fossilised | For Steve

[Any date at all is special for Steve, but he isn't sure he wants Bucky to know just how awkward and inexperienced he is there. There's making your potential partner comfortable and then there's just admitting to how much of a weirdo you are.

So, quick, Steve, think of something... So he blurts out the first thing that comes to mind.]

You could model for me.

[Bucky's eyebrows shoot straight up, half amused and half surprised. Whatever else he might have thought Steve would come out with, modelling for him really wasn't on the list at all.]

Oh yeah?

[He can't help it if that sounds slightly suggestive.]

Don'tcha think that might be kind of a third or fourth date kind of thing?

[See? See? This is what he was talking about, Bucky!

Redfaced, Steve shoves some more pancakes into his mouth so he doesn't have to fumble over his words. He cannot make eye contact with Bucky.

Asking Natasha to model was never this hard, but he also never wanted to sleep with Natasha.]

You don't - you don't have to remove any more clothing than you're comfortable with. You're just - uh. You're. Very nice to look at. And pleasing to draw.

[Please god open a pit under him and let him sink down into it.]

[This cannot be real, Steve can't be a real person. He must be being punked on one of those reality tv shows where an actor is portraying the world's most perfect guy, and eventually everyone will jump out and yell sucker at him for believing it.]

So what? I need to be on your couch and ask you to paint me like one of your French girls?

[He's laughing now, but not in a cruel way, just genuinely amused.]

But, I mean, sure... if that's your ideal date, I'll sit for you when we actually do this thing. Which-- are you going to ask me on a concrete date with a day assigned to it, or what?

Guess I'm still worried if I set a date you'll bail on me. It's happened before.

[In spite of this, there's no bitterness if Steve's voice when he says it.]

When's best for you? Guess us living in the same building makes transportation easier... Especially if it's just making pancakes and you modeling for me.

[Is he serious? What kind of asshole just bails on an Adonis like Steve Rogers? His expression softens, something earnest in his eyes to replace the tease.]

You set a date, Steve, I'll be there. Count on it.

[He would write himself a million post-its if he had to, in order to stop his crappy brain ruining this for him.]

This Saturday? [Steve glances back to Bucky and he just looks so damn hopeful.] Gives me a chance to get more ingredients for pancakes, more coffee... make sure the lighting is good...

This Saturday, say-- eleven?

[A morning date isn't the most standard, but if Steve needs good lighting and they're having traditional breakfast food, then--]

That gives me time to avoid at least one more of those classes at the rec centre.

[Steve laughed a bit, relaxing again.]

Not sure I should be encouraging that... but yeah. Eleven sounds great. Should I pick you up?

Sorry, Teach, but those classes were a bust anyway, didn't you see my boat? Art is not my strongest skill.

[He offers a lopsided grin and pushes off the counter towards the door.]

I guess I'll see you on Saturday, huh? You can pick me up, sounds good.

[There wasn't any need for him to be collected to go down one flight of stairs, but it was kind of romantic that Steve even offered, so he'd go with it.]

[Since Bucky is making an exit, Steve stays true to form and gets the door for him. Saturday can't come fast enough, even if he's still got a lot (in his mind) to prep for.]

Saturday, then. It's a date.

[Bucky has to tamp down the urge to stay a bit later, just chatting and getting to know Steve. This is so bad, he's falling so hard already, and he's determined to keep at least some control on this runaway train. That doesn't mean that he won't be dreaming about Steve and that ass in tight pants tonight...

Not that Steve will have to wait til Saturday to get to hear more about the date. Some time while he's at work on Friday, one of his colleagues meanders into the office and grins at him.]

Uh oh, Steve, I think you're in trouble... some woman is here looking for you, and she has a face like she's ready to spit nails.

[The woman in question is Rebecca Barnes, not that Steve would recognise her as such if he braves coming out to see. She's just a slender, slightly short, brunette lady with a scowl on her face.]

[Bucky's face has made frequent guest appearances in Steve's various sketchbooks as the days pass - if he's not focusing on something else, his mind wanders and his pencil follows.

On Friday he's a mixture of excited and nervous he hasn't been since... well since college really. His coworker wakes him from a daydream, in fact, and he tries to cover the startled expression that surely followed.

'Some woman here to see you' who looks angry? His first thought is to check his phone and see if he missed a call or text from Natasha, but no dice there, so he makes his way out to see who it is. Steve is not a guy people get angry at. Not specifically. He's the guy who directs people to who to be angry at or takes a verbal lashing for someone else, but he himself is a nobody. He still falls back into professional courtesy mixed with curiosity]

... I'm Steve Rogers, ma'am, can I help you?

[Wow... wow, he looks good. Rebecca might be here to play the stern sibling and make sure this guy knew if that if he fucked with her brother then there'd be hell to pay, but that didn't mean she was blind. Steve doesn't look anything like she imagined a clerk to look like.]

I hope so, Mr. Rogers.

[She folds her arms, managing to look forbidding despite being short.]

Do you have a break coming up? My name is Rebecca Barnes, I'm Bucky's sister, and you and I need to have a talk.

[Steve knows he should be intimidated. And he kind of is - meeting family always is. And when she says who she is he can see the resemblance instantly between her and Bucky.

And, well, Steve likes Bucky an awful lot.He smiles, bright and happy and so damn sincere.]

Oh! Yeah, I’m overdue for my lunch and I get an hour - do you want to grab a bagel? Wow, it’s great to meet you!

[Wait, Bucky’s sister is here and looks upset. Steve’s mind goes dark places sometimes and he goes from excitable puppy to waiting to be told someone is dead so fast it could cause whiplash.]

Wait - Did something happen? Is Bucky okay?

[Okay, that's quite a good sign, he looks genuinely concerned and sincere. But then, she's wary of anyone trying to get into Bucky's life since he came back. There had only ever been one other sort of boyfriend and he had been a total disaster, it makes her concerned that Steve might be another Brock Rumlow in disguise.]

He's fine, and a bagel sounds good.

[Actually, Bucky will probably kill her when he finds out she's come to do this, but she'll take it as worth it if she can protect him.]

I just want to make sure you're good enough to take him out on a date, you can pretend I'm the equivalent of a Dad with a shotgun when his little girl goes to prom, if you want.

[At the assurance Steve gets his jacket and tells his coworker he’s going to finally take his lunch break, heading out of the dilapidated building with Rebecca. Heh. Becca and Bucky, he thinks to himself, though he knows better than to comment on matchy nicknames for siblings as they make their way to the bagel place Bucky had pointed out to him that first day and Steve had taken to going to every chance he got.

Again, he should probably be intimidated but he’s just sliding back too much to cheerful. If Bucky’s sister was coming to give him the shovel talk, that meant Bucky mentioned Steve, right?]

Really? That actually happens? I thought that was invented for movies.

[Steve’s dad died when he was little, after all, and his mother had passed away before he hit college, and the amount of dates he had been on could be counted on one hand with fingers left over.He smiles at Rebecca.]

Well I can promise I won’t get him ‘in a family way’, what else do these talks usually consist of?

[Damn it, he's pretty charming and Becca has to work hard not to smile back at him. She's not a stern person by nature, usually sunny and smiling, but she takes Bucky's well-being very seriously these days and so she fights to keep her stern expression right through going into the bagel place, ordering, and finding a seat.]

Very funny, Mr. Rogers.

[She sits back in her chair and folds her arms, looking probably more like a caricature of a school principle than someone taking this seriously.]

I want to make sure you're not going to hurt him, and you're not in this for the wrong reasons. I get that this is only a first date, and I'm not asking for you to give me some sort of commitment, I just need to be sure you're not a big jerk. So-- first question, the arm. You're not either a) freaked out by it, or b) some weird perv into amputee fetish stuff, are you?

[Steve sits down across from Becca, coffee in his hands as he sips it, waiting for her questions. Honestly, this is all a huge relief to Steve, to know that Bucky does have someone looking out for him. Steve was a little worried he was going to end up hitting overbearing mother hen mode too fast and put Bucky off, but he can rest a little easier knowing his aren’t the only set of eyes watching out there.

Of course, he doesn’t get a chance to say any of this, because the ‘fetish’ comment has him going red and almost spitting up his coffee.]

What? I- no, no, that’s not it. I. I grew up on army bases and volunteer with vet services. I don’t think it’s something you can ever really get used to but… it is what it is, you know? He seemed pretty self-concious about it so I tried not to bring it up.

[That's a good answer-- a really good answer. She'd never have believed someone who protested that it didn't make a difference at all, because of course it did, the prosthetic still freaks her out sometimes even though she knows it's there. But he obviously isn't a perv, nor does he seem too bothered by it. So that's one positive mark, but she's not going to tell him how he does until she's asked enough to be satisfied one way or the other.]

Okay, so what about the other issues, how do you feel about all of that? Pretty daunting for a guy looking for a first date, don't you think?

[Perhaps she could be less blunt, but she likes being honest and having people be honest in return. Besides, blunt gives her the shock value, which usually leads to less thinking time and more honest reactions.]

[Steve's still got some residual blush across his cheeks, but he struggles through it none the less trying to pretend it's not going on.]

Actually, all things considered I thought he was doing really well given his situation. Especially considering he didn't have a service dog or the like.

Um, the point is though that he's, uh, extremely attractive, of course [oh god talking about this with his SISTER of all people] and the whole date thing - I'm really really glad he said yes, but even if he didn't I'd still want to be there for him as a friend.

[She doesn't bother to correct him that Bucky can seem like he's doing really well sometimes, and then crash back down other times. It's like a rollercoaster, but he'll find that out himself, since the comment about being a friend tips her over into approving.

She finally gives him a smile and settles back to sip her coffee.]

Glad to hear it, because I'd have hated to have to punch such a handsome face for being a jerk. I was hoping you were nice, I haven't seen Bucky smile as much as he did when he told me about you than I have in a long time.

[Steve figures if he manages to hurt Bucky he'd deserve a punch to the face - not that it would be worse than the pain of knowing he hurt Bucky in the first place.

Steve's grin goes a little goofy at her last statement.]

He talked about me, then? And smiled?

[Please please tell him more Steve is so smitten and hanging on every word here.]

[Okay, this is rapidly turning into some kind of cheesy romcom, and she can't help the way she's grinning right back.]

No. I'm here because I'm psychic, he never mentioned some cute guy who asked him out at all.

[She takes a bite of her bagel. Wow that's good.]

I'm not sorry for coming on so strong, he's been through a lot and I want to make sure he doesn't go through anything else.

He said I'm cute?

[:D :D :D :D :D as if he didn't already know Bucky found him attractive. But still hearing that Bucky called him attractive to someone else as well... squee.]

No, no, please. I'm relieved actually. I was a little worried he didn't have anyone looking out for him, and I tend to go a little over protective sometimes so... I was worried about getting, well, worried and then coming on too strong if he didn't have anyone else.

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