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

Fifty-Five

"Hey," Sharon greeted Bucky with a large grin before directing her friendly smile to Tibby.

Realizing that he wasn't smiling and that his jaw was hanging open with his surprise, Bucky quickly snapped his mouth closed. Too aggressively, as well. His teeth gnashing together so harshly that it vibrated his teeth. Of course, that was only one of his issues in the moment. Now, he reminded himself to smile.

Forcing a casual -- he hoped -- grin on his face, Bucky returned the greeting, "Hey."

"I didn't know you were going to be here," Sharon conversationally admitted.

Setting Tibby on the floor, Bucky couldn't help but agree with Sharon's statement. Flipping it around though because, why wouldn't Bucky be there? Sharon was the surprise. Sharon was the one who wasn't supposed to be there.

Attempting to appear as nonchalant as possible, Bucky leaned against the counter beside Steve. Crossing his arms along his chest and glaring when Sharon casually leaned in to kiss Steve's shoulder, Bucky couldn't help his breath from pausing. Bucky didn't realize that the hitch was audible until Steve gave him a sideways glance.

Bucky wondered if his rigid form emitted enough attitude that silently told Steve that they needed to talk. IMMEDIATELY! Because if it didn't, it sure as hell, needed to.

"Hey, um," Steve started, turning to face Sharon. Handing the large bowl to Sharon, Steve suggested, "How about you take this out front."

The three glanced out towards the front deck where people were sitting and laughing at something that Sarah was saying. Sharon nodded, agreeing, and leaned in to press a sweet kiss to Steve's cheek.

Rolling his eyes, Bucky kept his gaze on her as Sharon crossed the cabin and opened the sliding doors to join the others. Once the door was closed, Bucky directed his attention to Steve and quirked a brow at the blond. Waiting for his reasoning. For his excuse.

"I can explain," Steve started, with his brows arched high on his forehead.

Silently, Bucky pressed his lips together, to physically keep himself from speaking before Steve had his chance to explain. Of course, the longer that Steve waited, the more angry Bucky grew. The minutes ticking by. Slowly ticking by at that. Steve was taking his sweet time. His sweet ass time with (1) explaining what was going on and (2) BREAKING UP WITH HIS GIRLFRIEND!

When Steve just stood there, avoiding Bucky's gaze and worrying his lower lip with his teeth, Bucky finally had enough and demanded, "Steve!"

"Sorry," Steve winced, his brows furrowing as he glanced over his shoulder. Bucky looked outside where the group was too, and sighed when he found that Sam had been watching them.

Directing his attention back to Bucky, Steve lowered his voice and said, "She just showed up."

"She just showed up," Bucky repeated, taking in a deep grounding breath so he could remain calm. But he wasn't necessarily keeping his cool.

"Yeah, she just showed up," Steve confirmed, "With her family. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't break up with her in front of her family."

Closing his eyes, Bucky took in another deep breath, willing all that was holy to help him keep his composure. Of course, he was still having difficulty and pinched the bridge of his nose as he questioned through his teeth, "Why didn't you break with her yesterday? Or text her not to come?"

"Dude," Steve pleaded, earning a look from Bucky. Steve gave him a helpless look as he said, "She was working yesterday and it's rude to break up over the phone." A little disappointed, Steve shook his head and muttered, "Honestly."

"You're going to lecture me about what's, 'Rude'?" Bucky incredulously asked. Even using finger quotes.

Steve sighed and glanced over his shoulder again. If Bucky wasn't growing angrier by the second, he'd probably feel bad for how utterly broken Steve looked in that moment. However, Bucky was irritated and broken too. So, he didn't feel all that bad about letting some of his frustration out.

"Sharon deserves to be treated better," Steve whispered, directing his gaze back to Bucky, but not entirely as he kept his gaze down.

Slightly rolling his eyes as he took in another breath, Bucky's gaze landed on the bathroom door in front of him. His brows furrowed as he remembered the reason why he had entered the pontoon's cabin to begin with. Pushing himself away from the counter, Bucky lightly knocked on the door as he questioned, "Tib?"

"Just a minute," Tibby sing-songed from the bathroom.

Sighing, Bucky rested his forehead against the door as he knocked on the door again, "Tib, are you done going potty?"

It was quiet for a moment and Bucky rolled his eyes. Luckily, there shouldn't have been anything that she could get into, since there wasn't very much space in the bathroom to begin with. But Bucky was still annoyed at Steve, and a little bit rolled off of him.

"C'mon," Bucky stated, knocking again because they were teaching Tibby about privacy and there wasn't any good in just opening the door without her permission. Instead, Bucky asked, "What are you doing in there?"

"Washing my hands," Tibby called out, defending herself.

"Okay," Bucky's brows furrowed and he sighed, "Well, are you almost done?"

Another moment, and Tibby informed, "I'm only on N."

"Only on N?" Bucky asked, getting annoyed with Tibby now.

"Yeah," Tibby confirmed before immediately explaining, "Daddy said that when we wash our hands, we're supposed to sing the alphabet. And I'm only on N."

Lightly knocking his head on the door, Bucky said, "I think you're fine. You've been in there for a while."

"But I'm only on N," Tibby protested.

"Then sing the rest of it!" Bucky snipped.

"Buck --"

Steve started, but paused with one glance back from Bucky. Steve pressed his lips together and Bucky could tell that he was trying not to laugh at the current situation. Tibby, on the other hand, had no issue with telling them, "I don't remember what comes next."

"Oh, my god," Bucky sighed, clenching his hands into fists by his sides.

Behind him, Steve started singing, "ABCDEFGHIJKLMN," then louder and slower, he continued, "O - P - Q."

From inside the bathroom, Tibby joined in, "R - S - T - U - V - W -X - Y - and - Z! Now - I - know - my - ABC's, won't - you - sing --"

"Alongwithme," Bucky rushed for them both. Making sure to glare back at Steve, who was desperately trying to keep from laughing. And because Bucky couldn't stay angry -- no matter how much he wanted to -- Bucky smirked and muttered, "I hate you so much."