It had gotten to a point where Bucky just couldn't let it go on any longer. The way that Steve was suddenly treating him was ridiculous. Bucky didn't see how he deserved any of it, and he was going to put a stop to it.

He really just wanted answers. If Steve said that he didn't want to hang out with him, then so be it. He just didn't want Steve ignoring him anymore without an explanation. Although Bucky had a feeling that Steve wasn't going to be straight with him.

It was a Saturday morning, and Bucky was just about ready to go stomping over to Steve's house and confront him. He had just rolled out of bed – literally – and was debating what he should wear. He felt that he should dress to impress, though nothing in his wardrobe was really calling to him.

In the end, out of frustration, he ended up just choosing a hoodie and sweats. Really, why did he need to impress Steve? He was sure Steve didn't care either way what he wore.

Looking in the mirror, Bucky realized that the look wasn't half bad. On other guys, he always found sweatpants attractive for some reason. Not that Steve thought the same, who was as straight as a ruler.

The only issue he had – okay, the only two issues were his metal hand that stuck out of his hoodie sleeve and his long hair. The hand thing could be easily solved if he just pulled his sleeve down, and he supposed there was also an easy fix for his hair too. Just cut it. However, that wasn't going to happen. Besides getting a trim around Christmas time, Bucky hadn't cut his hair yet, even though in the beginning of the year he said he would. He was actually beginning to like his hair that he maintained at shoulder length.

After brushing his hair, it didn't look so bad, so he just left it as it was. Steve had once said that Bucky looked good with his hair up, but then had quickly said it looked just as fine down. Bucky didn't really understand it, but regardless, focusing on Steve's compliments would get him nowhere.

Downstairs, he could hear his parents shouting about something. Well, it sounded like it was mostly Winifred, but either way, Bucky wasn't really paying attention to what they were saying. In his mind he was rehearsing what he might say to Steve.

There were a few different approaches, but Bucky just wasn't sure which one he should take. He was done beating around the bush, so maybe it was about time he got straight to the point. Yes. That was what he'd do. He didn't want to waste any more time not talking to Steve when there might be a simple explanation for everything. After today, things might go back to the way they were. That was always the hope.

Another part of Bucky knew that he had to accept the fact that this could go badly. If Steve really did admit that he didn't want to be Bucky's friend anymore, than he was going to be forced to just forget about him. It would be hard, but eventually he and Steve would be separated after high school, and hopefully at that point it would get easier.

But Bucky wasn't so sure.

He had been terrified to leave Steve when he moved to Russia; then he made friends and in actuality it wasn't so bad. Bucky knew it would be different this time, when his feelings for Steve had changed. He had always cared for Steve, but back then it just wasn't in the same way. He was only twelve years old, and at that time friends came and went and it wasn't such a big deal. Of course he always did miss Steve, but he could bear it.

Steve now felt like another extension of him – like his metal arm. To cut him off would be extremely painful, and Bucky would forever be aware of the absence of him in his life.

As that realization set in, Bucky knew he had to do whatever it took to have Steve a part of his life again. And if Steve really did hate him, Bucky wanted to know why. If Steve had figured out Bucky's feeling, if Peggy has told him–

But Peggy wouldn't do that.

If Steve really did figure out how Bucky felt, he had done that on his own. Bucky wouldn't be surprised, either. He wasn't exactly discreet. But if Steve knew, then he really was screwed, and there was no fixing their damaged friendship.

When Bucky heard Winifred shout Rebecca's name he couldn't ignore the shouting any longer. Even with his hearing aid and his mother's loud voice, everything going on downstairs was still faint to his ears, and he was forced to leave his room and hide himself behind the railing of the stairs. If anyone looked his way, they'd easily spot him. But it was clear that they were otherwise preoccupied.

They were all seated in the living room— Winifred, George, and Rebecca. Winifred was standing before Rebecca and looked livid. Bucky had chosen to step in and eavesdrop in a moment of deafening silence. Though his mother wasn't saying a word, she was no less menacing. Bucky almost wanted to step in and protect his sister, but he knew the most damage Winifred would cause was always with her words. Stepping in would only get him in trouble as well.

Rebecca looked like she was about to cry. Her eyes were red and puffy like she already had, and they were beginning to water again.

"Give her a break," George said, who had been previously standing off to the side, looking slightly angry himself. But he was like the opposite of Winifred, and would forgive his kids for anything. Even if they murdered him, in his grave he'd be shouting out for no one to hear that he forgives them.

"I will not," Winifred said, nostrils flaring. "I have told her time and time again to get a job, and what does she do? Sits all day on her lazy ass."

"But—"

"No!" Winifred cut her daughter off. "I'm speaking. I tell her to get out, and she gets so drunk at a party that she's smashing people's windows. And an old friend's, at that!"

"Her brother's," Rebecca corrects, her voice hardly audible.

Winifred threw up her hands angrily. "Even better! I'll be damned if you think we're paying for that. You had better get yourself a job and pay for it yourself!"

"I—" A pause. Bucky felt like he was trapped in this silence. He never should have come down here in the first place. He just wanted to see Steve, and there wasn't any way he could get past his family without them noticing. He was afraid to even look at his mother right now.

"I can't," Rebecca finished. There was this tiny bit of worry that slipped through; Bucky could see it on Winifred's face. Then it was gone, replaced by anger once more.

"You will."

And it seemed that was that. Winifred stomped away into the kitchen, George following not long after. Bucky stayed where he was at the bottom of the stairs long enough to smell the steak they were cooking wafting through the air. He only left after Rebecca passed him, an unreadable expression on her face.

Bucky wanted to comfort her and find out what was wrong, but he knew his sister. It would be better if he just left her alone for a while. He could check on her when he got back from Steve's.

Finally, grabbing the banister, he pulled himself up and headed to kitchen.

"I was just going to get you," Winifred said after nearly bumping into him. "Supper is ready."

Bucky felt guilty after seeing that four plates were already made. However, this was something that he had to do now, before he lost the courage. Unfortunately, it was bad timing. He was worried Winifred would blow up on him. It seemed she had calmed down slightly, though there was still a hard look in her eyes.

"Actually." Bucky let out a nervous breath. "I'm going over to Steve's. He invited me for dinner. It was sort of last minute. I hope you don't mind."

Winifred expression softened. "Of course not. You'll always have this as leftovers tomorrow." She gestured to his plate, where George was already picking at his roasted potatoes. "Hopefully."

Normally, Bucky knew this wasn't the reaction he'd receive. Winifred was well aware of the predicament with Steve without Bucky even having to say anything. She probably didn't know everything, but she knew enough to know that things had gotten rocky between the two. She had seen how the two acted together over Christmas break, and was a little confused herself.

Bucky and Winifred just stood there for a few more moments, until George was really chowing down on Bucky's potatoes and Bucky could stall no longer.

He needed to get this done.

**

On the drive there Bucky was so worried about his sister that he didn't think at all of what he was going to say to Steve. And when he knocked on the door it just set in that he had no plan.

It was Steve who answered the door, and not Sarah, who Bucky had almost hoped to see instead. Exams came and went, and during that time Bucky still hadn't spoken to Steve. It was nearly reaching a month with no communication, so standing before Steve now was just awkward.

Bucky wasn't sure what he expected from Steve. Would he slam the door in his face or welcome him inside? As the seconds ticked by Steve did neither.

Not able to take the silence any longer, Bucky said, "we need to talk."

With a sigh, Steve stepped inside to let Bucky in. For some reason, the inside of Steve's house always seemed to surprise Bucky. In his mind, he always pictured the popular kids having huge houses, because of course, the popular kids were always super loaded. Of course, this wasn't always true, and Steve was evidence of this. It wasn't like his house was in shambles, but when most people heard of Steve Rogers they probably expected a house that lived up to Tony's.

"There's nothing to talk about," Steve said. "But you might as well stay for dinner."

It wasn't exactly what Bucky wanted to hear, but it was a start. Steve wasn't pushing him away and he even offered for him to stay for dinner. He didn't exactly sound too thrilled, but he hadn't slammed the door in Bucky's face.

"My mom would've asked you anyway," Steve said, and Bucky's heart sank.

As if on cue, Sarah came bounding in from the hallway, a wide grin on her face. It was hard to stay mad when there was someone in the room who looked so happy. Everything in Bucky's life was going to shambles, and Sarah was just that one persistent thing that couldn't be knocked over.

"Bucky!" She enveloped him in a hug, nearly suffocating him. "I thought I heard you at the door. I haven't seen you in ages! I missed you around!"

"The feeling's mutual, Miss Rogers." Bucky couldn't help but glance in Steve's direction as he said it.

"Going back to formalities, are we?" Sarah clucked her tongue. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. Please, call me Sarah."

"Alright, Sarah."

"Now why don't you stay for dinner? I made enough to feel an army."

So Bucky was forced to sit down with Sarah and Steve and eat dinner. The food was delicious, but already Bucky was losing whatever courage he had to set things straight with Steve. The two hardly said a word all dinner, and it was clear that Steve only said anything at all to please his mother. Sarah must have known something was going on, but she did a pretty good job with pretending everything was normal.

With the mere silence, more worries about Rebecca began to fester. Bucky knew he should be at home, with her, and not here sorting out his own problems. But he was already here, and he couldn't turn back now.

After they ate, Steve was ushering Bucky out without Bucky realizing what was even going on until he was out the door. He knew this was coming, but it bothered him no less.

"Steve, wait," Bucky said just as Steve was about to walk away. Steve obliged, though grudgingly. "I want to know what going on."

"Nothing is going on," Steve insisted.

"Yeah, right," Bucky scoffed. "We weren't friends. Then we were. Now we're not. I just want to know why."

"You wouldn't understand."

"I'd like to try."

Steve sighed and didn't say anything else. He was shuffling his feet and kept glancing at the door, but he wasn't going to get rid of Bucky that easily. No, Bucky had found a new bravado, and he wasn't letting it go. He was getting to the bottom of this, whether or not it ended how he wanted it to.

"I just don't get why you're ignoring me," Bucky finally said. "We used to be best friends."

"Things change." Steve was avoiding looking directly in his eyes. Bucky was doing the same. He was afraid if he looked into the blue of Steve's eyes he would let everything spill. Telling Steve how he felt about him would be disastrous.

"Obviously," Bucky said bitterly. "What is it? Do you not like me anymore? I don't see any other reason to ignore me. If you didn't want to hang around with me anymore, you should have just said so. Instead, you left me hanging. What you did? That was wrong, Steve."

"I'm sorry." It would've been better if he didn't look honest. "I didn't know what else to do."

"So that's it, then? You just don't like me anymore." It wasn't even a question.

"That's not true."

"Then what is it? And don't say it's nothing. You avoiding me for a month? That's not nothing."

"You wouldn't understand."

"That's bullshit! Why don't you let me see for myself? Whatever it is, I'm sure it won't make things any worse than they already are."

"You don't know that."

"Neither do you!"

There was another pause. Somewhere between all of Bucky's shouting the two had gotten closer, though Bucky didn't remember his feet ever leaving the ground.

"Steve, I'm not letting this go," Bucky said, this time in a calmer tone. "You're too good to just let go. I know things have changed a lot, but every time I see you I just see my same old Steve. I just want my friend back."

"I don't think that can happen," Steve said, his head down and his voice sounding to Bucky like it was hardly above a whisper.

"Why not?"

"You're so oblivious. You know that?"

"I'm not oblivious. How am I supposed to know what the hell is going on? You haven't—"

Bucky was interrupted when Steve's lips were suddenly pressed against his.

At first, he was too shocked to do anything. When he realized what was happening he eased into the kiss, their lips moving together in a way that was totally natural, as I've they'd done it a thousand times before. It was like everything was leading up to this very moment. Steve lips were soft and they tasted like. . . like Steve. There really was no other way to describe it.

That was when Bucky let of everything and let himself get lost in the sensation of Steve's lips. He didn't care that George still didn't really approve. He didn't care that Steve had a girlfriend. And all his worries over his sister, those were gone.

Rebecca, who?

They only pulled away when they were forced to catch their breath.

And that was when it really hit Bucky.

He had just kissed Steve.

And it was all so perfect, yet a prime example of 'too good to be true'.

What had just happened?

**

A/n: Wow. The moment that everyone's been waiting for. I feel like this is all very anticlimactic for some reason.

I know that this is all very problematic with Steve having a girlfriend right now, but please bear with me for a little while longer. I don't want to spoil anything, but things aren't always as they seem.

Lastly, what do you think is going on with Rebecca?

Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it!