Get Schooled

Chapter Eight: Rainy Days

Over the next three days before the dance, without knowing it, Steve and Bucky started to mildly flirt with each other. Neither of them even noticed, it just happened without their consent. Their friends noticed, though, and were quick to comment on it.

One day Bucky flirts with Steve before wandering off. Sam raises an eyebrow and nudges the blonde in the ribs, an evil smile coming to rest on his lips.

"Did he just...? Aww, ____, son, did you hear that?" Sam crows, looking Steve up and down.

"What?" Steve frowns slightly, watching Sam and his strange behavior.

"Seriously, dude, he just flirted with you!" Sam exclaims, clapping Steve on the back with his palm in excitement. The blonde raises an eyebrow, he had barely noticed Bucky do it.

"Oh." Steve whispers quietly, thinking.

"Come to think of it, you two have become awfully tight lately, eh?" Sam wiggles his eyebrows at Steve, his smile broader than ever. Steve scoffs and shakes his head.

"Really, Sam?" Steve sighs, walking onwards. School had finished and everyone was just clearing up; shoving gym clothes into lockers, slamming doors and chatting to friends as they exit the school grounds. It was raining, the storm from a few days ago hadn't left for quite some time. Steve grabs his bag from his locker and shuts it again, walking with Sam bouncing happily in tow like an over-excitable puppy, chattering endlessly.

The pair walk outside where it was pouring, dumping buckets of rain on the unfortunate stragglers cought in the storm. Through the wind Steve could vaguely hear thumps and cries, he frowns and quickens his pace to where the sounds were coming from.
Several figures were leaned over another figure, who was whimpering weakly and curled up into the fetal position.

"Hey! Hey, cut it out!" Steve shouts, hands placed firmly on his hips. The figures stop and raise their heads to him, seeing who has intruded into their space. Steve goes over to them with his hands clenched into fists, glaring them down. Sam was beside him, also glaring and ready to fight.

The figure on the ground raises his head and squints up at the two who had stopped his beating. His breath catches when he sees Steve, his blonde hair dripping from the ends and soaked clean to the bone, alongside him Sam.

"Stevie..." he whispers hoarsely, sitting up with difficulty, using his metal arm to prop himself up from the wet ground. Steve recognises him and his eyes widen with shock and fear.

"Buck?" He whispers, shocked that the boy he knew to be so strong was sitting there, injured and humiliated on the ground. He moves to go over to him but one of the figures put an arm out to stop him. It was Hydra, of course, it's always Hydra causing trouble.

"Whoa whoa whoa, not so fast, blondie. Who said you could butt in?" Ward growls, shoving Steve back.

"I don't need permission from a lot like you to help my friend." Steve growls back with equal anger, his voice lower than any of them heard before. Bucky watches the blonde quietly, he didn't know his voice could go so deep, it sounded rich. But, he figured now might not be the time to mention that.

"____ it, just hit them!" Rumlow shouts, the members of Hydra rush forward and attack Steve and Sam.

Steve ducks and sticks his leg out, tripping Arnim over and sending him flying into a mud hole. Sam punches Ward in the gut, Ward retaliates by kicking the back of Sam's leg and then kneeing him in the face repeatedly. Steve steps in and grabs the back of Ward's jacket, yanking him off Sam. Ward elbows Steve in the face and the blonde bites back a cry as he feels hot blood pour out of his nose and into his mouth, the cartilage very much broken. Peirce comes and punches Sam straight in the face, knocking him into a puddle. He comes up behind Steve and wraps his arms around his neck, efficiently choking off his air supply. Steve gasps for air and clutches at the strangling arms, trying to pry them off.

Meanwhile, Bucky was struggling to rise to his feet to get over there and help Steve. But Sam got there first, he yanks Pierce off and shoves him into a large mud puddle. Pierce grabs Steve and drags him down as well, Sam was fighting off Ward and Johann at once, dodging and landing swift kicks and punches to painful places.

Steve and Pierce tussle it out in the mud hole, punching and kicking and trying to drown the other. Steve did more of the punching and kicking while Pierce opted to do more of the strangling and drowning technique.

Pierce shoves Steve's head underwater and holds him there, struggling to keep him down. Steve was struggling desperately to raise his head, he couldn't see anything and he was thrashing about, trying to kick Pierce or do anything he can to free himself. Sam was semi-conscious on the ground, Ward and Johann were standing over him and sneering.

Steve's movements were becoming slower, more sluggish as each second ticked by without oxygen. It was getting darker and he had almost passed out, but suddenly the weight on his head lifted and he jerks his face out of the water, gasping and coughing, choking on mud and water alike. He looks up and sees Bucky there, soaking wet and looking like a vengeful warrior, his face a mask of anger as he glared at the quickly retreating, cowardly Hydra.

Steve gets into a proper sitting position, his hands and legs shaking alike at both the loss of oxygen and how close to death he was, knocking on the front foor. He closes his eyes and sucks in a shuddering breath, looking up when he feels a hand on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Bucky demands quickly, worried.