Boys like Boys|| Peter Parker

.9.

September, 2015

Head held up, an outfit not fit for the weather and wide eyes. Blending into a crowd was second nature to him, he made himself look small and unimportant. It seemed to be working. From the people around him he analyzed, most of them didn't look at him twice.

It was fairly cold, the wind tinting Oliver's nose and cheeks pink. He regretted not wearing a hoodie since he could have just put on the hood now that he was cold. He had survived winters colder than this in less layers, he reminded himself. Oliver opted only to pull his denim jacket closer to his body, nearly covering his band tee.

Ever so often, he would look at his left wrist where the rainbow friendship bracelet Bucky had made was tied and he would smile to himself. Over all, he liked how he looked, he blended in the crowd while still being himself.

"You look great" Oliver muttered, but he knew Bucky heard him.

The older man was wearing a light pink hoodie with a sunflower embroidered on it, his nails painted pink to match and his eyes surrounded by pink eyeshadow (courtesy of Oliver). Oliver could still remember the absolute joy on Bucky's face when Oliver had encouraged him to wear what he wanted, and that he could dress himself in whatever manner he wished.

That was the real Bucky, the one who was too shy to wear what he loved, but after some assurance that it was okay for men to dress any way they want, he too had been experimenting.

"Stay close kid" Bucky's voice was barely above a whisper as he boarded the train. This was their third time moving from a country. Oliver couldn't believe he had met Bucky seven months ago, the way the acted, was like old friends. Well, more like a father and son, but Oliver didn't mind that. And despite his trust issues, he found himself getting attached when he knew he shouldn't have.

It was easy to pretend that they were normal people, even when they weren't. It was easy to slip into banter and laugh about whatever show they were watching at the moment. It was easy to forget about the very real threats that were still out there. 

"Right behind ya Barry" Oliver fidgeted with the spinner in his hand. He had seen it in all it's bright green glory in a shop with a few teenagers spinning it in their own hands. He didn't know what the big deal was, but he felt extremely elated when Bucky bought it for him. It was the first thing he owned, other than a few stolen clothes.

"I'm serious, Oliver"

"I know, I saw a few hunky dumb asses outside the Italian food place"

"So... HYDRA?"

As much as Oliver was enjoying life, they were in constant danger. They couldn't stay in one place for longer than a couple of weeks. Either the widows caught up with them, or HYDRA did. And Oliver was sick and tired of all the running, he had thought the red room wouldn't care if he lived or died, apparently they really wanted him back.

Oliver calmly took a seat a few meters away from where Bucky was sitting. From the corner of his eye, he saw Bucky shift in his seat a bit, sitting with his legs even farther apart.

Oh. Right.

Oliver copied him, he wouldn't want anyone to think...

Bucky had been a great help actually, from knife tricks to pancakes to presenting more masculine, he tried to teach Oliver everything he didn't already know. In return, Oliver taught him a bit of ballet, without the toes part cause Bucky couldn't do that for the life of him. Still, all these months, the two found themselves to be getting closer.

The train doors began to close, but someone, or rather two certain some ones stepped into the train just as it started moving.

Oliver saw Bucky tense just a little.

The hat on his head did absolutely nothing to conceal him if the two men came close.

Oliver acted as if he were just a kid playing with his spinner, but he tried to look at the two men decked in black.

The taller, blond one, the one with the more determined look took the lead. He started walking towards Oliver and Bucky, causing the boy to take in a sharp breath. This was bad.

When the man walked, his arms swung like a soldier's and his sleeves lifted ever so slightly through which Oliver could see a small tattoo on his arm. It was these small details he chose to store away just in case, remembering someone was always useful.

The other man, was far more muscly and far shorter, maybe a little taller than Oliver's tiny 5"4' height. But he was the one carrying the gun.

Crap.

A woman cast the man a scared look. The man glared at her in return.

Well, this just keeps getting better and better.

Oliver now had to worry about other civilians on the carriage as well as himself and Bucky. A few meters away, that was exactly what Bucky was thinking. It was strange, the two had never needed to think about anyone other than themselves, yet here they were trying to find a way not many people got hurt.

Oliver was terrified. He was the selfish one, the one applauded because he didn't waste time on missions thinking about others. He cared more about his own skin than others. Yet, right then, looking at the young girl sitting opposite to him, the one with the short brown hair and big brown eyes, he was terrified not for himself, he was afraid that something would happen to these innocent people.

Bucky looked at Oliver. For what seemed like the hundredth time, their eyes met.

Oliver had always thought Bucky's eyes were his best features. They spoke volumes when Bucky was mute for days. He could communicate his entire life story with just his bright blue eyes. And right then he was telling Oliver his plan.

There was no doubt these men were HYDRA, Bucky had seemingly registered that too. He pressed his lips into a thin line and nodded slightly, hoping Oliver understood what he meant.

Hit them before they hit us.

There was no doubt they'd recognise Bucky in a few seconds. A few seconds— that's all tehy had. And they needed to make it count. Oliver would rather die than go back to the Red Room and he wasn't going to let Bucky get captured either.

The fidget spinner dropped out of Oliver's hand and fell in front of the tattooed man's feet.

"sorry" Oliver apologized as he bent down to retrieve it. 

The man grunted in response.

As he was about to stand back up, he took a small breath preparing himself and he punched upwards with as much force as he could, giving the man the uppercut of his life.

With a loud groan, the man fell back and all hell broke loose.