Chapter 12
Bucky gives one last groan to himself as he walks up the half dozen steps to get to where this "party" was. He really should've called, made some excuse to stay home. No no Barnes. Make friends. It'll be good for you. He kept telling himself which made him finally get here, granted half hour after he was supposed to. He knocks on the door and is greeted by someone he doesn't know.
"Yes?" They ask.
"I'm uhh here for the party?" Bucky lets out.
"Party?" The guys asks, eye brows raised.
Bucky looks at him confused, he leans back to make sure he got the right numbers for the address (it was a new place) and even though he hears yelling and other noises which clearly indicate a party he's about to excuse himself and go.
The stranger, seeing Bucky's puzzled face, starts laughing. "I'm just kidding, man. Come on in."
Bucky gives a tight lipped smile and breathes in.
"Not much of a party-er?" The man says as he takes in Bucky's face when he walks in.
"Not...uhh," Bucky clears his throat. "Not really... anymore."
The man nods.
"Take it you know the host? Considering you're here seemingly unwilling."
"How'd you figure? I mean I do but..."
"Dude. Party crashers usually don't look like they'd rather be somewhere else."
"Fair enough," Bucky agrees and gives a small smile.
"I'll go get him," the man says and Bucky watches him disappear towards the kitchen.
He seemed nice enough despite his accusation. Bucky looks around and before his eyes even finish circling the room he knows he won't know anyone else here. He looks back toward the kitchen and sees the stranger that greeted him finally emerge. He knows he's in the right place when he sees a familiar face walking behind him. Part of him is relieved that he didn't just crash a stranger's party but the other part kind of wishes he did so he could have an excuse to leave.
"Heyyy Bucky! You made it!" he hears as the two men approach him.
Bucky smiles almost shyly. "Yeah guess so..."
"Wait you're the famous Bucky?" The stranger says, now intrigued.
"Uhh famous?" Bucky eyes both of them.
"Yeah the one that owns that hot gay bar that someone set fire-"
"Why don't we get you a drink," The stranger is interrupted before he could finish his inaccurate sentence as Bucky is pulled away towards what he's guessing is the drinks section. He looks back at the stranger who just shrugs and joins another group of people to talk to.
There's no one by the drinks, everyone must already have theirs.
"Soda?"
Bucky sighs. "For now..." He's still not sure how his new prescription would react to too much booze so he's been going slow.
"Glad you made it."
"Yeah..." Bucky breathes out, accepting the newly poured beverage.
"I'm serious. Almost took bets on if you'd show. Except no one here knows you like that so would be kind of a weird bet to do."
"Funny..." Bucky says as he takes a sip of his cold soda.
"You are going to try to talk to some people tonight, right?"
Bucky swallows his drink and shrugs. "I dont know I think me and the blonde had a nice rapport going." Bucky says sarcastically, referring to the man that greeted him.
"Clint means well he can just be ...well... Clint. I'll correct him about the bar."
"It's fine." He looks down at his drink.
"You gonna let me introduce you to people or are you just gonna stand in this corner nursing your soda?"
"I don't know," Bucky takes another sip.
"Come on man you gotta meet more people, get to know them, make more friends. I mean I know I'm a good friend but you can have others too you know?"
"Yeah I just don't know..."
"Why?"
"Because the more they get to know me the more they'll know the real me..." Bucky admits.
"Which is...great?" His friend says confused.
"You know what I mean," Bucky looks up.
"Bucky, nobody is going to hate you for something you can't control"
"Yeah...I ...I mean."
"Least no one I talk to is going to be like that..."
Bucky nods. "It's just...you have a big...setback it kinda messes with you."
"I know that. You know I know that, which is why I'm here to tell you you're awesome and you deserve to meet other awesome people. Which sounded less corny in my head."
"Uh huh..." Bucky smiles despite himself.
"So...?"
"Fine."
"Ohh speak of the devil I just saw someone I've wanted to introduce you to."
Bucky's arm is then grabbed, his soda barely staying inside his cup as he tries to keep up to wherever their destination was.
They stop behind a man, broad shoulder, very built and blonde....again.
A name is called out and Bucky wasn't paying attention as to what it was but it made the built blonde turn around. Bucky's eyes go a wide as the Adonis turns around, he attempts to control himself by blinking rapidly as he catches himself. Even though his heart was of course set on someone else he could admire beauty anywhere.
"Sam!" The man yells and gives his friend, who still hadn't let go of his arm, a big half hug. "Thanks for inviting me!"
Bucky looks back and forth from his friend and this man, all the sudden having a change of heart about new friends and silently begging for Sam to introduce them now.
"Wouldn't be a party without you" Sam laughs.
The man in front of them raises the beer in his hand, "I'll drink to that."
Bucky turns to Sam and gives him a look saying get on with the introductions already. And it's like no name could read his mind (or his body language).
"Don't believe we've met," He turns to Bucky and holds out his hand to shake.
"Oh I'm Bucky...well James but my friends call me Bucky."
"Oh umm..."
"Just call him Bucky," Sam says.
"It's nice to meet you Bucky. I'm-"
"Rogers!" Someone yells just as Bucky's about to get the name. He realizes that was to the man in front of him when he sees someone rush to him and give him a greeting hug.
It was about a 2 second interaction as the guy who yelled out the name leaves to get a drink as soon as the hug is over.
"Rogers?" Bucky asks. Yeah his name was weird but this guy goes by the plural of a regular name?
"Well actually it's Steve. Last name is Rogers."
Steve...? Steve?? Steve Rogers? Wait HIS Steve Rogers??
Your...your name is Steve Rogers?" Bucky says breathlessly.
His heart is in his throat and it's beating a mile a minute. He can feel it in his neck, his head. He wonders if it's visible to everyone else. He can feel himself start to sweat, hands feeling clammy. He knows Sam senses it because he sees his face change in confusion.
Steve nods to Bucky's question with a smile and quickly excuses himself real quick because he sees someone else he knows. Bucky thanks God in silence.
"You...okay?" Sam asks, very unsure and confused why Bucky would be effected this way.
"What?"
"You look like you saw a ghost or something..."
Or something is right.
"Sort of like that."
"You know Steve?" Sam asks.
"Yeah...I mean no." I mean I do or did or...will "-umm it's complicated."
"Okay... does he know you?" Sam questions, his brows not leaving the position of being furrowed.
"No, no..." Not yet.
"Alright," Sam still looks confused. Granted if Bucky was in his position he'd be as well. "Should I not have introduced you?"
"No it's fine. It's good. He's...he's good. I'm sorry. I'm just surprised." And before Sam could question more Bucky asks. "Whyd you never mention him?"
"Bucky if I talked about all of my friends that much, it'd start to feel like bragging."
Bucky laughs at that. "Right, right. How do you know him?"
"We went to med school together. I was ahead a year. Then he happened to be in my residency program too."
"Shit. Small world..."
"And you?"
"Hm?"
"How do you know him?" Sam brings the questions back to Bucky. "The bar? He a customer or something?"
"He's not really a bar hopper..." Bucky lets slip out.
"Who? Steve?" Sam's almost laughing now and Bucky doesn't know why. "Not the Steve I know."
"Huh?"
"Yeah. I'm pretty sure he came here drunk. He's definitely drunk now." He points his thumb to Steve, who's head jerks back unable to control his laughter. "I mean safely. He was driven here."
"He must've stopped..." Bucky thinks to himself.
"Huh?"
"Nothing nothing. No he's not a customer or anything. I mean some of his friends used to be but they stopped I guess." Bucky thinks for a moment, realizing the group of men haven't been back since-
"Because of the fire?" Sam interrupts his thought process.
"No, I don't know."
"I told you I could get a reporter friend to make another article writing you know...the truth?"
"Mmm but 'the truth' isn't juicy, Sam." He sighs. "It's okay really."
Sam nods. "So you know Steve through his friends?"
"No. They're just customers. I didn't even know they knew him until later."
"Peggy?"
Bucky looks at Sam puzzled. Steve never mentioned a Peggy. "Who?"
Sam points towards Steve direction. There's a woman by him now, arms wrapped around his waist, hair done up like the old movies his grandma would make him watch. She must be one of those retro fanatics. Bucky would be lying if he said he didn't feel a harsh pierce of jealousy in his heart at seeing them. Maybe they're just friends...
"His girlfriend?" Sam crushes that thought.
Bucky shakes his head. "Never heard of her. Bathroom?" He asks putting his now almost finished drink down on the counter.
Sam rolls his eyes. He points behind them. "Down the hall to the left."
Bucky nods and starts to follow Sam's directions.
"You know I'm gonna bother you about this later," Sam calls out.
"Oh I know!" Bucky calls back. And if I tell you truthfully you'll have me committed.