Work Text:
"We've got a new model sitting for us today."
On the whole, Steve enjoys his life drawing classes. He gets excellent grades and the teacher is always enamoured with his graphic style, so it's an easy credit for him. He's heavily influenced by David Aja and Jim Steranko, currently, and he's slowly moving into working in colour. Plus sometimes the models are pretty easy on the eyes, which helps pass the time.
He gets a look at the guy standing behind the teacher, wrapped in a grubby bathrobe, and the world explodes in colour.
"This is James, he'll be useful for some of your end of semester projects on non-standard bodies." The teacher's tone is perfectly pleasant, but Steve notices James flinch slightly at the statement before he can school himself into careful stillness.
The same careful, conscious stillness persists as he climbs up onto the small stage and positions himself how the teacher instructs. It's only when he loses the robe that Steve notices one of his arms isn't there. It ends above the elbow, a scarred stump that draws everyone's focus immediately and makes James drop his head self-consciously, resigned like he'd been expecting it.
Steve doesn't know what the fuck they mean by 'non-standard bodies', because aside from his missing limb James is like some kind of perfect specimen. His muscles are gym-defined, all the way across his broad shoulders and down his chest where battered dog tags rest over smooth skin, to where his abs expand and contract steadily with his breathing and even down to his…
Steve feels his face flush and turns his focus to his paper, starting to sketch furiously in an effort to stop thinking about how it would feel to get his mouth on the new model.
"Very interesting." The teacher usually walks around making comments as they work, and as usual she pauses at Steve's easel and squints at his work curiously. "You're really honed in on the erotic potential of the nude and chosen not to focus on the obviously unique aspects of the body. Interesting choices."
He stutters out some kind of reply, something about defying expectations, but words escape him when he catches sight of James smirking at him from the stage. Well. Shit.
They're packing up after class when the model comes over to talk to him, thankfully safely back in the bathrobe so Steve doesn't lose his ability to speak completely. He smiles and tries not to look like a complete dork as James smirks at him again, cockier than before now his confidence has grown from watching Steve try not to look at his dick for the last hour.
"I have erotic potential, huh?"
"I guess." Steve nods. "The thing about potential is, I guess it all depends on what you do with it."
Shit. That might be the worst thing he's ever said.
Luckily for him, James bursts out laughing and his blue eyes crinkle up in a way that makes Steve maybe fall a tiny bit in love with him even if the guy thinks he's a huge dork.
"Uh, I mean. What's a nice guy like you doing in a place like this?" He tries a better line and a grin and that seems to work better. James smiles a little less mockingly and shrugs.
"Need the cash. Not many jobs for a guy who's got a stump and a fucked up brain." His easy smile becomes a little strained at the flippant comment, and Steve suddenly wishes he could erase the tension from the corners of his eyes. "Coming back on Thursday too."
"Yeah?" Steve grips the strap of his bag too tightly with bony fingers as he fumbles for words in the face of James' movie-blue stare. "Uh, so James…"
"Bucky." He corrects. "Call me Bucky, all my friends do."
"Bucky." Steve nods up at him and Bucky's smile seems to be a little more genuine now. "Would you maybe wanna go for a drink or something after class on Thursday?"
"Really? Me?" Bucky looks genuinely thrown, the practised cockiness in his expression disappearing as he points at himself dumbly. "Even with the arm and the brain and shit?"
"Yeah." Steve shrugs, trying to be nonchalant and cool and failing horribly. "I mean, someone's gotta see about all that erotic potential."
Bucky's face lights up with a laugh and before Steve knows it, he's handing over the number he'd written hopefully on a scrap of paper just in case he got up the courage to ask the guy out. Maybe he's realising his potential too.
Hopefully the erotic part too. Soon.