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

Eight

Returning to his dorm room, Steve was pleasantly surprised to find Bucky. Bucky and Sam were animatedly playing a video game, and Steve felt a heated rush shoot through him at the acknowledgment that Bucky was sitting on his bed. Almost as good as it could get, in Steve's mind.

Tamping down Steve's wild and glorious imagination, he toed off his sneakers and removed his messenger bag from his shoulder. Setting his bag down on the floor beside his closet, Steve wondered if it'd be weird to sit down on his bed. A part of Steve reasoned that it was his bed, after all, so why the fuck not? Another part reasoned that he didn't want to give his deepest desires away to someone who wouldn't reciprocate.

"Dude!" Sam yelled in frustration.

"Sorry," Bucky declared unconvincingly as he giggled maniacally as his onscreen character danced victoriously while Sam's avatar dropped to the ground, dead.

"This is absolute bullshit," Sam exclaimed, completely annoyed as he shoved the game controller off his lap. Noticing that Steve was there, he wildly gestured towards the small TV as he questioned Steve, "Can you believe this shit?!"

At Sam's acknowledgment, Bucky turned to see Steve. As Steve's heart stuttered, Steve wondered if he'd ever get used to that affectionate grin set on him. Steve really hoped that he wouldn't.

"Just getting back from class?" Bucky asked, conversationally.

Awaiting Steve's answer, Bucky stretched his arms high above his head, wiggling his fingers as though he was grasping for the ceiling. When Bucky's shirt rode up, exposing a sliver of his abdomen and the dark hair that happily trailed below his jeans waistband, Steve couldn't think straight. All Steve could do was to quickly redirect his attention to Bucky's face, and to nod once Bucky opened his eyes to look at Steve.

Bucky nodded and looked over Steve. To try and exude more confidence than he had in that moment, Steve moved his shoulders back. So he'd seem taller and more sure of himself, despite the scoliosis that never allowed him to stand fully straight. Damn near puffing himself up as he attempted, as always, to make himself seem larger than his 5'4" 95 pound -- and that was being generous -- frame let on.

With a smirk, Bucky moved to sit with his back against the wall, he teased, "That professor as gorgeous as Professor Carter?"

Rolling his eyes, Steve couldn't help the smirk that took hold of his face. Sitting on the furthest corner of his bed from Bucky, Steve theatrically sighed, "Not even close."

Sam quirked his brow suspiciously, but didn't say anything. Nevertheless, a deep blush still colored Steve's naturally pale cheeks.

Bringing his legs up and making himself more comfortable as he rested against the headboard, Steve thought about something to say. But Steve was never a talkative one, and in the current instance, Steve wasn't sure what he could contribute to the conversation.

"Who're you texting?" Sam questioned, throwing one of his pillows at Bucky. As Bucky caught the pillow one-handed, he tucked the pillow behind his back while Sam exclaimed, "The best company you could ever have is right here!"

Furiously texting away -- seemingly, a particularly long message -- Bucky simply answered, "Mandy."

Although Steve had no right to be, he felt betrayed. Steve's eyes softly appraised the handsome brunet as Steve imagined who this Mandy was. Beautiful; obviously. Talkative, probably. Images of curvy young women drifted absentmindedly through Steve's mind. Perhaps the only time that Steve had ever thought about women for a considerable amount of time.

"Yeah?" Sam asked, crossing his arms and ankles as he leaned against the wall that his bed was against. "What's going on now?"

Bucky let out a deep sigh through his nose and locked his phone before tossing it beside him. Rubbing his captivating large eyes with the heels of his hands as he answered, "Oh, you know... just the usual drama."

"She still with that douche?" Sam questioned, causing Steve to immediately gain renewed interest in the girl at the possibility of her being with someone other than Bucky; therefore meaning that Bucky was single.

Not that Steve even had a chance with the attractive boy...

Maybe Steve was just a masochist because he clearly was fixated on Bucky, even though the likelihood of Bucky ever feeling the same was slim. So, really, Steve shouldn't have been as eager in that moment as he was.

"Yup," Bucky replied to Sam. Glancing over at Steve, Bucky dramatically rolled his eyes, gaining a breathy chuckle from Steve. Bucky read the new message that he had received and he quickly typed his response.

"Bruh, Mandy can do so much better," Sam stated.

"Maybe you should tell her that," Bucky snipped, tossing his phone to the side again, "Because we all know that she doesn't listen to fuck all what I have to say."

For a moment, Steve was unreasonably angry at this girl that he had never met. How could anyone not take what Bucky said to heart? It seemed like a true travesty to Steve.

Sam chuckled, "Well, everyone knows that Big Bro Sam is way more knowledgeable than you!" Bucky gave another dramatic sigh through his nose and Sam questioned, "Seriously though, what's going on this time?"

"Mandy wants me to convince Mom that she should be allowed to go camping with Jake," Bucky shook his head in annoyance and looked over at Steve. Not wanting to seem too obvious with his affection, Steve averted his gaze. Bucky asked Steve, "You got sisters?"

Sister? Sister! Steve's heart stuttered in awareness that this girl could be Bucky's sister. Steve nearly sighed in outright relief at the realization.

"Um, no. I'm an, uh, only child," Steve declared, bashfully glancing up at Bucky.

"Lucky," Bucky smirked.

Steve was sure that even if he didn't have asthma, Bucky would still be able to take his breath away with a single glance. And all Steve could hope was that in that instance, Bucky would be more than willing to resuscitate him.