fossilised | For Steve

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.

That's-- really nice of you, but he has me. We've got another two sisters as well, but they live out of state with our Dad and they're a bit younger.

[The way she says their 'dad' sounds a bit like she's describing something that tastes bad, but it passes fast.]

And yes, he said you were cute. He also said you were charming, smart, sweet, and way out of his league. I can kind of see what he means, I thought he was just being down on himself, but wow. If you weren't interested in guys, I might be asking for your number.

[Give Steve a second here he's positively over the moon at finding out Bucky described him that way. Except the 'out of his league' part. Steve would argue that's the other way around.]

Also socially awkward, a chronic meddler, and have been on maybe ... two dates... ever... I'm really really thankful your brother is giving me a chance. I just feel like... like I know we just met but it already feels like I've known him my whole life.

S-sorry, this is probably an awkward thing to hear from the guy your sibling is dating. Going to date. We haven't actually had a real date yet.

What if I screw it up what can I do to make sure I don't screw this up does he have any allergies I should know about?

[Becca stares at him for a moment, before she simply bursts into laughter. Oh my God, he's actually adorable, and he seems so utterly sincere about wanting to impress her dumb brother. She feels a rush of affection for him.]

Okay, okay-- chill out, Steve.

[Steve now, not Mr. Rogers.]

I guess if you buy me a slice of that fudge cake to go after my bagel, I might see my way to being your official conspirator in wooing my brother. What do you say? Fair terms?

[if there was a world record for speed at obtaining and presenting a slice of fudge cake? Steve just broke it.]

[Okay, she is officially on his side now, taking the plate with a mock-solemn nod.]

The deal is done.

[She thinks for a moment.]

Okay, no allergies, but he really hates fish. I don't know why, he's just weird, so don't make anything fishy. Before-- he used to like dancing, he was a boxer, uh--

No fish, got it.

[Steve nods along with Becca's instructions. He's inexperienced with romance outside of stories and daydreams and watching his friends, so Steve thinks it's perfectly fair to get help from her. He can see Bucky being a dancer and a boxer, with what Steve could figure of the physique he had.

Steve has never been dancing, himself. It continues to baffle him that Bucky isn't swarmed with waves of admirers.]

Any particular kind of dancing?

[Maybe Steve should learn.]

Pretty old fashioned dancing.

[Her face softens into a fond look.]

We're the closest in age of the four of us, and when Mom died, he tried to look out for me. I'd always wanted to learn how to do old dancing, ballroom or swing or Latin, so he signed me up for classes and came along as my partner. He got better than me, especially in those forties dances like the Lindy-Hop or a proper jive.

[She doesn't know how well that would work out with only one arm, but she kind of wishes he'd give it a go again.]

So how about you? What special skills are you hiding?

Ah, not really anything... I did some track and field in college and try to keep up with working out for my health and all, but other than that... Art? Mostly? Graphite is probably my favorite but I dabble in a little of everything if I can get the supplies for it. I'm hoping to be able to do a gallery showing soon, but I try to just focus on doing it because I love it more than anything.

That's so cool, if you manage to get a gallery showing then you need to tell me.

[Finally having finished her bagel, she starts in on her slice of cake.]

You, uh, maybe shouldn't mention that I came to see you, though. Make it seem like all of these ideas are yours and impress him.

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