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Chapter Text

Being the new kid was hard. Being the new kid in senior year was harder. Being the new kid in senior year from another country was... Well you get the point.

Bucky would have rather stayed in Russia to finish his schooling, but no, his parents insisted they move back to America right in time for senior year.

Luckily, language wasn't an obstacle. Bucky was born in America. It wasn't until he was seven, that his family had moved to Russia. They moved to be closer to his mother's side of the family. She was born and raised in Russia, so she had taught Russian to Bucky from a young age, and he was bilingual by five.

Moving to Russia was pretty traumatizing at first for a seven year old. He was ripped away from life as he knew it and placed on an entirely new continent. He had to leave behind all of his friends, including his very best friend, Steve Rogers. They were practically glued to the hip as kids, and Bucky cried for days when he found out he would be leaving him.

After the move, the boys tried to keep in touch. Their parents helped them write letters, and occasionally set up a phone call, but it didn't last long. Bucky made new friends in Russia, and Steve made new friends at home. The only interaction they had had in ten years was a simple friending of Facebook when they were fourteen. Other than that, they led entirely different lives.

Even when Bucky came back to school a month ago, Steve didn't even say one word to him. Bucky quickly learned how different he was. He was no longer the scrawny little Stevie he had grown up with. He was Steve Rogers, captain of the football team, star of the track team, and heartthrob of the senior class. He hung out with the popular crowd now, the same group that used to tease him in elementary school. Bucky decided to keep his distance from him. Instead he hung out with one of his old friends Clint, who introduced him to his group of friends. Clint's friends were basically the opposite of Steve's friends. They were a group of loners, losers, and geeks. But they were nice people to hang around, even if they were a little weird, and Bucky fit right in.

"-and congratulations to the football team on their fourth straight win last night, thanks to a last minute touchdown by Steve Rogers. Go Patriots!" Across the class, Bucky watched Steve receive multiple slaps on the back, and even a ruffle of his hair from his friends. "That concludes the morning announcements, enjoy your day." The intercom beeped as the announcements ended.

Bucky tore his eyes from the jock's celebration to the front of the room. To Bucky's annoyance, even Mr. Coulson started to congratulate Steve.

"What would this school do without Steve Rogers?" The teacher said beaming with pride, as if he was his own son. "Great job." Steve had even the teachers under his spell.

Bucky rolled his eyes. He couldn't care less about sports or the popular crowd. All he wanted was to get his work done and graduate already.

Mr. Coulson began to write on the board. "Alright class, open your textbooks to page 538. We are going to start discussing D-Day."

Bucky opened his book but kept Steve in the corner of his eye. He still couldn't believe how much he had changed. When Bucky left, Steve was not even four feet tall. He was a fragile kid with a bad immune system, asthma, and a bad temper. Now he was huge, taller than Bucky even, with muscles so big it looked like he could rip right through his shirt. He no longer seemed sickly, with a constant cough and stuffy nose. He was practically a new man. He still had some anger issues, but he took those out on the football field. As for his asthma? Who knows where that even went.

Bucky turned away from Steve and went back to listening to Mr. Coulson drone on about World War II, but he couldn't get the image of Steve Rogers out of his head.

-

"Hello, Bucky. Welcome to lunch! How are you today?" Thor spoke slow and loudly in formal English as Bucky approached the lunch table. Thor wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, and for some reason couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Bucky could speak perfect English. He had only developed a slight Russian accent.

"I'm just great Thor, thanks for asking!" Bucky said, his voice laced with sarcasm. Thor didn't catch on and just gave him a smile, wrapping his arm tighter around his girlfriend, Jane. Jane ate her lunch quietly, while next to her, her best friend Darcy stuffed her face with cafeteria mashed potatoes.

Jane rolled her eyes, "Darce, you're eating like a pig."

Darcy gave her a look, saying she didn't care, and she kept eating.

"That is sickening." Loki scoffed at Darcy. She made a face at him. They didn't always get along very well. Darcy only say at their table because Jane did.

"Hey, where's Bruce?" Darcy questioned, swallowing her current mouthful of food.

They looked around for their friend, and if on cue, he came up to the table, clutching his nose.

"Oh god, Bruce. What the hell happened to you?" Clint raised his eyebrow.

"Rumlow." Bruce muttered, and they all nodded in understanding. "I refused to do his science project, so he punched me." His voice was stuffy. "And they say I have anger issues."

Jane looked concerned, "Did you tell a teacher?"

"More importantly, did you punch him back?" Bucky added.

Bruce shook his head the best he could without hurting his nose, "Nah, my therapist told me to stop fighting back. It's just a little bit of a bloody nose, nothin' I can't handle."

"Stupid Rumlow." Thor grumbled.

"He might have punched me more, but Steve stopped him." Bruce said.

Bucky turned to him, "Steve? Steve Rogers?"

"No, Steve Irwin." Bruce said sarcastically, "Yes, Steve Rogers. He told Rumlow to stop. Shoved him up a wall and everything. It was pretty entertaining. You know how scared Rumlow gets of Steve."

Bucky couldn't help but grin a little. That was just like the Stevie he had known. Always standing up for the little guy.

"Ah yes. That's my man, Steve." Thor nodded in approval. Thor was also on the football team. He was one of the biggest and strongest, and the team really needed him. He wasn't that close to the rest of the jocks, though. Bucky didn't know why he chose to hang out with this group of geeks instead, even before he started dating Jane.

"Alright, I think I'm good." Bruce removed his hands from his nose, a little bit of blood stained on them.

"Ew." Darcy turned away.

Loki rolled his eyes, "Oh sure, you think that's gross." Darcy shot him a glare.

-

Bucky was relieved when he finally got to his last class of the day. Monday was finally almost over. He rounded the corner toward his math class and resisted the urge to gag.

Standing by the door way was none other than Steve Rogers and his little blonde girlfriend, Sharon Carter, practically making out as they parted ways for class.

They were the school's 'it' couple, or as Bucky perfected, 'ick' couple. They were practically always together, either sucking faces or holding hands.

"Love you babe, good luck at practice. I will see you tomorrow." Sharon kissed him again before turning to head to her own class with a final wave. She acted as if he was heading off to war, rather than math class. Steve said a quick bye, then headed into the room.

Bucky hated Sharon with Steve. It just seemed gross and weird to him. Especially because he heard that last year, Steve dated Sharon's cousin, Peggy. Apparently there was a huge upset over that.

Bucky followed shortly behind, taking his seat in the back of the class. He watched Steve join his friends, giving Tony a high five.

"Hey Steve! Great to see you, you're just in time!" Bucky overheard Tony's loud and boisterous voice. It wasn't even eavesdropping, Tony was just that loud.

"Just in time for what?" Steve asked.

"To hear about the spectacular, super, extremely awesome party I'm throwing Saturday!" Tony said, making use of practically every cool adjective in his vocabulary. "You're all invited! Even you girls." He shot a wink to a group of girls, who blushed and giggled. Tony's girlfriend, Pepper, hit his shoulder and glared at him. He made it up to her by kissing her.

Tony Stark, son of the legendary Howard Stark, was the richest kid in school, and he made sure everyone knew it by hosting huge raging parties at his mansion whenever his parents were out. Bucky had never attended, mainly because he has only been back here for a month, but also because he didn't really want to. It was usually all the popular kids who went, and Bucky wasn't interested in being there with them. None of his friends ever went, but they all heard the stories. Like how much people drank there, when the police showed up, and even when someone threw a two thousand dollar vase off a balcony. It definitely wasn't Bucky's crowd.

So that's why he would never attend one of Tony Stark's parties.

Chapter Text

"Dobroye utro klass!" The Russian teacher, Mrs. Markoff greeted the class on Tuesday morning.

Why did Bucky take Russian? He lived in Russia for ten years, and he could speak it fluently. He didn't need a class. Well the answer was simple: easy A. He just told everyone that it was to help out the class with his knowledge or whatever, but really he just wanted a class he could easily ace. He didn't mind Russian class anyway, it was pretty relaxed and the teacher was nice. Not many kids seemed to want to take Russian, so the class was small, consisting of 15 people from all grades. He usually just got to sit back and zone out, or use the time to do other homework, so it was a pretty good class.

"Okay everyone, today we are starting a project." Mrs. Markoff announced, the class groaned, "You will be creating a dialogue with a partner about anything you want, but of course it must all be in Russian." She had a thick Russian accent, which some kids found hard to understand, but not Bucky. Russian class almost made him feel at home. Even though he was born here, his small town in Russia was his home.

A boy in the front row raised his hand, "Can we pick our partners?" The teacher nodded. The class buzzed excitedly as kids rushed to pair up. Bucky didn't have any friends in this class so he waited for someone to come to him. Someone always did, because Bucky could easily finish the project in 5 minutes and get an A+. And sure enough someone dashed right over to claim him. But Bucky was taken a back to see who it was this time.

"Hey Barnes, we're working together." The red haired girl didn't even bother asking.

"Natasha?" He blinked as if he were seeing things, "You want to work with me?" He said in disbelief.

"Well duh. That's kinda what I just said." She pulled up a chair.

Natasha wasn't the type of person Bucky expected to work with. She was a part of Steve group, and rightly so. She was deemed the hottest girl in school, and the most popular. She was also extremely intimidating. She excelled in every sport, even beating the guys, and she could easily squash you like a bug if you even looked at her the wrong way. Her eyes gave sharp glares that seemed to pierce you. Not to mention she was the hottest girl in school. Wait, did he already say that?

"Let me guess, you're only working with me only because I can actually speak Russian?"

She shrugged, "That may be one reason, but not the only one." That's another thing, she was mysterious as hell. No one could figure her out, and that's the way she wanted it.

-

Bucky took his usual seat next to Clint in English class. "So guess who decided to work with me on my Russian project today?"

"Who?"

"Natasha Romanoff."

Clint's eyes grew faster than the Grinch's heart, "Huh? Are my hearing aides working? Or did I read your lips wrong? Because it looks like you just said-"

"Natasha Romanoff? Yeah, I did." Bucky smirked.

"Holy hell, Barnes. How'd you manage that?"

Bucky shoved Clint, "Don't be so surprised! She asked me as a matter of fact."

Clint laughed, "Well you do speak fluent Russian, it makes sense. I'm still jealous though. I've been crushing on her since I was like in the womb."

Bucky made a face, "That's just weird, Barton."

Clint shrugged, "Can you blame me?"

Bucky thought of Natasha, her smoldering gaze, her curly red hair, her curves. Bucky couldn't blame Clint. Nearly everyone in the school had a crush on her.

"Well good luck, my man." Clint slapped his friend on the shoulder, "And if she happens to be looking for a homecoming date, you know where to find me."

Bucky raised his eyebrows, "You and Romanoff? Like that will ever happen." He chucked.

"A guy can dream."

-

Pep rallies.

Bucky hated pep rallies.

It was such an American thing. They seemed pointless to him. He hated sports anyways. He was just happy to get out of math class early. He hated being packed into the gym bleachers, surrounded by sweaty kids that he didn't like. They were too loud and crowded, which kinda freaked him out. He didn't like crowds too much, they made him a little anxious. But unfortunately he couldn't get out of it.

He faced Clint on the bleacher next to him, "You're lucky you can't hear any of this." He said slowly to make sure he could understand. He tried to make some motions with his hands, but his sign language was a little rusty. Luckily Clint understood.

"I usually just turn my hearing aids off, so I don't have to deal with it." He said back. Without his hearing aids, his speech wasn't as clear as he struggled to form the sounds and use the right volume.

"Oh look, the football team is coming in! Look for Thor!" Jane yelled to them over the sound of the crowd cheering and the band playing.

The football team burst into the gym, all clad in their heavy gear. They grunted like a bunch of Neanderthals and threw their arms in the air. They were led in by none other than the school celebrity, Steve Rogers. He pulled off his helmet and looked out into the crowd with a his bright beaming smile. Some of the students started chanting his name until the room was filled with the sound of, "STEVE! STEVE! STEVE!"

Sharon ran over from where the cheerleaders stood to her boyfriend. She grabbed his face and pulled him in for a kiss. The crowd went wild. Bucky turned away.

"There's Thor." Darcy pointed to the beefy blond man, who was pumping his fist and jumping up and down.

Jane got to her feet and yelled "Woo! Go Thor!" Thor noticed her and gave her a huge smile.

"Cheer for your brother, Loki." Jane gave him a nudge.

"Woo hoo." He said unenthusiastically, "Can I leave now?"

"Oh god, there's Rumlow." Bruce muttered, instinctively rubbing his nose, which now had a dark purple bruise.

Brock Rumlow chest bumped with another teammate and shouted incoherently. He banged his chest like a gorilla and brought his arms up through the air to get the crowd riled up.

Bucky looked away from Brock and found his eyes on Steve again. Sharon had been pulled back to her cheer squad as they started their next routine. Steve was now clapping and cheering, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He ran a hand through his golden hair, tousling it up. Sweat glistened on his forehead as he ran around in all his gear. Bucky licked his lips.

Bucky quickly jerked away, moving his sight line to the brass instruments in the band. He took a sudden sharp intake of breath. He hadn't realized he was holding his breath. His chest was pounding and he felt hot.

"Hey, Bucky, you alright?" Bruce noticed his odd behavior.

"Uh, yeah, yeah." He said, his breaths still heavy, "I think I just need a drink of water." He quickly rose from the bleachers, grabbing his backpack and heading to the exit before anyone could stop him.

The hallway was quiet. It was an unsettling peace. He was so used to the hallways being full and loud. The empty halls felt weird, but relieving from the noise of the pep rally.

Bucky ran to the water bubbler and shoved his face in it, taking long sips of the crisp, refreshing water.

What had happened to him? Why had he gotten all weird?

He finally stopped drinking, pulling away from the water fountain and taking in a deep breath. He slumped down against the wall, trying to steady himself.

Clint emerged from the gym door, looking down the halls before he spotted Bucky. He rushed over to him.

"Are you okay? You look like you're gonna be sick. What happened? Do you need to go to the nurse?"

Bucky shook his head, "No, no. I'm good. I'm fine. I think it was just anxiety." He tried to say reassuringly, although he wasn't sure himself.

"You sure?" Clint check. Bucky nodded again. Clint extended a hand to help him up, "Let get you home."

Bucky didn't protest as Clint led him down the hall to the front doors.

What had happened to him?

Chapter Text

Bucky scribbled down some simple sentences in Russian as Natasha watched on. She straddled a backwards chair, resting her chin on the back of it, and kicking her legs back and forth.

"You know this is your project to, you could at least try to help." Bucky muttered

"Yeah, but watching you is a lot more fun." She grinned. Bucky rolled his eyes.

"So, where in Russia did you live." She asked.

"Kasimov."

"Never heard of it."

"It's a small town. About 5 hours from Moscow."

"I love your accent. It's sexy."

Bucky froze up. That was out of the blue. "T-thanks." He stuttered, his cheeks heating up.

Natasha smirked at his awkwardness, "Now get back to writing our dialogue. We need to present it tomorrow."

Bucky sighed lightly and went back to work. He knew that she was just using him to get a good grade. She didn't actually like him, did she? Natasha was so hard to read. Then again, all girls were hard to read. But Natasha especially. She could be very manipulative too. She was sneaky, and could befriend you to get something, then stab you in the back. It was both hot, and scary.

The bell rang signaling class was ending.

"Alright everyone, have a good day." Mrs. Markoff said, "Be ready to present tomorrow."

Bucky stood, getting ready to leave, when Natasha grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Wait, give me your phone number." She said like an order.

"W-what?"

"So you can send me a photo of the dialogue. I need to practice." She handed him her phone, which was open to contacts.

He typed in his name and number. Never in a million years would he expect Natasha Romanoff, the most popular girl in school, to ask him for his phone number. Even if it was just for a school project.

He handed her back her phone. "Thanks." She with a mischievous smile painted across her dark red lips, "See you tomorrow." She left with a fluttering wave of her hand. Bucky may have even seen her wink, or maybe he was just dreaming.

That girl was something.

-

At lunch, Bucky's phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw a text from an unknown number.

Unknown Number: Hey, it's Natasha

Bucky quickly added her number to his contacts before texting her back.

Bucky: Oh hey

Natasha: You finish the dialogue?

Bucky: yep, let me take a picture for you

He pulled out the piece of paper from his backpack and snapped a picture of it, sending it to her.

Natasha: Thanks ;) You're the best

"Who are you texting?" Clint asked.

"Whatever girl it is, she must be very special." Thor noted.

Bucky looked confused, "How do you know it's a girl?"

Clint laughed, "Dude, you have the stupidest expression on your face." Clint mimicked what he looked like, his jaw slightly slack and his eyes starry.

"Not to mention you blushed." Bruce pointed out.

Bucky's hand quickly reached up to cover his warm cheeks, "What? No! I did not make that face." He protested even though he knew it was probably true.

Everyone laughed. Thor gave him a heavy slap on his arm.

"So who is the special lady?" Thor wiggled his eyebrows.

Bucky smirked, "Natasha Romanoff."

Clint looked like he was about to fall off his chair, "No!" He quickly snagged Bucky's phone, "Oh my god, it is!"

"Hey!" Bucky reached for his phone, but Clint pulled away.

"She used a winky face!" Clint eyed Bucky's phone with jealously.

"Oooh she likes you." Darcy pitched in.

"What do you have that I don't?" Clint looked to Bucky, giving him his phone back.

"Good looks." Darcy giggled. Clint glared at her.

"Charming personality." Thor said.

"Working ears." Bruce added, teasingly.

"Too far, Banner." Clint pointed a finger at him.

"Guys, chill. She's just using me for our Russian project." Bucky said.

"Boy, I'd loved to be used by her." Clint said, dreamily.

"That sounds really weird." Jane made a face.

"Awe, the boy's in love!" Thor fake swooned.

Clint glowered at his friends, "Oh shut up."

-

After school Wednesday, Bucky sat on his bed listening to music and mindlessly scrolling the web on his laptop. Over his music, he just managed to hear a knock at the door.

"Zakhodi!" Bucky told them to come in as he slid off his headphones. His mom entered with a book in hand.

"Look at what I found in an unpacked box!" She said gleefully in her thick Russian accent, walking over to him. She held out the book for him.

He opened the book, which turned out to be a photo album full of pictures from before they moved to Russia. There was a photo of him and his parents at the beach, he still had a bit of sunscreen on his face. Next to it was a picture of him playing on a playground. There was also two of his fifth birthday party blowing out the candles on his cake and of him opening presents. He radiated with joy as he opened a box with a toy dinosaur inside.

"I love that one." His mom said looking sentimentally at the photos of him and his dino.

"I remember that." He smiled, "I took that dinosaur everywhere. I named it Felix."

"Then you lost it in the supermarket." Mrs. Barnes laughed.

"Oh yeah! I was distraught for weeks."

His mom nodded, "You refused to let me buy you another because you said it would never be as good as Felix."

Bucky chuckled, "Felix was a great dinosaur."

He flipped the page to see the face of Steve Rogers. Of course he looked very different than the current Steve Rogers, but it was still him. His face was skinnier, and his cheeks were rosy. He made a goofy looking face with his tongue out. He was missing a front tooth. The only thing that really still remained the same about new Steve and old Steve was his bright blue eyes.

A young Bucky stood next to him laughing. He was at least four inches taller than Steve and he rested his arm on top of his best friend's shaggy blond head.

"Awe, what a sweet picture of you and Stevie. Where is he now? Does he still live here?" Mrs. Barnes asked.

Bucky nodded, "Yeah, but he is completely different now."

His mom tilted her head, "Is he?"

Bucky nodded and began typing something into his laptop. He opened Steve Facebook page to show his mom a recent picture.

"That's little Stevie?" His mom gawked at the photo of the rugged 17 year old football player.

"Yep. Crazy huh?"

"I'll say. I remember when he used to have to wear a mask in winter so he wouldn't catch the flu! Now look at him, he's all grown up. Quite handsome too!" She grinned with a wiggle of her eyebrows.

"Mama! Don't say that. That's weird!"

Mrs. Barnes shook her head, "I'm not saying for me, I meant for you!"

Bucky stopped cold, becoming rigid, "What?" His voice fell deeper.

His mother rubbed his back comfortingly, "Oh honey, I knew about your little fling with the boy next door, back in Russia. Don't worry I'm perfectly fine with it."

"I'm not gay!" He protested. He realized how harsh that sounded, and sighed, calming down.

His mom frowned, "Oh...I'm sorry dear, I just thought-"

"No," Bucky shook his head, "It's not that- It's just that-" he didn't know what to say. He wasn't expecting this conversation to happen today. "I think I like girls and boys." He finally managed, speaking in a weak, hushed voice.

His mother nodded slowly, "And there is nothing wrong with that." She said reassuringly, "I just want you to be happy with whoever you end up with."

Bucky felt a smile creep on his lips, "Thanks mama. Ya lyublyu tebya."

"I love you too." She kissed the top of his head before turning and walking out, shutting the door behind her.

Bucky took a deep breath. His sexuality was something he had yet to come to terms with. He'd grown up thinking that, as a boy, he could only like girls. He had dated plenty of girls back in Russia since he was 12. He had had feelings for a few guys as well, but he simply brushed those off, pretending that what he felt wasn't valid. Then he met the boy next door.

Niko had moved in when Bucky was 14 and he was 15. They became fast friends due to similar interests and hung out almost everyday.

"Hey Bucky?" Niko turned to him, pausing their video game.

" Yeah? "

"I just want to let you know that- well I'm gay." Niko told him.

"Gay?" Bucky questioned. He'd heard of it before, but he always thought it was a myth. Being gay was pretty taboo in Russia.

"Yeah. I like boys." Niko explained. "I just wanted to let you know. I don't want it to make things weird between us, because I like being your friend. But it's kinda a big thing in my life, so I wanted to tell you."

Bucky paused, thinking about what Niko had said. He like boys, and he was okay with that. It was a casual thing for him. It was normal.

He kept hanging out with Niko and nothing had changed between them. But Bucky always kept wondering about what Niko said, and what he felt.

"Hey, about what you said the other day. About you liking boys." Bucky brought up that weekend.

"Yeah, what about it." Niko flipped his almost white haired bangs out of his eyes.

"Well, I uh- I've been thinking. About me. I've always liked girls. But what if I think I like boys too?" Bucky said slowly. He expected Niko to laugh or make fun of him, but he just smiled.

"Oh, so you're bisexual?" He saw the confused look on Bucky's face, "You like both genders?"

Bucky hadn't known that was even a possibility, "But how do I know? I mean, I've never kissed a boy."

Niko laughed, "You don't have to have kissed a boy to know you like them. Did you know you liked girls before you kissed one."

"Well yeah..."

"Then there's your answer. If you like them, you just... Know!"

Bucky sat in silence for a minute, contemplating every crush he'd ever had, or thought he had.

He must have looked pretty lost because then Niko said, "Hey, if you really need some sort of confirmation, I could kiss you. I mean, if you want..."

Bucky looked at Niko. He was very fair skinned with ashen grey eyes and hair almost as white as the snow. His eyes flickered to his lips.

"I guess so." Bucky said quietly.

Both boys leaned in shyly until their lips met. It wasn't Bucky's first kiss, but he definitely felt more nervous to kiss Niko than any girl he had ever kissed. Bucky had expected the kiss to feel odd or forced, but there was nothing uncomfortable about it. It felt good even.

When they separated, Niko asked, "So, what do you think?"

All Bucky managed to let out what a breathy, "Yeah" before he took Niko's face in his hands and kissed him again.

They dated secretly for a few months but their relationship ended when Niko's family had to move again for his father's job.

Bucky always thought they did a good job hiding their relationship from other people. But the day Niko left, Bucky gave him a risky kiss goodbye in the open of the front hall of his house. Bucky's mom passed by just as they were letting go, but she never mentioned it. Bucky thought she hadn't seen them at all until now, when she told him she had known.

He never dated another guy after Niko left. It still felt pretty taboo to him, especially in Russia. But America seemed more welcoming to different sexualities in some ways. Gay marriage was even legal now! And his mom had accepted him for who he was, which felt great.

Maybe he would try to find another boyfriend this year, although he still feared judgement from his peers. But Steve Rogers was not that boy.

Chapter Text

Bucky turned into the school parking lot on Thursday morning, his motorcycle's engine roaring, disturbing the peaceful morning. He pulled into his usually space, and parked the bike, leaning it on the kickstand. He pulled off his helmet, and ran a hand through his dark hair, trying to neaten it up.

"Nice bike, Barnes." A familiar sultry voice commented. Bucky turned to see Natasha stopping to admire his ride.

"What? Oh thanks."

"Your mom lets you ride that thing?"

Bucky nodded, "Took some convincing, but yeah." Natasha looked impressed. They started walking towards the school building together.

"So you ready for our Russian presentation." Bucky asked, trying to make casual conversation. He was surprised she was even walking next to him. He would have thought she wouldn't want to even be seen with him outside of class. He wasn't exactly the coolest person to hang out with.

"Chert voz'mi, da ya!" She replied without hesitation in perfect Russian.

Bucky blinked in surprise, "Where did you learn to say 'hell yeah'?" That was something you certainly didn't learn in school.

Natasha smiled mischievously, "You do know I can actually speak Russian, right?"

Bucky looked at her, confused, "You can?"

She let out a laugh, "My last name's Romanoff. My parents are from Russia. Of course I can speak it."

"Then why are you in the class?"

"Same reason you are. I just act like its a new thing and then boom, easy A. Mrs. Markoff has no idea."

Bucky grinned and shook his head, "Sneaky." Natasha gave a little flip of her hair.

"Wait." Bucky realized, "If you can speak Russian, why'd you pair up with me and make me write the entire project myself?"

Natasha smirked and turned down a different hallway, "See you in class, Barnes."

Bucky shook his head. He did not understand Natasha at all.

Suddenly he felt someone slam into him, practically jumping on his back.

"So, you and Natasha, huh?" Bruce and Clint came up behind him.

"What? No. I told you, we're just working on a Russian project."

"Suuure..." Clint dragged out, "Like anyone can just 'work' on a project with Natasha. She's obviously into you. I gotta tell you, I'm jealous."

"Just watch out for Rumlow." Bruce warned, "He's been trying to get Natasha to go out with him for years. He'll probably crush you if he find out."

"Guys, I'm not dating Natasha." Bucky said. "I promise."

"Well there are rumors that you are." Bruce told him.

"Rumors? We hardly ever talk about of class, how can there be rumors?" Bruce shrugged.

"If there were rumors that I was dating Natasha Romanoff, I would be ecstatic." Clint elbowed him, "Be grateful."

"It makes you seem cooler. Like you are actually able to get a girl like her." Bruce told him.

Bucky raised his eyebrows, "Are you saying I'm not able to get a girl like Natasha? Because I totally could. You are underestimating the power and charm of James Buchanan Barnes. Do you know how many girls I had falling over me in Russia?"

Clint and Bruce laughed, "Well this ain't Russia." Clint said, "You still have to prove your worth here."

Bucky shoved his friends, "Whatever. I'm not interested in dating Natasha, or any girl here for that matter. Let's just get to class."

-

"Yeah, unfortunately, I think strippers are a little too much for this party. But I got plenty of booze. The bar is always stocked. We also just got this new five thousand dollar sound and stereo system, super high tech, because you know I accidentally broke our last one." Tony Stark boasted on and on about his party happening on Saturday. Everyone around him ate it up, much more interested in him than the English worksheet they were supposed to be doing.

Tony Stark was only popular for his money, and Bucky knew that. Besides his money, there was nothing likable about him. He was narcissistic, arrogant and stuck up. He bragged all the time, and cared more about his appearance then his so-called friends. At least that's how he came off to be. Bucky didn't understand how he even kept his girlfriend Pepper. Sure, Tony was pretty attractive, but his personality was a total turn off. He had heard that Tony excelled at science and math, but it didn't make up for his list of his bad qualities.

"Party starts at 8:00 and ends whenever the cops show up. I better see everyone there." Tony finished with a cocky smile.

Clint turned to Bucky, "Do you ever wonder what his parties are actually like?"

Bucky shook his head, "Not really. From what I heard, everyone usually just ends up black out drunk. Doesn't sound like fun to me."

Clint ignored him, watching Tony brag on to a group of girls, "I heard he once filled his entire swimming pool with whipped cream. Someone almost ended up drowning in it."

"Sounds like a sticky situation."

Clint turned his attention back to Bucky only to punch his arm for the bad pun. "I would love to go to one of them one day. See what it's really like."

"Why don't you? There's not exactly a guest list. A random homeless person could show up and still get in."

Clint shrugged, "It would just be weird. I wouldn't have anyone to hang out with."

"Ask Bruce." Bucky suggested.

Clint burst out laughing, "Bruce? At a party? You're better off searching for a unicorn. It would be more likely to find."

"Okay... What about Thor? He seems like a party guy. Plus he has connections on the football team."

Clint seemed to consider this, "Maybe. Maybe." He repeated, then sighed, "Some day I will go to one. Just not this time. But before graduation, mark my words." Clint said with determination.

"Good luck with that."

-

Bucky scrolled absentmindedly scrolled through Twitter before Russian class on Friday. He mainly used it to follow his old friends back in Russia, so every tweet was in Russian. In fact, his whole phone was still in Russian. It made him feel more at home. Plus if anyone ever took his phone, they wouldn't be able to read it.

He glanced up in surprise to see Natasha slide into the seat next to him.

"You know the project is over, you don't have to sit next to me anymore." He said. It wasn't supposed to seem rude, he just wanted to make sure she knew that.

"I'm not stupid, Barnes. I can sit here if I want." She replied coolly.

"You want to sit next to me?"

"Why so surprised? We're friends, aren't we?"

That was news to Bucky, "We are?" He said dumbly, then instantly regretted it.

"We Russians need to stick together." She winked at him.

He couldn't help but blush a little and feel flustered. Natasha had that effect on people. It was powerful, but dangerous. Anyone could be putty in her hands. Bucky didn't want to be that vulnerable to her, but he couldn't help it.

"So Barnes," she said, her voice think and sweet like honey, "You coming to Stark's party tomorrow?"

"Hmm? What? N-no." Bucky stuttered.

Natasha pouted, "Really? You totally should."

Bucky scratched the back of his neck, "I  don't really know if it's my thing."

She reached out and slid one of her soft hand down his arm, which left a tingling feeling, "Awe, come on, you have to come."

"Uh-um-well." He couldn't find any words. All he could do was stare in her sharp, intoxicating eyes. All his judgement flew out the window.

"Great. I'll see you there." She smirked, then turned forward as the bell rang to start class.

So that's how Bucky ended up going to Tony Stark's party.

Chapter Text

He couldn't believe he was actually doing this.

He was actually going to Tony Stark's party.

Natasha texted him all night, making sure he would show up. He didn't want to get on her bad side, so there we was, pulling in to the Stark's driveway at 9:00 Saturday night. He was glad he rode his motorcycle there, or else it would have been impossible to find a large enough parking space. The road was lined with cars on both sides of the street, with more still coming.

The party was in full swing and he could feel the bass trembling the ground. Every thump of the music sent his heart pounding. He pulled off his helmet and stared up at the Stark mansion.

He knew the Stark's were rich, but he didn't know they were this rich. Their house (if you could even call it that) looked about as big as their school building. It was a lot nicer though, with polished columns, balconies, and not one piece of chipped paint to be seen. Multicolored lights flashed through the widows, practically blinding Bucky. He walked past the fountain and the perfectly trimmed hedges to the tall mahogany front doors. He figured he didn't need to knock, seeing how no one would even hear him, so he walked right in.

The music was blasting so loud, Clint could probably hear it. Bucky didn't understand why it had to be that loud, how would anyone be able to talk to each other?

Intoxicated teenagers crowded every room, dancing, eating, or laughing. Bucky felt uncomfortably out of place. He was tempted to turn around and leave when someone gabbed his arm.

"There you are!" Natasha giggled and linked her arm through his.  Bucky could tell she had already had a few drinks. She was carrying her heels in one hand, pulling him deeper into the party with her other. "You look so good!"

Bucky glanced down at his black skinny jeans, red t-shirt and leather jacket. He thought he looked pretty basic, if not underdressed. Meanwhile Natasha was in a tight blue lace dress, her red hair straightened and shining.

"Here take this." She handed him a plastic cup filled with a mystery liquid from a table of liquor and beer.

"What is it?" He asked, sniffing it. It was definitely some sort of alcohol, but he couldn't identify it.

"Does it matter?" Natasha giggled, grabbing a cup for herself and taking a gulp.

Bucky hesitantly put it to his lips. It wasn't his first time drinking, of course. He was more concerned about what he was actually drinking. He took a small sip. It tasted sharp and faintly citrusy.  It wasn't bad though, so he kept drinking it. Every time he finished a drink, another cup would be given to him. You couldn't ever be empty handed at this party.

He found himself drinking more than he would have liked. He started out with just the lightly alcoholic citrus drink, then moved to beer, then rum.

The more he drank, the more fun the party became. Everyone became his friend, and he didn't care what people thought of him. He danced, and sang pretty embarrassingly. Natasha thought it was amazing though. She cheered him on as he sang along with a random Brittany Spears song. He didn't even know how he knew the lyrics.

"See, I knew you would have fun." She giggled, taking a sip of a beer. She was a very giggly drunk. Bucky took her hand and spun her around.  

A group of people by the bar started chanting, "SHOTS SHOTS SHOTS!"

"Oh my gooosssshh!" Natasha slurred. "We have to see this." She pulled him over to watch.

Tony Stark and Brock Rumlow, stood at the bar with shot glasses in front of them. A half full bottle of vodka stood next to them on the counter.

"DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!" Everyone around them chanted. A pretty sober Pepper tried to talk Tony out of it, but he looked determined. He and Brock picked up the glasses and easily swallowed it down, following with a face twisted in disgust. Everyone cheered.

"You do one!" Natasha encouraged, pushing him forward.

"No, no. I really shouldn't." Bucky said.

"Come one!"

"Do it!"

"Don't be a wuss!" Strangers around him yelled.

"Fine." He gave in. They cheered again. Someone poured him a shot.

He raised the clear, putrid smelling liquid to his lips. He took a deep breath and downed it.

It burned going down and he sputtered a bit. The room erupted in hoots and applause. Some people patted him heavily on the back.

"That was amazing!" Natasha stood on her tip toes and kissed him on the cheek, which made him let out a giggle.

Next thing he knew they were making out against a wall. He didn't know how he got there, but he certainly wouldn't have done it if he was sober. He was still coherent, but his judgment was skewed by the alcohol running in his veins. He felt like his body was being controlled by someone else, doing things he normally wouldn't do.

"You're so beautiful." He purred in between kissing Natasha.

She cupped his cheeks and giggled against his lips. "I've wanted to do this since I saw you in Russian class." She admitted.

"Vy tak krasivo, vy tak krasivo, vy tak krasivo." He found himself repeating, 'you're so pretty' in Russian.

"Come with me." She whispered in his ear. He happily followed her. She led him through the halls and up two flights of stairs.

The third floor was fairly empty besides a few stragglers. Most of them were making out.

They passed a mirror on the wall, and Bucky got a glimpse of his reflection. His eyes were bloodshot and he looked tired, but had a faint grin on his face.

Natasha pulled him further down the hall. There was a line outside a bathroom. Bucky looked at the unfamiliar people as he walked by, then spotted a face he knew.

"Oh hey Steve." He slurred without thinking.

Steve, who remained mostly sober, knitted his eyebrows together in surprise, "Bucky?"

Natasha had pulled him into a spare bedroom before he could respond. She slammed the door, and shoved her face into his.

"Nice and quiet." She hummed, even though the music could still be heard booming down below them.

Bucky gripped her hips as she kissed down his neck. They made their way closer to the bed, removing articles of clothing as they went.

"Is this alright?" Bucky asked before they went any further.

"Da." She replied yes in Russian, then reconnected their lips.

And then... Well you can guess what happened from there on. Bucky wasn't proud of it. It was something he didn't really want to relive. It wasn't bad, no not at all, he just wished he hadn't done it. He wished he hadn't gotten drunk. He wished he hadn't went to the party in the first place.

Sure, Natasha was great and gorgeous, but he didn't want to hook up with her. At least sober him didn't. Drunk him was all for it. He just didn't like how fast they went. They had only started talking that week, and in one night they got drunk, made out, and had sex. It's not how he usually treated people. He liked to really get to know them and get comfortable with them before he got to that level with them. But unfortunately those steps were ignored by the alcohol that took over his brain.

They passed out in the bed and slept until morning. The party was dead by then, although stragglers still remained, sleeping in odd spots or black out drunk. Some walked like zombies back to their cars and others raided the kitchen for food.

Tony was asleep on the couch, holding Pepper in his arms. One guy passed out in a pile of plastic cups on the bar counter. A few others littered the floor. It looked like a horror scene. Not to mention all the garbage that littered the ground. Streamers, cups, food, silly string and other trash covered the floor. Someone's sock was even in the middle of the hallway.

Bucky's head hurt like hell and he felt like death, but he wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. He mounted his bike and sped off back home, leaving the Stark mansion in the dust behind him.

-

Bucky tried to open the door as quietly as possible, but it was utterly hopeless. It was already 8:30, and his mom would be awake by now.

"James Buchanan Barnes! Where the hell have you been all night?" She yelled at him as soon as he had one foot in the door.

"I told you mom, I went to a party." He sighed and rubbed his eyes. He just wanted to go back to sleep.

"Yes, a party you were supposed to be back from by 11, midnight at the latest!" Her piercing voice made his head throb. He felt sick.

"I know, I know. I just didn't want to drive home dr-" he cut himself off.

Mrs. Barnes rolled her eyes, "Oh please, you are clearly hung over James, there's no hiding it. You smell like you bathed in a tub of whiskey."

Bucky sighed, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drink. It was just the atmosphere and everything. It just got out of hand."

His mother softened slightly, but kept her stern glare, "While I appreciate you didn't drive home drunk, especially on that bike of yours, you are still in huge trouble mister."

"I know."

"Now get upstairs and get to bed. You look like you are going to pass out. Take a shower too." Bucky trudged up the stairs, "Your lucky your father is away this weekend or you'd be dealing with a lot harsher of a punishment!" She called after him.

Bucky showered, took an aspirin and flopped into the warm embrace of his own bed. Memories of the night before filled his head, haunting him. He wished it never happened. If he could go back and never do it, he would.

And Steve. Steve saw him right before he hooked up with Natasha. Quite an impression he made. Hammered and being dragged off by one of Steve's friends.

Ugh, why did Bucky have to fuck up so badly?

Chapter Text

Bucky's friends him stared him down as he approached their usual lunch table on Monday.

Bucky raised an eyebrow as he sat down, "What do I have something on my face?"

"YOU HOOKED UP WITH NATASHA ROMANOFF?" Clint practically yelled.

Bucky slammed his palm over his mouth, "God Clint, don't tell the whole cafeteria!"

"Ha! So it's true!" Darcy exclaimed, pointing a finger at him.

Bucky sighed and hid his face in his hands, "Yes..." He admitted. "How did you even find out?"

"Find out? The whole school knows!" Bruce told him.

"What?!" Bucky eyes grew wide, "How?"

Bruce shrugged, "Don't ask me! There are always rumors after Tony's parties, they spread like Ebola."

"I thought you didn't even want to go to Stark's party!" Clint said.

"I didn't but Natasha wanted me to go."

"That's not the only thing she wanted." Thor wiggled his eyebrows.

"Guys, I really don't want to talk about this."

"You hooked up with Natasha, freakin, Romanoff and you aren't bragging about it? Was she bad or something?" Bruce questioned.

Bucky shook his head, "No, not at all-"

"So she was good?" Clint smirked.

"Guys, this is gross. I'm trying to eat here." Jane crossed her arms with a disgusted look.

"I don't want to talk about it because it shouldn't have happened." Bucky hissed. "I didn't want to go to that party and I didn't want to hook up with Natasha. It happened and it was a mistake. That's all. Now can I please just eat my lunch?"

"I second that. Quite frankly I could care less about his love life." Loki said. Bucky had only just noticed he was there.

"Thank you, Loki... I think." Bucky opened his bag of chips and started eating them loudly to avoid anymore awkward questions.

The whole school knew about what happened between him and Natasha now. He was already known as the new Russian kid, and he really didn't want anymore attention. So much for getting through this year drama free.

-

Through out the day, Bucky felt people's eyes on him. Some pointed and whispered, others just stared. He knew what they were talking about, and it made him extremely uncomfortable. Normally he couldn't care less about what other people thought of him, but this was something personal, that he didn't want people talking about. It just made him wish more that it had never happened.

Finally he made it through to the last period of the day. He power walked through the halls to his locker, which was thankfully right by his English class. He tried to avoid all eye contact and kept his head down. Relief filled him when he finally made it to his locker.

He reached to open it when he was suddenly body slammed from behind. His face smashed into the cool metal of the locker door.

"You think you're so hot don't ya? Cause you're sleeping with my girl." A gruff voice growled.

The voice pulled Bucky around to face him, his meaty hands cutting off the circulation in his arms.

"Natasha's not your girl, Rumlow." Bucky spat, "And she's not mine either."

The football player snarled, "She is too mine. At least she will be. And I ain't letting you get in the way of that."

Bucky struggled against his grip and tried to get away, but Brock used all his weight to slam him back into the locker. He held him back with one hand and brought his other fist up, punching him across the face.

"Argh!" Bucky cried out upon impact. His jaw ached with the imprints of Brock's hard knuckles.

"What? Did I mess up your face, pretty boy?" Rumlow sneered, raising his fist again, "Ain't no girl gonna want a boy with a broken face." He brought his fist down again, his force mainly focused on his nose.

Bucky heard a crack. It didn't feel broken, but warm blood started to trickled down his face. He tried to get away again by kneeing him in the gut, but Brock was used to fighting, and knocked his leg away, using his own to knee Bucky instead.

Bucky gasped for breath as the wind was knocked out of him. "Brock-" he sputtered trying to reason with him.

"You giving up so soon, pretty boy? Don't want me to ruin your perfect hair?" He spoke in a teasing voice, his hand balling into another fist. He was about to punch Bucky again, when someone jumped in between them, using a textbook to shield Bucky. Rumlow's punch was intercepted by the hard cover book and he stepped away, rubbing his sore hand.

"Back off Brock." A smooth voice  warned.

Rumlow muttered a quick, "Whatever" then lumbered off, still looking pissed.

"You alright?" Bucky's rescuer turned around to check on him.

"Steve?" Bucky said feeling dumbstruck.

"Long time no see." The blond chuckled, then frowned, examining Bucky's face, "You really should go to the nurse."

"I'm fine." Bucky muttered.

"Your nose is bleeding like Niagara Falls, you at least need a tissue or something." Steve shook his head disapprovingly, but his lips formed a grin, "And don't you go acting all tough guy again, like when you tried to walk off a broken ankle."

"You remember that?" Bucky said in surprise. "We were six."

"Course." Steve gave him a friendly slap on the back leading him toward the bathroom, "Now come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Steve leaned against the wall as Bucky washed the blood off his face in the bathroom sink. He even stayed when Bucky had to hold toilet paper over his nose until it stopped bleeding.

"So what got Brock so mad at you?" Steve asked, his arms crossed against his broad chest.

Bucky stared at the ground, "Just... Girl trouble." He muttered.

Steve nodded slowly, "Riiight." He dragged out, "You and Nat?" Bucky turned away, and Steve raised his arms in defense, "Hey, I'm not judging! Nat's a great girl."

Steve caught on that Bucky wasn't interested in talking about that subject, and quickly switched topics, "So, what made your family move back?" He asked.

"My dad's mother is sick. He wanted to be close to her." He told Steve.

"I'm sorry. Do you think you would have stayed in Russia if she wasn't sick?"

Bucky nodded, "Probably."

"What was it like there? Did you like it?"

"Yeah, it was nice, I guess."

The conversation felt tense. It had been a decade since they last talked. So much had changed and it just felt different now.

"You don't need to wait with me, you know." Bucky said after a brief silence, "You're missing class."

Steve shrugged, "I don't mind. We need to catch up anyways."

There was so much Bucky wanted to know, but it felt to weird to ask. Like "When did you get into football?", "How's your family?" And "When did you get all big and hunky?" Okay, well he definitely wasn't asking that last one.

"How've you been?" Bucky asked, making his question pretty general.

"Not bad." He responded, "You missed a lot while you were gone. It's too bad, you missed out on my awkward teen years." Steve joked.

Bucky cracked a smile, "Maybe that's a good thing. I went through this really embarrassing grunge-rock phase."

Steve laughed, "Not gonna lie, I did too."  Bucky had a hard time picturing Steve through that time, but the thought made him laugh. 

"Guess we aren't so different after all." He noted.

"Were we ever different?" Steve cocked his head, "I mean, we practically grew up together. We were like the same person."

Bucky shrugged, "A lot has changed since then. I mean look at you, you're this huge popular sports star, and I'm well, I'm just Bucky, the weird Russian kid."

"I don't think you're weird." Steve stated.

"You'd be about the only one."

Steve frowned and looked like he was going to say more but Bucky cut him off, "I think my nose has stopped bleeding." He threw away the bloody toilet paper and washed his hands.

Steve nodded, "Yeah, we should probably get to class before we get sent to principal Fury's office."

They left the bathroom, walking to English together. They reached the door, and before Bucky could open it, Steve turned to him.

"We should hang out some time and catch up." He said, which made Bucky smile.

"Yeah, sure. That's sounds good."

Chapter Text

Bucky's stomach tightened into a knot as he approached his Russian class. He hadn't seen or talked to Natasha since the party and he wasn't looking foreword to it. He didn't know what he would say. He really wasn't interested in dating her, but he didn't want to make her mad. No one wanted to upset Natasha Romanoff.

He thought about ditching, but he was already in enough trouble at home for drinking, so he really wasn't interested in adding to that punishment. So he took a deep breath and walked in with his head hung low. To his relief Natasha wasn't there, so he took his usual seat and pulled out his papers from his backpack.

"Woah Barnes, what happened to your face?"

Bucky's stomach jumped when he heard her voice. Slowly, he tilted his head up to see Natasha standing before him. When had she even come in? She was sneaky.

"Nothing." He mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

She lifted his chin with her thumb and brushed her fingers over the bruises on his jaw and nose. Bucky flinched at her touch and she frowned.

"It was Rumlow, wasn't it?" She let go of his face. Bucky nodded. She sighed, "I should have warn you about him. He does this to almost every guy I get close to. It's disgusting really. I have told him numerous times that I'm not, and never will be, interested in him, and beating people up doesn't increase his chances. It's really hard to even get a boyfriend because-"

Bucky interrupted her ramble, not able to hold it in anymore, "Natasha."

She stopped talking and focused her attention on him, "Yeah?"

He sighed, rubbing his temples trying to think of how to say it, "I don't- I don't think I can do this. Like be with you or whatever. You're really great and all but I just can't do it."

Natasha frowned again, "It is because of Brock?"

Bucky shook his head, "No, not entirely. It's just we took everything so fast and I'm not really that type of guy, I guess. I'm just not really sure this is right, for either of us."

She nodded, surprisingly understandably. She seemed saddened but not heartbroken or angry like Bucky worried she might be. Perhaps he had judged her wrong. "I get it. If you aren't comfortable, we don't have to be a 'thing'. I'm fine just being friends."

Bucky blinked, "You still want to be friends?"

Natasha looked at him like he was stupid, "Well yeah. Like I said, we Russians have to stick together. Plus, I like you. And not just in a romantic way."

"Wow, I though you would hate me."

Natasha let out a laugh, "I'm not some slut like everyone seems to think I am. If you're not interested, that's cool. I value my friendships more than my romantic relationships."

Bucky smiled, relieved she wasn't upset, and kinda happy that they could be just friends, "Druz'ya?" He stuck out his hand to shake hers.

Natasha nodded, taking his hand, "Friends."

-

"So how'd it go with Natasha?" Bruce asked on their way to physics.

"Surprisingly well." Bucky said.

Clint shook his head, mystified, "Still can't believe you had the opportunity to go out with Natasha Romanoff and turned it away."

Bucky shrugged, "I like her, I just don't want to date her."

"Well that means there's got to be another girl." Bruce stated.

"What?"

"If you don't want to date someone like Natasha, then there must be some other girl you like more than her. Someone that's stopping you from dating her." Bruce clarified.

"Yeah." Clint agreed, "I don't think any guy in history has said no to Natasha unless he liked someone else."

Bucky shook his head, "Nope. There's no one. I swear."

His friends didn't look convinced, "Oh come on, you can tell us. We're your friends!"

"I just did. There is no one else I like." Bucky said.

"Whatever you say." Bruce said in a sing-songy voice. Bucky rolled his eyes.

They were almost to the physics room when a friendly face waved to him.

"Hey Bucky." Steve gave him one of his warm smiles.

"Oh hey." Bucky waved back. He was surprised Steve even wanted to talk to him, especially in front of the group of friends he walked with.

"Wait up." He said, breaking away from his friends to jog over to Bucky.

Bruce and Clint looked confused but shrugged and went on to class, leaving Bucky with Steve.

"So, do you want to hang out after school? We could go to my house." Steve offered.

"Don't you have football practice?" Bucky questioned.

Steve shook his head, "Coach had an appointment, so he let us off today."

"Wouldn't you rather hang out with Sharon, then?" 

"Nah, I see her everyday. I haven't seen you in ten years. I think she can last the afternoon with out clinging to me. So what do you say? I have pizza rolls at my place." He tempted.

"Yeah, sure." Bucky nodded.

"Great." Steve smiled, "See you later." He waved and ran off to catch up with his friends.

Bucky turned and headed into his physics class. He just couldn't fathom that Steve wanted to hang out with him over his own girlfriend.

"Since when are you and Mr. Popular friends?" Clint asked when he sat down.

"We were best friends as kids remember?" Bucky said.

"Yeah, but when did you become friends again? It's not like he is the same dorky kid he was when you left."

"He got Rumlow off of my case yesterday. So we decided we should catch up." Bucky shrugged, "What's wrong with that?"

Bruce shook his head with a chuckle, "First Romanoff, now Rogers?" He looked to Clint, "I think we're loosing him to the dark side."

"Oh shut up. You're not losing me. And they are perfectly nice people." Bucky said. "And what about Thor? He's on the football team your fine with him being friends with them."

"Yeah, but he's Thor. We're still surprised he hangs out with us. You're, well, you."

"Gee thanks, Clint." Bucky said sarcastically.

"We're just looking out for you, buddy." Clint said, "Don't want you becoming one of them."

"What a jock?" Bucky laughed. "Because trust me, that's never gonna happen."

Bruce shook his head, "Not a jock. A jerk."

Chapter Text

Bucky waited outside in the front courtyard of the school, leaning against the brick wall of the building. He shoved his hands in his pockets, the chill of late October starting to set in.

A group of students exited the school, like a flock of noisy birds, chatting away and goofing off. Bucky watched them from the corner of his eye. They weren't the type of people Bucky usually associated with. They were loud, sporty, and popular, everything Bucky wasn't.

None of the group payed attention to Bucky until Steve noticed him. "Oh hey, Buck!" He waved and everyone's eyes turned to him.

Bucky felt suddenly uncomfortable with all the attention. He scratched the back of his neck and gave a small head nod, "Hey."

"See you guys tomorrow." Steve said goodbye to his gaggle of friends.

"Bye Steven!" Sharon stood on her tip toes to kiss her boyfriend. Bucky almost laughed. No one called him Steven except his dad.

Steve pulled away first, not long into the kiss, the tips of his ears turning pink. "Okay, I should go now." Sharon pouted but waved him off as he ran over to Bucky.

Steve gave him a friendly slap on the back, "Alright let's go."

-

Steve's house was exactly how Bucky remembered it.

It was a small one-story yellow home, with a small front yard. The branchy oak tree that they used to climb as kids still stood proud in the lawn by the garage. Steve only lived a street away from Bucky, so as a kid, he was always able to walk over to play.

He followed Steve inside. He was hit by the nostalgic smell of lemon floor polish and fresh mowed grass. Bucky always felt welcomed by that smell, and in Russia always asked his mom to get the lemon scent when polishing the wood floors because it reminded him of home.

Everything was almost exactly the same, give or take a few updated pictures on the wall. He looked at each one as he passed through the hall into the kitchen. There were some of Steve's family back when he was a little kid. A baby photo of Steve. Mr and Mrs Rogers' wedding photo. Steve and his mom at the beach. Steve and his dad throwing a football. And Steve's latest school photo.

Bucky paused at the last photo. It was just an average sized photograph, in a basic wooden frame, of the tree in the front yard. The young face of 6 year old Bucky smiled with a missing tooth, sitting in the lowest branch. His hand reached down to help a skinny blond boy, pulling him up on the branch.

Steve let out a low chuckled, standing behind Bucky, "That photo was my mom's favorite. She would never take it down. My dad tried to change it to a picture of me running track but she just switched it back again." He let out a melancholy sigh.

"Speaking of which, where are your parents?" Bucky asked, turning to Steve.

"My dad's working, but he should be home around 5. And my mom..." His eyes flickered to the floor, "S-she passed away, about five years ago."

Bucky's jaw dropped a bit, "Oh my god Steve, I'm so sorry. I didn't know."

Steve shrugged, "She was really sick, she's in a better place now. I've come to terms with it." He took a deep breath and put on a small smile, "Come on, I'll get you those pizza rolls I promised." He continued into the kitchen.

Bucky lingered behind, feeling upset. He remembered Sarah Rogers. She was like his second mom. Caring, gentle, and friendly. She would always clean up their bumps and scrapes after playing outside, and make them fun little snacks. She would tell them stories when they had sleepovers and tucked them in. Every Christmas she made a batch of her famous cookies for Bucky's family, which they would devour in only a few days. She was amazing, and Bucky felt mournful that she was gone and he hadn't even known.

Finally he tore himself away from the photograph, heading into the kitchen, where Steve put a plate of pizza rolls in the microwave.

"So, this place how you remember it?" Steve asked, leaning against the counter.

Bucky looked around the room and nodded, "Almost exactly. It's crazy that so much time has passed, but your house hasn't changed a bit."

"But we sure have." Steve chuckled.

"Oh yeah. That's for sure." Bucky agreed, "I mean look at you! You're all... Big." Bucky blushed at his lack of a better word. Talking to Steve again still felt awkward. They had once been such close friends, but now they felt distant. Practically strangers.

"Thanks," Steve smiled, showing a dimple, "Now when did you develop that sexy accent?" He said teasingly.

"Ugh my accent is not sexy." Bucky scoffed. "

"Yeah it is! You sound like a cool Russian spy or something."

Bucky shook his head, "I sound like I'm going cough up phlegm."

Steve made a grossed out face, "Okay yeah, when you put it that way it's not sexy." The microwave beeped and he turned to take out the pizza roll, placing them on the kitchen table. They sat down across from each other, waiting for the rolls to cool down.

"Say something in Russian." Steve coaxed with intrigue.

"Uh, what should I say?"

"Anything."

"Okay, um..." Bucky thought of something random, "YA ubil cheloveka."

Steve looked impressed, "What did you say?"

Bucky smirked, "I killed a man."

Steve looked momentarily horrified, and Bucky burst out laughing, "I'm only joking! Don't worry, Rogers, I did a lot of things in Russia, but murder wasn't one of them."

Steve shook his head and laughed, reaching for a pizza roll. Bucky did the same, popping one in his mouth.

"Mmm..." He hummed delightfully, "Haven't had one of these in forever."

"Really?"

"Nope. They're an American thing. They didn't sell them in Russia." Bucky said.

Steve shook his head is disapproval, "What a crime against humanity."

The old friends talked for the rest of the afternoon, catching up with each other. They talked about what happened while Bucky was gone, the school drama, and what had happened in their lives since the move. They found themselves easily feeling comfortable with one another, no longer feeling the awkwardness of different social groups. It felt like old times, when they were best friends who could talk about anything together. And Bucky was happy to have his old friend back, even after a decade a part.

"...so I punched him in the face. And that's how I got my first and only suspension back in the seventh grade." Steve finished his story.

Bucky shook his head with a laugh, "You're an idiot for doing that. I guess that hasn't changed." He teased.

"Hey!" Steve punched him in the arm.

Once they finished their small fit of laughter, they found themselves just staring at each other from across the small table, a nostalgic look in their eyes.

Bucky couldn't believe it was the same Steve he'd grown up with. He was so tall and muscular. His smile was bright and confident, and he no longer seemed shy or scared. But his eyes, his bright blue eyes, still had that same glisten of innocence, and happiness that had always radiated off of Steve. And that made Bucky smile too.

"Steven! I'm home!" A deep voice called. The front door slammed and keys jangled. They boys tore their eyes off each other to see David Rogers enter the kitchen.

He walked right past, then froze and backtracked when he noticed Bucky, "Oh, I didn't know we had a guest." He said, placing his keys and briefcase on the kitchen counter.

"Dad, you remember Bucky." Steve said, reintroducing them.

David examined Bucky up and down, his eyebrows furrowed as he tried to recall him, "Wait, you don't mean Bucky Barnes?"

"Uh yeah, that's me." Buck gave an awkward slanted smile.

"No way!" David looked amazed, reaching out to shake his hand, "I thought you moved to Alaska or something, forever ago."

Bucky chuckled, "Actually it was Russia, but we just moved back at the end of August." He told Mr. Rogers.

"Well that's great. I'm glad you two are catching up. It's sure been a while. I can hear you've got a bit of an accent going on, hope those Russians didn't change you too much." David shook his hand with a steel grip.

"Alright dad, stop before you rip Bucky's arm off." Steve said.

"Oh, sorry Bucky." Mr. Rogers dropped Bucky's hand, "I've been known to have a hard shake."

"That's fine, sir. No damage." Bucky glanced at the clock on the stove, "It's getting late, I should head home."

"Need a ride?" David offered.

"Da-ad." Steve rolled his eyes, "We're not seven anymore."

Bucky grinned, "Thanks, but I'm fine."

David nodded, "Well it was nice to see you again, Bucky. Welcome back."

"I'll walk you to the door." Steve said, although it was unnecessary, Bucky knew this house like his own.

"Thanks for inviting me over. And for the pizza rolls. I missed those." Bucky said by the door.

"Yeah, no problem! It was great to talk to you again, just like old times."

Bucky smiled, opening the door, "Yep, just like old times."

Chapter Text

The motorcycle rumbled to a stop in its usual parking space. Bucky hoped off, placing his helmet on the seat, and he started off to his first period.

The history classroom was already filled, and Bucky was one of the last to arrive. He walked over to an empty desk in the back corner of the room when someone called out across the room.

"Hey Bucky! Come sit over here."

Bucky turned to see Steve amongst his group of friends, waving Bucky over. He was taken aback by the request. Steve had never asked Bucky to hang out with him and his friends. Bucky usually just sat alone in history, because none of his friends were in the class.

Bucky approached Steve and his friends at their cluster of desks in the front of the room. The person closest to Steve watched Bucky carefully, giving him an intimidating glare as he scanned him up and down. Bucky gave him an awkward smile, showing he came in peace. Steve's friend just crossed his arms, his lips in a straight line.

"What's the Russian doing here?" He asked as if Bucky wasn't standing right in front of him.

"Oh be nice, Sam." Natasha shoved the disapproving man.

"I invited him to sit with us." Steve said, patting the desk next to his.

Bucky dropped his bag on the seat. "Uh hi." He gave a small wave to the group, who's attention was now aimed at him.

"Everyone, introduce yourself to our friend Bucky here." Natasha said to her friends. The group went around in a circle saying their names. Bucky remembered a few of them from before he left, but many were new faces to him.

"My name is Pepper. Pepper Potts." A girl with strawberry blonde hair tied in a tight ponytail introduced herself. Bucky knew her as Tony's girlfriend, who kept him in check the best she could.

"Tony Stark, but you already knew that." The billionaire said with a careless flourish of his hand, his other arm wrapped tight around Pepper.

"T'Challa." A buff football player gave him a curt nod, his cat-like eyes watching him closely like he was a possible threat.

"Sam." The last person, who'd given Bucky the old western stare down, grumbled. He didn't seem too friendly or fond of Bucky.

"Ah, and here comes Sharon." Steve noted, turning to where the blonde cheerleader skipped over to them.

"Just in time!" She chirped, right as the bell rung. She gave Steve a kiss before taking her seat. Steve shrugged slightly with an awkward smile to Bucky, as if apologizing for the PDA.

Bucky just shrugged, to say he didn't care, although he felt a tug in his chest. He didn't like Sharon. It wasn't the she was a bad person, she was kind, bubbly, and strong, but something about her rubbed Bucky the wrong way. He tried to shake the feeling as he slid into his chair, between Steve and Natasha.

"Morning class." Mr. Coulson rubbed his hands together eagerly, way too energized for eight in the morning. "Today we will start talking about the nuclear bomb. So who can tell me where the first nuclear bomb was dropped?" He scanned the room to call on someone. His eyes landed on Bucky, looking slightly surprised at his new seating arrangement with the popular crowd. "How about you, Bucky?"

"Hiroshima, Japan." He answered.

"Good." Mr. Coulson nodded, "Now Hiroshima was the most famous, but a second bomb was actually dropped. After the Japanese government-" the history teacher continued to rambled on with his lesson.

Bucky's eyes glanced around the new crowd around him. It felt so different to be a part of the popular and sporty group. He didn't feel he belonged. He was a outsider, and not at all a jock. He hung out with the nerds who got picked on and beat up by jerks like Rumlow. Bucky wasn't a popular kid. He didn't even know how he got Steve and Natasha to think he was the least bit cool enough to hang out with. It just didn't seem right for him to be there.

It wasn't that he was unwelcome, in fact the group seemed surprisingly friendly- well with the exception of Sam. But the rest of them didn't seem to mind his presence. And Bucky enjoyed being friends with Natasha and Steve, but something about this situation just felt off to him. Like oil mixing with water, it just didn't seem to work.

But maybe things would change.

-

"Hey Bucky!" Steve caught up to him after class, stopping him before he made it out the door.

"Yeah?" He turned to face Steve who was wearing his red, white, and blue football jersey. Without all the padding underneath it, it bagged around his shoulders and chest, but he still managed to look buff in it.

"You coming to the game tonight?" Steve asked.

"Oh, uh, I don't know..." Sporting events weren't really Bucky's style. They were much too crowded and rowdy.

"Oh you totally should!" Sharon seemed to appear out of nowhere, wrapping her arm around Steve's, "It's the biggest game of the year against Hydra High. We are totally gonna crush them, especially with Steve playing." She giggled and looked up to her boyfriend.

"Well..." Bucky didn't know what to say.

"C'mon, it's really fun, I swear." Steve looked Bucky in the eye, almost pleadingly.

He couldn't refuse, "Okay, yeah, I will be there." He spoke before he could even have a chance to think about what he just said.

Steve's face lit up, "Great! I guess I will see you there!" He marched off with Sharon by his side.

What did he get himself into?

-

Loud music of brass and drums from the school band played from the stands, just adding to the noisy chaos of the football game atmosphere. Crowds of people chatted moving in waves to the already packed bleachers. It was already putting Bucky on edge.

Smells of concession food floated through the air, mixing with the scent of turf and sweat. Although the November night air was slightly nippy, the bright lights that blasted down on the field seemed to warm things up.

People pushed past him, trying to find places to sit in the stands. Bucky felt like a lost puppy, not knowing where to go. He glanced around the crowded stadium, hoping for an empty space in the back corner to sit in.

"Oh Bucky! Over here!" He heard someone call out to him. He turned his head to the source and saw Pepper waving him over from the front bleacher. He approached where she sat with the usual group of Steve's friends, minus the football players.

"Steve said you'd be coming, so we saved you a spot." She pointed to an empty space between Natasha and Sam.

Sam crossed his arms as Bucky took a seat, obviously not too thrilled about sitting next to him. Bucky didn't know why Sam was bothered by his presence. Maybe because Steve was his best friend and he thought Bucky would steal him away. Bucky was sure that wouldn't happen.

"You know, I've never actually seen an American football game." Bucky stated, trying to start a conversation so he felt less awkward sitting with them.

Tony, who sat hip to hip with Pepper, blinked in surprise, his mouth hanging open, "Seriously? Never? Weren't you born in America? How can you have never seen a football game?"

Bucky shrugged, "The only football game I've seen is what you guys call soccer. It's not a thing in Russia. And my parents weren't into it, so we never watched it before we moved either."

"Damn, you missed out on a great American pastime." Tony shook his head disapprovingly.

"I mean, we had rugby, which is kinda similar."

"Rugby is not the same as football." Sam snapped.

Bucky raised his arms in defense, "Geeez sorry." He didn't realize it was such a sensitive topic to Sam, although he got the feeling that Sam was just looking for an excuse to argue with him.

"Oh boys, shut up! Sharon's on." Natasha hit Bucky on the arm, pointing to where a group of cheerleaders took the field, Sharon at the front with a glowing smile.

They did a routine, complete with pyramids, flips, and tosses. Bucky had to admit, it was pretty impressive. Sharon was hoisted in the air, her arms outstretched as she back flipped off a tower of people, landing perfectly stable on the ground. It took great strength and agility to do what they did, and it looked amazing.

The school mascot, a bald eagle, ran out from the sidelines, joining the girls in a small dance routine. The crowd erupted in cheers at the final beat of the music hit, and the cheerleaders struck an ending pose. Steve's friends jumped to their feet, giving a standing ovation to their friend. Bucky clapped along politely.

The cheerleaders from the opposing team took the field, lining up in front of a big banner, shaking their dark red pompoms.

The football team from Hydra High burst through, earning some cheering from the supporters from their school in the stands. Sam cupped his hands around his mouth and started booing. Pepper reached across Tony to slap Sam's arm.

"Be polite!" She scolded.

"How can I be polite to a football team who's name is The Tentacles? They are just asking for it." Sam said.

"It sounds like testicles." Tony sniggered, earning a glare from his girlfriend.

"Their school mascot is an octopus." Natasha explained to Bucky.

Their school's cheerleaders started lining up, creating the entrance for their team, The Patriots. They burst through the banner in a parade of red, white and blue. Steve lead them through, with Rumlow by his side. Bucky also spotted T'Challa and Thor not far behind.

Soon the game had begun, and to say Bucky was confused was an understatement. It was just a bunch of beefy men tacking each other, trying to get the oblong ball. It looked pretty much like rugby, but more confusing. They kept stopping and forming lines. And the game had nothing to do with their feet at all, besides the occasional kicker, he didn't get why it was called football. Why didn't America just call football, soccer, and soccer, football? It made more sense.

Although he didn't understand the game, he could follow the points of the score board to figure out who was winning. The Tentacles has only made one touch down, and The Patriots had made four. All by #12, Steve Rogers of course. Bucky kept his eye trained on him, watching him catch the ball out of the air like it was nothing, then dash down the field across the line into the end zone. The stands roared in excitement, and the players surrounded Steve in a group hug, practically knocking him over.

T'Challa gained more points for their team when he kicked the ball and it flew in a graceful arc right through the center of the yellow field goal.

Bucky started to enjoy the game. He found it pretty funny watching large men tackle each other like animals on prey. And he liked the way everyone joined together in celebration when their team scored. He was almost disappointed when the game was over. Of course, The Patriots won by a landslide.

"Let's go congratulate Steve and T'Challa." Pepper waved the group along, snaking through the crowd to find the players. They found them on their way to the locker room, practically trampling over each other in excitement from their win.

"Great job Steve! You too T'Challa!" Pepper hugged both of them.

"Thank you." T'Challa tucked his helmet under his arm.

"Buck, you came!" Steve smiled noticing Bucky at the edge of the group. "How did you like it?"

Bucky shrugged, "I didn't understand most of it, but it was pretty fun to watch. You did good."

Steve beamed, the sweat on his face glistening from the stadium lights. His hair was wet and askew from a bad case of helmet hair, but he still managed to look good.

"Go get changed so we can head to the bonfire." Sam started to push Steve away in the direction of the locker room.

"Alright, alright." Steve started to leave, but turned to look at Bucky once more, "You'll be there right?"

"Uh, sure." Bucky didn't know where there was, but he certainly wanted to be there.

"Great!" Steve smiled again, then ran off to catch up with his teammates. Bucky's eyes fell to Steve's ass, which happened to look great in his tight blue pants.

He quickly turned away, hoping no one had caught him staring. A blush creeped across his face, but luckily it was probably too dark for anyone to notice.

He turned to Natasha, who stood next to him, "Um, so where are we going exactly?"

"Tony's house. We are having a celebratory bonfire." Natasha said. She had a sly smirk on her face, which made Bucky uneasy.

"What?" He raised an eyebrow, questioning her expression.

She waved it off, but continued to grin like she knew something that he didn't, "Oh nothing."

Chapter Text

Going back to Tony's house after the first party he attended, wasn't high on his bucket list. On the ride there he began to wish he'd never said yes at all to coming to this bonfire.

He already knew the way to the Stark's mansion, and he parked his bike on the curb. He followed a couple football players around to the backyard, where a huge bonfire crackled and sparked in the night. Music thumped in the background, luckily not as loud as the first party Bucky went to. The football team and a bunch of other students mingled, still pumped from the win.

Bucky sidled off to the refreshment table, this time avoiding whatever drinks were set out. He planned on actually driving home tonight. He settled for some chips and a can of cola. He sipped his drink, watching the partygoers hoist Steve on their shoulders and parading him around the yard while others cheered.

"Not joining in the fun?" A voice beside him made him jump and almost choke on his soda. Natasha giggled at his surprise.

"Don't sneak up on me like that." Bucky gave her a small shove on her shoulder, "And no. I'd rather watch."

"Bet you're enjoying the view." She smirked, her glimmering eyes focused on the group of jocks celebrating.

"Excuse me?" Bucky coughed.

Natasha turned to him and whispered in Russian, "I know you like him."

Bucky's heart started to race, pounding so hard against his ribs he was afraid it would break free. He panicked and decided to play dumb, "Who?"

"Steve." She answered like it was obvious.

Bucky shook his head firmly, "I don't like Steve."

She rolled her eyes, "Oh please, I catch you ogling him all the time. So what are you? Bi? Pan?"

"I don't like Steve." He repeated, his eyes flickering to the blond football player.

"Seriously Barnes, you don't need to lie to me. I'm not gonna judge you for it. Steve's hot, I don't blame you." Natasha said with a shrug.

Bucky didn't respond. He refused to let himself like Steve as anything more than a friend. He was obviously straight, he was a jock with a girlfriend. He didn't want to fall for a straight guy and ruin his friendship with him. So he told Natasha- and himself- that he didn't like Steve in that way.

"Plus," Natasha added, shooting him a mischievous side glance, "He likes you too."

Bucky's head whipped around to face her, "What?" He said a little too loudly in English, catching the attention of a few nearby party guests. He pulled Natasha off to the side by the neatly trimmed hedges that surrounded the yard. "Steve does not like me... At least, not like that." He said, looking around to make sure no one was close enough to hear them.

"I know Steve." Natasha told Bucky, "I know when he liked someone. He gets all friendly, and wants to be around them. Ever notice how he always catches up to you? Or invites you places? He likes you, Bucky, more than just bros."

Bucky still didn't believe her. No one like Steve could like someone like Bucky. Natasha was probably just misreading the signs. Steve was just trying to catch up and be friends again, that's all.

"Steve's straight." Bucky stated.

Natasha chuckled under her breath, "That's debatable."

He blinked at her, "What do you mean?"

"Steve's only dated girls, yes, but I've seen the way he looks at some boys. It's the same way your friend Clint looks at me."

Bucky cocked his head, "You notice Clint?" That surprised him. He didn't think Natasha or any of the populars paid any attention to his friend group.

"I mean his crush is pretty obvious. He practically drools over me. It's cute." Natasha smiled slightly, looking off in the distance for a moment before during back to Bucky, "Now back to what's really important: you and Steve."

Bucky shook his head, "There is nothing between us." He insisted.

Natasha smirked, "Not yet." She giggled.

Before he could stop her, Natasha shoved Bucky with a force that he didn't even know she had. He fell in the grass, landing hard on his lower back. He grimaced as pain shot up his spine.

"Buck!" He heard someone call nearby. Steve jogged away from his friends to aid him. "What happened?" He asked, offering Bucky a hand.

Flustered, Bucky accepted Steve's hand, feeling embarrassed that Steve had witnessed him fall. "I just lost my balance." Buck lied, glance to where Natasha was before, but she had already slunk off and disappeared.

'Great' Bucky thought, 'Now he thinks I'm a major klutz. Thanks Nat.'

Steve pulled Bucky to his feet, causing him to wince. He rubbed his back, which ached from the impact.

"You should get some ice on that. You're gonna have a bruise." Steve advised, starting to guide him toward the house.

"No, no. I'm good." Bucky straightened up, trying to convince Steve that he was fine but winced again as he stretched his back, which didn't help his cause.

Steve shook his head, "C'mon. I play football, I know how to treat falls like that." Steve led Bucky into Tony's kitchen.

Inside was quite, other than muffled thumps of the music outside and the hum of the refrigerator. Steve opened the freezer and poked around for something to help Bucky's back.

"This'll do." He said, pulling out a bag of frozen green beans, and tossing it to Bucky. Then Steve took him to the living room where they sat down on the couch facing the fireplace.

Bucky sat against the frost bag of vegetables with stung his skin through his shirt but gave him some relief.

"I always seem to be rescuing you." Steve said, sitting so he could face Bucky, his knees perpendicular to his. "First with Brock, now this. You just can't stay safe, can you?" He chuckled.

"Guess you owe me from all the times I saved you from bullies as a kid." Bucky grinned, nudging Steve's knee with his own.

Steve smiled, bowing his head to stare his feet. Bucky could have sworn he saw a faint blush on the football player's cheeks, but he could have been wrong. Natasha had gotten to his head.

"You should go back to the party." Bucky changed the subject, "You don't need to stay and play my nurse. I'm fine by myself."

Steve shook his head, looking back up, "No, I don't mind. I'm not a huge fan of parties anyways. The music hurts my head." He rubbed his temple slightly.

"Well, I'm not that interesting. You'd probably have more fun with your friends." Bucky didn't want to keep Steve away from the celebration that was for him, even if he insisted it was okay. It made Bucky feel bad, like he was making Steve miss out. Plus he didn't know how long he could be alone with Steve.

Natasha was right. He had a crush on Steve. He couldn't deny it anymore. Just looking at the blond boy made his stomach do acrobatics. Everything about Steve was perfect, from his chiseled features, to the sparkle of his blue eyes in the warm lighting, to his entire personality. On the inside he was the same Steve that Bucky grew up with and loved, kind, caring, funny, and protective. Now he had an attractive exterior to match, with his toned and athletic body.

Bucky wanted Steve as more than a friend. He wanted Steve's soft pink lips against his. He wanted to press up against Steve's sculpted torso. He wanted to run his hands through Steve's golden blond hair.

But those feelings were dangerous. Steve had a girlfriend and, no matter what Natasha said, he probably was straight. He didn't want to fall any deeper for an unavailable guy. He would only get hurt in the end.

Steve looked up from his shoes, looking Bucky in the eyes instead. A soft smile spread across his lips as his eyes scanned Bucky's features.

Meanwhile, Bucky's heart leapt to his throat, and he sunk deeper into the couch cushion. He prayed that his cheeks weren't bright red.

Steve's lips parted slightly. His eyes widened with curiosity and fell to Bucky's lips. The steady rise and fall of his chest grew quicker as if he was running out of breath. His Adam's apple bobbed as he slowly swallowed, his eyes rising to focus on Bucky's.

"Steve?" A voice called out from the other room, breaking through the silence like shattering glass.

Steve jumped back as his girlfriend entered the room, her eyes lighting up when she saw him.

"Oh there you are! I was looking for you." Sharon smiled, taking his hand and pulling him up from the couch, "We were just about to play a game outside. Come on!" She started to drag him away.

"But-" Steve choked out in protest, looking flustered as he glanced back at Bucky.

Sharon noticed Bucky on the couch, "Oh hi! It's Bucky, right?" He nodded. "You're welcome to play too."

"Um, I- I really should get going." Bucky stood up quickly, which caused his back to ache slightly. His heart still pounded from the moment with Steve. He didn't know how to process it, and he didn't have time to.

"No!" Steve protested a little too loudly, but collected himself, clearing his throat, "You should play. The party's only just begun." His teeth brushed his lower lip with a nervous bite.

Sharon nodded encouragingly, "Yeah! Don't be a party pooper!" Bucky opened his mouth to decline, but Sharon grabbed his arm, pulling both boys outside with her, "It'll be fun! I swear!"

And so Bucky found himself sitting in the circle of populars on the grass in between Nat and Thor. Steve sat across from him, his arm tangled in Sharon's. Bucky tried to avoid looking at him.

Red solo cups were passed around the circle as Tony began to explain the game, "Okay, the game is Never Have I Ever. If you're lame and have never played before, basically we go around the circle and say something you've never done, and if you have done it, you take a drink. The more you've done, the drunker you get."

"Seems easy enough." Sam nodded, with a mumble of agreement from the circle.

"I'll start." Pepper said, leaning against Tony's shoulder, "Never have I ever... Ditched class."

"Oh please." Natasha scoffed, taking a swig of the alcoholic drink.

Almost everyone lifted their cups to take a sip.

"Really? All of you?!" Pepper looked horrified.

"My turn, my turn!" The cheerleader next to Pepper said excitedly, "Never have I ever..."

The game started off simple, with ones like "Never have I ever peed in the shower" or "gotten stung by a bee." Then got more wild, like "Never have I ever shoplifted" or "smoked weed."

After a few rounds, Bucky started to enjoy the game. He took drinks at the more common ones, unlike Tony, who seemed to drink to all of them, even the craziest. The best part was, you didn't get the story behind each drink. Which caused everyone to wonder what had happened.

They went around the circle a few times. "Never have I ever streaked in public."

Tony and Brock took a drink and everyone laughed. Bucky sensed there was a story behind that event that he didn't know.

"Never have I ever sent a nude."

Everyone but Steve, Sharon, and Pepper drank.

It was Tony's turn, and he smirked ruthlessly, "Never have I ever..." He paused to think, having to search deep for something he hadn't done, "Made out with someone of the same gender."

No one moved. Bucky's heart dropped into his stomach, churning inside of him, mixing with the alcohol. Slowly, his lifted the cup and took a drink, feeling all eyes on him.

Tony lifted an eyebrow, but nodded, looking impressed. Sam looked at him with a furrowed brow. Next to him, Thor seemed surprised, but shrugged. Rumlow raised an eyebrow. Natasha gave him an encouraging nudge.

But out of all the reactions, Steve's caught Bucky's attention. Directly across the circle, his blue eyes stared at Bucky with intrigue, only looking away when Bucky caught his gaze.

After a few seconds, the game moved on like nothing had happened, but Bucky only half paid attention. His thoughts were on Steve.

His behavior had been different that night. Or maybe Bucky had just been hyper focused on him because of what Natasha had said. But his actions made him wonder if what she said was true. Did Steve like him? What would have happened if Sharon hadn't interrupted them?

Bucky wished he had never came to this party, but at the same time, he was kinda glad he did.

Chapter Text

"How was the football game Friday?" Clint and Bruce caught up with him in the hallway Monday morning.

Bucky shrugged, "Pretty good. I enjoyed it."

"I can't stand football games. Too crowded and noisy." Bruce wrinkled his nose with distaste.

"The noise doesn't bother me!" Clint laughed, pointing to the hearing aids in his ears.

Bucky slipped a smile, and shoved his hands in his pockets as the continued walking to their class.

"I went to one game last year with Jane and Darcy to watch Thor, but it was pretty boring. Just a bunch of meatheads knocking into each other." Clint continued with a shrug.

"Besides Thor, all those football players are assholes." Bruce said and Clint nodded in agreement.

"Not all of them." Bucky muttered in protest, thinking of Steve's bright smile, and his kind eyes, and his fluffy hair, and his pink lips and... Wait. What were they talking about again? He shook himself out of his daze.

Clint rolled his eyes, "Oh yeah, you and your crush on Steve Rogers."

Bucky's head whipped around to face Clint, his eyes wide, "What?"

How did they find out he liked Steve? Was it just that obvious? Did Nat tell them? Did the whole school know? Oh god...

But Clint just laughed it off, "Chill dude, I was just joking."

"Oh," Bucky smiled weakly, lowering his head to stare at the floor, hoping to his his blush, "Right..." Relief rushed through him. They didn't know about his crush on Steve. His real crush, at least.

"But you have been spending a lot of time with the popular crowd lately." Bruce noted. "Are you still dating Natasha?" Clint looked at him with sudden interest.

He shook his head, "No, no. We were never dating. Just friends."

Clint looked pleasantly satisfied with that answer.

"Oh, okay. Well, just be careful around them. We don't want you to turn into some Brock Rumlow imitation and start shoving nerds into lockers." Bruce said, glancing uneasily at the row of red painted lockers. He had no doubt spent some time in there.

"Don't worry, I won't." Bucky assured him.

They had almost made it to their class when someone called out and stopped them, "Hey Buck!"

"Speak of the devil." Clint muttered as Steve ran over to them.

"What's up, Steve?" Bucky asked, ignoring Clint.

"We've got a night off practice this week, so some of us were planning on going to the movies. Wanna come?" The jock asked with a hopeful smile.

"Yeah, sure." Bucky nodded. He didn't know who 'some of us' were, but he couldn't say no to spending time with Steve, even if it included suspicious stares from Sam. "What day?"

"Wednesday."

"Sounds good." Bucky nodded and Steve ran off to class, looking back to give him a small salute goodbye.

"Dude!" Clint exclaimed when Steve was out of earshot. He slugged Bucky's arm, "We had plans Wednesday! We were going to Bruce's to play video games!"

"Ow!" Bucky rubbed his arm. "Sorry, I forgot. We can play video games another time." He shrugged.

It didn't seem like a big deal, but Clint looked pretty ticked off, "See? This is what I was worried about. You ditching us to hang out with your new popular friends."

"Hey, I'm sorry. I honestly just forgot." Bucky raised his hands in defense.

Bruce shook his head, intervening before they got in a fight, "Come on, let's just get to class." He pushed them in the direction of their classroom.

They turned to enter the room when someone else called Bucky's name.

"Ugh, what now?" Clint groaned, but his expression changed when he saw who it was.

"Clint. Bruce." Natasha gave them each a nod of recognition, before grabbing Bucky's arm and pulling him away, "Come with me for a minute."

"But I have to go to class." Bucky looked back at his friends. Bruce didn't looked too pleased that he was ditching them again. Clint was too awestruck by Natasha to care.

"Just a minute. Pazhalsta?" She begged in Russian with a pout of her lip.

"Fine." Bucky gave in. Natasha's pout turned to a smile as she dragged him off.

Bucky gave a glance over his shoulder just in time to see Clint's daze fade away into a look that said 'Seriously?!' Bruce just shook his head and gave Clint a pat on his shoulder, leading him into class.

Meanwhile, Nat pulled him into a janitors closet, shutting the door behind them. Inside was pitch black, Bucky couldn't even see his surroundings, but it smelt strongly of paint and cleaning supplies. In the darkness, Natasha easily found the light switch. Bucky squinted and blinked as his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness.

"So what's so important that you needed to drag me to a closet and make me late for class?" He asked.

She just smiled with a wild look in her eyes, "Steve asked you to the movies." She stated.

"Were you like spying on us?!"

"It's not spying. It's just overhearing." She placed her hands on her hips, rolling her eyes. "So you're going right?"

"Yeah."

"Oh good!" She almost squealed, "He totally likes you. You need to make a move!"

Bucky shook his quickly head, "I'm not making a move when there's going to be other people there. And he doesn't like me. He asked me as a friend." He stressed the last word.

"It's only going to be me, Sam and Sharon. It's not even a lot of people."

He looked at Nat like she was crazy, "I'm not making a move on Steve in front of his girlfriend!"

She sighed, "Oh come on. It's not like he even likes her all that much."

Bucky blinked, "What do you mean? He's always with her."

"She's always with him." Natasha corrected. "Sure, he liked her at first, but haven't you noticed that he's never the one to kiss her first? It's always her doing the work and starting things."

"How do you know that means anything? Why do you even pay attention to that?" Bucky questioned.

"I'm a girl, I just notice these things. Plus, Sharon's a friend. She's been telling me how it feels like he isn't as committed as she is."

Bucky shook his head, waving his hand through the air, "Well whatever, as long as they're still dating, I'm not making a move."

Natasha crossed her arms stubbornly, "But Steve isn't going to break up with her if he doesn't have a reason to. He's too nice."

"Then Sharon should break up with him."

"She doesn't want to. She likes Steve, and she wants to try to make it last as long as she can, even if he isn't that into it." Natasha told him.

"Well, then I will wait until they sort out their relationship drama before I even think of making a move. Now I have to get to class." Bucky said firmly, reaching for the door.

"Awe, you're no fun!" She groaned.

Bucky turned his head before he opened the door, "You're Steve's friend, why don't you talk to him about all this."

Natasha smirked mysteriously, "Maybe I will. Or maybe I already have."

"You really scare me sometimes, Nat." Bucky told her, opening the door and stepping out into the hall.

"Thanks. I try." Natasha brushed past him and disappeared around a corner, leaving Bucky in the hallway alone.

-

Two shirts laid out on his bed. Bucky stood over them in concentration, trying to decide which to wear to the movies that night.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts. His mother leaned against the open doorframe watching him, "Need any help?" She offered. Bucky nodded. She came and stood next to him, taking in each shirt, "What are these for? A date?"

He shook his head, "Just going to the movies with some friends."

She picked up the first option, a blue and grey baseball tee, and held it over his chest, pursing her lips. "Well I've never seen you so concerned about your outfit for just hanging out with friends. There must be someone you want to impress."

"Maybe I just want to look good for once." He shrugged even though he knew she was right. He loved that he was close with his mom but sometimes he worried his mom knew him too well.

"Who are you going with?" She asked, picking up the other shirt, a black and white striped v neck.

"Natasha, Sam, Steve-"

"Steve?" She interrupted him with a knowing smirk.

"-and his girlfriend." Bucky finished.

His mom frowned, "Too bad." She tutted. She picked up the baseball tee again, "This one. It compliments your beautiful eyes." She handed him the shirt and kissed his temple.

"Thanks Mama." He said as she turned to leave.

"Good luck!" She gave him a thumbs up and a wink before closing the door behind her.

Chapter Text

The motorcycle engine rumbled and sputtered to a stop in Steve's driveway. Bucky pulled off his helmet, running a hand through his hair before walking to the front stoop. The door swung open before he even had the chance to ring the doorbell.

"Hey Buck!" Steve greeted, motioning him to come inside. They joined the rest of the gang in the living room.

Sam splayed across the couch, staring down at his phone, not even acknowledging Bucky's presence. Natasha gave him a short wave before turning back to Sharon who was chatting her ear off.

"Okay, you guys ready?" Steve asked, clapping his hands together.

Sam jumped up from the couch, "Shotgun!" He yelled, running out the door. Everyone else groaned in annoyance.

They loaded into Steve's car, an black sedan that Bucky recognized as Steve's mother's old car. He remembered when she would drive him home from play dates. Steve and Bucky would play punch buggy and she would turn on 80's hits on the radio. He felt a pang in his heart, missing the old days and Mrs. Rogers. He couldn't even imagine the pain Steve must have gone through after loosing his mother.

Bucky slide in behind the passenger seat, next to the girls. Natasha squished her small frame into the middle seat. She leaned forward to reach and turn on the radio, she fiddled with a few dials until she found the station she wanted.

"Hey!" Sam protested, "Shotgun gets control over the music!" He complained. Natasha shot him a threatening glare. He raised his hands in surrender, "Okay, never mind!" Nat sat back and laughed.

They drove a couple of blocks until they reached a convenience store. Steve, Natasha and Sharon ran in to get candy and snacks, leaving Sam and Bucky alone in the car.

The music vibrated the car slightly, the only sound in the vehicle. Bucky shifted uncomfortably, his legs squished in the tiny floor space.

"Can you move your seat up?" He asked Sam.

"No." Sam responded with a low growl.

Bucky huffed and tried to find a comfortable position in the cramped car.

He was relieved when they finally reached the theater and he could stretch himself out.

Sharon and Nat dumped two shopping bags of candy in the purses before they entered the theater.

Buttered popcorn aroma filled the air as they entered the lobby. A large group of children ran around at a birthday party, the mom trying to contain them. Electronic bleeps and bloops rang out from the arcade, mixing with the flashing lights of the games.  Bucky remembered wasting twenty dollars on the silly machines with Steve when they came here as kids.

"What do you guys want to see?" Steve asked, looking up at the current listings.

"Lets watch Gore City!" Natasha gave a wild grin, pointing at the newest horror movie.

"No!" Sharon and Sam shouted in sync.

"How about Give Me The Sun?" Sharon suggested.

Sam wrinkled his nose, "Save the sappy love movies for your dates."

Sharon giggled and leaned up against Steve, who smiled weakly.

"What do you want to see, Buck?" Steve looked for his opinion.

"Uh, I don't really care." Bucky shrugged scanning over the now playing. "Maybe The Runner?" He suggested an action movie.

"I'm up for it!" Steve smiled.

"Sounds good to me." Natasha nodded.

They bought their tickets and filed into the dim theater where the took the very back row. Bucky sat in between Nat and Steve.

The lights faded out and the volume increased. Natasha started pulling candy out of her purse, handing Bucky a pack of skittles.

They sat back for the next two hours, watching explosions light up the screen. Nat kicked her feet up on the seat in front of her, and every so often stuck her hand out for Bucky to pour a handful of skittles in her palm.

After the first hour, Bucky started getting restless. His mother always complained that he had a short attention span. Shifting in his seat slightly, his eyes started wandering away from the screen and onto his friends in the seats next to him.

Nat's red hair gleamed in the light cast by the projector, her eyes intensely watching the screen as she mindlessly chewed at a Twizzler. Next to her, Sam sat back in his seat, his arms folded across his chest. His leg bounced up and down to the beat of the dramatic film score.

Bucky still didn't understand what Sam had against him. He was only ever nice to Sam, why did he seem to hate him so much? Maybe he just wasn't welcoming to newcomers of the group? Or maybe he just hated Bucky for the sake of hating him. What ever it was, it bothered Bucky. He wanted so desperately to fit in with Steve's friends, and so far it had been going well, except with Sam.

Bucky shook his head, clearing the thoughts of Sam out of his head. If Sam wanted to hate him, that was his choice, and Bucky couldn't change it. He glanced to the opposite side to where Sharon sat, her blonde head rested peacefully in Steve's shoulder, her hand intertwined with his.

An aching pain spread through Bucky's chest. He wanted to like Sharon, he really tried to. She was sweet, and funny, and pretty even. But it was just so hard to like your crush's girlfriend, no matter how great a person she was. Jealousy filled him whenever he saw them together. He wanted that to be him in Sharon's place. But there was nothing he could do about it.

Finally Bucky's eyes fell upon Steve's profile, half shadowed in the dark theater. He had such a sculpted face, like an ancient statue found in old Greek temples. Steve was practically a god among men, attractive, athletic, and super kind.

A small smile rested on his lip, his brilliant blue eyes trained on the movie. Bucky watched the small expressions he made in reaction to the movie. Every subtle jump as the music intensified and something big happened on screen. Every glimmer of interest in his eye as something interested him. Every slight furrow of his eyebrows in perplexity.

Bucky suddenly became hyper aware of the pounding in his heart, which felt faster and louder than the thumping music that blasted through the speakers. He hadn't even realized himself tightly gripping the armrests, and he peeled his hands off, now sticky with sweat. Trying to steady his shallow breaths, he stood up sharply. His friends jumped and stared at him, their attentions caught by the sudden movement.

"Uh, I'm going to the bathroom." He whispered before squeezing out of the row of seats. Following the faint lights in the aisles, he rushed out of the dark theater and into the hallway. Other movie goers walked past, chatting away about the film they had just watched. Bucky pushed past them, going against the stream, making a beeline for the men's room.

The bathroom was thankfully empty, and Bucky fell over a sink, gripping the edge of the cold stone counter. He caught his breath, and glanced up to see himself in the mirror. His head hurt, and his heart still beat hard against his rib cage.

Turning, he pushed himself up to sit on the counter, leaning back against the mirror. His head fell back and he closed his eyes. How did he get himself into this mess? How did he let himself fall for his best friend?

At the start of the year he told himself he wouldn't let himself catch feelings for a boy, at least not until he graduated. Although he accepted his sexuality, he wasn't up for dealing with any of the aftermath of dating a guy. He didn't want to go through ridicule, or any assumptions that would be pressed a bisexual teenager. The whole "it's just a phase" mantra would be thrown about. Or the iconic, "you're dating a boy, so that makes you gay" point of view from people claiming bisexuality didn't exist. He didn't get why he couldn't just like who he liked. Why did it have to be such a big deal?

Every romantic interaction he had with a guy he kept a secret. His only real relationship with a boy was with Niko in Russia, which he tried his hardest to keep buried ten feet underground. They never kissed or showed any affection in public. They dated behind closed doors. Besides his mom, there was only one other time they had been found out.

After school one day, they decided to walk through the park. They kept a safe distance between each other even though the park was practically empty, their hands shoved in their coat pockets. An inch of late winter snow still rested on the ground, and Bucky decided quickly to grab a handful with his bare hand and toss it at his boyfriend, hitting Niko square in the chest.

"Oh, you're going to regret that, Barnes!" Niko smirked devilishly, making a snow ball for himself, and throwing it, narrowly missing Bucky's arm.

Bucky laughed gleefully, running off, dodging Niko's throws as he chased him. But Niko was taller and faster, and he quickly caught up to Bucky, tackling him, taking them both down in the snow. Niko laid on top of him as they both erupted into laughter. Bucky rolled over so they faced each other, their foggy breath mixing together as their laughter faded out.

Caught up in the moment, Niko lowered his head and pressed their lips together in a short but sweet kiss.

"Hey!" An angered cry broke them apart. A man, not much older than them, stormed over to them. Niko and Bucky scrambled to get up.

"Ty che blyad?!" The man cursed in Russian. He screamed cursed and slurs at them, threatening to beat them up. They took off running, not stopping until they knew they lost him. And ever since then, Bucky was afraid to show affection for a boy in public. He heard the stories of gay men being beaten, and sometimes even killed, just for showing love for their partner. Sometimes he thought back to that day, wondering what could have happened if they hadn't escaped.

After Niko, he was too afraid to have another boyfriend. Back in Russia, he hooked up with a few guys now and then, but he avoided any sort of relationship with anyone other than girls.

Now back in America, things seemed more open and accepting of the members of the LGBT community. There were even two gay sophomores, Billy and Teddy, who dated freely. Bucky would sometimes pass them in the hallway holding hands, or even sharing a kiss, and very few people seemed to mind. But the memory still burned in his brain, and he didn't want to risk getting hurt for dating a boy.

And he definitely didn't want a boy to get hurt for dating him.

Especially Steve.

He opened his eyes and took a deep breath, his heartbeat falling into a normal pace again. He didn't want to go back to the theater. He didn't care about the movie anymore. But he couldn't just stay in the movie theater bathroom for another hour. His friends would get suspicious. Sighing, he slid himself off the counter, and pushed out the door, making his way back down the hall.

He glanced to the front doors that led outside, wondering if he could make a break for it, but decided against it, heading back into the dark theater again. Taking his seat back, Natasha shot him a glance, raising an eyebrow.

"You good?" She whispered to him, knowing something was off.

"Yeah." He whispered back staring straight ahead at the screen, "Now what did I miss?"

Chapter Text

"Do you think Natasha will ever love me?" Clint sighed with longing, slouching back in his basement couch.

"No, you're gross." Bruce said bluntly with a smirk, not breaking his gaze from the video game he was playing against Thor.

Clint threw a piece of popcorn at Bruce, which got caught in one of his curls. He paused the game to brush the buttered snack out of his hair and threw it back at Clint.

Thor turned to Clint front his spot on the floor, "I think it would be an honor for Natasha to date you." He said in a heroic tone, his hand on his chest.

Clint ignored Thor and turned to Bucky, "You're her friend, right? How do I get her to like me?"

Bucky shrugged, taking a handful of popcorn from the bowl on Clint's lap, "How should I know?"

"Well you did hook up with her." Bruce reminded him with a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows.

Bucky rolled his eyes, "Okay that was one time. And it's not like we actually dated or anything."

Clint huffed, "Still, it was something. How can I make her like me?"

"You can't make someone to like you" Bruce said.

"That's for sure," Bucky muttered.

"I think it's usually pretty mutual." Bruce finished.

Thor nodded, "Yeah, like me and Jane. After she got to know me, we both ended up liking each other."

Clint groaned, clutching his chest in fake agony.

"Hang in there dude." Thor reached over to pay his shoulder, "You'll find the right lady for you someday."

There conversation ceased when they heard the basement door open and the soft patter of feet on the carpeted stairs.

Clint's mom poked her head around the corner and waved, "Hello boys!" She greeted cheerfully.

"Hey Mrs. Barton." They chorused back.

She turned her head to her son and make a few gestures with her hands, saying something to him in sign language. He sighed, signing something back.

"I will be right back." He said to them, getting up from the couch and following his mom upstairs.

When they heard the door close, Bruce turned to Bucky with intrigue, "How is it with you and Romanoff?"

"What do you mean?"

"Like you hook up but then go back to being friends like nothing happened. Isn't it awkward?" He asked.

Bucky shrugged, "Not really. We wanted to be friends more than we wanted to be in a relationship. It's all good between us."

Bruce turned away, shaking his head disbelief, "I still don't get how you can be just friends with a girl like that."

"Girls and guys can be purely platonic together. It's not that weird." Bucky defended.

"Yeah, but it's Natasha!"

"There must be another girl then."Thor suddenly stated, catching Bucky off guard.

"Uh-wha-what?" He stuttered.

"Another girl that you have a crush on. Rather than Natasha." The football player elaborated.

Bucky could feel the threatening warmth of a blush creeping on. His thoughts drifted to his childhood best friend.

"No," he shook his head, trying to look convincing, "no other girls." It wasn't a lie.

Bruce and Thor exchanged doubtful glances.

"Suurree..." They hummed in synch, smirks plastered on their faces.

-

Bucky swung his legs over the kitchen counter, ripping off the lid of his yogurt and dipping his spoon in. He leaned back against the counter, watching his mom fold laundry across the room.

"So how is school going?" She asked, pulling out a shirt from the dryer.

Bucky shrugged, "Fine. I'm doing spectacular in Russian." He gave her a playful grin.

She rolled his eyes, "I'd hope so. What about your friends, how are they?" She switched the topic.

Bucky took a spoonful of yogurt, "Good."

"You gotta give me more than one word answers." She chuckled, "What about your deaf friend? Clark?"

"Clint." He corrected her, "And he's fine. I was at his house yesterday."

"Oh right." His mom nodded, "Well, what about Steve? How's little Stevie?"

Bucky started down at his spoon, swirling his yogurt slowly, "He's fine too." He shrugged.

"You should invite him over for dinner sometime." She suggested, "It would be great to see him again!"

"I don't know, mama..." Bucky said uneasily.

"Oh come on, it can be just like old times!" She encouraged with a beaming smile.

Once Bucky's mom got an idea in her head, there was no stopping her. He sighed but agreed.

He sent a quick text to Steve: 'My mom wants to know if you want to come over for dinner sometime.'

Not a minute later, a reply came in, 'Sure :)'

Steve was too polite to say no.

Bucky chuckled under his breath at the dorky smiley face at the end of the message.

He looked back to his mom, "Steve said yes."

"Zamechatel'no!" She cheered, "I will plan a meal."

-

Forks and knives clattered against the plates as they tore into their dinner.

"Mmm..." Steve hummed after taking his first bite. "What is this?"

"Piroshki." Bucky's mom answered in her thick Russian accent.

"It literally means 'small pie'." Bucky told him, glancing down the the little golden bun on his plate, "It's like a Russian calzone."

"They were always Bucky's favorite when he was little." His mom reached over and gave Bucky's shoulder a little squeeze. "Mine are stuffed with beef, mushrooms, and onions," She turned back to face Steve, beaming over her creation proudly.

"They're great, Mrs. Barnes!" Steve complimented, taking another bite.

"Thank you!" She smiled proudly. "So how have you been? Last time I saw you, you were just a scrawny little thing. Now, you're all grown!"

Steve laughed lightly, "Yeah, I'm thankful for the magic of puberty."

"What have you been doing since we moved away?"

"Mostly sports." Steve shrugged, cutting more into his piroshki. "I play football in the fall and track in the spring."

"That's wonderful." Mrs. Barnes smiled. "I tried to get Buck into some sports, but I guess he wasn't born with the athletic gene."

"But I'm an excellent FIFA player." Bucky interjected jokingly.

She rolled her eyes with a grin, "I mean a real sport. Not just sitting on the couch pressing buttons and wiggling a joystick."

Bucky shrugged, leaning back in his chair, "Why get all sweaty if I don't have to?"

They caught up with each other over dinner, talking about old memories, life in Russia, and how things have changed.

"- and then Bucky had to run and get me before you punched that poor little boy." Mrs. Barnes finished a story, the three of them laughing with eyes brimming with tears.

"All that fighting just because he used the swing you wanted." Bucky laughed, thinking back to that time at the playground with Steve as children.

"But that was the best swing!" Steve defended, his voice strangled in between roaring laughs.

When they finally settled, Bucky's mom began to clear the plates. Steve jumped up to help, bringing his dish to the sink.

"Oh Steve, honey, don't worry about it, I will clean up. Why don't you and Bucky go hang out upstairs. There are some old photo books you can look through in the office, if you're interested." Bucky's mom suggested, taking the plate from Steve.

The blond looked to Bucky for approval. He nodded and they headed upstairs.

The office was mainly used by Bucky's dad when he wasn't on business trips, which wasn't often. A computer rested on an old mahogany desk, a hand-me-down from Bucky's great grandfather. Across from the desk, a tall bookshelf was stocked with books, ranging from kid's stories from Bucky's childhood, to bulky Russian dictionaries.

Bucky pulled out the two photo books from the bottom shelf, brushing off the thin layer of dust. Steve sat down in the floral patterned armchair and Bucky rolled the computer seat over to sit next to his friend. They started going through the boom from Bucky's early childhood in America.

"Hey, that was when we first met." Steve pointed to a picture of the two boys on their first day of preschool, playing in the sandbox, totally unaware of each other's existence.

Bucky flipped the page and found their first photo together. They were only five years old, both skinny with dirt stained knees. Steve had a bright green bandaid on his calf and on his arm. His t-shirt with a dinosaur printed on it hung off his small frame, a size too big for him. His blond hair was scruffy and tousled, almost white from hours spent in the sun. But his eyes were still the same sparkling blue that made Bucky's heart skip.

Next to little Stevie, Bucky smiled widely, his eyes squeezed shut. He was a good few inches taller than Steve, and he rested his arm over his shorter friend's shoulder. His dark hair stuck out in weird places, curling at the edges. A small tan smudge stood out in the corner of the photo, where Bucky's mom's thumb had been, accidentally making it in the frame.

Bucky thought back to when he first met Steve. He had been arguing with another boy in their preschool class. The boy had taken the red crayon from a little girl, and Steve took it upon himself to take it back. After a bit of arguing, Steve finally snatched the crayon back and gave it to the little girl. Bucky remembered being in awe of his courage. He walked over to him and introduced himself, asking if he wanted to play blocks with him. They were best friends ever since.

They continued through the first book, reminiscing about old playdates, field trips, and family vacations. Finally they reached the end of the book. Steve picked up the next one.

"That one is just pictures from when we lived in Russia. It's probably not that interesting." Bucky told him.

Steve looked at him like he was crazy, "Are you kidding? I've never even left America, I totally want to see Russia." He opened the book and Bucky started telling him about when they moved.

"That was our house." Bucky pointed to the picture of a boxy, little, white sided, two story house. "Nothing impressive, but it was fine for what it was."

As they continued through the book, Bucky started to enjoy recounting his old life to Steve. He listened with fascination as Bucky told him memories about his neighborhood, the crummy little corner store where he always went for candy bars after school, the mangy stray cat that always passed through, the park where he loved to hang out, and all the other features of his old town.

The photos filled Bucky with a bittersweet feeling. He missed Russia. It was his home for the most important years of his childhood and he had so many fond memories.

He started getting caught up in his stories, bringing him back to his little Russian town. He pointed to another photo, this one of a young teen Bucky giving the camera a miserable drooping smile.

"That was right after I got braces. Man, those were the worst two years."

Steve's burst out laughing, "You had braces?! You look like such a dork!"

"Ugh I know." Bucky rubbed his temple, looking at the photo in horror.

Across from it was a picture of ten boys huddled around a table, Bucky in the middle blowing out birthday candles.

"That was my fourteenth birthday party where we all ate so much candy and cake that we almost all threw up." Bucky chuckled, "Other than that it was great. My parents gave me my first cell phone. One of those shitty flip phones with an antenna. To text you had to hit the number keys a million times to get the right letter."

He flipped the page to a photo of him and Niko on a bench in front of his old school. The white haired Russian boy had his arm thrown around Bucky, holding him against his chest. Niko's other hand reaching over to mess up his hair. Bucky struggled to escape his grasp, but still let out a laugh. He looked at Niko in his icy blue eyes with admiration that could pass as a friendly glance, but Bucky knew what it really meant. The photo has been taken just after they started dating.

"That was me and my old boyfriend after school." Bucky spoke before he had time to catch himself.

Steve let out a sudden little cough, as if he had choked in surprise, "Boyfriend?"

"Uh-" Shit. He didn't know how to cover his mistake. "Yeah" Was all he could manage. His hands felt frozen, as if a Russian winter storm had just blown over them. His face, on the other hand, heated up with a heavy blush that spread across his cheeks, over his forehead, and all the way to his ears.

That definitely wasn't the way he wanted to come out. In fact, he hadn't wanted to come out to Steve at all.

"I'm sorry if that sounded rude," Steve said quickly. He started stammering, "I just- I didn't know that you were-"

"Bi." Bucky cut in. "I'm bisexual." He told him with a heavy exhale. He couldn't even look at Steve, he stared across at the computer's bouncing bubble screensaver instead.

"Oh," Steve said slowly, processing it all. "So you like girls... and boys?"

Bucky nodded, "Yeah." He bit his lip, "Sorry if this is uncomfortable or-"

"No! No." Steve interrupted him loudly. "It's fine. I have no problem with any of ... that." He chose his words carefully.

"Good. I didn't even mean to say anything. Sorry." Bucky's heart felt like it had been replaced by a base drum, pounding hard and loud.

"Don't apologize. It's really totally fine," he reassured him. "Who else knows?"

"Just my mom. And Natasha. She figured it out on her own. I wasn't really looking to tell anyone. At least not any time soon." Bucky admitted.

Steve nodded slowly. They sat in silence for a moment. Bucky stared at the computer screen, bouncing his leg up and down vigorously, trying to shake out his nerves. His head spun as if he lacked oxygen, and his stomach did tumbles inside him.

Finally, Steve opened his mouth with a deep breath, "I- I think I might-"

"Boys?" Bucky's mom's call cut off Steve. Without a word, they both stood up quickly, striding over to the top of the stairs to see what Mrs. Barnes had called them for.

"Yeah mama?" Bucky called back down, slightly relieved that he had an excuse to get up.

"Do you want some dessert?"

Chapter Text

Yawning in a groggy morning daze, Bucky pulled a notebook out of his locker, transferring it to his backpack. The slam of the metal door made him jump.

"Well now I'm awake," he said, looking up to see Natasha, her hand still on his locker door.

"Good morning Barnes," she greeted him, full of energy, "Are you ready for the Russian test today?" Bucky didn't understand how Nat could always be so wide awake. She never looked tired, always flawless and ready for action.

"Seeing how I am fluent in Russian, I'd say I've got it in the bag."

"I'd expect nothing less," She smirked. The was a brief pause where Bucky didn't respond. She followed his gaze to see Steve walking down the hallway, hand-in-hand with Sharon and taking to Sam.

"How is it going with Steve?" She said with a flicker of intrigue in her eyes.

"It's not," Bucky stated. "Although I accidentally came out to him the other night."

Her jaw dropped and formed a tight 'o' in both surprise and excitement, "You did?!"

"I didn't mean to!" Bucky groaned, rubbing his forehead.

"And what did he say?"

He shrugged, "Just that he was cool with that. Nothing else."

Nat frowned and muttered something under her breath.

"What?" Bucky raised his eyebrow.

She shook her head, "Nothing." Her expression changed to a smile, "That's got to feel good though, right? Getting it off your chest and knowing he's okay with it."

"I guess. I've pretty much lost all hope that he will like me back, though."

"What? Why?"

"Because he's straight!"

"You don't know that." Nat shook her head.

Bucky sighed, "Nat, he's got a girlfriend."

"That doesn't mean he can't like boys," She defended, "We slept together but you still like him."

He rolled his eyes, "That's different. Anyways, when I told him I was bi he reacted just like a straight person. Awkward, like he didn't know how to react or what to say."

Natasha crossed her arms, "That doesn't mean anything. You can't just assume he is straight unless he specifically states that he is."

As much as he hated to admit it, Natasha was right. Bucky should have know better than to assume Steve- or anyone for that matter- was straight or not. But he felt like it was easier to think that Steve was straight rather than obsessing over the possibility that he might not be.

"Okay, fine. You win." Bucky threw his hands up and Natasha smirked with pride. "But it still doesn't mean he likes me."

-

Bucky should have been doing his math homework, but instead he found himself procrastinating on his laptop. He scrolled down Facebook, looking at the statuses of his old friends. They talked about events at school or posted pictures of their day. Bucky longed to be back with them in his old town. He didn't realize how much he'd miss Russia until he left. The majority of his memories took place there, both good and bad. It was a part of him that he never wanted to give up.

He clicked on a photo of the town that one of his old friends took. The sun was setting behind a cluster of twisting trees. A few buildings sat in the shadows and people walked by, paying no attention to the camera.

Bucky's eyes drifted across the screen. Suddenly, a name caught his attention. To the right of the photo, the comments were displayed, and one stuck out to him in particular. He clicked on it to bring up the profile of his ex-boyfriend.

Niko looked just as Bucky remembered, only more mature. Same white hair, icy blue eyes, and good natured smile. But now he looked like a man, tall and broad. Bucky's heart couldn't help but skip a beat. He was still as attractive as he was when they dated, if not more. In the spur of the moment, Bucky clicked message.

'Hey Niko, how are you?" Bucky typed in Russian, hitting send before he could think better of it.

It was almost midnight in Russia and he didn't expect Niko to reply anytime soon, but to his surprise a message came back almost instantly.

Niko: Hey, I'm good. It's been awhile. How are you?

Bucky: I know. I'm fine, thanks. How are things in Russia?

Niko: Oh right, you're back in the states. God you're lucky, I'd give anything to go to America and get out of this boring little town.

Bucky: I wish I was back in Russia. Wanna trade?

Niko: Haha
Niko: So what did you message me for?

To be honest, Bucky wasn't entirely sure what made him message his ex. He rested his fingers on the keys, trying to think of what to write back.

Bucky: Missed Russia and your name popped up on Facebook. Thought I'd just say hi.

Niko: Oh, okay. Hi

The conversation seemed to be dying. Bucky didn't know what to respond. He wished he hadn't messaged Niko in the first place. He started a conversation he couldn't finish. Trying to think of what to type, he was saved by the ding of an incoming message from Niko.

Niko: So are you seeing anyone now?
Niko: Sorry if that's weird coming from an ex haha

Bucky: No, not at the moment.

Niko: Too bad, they're missing out. Are Americans not as good looking as Russians? Haha

Bucky: No, just no one seems to be interested. No one that I like at least.

Niko: Oh, so you do like someone? Do tell. They must be pretty hot if Bucky Barnes has a crush on them.

Bucky: Yeah I think he is at least

Niko: What's his name? I want to look him up

Bucky: Steve Rogers

He felt a little weird talking about his crush to his ex-boyfriends. But knowing Niko, it wasn't an issue. They ended on good terms and it had been years since they'd broken up. They wanted to stay friends, so he didn't seem to mind talking about relationships.

Niko: Damn he's sexy. And an athlete too! You better jump on him

Bucky: Wish I could

Niko: Straight?

Bucky: Long term girlfriend. Not only that, but he's like one of my best friends

Niko: Ouch :(
Niko: Don't worry about him too much though. You're pretty damn hot, Buck, and someone will come along one day that will appreciate that. Girl or guy, they will love you. Trust me

A smile spread across Bucky's lips. Niko was the first person Bucky ever had a true connection with, and hearing him say that cheered him up.

Bucky: Thanks Niko, that means a lot

Niko: It's the truth
Niko: I should go to bed. It was nice talking to you. Good luck

Bucky: Thanks. Goodnight.

With that, Bucky closed his laptop with a sigh. He stared out the window for a moment before getting up to go do his homework.

Chapter Text

"Alright everyone," Mr. Coulson began to pass out papers to each student in history class, "For our next project on The Cold War, you will be creating power point presentations on your assigned sub topic. Starting Thursday you will present them to the class."

Mr. Coulson placed a sheet of paper on Bucky's desk. He picked it up and glanced over the long list of requirements.

"Now it may look like a lot, but fear not, I have decided to be nice and allow you to work in pairs," Mr. Coulson announced to the class' delight. Everyone's heads perked up as they started to glance around the room at their friends.

"So take a moment to pair up and I will come around to write down who you are working with." As the teacher finished talked, the chatter in the room picked up as the students started to meet up with potential partners. Mr. Coulson approached Steve first, holding a notebook, pen at the ready.

"Steve, you will be working with Sam, I presume?" He asked.

"Uh actually," Steve glanced to Bucky at the desk next to his, "I thought I would work with Bucky this time."

"Oh," Mr. Coulson and Bucky shared expressions of surprise, "Alright then."

Bucky was always happy to spend more tine with Steve, but he didn't expect him to choose him over all his other friends. He glanced back at the popular group, who huddled, sorting out their groups. Natasha caught his eyes and she slipped a secretive smirk in his direction. Bucky rolled his eyes and turned back to face the front. I'm

"What the hell Steve?" Bucky heard Sam's voice whining. "We are always partners for history projects."

Steve frowned at his friend, "Sorry Sam, I thought I could work with Bucky this time. We've worked together for every other group project, why not try someone new? Like Sharon!" Steve offered up his girlfriend, who also seemed disappointed to not be working with him.

"Fine," Sam grumbled, shooting Bucky a glare before making his way to Sharon's desk. Bucky sank back in his chair. He loved hanging out with Steve but he didn't like the fact that he felt like he was stealing him away from his other friends. He wanted to be on their good side, not seem like some sort of Steve hog.

He didn't have much time to dwell on his guilt as the bell rang. Clatter filled the room as students began to shove binders and papers into the backpacks, ready to rush out.

"Remember, this is due on Thursday!" Mr. Coulson called out to the students who were hardly listening.

"So do you want to come to my house today to work?" Steve asked, throwing his backpack over his shoulder.

"Don't you have practice?" Bucky questioned?

"Just until 5:00. Can you come by around 6? That way I can shower and eat before."

Bucky shook the thought of Steve in the shower out of his mind, "Yeah that works."

Sharon tapped her foot, waiting for Steve to finished talking so they could head off together. She took his hand and started to lead him out of the room, but Steve turned back to look at Bucky.

"See you then!" He grinned before being pulled out of the room by his girlfriend.

The room cleared out as Bucky finished zipping up his backpack. Natasha hung back to talk to him, her red lips in her usual mischievous grin.

"So I guess the whole, 'Hey I'm bi" thing didn't scare him off?" She said.

"Yeah, he hasn't mentioned it again. Guess he is cool with it." Bucky shrugged. It had been a few days since the dinner and Steve hadn't acted any different around him. Bucky was thankful. He didn't want to loose his friendship with Steve just because he happened to like guys. That was a stupid reason to stop being friends.

"That's good." Natasha smiled, "Have a fun night with Steve!" She winked before strutting off down the hall. Bucky rolled his eyes but let out a low chuckle as he watched her disappear into the crowd of students.

-

"So The Cold War? Hope it's not a sore subject." Steve said as they sat down at the computer in his bedroom. Bucky couldn't help but notice how good he looked. His hair was tousled and still a bit damp from his after practice shower. He wasn't even dressed all that nice -just wearing a pair of grey sweatpants and a tshirt- but yet, to Bucky, he looked amazing. He struggled to tear his eyes away from his muscular figure.

He shrugged, "Well, its history. No hard feelings?" He held out his hand.

"Right." Steve chuckled and shook Bucky's hand in a truce, then turned to the computer screen. "Let's get started, I guess."

Two hours later, Bucky's eyes burned from staring at the glaring computer screen. The sun had set, leaving the room in darkness, only the computer casting harsh white light around the room. His head throbbed with Cold War facts, figures, and dates. He didn't think he could fit anything else in.

"Okay," Steve pushed back on the desk, sliding his chair out, "If we don't take a break now, my head is going to explode like the missiles we had aimed at the Soviet Union."

"I'm with you there," Bucky agreed, thankful that Steve was feeling the same exhaustion.

"Want a snack?" Steve didn't need to wait for an answer as he started off to the kitchen, Bucky not far behind.

They leaned against the counter, eating straight out of a massive bag of Smartfood.

"Maybe if I eat enough of this, I will be smart enough to skip the rest of senior year all together, " Steve joked, tossing a handful of the cheesy popcorn in his mouth.

Bucky laughed, "I remember when you used to think Smartfood would make you smarter."

"Hey! The name is misleading!" He elbowed Bucky playfully, laughing along.

Bucky took another handful of popcorn and gazed around Steve's kitchen. Memories flooded back to him of all the time spend at Steve's house as a child. He remembered when he would come over after school and Mrs. Rogers would always have a snack set out for them. Or when they were horsing around and accidentally knocked a plate off the counter and broke it. Mr. Rogers had given them a stern talking to and Bucky had started crying. Steve hugged him until he calmed down.

Bucky had many memories of Steve's house, both good and bad. After he moved to Russia, he thought he would never get to see this place again. But here he was, ten years later. Both he and Steve had grown so much, but here he felt like nothing had really changed.

Steve gazed out his window at his front yard, obviously feeling just as nostalgic, "Do you remember when we were little and we would spend hours playing outside around that tree?"

"I remember when you laughed so hard you started having an asthma attack and fell out of the tree." Bucky teased his old friend, who laughed.

"Okay, yeah that happened. But don't you remember the games we used to play? We pretended we were orphans who lived alone in the jungle.

"We used to swear that someday we would climb to the very top."

Steve laughed wistfully, "But every time we tried, my mom would come out and tell us to get down or we'd get hurt." He got quiet for a second, staring out at the tree, undoubtedly thinking about his late mother. Bucky stared at his shoes, remembering how caring and sweet Mrs. Rogers had always been.

"We should climb the tree." Steve suddenly stated, his voice filled with determination.

"What?" Bucky looked up to see Steve making a beeline towards the door.

"Come on! For old times sake!" A childlike smile spread across his face. Bucky followed him out the door.

"You're crazy, Rogers," Bucky chuckled as Steve swung himself over the lowest branch of the oak tree. He lifted himself up with grace, not even straining to climb. Bucky remembered when he had to help pull Steve up the tree because his skinny arms couldn't hold his body weight. Now Steve's biceps bulged as he worked his way up with ease.

"Don't be a whimp," Steve taunted him as he climbed up the twisting branches.

Bucky sighed, feeling slightly foolish as he followed Steve up the tree, "If I fall, you're paying for my medical bills."

Steve stopped and swung his legs over a sturdy branch, eight feet off the ground. Not quite the top, but still a good vantage point. He slid over to give Bucky room to sit next to him. Bucky rested his back against the trunk and stared out over the neighborhood.

The streetlights casted circular beams of light across the sidewalks, and houses shed a faint glow from inside. The street was almost empty, not many people out and about at 8:30 on a Tuesday night.

"Nothing's really changed since you left." Steve said, breaking the silence. He stared up at the sky full of twinkling stars. He spoke in a calm and soft voice, not wanting to break the peace of the night.

"Except us," Bucky added.

Steve shrugged, "I guess. But I'm still the same old Steve Rogers. Just a less frail and asthmatic version. You on the other hand..." he trailed off.

Bucky cocked his head, "What?" Had Bucky changed a lot? He didn't think so. But maybe to Steve he seemed completely different.

"Oh nothing really. I just remember when you were small, and nervous, and would cry at the smallest of things. But now you're all tough and brooding and ride a motorcycle and wear leather jackets. I just never expected it."

"Well I never expected you to become the popular sports start, either." Bucky chuckled softly.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. We've both changed. We've both grown older. We aren't those two little boys anymore. I guess it's a good thing I'm not a weak little twig of a Steve anymore." He stared off in the distance with a small grin.

"Awe, I liked that Steve. I thought you were cute." Bucky let out a low laugh.

"You did?" Steve turned to face him.

Bucky nodded, "Yeah. I guess in a way you helped lead me to my bi awakening. I had a crush on you when we were kids. I just didn't realize what it was at the time." He admitted. "Sorry if that's weird..." He added, feeling his cheeks heat up as a blush crept over him.

"Really? You had a crush on me? That dorky, underweight, sickly kid?" Steve seemed shocked and slid closer to him in intrigue.

He shrugged, "I admired you because you were brave and would always stand up to bullies and take back what was yours. And I thought you were attractive back then. I still do." Bucky didn't realize what he said until it was too late. He bit down hard on his lower lip, his eyes widening. He hoped the small comment would go over Steve's head. Oh why didn't he ever think before he spoke?

"Y-you think I'm attractive?" Steve blinked. Bucky couldn't make out his expression in the darkness. He hoped he didn't weird him out too much.

"I- I mean-" Before Bucky could explain, Steve suddenly reached out, grabbing the collar of Bucky's shirt, pulling him forward until their lips met.

Chapter Text

Bucky almost fell out of the tree in surprise, but he managed to keep his balance as Steve kissed him in the moonlight. Bucky's heart felt like it was floating up to join the moon in the night sky. Adrenaline flowed through his veins as he could feel Steve's warmth against him.

The moment felt infinite like the number of stars in the sky.

But before he knew it, it was over.

Steve pulled away, looking at Bucky with his eyes wide and lips parted. His expression mirrored Bucky's: A mix of shock and amazement, with a little bit of terror.

They stared at each other in an intense silence. Not even Steve was sure of what he had just done.

"I- uh- um- I'm-" he choked out, still stunned, "I'm so sorry. I don't know why I did that. I'm so sorry." He repeated himself, speaking so fast, he started to slur his words.

Bucky went brain dead, his mind completely blank.

He tried to muster up some words but ended up blurting, "Aren't you straight?" Immediately he wanted to punch himself in the throat. Out of all the things he could have said, that was probably the worst.

Steve bit his lip nervously, and all Bucky could think about was the way they felt on his.

"I don't know what I am," Steve finally admitted in a quiet voice. "I just- I just had this impulse or something. I'm sorry," He apologized again.

Bucky finally started regaining proper control of his mind and body, "You don't have to be sorry."

Steve gave Bucky a halfhearted smile, his eyes still filled with confusion.

There was a pause as the two boys sat quiet in the tree, still unsure of how to react. Bucky snuck a glance at Steve. He stared at the ground below, deep in thought, and twiddled with a broken piece of branch. Slowly, they both started to descend down the tree, branch by branch.

The whole way down Bucky wanted to say something- anything- to defuse the awkward tension. But unfortunate words weren't Bucky's strong suit. He thought back to that afternoon many years ago in Russia, when he and Niko first kissed. He remembered how he felt- confused, conflicted, but happy. Even though it scared him, kissing Niko felt right, and he knew that he was attracted to him.

Maybe Steve felt the same way?

Or maybe he didn't...

Maybe this was some weird experiment? Or a way to make fun of Bucky's bisexuality and play with his heart.

But Steve wouldn't do that.

Would he?

"I remember," Bucky cleared his throat, shattering the silence after his feet hit the ground, "When I first realized I was bisexual- Or at least when I finally confirmed that I was. It was like..." he closed his eyes, letting himself sink back into that moment, "It was like something was always missing from my life. The world wasn't black and white, but the colors were dull and faded. I knew I felt something, but I couldn't decipher what it was. But then I kissed a boy and the whole world lit up and vibrant colors." He found himself smiling. "It took me a little while to accept it, but I knew it was right." He finished with a sigh, and leaned his back against the tree, facing Steve.

He didn't respond at first. He stared off to the side, looking into the kitchen window.

His blue eyes flicked over to Bucky, then back to his house, then to Bucky again. He took a step forward. His hand slid behind Bucky's neck, gently pulling him forward until their lips met again.

This time Bucky didn't freeze. This time he kissed back fully. His arms fell to Steve hips, embracing the moment.

When they finally separated, Steve's hand lingered on the back of Bucky's neck.

"God," Steve exhaled, "I've wanted to do that for so long now."

Bucky's heart pounded and he felt dizzy. He couldn't believe what happened. They kissed. Steve actually kissed him.

He tried to play it cool but slipped a grin, "Me too."

Steve smiled, letting his hand just rest on Bucky's neck. They savored the blissful moment. It was just the two of them, alone in the peaceful and silent night.

But all to soon, the moment faded as Steve's smile fell into one of fear. He retracted his arm, and let himself slump to the ground, leaning against the tree.

"Oh god," He groaned, rubbing his forehead, "What about Sharon?"

Bucky's heart sank, thinking of the blonde cheerleader. She always looked so happy with Steve. They'd been dating for so long and Bucky didn't want to ruin everything for them. As much as Bucky wanted to hate her, she was a sweet and kind person.

Bucky sat down in the grass in front of Steve. He wanted to reach out, grab his hands and tell him that everything would be okay. But he couldn't. He didn't want to overstep his boundaries. This already felt like a dream, he didn't want to wreck it and turn it into a nightmare.

"Well..." Bucky spoke slowly, thinking for a second, "Do what makes you happy," He said then sighed, "And whether that's being with me or Sharon, I will support you."

Steve blinked, "Really?"

Bucky nodded, "You're still my friend, Steve. No matter what."

As much as it hurt Bucky to say, he knew it was the right thing to do. He couldn't ruin things for Steve, he deserved to be happy. Even if it wasn't with Bucky.

Steve took a deep breath, glancing off in the distance before turning his head back to face Bucky, "I've been with Sharon for so long. She was the first person I fell in love with..." he trailed off.

Bucky gathered his strength, knowing what would come next. He had to stay strong for Steve. He couldn't show his disappointment.

"-but," Steve started again, his voice filled with hesitance, "I've known for awhile that I didn't feel the same anymore. I think she knows too. I think I'm finally ready to move on."

Bucky's head perked up, "D-does that mean...?" Bucky couldn't manage to get the words out, but Steve understood and nodded. He slowly reached out and took Bucky's hand, intertwining their fingers.

This time, Bucky took the opportunity to lean in. They brushed noses as they joined lips once more for a soft, slow kiss.

Finally.

Chapter Text

Sharon sat next to Steve at their lunch table, her body leaned up against his.

Bucky watched from a few table over, his stomach twisted in jealousy. It had only been a day since the night that Bucky would remember as one of the best ever. He knew he shouldn't expect Steve to break up with Sharon right away. It was a process that might take time. He wouldn't want to do it suddenly and shatter her heart.

But on the other hand, Bucky just wanted him to get it over with. If what Steve and Natasha said was true, then Sharon should be expecting a break up, right?

Bucky felt rude for thinking that way. He couldn't be so impatient. He needed to give Steve time to work things out.

From across the room, Steve caught Bucky's eyes. His eyes glanced down at Sharon, then back to Bucky, sending him an apologetic look.

"Bucky? Yo, earth to James Barnes!" A hand waved in front of Bucky's face, marking him jump. He turned his focus back to his own lunch table, where they all stared at him quizzically.

"You okay man?" Bruce asked, "You were so out of it."

"What? Oh yeah, I'm fine. Just didn't get much sleep last night." Bucky said. It technically wasn't a lie. He spent the night tossing and turning, thinking about Steve and the events of that evening. The taste of Steve's lips still lingered in his mind.

Loki furrowed his brow at Bucky, glancing to where Bucky had been staring. Bucky's blood started pumping harder, and he quickly distracted himself with the left over pizza he'd packed for lunch. Loki said nothing more, but Bucky could feel his suspicious looks.

"So Bucky, you're still coming to my house Friday, right? Not gonna blow me off this time?" Clint asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Right. Of course." Bucky had promised Clint that he would help him with a paper they had to write for English.

"Good," Clint nodded. He was still bitter about the last time Bucky had ditched him for Steve, so Bucky was determined to gain his trust back.

The bell rang, and clatter filled the cafeteria as students rushed to clean up and head to their next class. Bucky threw out the remains of his half-eaten lunch and slipped on his backpack. He started to follow his friends out to the hall when someone grabbed his shoulder, stopping him.

"Hey Buck, hold up."

He turned to see Steve, hand-in-hand with Sharon. A sharp pain hit Bucky's chest, like a needle to his heart. He tried not to be the jealous type, but sometimes he couldn't help how he felt.

Bucky waited as Steve let go of his girlfriend's hand, "Sharon, why don't you head to class without me. I need to talk to Bucky about... our history project." Steve quickly covered.

"Okay, see you in a bit." She nodded and stood up on her tiptoes to kiss him. He turned his head slightly so her lips hit his cheek instead. She frowned, but continued off to class.

Bucky waited until she was out of ear shot to raise an eyebrow at Steve, "Yes?"

The football player quickly glanced around before grabbing Bucky's hand and pulling him over to a corner, hidden from plain sight.

"I'm sorry about that," he started, talking about Sharon, "I'm going to break up with her. I just need to find the right time. It's just... difficult." He finished with a nervous lip bite.

Bucky nodded slowly, "I understand. Just take the time you need." He still felt a twang of jealousy but he meant it. Steve's hand still held his which lifted his spirits and he trusted that he want just leading him on. He knew Steve would break up with Sharon, he just needed to do it in his own pace.

The corners of Steve's mouth tweaked upward, "Thanks, Buck. It means a lot." He looked nervous as his eyes flicked down to Bucky's lips.

Bucky's heart sped up, hoping that Steve would kiss him again. He longed for the feeling of Steve's lips against him and the explosion of butterflies he gave him.

But Bucky's hopes were crushed by the piercing wail of the second bell, warning them to get to class.

"I guess I will see you later then," Steve gave him a small smile. He squeezed his hand before letting go and rushing off to class.

Bucky sighed and leaned back against the hall. He mentally chastised himself, his heart still thudding in his ears. He should have leaned forward and just kissed Steve. But he couldn't bring himself to do it. It all felt too unreal and he couldn't risk messing it all up. He still couldn't believe that Steve liked him in the first place.

With a huff, Bucky adjusted his backpack and strode off down the emptying hall to class.

-

"Hey, Moscow!" A voice called to Bucky at the end of the school day as he was about to head out to the parking lot.

Someone threw their arm around his shoulders, joining him as he walked down the hall towards the doors.

"Tony?" Bucky blinked, his brow furrowing in confusion as to why the billionaire wanted to talk to him.

"How's it going, Moscow?" He gave Bucky a signature 'Tony Stark' grin, which usually meant he had an ulterior motive.

"Tony, you know my name. And I'm not even from Moscow."

Tony shrugged, "Yeah, but what kind of name is Bucky? It sounds like a hick name. You deserve something cooler."

"Um... okay?" Bucky didn't know how to respond to that. He was just all around confused.

"So, Moscow, buddy, I need your assistance," Tony said. Tony Stark didn't ask for help, but he would demand for 'assistance' every once in a while.

"You do?" Bucky questioned. They stopped walking, Tony turning to face him.

"Rumors tell me you are a real romantic," Tony stated.

"I am?" Bucky coughed out. Bucky's thoughts immediately went to Steve. Had someone found out about them? Did Steve tell Tony what happened the night before?

"Yeah, like you got with Natasha. And so many of the girls are always falling over you. You're quite the ladies man." For a moment it sounded like Tony was complementing someone else for a change, "Not quite as much as me, but you're catching up." And there it went. The usual Tony was back.

"I mean, I wouldn't really call myself that, but okay..." Bucky was still lost, but he was relieved this wasn't about Steve. Tony had only mention girls, so he couldn't have known about Bucky's bisexuality.

"So I need your advice. About Pepper."

Bucky waited for him to continue.

"So, Pepper loves me. And I love her, of course. It's all good. We're all good. Well, except we're not. At least not right now. We tend to get in arguments, nothing too serious, but I'm just concerned. I don't want to loose her." Tony seemed to break character at the end of his ramble. He truly did care for Pepper, Bucky could see it in his eyes.

Bucky shrugged, "I don't know, Tony. She's your girlfriend. I don't know how I would be much help, " He said truthfully.

"It's just that," Tony began, "You managed to snag Natasha Romanoff, which is arguably one of the most difficult things to do. She's stubborn, like Pepper. How did you do it? How can I be better?"

Bucky felt at a loss for a moment. He wanted to help. He couldn't help but feel bad for Tony. No one liked relationship troubles, but he could tell that Tony was really dedicated to fixing his relationship.

"Um, well I'm not an expert, and I don't know much about Pepper specifically, but I guess I could make a few suggestions." Bucky offered.

"Yes, anything." Tony nodded.

Bucky thought for a moment, "Well, I guess you can start by not flirting with other girls, even if you're not serious. Girls want to know that they are the only person in your eyes, so I can't imagine Pepper likes seeing you with other girls all the time."

Tony opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it, nodding with a frown, "I guess you're right."

"And make sure to appreciate her. Spend time with her, and show that you listen to her. Girls like when you remember the little things, like her favorite candy, or something like that. It's more meaningful." Bucky finished. For someone who had only been in a few relationships with girls, he felt like he gave some pretty good advice.

And Tony seemed to agree, "Thanks, buddy. I will take that into account." He patter Bucky on the shoulder. "How are you still single?"

Bucky shrugged, "I'm working on it," he muttered.

"Well, maybe you'll have some luck this Friday. You're coming to my party, right?"

To be honest, Bucky hadn't even heard about a party Friday, but he wasn't complaining. He was still scarred from his last couple of Stark parties.

"Can't, sorry. I'm helping Clint with a project." Bucky told Tony.

"Too bad. Lots of hot girls will be there. You're missing out, Moscow." Tony started to walk backwards to the door. "See you around." He gave him a short wave, before heading outside.

Chapter Text

"How do you say 'bitch' in Sign Language?" Bucky asked Clint on Friday while they were working in his basement.

Clint placed his thumb across his palm and dragged his hand through the air to hit his chin.

"Well, Ms. Schmidt is a real-" Bucky copied Clint's movement, "- for making you do this project."

Clint shrugged, "I'm used to it by now."

Their English teacher, Ms. Schmidt had assigned the class a project based on a documentary they watched in class about Shakespearian history. With only the voiceover, Clint wasn't able to get any of the content and she refused to excuse him from the project. But Bucky was happy to help his deaf friend, giving him the notes and walking him through the content.

If Bucky didn't know Clint, he never would have realized that he was deaf. Clint did his best to hide it- not because he was ashamed, but because he didn't want people to assume he was weaker because of it.

When Bucky first met Clint as a kid, he was fully hearing. But the year before Bucky left for Russia, an accident rendered Clint 90% deaf. Yet this didn't discourage him in the least. He learned to sign and became an expert lip reader. Hearing aids helped amplify some background noise, but for the most part he operated with little to no assistance. As long as you faced him an spoke clearly, it was as if nothing was different about him.

"Okay so Shakespeare's son died when he was 11 and that-" Bucky's explanation was cut short by his phone buzzing on the coffee table.

Bucky picked up his phone, confused as to why anyone would be calling him. He already told his parents where he would be and no one else ever bothered to call him when they could more easily text him.

His phone screen lit up with the name 'Nat' in bright, white letters.

"Who is it?" Clint asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Natasha," Bucky stated, still looking at his ringing phone with a furrowed brow. Nat never called him, she usually just blew up his phone with texts until he wrote back.

Clint's eyes grew wide, "Well answer it!"

Bucky slid his finger across the screen and lifted his phone to his ear, "Hello?"

Almost immediately Bucky had to pull the phone a few inches from his ear as loud background noise came through. Loud crashing and screeching noises crackled through the speaker. For a second, Bucky wondered if Natasha had just butt dialed him, but then her voice came through.

"Bucky?" She sounded nervous and had to yell over the noise. "You need to come to Stark's. Now. It's urgent."

Bucky sat up, his heart starting to pound, "Wait what? Nat is something wrong? What's going on? Are you alright?" He asked frantically, but the phone clicked as she hung up. Bucky jumped up from where he was sitting and grabbed his motorcycle keys.

"What's wrong?" Clint asked, his face twisted in confusion and concern.

"I don't know." Bucky told him. "I have to go. I think Nat might be in trouble." He started to towards the stairs.

"Natasha's in trouble?" Clint darted after him. "I'm coming with you. Leave your bike, I'll drive."

Bucky didn't argue and hopped into the passenger seat of Clint's car.

Ten minutes later, Bucky burst into the Tony's, Clint not far behind, still in awe of the huge mansion.

Hordes of high schoolers crowded every inch of the house, drinking, dancing, kissing, and laughing. Bucky had flashbacks to the first Stark party he attended, but quickly shook them out of his head.

"So this is what a Tony Stark party looks like!" Clint exclaimed, pushing through the crowd to keep up with Bucky.

"Yeah, now help me find Nat." Bucky was too focused on what might be wrong with Natasha to care about partying.

"There she is," Clint pointed across the hall, "But she doesn't look like she's in trouble."

Bucky turned to see the red head sitting on the arm of a floral sofa, clutching a red solo cup, and laughing in a circle of her friends.

"Nat?" Bucky questioned with confusion.

"Bucky!" Natasha noticed him and jumped up to greet him, "You came! And you brought Clint!" She gave him a little wave and Clint's cheeks flushed bright red.

Bucky blinked, "Yeah we came because I thought you were in trouble! Why did you say it was urgent?"

She shrugged, "Because I knew you wouldn't come otherwise. Now come on, join the fun!" She grabbed his wrist, pulling him over to the group. "You too, Clint."

"O-okay!" Clint willingly followed joining the circle of Nat's friends.

"Look who's here!" Natasha announced to the group, who all turned to see. She pushed Bucky into the circle, giving him an extra discrete shove towards where Steve stood.

"Oh great," Sam rolled his eyes, "The Russian."

"Sam, shut up. He's my friend." Steve gave Sam a stern look.

Bucky's heart fell a little hearing Steve's emphasis of 'friend'. He knew that's all they technically were, but he longed for more.

Sam looked at Steve, then eyed Bucky suspiciously but didn't say anything more.

"And you are?" T'Challa shifted the focus to Clint, who rocked on the balls of his feet, out of place amongst the popular crowd.

"I'm Clint," He stuck out his hand, but retracted it when T'Challa didn't return the motion. "Alright then..." He muttered, scratching the back of his neck.

"Well I was helping Clint with a project, so we really shouldn't stay..." Bucky tried to excuse himself, not wanting to be at the party. Clint didn't protest.

Natasha stopped them, "Wait, you just got here, don't leave." She gave him a look which confused him until her eyes darted to Steve.

"Here babe, I got you a Sprite," Sharon emerged from the kitchen with a solo cup in one hand and a can of soda in the other. She handed Steve his drink before settling in the circle. "What did I miss?" She glanced around the circle, "Oh hey Bucky and..." she trailed off looking at Clint.

"Clint," He said for the second time, starting to get fed up.

"They were just about to leave." Sam told her, shooting them a glare.

Bucky glanced at Natasha, catching her drift, "Actually, the project isn't due until Monday, I think it's fine if we stick around."

Clint tried to suppress his groan of annoyance.

Steve face brightened, "Great!"

There was a slight lull in conversation, where Nat took the opportunity to try and starry a conversation.

"So Pepper, where's Tony?"

"Right here!" Tony slid into the center of the circle, making his grand entrance, the drink in his cup sloshing around. He then took his place next to Pepper and kissed her on the cheek, "I got you this." He pulled a packet of peanut M&M's from his pocket.

"Oh! My favorite! You remembered!" She exclaimed in delight, kissing her boyfriend. Tony gave Bucky an appreciative nod. Then his eyes drifted around the circle, falling on Steve.

"Really, Rogers? Sprite?" He scoffed.

Steve shrugged, "Sorry I don't want to be trashed and deal with a hangover tomorrow like the rest of you."

Tony rolled his eyes, "What a perfect little golden boy," he said with playful sarcasm. "The rest of us will just enjoy this party. In fact, we will celebrate" Tony looked around the room and shouted, "Who wants to crack open some of my dad's expensive champagne?" He raised his cup to a series of cheers and he led the charge out to the bar.

"I better go monitor him," Pepper stated before following after her reckless boyfriend, leaving just Natasha, Steve, Sharon, Bucky, and Clint.

Natasha's eyes darted between Bucky and Steve, then landed on Sharon.

She put on a bright smile, "Sharon, come with me, I want to show you something!"

"Oh!" Sharon exclaimed as Nat started to pull her away, "Okay."

Bucky, Steve, and Clint were left in silence, each staring at a certain point around the room to try and defuse the awkwardness.

"Well, if we're going to be here a while, I might as well get a beer," Clint stated before turning to navigate through the crowd to find the kitchen.

"Guess it's just us now," Bucky said, biting his lip slightly as he was left alone with Steve.

"Yep," Steve popped the 'p' and shifted his weight.

The tension between them was uncomfortable and Bucky started to look around, "Maybe I should go find Clint," He said, starting to turn in the direction of the kitchen.

"Buck, wait," Steve stopped him, which made Bucky both relieved and scared. "Maybe we should talk." He glanced around the room, "Somewhere more private?"

Bucky nodded, trying to play it casual, when on the inside he felt as if his heart was going to burst out of his chest, "Uh, alright. Yeah."

He followed Steve down the hall, away from the party, where it was quieter. He poked his head in an empty sitting room before turning inside and shutting the door behind him.

Bucky made his way to the center of the room, leaning against the back of the floral couch. Steve approached him with hesitance.

Bucky braced himself. This was it. This was where Steve told him that it was all some big mistake. That he didn't actually like Bucky. Or he kissed him as a joke.

But instead of breaking his heart, Steve grabbed Bucky's waist and pulled him into a kiss.

The initial shock wore off quick as Bucky started to kiss him back, letting his hand rise to run through Steve's hair.

The wooden frame of the couch dug into Bucky's lower back as he was pressed up against it, but he didn't care. All he cared about was Steve. His heart soared and the noise of the party faded as he melted into the feeling of Steve against him.

But reality came crumbling back in as Steve slowly pulled himself away, "I'm sorry, I just- I just had to."

"Honestly," Bucky let out a low chuckle, "I don't need an explanation."

Steve sighed in relief and smiled, "I haven't felt that good in ages," he admitted.

"Me neither," Bucky agreed, but then he lowered his head with a frown, "But we really should discuss what this is- what we are."

'And when your going to break up with your girlfriend' Bucky wanted to add.

Steve nodded, "I know. I'm just trying to figure everything out. It's just so... new. I'm trying not to screw everything up."

Bucky reached out to take Steve's hands, "I understand. I've been there. It's just that-"

A panicked shriek cut him off. Bucky and Steve froze, exchanging concerned looks before bursting out the door.

At the other end of the hall, they saw Brock Rumlow, who had cornered someone.

"Don't touch me, you fucking asshole!" Bucky heard a familiar voice struggle to spit out.

Natasha.

"Not until you kiss me, sweetheart," Rumlow slurred flirtatiously, obviously drunk. He pinned her against the wall with his meaty fists crushing her wrists, leaving her unable to fight back. She thrashed, trying to break free.

Bucky and Steve started to run to get him off of her, when someone jumped out and attacked Brock.

"Get the fuck away from her!" The attacker caught Brock off guard, pulling him off of her and socking him hard in the face.

"Clint!" Natasha exclaimed in shock.

"You little shit!" Rumlow roared, throwing Clint to the ground. He slammed his fist into Clint's gut and face as blood poured from his nose.

Natasha kicked Rumlow, trying to knock him off of Clint. Bucky and Steve jumped in to pull the massive footballer away.

"Brock, what the hell?!" Steve cried, pushing him back against the wall. Rumlow's rage was replaced by terror as Steve started to yell at him.

"Don't you ever touch Natasha or Clint again! I should have you kicked off the team- or worse! You fucking arrogant bastard!" Steve used all of his football player force to slam Rumlow against the wall once more for good measure before shoving him as far away as possible, "Leave. Now!"

Defeated, Rumlow stumbled off, back towards the party, clutching his beaten nose.

Bucky and Natasha kneeled over Clint, who still lay bloodied on the floor.

"Oh my god Clint are you okay?" Natasha looked over him frantically.

Wearily, Clint raised his hand into a thumbs up, "I'm just dandy, as you can see." He coughed and spat out some blood. Natasha and Bucky helped lift him to his feet.

"Are you alright, Natasha?" Clint asked, his beaten eyes still showing concern.

She nodded slowly, "Yes, I think so. Thank you." She threw her arms around him, almost knocking him over again. Then she lifted her chin to kiss him on the cheek.

"Now let's get you cleaned up." Bucky said, leading him towards the bathroom.

"Awe man," Clint grumbled, using his sleeve to wipe blood from his face, "My mom's gonna kill me."

Chapter Text

Bucky awoke to the sound of Russian, entering his ears like a symphony of beautiful music. The familiar language brought him a sense of comfort--he was home again. In the short, dazed transition between sleep and wake, he began to think he was back in his small Russian bedroom. Maybe he'd never left? Maybe this whole thing in America with Steve had all just been some wild fantasy and he would open his eyes to be greeted by the view of his small town halfway across the world.

But the events of the previous night's party were all too vivid--the pounding music, Natasha's tipsy giggles, Steve's warm touch--it had to have been real. It couldn't have just been a creation of his subconscious

With a bit of hesitance, Bucky finally lifted his eyelids to see his very much American bedroom that looked out onto his sprawling backyard. American houses always seemed to have more room than necessary--not that he was complaining. As much as he loved living in Russia, he was happy to return to the comfort and luxury of his American home. The modern kitchen, open floor plan, and a bedroom with more closet space than he'd ever need. In America, bigger was better.

Bucky stretched out his back as he sat up, throwing his feet over the side of his bed. He jumped when he saw a body sprawled across his floor before he quickly realized it was Clint. None of it had been a dream after all.

After the confrontation with Rumlow at the party, Bucky had rushed a beaten up Clint back to his house to stay the night. They both figured it was best that Clint's mom didn't see his split lip and bruised nose right away--not until they could come up with a good enough excuse for it.

While he was filled with relief that it hadn't been a dream, Bucky couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that he wasn't home in Russia. Part of his heart longed for home. Sure, there was so much he loved about America and even many things he disliked about Russia, but he'd spent the most important years of his adolescence there. Memories of moments in Russia, both the fond and the forgettable, had shaped him into who he was today. He may have technically been American blooded, born on the soil of the free, but Russia would always be his home.

The sweet melodies of his second language could still be made out, rising up through the floorboards. Even though it was muffled, he knew the Russian language when he heard it. The sounds were far different than those in the English language. Not necessarily as harsh as so many people tended to believe, but instead, it had a certain flow to it, filled with rolling Rs and hushing sounds. The intonations were different too. English was filled with fluctuations, voices jumping high and low to fill the sentence with emotion. Russians preferred a smoother tone, their sentences remaining flat with a final drop at the end, or their questions emphasizing the important words with soft lifts in pitch. The two languages were distinct and he could easily tell them apart even when he couldn't hear the words themselves.

Perhaps his mother was on the phone with one of her friends? No, there was a second voice, he was sure of it. Not his father's gruff voice and broken Russian with his flimsy American pronunciation. No, this voice was softer and spoke the language with eloquence as if it was all natural.

Bucky couldn't make out what they were saying. The words were too distant to understand. Sneaking around Clint, who lay snoring in a pair of borrowed pajamas on a makeshift bed of spare blankets and pillows, he opened the door and slipped out and down the stairs. As his footsteps approached the kitchen, the voices stopped. Bucky pushed opened the door to see two women staring at him.

"Nat?" Bucky blinked, startled to see his flame-haired friend sitting at his kitchen table across from his mother, a cup of coffee in her hands. She'd never visited him at his house before. He wasn't even aware she knew his address.

"Morning, sleepyhead. Enjoy your beauty rest?" She let out a soft giggle as her lips brushed against the rim of the mug. She sipped her coffee with a casual ease as if she had lived here all her life and this was nothing out of the ordinary.

Bucky suddenly became aware of his disheveled appearance, still in his flannel pajama pants and faded t-shirt he'd bought at a concert in Russia. He quickly moved to comb his hands through his bedhead hair that must have been sticking out in odd directions, causing Natasha to have to stifle another laugh.

"Bucky, you didn't tell me you had a friend who spoke Russian! Such a beautiful young woman too!" His mother spoke, full of cheer which was rare for her in the morning hours. She raised her eyebrows suggestively, looking hopefully from her son to his female friend. Ever since he'd turned 16, his mom always tried to pry her way into getting information of Bucky's love life.

Ignoring her, he focused back on Natasha. "What are you doing here?"

"What? I can't pay my good pal a visit on a lovely Saturday morning?" She questioned with a teasing tweak of her eyebrow. She had a knack for feigning innocence despite her true cunning nature.

"I mean--I'm just surprised, that's all."

"Well, I was surprised," Bucky's mother tried to cut in again, "that you never told me about Natasha, here!" She placed her hands of her hips as if he had just admitted that he snuck money from her wallet, a crime much more punishable than just forgetting to mention a friend to her.

Natasha put a hand over her heart and faked a gasp, "Why, Bucky, I'm positively insulted that you haven't told your mom about me!" She turned back to his mom to say, "It's been a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Barns."

Bucky's mom let out a laugh, "Oh Natasha, you're such a dear! You must join us for dinner sometime--a proper Russian meal! Any time, just say the word!"

Bucky felt as though he needed to interject before his mother invited Natasha to just live with them, "Alright, sorry to break up your little bonding moment but I think Nat came here to visit me and not just chat with my mother." He gave his mother her cue to leave.

"Oh of course, sorry. You two go on, I will mind my own business." She stood up from her spot at the table, taking her cup of coffee with here. As she stepped out of the room, she shot Bucky a quick glance, with a suggestive wiggle of her eyebrow. He could tell what she was thinking, hoping that he and Nat were more than friends. Bucky rolled his eyes, shooing her out of the room. She gave him a small smirk before disappearing into the other room.

Bucky was left alone in the kitchen with his surprise visitor, not quite sure what to do. He had no idea why she decided to stop by. If he had known she was coming, he'd have some sort of plan, or at least would be wearing something more presentable.

"So..." He spoke breaking the awkward silence between Natasha's sips of coffee, "Do you want to go to my room or something?"

"Wow Buck, not even going to buy me dinner first?" Natasha cracked a smile before standing up.

"Don't be a smartass."

"Only teasing you. That's what you keep me around for, isn't it?"

Bucky let out a joking scoff, "You're the one who showed up at my house!"

Natasha twisted her mouth, trying to think of a good comeback, "Alright, you got me there," She admitted defeat, raising her hands in surrender--a rare gesture coming from Natasha.

"Not that I don't appreciate your company, but why exactly are you here?"

Natasha's joking smile fell slightly, a more serious look overtaking her face, "Steve told me that Clint came home with you last night." It didn't answer Bucky's question.

"Yeah, he's upstairs. Why?"

She shrugged as if she wasn't too sure herself, "I just wanted to check up on him. After last night I mean."

"He was still sleeping when I woke up. We could go and check on him," Bucky offered.

Natasha nodded, placing her mug down as she stood, "Make sure he is still alive," She quipped, following Bucky out of the room.

They marched up the stairs to his bedroom, which was thankfully clean. Like any teenage boy, his room could be a bit disheveled at times. But his mother happened to be a neat freak who nagged him in Russian until he cleaned up all his laundry from the floor and straightened out the clutter on his dresser. Now, only his bedsheets were askew from his previous night's sleep.

Clint was just as Bucky left him, laying flat on his check, the left half of his face smooshed onto the pillow with his mouth agape. Bucky could see Natasha biting back a grin as she looked at the boy who had come to her rescue just the night before. He wasn't the most heroic sight curled up under a mound of blankets on the floor.

"Clint?" Bucky whispered, trying to get him to stir. He felt bad waking him up from his much-deserved sleep by he also knew that his friend would hate to pass up an opportunity to talk to Natasha.

Natasha stared at Bucky as if he'd lost all his brain cells, "He's deaf, you idiot." She reminded him with a laugh, pointing to the hearing aids left on Bucky's bedside table. "He's not going to hear you whispering."

"Oh, right..." Bucky bit his lip, realizing his stupid mistake. He decided to switch tactics, pressing his foot against Clint's side and shaking him back and forth a bit.

Clint let out an annoyed groan, rolling over onto his back. Slowly, his eyelids lifted open a crack, shut again, then opened wide as he noticed Bucky and Natasha standing over him. Natasha gave him a little wave, wiggling her fingers.

"Shit!" Clint exclaimed louder than he meant to, bolting upright as he realized his crush was standing before him. He patted the floor around him, searching for something before he spotted his hearing aids sitting on the table behind him.

"Good morning," Bucky signed as Clint frantically popped in his hearing aids.

"Please tell me I didn't snore," Clint said with begging eyes.

Natasha smirked, "Oh yeah, you were drooling all over the pillow too."

Clint let out another groan, burying his red cheeks in his hands.

"Relax," Natasha laughed, "I'm just messing with you." She held her hand out, offering to help him up off the floor. Clint's eyes flickered from her face to her hand before he took it. She pulled him up onto his feet and he avoided her eye contact, face still flushed. His eyes, instead, fell on Bucky and he shot daggers at him as if it was his fault he was making a fool of himself in front of his crush.

Bucky just laughed, "Morning, Sleeping Beauty. How's your face?"

"You tell me, you're the one looking at it."

Instead, Natasha reached out, placing her palms on Clint's cheeks as she turned his head to face her. Her eyes traced over his features as she inspected his wounds. With a light touch, she brushed her finger over the bridge of his bruised nose. Bucky could see Clint swallow hard, his gaze roaming the ceiling as if he was afraid to make eye contact with Natasha.

"At least he didn't break it. That would have been much worse." Natasha stated, lowering her hands.

Clint let out a breath he seemed to have been holding in.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, right Clint?" Bucky patted Clint's shoulder.

"Yeah, of course," He straightened up, sticking out his chest a bit.

Natasha slipped him a smile, "Well I'm glad you're okay. I'd have hated for you to get seriously hurt because of me. Thanks again for that last night." Her lips still held a smile but Bucky could tell the light in her eyes faded slightly as she thought back to the fight.

Clint shrugged, "I'll heal. As long as Rumlow didn't hurt you, I can take a small beating. How are you?" His eyes glistened with concern.

"I'm fine," Natasha said, trying to assure them but her smile had fallen.

From the corner of his eye, Bucky noticed her toying with the edges of her sleeves and saw a flash of darkened skin.

"Nat?" Bucky gently reached out to take her hand, using his other hand to lift her sleeve slightly.

Clint gasped as he noticed the bruises on her wrist, small ovals imprinted on her from where Rumlow had gripped her.

Natasha pulled her hand away, "It's fine. Just a little battle wound. Nothing I can't handle." Bucky could tell she was being evasive of the subject.

"God!" Clint exclaimed in a huff, balling his fists, "I ought to kill Rumlow for that. I can't believe he would--"

Natasha placed her hand on Clint's shoulder to calm him down, "Slow your roll, Clint. I'm fine. Really. I'm shaken up but nothing happened thanks to you."

Clint sighed but didn't say anything more. His eyes finally met Natasha's, a feeling of sadness in them. There was a moment of silence, where no one quite knew what to say.

Hoping to lighten the mood, Bucky rubbed his hands together, "So, breakfast anyone?"

Natasha nodded, cracking a smile, "I could definitely go for breakfast."

"Same here," Clint agreed with an eager nod, "I'm starved."

"You know, it's been almost ten years since I last ate at an iHop," Bucky mentioned, his thoughts drifting to hearty stacks of fluffy American pancakes smothered in maple syrup.

"Dude," Clint's mouth hung open, "You've been seriously deprived."

"IHop it is then," Natasha decided, heading for the door. "You two lazys get dressed and I will meet you at my car. She gave them a little wink as she shut the door behind her.

Clint waited until Natasha's footsteps had retreated all the way down the stairs before he spoke, "Man, you gotta warn me she's coming. I just made a total fool of myself!"

Bucky let out a laugh, pulling his friend over to tousle his already messed up hair, "You'd have made a fool of yourself anyway, dude."

Clint pulled away giving Bucky a playful punch on his arm, "Yeah but at least I'd be prepared for it!"