Daydreams (Bucky x YN imagines and one-shots)

Oblivious

Context: this one takes place in the 30s - you and Steve are twins, and you two and Bucky are teens and close friends. It's another short one, but it's cute :)

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"Well, I'm single again."

Steve looked up from his newspaper to catch sight of his best friend waltzing up the grassy hill to join him in the shade under the tree. "What happened? I thought you really liked this one."

Bucky found a comfortable spot amid the tree roots and stretched out his legs with a sigh. "She found out that I wasn't actually sick when I skipped out on our last date."

Steve folded up his paper, fixing Bucky with a stare that he hoped looked stern. But unfortunately, being a sickly 17-year-old who can't even grow a full beard yet doesn't really lend itself to that sort of fatherly attitude, and he only managed to look curious. "What were you actually doing, then?"

Despite Steve's distinct lack of severity, Bucky still had the grace to look at least a little bit embarrassed. "It might have been the night we went to see the Bride of Frankenstein."

Last Friday night, you and Steve had decided to go the movies. The two of you invited Bucky to join at the last minute. Steve remembered the hurried phone call, and the ease with which Bucky had agreed to the invitation. It never once occurred to either of you that Bucky would have cancelled other plans to make it happen.

"Wait. You cancelled a date to come to the movies with us?" Steve gaped at him. "But you've seen that movie four times!"

"It's a good movie," Bucky retorted, feeling suddenly a little defensive. "Seemed like more fun than dancing, anyway."

Steve shook his head. "Why didn't you just tell her you'd rather go to the movies? She could have come too, if she wanted."

Bucky rolled his eyes. "Why, so I can get another earful about spending too much time with another woman?"

Steve paused, confused. It took him a moment to realize that Bucky meant you. Was his girlfriend really that jealous? Or ex-girlfriend now, he supposed. "Yeah, because you ditched her to hang out with us. I don't think she would have been so jealous if you'd invited her to come too. Would she?"

Bucky shrugged, folding his hands behind his head. He seemed unusually okay with this turn of events. People aren't usually so relaxed after getting dumped. "Probably. She would have gotten upset about it eventually, even if it hadn't happened that night."

"What do you mean?"

Bucky answered with a soft, derisive snort. "You're joking, right? Half my break-ups have been because she got jealous of your sister. They always think I have a crush, no matter how many times I tell them otherwise."

Steve chuckled. "Well... do you have a crush on her?"

"What?" Bucky scoffed. "No! Haven't you listened to a word I just said?"

"How many girls have you dated?" Steve started counting on his fingers. "If only one or two had been jealous, that's one thing, but it sounds like it's more. Maybe they have a point, is all I'm saying."

Bucky dropped his head back against the tree trunk with a loud groan. "I don't have a crush on your sister, Steve. I know what a crush feels likes and it's not..." He paused, shaking his head. "Spending time with her is too easy for it to be a crush, you know?"

Steve's mouth popped open in quiet surprise. He'd just been teasing Bucky, but maybe he actually did have a crush. And apparently a healthy dose of denial about it, too. "Too... easy? Isn't it supposed to be easy to spend time with someone you like?"

"No way." Bucky waved a dismissive hand through the air, though the motion shifted to swatting at a wasp that had drifted lazily by on the summer breeze. "If you have a crush, you're supposed to get all tongue-tied and jittery. Your crush is supposed to make you nervous." A smile ghosted over his face. "Spending time with her? Easy as breathing." He chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. A crush on you? Ridiculous! Going on a date with you would be... well, it'd be fun, but that wasn't the point. Of course it would be fun - you were best friends for a reason. Spending time with you was enjoyable, obviously, but that didn't make it a date. Besides, girls get all dolled up for dates and he just couldn't imagine you doing that for him. And if you did... Well, okay, he was pretty sure you'd be gorgeous. You could wear a paper bag and he'd still think you're pretty. But that didn't mean anything. Even if he did kind of like the idea of seeing you dressed up for him.

But really, really the problem was the end of the date. Walking you home at the end of the night, standing on your doorstep. He just couldn't imagine kissing you. What would you say, as he threaded his fingers into your hair? Something sweet, or would you tease him? He couldn't imagine what you'd feel like in his arms, the scent of your perfume, the taste of your lips...

Oh no.

Bucky let out a slow breath, trying to remember how to work his tongue, trying to calm the butterflies fluttering in his stomach, trying to make his heart stop hammering so damned hard against his ribs. "Uh, hey, Steve?"

Steve had gone back to reading his paper, wearing a smirk. "Yeah, Buck?"

"I think I might have a crush on your sister."