𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞-𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐨𝐲 ➸ 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲 ✓

VI

"since the day i met you i just wanted to protect you"

steve and bucky spoke until the late hours that night. bucky said his goodnight at around 12am. he told steve to have sweet dreams, he told him to dream about bucky teaching him how to slow dance. an inside joke they formed over the evening of speaking. bucky told steve all about the war, fighting and missing loved ones.
bucky told steve he was off duty for six months, allowing him to be at home for a while. bucky told steve his parents lived in croatia. bucky told steve his only family left here was his sick grandmother. his sick grandmother was on her death bed. bucky won't know what to do when she's gone. steve is there for him. bucky is there for steve too.
bucky told steve a lot.

steven grant rogers fell asleep with a smile on his face for the first time in three months. the last time was when he adopted his cat.
steve had a dream, a dream in which his hands were in bucky's and they were dancing in his living room to his favourite vinyl. both of them were wearing white shirts, suspenders draped next to their legs and black long fitted trousers, bucky laughed as he twirled steve under his arms and swayed him. he was careful with steve's brittle frame. steve buries his face in bucky's chest as they swayed softly to the music, watching the sunset from the living room window. bucky blowing small petals from steve's hair.

steve woke up half an hour late. bags under his eyes were heavy. he ran frantically getting ready for work. it was a monday, he hoped the shop wouldn't be packed. the thought of james visiting is what made him want to even leave his house. his hair was messy and he tried to fix it as he rushed out the house with an empty stomach, lazily brushing his teeth while combing his hair. he slipped on his shoes and quickly left. it only took him fifteen minutes to walk to work. he jogged lightly, not tiring himself too much. he arrived at 10:30am.

"rogers, where were you?" peggy asks him, tutting at his expense.
"in my bed, peggy. i'm sorry, it won't happen again" he was tying his apron around himself as she ruffled his messy hair.
"barnes keep you up? i knew it was his number" she giggled.
"shush, i'll tell you later. maybe" his cheeks were flushed red again as he adjusted the collar on his uniform. the day flashed by steve quickly. all orders were usually ready and quick on a monday, he couldn't help but look at the clock every half an hour, awaiting 5pm. he didn't have many orders that day anyway, monday was mainly a delivery day, steve could relax.

4:45pm. his voice echoed through the shop, he always waited until the shop was quiet to pick up his sunflowers. steve smiled at him, greeting him for once.
"afternoon, bucky" steve smiled, his cheeks hurt from smiling. he was eager. he was so overwhelmed with bucky's presence, especially after hearing his voice last night.  "rogers! you're looking bright today, sunny. how are you? sleepy? you look it" bucky chuckled, answering his own question. he had a toothpick clenched between his teeth. something about that made steve extra nervous.

"indeed i am" steve was collecting the sunflowers as he spoke, bucky tossed a coin between his thumb and fore finger, his eyes skimmed over steve's feeble frame. bucky wanted to scoop him up, get him out of this place no matter how much he loved it.
"here you are, barnes. your sunflowers" steve could finally speak to bucky. he wasn't nervous. well, he always is around him. he's just so handsome.
his hair was dark brown, slicked back. his mouth curved prettily and his blue-green eyes gleamed when he spoke. he oozed of charm, he smelt like strong cinnamon cologne. he was captivating in every way to steve. his voice was husk, even huskier when he was tired. it made steve blush. everything he did made him blush. steve absolutely hated how it was making him feel.

"thank you, steve. it isn't looking good for my old sylvia, she's quickly getting worst. i may not need these sunflowers for much longer." bucky choked out. he was clearly distraught. he gathered the money from his wallet before steve interrupted.

"please. don't hand me any money. take these sunflowers, bucky. don't give me money for them anymore, in fact. call me when you need them. i'll drop them off to the hospital. i'll do anything. just don't pay for them, you don't need too. i insist" steve's handing the sunflowers to bucky as he speaks. a small tear rolls from bucky's cheek.

"seriously rogers? can't believe i'm crying in front of the local flower boy that makes my day better" he giggles.
steve smiles.
"take them, please. take them. it's what friends do" steve offers him a warm expression. bucky finally takes them from steve's hands and sighs after he wipes his tears.
"steve, let me take you out. please. i want to pay you back somehow" bucky's voice lowered as he asked steve. steve's stomach was flipping, spinning like a carousel. bucky wanted to spend time with him outside of the shop?
it took steve a moment to process what bucky has just asked him.
"okay, okay bucky. i finish early tomorrow afternoon. we can do whatever you want. i don't mind, if you can't make it i don't mind either please don't worry. don't spend too much money on me either-" steve splutters until bucky interrupts.
"i said i'm paying you back for what you're doing, let me." bucky smiles. steve can't say no.
"okay, if you insist" steve sighs as caught his eyes with bucky, his heart beat quickening. bucky was so beautiful. so so beautiful, steve hated it. steve hated how he felt himself falling for him.
his mother told him the barnes were bad news.
his mother would have also wanted him happy.

"i'll see you tomorrow, and then i'll see you in the evening. take care of yourself, doll" bucky stroked steve's face with his thumb before picking the sunflowers up from the desk and leaving.
steve has never felt like this before in his life.
it confused him.
sickened him.
he could get used to it.

the only thing left on steve's mind was spending time with bucky. it's all he wanted to do. he hated that, he didn't know what to do. it seems bucky does. his charm, the words he uses to make steve do anything he wanted too. steve wasn't prepared. he knew he had to be, though.