Reality in Motion

no perfect time

"Why does my pear keep endin' up lookin' like an ass?" Bucky murmured to himself as he erased the line for what felt like the hundredth time.

"Maybe it has something to do with the person drawing it." Steve shot back, gaining an unamused look from his best friend. He smirked at his friend and turn back to his sketch pad, glancing at the basket of fruit that was set in front of them.

The beginner's class they were taking at the community college had tasked them to draw still objects as life-like as possible. Something easy for someone like Steve, who drew even when he didn't mean to, but Bucky was struggling.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this." the older friend sighed heavily, trying to draw his pear again.

"I didn't talk you into anything." he shook his head, premature laughter creasing the corners of his lips, "You were the one chatting up that blonde at the movies last night who said she took this class."

"And she ain't even here." Bucky grumbled, once again erasing the curve of the pear he had drawn. Steve suppressed his laughter by furrowing his brow and pretending to really concentrate on the shadows of the bowl. "Serves me right, I guess." he mumbled, playing the victim as he usually did whenever a girl stood him up or dumped him. For as many girls he charmed, there were plenty who didn't fall for his tricks. Of course, those were the ones he focused on most.

"You're so fuckin' dramatic, Buck." Steve rolled his eyes, even though he was still a bit amused by his friends pity party, "You probably don't even remember her name." he cast a side eye in a challenging manner.

"I sure as shit do." he widened his eyes at Steve, "It was..." he trailed off as he wracked his brain for the name of the girl at the movies, "Kim." he settled on sounding confident in his very wrong answer.

"Georgia." he corrected his friend, who waved him off with a 'psh' noise. It was close enough. Steve rolled his eyes again, amused by his friend's reaction.

"Listen, Stevie, whaddya say we head up to the Stork Club tonight?" Bucky was already moving on to the next girl he would no doubt find success with. To make up for the loss of the art class blonde.

"And watch you dance with every available dame - woman, in there?" Those nights always went the same: Bucky would drag him to some club in the city where he'd sweet talk two very pretty dames, only to introduce Steve and the girls would realize he was the friend Bucky had been referencing - who clearly didn't live up to the picture that had been painted. And while Bucky would dance with one of the girls, the other would go freshen up or get another drink and never return. Leaving Steve to sit at the table and watch Bucky dance and flirt until he got bored and went home or met up with Becca at the diner.

"This time it'll be different." Bucky swore just as he always did, "Listen, I'll invite Becca and her friends too. We'll make it a group thing. It'll be fun." he assured his friend, knowing that Steve was more likely to agree with there were more people; that way he wasn't left alone if Bucky found someone to dance with.

"Alright, okay, damn." he shoved his friend back, annoyed with the incessant nudging Bucky was giving him, "I'll go." His agreement came with a slump of his shoulders, defeated per usual by his charismatic friend. Even though most times it was Bucky going along with whatever Steve's reckless plan was, there were a few times where Bucky had the wheel and Steve was just along for the ride. This seemed to be one of those times.

"Good." Bucky grinned at his friend before gesturing to him with his pencil and then motioning to his sketch pad, "Now, c'mon, help me make this pear look less like an ass."