and now, we begin
"Do I haaaaave to?"
"Yes, Steve, now quit whining like a baby and let's get inside already," Clint insisted. "It's cold as shit out here," he looked up to the sky impatiently.
"But why do I have to go with you guys, I would much rather be home," Steve complained, and Clint rolled his eyes and pushed Steve forward and through the door of the bar.
SHEILD, the new bar in town, was devastatingly hipster in every aspect of itself. The lights were dimmed down, and the only source of light was the string Christmas lights that were bright red, hanging on every edge. The bar itself was crowded, with all the seats taken up and people crowding behind them to get drinks. It had a homeliness to it, with its wooden floors and its worn-out brown leather couches (which was odd, Steve thought, because this place is new).
Steve looked around and quickly spotted Nat sitting at a table, with her red hair flowing down her shoulders. She was standing next to a tall, dark-skinned man, who Steve recognized as Sam. Clint grabbed Steve by his shoulder and dragged him over to where the two were sitting.
"Steve, you came," Nat says with a surprised look on her face. "Hey, Barton."
The two muttered hello back. Steve shrugged off his jacket and put it on the back of the chair he claimed, and Clint plopped down. Sam got up to greet Steve, who hugged him shyly and then quickly retreated into his chair.
"So, where's Bucky?" Clint asks.
"He went to the bathroom and then he's getting drinks for the table," Sam explained, and then turned to Nat to continue the conversation they were having before the others had came.
"Speaking of the bathroom, I gotta pee," Steve said, and quickly got up to navigate himself to the "bathroom." Clint, Nat and Sam didn't react to his exit, so Steve practically sprinted through the crowds of people and went to where the bathrooms were. He followed a hallway, which was alarmingly empty, and stopped a few feet in to lean against the wall and breathe.
C'mon Steve, he told himself, just breathe and get this over with.
He really didn't want to be there tonight, because of the last Friday's events. He knew it wouldn't be like that tonight, but his anxiety levels were through the damn roof, and he couldn't help it.
Steve stood leaning against the wall, breathing heavily and his eyes squeezed shut. His thoughts were discursive, weaving in and out of different subjects and worries. It only took two minutes for him to start pacing back and forth.
Steve truly was the epitome of anxiety at this point, and he was walking back and forth with his hands shaking and his legs wobbly. It was another few minutes until he bumped smack into another body.
"Shit, fuck," Steve muttered, and he found himself on his butt on the floor. He looked up to see the culprit when-
"Steve?"
It was James, hovering over him with a slightly-dazed look on his face. James held his hand out for Steve, who held a firm grip and let James pull him up. Fixing himself up, he looked up and that's when he really saw James.
Shit, he looked good, like... really fucking good.
And then Steve's mind was racing because of course it was his luck to run into-literally- the guy who had kissed him and the guy who he hadn't texted after. Of course it was his luck to run into the idiot he had been pining for, for the last few weeks of his life. Of fucking course.
But, James looked really good, okay, and he couldn't help but give him a once-over. His jeans hugged his hips snuggly- God, they were obscenely tight and Steve couldn't even think straight (ha). He sported a fitted white t-shirt, which curved around his shoulders and biceps so nicely and-
"Are you alright?"
Steve looks up to find James looking directly at his face, with worried eyes.
"Ye-," Steve coughed. "Yeah, I'm- I'm fine, thanks James."
"Oh, Steve, there you are, you've been gone for- oh, hey Bucky!"
Steve froze.
He turned around to see Nat standing at end of the hallway, her head cocked and her hands sat firmly on her hips.
"Bucky?" Steve asked, and turned around to face James. Nat's footsteps were coming closer until she had her arm looped around Steve's waist.
"I see you've met Bucky, finally," Nat says with a smile, and Bucky is looking back and forth from Nat to Steve. "No need for a formal introduction now."
"Um," is all James says.
"Nat, this is James," Steve says with a confused look on his face.
"Wait," James puts his hand up, "wait, wait, wait."
"What the hell," Nat is looking at the both of them.
"Steve, how do you know Nat?" James asks.
"She's my best friend?"
"He's the roommate we were telling you about," Nat explains, as if it clarifies the whole thing. "'Kay, clearly you two have shit going on, so I'm gonna go back to the table." She untangles herself from Steve's waist and puts her hands in her pockets. "I'll see you two in a few, then," she smiles sweetly and waltzes away.
Steve and Ja- Bucky(?) are standing alone in the hallway.
"You're Bucky?" Steve asks, incredulous and confused, and James gives a sheepish smile.
"Yeah, it's- it's my nickname from when I was a kid," Jame- Bucky(!) explains. "Wait, so you're Clint's roommate?"
"Yeah, he's my best friend," Steve explains, but his face is permanently stuck with a smile at this point.
"Wait-"
"Can we-"
They had both started speaking at the same time, and laughed.
"Me first," Bucky blushes and shoves his hands down his pockets. "I'm-I'm sorry about the other night, I shouldn't have just kissed you when- well, if I had known that you and Natasha were dating, I wouldn't have-"
Steve snorts.
"I wouldn't have," Bucky continues but then realizes Steve is laughing, "what?"
"You think- you think Nat and I are dating?" Steve is visibly more comfortable at this point.
"Well, yeah, I mean- you- she, she had her arm around you," he says quickly. "And it would explain why you didn't text me after that night," Bucky mumbles, embarrassed.
Steve looks up at the ceiling, not fully comprehending what was happening at this point. "I'm sorry but- but this is all so fucking-"
"Confusing?" and Steve nods and Bucky's voice. "Yeah, I know, I'm kind of-"
"Can we get out of here?" Steve says, and Bucky blinks at his words. "No- not in, not in that way. I mean, unless you-"
"Yes, I really don't wanna be here tonight man," Bucky gives a relieved smile, and Steve's heart nearly jumps out of his chest because that's James- JAMES- he was looking at, and apparently he is Bucky, too, and everything is so confusing but it was James.
It's James, and everything would work out, Steve told himself.
***
The air was crisp at this time of the night, the wind blowing harshly against Bucky's body. Next to him was Steve- Steve, the one who he had kissed the other night, Steve, the amazing artist, Steve, the boy with the beautiful smile and the cute hair and, ugh, Steve.
Not only was it Steve, but it was the roommate- the mystery, the stranger. For these last few weeks it was all he ever heard about and thought about- well, when he wasn't thinking about Steve and school. It was Clint and Nat's friend, the one who they loved but never named in front of him- now that Bucky thought about it, it was weird that they did that.
But, God, talk about coincidences. This couldn't be real, Bucky thought, because this was just so... so, I don't know, he continued.
Did Steve know all along? Better yet-
"Steve, did you know all along? That I was- I mean, who I was?"
Steve turned his head to look at Bucky, who was standing there rubbing his hands together to keep warm.
"No, not at all," Steve said, and smiled a little. "I can't help but think that maybe the rest of them did, though."
"What do you think they're getting at?" Bucky asks, knowing fully well what they were getting at.
"I don't know," Steve replies with a shrug. "If I'm being honest, I didn't want to come tonight because of you, Bucky. With what happened the other night..." he voice trailed off.
Bucky looks down, avoiding Steve's face.
"Listen, I don't- I don't even know why, but I have these, these crazy," Steve pauses and groans. "I have feelings for you even though I barely know who you are and I've only ever went on three- well, dates, I guess- with you and-"
"Steve-"
"No, let me finish," Steve smiles and puts his hand on Bucky's shoulder. "I owe you an apology. I was a dick to you-"
"No, you weren't, it was all my fault-"
"Ja- Bucky, sorry-" and Bucky smiles because Steve was blushing and it was adorable. "I should've called you, I should've said something. I shouldn't have left you hanging. I'm a dumbass for not running after you when you kissed me."
Bucky blushes and scratches the back of his neck in embarrassment.
"Just- let me, let me make it up to you," Steve insists, putting both his hands on Bucky's shoulders now. "I'll take you out on a date- a real date, no data sheets and sketch pads," Bucky chuckles at this. "I mean- that is, if you're still interested, because I know- I fucked up, and-"
Bucky leans forward and shuts Steve up with a kiss again, and this time, Steve kisses back fervently, holding onto Bucky's coat jacket (haphazardly put on as he and Steve had raced past the table to grab their coats and mutter quick goodbyes) for dear life.
Bucky kisses him sweetly, not pushing him or forcing him to do anything. Steve's lips are sweet, his skin warm and God, all Bucky wanted to do was wrap his arms around the idiot and never let him go.
Steve let's go of his coat and brings one hand up to Bucky's cheek and jaw, coaxing him forward. The other hand was light on Bucky's hip, and Bucky felt goosebumps from the physical touch, he felt everything all at once and all he wanted was Steve.
Steve pulls back slowly, rubbing his thumb along Bucky's jaw. Bucky looks up and smiles, and Steve smiles back and all they do is smile until Bucky busts out laughing.
"What, why are you laughing-" Bucky had his head on Steve's shoulder, and he was shaking from laughter.
"Because-" Bucky laughs again, and takes a deep breathe, "because this shit would only happen to our dumb asses," he explains, and chuckles. Steve blinks, looks at Bucky for a moment, and sniggers.
The two idiots stood there laughing in the middle of the street, completely unaware of anything going on around them, in their own little world. At last, everything started to make sense.