Another Cliché Love Story // S. Rogers & B. Barnes

twelve

Bucky 

Bucky sighed, running a hand through his dark hair as he pushed open the heavy door. The smell of sweat and boys filled his lungs, and he scrunched up his nose.

He hated the locker rooms–they were always dirty, always smelly. Boys had no sense of personal hygiene at this age, and it showed.

"Bucky, where've you been? Out spreading the Homo Touch?" Brock suddenly appeared, leaning on a locker. He was shirtless, showing off his six-pack, but Bucky only rolled his eyes at the boy's childishness.

"Really? The 'Homo Touch'? That's the best you could come up with?" He shook his head, actually disappointed. Brock's expression dropped and he fumbled for words, before shoving Bucky instead and walking away.

Bucky almost felt bad for him–Brock was losing his touch ever since he almost killed him.

He sighed and continued through the locker room, heading straight for his locker. He did the combination and grabbed his clothes, moving to the bathroom area where he could change behind the safety wall of the stall. He ignored the shouts and pokes and crude comments from the boys around him, calling him a 'pussy' and a 'sissy' for changing in the bathroom.

When he finally made it out of that stuffy room, Bucky breasted in the cold crisp air of the ventilated gym and jogged over to his class, his eyes scanning the crowd for Steve's sandy blond mop.

He found it, and sighed in relief. If he had to keep this secret for another day, he was going to die.

"Steve! Steve, I...uh, I have something to tell you." He stepped up to Steve, reaching a hand to tap his shoulder. Steve tensed at the touch, taking a step away from Bucky before slowly turning around.

Bucky gasped out loud.

"Steve, what the hell?" A great concern filled Bucky's being as he stared at his crush's face that was decorated with cuts and bruises. One of his eyes was already turning purple, and his nose was crooked.

Screw girlfriends. We can discuss that later. This is more important.

"It...it's nothing, Buck. Just leave it be," Steve raised his hand to wave him off, but Bucky caught his wrist, stopping the movement. He had to keep himself from swooning at the pure strength underneath Steve's skin, or from the fact that he was actually touching Steve himself.

"I can't just leave it be, Steve. We're friends, and as friends, I have the right to know what the hell happens when you walk into class with a black eye and a broken nose!" Bucky's voice rose in volume as he examined Steve's once perfect face, now a palette of clashing colors, the most vibrant being the red blood gushing out of his nose.

Steve tried to shrug Bucky off, but winced as he did so, making Bucky's face fall into a flat look. Steve sighed, reaching up and pinching his nose to feel around for the broken bone, but he only made himself suck in a sharp breath, more blood rushing out of his nostril.

"Yeah, that's definitely broken." Bucky stepped to the side, looking for Coach. Luckily he was close by, already assessing Steve's situation, and Bucky almost laughed at how green his face was. "Coach, I'm taking Steve to the nurse," he said, and the man nodded quickly.

Bucky lifted Steve's weight onto his shoulders and they hobbled out, Steve occasionally dripping blood. Bucky shook his head and made a detour in the locker room, grabbing a bunch of paper towels from the bathroom and handing them to Steve. Steve winced as he shoved them under his nose.

"You ready to tell me what happened?" Bucky grunted, looking over at Steve momentarily before focusing again on the hallway in front of them. It was a short walk to the nurse's office, but with Bucky carrying most of the weight, it took them a little longer.

"I...uh..." Bucky could tell Steve was looking for an excuse, so he elbowed his crush in the side, making Steve cough. The blond sent a harsh glare over at the brunet, who just looked at him expectantly.

"Tony and I got into a fight, and we both landed some pretty hard punches. I just didn't realize what kind of iron fists he had until he, uh, apparently broke my nose," Steve chuckled, wincing directly after. Bucky rolled his eyes as they turned a corner, nearing the nurses' office.

"What were you fighting over, a girl?" The tease slipped out of Bucky's mouth before he could register what happened, and his eyes widened as they found Steve's face, trying to find a reaction.

Shit, does he know? Oh my gods, what if Sharon's been sleeping with Tony, too? Tasha would be crushed.

"Um. Well, we were...we were fighting over you, actually." Bucky stopped in his tracks, blinking.

"Huh?" Steve sighed, lifting his arm off of Bucky's shoulders. The brunet bit his tongue to keep from protesting, already missing the warmth and comfort his arm provided.

"Tony claimed that he saw Sharon, my girlfriend, making out with another guy, who looked a lot like you. He said that Sharon was cheating on me with you, my so-called friend, and I called him a liar, immediately defending you before I defended Sharon. That got him riled up, and he charged at me. I retaliated, and...well, here we are." Bucky sucked in a breath at Steve's first words, before coughing out a sharp laugh.

"Doesn't he know I'm gay?" At this, Steve grinned, not even caring that his busted lip had started bleeding again.

"I guess not, Buck. You're gonna have to tell him."

"Guess so." They fell into a comfortable silence as they stopped in front of the nurses' office. "Are...are you okay? I mean, not just physically, but about what Tony said and Sharon...supposedly cheating on you?" Bucky winced, his eyes going to Steve.

"I mean, yeah, what Tony said was pretty hurtful, and the way he attacked me won't be so easily forgiven, but I understand where he came from with Sharon, and I guess it kind of makes me...uneasy, you know? Like, I know she would never do that, but I just can't help but be worried." Steve reasoned, running a hand through his hair.

Bucky wanted to spin around and smash his head into the wall.

Instead, he smiled tightly and leaned over, knocking on the door of the nurses' office to get her attention. He looked at the boy with the bloody nose, the boy who still looked so perfect even with a crooked appendage to match his crooked smile. The boy who believed in and trusted his girlfriend so much that Bucky knew it would break his huge heart if he ever found out the truth.

It's now or never.

Bucky ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I get that. I'm sorry you got in a fight with Tony, but about Sharon–" he started, and Steve nodded, waiting for him to continue. Bucky just stared at Steve, the words dying on his tongue.

I can't. I can't be the one to break his heart. Not now.

"I...hope you feel better, Steve. See you tomorrow." He refrained from patting Steve's shoulder, instead forcing a smile and raising a hand to wave at him. Steve waved back with uncertainty, and Bucky sighed before turning on his heel and making his way down the hallway, back the way they came.

He stared at the ground, eyes darting to every dried drop of blood on the tile.

Dammit, Steve.

Bucky slammed himself against the wall as soon as he turned the corner, falling to the ground, head in his hands.

I'm such a coward. I like the boy too much to break his heart. Fuck, I'm so selfish.

He sighed and leaned his head back against the wall, closing his eyes and continuing to scold himself.

He sat there, slumped against the wall and hating himself until the bell rang, signaling the end of the day, and students flooded the halls around him. It took someone accidentally tripping over his knees and shouting some obscenity at him for Bucky to actually stand up and trudge back to the locker rooms to change.