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

Three

"I don't know what you guys are talking about," Clint shrugged, "Coulson loved me."

"Principal Coulson hated you," Bucky clarified.

Sam was almost crying because he was laughing so hard as he agreed with Bucky, "That man probably celebrated when you graduated."

Clint rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Steve. Clint clarified, "I may have pulled a few pranks on our high school principal."

"A few?!" Bucky incredulously exclaimed.

"Yes, a few," Clint confirmed.

"Right," Sam falsely agreed with Clint before stating, "Like the time that you put Jell-O in the pool."

"Or the time you hired a mariachi band to follow Mr. Coulson around for a day," Bucky reminded. Adding, "And Superintendent Fury happened to pop in for the day."

"Oh," Sam pointed accusingly at Clint, "The time you turned the hallways into a slip-n-slide."

"Hey!" Clint pointed right back at Sam and Bucky, "You guys were a part of that one!"

Steve smirked, but remained silent as he watched the three boys argue with each other. Not being used to being a part of these types of conversations, Steve was content with just being there. Of course, that was probably because Steve was naturally a wallflower; not that Steve minded.

"What's something crazy that you did in high school?" Sam asked Steve.

With a blush coloring his cheeks and Bucky turning his attention on him, Steve averted his gaze as he softly admitted, "I, uh, I didn't really, um, do anything... crazy."

"Nothing?" Clint questioned, almost shocked that someone could go through school without making a prankster reputation for themselves.

"Nothing like... that," Steve confirmed, referring back to the pranks that the other boys had been talking about.

"Then, what did you do?" Bucky asked.

Being addressed by the beautiful brunet, Steve's heart stuttered in his chest and he could tell that his hands were already starting to sweat. Not to mention that Steve was pretty sure that the blush on his cheeks was starting to spread down his neck and to the tips of his ears.

"What, what do you, uh, mean?" Steve stammered, peeking up at Bucky from beneath his eyelashes.

Bucky shrugged and clarified, "You said that you didn't do anything like what we did, but you never said that you didn't do anything."

"Oh," Steve let out a huff of air in a soft chuckle.

Although Steve was a wallflower, he had also managed to create a certain reputation of himself. People were either pleasantly surprised when they first heard of the many fights. Or they were trying to hide their disgust. And Steve really didn't want his peers to feel the latter.

The three boys watched Steve and Steve cleared his throat before confessing, "I, um, used to get into fights."

For a moment, the three boys just sat there evaluating Steve. Steve consciously chose not to look at any of them. That was when Clint loudly chuckled. Snapping his gaze to the other blond, Steve was surprised by the outburst. When Sam and Bucky joined in on the contagious laughter, Steve couldn't help but feel as though they were teasing him.

"You fucking would," Sam friendly accused.

Clint pointed at Steve and informed the petite blond, "I knew there was something I liked about you."

"Yeah?" Steve questioned with a quirked brow.

Clint nodded, "You have this whole --"

"Devil-may-care," Sam gleefully finished! Sam nodded, agreeing with himself, and continued, "You're secretly a badass."

Steve couldn't help but laugh at that. It was woefully inaccurate to believe that Steve was a badass. Steve just had a low tolerance for bullies, and knew that if he didn't stand up, it wouldn't stop. Even when it wasn't directed at Steve, he couldn't let it slide.

"Why?" Bucky softly questioned, keeping his undivided attention on Steve.

"Why?" Steve repeated with a heavy furrowed brow. Bucky nodded his confirmation and Steve asked, "Why did I fight?"

"Yeah," Bucky confirmed with a little chuckle. Then, Bucky teased, "You a punk, Steve?"

"Not particularly," Steve good-humoredly scoffed.

Bucky smirked at that. Steve didn't want to keep the large smile from crossing his face, but he also didn't want to seem too self-congratulatory at his own comment. Especially since it was such a simple comment.

Of course, Steve didn't want the conversation to end as his infatuated mind couldn't help but think of Bucky specifically. So, giving his head a slight shake, to rid himself of his preposterous fantasies, Steve cleared his throat and answered, "I, uh, I don't like bullies."

Bucky's grin turned sincere and Steve couldn't stop his own smile from tugging across his own pale face. Sam and Clint both seemed amused, and Clint asked, "You know what you are?"

A bit anxious, Steve shook his head. Except Clint wasn't the one that spoke, Sam was. Sam happily answered, "A goddamn superhero."