Aaaaand I was finally able to finish the rest of this fic!


It was the day of the prom and Steve was torn between disappointment and excitement.

He was excited because he'd be going with his best friend. Even though she wasn't who he really wanted to go with, and he wasn't who she wanted to go with, he was determined to make this a fun night for Nat. She more than deserved to have a great night, what with all the pining she'd put up with these past weeks.

He was also disappointed because, well, some part of him had hoped this was all a misunderstanding and Bucky would show up at his house, say he didn't like Maria like that and ask him to go to the prom with him. But he was just being naive and stupidly hopeful.

Steve sighed as he forced himself from his negative thoughts, and focused on the task at hand. The prom started in less than two hours and he still had to get ready and go pick up Nat. His mum was lending him the car for the night, so at least he didn't have to walk to her house.

Deciding to take a quick shower, he stepped into the bathroom and twisted the knob to the hot water setting. He stripped and got into the shower, letting out a breath as soon as the hot water touched him. He always forgot just calming showers were for him.

Twenty minutes went by and finally Steve decided to get out and get dressed. So much for a quick shower. But he didn't feel too bad about it because it had been just what he needed.

He dried off quickly and left the bathroom, grabbing his clothes and then returned to the bathroom. He wiggled into his black boxers first then the black dress pants that Nat had helped him choose. She'd taken one look at how lost he looked in the store and had taken over. He ended up with a gorgeous black tux, better than anything he would have been able to choose for himself. It suited his small stature perfectly and even though he'd cried inside after seeing the price, he decided it was worth it.

He shrugged into the rest of the suit automatically, thoughts wandering. Unfortunately for Steve, they went in the direction of Bucky. What kind of suit had Bucky picked out? Whatever it was, Steve just knew it would look amazing on him. He couldn't help the treacherous thought that Bucky's suit would look even better on Steve's floor.

Steve jumped when his phone beeped with an incoming text message, flushing as he realized he had just been standing there mentally drooling over Bucky. He grabbed his phone and opened his messages. He'd just gotten a text from Nat saying she was ready for whenever he was ready, and he realized that it was later than he thought.

Thankfully, he was almost all ready. He just needed to put on the suit jacket and grab his shoes and car keys, and he'd be ready to go. He knew that if his mum was there, this would be the time she'd be taking thousands of pictures and cooing how grown up he looked. Unfortunately, she'd had to go into work, she was working the night shift. Steve had comforted her and said maybe sometime soon he and Nat could dress up in their suit and dress, respectively, and they could take pictures.

Steve locked up the house and rushed down the driveway to where the car was parked. Checking the time, he relaxed when he saw he would be on time, and calmly drove over to Nat's house.

Parking the car, he got out and walked up to the door. He rang the doorbell and waited.

His breath caught when the door opened and he saw Natasha. She was dressed in a floor-length black dress that had lace sleeves and a deep neckline. Her gorgeous red hair was artfully pinned up with a few loose curls surrounding her face and her makeup was dark but elegant.

In short, she looked absolutely, fucking gorgeous.

Steve realized he was gaping like a fish and hadn't even said anything when Natasha laughed and waved her hand in front of his face.

"Earth to Steve," She teased, though a light blush spread across her cheeks.

"I can't wait to see Maria's expression when she sees you," Steve smirked, finally coming back to the present, Natasha really did look amazing.

Natasha beamed with pride, mentally thanking sales person for suggesting this dress. She wouldn't admit it but she'd bought the dress with Maria in mind. Well, that, and the fact she knew she looked fucking amazing in it. It hugged her every curve and made her feel both sexy and elegant.

"You look very handsome, babe! Bucky's jaw will be on the floor," Nat teased, smirking since now Steve was the one blushing.

"Oh shut up," Steve replied, looking away as his cheeks burned bright red. Natasha snickered and waved him inside. He sat on the couch in the living room as he chatted with Nat's mum. She was a kind, older version of Natasha, however, her Russian accent was a lot heavier than Natasha's. It added a soothing lit to her voice that never seized to comfort Steve, as did Natasha's voice.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road!" Natasha exclaimed, doing one last check to see if she had everything she needed in her purse.

Natasha's mum had them pose for a few pictures and then they were on their way.

Natasha waved goodbye from the window of the passenger seat as Steve pulled out of the driveway.

"You excited?" Steve asked, looking over at his best friend; she had her eyes closed and her arm out the window. The breeze coming from the open window was a nice sensation of Steve's face as he drove.

"Honestly, yes," Natasha said, a note of surprise leaked into her voice. "I wasn't really expecting to be. It wasn't something I was all that interested in to begin with but, after I heard Maria was taken, it didn't sound like it was worth going. But I'm glad you asked me, Steve, I really am."

Steve smiled, "I know exactly how you feel."

"I know I'm not the person you want to go with but I'm really happy we're going together. It's going to be a fun best friend night! Screw having dates, at least this way it can't end in heartbreak!" Natasha added, "Pining, though, well that's another story…"

Steve laughed and Natasha grinned.

Yeah, this was going to be fun.

xXxXxXxXx

"Bucky, it starts soon! We gotta go!" Maria called up to Bucky. She was leaning against the wall at the bottom of the stairs while Bucky finished getting ready. She was wearing a strapless, knee length, blood-red dress. She'd paired it with black ankle boots and a tight-fitting, short sleeved leather jacket.

Bucky came rushing down the stairs and Maria smiled when she saw him. He was wearing a form fitting, classy suit and he was also wearing his favourite combat boots. 'Only Bucky' Maria mentally snickered.

"Alright, Mar! Let's do this!" Bucky said, bouncing on his heels.

Maria studied him for a moment, tilting her head to the side, before she smirked.

"I'm guessing you're excited to see Steve?" Maria teased, eyes lighting up mischievously.

Bucky blushed and coughed, "Um…maybe a little…"

"Don't worry," Maria laughed, "I'm excited to see Natasha; I know how you feel."

Bucky smiled, and threw his arm around her as he walked her out of the house, "Let's go have a fun friends night!"

Since Bucky lived so close to the school, they had decided to just walk. Bucky locked up the house, his parents and siblings were out for the night, and they started walking.

"Do you think there's ever a chance for me and Nat?" Maria asked, breaking the comfortable silence between the two.

Bucky hummed noncommittally and thought for a moment.

"I mean, what if she has a thing for Steve?" Maria added, a pout forming on her lips.

Bucky snorted, "Okay, well that is impossible. For starters, even if Natasha wasn't a lesbian, she only thinks of Steve as her best friend. They're like siblings."

Maria looked over at Bucky with hope. At least Natasha liked girls, so she had some semblance of a chance in that regard.

"Anyway, of you have a chance. I mean, I know you're going with me because you pity my pathetic, pining ass but if you had asked her, I know she would have said yes." Bucky continued, trying to get it across to Maria that, yes, she had a chance with Natasha and Bucky totally shipped them.

"Thanks, Buck," Maria whispered, "I want to ask her out, I'm just worried she's going to say no."

"Well, all you can do is try. If she says no, then it'll suck and I'll take you out for ice-cream and we'll watch movies all night. But if she says yes…then you get a wonderful girlfriend!" Bucky comforted, seeing the spark of hope in his friend's face.

"Okay, how about a deal? I'll ask Natasha out, and you ask Steve out." Maria suggested, wiggling her eyebrows.

She laughed as Bucky blushed. She was going to continue her teasing but then she caught sight of the school and grinned in excitement.

She honestly couldn't wait to see Natasha.

xXxXxXxXx

"Fuck, she looks good." Natasha breathed out, catching sight of Maria. She and Steve were sitting at a table near the back, sipping punch and chatting. Their seats had the perfect view of doors so when Bucky and Maria arrived, it didn't take long for them to notice the pair.

"Ugh, you're right. And look at Bucky. Goddammit, he's wearing his favourite combat boots. Why is he so cute?!" Steve whined, staring longingly at Bucky.

"I want to dance with her," Natasha mumbled, watching as Maria slipped off her leather jacket and went over to the table to get some punch. She sighed, Maria looked amazing.

"Well, do you want to dance with me? It'll take your mind off her! Mainly because you'll be too focused on the pain in your feet, I'm a terrible dancer."

"Haha sure, babe. Let's dance!" Natasha said, grabbing Steve's hand and leading him out onto the dance floor.

They spent the next half an hour dancing and laughing. Steve had been right, dancing with him did take Nat's mind of Maria for a while. So much so that she completely missed the longing and lustful glances Maria was sending her.

"Let's sit down," Natasha said, noticing that Steve's breathing was getting quicker. Due to his asthma, Steve couldn't dance for too long at a time. Plus, Natasha was thirsty, so, two birds, one stone.

She left Steve at their table with the promise of bringing him punch and walked to the drink table.

She was pouring the drinks when she felt someone coming up to stand beside her. Thinking it was just someone in line for the punch, she didn't look up.

"Hey, Natasha…"

Natasha looked up in surprise, "Maria! Hi, how are you?"

"I'm good, I'm good. Are you enjoying the prom?" Maria asked, loving the flush that spread across Natasha's cheeks.

"It's been fun so far! I mean, I didn't get to go with who I wanted, but Steve and I are having a good time." Natasha said, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. She was hyper aware of the blush on her cheeks and her racing pulse.

"Oh? And who was it you wanted to go with?" Maria asked, leaning against the table and looking into Natasha's eyes with guarded hope.

Natasha's eyes widened, she hadn't realized that she'd actually admitted that, not to mention, admitted it to the very woman she was talking about. She studied Maria for a moment before deciding to just lay everything on the table. This could either end amazingly or in a broken heart.

Fingers crossed for the amazing ending.

"Well…," Natasha started, taking a deep breath and steeling herself for what she was going to say next.

"I actually wanted to ask you!" Natasha blurted out, "But I know you're with Bucky, and I would never try to get in the middle of that. I really hope I haven't made things weird between us, that's the last thing I want."

A beaming smile spread across Maria's face before the other things Natasha had said fully registered.

"Wait, what do you mean 'with' Bucky? And no, you could never make things awkward between us." Maria soothed, reaching out to grasp Nat's hand.

Natasha's breath caught when Maria took hold of her hand, confusion and hope running through her system.

"Aren't you dating Bucky? Steve said that you and Bucky were going together and I guess I assumed…" Natasha said, voice getting quieter at the end of her sentence. Now that she thought about it, Bucky asking Maria to the prom wasn't a complete sign they were together. Tons of people asked their friends. Just look at her and Steve.

"Bucky and I aren't a thing. I've had a huge crush on you for months, actually." Maria admitted, cheeks heating up. "I was hoping to ask you to this but then Bucky just looked so pathetic and I thought he needed a friend, so I said I'd go with him since Steve said no."

"Wait, hold on," Natasha said, confusion evident on her face. "What do you mean Steve said no?"

Now Maria was the one confused, "Bucky asked Steve to the prom and Steve said no."

"When?" Natasha probed, an idea of what had happened forming in her mind. If she was right…man, so much unnecessary pining!

"About a couple weeks ago…" Maria said, trailing off as the same idea occurred to her.

"Oh my god," Natasha snickered, everything clicking into place. "To think, if they just communicated better, there would have been so much less pining and kicked puppy looks."

"We have to do something. I can't take anymore pining." Maria said, semi-distracted because Natasha was fucking adorable when she laughed. Her eyes scrunched a little bit and this little grin formed on her lips, it was amazing to see.

"You're right," Natasha agreed, flushing under Maria's heated gaze. She'd do something about that later, but for now, she needed to help her best friend get his boy.

"So here's what I think we should do…"

xXxXxXxXx

"Steve! We need to talk!" Natasha ordered, grabbing his hand and pulling him in the direction of the gym doors. He took one last glance at his forgotten punch, it was really good, and followed Natasha. He had no idea what was going on but he trusted her.

"Natasha why are you taking me to the janitor's closet?" Steve wondered, yelping when suddenly he was pushed inside. He heard the door click behind him and whirled around to pound on the door.

"Hey! Natasha?! What the fuck!" He bellowed, fist banging on the door, "What's going on?!"

"Well, this is awkward," A deep voice sounded behind him. He turned around, startled, before relaxing when he saw it was just Bucky.

"What's going on?" Steve asked, "Why are we locked in the closet?"

"I have no idea! One minute I was sitting at the table eating chips and the next, Maria's grabbing my hand and pushing me into the hallway, then into the closet." Bucky explained, shrugging. He had an idea of why he was suddenly being locked in a closet with Steve, and he was going to have some serious words with Maria about this.

"You two are going to talk!" A muffled voice, Maria, spoke from the other side of the door. "You guys have some shit to work out. Stop being oblivious and realize you're both pathetically in love with each other."

"Oh, we're going straight to the point then are we," Natasha piped up, an amused fondness in her voice.

"Yes! These idiots need to work this out and they're never going to realize it on their own," Maria said, you could almost see the nod that accompanied her firm statement.

"Well, I guess we'll leave you to it! We'll come back in half an hour to let you out," Natasha said, "Oh! And don't fuck in the janitors closet, please!"

"Natasha!" Steve gasped, turning bright red. The sound of her fading laughter as well as the sound of retreating footsteps not helping the embarrassment Steve was feeling. He didn't want to turn around and face Bucky.

He couldn't.

But, he didn't really have a choice, seeing as he'd be locked in here with Bucky until the girls came back to let them out.

He took a deep breath before he turned around. However, he did keep his eyes glued to the ground. Choosing to study the lines of Bucky's combat boots instead of looking at the disgust and pity he was sure was clouding Bucky's face. The girls were wrong. There was no way Bucky was in love with him.

"Stevie…" Bucky prodded, voice quiet. But Steve was determined not to look at Bucky, switching his gaze now to the bucket that was beside Bucky's feet. Too lost in his thoughts, Steve didn't hear Bucky take a deep breath.

Oh look, there was a drawing of a dog on the side of the bucket. He wondered who had drawn that. Maybe the janitor liked to draw animals on his stu-

Steve's thoughts were interrupted when a pair of soft, warm lips were suddenly on his. His eyes widened before automatically shutting and he reached forward to grasp the lapels of Bucky's jacket. At first, he was hesitant, before he threw himself into the kiss with everything he had.

Steve broke away, chest heaving, and licked his lips, trying to savour Bucky's taste.

"Wait, stop. What about Maria?" Steve said, he would not stand in the way of a current relationship, no matter how much he wanted to.

"What are you talking about? What about me and Maria?" Bucky asked, confused. He looked a little dazed, lips red and shiny.

"You guys are dating."

Bucky snorted, "No we're not. Why do you think that?"

"You asked her to prom!" Steve said, weakly. Okay, so maybe that wasn't concrete evidence, he had, after all, asked Natasha as well.

"Yeah! Cause you said no," Bucky replied, looking away as he finished his sentence. He awkwardly shifted from foot to foot, unsure in his movements and what was going on. He had no idea how this was going to pan out. His idea of what the night was going to look like had gone out the window like 20 minutes ago.

"What?! You never asked me!" Steve squeaked, mentally going over every conversation he and Bucky had had in the last month.

"Yes, I did! Remember, we were watching a movie…and I asked if you were interested in going to prom…and you said no!" Bucky recounted, hurt flashing across his face.

"What…" Steve muttered, before realization dawned on his face. He smacked his hand to his forehead and groaned out, "Oh my god, I'm so stupid."

"When you asked me that, I didn't know you were asking if I was interesting in going to prom with you. I thought you meant if I was interested in the prom in general. Oh my god, Buck, I'm so sorry." Steve explained, guilt running across his features.

"Oh," Bucky breathed out, processing everything. "So, does this mean you were interesting in going with me?"

Steve grinned at the adorable, hopeful expression on Bucky's face.

"Yes. You're the one I wanted to go with in the first place! Natasha convinced me to ask you out but when I went to do it, you said Maria had said yes and you guys were going together." Steve mumbled, his blush returning as he realized this was all just a huge misunderstanding.

"Does this mean I can kiss you?" Bucky asked slyly, licking his lips. He smirked when he saw Steve's eyes immediately flick down to his lips.

"Yes," Steve whispered, breathlessly.

Bucky smiled widely before gently grabbing Steve's face and kissing him again. They were both smiling too much for the kiss to be all that successful, but it was perfect.

Prom had ended in a way that none of them had expected, but all were happy with.


Thank you to everyone who read this! I hope you all enjoyed it :D

If you have the time, I'd love to know what you thought about the story!