A Boy Who Likes a Boy Is a Dead Boy

Steve frowned. "But you shouldn't have to protect me, Bucky. I should be able to defend myself." He said. He did appreciate what his friend did for him, but he sometimes wondered what would happen if he was actually capable of defending himself. He wondered if bullies like McCluskey would leave him alone one and for all if he did. He knew that he should probably just let this go and let things pan out like they always seemed to, but this was something that had been on his mind for a while now.

"Steve," Bucky sighed, looking down at his friend. He was only ever concerned about him, and he wasn't about to let him take on some big meathead like McCluskey. "I say this in the most loving way possible... But you can barely fight a cold." Bucky may have been a toughened street scraper, but even he could be knocked around by the guy. He fought dirty, even dirtier than the Brooklyn street brawling that Bucky was used to. There'd been a few times he was certain he'd come away from fights with concussions. No way was he letting his friend go through that.

["I say this in the most loving way possible....but you can barely fight a cold." That line made me laugh but also made me kind of sad because poor Stevie...he really was sickly pre-serum and just feels! ]

Steve opened his mouth to argue, closely it rather quickly when he realized that Bucky was right. He could hardly fight off a simple head cold, how was he supposed to fight off a guy like McCluskey? It was moments like this where he sort of felt completely useless. This was why none of the girls ever liked him. He wasn't tough like Bucky. He couldn't defend himself, and if he couldn't defend himself, what good was he to anyone else? He was useless. "That doesn't mean that you should have to do it for me..." He mumbled, a slight frown tugging at the corners of his lips.

[ Yes but Bucky can wrap Stevie up in blankets and give him hot chocolate ]

"I'll take a thousand beatings of idiots like McCluskey and his clones if it means you're alright," Bucky spoke softly, bringing a hand up to ruffle Steve's hair gently. Anyone would probably see it as a brotherly gesture, and Bucky couldn't help but wish that was all it was... He wanted nothing more than to just be that brotherly figure for his best friend. But it ran so much deeper than that, and it caused him so much more pain than any beating from the football team could. "Come on, I'm sure we can get your egg cream somewhere else. I'm buyin'."

[STOP PUTTING ALL THESE CUTE IMAGES IN MY HEAD. ]

Steve knew that there was no point in reasoning with his friend. Bucky was going to stick up for him no matter what. He nodded his head. "Thanks, Buck." He said quietly, cracking a small smile when his friend reached up a hand and ruffled up his hair. "I'll never pass up a free egg cream." The smile on his face had widened slightly. He figured that it would be best just to drop the whole McCluskey thing altogether. There was no point in dwelling on it too much anyway.

The next day at school was exactly what Bucky expected it to be. Before first class had even begun, he had been slammed up against a wall by McCluskey and surrounded by a gang of football players. It wasn't the worst of beatings, more threats and constant pushing against the wall... Something about dating his girl, and embarrassing her. Bucky had heard it all before, that he was an embarrassment and that he didn't deserve the attention he got. If anything, it was becoming boring. It didn't even seem to bother him as McCluskey held him against the wall, a cocky smirk spreading across his face as he listened to the rant from the football player.

Steve didn't really know why Bucky got into all the scraps and fights that he did. And, in many instances, it seemed as though his friend didn't have a problem with provoking and antagonizing meatheads like McCluskey either. It was sort of frustrating for Steve. He wanted to help Bucky, wanted to really be able to step in and stop the fights, but he knew that he'd just be getting in over his head. However, as he headed to school that morning, he wasn't at all surprised to find his friend pushed up against a wall, surrounded by a group of football players, McCluskey being one of them. "Hey!" Maybe not the smartest move on his part, but it was the only thing that he could really think to do.

It barely even registered with Bucky just who was yelling at the group of boys, he half expected it to be some member of teaching staff coming to clear them all away. Undoubtedly, Bucky would end up being dragged to the principal's officer, probably suspended for a while; 'For his own good'. So when the voice drew the attention of the footballers, and he finally glanced over, the smirk dropped from his face. All he could think of in that moment was what an idiot his friend was. "Well look who finally found his voice," McCluskey jeered, letting go of Bucky before he even had time to protest. The bully's attention was immediately focused on Steve, and he approached him without hesitation. His own cocky smirk came across his face, knowing that Steve was a much easier target than Bucky ever would be. "What happened, Rogers?" He scoffed, giving the smaller boy a harsh shove backwards. "Your balls finally drop? Or did Barnes finally take them out his mouth?"

Steve knew that he probably shouldn't have gotten involved, but what else was he supposed to do? He wasn't going to sit back and watch McCluskey and those other goons target Bucky. His friend was always there to defend him, and while he knew he was a much, much easier target, he felt as though coming to his friend's aid was the best thing that he could do in this situation. Of course, later on he might realize that he could have easily just gone off in search for a teacher or the principal, but that thought hadn't even crossed his mind yet. "Leave him alone..."

"What was that?" McCluskey taunted, leaning in to Steve slightly as he squared up to him. "If you've got somethin' to say, say it." It was clear that McCluskey enjoyed picking on people who couldn't really compare to himself. He found it frustrating to target Bucky, who was more than capable of looking out for himself. It was easier to get under the little guys' skin, and they bruised much easier. "C'mon, McCluskey-" Bucky started, only to be put back in his place as one of the other goons quickly pinned him to the wall again. The hold the footballer had on his shirt collar made it harder for him to speak up again.

Steve was in way over his head, and he knew it. He probably should have just gone and gotten a teacher or something, instead he put himself into the situation. One that, until he opened his mouth, didn't involve him at all. He knew that he couldn't backdown now though. "I said leave him alone." He repeated, this time a little louder than the first time.

"Oooh~" The group seemed to chime in time, followed by laughing. "What're you gonna do about it, huh?" The ring leader sneered, clearly unimpressed by the smaller boys attempt to stand up for his friend. None of them were intimidated, and Bucky could just tell the situation was going to get out of hand incredibly quickly. "C'mon, Rogers. I'm shaking in my boots here."

Steve shouldn't have opened his mouth. He should have just gone to find someone else who could actually handle McCluskey and the other goons. But in an attempt to help his friend, he hadn't thought about the consequences, he just acted. And there was his mistake right there. But he couldn't back down now. Things would probably only end up being worse for him if he did. "I'll kick your ass." Maybe he should have chosen his words a bit more wisely, but there was no turning back now.

The entire group erupted into laughter, even the one currently struggling to keep Bucky pinned up against the wall. He could see where this was going; Steve wasn't going to kick anyone's ass. They were going to kick his ass, and Bucky wouldn't be able to do anything but watch. "Right," McCluskey laughed mockingly. "You're gonna kick my ass?" He repeated, thrusting his hands into his pockets. "Rogers, you're nothing. Understand? A complete nobody. Worthless. Only person you're gonna hurt is yourself... So turn around, and walk away, so I don't have to do it for you."

Steve kind of expected the laughter. Of course none of them would take his threat seriously. Why would they? He knew that he was in way over his head, and that he was just digging himself deeper and deeper into a hole the longer that he stood there. He wasn't going to just walk away though. Bucky was his best friend, what kind of a best friend would he be if he just up and left? "I'm not going anywhere unless you leave him alone."

"Steve, just-" Bucky's plea was soon interrupted, by a loud "Hey!" coming from across the schoolyard. A teacher. Someone who had finally realised that there was some sort of scrap going on outside the building. McCluskey took a step back from Steve, and his goon finally let Bucky go from against the wall. The look on his face told the two of them that this wouldn't be the last of it. The group of footballers seemed to disperse before the teacher made it over to them, leaving Bucky slumped against a wall with a distinctly relieved look on his face.

Steve was honestly kind of relieved that the teacher had shown up when he did. He knew that things wouldn't have ended well, he really should have just kept his mouth shut, but he couldn't do that. He couldn't just sit back and let McCluskey and his goons have a go at his best friend. Not after the many different times Bucky had stood up for him. He knew that he was no match for someone like McCluskey, but he had to at least try.

Bucky shook his head slowly, struggling for breath slightly now that the boy had let go of his shirt collar. "You're an idiot, Steve..." He laughed softly. There was no malice in his voice, or anything that would suggest he was angry at what his friend had done... It was stupid. Bucky had spent so long diverting the bullies attention to him, rather than Steve, and now his friend had gone and undone all the work. "Thank you, though."

Steve was honestly pretty relieved when he realized that Bucky wasn't angry with him. He wouldn't have regretted doing what he had either way, but it was nice knowing that his friend wasn't angry because he'd stepped in. "I had him on the ropes." He said. He knew that that was far from being the case, he'd been in way over his head, but he wasn't about to admit it.

[Yes, I did just use that line. ]

"Oh yeah," Bucky laughed, bringing the back of his hand up to wipe away some blood from the corner of his mouth. It was only a split lip, nothing any more serious than that. McCluskey and his thugs could do some real damage when they wanted to... So Bucky could only imagine how much harder their beatings would feel if they decided to turn on Steve. "You had him terrified... He's lucky that teacher pulled you off of him."

Bucky spent a lot of time thinking about Steve's small act of courage that day. The image of his friend sticking up for him lingered in his mind for some time as he sat at the smokey bar, a whiskey glass in hand. It was a miracle he ever got into this place. He was underage, yet no one in the bar seemed to care. No one asked questions in there. Everyone was under some sort of silent agreement that their business was their own, and no one else's. Regulars exchanged brief nods, and kept an eye on one another to make sure no one bothered them. There was nothing really wrong with the bar, yet there was everything wrong with it at the same time. It was wrong that an underage boy was sat at the bar, swirling a drink far beyond his age around in a cheap glass as he thought about the very thing he was trying to forget.