Not Like This (Stucky AU)

CHAPTER FOUR

BUCKY'S POV

It has been a month since I went back to school when it started back up and homecoming is right around the corner and I haven't asked anyone to it because I'm not even sure if I want to go. Like, I do but I don't want to go. I'm sick of having to wear a glove over my hand but I don't want anyone to see the arm and find out want happened to me during my hiatus. They'd either pity me, or fear me and I don't want either. Steve, Clint, Nat and Bruce are the only ones at school who know about my arm, and a couple teachers but other than them, everyone else is oblivious to it.
Today is Saturday and homecoming is next Saturday. I want to take Steve but I'm pretty sure he's as straight as a ruler, and I think he's taking Sharon Carter. I can't ask Nat because she's going with Clint (they've finally admitted to each other that they like the other), and Bruce is going with Tony Stark. Which leaves me all alone because I'm not asking Sam Wilson, he's annoying as all hell and he follows Steve around like a lost puppy. I'm Stevie's only lost puppy. Fight me, Wilson.
Pushing that situation out of my head, I grab my English homework and start working on my formal writing (trying to at least) until there's a soft knock at my door followed by my mum's voice telling me Steve's here to hang out.
"Hey Stevie." I smile slightly at the tall, broad shouldered boy when he comes into my room.
"He smiles." Steve teases, sitting down on my bed, my smile growing bigger. "What are you doing?"
"English homework." My smile fades. I'm struggling with this but I don't want to tell him so. "It sucks, I don't know how I managed to get in our grade."
"Would you like some help?" Steve offers with a smirk. I pout a little but nod silently. "What bit are you up to?"
I move so I'm sitting next to him on my bed and we get stuck into my homework. About half an hour later, I get frustrated and toss my book to the side and bury my face in my hands.
"Rumlow always said I'm nothing but a useless mutt, he's right." I sob angrily, my ex's harsh words front and centre in my head.
"He's wrong, you're not useless and you're definitely not a mutt." His words are nice but they do nothing to convince me otherwise. I should've stayed and let Rumlow treat me like the mutt I am. "Hey, Bucky, you're not a mutt. Some people struggle with stuff, some don't, some people just need a little help."
Stevie then asks if it's okay for him to hug me to which I nod and allow him to wrap his arms around my body. I do miss skinny little Stevie but right here, right now, his body size is perfect in helping me feel safe from my memories. He holds me until I calm down and we resume the homework, and he explains it in a simpler way and I slowly get the point of formal writing and the subject we're doing it on (food served in the cafeteria at school).
"Told you you could do it." Steve nudges me playfully after I've finished drafting the letter for the teacher to read.
"Thanks, Stevie." I smile, putting the stuff back into my school bag, my other backpack is sitting under my bed with the few things remaining from the past year. "What should we do now?"
"Do you remember how to skateboard?" My eyebrows fuse together in confusion. Of course I remember but I also remember he sucks at it. I nod slowly, growing more confused by the second. "Still want to teach me how to ride one?"
"And see you fall off?" I consider the idea, picturing him failing at skateboarding. "Hell yeah!"
I grab two skateboards from the wall and we run off outside. I show him what to do a few times, being patient with him as he was with me and my homework. In no time, we're slowly skating down the streets of Brooklyn, Stevie occasionally stumbling and tripping up and ending on his ass but he just gets back up on the board and keeps going. It's truly amazing to see the determination in his face as he repeatedly gets up and keeps going. Eventually he rolls past me with a stupidly cute grin on his face and his hair being thrown about by the wind. I quickly snap out of my thoughts and push after him, doing my best not to crash into anyone as I chase after the boy. Unfortunately, just as I catch up, I'm clotheslined by someone and fly off my board, landing hard on my back but it doesn't hurt much. What does hurt is my heart when I look up to see Rumlow smirking cruelly above me.
"We weren't done with you, mutt." Panic sets in but my body won't listen to me wanting to run away.
"Rumlow, please no." I beg, unable to do much as he roughly drags me down an alley. "Please, just let me go."
"I thought you loved me but then you just upped and left me and the boys!" He throws me against a wall, the wind gets knocked out of my lungs.
I beg over and over for him to just leave me be but every time I do, his fist connects with a part of my body. I know that if I fight back, things will just get worse, I learnt that long ago, so I just let him do as he wish while internally begging someone, anyone, to help me but this is Brooklyn. Someone being beaten in an alley is a typical Saturday.