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

Eighteen

"Fair warning," Bucky started, unlocking the front door to his family's brownstone, "My sisters are... talkative."

"As opposed to...?" Steve teased, following Bucky into the entry where they promptly removed their shoes.

"Funny," Bucky deadpanned, opening the next door to fully enter the house.

Instantly, there was chatter. From the TV. The radio. A girl talking. A girl giggling. It was coming from all sides it seemed as Steve took the first step into the house. Steve wasn't used to so much noise. At the apartment with his mom, it was just the two of them, and they were relatively quiet people. Even back at the dorms, he was in one of the quieter dorms -- as requested -- and even when Sam decided he needed music to help him concentrate, it was just background.

But there, in the Barnes house, it all seemed entirely overwhelming.

Taking a few more steps, the girls grew quiet. Sitting in the living room, the group of seven girls in large, cozy animal onesies with large hearts attached to their chest with ty written on them all took a moment of silence as they turned their attention to the two college boys. Out of those girls, it was easy to spot which were Bucky's sisters, since they all shared the same dark hair and bone structure. Especially when Steve spotted the Barnes' school portraits on the fireplace mantel.

Leaning against the opening to the living room, Bucky crossed his arms and gestured for them to turn down the stereo before he asked, "Mom and dad know that you have friends over?"

"Yes," the older of the brunettes in a gray owl onesie answered, rolling her eyes. With a smirk that was eerily similar to Bucky's, she glanced over at Steve before asking her brother, "Aren't you going to introduce your friend?"

Bucky sighed deeply through his nose and said, "This is Steve. Steve, these are my sisters, Mandy --" the brunette who had talked "-- and Becca," a brunette in a giraffe onesie.

Nodding in acknowledgement to the girls, Steve gave a small, awkward wave. Some of the girls giggled and Steve's cheeks started to redden. As he averted his gaze, Bucky companionably patted his shoulder to get his attention. Once he had it, Bucky gestured for Steve to follow him.

Like a puppy, Steve allowed himself to be led to the second story of the house. Once the two older boys were out of sight, the laughter and conversation started up in the living room again. At the landing, Bucky turned left to the family room where the youngest Barnes was coloring. On the TV, The Corpse Bride was playing, and the little girl was dancing to the song.

"You started without me?!" Bucky playfully accused.

Snapping her attention from the picture to Bucky, she lit up with excitement as she stood and ran over to Bucky. Jumping into Bucky's awaiting arms, Bucky lifted the child and held her close to himself while she squealed, "Bucky!"

"Hi, kiddo," Bucky greeted.

Steve was sure that his heart was going to burst at any moment by how utterly adorable Bucky was with his sister. Finally, Steve understood why women were always talking about how attractive men were when they played with children. And he was sure that, although he, himself didn't possess ovaries, that if he did, they would, in fact, be bursting by the sheer cuteness of the situation.

Especially when the little girl told Bucky, "I missed you!"

Chewing on the inside of his cheek to distract himself, Steve melted when Bucky informed his sister, "I missed you too!"

Just shoot me now, Steve thought.

Bucky's sister noticed Steve and she shyly hid her face in Bucky's broad shoulder as she glanced at Steve. Bucky softly told her, "Tibby this is Steve. Remember? I told you about him?"

A sparkle of recognition renewed the small girl's excitement and she asked Steve, "You're Steve?"

With his mouth feeling entirely too dry at the realization that Bucky had been talking about him with his family, Steve simply nodded his confirmation. Tibby wiggled out of Bucky's grasp and she looked up at Steve as she asked, "Do you want to color? Bucky said that you're a really good colorer!"

Steve was shocked by the admission and he allowed the kindergartner to take his hand and lead him over to the coffee table where she had been seated on the floor. Heading further into the family room, Steve glanced over at Bucky who had an affectionate grin on his face. The blush returned to Steve's cheeks and crept to the tips of his ears as a calming warmth spread throughout his frail chest.

As Steve took a seat on the comfy sofa, Tibby held up a coloring book for Steve to look at. Tibby eagerly offered Steve, "You can pick any one you like."

"You should feel very privileged," Bucky quietly informed Steve as he took a seat on the couch beside the petite blond. "Tibby is very protective over her coloring books."

Trying to control his grin, Steve pressed his lips together as he started flipping through the coloring book. Tibby started dancing to the new song that started. "'If he only knew the you that we know,'" sang Tibby and Bucky along with the characters on screen.

Amused Steve arched his brows over at Bucky. Bucky gave a carefree shrug before sliding off the sofa to sit at the coffee table. Feeling like he should as well, Steve moved to sit in between the Barnes' on the floor. Discreetly, Tibby slid the decent size tub of crayons to the center of the coffee table, so the college boys could get to them as well.

Selecting a Halloween picture to color, Steve got to work with coloring the four jack-o-lanterns stacked on top of each other. Simply coloring and not feeling the pressure to impress a professor or classmates, Steve realized just how content he was in that moment. Even with Bucky's knee pressed against his own. Especially with Bucky's knee pressed against his own.

Not for the first time, Steve conceded that the night was better than he could've ever imagined. And it was just starting.