Chapter 1
“My name is detective Maria Hill. I’d like to ask you a few questions.”
The young man before her gave a curt nod, his eyes fixed on his hands on the table.
“Bucky – is it okay if I call you Bucky?”
Another nod.
“Bucky. I understand you’re not a student at Shield Academy?”
Bucky shook his head, still nod meeting Marias’s eyes.
“But you went to the 107th High School?”
Bucky nodded
“The one that collapsed.”
Bucky nodded again.
“You hurt your arm then.” Her eyes travelled to the exposed limb in question, covered in scars, stiff and ugly. “Why didn’t you accept the scholarship they offered you?”
“Didn’ need it,” Bucky muttered, his voice was rough and low. Gravelly.
“Because you have a job.”
“Yeah.”
“Was there another reason?”
“Steve.”
“Who is Steve?”
“Boyfriend.”
“Steven Rogers?” Maria asked, recalling the name from her files. “He received your scholarship, didn’t he?”
“Deserved it more ‘an me.”
“Why is that?” Maria asked, trying to break the ice, trying to get some sort of information out of the brunet.
“Smart,” Bucky grumbled, “He’s going places. Me? I’m just a mechanic.”
“A mechanic who has custody of his sister. Rebecca.”
Bucky nodded once more and finally, finally, raised his head to meet Maria’s gaze, his eyes deep blue and piercing.
“Why don’t you tell me what happened?” Maria requested, “Start from the beginning?”
There was a long moment of silence and Maria almost expected Bucky to refuse – before he took a deep breath, ran his fingers through his long hair, and started talking.
“A few months ago,” he began, “The school collapsed, I nearly lost my arm, they offered me a grant, I refused. Steve got it then. He was real excited. Shield Academy’s always been his dream but he could never afford it. He didn’t know he got my place. Woulda never accepted it…I made a deal with the principal. Fury. Told him to give Steve my place and I’d resign any claims I mighta had on any kinda money. He accepted. Guess he was glad he didn’t have ta deal with a guy like me –
“Well, look at you,” Bucky whistled when he saw Steve coming out of their bedroom, dressed in his new school uniform.
“Piss off,” Steve said, his cheeks turning a deep shade of red and Bucky laughed. It was the day before the first day of school and Steve hadn’t shut up about it for weeks.
Shield Academy – the elite of the elite.
“I’m serious, punk, you look real preppy. Regular goody-two-shoes. American apple pie. The epitome of wholesome. The definition of –”
“All right, all right, I got it,” Steve interrupted him, his face doing the splits between amused and annoyed, “I look ridiculous.”
“You look hot,” Bucky countered, every trace of mocking gone from his voice as he slowly approached his boyfriend, “And you’re gonna show all them rich kids that money ain’t everything.”
“Would be nice to have it though,” Steve muttered under his breath.
“Hey.” Bucky’s fingers gently touched Steve’s chin and pushed up so their eyes could meet. “We’re doing fine, okay? I got my job. You got your paintings. Dad still has to pay child support for Becs…so don’t you worry about a thing, okay doll? You just make sure to be the genius I know you are.”
“Ain’t no genius, Buck.”
“I disagree.” Slowly, Bucky slung his arms around Steve’s slender body and pulled him even closer, leaving no room for air between them as he pressed his lips to Steve’s. “You are the smartest.” Kiss. “Prettiest.” Kiss. “And most dedicated person I know.”
Steve’s face morphed into a grin, his eyes shining with mischief, “Flattery won’t get you anywhere, Mister Barnes.”
“Ain’t flattery if it’s true.”
“You are the worst,” Steve muttered against Bucky’s lips.
“Hmm, but you love it.”
“I love you.”
They closed the gap once more, got lost in the feeling of skin against skin, tongue against tongue, Bucky’s fingers in Steve’s hair.
“Eugh, Get a room!” A familiar voice came from somewhere behind Bucky and the brunet pulled back, chuckling.
“Be nice to your brother, Becca,” Steve warned her but his words kind of lost their effect with the amount of affection in his voice and the fact that he was still pressed against Bucky.
“Whatever,” the teenager muttered and with a sigh, Bucky let go of Steve to turn around.
Becca was 15 and in the prime of her puberty – her clothes were far too revealing for Bucky’s taste, she was practically glued to her phone, and just last week he had caught her stealing some of his cigarettes. Despite that though, she was the best things to ever happen to Bucky’s life. Her and Steve. Ever since their mum had died eight years ago, Bucky had practically taken over the role of parent since their dad…well…George Barnes wasn’t exactly the fatherly type and if you asked Bucky, they were better off without him.
“What’s for dinner?” Becca asked and jumped up onto the kitchen counter, grabbing Bucky’s cigarettes and Bucky quickly walked over to her to take them away again.
“Nothin’ if you keep being a little bitch,” he said and lighted a cig of his own before storing the pack in the pocket of his jeans, ignoring Becca’s glare. He opened the window and blew out the smoke. “Steve?”
“I’m thinking Mac and Cheese?” Steve asked hopefully.
“I second that,” Becca commented.
“Course you do,” Bucky muttered around the cig between his lips, “Fine. But we’ll have a salad with that. You two need to get somethin’ healthy into you.”
“Says the guy with a cancer stick in his mouth.”
Bucky whipped around, pointing his finger at his sister. “You know what…” But his words went under in a wholehearted laugh and he completely forgot what he had been about to say anyway…it wasn’t often that Becca laughed like that. So careless. They’d had a tough life and while Bucky might have been lucky enough to be older when everything had gone to shit, Becca had been less fortunate and it showed.
It also showed that Bucky was a utter and complete sap, judging by the look Steve was giving him.
“Fuck’s sake,” Bucky grumbled, trying to keep as much dignity as possible, and started assembling their dinner.
“So you’re close to your sister?” Maria dug deeper.
“Obviously,” Bucky deadpanned, “Everything that kid knows, she knows from me. Dad’s a fucking bastard and I’m glad he’s behind bars.”
“And Steve?”
Bucky’s hands began to fidget on the table and he lowered his eyes again. “Steve’s ma died last year. He moved in with us. Hit him hard, y’know? He hasn’t got anyone else.”
“How long have you been together?”
“Officially? Four years.”
“And unofficially?”
“Listen sister, I’ve loved that kid before I even knew what love was. I’d do anything for him.”
“Even kill for him?” Maria countered even though she knew better. As expected, Bucky’s face closed off completely as he scowled at her, “I didn’t kill anyone,” he said, his eyes and voice hard and cold.
For some reason, Maria really wanted to believe him.