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

Twenty-Seven

Taking their seats, Bucky sat next to Bridgette and Steve sat next to Brock. To say that it was awkward would be an understatement. An understatement of the century.

But at least Steve got to sit across from Bucky...

"So, um," Bucky started, moving so he could rest his arms on the table. With his index finger, he gestured back and forth between Steve and Brock, "How do you two know each other?"

"We have dramatic literature together," Steve reluctantly answered.

Brock playfully nudged Steve with his shoulder and teased, "You could've at least said we were friends."

Steve looked over at Brock with furrowed brows. Steve didn't consider each other friends. Sure, they had a class together. And yes, they seemed to have mutual friends. But they were not -- repeat, were not -- friends. Or at least, Steve had never thought of them as such. Considering how Brock acted around Steve in class, Steve didn't know why he would suggest such a thing.

Until Steve recognized the way that Brock was looking at Bucky.

Was everyone in love with Bucky? Steve simply rolled his eyes and turned his attention forward again. Bucky noticed the tension and Steve's mood, and Bucky quirked his brow questioningly at Steve. In silent reply, Steve rolled his eyes again.

"So, you're Steve," Bucky's date. The petite blonde. Bridgette, mused with a sly smirk playing on her pretty face.

Steve's brows furrowed as he answered, "Yes?"

Bridgette exchanged a look with Brock. Confused, Steve glanced over at Brock too. Worrying his lower lip, Brock gave Steve a sideways glance. There was a blush coloring Brock's cheeks and Steve's brows furrowed more.

Perhaps Steve had been wrong about everything. Maybe he had allowed himself to only see one side of Brock. Granted, it was the side that Brock had shown Steve: an egotistical jerk who liked to make jokes at other's expense. He couldn't be all bad though, could he? After all, Natasha was friends him. Bucky was friends with him. Hell, Bucky thought about who would be right for Steve, and he chose Brock.

That had to say something, right? Right?!

"Um," Brock started, gaining Steve's attention. Brock bit his lower lip and nervously glanced down at his lap.

When Brock didn't say anything for a moment, Steve thought back to all those posts he had seen about ice breakers and asked, "If you could, uh, have dinner with... anyone... dead or alive. Who would it, um... be?"

"Ooh," Bridgette said, completely intrigued and enthused. "That's a good one." Steve blushed when he noticed the pleased smile on Bucky's face, and Bridgette thought for a moment before answering, "Amelia Earhart."

Surprised, Bucky turned his attention to his date and smirked, "I never took you for an adventurer."

"I'm lots of things," Bridgette seductively stated, leaning close to Bucky.

As Steve sat there trying to not watch as Bucky met Bridgette the rest of the way to kiss, Brock leaned towards Steve and quietly asked, "What about you? Who would you pick?"

Softly, intimately, Steve answered, "Frida Kahlo."

"That's that artist, right? From Mexico?" Brock asked with an interested grin. One that Steve had never seen before. One that Steve wouldn't mind seeing again.

Purposely keeping his attention off Bucky, Steve asked, "You? Who would you pick?"

"Well," Bucky stated. Clearing his throat to gain the other's attention. When he had Steve's, Bucky looked down at his hands that were resting on the table and answered, "I'd want to sit down with Hedy Lamarr." Bucky looked up at Steve as he continued, "Beauty and brains? It's a dream come true."

Steve's brows furrowed as he looked down at his own hands in his lap. Steve didn't want to overanalyze the situation or anything but --

"You are so sweet," Bridgette stated, nuzzling close to Bucky.

Bucky smirked and bashfully scratched the back of his neck with his free hand. Although Bucky was smiling at his date, Steve didn't miss how Bucky drifted his gaze to him. Which just confused Steve all the more.

Deciding to continue with fun, ice breakers, Brock asked, "What's your guilty pleasure movie?"

"I Know What You Did Last Summer," Bridgette answered with a smug grin on her face.

Steve imagined that he'd feel smug too if he was allowed to hang all over Bucky. And if he felt comfortable exchanging small kisses with the brunet. Yeah, Steve would feel smug too.

Speaking of Bucky, Bucky relayed with a cheeky grin, "Mamma Mia!"

"Shut the fuck up," Brock chuckled incredulously while Bridgette said, "No way do you watch Mamma Mia! I can't even picture you sitting around and watching it!"

"Well," Bucky shrugged and took a drink of his water, "I do." Comically defending himself, Bucky declared, "It's such a good movie and deserves so much more recognition!"

Brock chuckled even more and Steve turned his attention to his date. When Brock laughed so genuinely, with his eyes shut tightly, Steve couldn't help but find him cute in that moment. Not Bucky cute. Oh, no, Steve was positive that no one except for Bucky could ever be that cute. Still. In that moment, Brock wasn't the hulking, intimidating, brooding bully that Steve had assumed he was. In that moment, Steve was starting to not mind that Brock was his date.

Especially when Brock answered his own question with, "Point Break. I love a good Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze romp." Biting his lower lip, Brock coyly asked Steve, "What's yours?"

Steve's cheeks started to redden and he shyly answered, "Drop Dead Gorgeous."

"What's that?" Bridgette asked intrigued.

"It sounds so familiar," Brock mused with his friend.

"'This pageant is like a roach motel,'" Bucky quoted the movie, "'Girls check in, but they don't check out.'"

And there he was, stealing Steve's heart all over again.