A Place to Fall: Falling Series 1 (skinny!Steve x Bucky Barnes College AU)

Two

Soon enough, nearly everything was unpacked. Steve, who had actually been enjoying himself, didn't even realize what time it was until his stomach started angrily growling. Turning to face Sam, Steve started, "You wanna --"

A loud knock came from their open door, interrupting Steve. Turning his attention towards the door, Steve's heart stuttered in his chest. There, standing in his doorway was the most attractive boy that Steve had ever seen in his entire life. Tousled brown hair with a few wayward strands. Large eyes that held so much passion, even though they weren't set on Steve. Strong, prominent jaw. Attractive stubble. Naturally red lips that looked positively edible.

"Time for food!" The brunet told Sam while his long, lean frame calmly reclined against the doorway.

"Sure," Sam agreed. Gesturing towards his roommate, Sam introduced the pair, "This is Steve. Steve, this is Bucky."

Bucky neighborly extended his hand out to Steve while telling the petite blond, "Nice to meet you."

Steve eagerly took Bucky's hand and nodded. That was all he could do. Steve's mouth felt entirely too dry in that moment and he wondered if Bucky could feel just how clammy his hand was. Steve's heart was racing in his chest, and he was positive that he was shaking Bucky's hand entirely too long.

Once he consciously realized that the handshake was completely too long, Steve instantly dropped Bucky's hand. Bucky gave Steve an amused smirk before asking, "You hungry?"

Again, Steve could only nod. Steve was pretty sure that he'd agree to anything that Bucky suggested. Get dinner? Absolutely! Pull an all-nighter? Most definitely! Jump off a bridge? Which one?! Steve was positive that there probably wasn't anything that Steve wasn't willing to do to get another grin out of the beautiful boy.

Steve was a sorry sucker, and when they left the dorm, Steve followed like an obedient puppy. Welcoming every friendly grin that Bucky offered him as though those glances alone could sustain Steve forever. He didn't even need food or other nutrients, all he needed was one of those easy smirks directed at him.

While Bucky and Sam argued about what to get to eat, Bucky held up his hands to stop the conversation. Looking beside him, where Steve had made room for himself, Bucky asked, "What are you in the mood for?"

"Whatever," Steve managed. Although he had been asked about food, Steve's answer pertained to anything and everything that Bucky could possibly ever ask him.

For a moment, Bucky playfully narrowed his eyes at Steve. Sizing the petite boy up, and Steve was terrified that he might've said the wrong thing. Or that he could've spoken aloud his deep desires. After a second though, Bucky smirked and turned back to Sam, "I guess, Thai it is."

Sam raised his fist in a celebratory gesture, causing Bucky to bark out a laugh, throwing his head and holding onto Sam's arm in the process. If Steve thought that Bucky was attractive before, his tiny frame was not prepared for how attractive Bucky could be when he laughed. Nor did he account for how contagious Bucky's laughter could be.

As the three continued on the quest for food, Steve didn't realize that they had entered another dorm hall until they were standing outside one of the rooms. Bucky's brows were furrowed as he looked into the disorganized room. When he didn't find anyone in the room, Bucky craned his neck to look into the room across the hall from his.

"Hi, Bucky!" The two girls in the dorm room across the hall giggily greeted.

"Hi, ladies," Bucky greeted with a smug smirk. He crossed the hall and leaned against the doorframe, "You haven't seen my roommate, have ya?"

"He said something about getting food," one of the pretty blondes answered.

Bucky nodded and pulled out his phone. As he searched for the correct contact, Sam flirtatiously introduced himself, "I'm Sam." Sam companionably patted Steve's chest, "And this is Steve."

"Britney," the pretty blonde who had answered earlier introduced herself. Pointing her thumb to the other blonde, she introduced, "Ashley."

While Sam was interested in the girls, Steve was focused on Bucky. Bucky was texting his roommate and when he was done, he glanced at Steve and theatrically rolled his eyes in reference to his friend. Steve smiled adoringly and quickly averted his gaze.  Steve didn't want his infatuation to seem too obvious, after all.

"Bucky, how come you didn't tell us that you had such cute friends," Ashley teased with a flirtatious smirk.

Bucky rested his cheek on the doorframe and he replied wistfully, "Maybe I wanted to keep you all to myself."

"Well, that's not very nice," Britney playfully chastised.

"Yeah," Sam agreed, feigning offense as he reached over Steve and swatted Bucky upside the back of the brunet's head. Sam shook his head, "That's not very nice at all."

Bucky rolled his eyes in reply and smirked down at Steve. Steve bit the inside of his cheek to keep his grin small. As though Steve was only mildly amused. All the while, all Steve wanted was for Bucky to keep sharing small glances with him.  To keep making Steve feel special.

"Hey, numbnuts!" A deep voice exclaimed from the end of the hallway.

"Yo, dickless!" Bucky replied, uninterested as he turned his attention to the other boy.

"I thought we were meeting at Sam's," the boy explained, joining the other three in front of the girls' dorm room.

"Hi, Clint," the girls greeted the other boy.

"Ees," Clint smiled at Britney and Ashley. Clapping his hands harshly once, he asked, "Who's ready for some grub?"

Sam and Bucky were vocal while Steve simply tagged along. Steve didn't mind much. Steve wasn't used to anyone really paying him much attention, so it was nice to be included. Steve didn't even take it personally when the three other boys divulged into a series of inside jokes. Instead, Steve laughed along and when Bucky focused his intense gaze on him, Steve felt right where he was supposed to be.