I Hope You Stay » [J.B.B]

Chapter 4

Charlotte Blayne

"So how do you two know each other."

"Gee, buck and I have been friends for the longest time."

"Oh come on, there must be more to it." Arla says excitedly, turning slightly to face Steve more. "How'd you become friends?"

"Well, this one here loved to get in fights when we were younger. In a nutshell, I was walking home, found him being beaten up in an alley and stepped in."

"Way to make me sound weak Buck." Steve pipes in and Bucky chuckles lightly in response.

"He definitely wasn't weak, but he was stupid. No matter how much smaller he was than the other guy, he would never give up."

"If you run away, they just keep coming back." Steve shrugs, as if anyone in his position would have done the same.

"I don't think you give yourself enough credit Steve, I probably would have run away." I laugh softly, watching as he smiles genuinely in response.

"Though, you would have had me to stick up for you." Arla adds, holding her head up slightly as she speaks.

Arla has always been more the stronger one between the two of us. I guess, after being left alone since my parents started going away, I've always been rather soft spoken.

Though I never seem to see it as an issue, Arla surely likes to point out the way I usually allow people to walk over me.

"Don't worry doll, I'd be happy to take over Arla's position." I turn my back to Bucky, seeing him smiling down at me with no trace of condescension in his eyes.

"Gosh, you really do have a way with words, don't ya?"

"I'd like to think so." I roll my eyes playfully before smiling up at him.

"Maybe I should be more cautious around ya."

"Why's that?"

"Well, not that I know many greasers, but you also seem to be a real smooth talker."

"Oh, so my reputation precedes me." He smirks teasingly and I could feel the heat flushing against my skin.

"I never meant it in a bad way. I can't say I know much about it."

"No? You don't hang around us greasers in your spare time doll?"

"If they're all like you and Steve, maybe I should have." He chuckles deeply, sliding down against the seat a bit more, his fingers brushing against my shoulder as he turns to Steve.

"Like me? Maybe. You won't find any greaser like Steve around, ain't that right bud?"

"Buck talks me up a lot, I wouldn't take him so seriously." Steve pipes up, notably shying away from being the topic of conversation. "There's a reason he's the ladies man out of the two of us."

"Mmh, that right?" I tilt my head curiously, a small smirk etching it's way across my features as I turn my head towards James.

"I can't imagine either of you have it hard." I nod at Arla's words, knowing that if Steve had managed to catch Arla, he was just as much of a ladies man.