Chapter 2
The week went by quickly. Steve couldn’t believe it was already Thursday. That meant art class tonight. That also meant seeing James again. Steve felt a frown tug at his lips when he thought of the dark haired man. Last week hadn’t gone very well in the way of introductions, but Steve was determined to make him feel as comfortable as possible. He hated making people feel uneasy around him. Of course, if it was his presence causing James to feel that way, he would back off. The thought caused his frown to deepen. He didn’t want that to happen. He liked making new friends and James looked like the ideal person to be friends with. From his startling grey-blue eyes and cropped silky hair to his clearly muscular frame, James seemed- wait. James was really attractive. Fuck. Maybe Steve wanted to be more than friends. Who was he kidding? He wanted to climb that man like a tree.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of fantasising about James, and working. Steve loved his job. He worked at a coffee shop in downtown Brooklyn. It was kind of hipsterish, but the hot chocolate was to die for, and they let him display his art. So free heavenly drinks and free publicity. And he got paid for it. It was a pretty nice set up. Except for the morning rushes, but, as the owner said, at least it meant they were making money.
Steve was an artist, which was how Peggy had persuaded him to attend the night time classes; to improve his technique. What Peggy had neglected to mention was it was a beginner class, full of people who had clearly never picked up a brush or pencil before. Steve’s frustration towards the teacher was evident, but he couldn’t say anything. He’d had an entire childhood of doing people’s work for them. It came with being tiny and sick all the time. Putting it simply, Steve was horrendously bullied. It was why he was so righteous now. He couldn’t stand bullies, and would get in so many fights to prove it. It was a never-ending source of exasperation for both Peggy and his mother. Especially when Peggy was usually the one to put and end to the fights, usually with a well placed punch to the nose. Ever since childhood, they had been inseparable. People more often than not mistook them for a couple, and although they had tried dating each other, it had only lasted for a month before Peggy met Angie and the rest was history.
Shaking his head, Steve brought himself back the the present and started making the cafe cubano just ordered. He hated making this drink. He was sort of a coffee snob and this drink needed to be made perfectly, or it would taste awful. It required all of his concentration. He carefully poured the sugar and coffee into a cup, whisking it hard until it was foamy. He tipped the rest of the espresso into the cup and handed it off to the customer, looking up with a smile as he did. The smile froze on his face as he found himself face to face with Peggy’s friend Natasha. She smiled back at him, throwing back the coffee in one shot. She shoved a few bills into the tip jar and passed the cup back to him,
“Hi, Steve was it? I don’t know if you remember me, but we met last week? I’m Peggy’s friend.” She grinned brightly at him and he was reminded eerily of Peggy. They had the same calculating look in their eyes, a look that he knew was judging him. “I was in the neighbourhood and remembered Peggy mentioned you worked as a barista, so I thought I’d come and check out your skills for myself. Clearly you know your way around a cup of coffee. And a paintbrush, if she was right about the art on the walls.” Natasha looked around at Steve’s work, impressed.
Steve rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously. He hated when Peggy boasted about him. All it did was make him embarrassed. “Yeah she tends to oversell me, I’m really not all that good. It’s more of a hobby now anyway, what with work and everything.” he replied, his gaze fixed on a coffee stain on the counter. He grabbed a rag and scrubbed at it, trying to keep his hands busy.
“Hm. That may be true, but in your case she definitely wasn’t overselling anything. These pieces are fantastic. Which brings me onto why I’m really here.” Natasha leaned forward, and Steve got the distinct impression that she was always this intimidating. “My friend, James, he’s been struggling with the art class. Poor sod hasn’t ever picked up a pencil. He needs help, and Peggy told me you’d be more than willing to assist with that. Of course, if you’re not willing, I understand. I can find someone else to give him more lessons-” At this Steve perked up. One on one time with Bucky, possibly in his apartment, giving him art lessons? That could lead to a lot of extra curricular activities, if Bucky was willing. Before he had time to think too much, Steve was agreeing, “Great,” Natasha said, “we can go over the details tonight. James is a bit of a nuisance when it comes to his pride, so we need to be subtle about this. Can you offer lessons? Instead of him asking, it’ll be you offering. You understand, right? He’s a delicate flower, really.”
Steve frowned, but nodded. He didn’t usually like being underhanded about things, but if it meant he could see more of James, he was all for it. He now couldn’t wait for art class tonight. This shift couldn’t end fast enough.