tiny times [ avengers age regression ]

to be so lonely

[ totally a ship. sorry, i'm not sorry. ]
[ tw: war, use of alcohol ]

To Be So Lonely - Harry Styles.

"Don't blame me for falling
I was just a little boy..."

Walking and humming, watching the cracks in the sidewalk beneath him, the small boy walked, mindlessly enjoying the emptiness of the streets. Nobody else in their right mind would be out so late, when the streetlights were the only thing lighting the barren streets, but he liked it. It was quiet and he wasn't afraid.

His pajama pants stuck out of his winter boots unevenly as they sloshed through the January slush, making faint clip clop noises as he did so. Nothing was bothering him; not even his lack of a pacifier or his thin coat that had way too many holes in it to be actually warm. He bounced along, head watching the sidewalk, completely oblivious to everything around him.

"Oof-" Bucky startled, jumping back. The figure in front of him did too, and he found himself looking at a smaller blond man who was dressed similarly to himself. Bucky, though it wasn't appropriate, wanted to ask him if he too sometimes only ate beans because that's all he could afford and if he ever got sick of the weird, slimy food. He gasped, immediately starting to apologize for bumping into the stranger.

"I'm sorry! Wasn't payin' attention..." Bucky trailed off, unsure whether the new boy would be angry or upset with him for interrupting his walk. He felt himself relax when the blond boy smiled.

"Hey, it's fine. I wasn't looking either. But wait, shouldn't you be in bed already? It's really late." Bucky's eyes shimmered at the other's voice, at his seemingly naturally comforting tone and the 'daddy' feel to it.

The little blushed, subconsciously toeing around with the sloppy slush on the ground. He held eye contact with a hint of mischief in his bright blue eyes. "I don't have a bedtime."

The blond furrowed his eyebrows. "I'm sure your Mommy or Daddy gave you a bedtime. Where are they, anyway? You shouldn't be out here alone. It's late."

Bucky shrugged, unbothered. The blond boy in front of him shivered with a gust of wind, but Bucky felt fine. The brunette did always like the cold. Winter was his favorite.

"Don't got one. What's your name? I'm Bucky, I live right down..." the boy trailed off, pointing down the road towards the smaller apartment complexes. "There!"

The blond chuckled, shoving aside his worry over this random little who was telling a complete stranger where he lives. "I'm Steve. I actually live over there too, in a little apartment."

The bright eyed little seemed to light up even more, skipping back the way he came before stopping, beckoning the physically smaller towards him. "I wanna walk, let's walk!"

Steve flusteredly followed, letting the strangely adorable boy tug him by his hand through the cold, winter streets of Brooklyn. Before Steve could even think about getting another word in, the energetic boy was already speaking again.

"Are you a daddy? You sound like a daddy. You're like me, though. Not big an' scary." Bucky practically skipped alongside the other male, his sparkling blue orbs looking at him in fascination.

   Steve nearly choked on just air, and after a moment of gawking, he nodded.

  "Cool!" Bucky cheered, and Steve smiled. He didn't know where this boy came from, or why he hadn't seen him before, but he sure was likeable.

  They walked in silence for a few moments, Steve watching as the little brunette scanned his eyes over the buildings surrounding them expertly. As they slowly neared the set of apartment buildings he assumed the boy lived at, Steve brought himself back to the boys previous words. "Hey, really though, who takes care of you?"