for blunting out whatever comes into his head"

"I really don't mind; I've had people ask in a lot worse ways about my parents."

"They're your friends too now, unlucky you,"

I smiled before wishing her a goodnight and nodding off.

The next day went by uneventful, after classes were done, I headed to the library again to finish my essay and start reading for my core classes. As I settled into a seat with my reading materials to my left and my laptop open in front of me, I started on the essay. I was finished within the hour and reread it to make sure I was happy before sending it to be printed, as I went to collect it at desk, I saw Bucky and Steve enter the library, I give them a small wave as they looked up at me. They headed over.

"Where you sitting?" "Hi Kate" Bucky and Steve said at the same time,

"Hi Steve and over there, where the pink laptop is," I pointed, Bucky grimaced,

"Pink?"

"Yeah, deal with it," I walked to the counter to show my card and collect my paper, I walked back and sat at my spot, "So what brings you to my office?" I asked waving my hands across the table I was sitting at, Steve smiled,

"Bucky has got an essay due tomorrow, and I'm here for moral support, and to make sure he does it"

"I'm not that bad," he nudged Steve, "it's the History essay," Bucky looked at me,

"Yeah I guessed. You haven't even started it?" I frowned

"It's not due til tomorrow…"

"Okay then… I just finished mine, gonna start on my reading pile. First up..." I paused to pick up the book "The German Genius: Europe's Third Renaissance, the Second Scientific Revolution and the Twentieth Century… Phew, that's a long title"

"Looks like a long book too," Bucky stared

"I read that, it's a hard read, worth it, but hard none-the-less" Steve muttered.

"Well, I better get too it,"

"Before you do…" Bucky stopped me "Your essay… How di-"

"You're not getting my essay, sorry, I don't share work"

"I wasn't gonn-" Bucky stared, "I meant to ask what route you went down for it? I mean obviously immigration is the only way to go-"

"Not really, sure immigration is a big part of the whole 'land of opportunity', but you could also go into the actual opportunities, like the better living, safer living, technology advancements, the US was and is still known as the land of freedom and equality, well I say is still known as that mayb- actually I won't go into that, but yeah it's so much more than just the immigration." Bucky stared "But what you want to know is what I did mine on... All of the above, with a smidgen of life experience."

"Wow. So, you've covered all bases?" He laughed a little "Save some for the rest of us,"

I laughed, "Maybe come up with the ideas first," I winked, "Anyway shush, I've got reading to do,"

The whole time Steve kept quiet, scrolling through his phone. I think I caught him smirk.

Bucky scoffed and started typing away on his laptop.

An hour or so passed, Steve had grabbed a book from his backpack, presumably for his class and looked a good few chapter in before;

"Sigh- I think I need a coffee; you guys want anything?" Bucky stood up,

Steve reached over to his laptop and checked the screen, "No you don't, I'll get the coffee, keep writing."

"I'm only running to the coffee shop; I'll finish when I get back"

"Buck no, sit, finish, don't flunk out again." Steve pushed Bucky back into his seat like a naughty child.

"Fine." Bucky frowned and pulled the laptop towards him before sighing.

"You okay over there?" I asked over my book

"Perfect."

"You sure? Want a hand?"

"Nope." Popping the 'P'

"Okay then…" I glanced to where Steve was walking away "Why does he push you so hard?" Bucky looked up at me, and frowned

"Because he's my friend?"

"Well yeah but mine would never push me like that."

"Maybe you had shitty friends?" He paused and looked up, "Sorry, I just- I get defensive-"

"No? Really?" I rolled my eyes, standing to pack my stuff away,

"Wait, where you going?"

"Home, I'm not gonna sit around for you to act like an ass"

"No, come on, I'm sorry, it's just," he paused, sighing, "I've flunked out of class like 3 times, I can't do this classroom learning thing, and Steve is the same age as me and I'm like 4 years behind him, it's embarrassing-"

"I get it, really, I've had to work myself to the bone to get this scholarship, I didn't have anyone to push me, but you can't act like an ass when someone offers to help you,"

"I know, please stay, I could use some pointers…" He glanced up at me, well that's close enough to admitting he's wrong, I sat down dropping my backpack on the floor.

"What you got so far?"

Bucky turned his laptop around to face me, I pulled it over, he has 1800 words so far,

"It's not a lot-"

"Shh, I'm reading" he twiddled his thumbs while he waited for me, it didn't take me long, "This is really good, the idea is really interesting, what you thinking of putting next?"

"What?" He looked up stunned, "You think so? Um, I guess a little bit more the economical rise before a closing statement, but you don't think I need to scrap and start again?"

"No! Bucky, seriously this is good, do what you had planned, I'm actually kind of impressed, the way you were going on I thought I'd have to tell you how bad it was…"

"You wouldn't pretend it was good?" He smirked

"No way, if something is trash, I'll tell you, where's my lying about it gonna get you?"

"Well, thanks," he laughed, pulling his laptop back over, looking happy with himself he started to type again, I smiled and pulled my book back out.

Steve came back not long after with 3 drinks and a small bag, he passed Bucky a coffee. He set a cup in front of me, "Hope you like hot chocolate,"

"Thanks Steve, you shouldn't have," I smiled, smelling the chocolatey goodness,

"And I got snacks," Putting the bag onto the table, "Muffins,"

"Thanks man," Bucky smiled sipping his coffee,

"How's the essay going?" Steve asked,

"Really good actually, I'm almost done,"

"Nice, I'm gonna go grab some reading for my classes next week, be back in five" Steve stood up with a smile.

I held my page, while taking a long drink of chocolate "Oh my God" I whispered, "This is amazing"

"Hey, I think I'm done, could you check it over for me?" Bucky asked quietly.

"Of course, pass it here"

I read it from the beginning, he switched around a few statements, adding some more points and a closing statement, I reread the final statement about America's growing natural resources and their impact, before smiling and looking up to Bucky.

"This might just be better than mine,"

"Can I read yours?"

"Um…" I looked at Bucky closely, yeah, I trust him, "Sure." I passed over my paper, "Wait, wipe your hands, I don't want coffee marks or muffin stains on my paper."

"Uh-huh" He rolled his eyes whilst wiping his hands on his jeans.

While I waited for him to finish, I started packing up my things, and readying the books I was checking out by making a pile.

"That was... Nice. It's nice how you put your own feelings into it, you really think we're still a land of opportunity?"

"Well, America is my land of opportunity, I'm getting a second chance over here,"

Bucky smiled at me whilst handing the paper back.

"Buck, you done?" Steve walked over holding a couple of books,

"Yeah just got to print it," typing on the laptop for a minute, he stood "Be right back"

As he walked towards the counter to collect his paper, I stood picking up my stuff, throwing my backpack on my shoulders and grabbing the library books, "I'm going to go check these out, thanks again for the hot chocolate, Steve, I'll see you around?"

"Yeah, catch you later, and thanks," he smiled, nodding to Bucky

"Sure," I smiled, heading over to the counter.

"You heading out?" Bucky turned around with his paper,

"Yeah, checking these out" I placed them on counter for the librarian to scan as well as my student pass, "See you in class?"

"See you then," Bucky, nudged my shoulder with his "Make sure to check your spelling in your paper, by the way, you spelt America wrong"

"What?!" I dropped my backpack and shuffled through to get my paper, taking few minutes to scan over it, "No I haven't" I looked up but he'd already walked back to the table and began packing his stuff away, he looked over to me with a smirk, "Jerk!"

"Shhhhh" The Librarian glared over the counter at me,

"Sorry" I looked up wide eyed, packing everything away I grabbed the checked book and raced out.

After walking quickly back to the dorm and sprinting up the stairs to our first story room, I unlocked the door, walked in and slammed the door, "Stupid boy"

"What's wrong with you?" Nat asked from her bed,

"Nothing, sorry, just-" I put my backpack down, "Doesn't matter, how's your day been?"

"Fine?" She looked up from her book, "Heard you've been with Steve and Bucky all afternoon,"

"How'd you-"

"Steve text me"

"Oh, yeah, I was finishing my paper and doing some reading, they came in and sat with me while Bucky did his" I unpacked the books from my backpack and sorted them onto my desk, "So what's Bucky's story? Steve said he's flunked out a few times"

"Yeah, he's not cut out for classroom learning, but he's trying,"

"And…"

"And what?"

"There's got to be more than that, someone who doesn't like classroom learning, repeatedly flunks out but still forces himself back to do it, why?"

Nat looked like she was thinking, "Ok, it's his story to tell really but look, he was in the army from 17, then something happened when he was 19 and he had to come back and he wasn't able to go back into the army, and he loved it. He's trying to get through College so he's got something to his name, he always says, being a solider was all he was good at and now he can't do it, he's trying to prove himself wrong I think."

"Why can't he go back into-"

"That's probably too personal for me to go into," She paused, looked at her phone for a second, "Maybe he'll tell you one day."

"Don't know about that." I grabbed my show caddy, "I'm gonna take shower,"