Not Like This (Stucky AU)

CHAPTER THREE

STEVE'S POV

Every single person freezes the second the dodgeball slams into Bucky's head. Even though it's the first day back, our gym teacher wanted us to get straight into it, so we're playing dodgeball and someone on the other team decided to go for Bucky. They failed the first few attempts but this attempt got him straight in the side of the head.
Bucky just stands there unfazed as the ball bounces away for a few seconds before walking to the sidelines and taking a seat with everyone else who are out. Unsurprisingly, Nat and Clint are the last two standing on my team, I got kicked off ten minutes ago. Those two have always smashed this game, they're super competitive and love dodgeball. Clint has deadly accurate aim while Nat is light on her feet. I'm more than sure they'd win if it was the two of them against the rest of the class in this game.
"Hey Bucky, do you wanna come with us to Sottocasa?" I ask him when he finally comes out of the locker room. Nat, Clint, Bruce and I decided to wait and see if he'd tag along.
"Yeah, I'd like that but I need to text my mum first." Bucky shoulders his backpack and makes sure his glove securely covers his hand.
I know that Rumlow is the reason for his arm but I haven't asked what happened during that time because my mum always said that I should wait until they're ready to talk, Bucky especially. So, I'll give him all the time he needs but also stick by his side. I was in no way lying when I said I forgave him for clocking me and screaming at me. Yes, I was hurt and wanted to kick his ass for it but after talking to my mum about it, I realised that it was just the hold Rumlow had over him and not really him.
Bucky's mum, Winnifred says Bucky can hang out with us but for him to save room for dinner tonight and that he needs to be back before seven because it's a school night.
We all walk into Sottocasa less than an hour later and grab a table and order a couple pizzas to share between the five of us. Clint being classic Clint, turns his hearing aids right down when he steals a slice of Natasha's pizza so he can't hear her angry Russian but then she starts signing her words. Shock crosses the boys face before he squeezes his eyes shut and sticks his tongue out like the child he is on the inside. Bucky looks so confused about the whole thing while Bruce and I are so used to it that we just talk about other stuff until they finish their little spat and Clint turns his hearing aids back up.
"You gonna eat that?" Clint asks Bucky, the slice of pizza just sitting on the plate untouched by the person it was given to. Bucky shakes his head silently and pushes it over to the always hungry Clint.
"Have you eaten today?" I ask Bucky quietly so the others don't hear.
"Toast." He mumbles back with a shrug, staring at his gloved hand resting on the table. "Just haven't been all that hungry over the past year and a bit."
"I'm sure it'll grow back again." That makes his lips twinge in a smile the tiniest bit.
The next couple hours are fun and sort of relaxing. As soon as the pizza has been demolished, we go to a local park and cheer Clint on as he climbs a massive tree before refusing to come down because he is 'one with the birds'. But then a hawk lands on his shoulder and he lets out a high pitched scream and scrambles back down the tree. We all start laughing hard, even Mr Emotionless Bucky, who I don't think I've seen so carefree in the past three weeks.
"Thank you for bringing him back on time, Steve." Mrs Barnes smiles kindly when we walk Bucky back home as it gets dark. "Would the four of you like to stay for dinner?"
"Trust me, Clint doesn't need anymore food." Nat says quickly before Clint can say yes. "He ate like three pizzas."
"That does not surprise me." Mrs Barnes chuckles while Clint pouts.
We say goodbye to Mrs Barnes and Bucky, then all head our separate ways back home. I let myself in the door, hang my bag on a hook but not before grabbing my art book and pencils to work on until mum gets home. It's just my mum and I at home now, my dad walked out last year to be with another woman. I hardly see him but I don't mind, I like it just being my mum and I because he was very strict.
Settling down on the couch, I begin to draw but I don't really know what I'm drawing until the door closing shut jolts me out of my fuzzy head and I realise I drew Bucky's face. My eyes go wide and I quickly shut my book and place it down to go help my mum with the groceries while thinking to myself that it's just because I got my friend back and not for any other reason than that and that alone.
"You okay there, kiddo?" I hear my mum ask me as I push my food around the plate.
"Hmm? Yeah, just a lot on my mind." I shrug, spinning my fork to catch pasta, then I put it in my mouth. "We got Bucky to laugh today at the park."
"Really? That's awesome." Mum grins happily because Bucky hadn't relaxed once until that moment. "What happened?"
"Clint climbed a tree at the park, a hawk landed on his shoulder and he screamed and climbed back down." I chuckle, spinning my fork once more and eating the mouthful. My mum laughs lightheartedly.
"Clint is a strange one." I can't help but agree to those words.
"Though, Bucky was strangely calm when he got hit in the head by a dodgeball," I tell her, remembering how unfazed he was, as if it never even touched him. "He just stood there like he didn't feel a thing before he went and sat down."
"Well, the pain caused when he got his current arm probably made his tolerance for pain go up, he probably just felt like it was just a light slap to the face." Mum explains. Makes sense even if it's saddening to hear. "Eat up dear, I don't want it to go cold."