Rude Boy: Blue Series 1 (Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes Modern California AU)

Eleven

A quiet night at home was exactly what Steve needed.  He parked in his designated parking space and headed up the six flights of stairs to his apartment.  Steve was still mildly embarrassed about Bucky seeing him joking around with Natasha and Steve even debated about taking a bath to take his mind off things.

However, when Steve rounded the landing to head up the last flight of stairs, Steve found Sharon sitting on the top step.  It was unexpected, but not unwelcomed.  Clearly waiting for Steve, Sharon rested her elbow on her knee while she scrolled through pinterest.  For a moment, she was so entranced with her pinning that she didn't notice Steve.

"Ya know," Steve started, announcing his presence while heading up the staircase, "I gave you a key for situations just like this."

"No," Sharon smirked, putting her phone away and accepting Steve's hand to help stand up.  Sharon continued, "You gave me a key for emergencies."

Steve rolled his eyes and smirked, "Technicalities."

"Technicalities," Sharon mocked, rolling her eyes as well before following Steve into his apartment.

"Ya hungry?"  Steve asked as he headed into the kitchen.

"Not particularly," Sharon declared as she plopped down on Steve's leather sofa.  Sharon spotted one of Steve's sketchbooks on the floor.  It was opened to a sketch of Bucky and Sharon was intrigued.  After all, Bucky was an attractive man.

As Steve started heating up leftovers for himself, he called, "Thirsty?  I think there might still be some of those wine coolers you like."

"Sure," Sharon absentmindedly agreed as she picked up the sketchbook to get a better look at the beautiful sketch.  Looking over the professional shading and the detail given to the eyes, Sharon asked, "Who's this?"

"Who's --" Steve paused when he noticed that Sharon was looking over one of his sketches of Bucky.  A blush started coloring Steve's cheeks and he swallowed thickly while he thought about what to tell Sharon.  By his reaction alone, there was no way that Sharon would believe him if he said that it was nobody.  She probably wouldn't believe him if he said that it was an upcoming game character design that he was working on either.

Sharon was watching Steve expectantly.  Since it was taking Steve a little longer than Sharon thought necessary, she turned her gaze back to the sketch and complimented, "He's... beautiful."

Steve blushed and crossed the room to hand Sharon a strawberry daiquiri wine cooler.  Taking a drink of his own beer, he said, "That's Bucky."

"Bucky?"  Sharon questioned with a little giggle at the admittedly ridiculous name.  Steve let out a little scoff and Sharon noticed something in Steve's expression.  Sharon sat up and asked, "Wait.  What's going on?"

Steve let out a huff of breath as he sat down on the leather sofa next to Sharon.  She turned to face him, bringing her long legs up and sitting on them.  Steve shrugged, "I don't know."

"Oh my god," Sharon giggled and playfully shoved Steve's broad shoulder, "You totally like him.  Who is he?  How'd you meet?"

Blushing, Steve looked down at his lap bashfully before stating, "I don't know that much about him.  All I know is that he goes by Bucky and that he works at Kismet."

"Shut up," Sharon's mouth dropped into a silent O and asked, "Did you meet him last weekend?"

Steve's face puckered as he clarified, "Not exactly.  I kind of met him before.  We, uh, bumped into each other on the bike path."

Sharon took a drink of her wine cooler as she listened.  When she realized that Steve wasn't going to say anything else, she asked, "So, why haven't you talked about him?  I mean, god, I had to listen to you talk about that one substitute teacher for like a month straight."

"One: I didn't talk about her that much, and two," Steve took a drink of his beer before setting it down on the coffee table in front of him, "I don't know that much about him."

"So," Sharon prompted, "Are you going to ask him out?  Or something?"

"No," Steve scoffed, the blush returning full force to his naturally pale face.  "Why would I do that?"

"Oh, I don't know," Sharon scoffed and held up the sketchbook still opened to Bucky, "Maybe because you like him?"

Steve took the sketchbook from Sharon and explained, "I can't ask him out.  That'd be weird.  Right?  Like, I'd just be some creeper hitting on a dancer.  And that'd be weird, yeah?"

Sharon rolled her eyes, "Didn't stop you from hitting on Cecily or Miranda or Ryan."

Steve rolled his eyes then.  Sure, Steve knew that he had an interesting dating history, but he didn't need for it to be thrown back into his face.  Especially not by Sharon who had an equally spotty past.

Instead of throwing Sharon's own experience back in her face, Steve whispered, "Maybe it's different this time."

Shocked by the gravity of the confession, Sharon leaned against the back of the sofa and studied Steve.  Sharon and Steve had been friends for years.  She had witnessed first hand how Steve acted when he had a crush.  But Sharon had never seen him this strung out over someone before.

"Maybe it's different this time," Sharon repeated with a fond grin on her face.  She lifted her wine cooler and clinked it against Steve's beer bottle, "Here's to hoping."