fossilised | For Steve

[That smile still does weird things to his stomach, but he ignores it. Clearly it's just because he's relieved that he doesn't appear to have ruined this despite giving it his best efforts.]

Sure, we've said pancakes so many times now that I'm getting real hungry.

[He turns back towards the apartment building.]

Okay, what do you not have? We need eggs, flour, milk, salt, sugar, and syrup. Maybe bananas and ice cream.

I bought eggs, milk, salt and a lot of sugar earlier. Some bananas too, but we might need more depending on how much you prefer.

[Miscommunication dealt with, Steve falls in step beside Bucky again.]

Okay, so just flour, syrup, and maybe a couple of bananas.

[He glances sideways at Steve.]

Why don't you head back, see if you can remember the route, and I'll go pick up the ingredients?

[Steve laughs.]

You're just trying to get rid of me, aren't you? [It's a joke.]

Okay, you got a phone number though so I can call if I get hopelessly lost?

You caught me, I can't be seen with a government worker, I have a reputation to protect.

[He smiles, easy and teasing. It's good, he can go himself and then Steve won't see him if he embarrasses himself by freaking out in the store.]

Here, hand me your phone, I'll put it in.

[He doesn't know quite what possesses him, but if Steve hands his phone over then Bucky puts his number in next to the name "Buck Me" as a joke.]

I knew it. Well, I won't mess up your reputation.

[Of course Steve hands his phone over. His contact list is a limited one and he rarely has silly names.

Of course, he did just have that text conversation with Nat still loaded, probably.]

[Of course Bucky saw the text already open, but he wasn't a complete jackass so as soon as he saw it was from someone else he closed it out. Okay so maybe he caught the words 'hot' and 'protection' first. Handing the phone back, he waved a hand casually and wandered off towards the store.

Not that Steve would be left alone for long, his phone ringing after only a moment with Natasha's number. Yes, she was spying on him. She might be a ballerina but she was also a terrifying ballerina who was bored and out of her apartment until the smell of dog puke went away.]

He's cute. [She jumps right into it when he answers, not even slightly ashamed of spying.] And he obviously thinks you're hot, so you should definitely ask him out.

[barely more than a block away, he pulls his phone back up and answers it.

And, you know, almost chokes with Natasha's greeting.]

Nat!

[Steve sputtered briefly and stopped in place, looking around for any sign of her.]

Are you following us?

[She's inside one of the nearby shops, peering out through the window, but she doesn't make any move to show herself if he can't notice her alone.]

Of course.

[The grin is evident in her voice.]

We care about you, Steve, it's been too long since you had a date. We wanted to make sure you weren't screwing it up, and that Mr. Hot Vet With The Long Hair was good enough for you.

[Damn it, Nat.]

His name is Bucky. He lives in the apartment above me, and I'd rather focus on being friends. I don't want to... scare him off. Him being nice doesn't mean he's interested.

[Nevermind that there was Phil who was utterly in love with Steve from Freshmen year to Senior year who Steve literally never noticed. He's really good at reading body language and the whole emotional knowledge thing except when it comes to people having feelings for him. He keeps attributing it to him feeling overly hopeful and seeing things where they clearly aren't.]

Boring.

[She scoffs, finally meandering out of her hiding place and hanging up the phone so that she can wander alongside him. Her gaze up to him is both fond and exasperated, she loves him but he's so clueless.]

What was the last date you went on? How long has it been since you've had sex? It's not healthy, Steve, I'm just looking out for you.

[Steve hangs up too when Natasha does, giving her an exasperated look of his own.]

It's not important when I last had a relationship or the rest.

[Years. It's been years.]

He could be straight. Statistically, he is probably straight.

He's not straight.

[She says it with total conviction even though she's never met him, never even spoken to him.]

The way he looked at you is not the way a straight man looks at another straight man, he might as well have been one of those cartoon dogs with the popping eyes and wagging tongue.

[Steve still has a hard time believing that Bucky could be attracted to him, but Natasha has pretty much never been wrong before... she's got a good eye about people that way. And she absolutely wouldn't steer Steve wrong as part of a prank, he trusts her implicitly.]

I... I don't know how to even begin to flirt with him. We're making pancakes when we get back.

Oh really, pancakes?

[The way she says it, she makes it sound positively filthy. Teasing aside, though, she does want this to go well. Steve is a good person, one of the best she knows, and he deserves to at least try to find happiness somewhere.]

You don't have to flirt with him, why don't you start by just asking him out? The worst he can say is no.

[Steve goes a very deep shade of crimson at the way she manages to make pancakes sound like some kind of previously unknown sex act. For all Steve knows, it could be, but he also knows Bucky is at least on the same page as him about the kind of pancakes they're having tonight.]

... Maybe. After pancakes. I don't want to make it weird.

Steve, you're hopeless, you know that?

[She sighs, but it's affectionate, and leans over to bump his shoulder.]

Are we still in high school? Do you need me to pass a note to him and pull his hair for you?

No! Just don't - don't say anything! He might take it the wrong way, he's ... sensitive.

[And yet coming from Steve that sounds less like a bad thing and more along the lines of something charming about him. Like his dreamy eyes.]

... I was ... thinking about asking him to be my resident model. That doesn't sound weird does it?

[Nat snorts and bumps her shoulder up against Steve's bicep.]

It sounds like the dorkiest thing ever, but you should try it. Just do me a favour and go for it, he's definitely into you, I can tell.

I will consider going for it. If he seems into it.

[Steve bumps shoulders back with her.]

Go on now before he comes back out, I already gotta think of what to say when he asks why I'm still hanging around.

You like him, so you go for it.

[She fixes him with the sort of look that says she will consider kicking his ass despite being half his size.]

But fine, fine... I'm going. Run away if you want, or wait here for him, your choice.

[She flicks her hand carelessly and turns to walk away, but Steve would be silly if he thought she wouldn't stick around and spy from a distance again.]

[If anyone could kick Steve's ass, it would be Natasha. He isn't taking that bet.

He does watch her go, exasperated fondness on her face. He looks towards the apartment building, judging distance and time, then back to the store before he decides to just wait for Bucky out here. He can try to find his own way tomorrow and hopefully not get lost, but considering how long he spent talking to Natasha he figures there's no real point in not waiting.]

[Bucky hates the store.

The lights are too bright, the hum of the air conditioning unit is too loud, the aisles are deadly in the way they block line of sight and make it easy for any ambush to come. He's only in there ten minutes, but by the time he manages to make it out with pancake ingredients, he looks like death warmed over. Pale, sweating, and trembling ever so slightly.

He's not pleased to see Steve still there when he's such a mess, he thought he'd have the walk back to pull back together. It's an effort, but he tries to look more normal as he gets closer.]

Thought you were going to head back?

[Steve notices, of course. Wonders if he should have insisted on going in, either for Bucky or with Bucky. But Bucky doesn't bring it up, so while Steve's concerned face can't really be hidden he doesn't bring it up either.]

Ran into Natasha just after you went in, actually - I think she wanted to check in and make sure I was making friends and not getting stabbed trying to stop an old lady's purse from getting stolen or something. Happens one time and you never live it down, you know? Anyway - she just left, so ... figured I might as well wait the extra minute so we could walk together. Otherwise you'd probably catch me at a crosswalk and if I told you this story then you'd probably think I was some kind of idiot that not only got lost easily but then couldn't fess up to it.

[When in doubt, the truth will set you free.]

[He sees the concerned look, but Steve doesn't mention it so maybe he'll forget. Maybe he'll think Bucky's just coming down with a cold, like he might not have noticed the arm, like the art centre might not have told him that he was a veteran.

Of course he helped little old ladies. Goddamn, but Steve was like some kind of perfect ideal of what a clean-cut American boy should be, all blond hair and blue eyes and earnest goodness. He can't help but snort, some of the tension leaking from his shoulders.]

You seriously got knifed trying to stop a mugging? When we get back to your place, am I going to see a spandex costume and mask from where you stop crime at night?

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sorry for the delay!

no worries! I'm on the tail end of a vacation myself

hope it was a good one!

very good, thank you!

excellent :)

I THOUGHT I HAD RESPONDED TO THIS GDI

I'm so glad you came back! :D

I should have checked sooner I was trying to not be a bother orz I'LL CHECK FASTER NEXT TIME

<3 I would probably have poked you in another few days, but I didn't want to be pushy

<3

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