Chapter 3
Steve's right; the place is quiet and kind of nice. The good thing about it is that there are a few people inside when they arrive, but none of them seem to recognize Steve and if they do they don't look like they care about it. Bucky likes that, he's not prepared for the attention that involves being with Steve Rogers.
Bucky forgets all of his fears as the evening goes on; Steve proves to be an excellent company and they actually seem to get along quite well. It feels so natural to talk with him that Bucky tells him a piece of his past as a Sergeant, because Steve looks back at him like he actually understands what he's been through.
Steve tells him about Brooklyn; his childhood and the way he used to be back then. Bucky knows a few pieces of the story; everyone knows about Captain America, but it feels completely different when the guy who lived all of that is telling the story.
Bucky smiles at him as he mentions he used to be a stubborn little thing that never ran away from bullies even though if they were bigger and stronger than him.
"Well you're not little anymore, but I bet you still are a stubborn idiot, Rogers." He says laughing, but his laughter dies as he realizes what he said; Bucky looks worried at Steve, wondering if he just crossed some kind of invisible line he's supposed not to.
He opens his mouth to apologize, but he's interrupted by Steve rich and beautiful laughter. The captain grins at him and catches the hand that's on the table, Bucky's surprised by this, but he lets Steve do it.
"Yes, I am. But I must warn you, I'm worse when it comes to things that I really like," suddenly Steve's smirking at him again and Bucky can't help but blush hard. Of course Captain bloody America is not talking about him, he's NOT flirting.
Definitely not.
"I never give up," Steve adds with that enormous grin on his face. He looks like he's about to say something, but Bucky asks him about his years in the army and the war before he can open his mouth again.
He regrets it almost immediately when he sees Steve's expression turning sad.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking, just forget it, okay?" Bucky blurts out. "You don't have to say anything you don't want to."
"No, it's okay, really," Steve manages to smile again and caresses his hand. "Yeah, it's difficult sometimes, but I want to tell you, Buck. I trust you."
He can't believe this guy, how come he trusts someone that he just met? He's surprised, but also glad that Steve feels comfortable enough to share part of his past with him.
So Bucky listens. He listens and gasps and cringes when he hears Steve talking about the battles and the sacrifices he made for his country.
"I'm sorry," he says and he means every word. "I'm sorry you had to let everyone you loved behind. I know it'll be difficult, but I really hope you find something here to make you feel a little bit like before."
Steve smiles and this time his expression makes his eyes shine with joy.
"You know, I used to feel out of place here. I missed my life, my friends and everything I lost when I fell in the ice. And even though I still miss it… if someone offered me to go back in time, I'd do the same."
Bucky resists the temptation to rolls his eyes.
"Of course you'd do!" He giggles. "Only you do could be that selfless, Rogers."
But he smirks, like he knows something Bucky doesn't.
"I'm really flattered you think such an honorable thing of me, Barnes, but I'm afraid you're wrong," he informs, looking particularly amused.
"Yeah? How so? You have to explain it to me," Bucky insists, genuinely curious now. "Why would you do it then?"
But he doesn't say it, because a couple of girls approach them and ask Steve to take a selfie with them. They're so kind and respectful that Bucky actually likes them.
Just when he joins to help them to take a few more pictures, he realizes it's very late. So when they thank, both of them, and walk away, Bucky excuses himself and tells Steve he has to go. He tries to pay for dinner, but Steve doesn't let him.
He also offers to take him home. And while Bucky's not sure he's ready to ride that bike again, he accepts anyway.
Steve invites Bucky most of the days; their relationship progresses quickly, but it seems so natural it takes more than a month for Bucky to realize he got himself a best friend.
Darcy's over the moon, but her enthusiasm gets on Bucky's nerves sometimes. She thinks Steve has other intentions and she takes every opportunity she has to tell him so.
"He wants to spend more time with you," she comments like she hasn't talked about the same in weeks, which is ridiculous, because it's the only thing she talks about.
Bucky just rolls his eyes at her and walks away to give a girl her cup of hot chocolate and muffin. But when he goes back, Darcy has the same look on her face.
"Give him an opportunity," she practically begs.
"I don't have to, because he doesn't want to. We're just friends!" Bucky frowns and huffs at her.
"My friends don't look at me the way he looks at you," Darcy insists.
Bucky sighs; it's really difficult to ignore her when she starts to say the very things he wants to hear. But he's careful; he doesn't let himself to think about it too much.
"At least you invited him to your apartment yesterday?" She asks, looking like a mother that's about to scold her son.
"Yes." Actually, Steve's spending much of his time in Bucky's apartment. Most of the days they just watch Bucky's favorites movies or the ones on Steve's list and comment on them after they finish. They usually end up laughing at some stupid joke one of them make about the characters or the plot. And Bucky has to admit he enjoys a little too much every second he's with Steve Rogers. He's sure Captain America would never want a romantic relationship with a guy like him, but it doesn't matter, keeping his friendship is most important.
Besides he doesn't need anything more from Steve; it's not like he's falling in love with him or something like that… right?
It's been just a month, but to Bucky it feels like a lifetime with Steve; it's like he knows him his whole life. So it's pretty clear for him that the captain hates being in the apartment SHIELD gave to him.
Bucky also notices how persistent Steve is on watching movie after movie on particular night. He must really despise that place to want to spend the night in his apartment.
"You know… you can stay here tonight," he blurts out and he regrets it immediately just till he sees the hopeful look on Steve's face.
"You sure?" He asks almost in a whisper like he's afraid Bucky will change his mind.
"Of course. I have a spare room actually, my sister used to sleep in there when she visited me."
"Thanks," Steve beams at him. "Your sister is not coming tonight, right? Because if she is I–"
"Don't worry, really." He smiles or tries to… "She's... she's not here anymore. She died."
He watches the moment the realization hits Steve and how his smile fades away, replaced by sorrow and embarrassment. His face turns bright red.
"Oh, I'm so sorry I–"
"Steve, it's okay, you didn't know," Bucky puts his right hand on his shoulder, he knows by now that usually makes him feel more relaxed. "I'm not mad."
Steve nods, but Bucky knows he's still worried, so he tries to distract him by showing him the room and giving him pants and one of his t-shirts. He hopes the clothes fit; he's aware Steve's a little bit bigger and taller than him. He's so distracted by his own thoughts that he doesn't notice when Steve leans in and kisses him on the forehead till he's pulling away again.
The guy has the nerve to smirk at him when he sees Bucky blush.
"Thanks for all of this, Buck," he says and turns around. "Good night!"
And Bucky just blinks and stays there a couple of seconds more, before he can think clear again and disappear in his own room.
The first thing he notices when he wakes up is the noise and then the delicious smell that comes from kitchen. But it's not until Bucky gets out of his room and makes it to the kitchen that he sees Steve making pancakes.
"You're being so nice to me that I thought I could return the favor," Steve says, smiling nervously. "I hope is okay."
"Okay?" Bucky lets out, laughing. That guy's unbelievable. "It's more than okay! Seriously that smells really nice, Steve."
The captain grins at him, seeming pleased with himself.
Although the smell is really good, Bucky's not prepared for the flavor; when he takes the first bite, he can't stop the moan that comes out of his mouth. Steve looks at him intently, before his face turns completely red. Then, the man cleans his throat and looks away.
Bucky's not sure if Steve is mad or uncomfortable around him because of that so he tries to apologize.
"I'm sorry, couldn't help it. This is really delicious," he says and that makes Steve look back and he realizes, relieved that Steve doesn't seem mad, there's something more in his eyes that Bucky can't identify.
He seems flustered.
Then Steve looks at him and Bucky look right back and he feels it, it's like something warm in his chest, something that pulls him to Steve, that makes him want to lean across the table and plant a kiss on his lips.
But there's a knock at the door and the moment vanishes and Bucky reminds himself that he doesn't want to be in a relationship… that maybe it's all part of his needy imagination.
He excuses himself and walks to the door, but when he opens it three agents of SHIELD enter to his apartment with guns pointing at him. And while he knows by their body language that they mean no real harm, he tries to think in all the options he has to neutralize them without hurting them too much. But just when he opens his mouth to try to talk his way out of it first, a larger body pins him against the wall. Bucky tries to resist but then he realizes it's Steve so he looks at him in confusion.
Steve seems furious, it'd be something terrifying if it wasn't for the fact that he's not looking at him. Then Bucky realizes that Steve's trying to protect him using his body as a human shield. It's stupid and reckless and Bucky thinks he has to talk with Steve about that when they're alone again.
"Captain Rogers! We thought… we had orders–"
But the man talking only seems to upset him more. Steve gets close to Bucky and basically growls at the agents who immediately take the guns away.
Then a man with a black coat and a black eyepatch walks in. When he sees Steve an amused smile appears on his face.
Steve frowns at him.
"What are you doing here?"
"I was looking for you."
"How did you know where I was?"
"I know everything, Rogers," the man answers. "And please stop doing that, I'm not gonna hurt Sergeant Barnes, he is Romanoff's and she gets very protective of him, but I see she's not the only one."
Bucky looks at him over Steve's shoulders and realizes that yes, Natasha has talked about him.
"You're Nick Fury," he says then and Steve moves a little bit just to look at them both; he's confused.
"What do you mean he's Natasha's?"
"Oh for fuck's sake, Steve, relax!" Nat exclaims then. Bucky watches her eating an apple, sitting peacefully on the living room. "We're just friends."
What the hell?
"Nat how did you get in my apartment?" Bucky glares at her.
She rolls her eyes.
"Bucky I just knock at the door every time because I'm polite, but I can get in here whenever I want."
"Why didn't you tell me you knew him?" Steve cuts in, with a deep frown on his face. He finally steps aside so Bucky can move again, but stays close to him.
"So you knew Steve as well?" Bucky asks, feeling as confused as Steve.
"You let them do this? You let them come in here with weapons knowing they could hurt him?" Steve doesn't give Nat a chance to answer the first question; his confusion quickly escalates to anger.
"They would never hurt him, besides if they did they know I'd go after them," Nat says, looking annoyed. "He's my friend and I always protect my friends."
"He's also my friend."
Bucky sighs, realizing his friends are acting like children. He wants to step in and tell them that he can protect himself.
"He was my friend first," the woman says then and Bucky knows by the way she's grinning that she just wants to annoy Steve with that comment.
"Steve, don't mind her, she's just–" he can't finish though because Steve's huge arms are around him in a second and he feels himself get pushed into a tight hug.
"I was scared," he admits in a whisper, looking at Bucky in the eye. "I saw them pointing the guns at you and I almost panicked."
Steve looks so vulnerable that it takes Bucky a couple of minutes to react. He smiles at him.
"It's okay, Stevie. I'm here, I'm fine." He doesn't notice the nickname escapes his lips till much later, he's too distracted by the way Steve's eyes sparkle with joy.
Then he remembers they're not alone and takes a few steps away from Steve. He feels his face turning red, but tries not to think too much about it.
"You two are done?" Fury asks then. "Because I need to take Captain Rogers back to SHIELD right now."
"What's going on?" Steve asks.
"I can't talk here," Fury says. He moves his hand and the agents get out the apartment. Bucky knows he doesn't want him to hear.
"I'll tell Bucky anyway," Steve seems to notice it also and he doesn't seem to like it. He crosses his arms over his chest, determined.
"It's okay, Steve, you don't have to–" he tries to speak, but he's interrupted by Natasha.
"You can trust Bucky" she tells Fury.
The man doesn't seem so convinces, but he sighs in surrender.
"It's about the Avengers Initiative."
