Call It What You Want: Home Series 1 (Trans!Steve and Pan!Bucky Summer AU)

Twenty-Eight

While Natasha was inside, getting the other nail polishes that she brought with her, Steve could feel Bucky watching him. Carefully, Steve focused on the picture in his lap rather than the boy beside him. Praying that he didn't appear too stiff beside him, but realizing that forced nonchalance sometimes seemed just as strange as consciousness. Especially when someone was studying him.

After a moment that seemed to last a lifetime, Bucky gruffly complimented, "You're really talented."

Steve glanced over at Bucky. The sincerity causing a flush to start creeping across Steve's freckled cheeks while also causing a deep confusion that twisted in Steve's gut. After all, Bucky had barely looked at Steve, let alone talked to him. Unless he was apologizing. But Steve had decided that he had heard enough of those from Bucky to tide him over for the rest of their shared summer.

"Thanks," Steve finally said, clearing his throat and returning his gaze to his sketch.

"I mean it," Bucky earnestly encouraged.

"Okay," Steve nodded, keeping his head ducked while peeking over at Bucky from the corner of his eyes. Steve confirmed, "I mean it, too. Thank you."

Bucky was quiet then. Steve noticed the small movement at Bucky's mouth, as though Bucky was chewing on the inside of his lower lip. His hand holding the pencil going still as he wondered what it would feel like. Would it be rough? Distracting? Would Steve be able to feel it when they kissed?

Steve's eyes momentarily widened as he gazed unseeingly down at his sketchbook. Knowing that he really shouldn't have been thinking about kissing Bucky. Knowing that he needed to keep a level head. A level head and a cautious heart.

"So, um," Bucky started, shifting in his seat. Briefly, Steve was terrified of what Bucky was trying to figure out what to say. Typically when someone fumbled for their words in such a way, it was usually bad. Then, Bucky asked, "How long have you been drawing?"

A bit confused by such a mundane question, Steve's brows furrowed as he looked over at Bucky. Bucky hadn't been expecting the expression and he immediately turned his attention from Steve and his sketchbook and fumbling over his words as he started back peddling, "I mean, it seems like you've been drawing for a while. You're really talented and it seems like you've --"

"Right, I heard you," Steve interrupted, causing Bucky's brows to arch high on his forehead. Steve closed his eyes and internally scolded himself for being rude. Opening his eyes, Steve softly answered, "I, uh, I've been drawing for... as long as I can remember."

"Really?" Bucky asked, intrigued. Mutely, Steve nodded and Bucky nodded too. Complimenting Steve again, Bucky cleared his throat, "That's really cool. It's a cool talent to have."

"Thanks," Steve accepted, feeling the tips of his ears heating.

A slow smile stretched across Bucky's face as his words stumbled, "Yeah. Sure. No problem. It's the truth. You're really talented."

For a moment, they just stared at each other. Steve knew that he should've looked away, but he couldn't. The sincerity twinkling in Bucky's platinum eyes wrapped around Steve's heart like a vice, making it nearly impossible to move. Making it nearly impossible to even breath. Especially when Bucky didn't make any move to look elsewhere.

"Okay!" Natasha abruptly stated, joining them outside again. Bucky looked behind them to watch his cousin while Steve took in a shaky breath, still completely taken by Bucky.

"I've got a lot of different ones," Natasha informed Bucky. As though not realizing that she had interrupted a moment, Natasha carried her sequined bag and jingled it so the polish bottles tapped along each other. Skipping down the deck step, and plopping down on the grass in front of him, she continued, "There are more darker colors though. You've been warned."

When Bucky turned to face the front, his gaze landed on Steve. Steve instantly dropped his eyes to his sketchbook, but had still caught the blush that was starting to color Bucky's cheeks.

"Oh, um," Bucky cleared his throat, taking the bag from Natasha when she handed it to him, "Thanks."

"Sure thing," Natasha shrugged, taking the base coat from where she left it and picked it up. Giving it a good shake, she examined Bucky's feet and mused, "Anyone ever tell ya you've got nice toenails?"

"Um," Bucky's brows furrowed as he looked up from the bag. Shaking his head, he chuckled, "No?"

"Shame," Natasha deadpanned, twisting the cap and getting started. Swiping the clear base coat on Bucky's big toe's nail, Natasha complimented, "Because you do."

Steve peeked over at Bucky and fought the smirk that wanted to tug at his lips from seeing a blush start to bloom on his cheeks. Bucky sputtered out a quiet, "Thanks?"

"No problem," Natasha nonchalantly replied, moving onto another toe. Wiping some of the excess with the side of her thumb, Natasha asked, "You pick a color yet?"

"Um, yeah," Bucky confirmed, taking a bottle of polish out of the bag. Passing it over to Natasha before placing the bag on his other side.

"Huh," Natasha stated, examining the bottle of lilac polish.

Tensing beside Steve, Bucky cautiously asked, "What?"

"I thought I threw this out," Natasha mused, her brows furrowing before she shrugged and placed the bottle beside her to be used once the base coat was done.

Steve smirked and rolled his eyes before complimenting, "Good choice. 'Do You Lilac It,' is most definitely underrated."

Next to him, Bucky eased. A grin was playing at Bucky's naturally red lips. Steve's own lips were quirked up and he didn't try to fight it. Instead, simply redirecting his attention to his sketch. Slowly getting it to work the way he wanted it to, despite the dark mark that ran along the page. Even after erasing it, the line was still there, a part of the page.

Steve tried not to read too much into it.