Man Of Another Time

two

Bucky moved his foot on top of the pavement, hearing the gravel under his shoe scrape against the rubber sole. It was a perfect spring morning, the air still had a chill that sent a shiver up Bucky's back. The sun was making its way through the clouds, reflecting off the water and the windows of the buildings around him. Ever since he was a child this was his favorite time of day. The sun makes the windows look like thousands of tiny mirrors.

Bucky took a sip of his coffee, letting the steam warm his face. The nostalgic scent of cheap corner store coffee filled his senses, throwing him back to a different time he had stood on this bridge, coffee in hand.

June 1932. Bucky and Steve had gotten into their first real fight as friends a few days ago. Bucky had promised Steve a night at the beach. Steve asked if it could be just the two of them, he wanted to talk to Bucky about something important.

The night had been going great. The two boys hitched a ride to Far Rockaway. Actually, they hitched a ride as close to Far Rockaway as they could before thanking the kind store keeper and walking the rest of the way. The walk to the beach was filled with inside jokes, small shoulder shoves, and shy glances.

It was when they got to the beach things had changed. The boys ended up running into a few kids Bucky knew from school. Steve knew them too, they just didn't know Steve. So as always, Steve was shoved to the background.

It's not Bucky's fault that he's a people person. He likes to make friends. Getting people to smile was second nature to the young man. Ego as large as his baby blue eyes, but not cocky. Bucky still remained humble. That's why Steve liked him.

"Buck..." Steve pulled at Bucky's shirt sleeve. "The sun should be setting soon. Can we go find a spot by the rocks to sit down?"

Bucky turned his head, smiling at the conversion he's having with a girl. Steve recognizes her from history. Dolores. Bucky called her "Dot". "Sure, Steve. Find a spot I'll be over soon. Dot here is telling me all about her plans for the summer. Her parents are taking her up to Rhode Island, isn't that neat?" Bucky smiled, nose scrunching up in a way that made Steve's throat go dry. "Oh! Dot," Bucky turned his head, "This is Steve. My best guy." Bucky patted his hand on Steve's shoulder, pushing Steve's small frame forward a little. Dot gave Steve an awkward half smile, slightly lifting her hand to say "hi", not interested in talking to Steve. Steve isn't interested in her either.

Dolores' parents were rich. They could afford to go on a summer trip. Steve wishes he could go on a summer trip. "Real neat" Steve grumbled. "I'll be by the rocks." he said in a huff and walked past Bucky, kicking sand with every step.

Steve waited for Bucky by the water, listening to the waves crash against the shore line. He looked down at the handful of rocks he had collected from around him. All varying in size and shape. Steve picked up a small round one and tossed it into the water, watching it splash down a few feet in front of him. The sun was setting over the horizon and Bucky and still had not come to sit down by him. He glanced over to where he had left Bucky with Dot and the other kids from school, now seeing them all standing in a circle laughing and passing around what Steve can make out to be a bottle of some kind. It was getting dark and his vision wasn't that good to begin with.

A loud laugh caught his attention. The laugh being Bucky's. What would usually be music to Steve's ears was now feeling more or less like a taunt. Steve sniffed in and angrily threw the rest of the rocks he had at the water in front of him, getting up and turning away to walk back towards the boardwalk. In all honesty, Steve was crushed. He doesn't ask Bucky for anything ever and the one night he does he gets blown off for Dot. Steve thinks about how this wouldn't hurt as much if he didn't spend three hours rehearsing what he was going to say to Bucky.