Call It What You Want: Home Series 1 (Trans!Steve and Pan!Bucky Summer AU)

Twenty-Three

After one final informercial, a movie started. A simple black screen with the credits playing out in blocky white text while a trumpet heavy song played. Steve shifted in his seat. Although it wasn't an ideal opening, and it most definitely wasn't an opening that Steve had seen before. The anticipation was building as the title finally popped on the screen: I Was A Teenage Werewolf.

"This is a good one," Bucky stated around a mouthful of soggy cereal.

"Never seen it," Steve admitted, shoveling another spoonful into his mouth.

"I'd be surprised if you had," Bucky smirked, pushing his black frame glasses back up his nose. Gaining Steve's attention, Bucky clarified, "It's an older one. Late 50s."

There was a smile tugging at the corner of Steve's lips as he looked over Bucky. It was beyond obvious that Bucky was a movie fan. After all, Bucky woke up at 4:30 in the morning, just to watch an old monster movie. It was endearing. Cute. Completely adorable. Especially how he was sitting there, watching the movie with a childlike fascination while he shoveled soggy Trix cereal into his mouth.

Feeling Steve watching him, Bucky gave him a sideways glance and he quirked his brow at Steve. For a moment, Steve thought about averting his gaze, but Bucky had already caught him. So, Steve shyly smiled and softly stated, "Hi."

A wide grin slowly spread across Bucky's face as he repeated the greeting, "Hi."

Commotion on the TV broke the moment and both boys turned to face the front again. The movie reclaiming their attention as the characters on screen fought in the center of a circle while being surrounded by their peers. And although it was entertaining, Steve was curious about Bucky.

Briefly, Steve discreetly glanced over at Bucky from the corner of his eyes to find that Bucky was already looking at him. Trying to hide his grin, Steve brought the bowl up to his mouth and drank the cinnamon sugar milk that was left over from the cereal.

Once done, Steve set down the bowl in front of him and grabbed a blanket from the shelf underneath the table. Fixing the blanket on his lap, Steve brought the soft pink fleece material up to his chest and tucked it under his armpits. Still not as comfortable as he wanted to be, Steve went to prop his legs on the coffee table like Bucky, but Steve was too short. So, Steve started wiggling down until the heel of his foot touched the coffee table when Steve realized that Bucky was watching him with a quirked brow and an amused smile on his face.

"Sorry," Steve meekly declared, briefly pausing in his movements before finishing by comfortably reclining in his spot.

While Steve pressed his lips together in embarrassment as his cheeks started to flush, he sheepishly looked over at Bucky. Bucky still had an amused smile on his face and Bucky teasingly asked, "Ya good?"

Steve nodded and playfully pretended to imaginary zip his lips and turned his attention back to the TV. On screen, Steve watched as the lead's girlfriend was waiting for the lead to pick her up for their date. The girlfriend wore a pretty dress with her hair pulled back into a simple, stylish ponytail.

When the lead honked, signaling that he was there for their date, Steve couldn't help but agree with the character's parents when they said the lead was being disrespectful. Steve glanced over at Bucky and quietly mocked, "Uh, rude."

Bucky kept his attention on the movie and Steve suddenly felt defeated. As though he had failed at earning Bucky's attention. So, Steve folded into himself a bit more and turned his gaze back to the TV.

As Steve watched the movie, he found himself having a very difficult time keeping his thoughts and comments to himself. Which was a very odd thing for Steve. He didn't often deal with something so conflicting. Usually, Steve was surrounded by others who couldn't stop talking.

Sitting there though next to Bucky, Steve felt like one of those people that he had wished would just shut up in the past. Especially when he whispered, "If it's Halloween, why aren't they in costumes?"

Bucky shrugged and quietly replied, "Not everyone dresses up."

Silently, Steve rolled his eyes and continued watching the movie. The characters were now at a party at an abandoned building. One of the characters were dressed in a clown costume and she was asking her bongo playing date if he was going to dance with her. Clearly, the bongo player was more interested in his drums than his date as he suggested that she dance with someone else.

The girl on screen was just as confused as Steve was as he muttered under his breath, "That doesn't make any sense."

"You're a talker, aren't ya?" Bucky softly mused as he leaned forward to grab his coffee from the table.

Without Steve even thinking to ask if Bucky would hand him his mug, Bucky grabbed Steve's too and handed it over to Steve. Sheepishly, Steve took it and took a drink, "Thanks."

Feeling bad for talking so much and disrupting Bucky's movie watching experience, Steve pressed his lips together. Wishing that he could shrink away. Disappear in that moment.

"I didn't mean it as a bad thing," Bucky quietly clarified after a moment. Steve chanced a glance at Bucky and found nothing but sincerity from the brunet. Bucky averted his gaze to the mug in his hands as he brought it to his mouth. Before he touched it to his lips, he reassured Steve, "I was just making an observation."

"An observation?" Steve questioned, forgetting about the movie playing on screen. Figuring that he could always find it online later, if he wanted to.

"Yeah," Bucky confirmed, his cheeks red. Shifting in his seat, he lowly admitted, "To better prepare myself."