Bucky Barnes One Shots

New Beginnings

Sitting under the lights of the basketball court, you nursed a bottle of beer that you had been sharing with three other people. Sam sat on the orange ball, sweat dripping down his forehead. Steve's cheeks were red from running, his blond hair sticking to his forehead. And while Bucky was wearing his basketball shorts, he had spent the entire evening with you.

"I gave Rogers a proper thrashing," Sam announced proudly.

Steve rolled his eyes. "You wish."

Normally you would have been laughing and cheering, but not tonight. It was your last night with your three best friends and you were feeling pretty nostalgic.

"You okay?" Sam asked, brows furrowed.

There was something about your eyes, something sad and vulnerable. You tried to hide it, but he knew you too well. From the moment you met him, he had stood out among others. He had a kind smile, it lit up his whole face, and the small gap between his front teeth made it so special.

"I'm fine," you said, taking a sip of the warm beer. "I'm just a little sad. I won't see your stupid faces every day. It's weird, y'know?"

The boys nodded slowly, agreeing with you. In just a few days, you'd all be leaving for university. Steve tried to distract himself from thinking about it, his fingers toying nervously with the hem of his too-large shorts. At first glance, he looked like an angel with his baby blue eyes and dirty blond hair. He wasn't especially strong or gifted, but he was brave, some might even say reckless.

"It's not like we're going to disappear," Sam replied, cracking a smile.

Beautiful silver stars started to appear in the darkening sky. It was the end of an era and you all stayed quiet, mourning it. Bucky took the bottle of beer and took a generous sip before he handed it to Steve.

"We met right here," he finally spoke, looking around the basketball court.

"Steve was challenging people twice his size," Sam said casually, earning a dirty look from the blond.

"If I remember well, you were popping wheelies to impress girls."

"It totally worked, by the way."

"Uh-huh," Steve replied with a crooked smile.

"And you were reading," Bucky said, meeting your eyes. "I think it was Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secret. Your father was coaching our middle school's basketball team and you were wearing a light blue sundress even though it was almost October. You gave Steve a juice box after an eighth-grader pushed him to the ground. And then you shared your snacks with us because we defended him."

There was a beat of silence after Bucky's monologue; you held his gaze, the two other boys holding their breath. You had developed a massive crush on him over the summer before entering high school.

Sometimes, you caught him looking at you in a certain way and you allowed yourself to think that he might have feelings for you. But then he would show up with another cute girl and present her to the group and she would immediately cling to you because you were the only girl in the group.

"Okay," Sam drawled out the word. "Let's talk about something else before Bucky remembers what kind of shoes you were wearing."

You let out a soft chuckle, but your heart was beating faster and faster, your mind spinning. Bucky's nostrils flared as his face flushed.

"What time are you leaving tomorrow?" Steve asked Sam.

"After lunch, I think," Sam replied, then turned to you. "You're next, right?"