Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
steves routine repeated, the shop was packed and he wished it wasn't. he preferred when it was only him and james, peggy in the stockroom eavesdropping james' flirting. he felt more drained than usual. he lazily counted the money and handed everybodies packages to them with fake enthusiasm. he wanted james here and he didn't know why.
"smile, baby. james will be here soon" peggy whispers to him so nobody else could hear. how did she know? because steve blushed at the mention of his name? he stumbled over his words every single time james was around. steve didn't know what had him so captivated so quickly. he hated it. despised it even. the butterflies in his stomach when he could smell james' strong cologne. the way his cheeks bled with heat when he called him spitely petnames. he sighed. stroking his hands through his hair.
about two hours later, the shop finally calmed down. steve had noticed that james entered the shop at around 5pm usually. and it was five minutes until then. he was growing impatient. he hated the way he felt. he felt sick that he could ever love a boy like james buchanan barnes. someone as pretty and disgustingly charming as him. it captivated steve.
the door bell rang as he waltzed in. a glass of cherry pop in his hand, he seemed giddy. steve didn't look at him for too long before he spoke up. "rogers, you got what i want huh? where's the flowers, pretty boy" james didn't even bother to stop and talk to peggy, straight the the front till desk across from steve. he leaned his arms out, tapping his soda glass with his fingers. gleaming at steve.
"i s-sure do" steve tried to be calm, his breath shook as he gathered the flowers from under the desk. "you had them all ready for me, not a messy pack from the stock room this time, how sweet" james smiled. lighting a cigarette between his teeth and blowing the smoke away from steve.
"don't smoke near him, james. poor boys lungs would give out" peggy giggles, her tone still serious. "asthma, heart murmurs, the whole lot" peggy grabbed the cigarette from between bucky's teeth and stamped it on the blue tile floor. "sorry, deary" steve barely noticed as he was packaging the sunflowers.
"please don't worry" steve splutters a small cough before handing the package to him. "$20 please" steve slides the package over the desk before james hands him the note, a small piece of paper with it. steve gulped. "don't look at it until you get home, okay?" james winked and collected the flowers from steve. steve smiled.
"okay, sure thing. see you tomorrow?" steve smiled softly. he felt better about james, less scared.
"i'll see you tomorrow, stevie" steve blushed. that's what his mother called him, it's what peggy calls him. it's what the people who love him call him.
"bye, peggy. thank you again" james smiled before leaving. steve wish he could have stayed longer. his visit was shorter than usually, he usually saunters around the shop. chats to peggy before chatting to steve. he seemed to be in a hurry of some sort.
"what's that?" peggy leaned over steves shoulder, eyeing the folded paper in his hand. "nothing peggy, none of your business. i'll tell you tomorrow after i find out later" steve giggled. "okay, feisty. i'll just have to wait" steves chest was tight after the cigarette smoke lingered. "it's time to close, let's get you home sweetie" and that's exactly what they did. they closed up the shop, it was raining. it was humid outside. the sun set still glistening, peggy and steve walked their ways home together, bantering about the day. peggy made steve feel loved. not romantically. peggy felt like steve's mother. she was there for him constantly. looked after him during his illness. he was thankful she was there. he loved her too. he wouldn't know what to do if she wasn't there.
steve finally arrived home and spared no time throwing off his jacket and shoes to sit on the couch in front of the fire and open the note james gave him. why would james buchanan barnes give steve a note? he pondered it, anxious to read it.
"steven grant rogers, don't be scared of me. i want to be your friend. you seem to be very sweet. thank you for always supplying me with the prettiest sunflowers in the whole city. my grandmother loves them. she tells me "thank the little blonde boy for keeping them fresh" this is me thanking you. if you ever need anything else in return for the flowers, or somebody to speak too, call me. ( + 01 771-931120)
P.S, please call me bucky. james is an ugly name in my opinion.
condolences, your pal, your buddy, your bucky."
steve had a wide smile plastered across his face. he wanted to call bucky immediately, it was only 8pm. maybe he could. his hands were shaking at the mere thought of hearing bucky's raspy voice in the tired hours of the evening. his heart was beating faster than usual. he walked hesitantly to the bell phone and dialed the numbers inked onto the crumpled paper. steve gulped, dripping with sweat. this was the most nervous he'd been in his whole life. the phone rang four times before he heard his voice.
"hello, stranger" bucky's voice echoed through steve's phone and he blushed. "what can i do for you?" bucky asked him sharply. "i just wanted to thank you for the note, it meant a lot" steve finally spoke a sentence to bucky without spluttering the words out with panick. maybe it helped he couldn't see his piercing blue eyes this time. "and please tell your grandmother i wish her well, i could start to send sunflowers to her assigned hospital for free if it made anything easier" steve offered. "well no, unless you were the one delivering them. seeing you is part of the process, stevie. i enjoy your measley company. you're cute when you're all flustered. anyways, if the delivery person isn't as cute as you, i won't need them delivered. i'm perfectly fine with picking them up every day"
god if only bucky could see how steve was smiling.
