Paper Hearts (skinny!Steve and badboy!Bucky Modern AU)

Five

Steve liked to read.  "Love," Steve corrected himself, "I love to read."

It was lunch, but Bucky was in the library with Steve.  They didn't move from the book stacks, just slid down and sat on the maroon carpet instead.  Bucky had put Madame Bovary back where he selected it while Steve held his desired novel in his lap.  Occasionally, Steve would subconsciously run his fingertips along the smooth surface of the cover, drawing Bucky's attention to the small movement every time that it happened, making Bucky wonder what the soft caresses would feel against his skin.

"What?"  Steve asked with furrowed brows.

Feeling like he was just caught with his hand in the cookie jar, Bucky blushed and lied, "What book?  I can't see the title."

"Oh," Steve's eyes briefly widened before he finally said, "The Odyssey."

"Isn't that required reading?"  Bucky asked with a small scoff.

"Yeah," Steve quickly lifted his shoulder and quirked a brow, almost challenging Bucky, as he asked, "So?  What's your point?"

Bucky bit his lip and shook his head as he looked down at his lap.  Bucky wasn't sure what the right thing to say was, so he didn't say anything.  For a moment, Bucky wondered why it mattered what Steve thought of him.  Why was Bucky trying so hard to get Steve to approve of him.  No, not just approve.  In general, there weren't a lot of people who approved of Bucky in all his teen angst glory.  No, Bucky didn't care if Steve approved of who Bucky was.  Bucky wanted Steve to like him.

Looking back up, Bucky looked over Steve again.  Steve was a scrawny kid who was wearing clothes much too large for his naturally slender frame.  Bucky wondered if he did so purposely or if Steve had inherited the ill-fitting garments.  Either way, Bucky decided, Steve didn't necessarily look bad.  In fact, Bucky kinda liked how Steve's clothes were baggier.  If anything, it helped Bucky imagine what Steve would look like in his clothes.

Shocking himself, Bucky's gaze dropped and he blinked a few times.  Where the hell did that come from?  Bucky internally asked himself.  Of course, he knew where it came from.  One look at Steve and Bucky knew why it mattered to him if Steve liked him.  The answer was in the smaller boy's blue eyes and the way that his -- currently swollen -- bottom lip quirked up whenever Bucky eloquently put his foot in his mouth.

"Of Mice and Men," Bucky quietly said, gaining the blond's attention.

"What?"  Steve asked with a furrowed brow, locking eyes with Bucky.

Bucky cleared his throat and repeated, "Of Mice and Men."  He bit his lower lip and continued, "By John Steinbeck."

Steve nodded, "I'm aware."  A blush colored his cheeks and he pushed his floppy blond hair out of his eyes.  Bucky concluded that Steve looked embarrassed and Bucky felt a little smug.  Steve asked, "What about it?"

"It's a good one," Bucky answered with a small shrug.  "My favorite off the 10th grade reading list."

"Funny," Steve teased, "I always pegged you as a The Catcher in the Rye type of guy."

Bucky smirked and bit the inside of his cheek to keep himself from smiling too much.  A small chuckle escaped Bucky and he noticed that Steve looked particularly pleased with himself.  Bucky joked, "It's the jacket, isn't it?"

Steve chuckled, seemingly not caring whether he was being too loud, as he answered, "Actually, it's the devil-may-care attitude."

"Devil-may-care?"  Bucky leaned back as he barked out a laugh.  Sitting up again, he playfully narrowed his eyes at Steve and teased, "It's the bike, isn't it?"

Steve blushed and gave a single nod.  Bucky liked the way that the tips of Steve's ears were turning red, just like the apples of his cheeks.  Bucky also liked how Steve couldn't seem to meet Bucky's eyes in that moment.  It made Bucky feel like a million bucks.

Bucky liked that Steve was blushing.  Knowing that people usually blushed even more when they were called out on it, Bucky lifted his hand and wiggled his finger at Steve's face as he teased, "Are you blushing?"

"No," Steve scoffed and swatted at Bucky's hand, but the blush only grew more prominent.

"Yes, you are," Bucky insisted and playfully tapped Steve's knee with the side of his foot.

Steve then nudged Bucky's foot with his knee and scoffed, "Shut up, jerk."

"Hey," Bucky scoffed, "Watch who you're talkin' too, punk."

"Who're ya calling, 'punk'?"  Steve gasped, feigning shock, causing Bucky to laugh.

When the laughter died out, Bucky pressed his lips together to stop his smile from becoming too prominent.  However, when he looked up at Steve, all hope was lost.  Especially when Bucky realized that there was a dopey grin on Steve's face and that Bucky was the one who caused it.

Bucky opened his mouth, ready to talk.  But before he could say anything, the bell rang.  Signalling that the lunch period was over, the boys glanced at each other, then stood from the floor.  Briefly, Bucky wished that he had been the first to stand so that he could offer Steve his hand, like he had in the alley.

Feeling the urge to take Steve's hand anyway, Bucky instead raked it through his shoulder length brown hair.  The movement gained Steve's attention.  It didn't last long though.  Steve turned and walked towards the librarian, Mrs. Bittermeyer, leaving Bucky standing there a bit... crushed.

Defeated after the moment ended, Bucky left the library without another word.  Bucky would've liked to seem cooler than he was, but he messed it up by glancing over his shoulder.  Luckily for Bucky though, it was the exact moment that Steve happened to glance over at him too.

The corner of Bucky's lips quirked up as he turned down the hallway, walking with a little more spring in his step.  Maybe, just maybe, Steve liked Bucky.  Just a little, maybe.