Summer In Your Eyes: Seasons Series 1 (Lifeguard!Steve x Bucky Barnes Summer AU)

Fourteen

Dramatically, Natasha gasped, "No," bringing Bucky out of his mind and into the present.

Bucky redirected his attention to the TV where he found the two sisters from the previous cutscene as adults. The younger sister holding the older sister, Gretchen. Bucky's personal favorite character in the Don't Enter franchise. Gretchen, a strong character -- some could argue the strongest -- laid there bloody in her sister's arms. It was obvious that she had been bitten. Clearly she was going to be turned into a zombie. Her sister would be forced to kill her.

Trying to catch up, Bucky pleaded, "They're not going to kill off the best character in the entire franchise, right? Please tell me that they're not going to kill her off."

Steve kept his lips together and playfully pretended to zip his lips. Cheekily letting Bucky know that he wasn't going to spoil the game. Briefly, teasingly, Bucky narrowed his eyes at Steve. Feeling Bucky's gaze on him, Steve's lips tugged up into a small smirk before giving Bucky a sideways glance and pointing to the TV.

Rapidly, Bucky's heart thrummed in his chest and he was quick to redirected his attention. Bucky didn't want to be caught by the object of his affection staring at him. After all, Steve didn't know that Bucky had a crush on him.

Swallowing down the lump in his throat, Bucky watched the cutscene. Watched as Gretchen's younger sister shot her in her head. Gretchen stopped twitching. She wasn't suffering anymore. Her sister laid Gretchen's body down on the dirty floor, and the younger sister kissed Gretchen's forehead, "You did all you could do."

"Please tell me that I didn't see what I just saw," Bucky said, stunned, turning to look at Steve again.

Steve's brows briefly furrowed. Pausing the game, Steve looked over at Bucky and asked, "What's the last installment you played?"

"I don't know," Bucky replied, trying to think about the game franchise instead of getting lost in Steve's clear blue eyes. Still not entirely sure, Bucky sheepishly confessed, "Don't Enter 4, that was the one where they introduced Leon, right?"

Shocked, Steve's mouth was in the shape of an O as he stared at Bucky. After a moment, Steve finally, incredulously questioned, "You haven't played the last three games?!"

"I guess," Bucky admitted, slightly wincing.

"Ohhhh," Natasha exaggerated from the other side of Steve.

"I can't believe that you haven't played the last three games," Steve muttered, mainly to himself, as he stood up from the sofa. Crossing the room to the entertainment center, Steve glanced over his shoulder at Bucky, and shook his head while muttering, "Three games."

Playfully annoyed as he turned off the current game console and switched to an older model. As the system booted up, Steve stated, "Your girlfriend must be a goddess since she kept you from playing the three most intense installments in the franchise. Your favorite franchise."

As Steve handed Bucky the other guest controller, Clint entered the basement. For a moment, Bucky had completely forgotten that Clint even existed let alone that he was supposed to hang out. And briefly, Bucky wished that he didn't show up at all. Then, Bucky went further and wished that Clint would take Natasha so he could be alone with Steve.

Of course, when Steve returned to his seat, and sat even closer than he originally had been, Bucky couldn't help but be grateful for Clint. Extremely grateful. Especially since Clint and Natasha weren't even taking up the other half of the sofa. That there was plenty of other seats that Steve could have easily taken.

Did that mean that Steve wanted to sit that close to Bucky? Bucky sure as hell hoped so. Bucky hoped for a lot of things. Mainly, Bucky hoped that Steve wanted more. No, not just more. Wanted Bucky. Wanted to be near him. Touch him. Just wanted him. The same way that Bucky wanted Steve.

When Steve accidentally knocked his knee against Bucky's, as he tried to get more comfortable, Bucky tensed. It was like a shock to his system, waking him up. Especially when Steve softly apologized, "Sorry."

"It's okay," Bucky instantly reassured and tried not to pay attention to the way that Steve kept shifting in his seat to get comfortable. Once Steve tugged at the crotch of his shorts though in his attempts to be comfortable, it would appear that all bets were off. Bucky snapped his gaze to the TV and prayed that he wouldn't get a boner. That was the absolute last thing that Bucky needed.

Of course, what Bucky needed even less was the way that Steve's voice dipped low in octave and he asked, "You okay."

Still tense, his whole body rigid as he attempted to keep control over himself, Bucky simply nodded and lied, "Just nervous for Gretchen."

"Oh yeah," Steve agreed and conceded, "It gets pretty bad." Bumping his shoulder against Bucky's, Steve teased, "You can hold my hand if you want."

Forcing out a laugh, Bucky did the exact opposite as to what he wanted as he declined, "Thanks, but I'll be fine."