A Boy Who Likes a Boy Is a Dead Boy

Someone need to teach McCluskey a lesson. Being a bully would only get him so far in life, and eventually, he was going to pick on the wrong guy. Thinking about it, McCluskey never actually picked fights with Bucky. He always headed straight for Steve, and it spoke words about his character. Either he was too afraid to pick on someone his size, or he knew it would rile Bucky up enough to provoke him into a fight. Either way, Bucky wasn't going to back down and let him do it, regardless of whatever messed up feelings were swirling in his chest. "You'd always tell me if he did something though," Bucky murmured lowly, lazily wiping at some of the blood on his lips. "Right?"

"Of course I would, Buck." Steve told his friend. He was sure that he wouldn't be able to hide anything from Bucky even if he tried. He wasn't the best liar to begin with, and he knew that his friend only meant well when he stepped in whenever McCluskey tried something with him. Steve only wished that he could hold his own and fight his own battles sometimes. He wished that he didn't need to rely on his best friend so much to bail him out when he got in over his head. That was the biggest issue really. Unlike some people, Steve didn't back down when a bully went after him. He tried to fight back, even when it was against someone double his size like McCluskey.

It didn't seem fair to him that a guy like Steve was constantly getting picked on. He was an incredible person with a heart too big for his weak little chest. Bucky just couldn't understand how other people didn't see that, especially idiots like McCluskey. It was some sick power play because McCluskey knew he could win. That's probably why he hated Bucky so much. He was always the one to put an end to it. "Remember when I 'accidentally' hit him with the baseball bat?" Bucky laughed into the cloth, momentarily pulling it away to check how much blood he'd wiped off. Bucky had been younger when it happened, and admittedly a little bit less skilled in keeping his temper in check. McCluskey had been goading him whilst he was batting, and when he swung the bat it just 'slipped' from his grasp. Hit McCluskey square in the face. He wasn't even remotely sorry.

"How could I possibly forget?" Steve laughed. He remembered that day rather clearly. It was obvious that it hadn't been an accident on Bucky's part, but just about everyone, other than McCluskey, seemed to believe him when he claimed that the bat had slipped out of his grasp. That was arguably one of the best days ever for Steve. Even when they were younger, McCluskey had a habit of picking fights with Steve, so seeing the bully honestly get what he deserved was extremely rewarding. "He's held a grudge ever since."

If anyone had actually been watching Bucky when it happened, they would have noticed the very brief smirk on his face following the thwacking sound of the bat hitting McCluskey's face. After that, he put on his best doe eyes and acted like it had been one massive accident. Coach seemed to believe him, so there was no punishment for him afterwards. "I don't think he's ever going to forgive me for his busted nose," He laughed, dipping the cloth back into the warm bowl of water. The clear liquid tinted with the colour of the dry blood. "I think it made him more handsome."

Steve laughed. "McCluskey? Handsome? I don't think those are two words I'd ever use in the same sentence." He said, grinning slightly. It had taken so much effort on Steve's part to keep himself from laughing when the bat hit the bully in the face. He'd seen the smirk on Bucky's face moments before it 'slipped' out of his hands, so he'd known his friend was up to something, but it had shocked him a bit when it all actually happened. It definitely had McCluskey stunned as well. The look on his face was priceless and Steve sort of wished someone had been there to take his picture so Steve could frame it and remember it forever.

Bucky choked out another laugh, shaking his head. "Man, he went down hard that day..." He sighed as he tilted his head back. Bringing the damp cloth up again, Bucky tried to wipe away the dry blood on his chin as gently as possible. He still cringed, a stark reminder of the right hook a policeman landed on him. It was a cheap shot, taking him completely off guard. Still, he didn't go down as hard as McCluskey did. "I've never seen him look more frightened than in the split moment before the bat hit him in the face... It was one of the sweetest moments of my life."

"I wish someone had gotten a picture of his face in that exact moment." Steve said, letting out a quiet laugh. Seeing McCluskey look that frightened was something he'd never seen before, and the bully had never let any of them see that sort of vulnerability since then. That one moment was enough to keep Steve going for a lifetime though. He'd likely remember that day for as long as McCluskey held that grudge against Bucky. And, even then, he might still remember it.

"Maybe it's something for your sketch pad," Bucky suggested lightly. Steve had always been great at art, even from memory. He supposed being hidden away inside a lot as a kid gave Steve a lot of time to practice. He loved looking through what Steve had drawn, or even painted when they were younger. He was so talented and creative. "A caricature of McCluskey getting hit in the face by a baseball bat. Hell, I'd frame that." Bucky laughed. It was a short-lived laugh, his ribs twinging with pain.

Steve didn't know why he hadn't thought of it himself, but drawing McCluskey getting hit in the face with that baseball bat was definitely something he could try to do. "I'll give it a go." He said with a slight nod of his head. If there couldn't be a photograph of that moment, a drawing was the next best thing. Steve was always drawing in that sketchbook of his. He was always coming up with different things he could draw, and Bucky offered suggestions sometimes to. "Maybe I'll give it to you for your birthday or something." He laughed.

"I'd cherish it forever," Bucky laughed, placing a hand over his ribs. Bucky had always kept the little doodles and drawings that Steve created. Even if Steve didn't like them, or thought they weren't good enough, Bucky kept them. He never let Steve throw any of his work away. It was too precious to him, and he thought it was important for Steve to keep an eye on his progression. Sometimes the drawings made him laugh, and othertimes he kept them because they just meant too much to him.

Steve laughed. "You'd better, ya jerk." He said. "A drawing like that would be pretty damn priceless." He knew that Bucky kept all of the drawings and doodles that he gave to him. One of McCluskey getting hit in the face with a bat wasn't likely to be an exception to that fact at all. He would be extremely surprised if it was. "I'll probably work on that once I finish the one I've been working on lately."

Bucky dropped the damp cloth back into the bowl of water Steve had brought him. He felt clean, or at least cleaner than he was before. He was probably going to have to take a long soak in the bath later in order to ease some of the pain, but for now he felt fine. "What're you working on at the minute?" He asked casual, placing the bowl some distance away from them so it wouldn't get knocked over by accident. "Is it another sketch of my beautiful face? Sorry I busted it up before you could get it finished." He teased as a smirk began to form on his face.

"You know, things aren't always about you, ya jerk." Steve let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. He'd done a couple of drawings of Bucky in the past. Some were more structured than others. Sometimes, he'd ask his friend to pose for him, and other times he'd sketch away without him knowing. He always showed Bucky his work though, whether it was a drawing of him or not and whether Steve was proud of the finished product or not as well. "I think that messed up mug of yours might look better now."

"Things are always about me, kid." He joked, the smirk still present. Steve's next comment almost knocked the smug look right off his face. If Bucky hadn't perfected his poker face over the last few months, it probably would have. He knew deep down it was probably just a jibe at him. Steve was probably making a joke about how Bucky's ugly mug was made better by the cuts and bruises... But his heart still twinged as though it was a genuine compliment. "Alright Rogers," He deflected quickly, hitting his friend with one of the cushions they'd thrown to the floor. "Keep it in your pants."

"Of course, how could I possibly forget?" Steve deadpanned, punctuating his words with a slight roll of his eyes. He knew that Bucky was only joking, he'd always been confident, way more confident than Steve normally was, but he wasn't self-absorbed. Not by a long-shot. "Hey! Is that how you repay me for supplying you with everything to tend to those wounds of yours?" He laughed, attempting to catch the cushion that was thrown his way.

"The amount of times I've taken care of you is enough repayment for this bowl of water." He joked. The comment has no seriousness weighted behind it whatsoever. Bucky had always been there for Steve, whether he asked for it or not. Nothing was going to change that. It never felt like a chore for Bucky. It gave him a sense of purpose, and he couldn't stand to see Steve feeling down or sick. The boy had some bite to him though. Steve's immune system may have been shot to shit, but it didn't mean he was at all fragile or frail. Kid picked more fights than anyone else Bucky knew.

"If I'd known all you wanted was a bowl of water, I never would've offered to pay for the comics or the candy." Steve joked, letting out a slight laugh. He could tell that his friend's comment wasn't a serious one. This conversation was all pretty lighthearted, and in good fun. Steve really appreciated everything that Bucky did for him. He always got him out of sticky situations and stood up for him when he got in over his head.

"So how do I look?" Bucky asked after a moment, turning his head to look at Steve properly. "Think I'll need any stitches, or am I gonna live to see another day?" Someone at school was bound to start asking questions when he turned up the next day. Teachers would probably tell him off for looking so scruffy, or maybe even feign concern about him. Some of them just thought he was a problem child, always looking for fights. That's how McCluskey liked to twist it anyway. Bucky couldn't afford taking time off till he healed up though. He needed the time in school.

"I think you'll survive." Steve said. Sure, Bucky was still looking pretty worse for wear, and people would likely start gossiping and spreading rumors in school, but he was okay, and that was all Steve really cared about. That was what mattered to him. "I'm sure you'll have dames all over ya, thinking you're all tough or something with that shiner and split lip of yours." He chuckled. Bucky was always the subject of female attention. He was just better with them than Steve was. It was how things had always been.