melted away like i was free

Bucky is standing in front of the full mirror, nervously toying with his shirt and trying to fix his hair. He tugged at the front of his hair, looking at himself closely and inspecting every inch. Ima would kill me if she knew how long my hair was getting, Bucky thought.

He was wearing his dark denim jeans, tight around his thighs and snug around his hips. He wore a plaid button down, which matched his bottoms in darkness and had blue popping out. He wore his new boots, shiny and leather, and a denim jacket over his shirt, which he tugged every so often in discomfort. His hair was, well, his hair. It was sticking out a little in places; the blond was starting to peek through. Bucky kept on tugging, trying to keep it in one place but ultimately failing.

He sighed.

A light knock was heard- Bucky answered telling Sam to come in and heard his friend before he saw him.

"Nervous?"

"Can you tell?" Bucky looked over and saw Sam nursing a mug of what he assumed was tea. Sam looked back at him with a smirk, but his eyes were kind.

"I've known you for a while now, I can tell when you're nervous," Sam explained, and Bucky sighs again, eyeing himself in the mirror.

"I look like shit."

"No, you look good, Buck," Sam insists and smiles.

"Compared to Steve, I am literal trash," Bucky insists, and Sam rolls his eyes and leans over to fix Bucky's denim jacket. "He's not gonna like me, I know it. I'm telling you-"

"Bucky, I'm not in the mood for your self-deprecating shit," Sam retorts. "You know Steve likes you, so shut up and go enjoy your date tonight."

"But-"

"James, I will smack you."

"Sam, I just think-"

"Bro."

"I just came out here to have a good time," Bucky starts and turns to Sam, "and honestly, I'm feeling so attacked right now."

Sam looks at him and puts his hand on his head, rubbing his face exasperatedly. "You know, for someone who spends so much time doing homework and being busy, you're a real Internet kid when it comes down to it."

"It's not my fault, I can't help being a meme-loving fuck," Bucky explains with a smile, pretending to be serious. "I can't change who I am, I can't change meme."

"Goodbye," Sam rolls his eyes and marches straight out of the room, leaving Bucky standing there laughing hard.

***

Steve had the car tonight, and he parked outside Sam and Bucky's place. He tugged at his collar awkwardly and wiped his free hand on his jeans, the other holding onto a bouquet of flowers.

To say he was nervous? Understatement.

His entire body was in fight-or-flight mode, itching to run away but fighting the urge to. He had woken up and gone to class that day, thinking of tonight as he resisted the urge to throw up (which would've resulted in nothing, since he hadn't eaten all day out of nervousness, the poor kid).

He walked up the steps to where the door bells were and buzzed the button where he saw Sam and Bucky's names.

"Steve?" The speaker scratches.

"Y-yeah."

"Come on up," Sam insists, and buzzes him through. Steve pulls the door open and lets himself in, navigating the stairs until he was at the door of Sam and Bucky's apartment. He knocks and waits.

The door opens.

Bucky is standing there in front of Steve, and his heart starts racing at the sight of Bucky smiling his small smile and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Hi," Bucky says shyly.

"Um- uh, hi," Steve says, and shoves the flowers towards Bucky's chest. "These are for you- I know- I, well, they're kind of lame, it's stupid I know, but-"

"Thank you, I love them," Bucky says with a smile, and takes them from Steve's hands, beckoning him inside and leading him to the kitchen. "I'll give them to Sam to put in a vase, I'm sure we have one- somewhere around here, I think."

"Okay," Steve barely whispers, and Sam walks in the kitchen casually.

"You idiots are like twelve year olds," he comments, and grabs the flowers from Bucky's hands and smirks. "Now, shoo, leave me alone to sulk in my forever-aloneness."

Bucky laughs and starts walking to the front door, Steve trailing behind him. He lets Steve go in front of him and shuts the door behind them. The two (idiots) are standing in the hallway alone.

Silence.

"Th-thank you for the flowers, they're beautiful, Stevie," Bucky smiles and looks at Steve, who was staring at his feet with intense concentration. "Ar- what-"

"Yeah," Steve grunts, looking up at Bucky, "let's go."

Bucky sat in the drivers seat next to Steve as they drove into town.

"So," Bucky starts. "What are we doing tonight?"

Steve's eyes were on the road, but he starts turning red on his cheeks. "This is kind of lame, but," they stop at a red light, "I was thinking we could do a classic date, since we've been on so many unofficial ones."

"So, dinner and a movie?"

Steve turns and smiles at Bucky, who was looking at Steve intently. "And of course, flowers."

Bucky laughs, and Steve smiles at the sound, taking one hand of the steering wheel and shifting gears. He starts driving again, but his hands are still on the stick-shift.

Bucky has his hands on his lap. Steve, the romantic, grabs one hand softly and laces his fingers through.

Both of their hearts respectively start beating fast.

***

"When I said classic, I meant classic," Steve explains after dinner as they get into the car. They had eaten a quick dinner, Italian, Bucky initiating small-talk and Steve responding, starting to ease into the situation.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, we're going to a drive-in movie," Steve smiles, and Bucky's eyes widen as they both get into the car.

"Wha- those things still exist?" Bucky says, incredulous. "Where did you even find one?"

"Turns out there's one in town," Steve says, turning the keys in the ignition. "I looked around last week and found one."

"That's- that's awesome," Bucky says, and he's looking at Steve as the latter ducks his head in embarrassment. "Stevie, you- you didn't have to do all of this, for me-"

"Of course I did," Steve responds casually as he pulls out of the parking lot. "You deserve it."

Bucky looks down.

"So," Steve changes the topic, "I spoke to the guy who runs the place and I requested a movie."

Bucky looks back up, grateful for the subject change. "What is it?"

"It's about a group of high school kids, navigating the world they live in," Steve continues, turning into the street and driving. "Inspiring, wonderful, a classic."

"The Breakfast Club?" Bucky guesses.

"Even better," Steve insists, looking over at Bucky in the passenger seat. "High School Musical, obviously."

Bucky looks back at Steve as the latter wiggles his eyebrows. "You're kidding, right?"

"Nope," Steve pops the 'p,' casually. "I'm dead serious."

"Alright," Bucky laughs. "Don't judge me when I know all the lyrics to every song."

"I do, too."

"I have three younger sisters, what's your excuse?" Bucky teases.

Steve grabs Bucky's hand and laces their fingers, making Bucky's heart race. "A lot of free time."

"Valid reason. I'll take it."

Steve laughs, and Bucky's heart flips.

***

Steve, it turns out, had prepared everything. The blanket for when they sat on the hood of the car, the thermos filled with hot chocolate (still hot, God bless, Steve thought), the pillows. He grabbed popcorn on the way in, greeting the owner with a smile.

A few other people were scattered across the lawn, sitting in their cars. Bucky and Steve were toward the back, sat on the hood of the car and wrapped around in
blankets, a bag of popcorn sat in between them.

"This is the best date I've ever been on," Bucky turns and smiled to Steve, who blushes profusely.

"You've got low standards, then," Steve replies, and Bucky frowns.

"No, I don't, Stevie," he insists. "You're the first date I've been on in a few years that I've enjoyed. I never pursue things further becau- I just, I'm really happy, okay?"

Steve turns and faces Bucky, who looks away shyly. He pushes the popcorn out of the way and scoots over to where Bucky is, planting himself right next to him, his leg touching his. "Okay."

The movie starts playing, and the scene plays out. Bucky is half watching, mostly focusing on his hands, distracted. Steve was watching, stuffing popcorn in his mouth every other second.

The first song plays. Steve sings the words softly and Bucky laughs and joins in, still looking down.

Troy and Gabriella and the rest of the crowd are sitting in the classroom, and scene playing out. Steve stops watching and turns to Bucky, who was fiddling with a piece of popcorn.

"Are you okay?" Steve whispers.

Bucky looks up, and Steve's heart skips a beat at the sight of his bright blue eyes. Bucky nods, and looks back down. Steve, not fully convinced, grabs Bucky's hand and laces his fingers through softly, and Bucky smiles.

"We can go, if you want," Steve says, and Bucky shakes his head. He turns to the screen and starts watching, and lies his head on Steve's shoulder.

When the next song comes on, Bucky sings a little louder and smiles a little bigger. Steve laughs when Bucky does a little dance.

When Troy and Gabriella sing together, Bucky tightens his grip around Steve's hand, and Steve squeezes back as he sips his hot chocolate.

By the end of the movie, Bucky and Steve are under one blanket, legs tangled and hand-in-hand, laughing as they sing the peppy songs. Steve pulls Bucky off the hood and brings him into his arms, dancing with him and spinning him around as Bucky laughs with tears in his eyes from the cold.

And if the other people watching the movie end up watching Bucky and Steve instead, the two of them are too busy looking at each other to notice.

***

"Stevie, you don't hafta walk me to my door," Bucky complains and he shuts the car door.

"Of course I do," Steve explains, "it's a classic date and I have to be the gentleman I am, and walk you to your door." Steve walks around the car and laces his hand in Bucky's.

"Wait, so I'm the girl in this classic date scenario?" Bucky chuckles, and Steve nods.

"I thought that was implied," Steve says, and Bucky laughs again as they walk up the steps to the door of the complex. Bucky sticks his key in and lets them in. They walk in a comfortable silence to the apartment door, finding themselves unable to say goodbye as they stand in front of it a few minute later.

"Um-"

"Uh-"

"I should-"

"Yeah, I'll just go, and-"

Bucky's lips crash on Steve's pushing him into the wall opposite them. Steve was surprised at first, but pulls Bucky's body into his and wraps his arms around his torso softly. Steve was against the wall, Bucky melting into him and they kissed. The kiss was different than the first two, weighed down with their unfinished conversations from the night. It was heated, intense, as Bucky coaxed Steve's mouth open and Steve complied, and all Bucky could do is reach further and feel further into Steve, his hands digging into his shoulders as their kissing got more fierce.

Bucky slowed their kissing down, and Steve loosened his grip around Bucky and moved his hands down onto his hips, running his fingers up and down the strips of exposed skin near his hips. Bucky shivered at the touch, and dragged his teeth lightly across Steve's bottom lip, tugging lightly, causing Steve to emit a growl, pulling Bucky closer into him.

Their kissing continued, heating up and getting faster by the second. They needed to breathe, but both were too petty to stop for a moment. Bucky slowly pulled away and looked at Steve, whose pupils were blown up, practically all black, and his lips swollen and red, glistening at his licked them, wanting more of Bucky. They were both heaving from the intensity, looking at each other with smiles on their faces and their hearts beating fast.

"We shou- I think we should-"

"Slow down?" Bucky finished Steve's sentence, and the latter smiled and looked down. Bucky tipped Steve's head back up and kissed him softly, pecking his lips and moving across his face to his jaw and eventually to his ear, where he nibbled softly.

"Tha- Jesus, Buck," Steve practically growled, "that's your idea of slowing down?"

"Sorry," Bucky stopped at looked up at Steve, grinning.

"You're not sorry," Steve teases. "C'mon, you gotta get your head in the game, kid."

Bucky laughs, "that was so bad!"

"Why am I feeling so wronnnggg?" Steve sings, and grabs Bucky's wrist and twirls him around. "My head's in the game, but my hearts in the song," he continues and Bucky laughs as he tries to resist.

"I'm never watching High School Musical with you again," Bucky insists.

"Not even the second one?" Steve gasps. "Not even Fabulous? I am appalled!"

"You're such a loser, I like kissing you better," Bucky teases, and Steve pulls him in and kisses him softly.

"I like doing anything with you," Steve says, and Bucky blushes. "Even if it means no more High School Musical and only kissing," he pouts, and Bucky laughs and kisses him again.

God, Bucky thought, I am so screwed.

Shit, Steve thought, this is too good to be true.

They kiss each other and Bucky tried to pull away, insisting that Sam gave him a curfew and leaning in every time Steve wants to kiss him. It took ten minutes for them to finally part, Steve telling Bucky that he'd text him first thing the next morning.

And if Bucky leans against the door and slides down to the floor with the goofiest smile on his face as he calls for Sam's name, no one has to know.

And if he laughs and blushes when Steve texts him "i never thought I'd be turned on after watching high school musical,' well, no one has to know either.