Work Text:
There's this guy, he's always there.
Every morning when Steve gets into the subway the other one is already there.
Steve's a pretty neat guy, he keeps a strict schedule, gets up at 6:30, goes for a run, comes back to shower, grab a sandwich or an apple for breakfast, and heads out again at 8.
He walks a couple of blocks to the subway, takes the train at 8:17 and arrives at work around 8:47. Sometimes he gets a coffee with Natasha.
They're both working at the same University, this semester Natasha teaches a class about history of feminism with a focus on intersectional feminism and trans misogyny and Steve does his regular art classes.
They met on Steve's first day at campus or rather: Steve nearly ran her over when he was lost and way to late.
They went out for a couple of dates at the place that's now their regular coffeeshop, but they quickly noticed they're much better off staying friends.
2 weeks later Natasha met Clint, they've been inseparable ever since. So that's that.
But there’s this guy, apparently he seems to have the same regular schedule as Steve.
He seems to be constantly grumpy, clutching the same thermos cup every day and sending death glares to everyone who comes near him.
Seriously, his bitch face game is stronger than Natasha's and Steve didn't even think that was possible.
He's also incredibly hot, seems to be pretty fit under tight Henleys (what a pity when it was winter and everything was hidden under layers of clothes, god bless summer temperatures). He has dark hair tied up in a bun and an icy stare. Steve wants to climb him like a tree.
He's also pretty sure that they already know each other.
Something about the guy is weirdly familiar. And not because they've been taking the same train for the last year.
Natasha and Steve have started referring to him as kinda cute guy, when last December he seemed to have gotten a cold and sniffled his way through the whole train ride. Red nose, glassy eyes, but the ever constant frown strong as always.
It had taken Steve their whole morning coffee and shared lunch break to lament over how fucking rude it was that suddenly he didn't only want to undress the guy and do the horizontal tango with him, but also wrap him up in a blanket and make him soup.
Natasha calls it the crush of the century and apparently Clint can tell when Steve talks about the guy, even when he's not wearing his hearing aids, just by the look on his face.
Which is, frankly, a bit ridiculous, but what can he do? It's been a long time since Steve had gotten laid, his last relationship had been a mess and just staring at kinda cute guy from the distance is safe and easy. No harm can be done like that.
It’s just the same this morning; when Steve gets into the train he’s there, wearing a red Henley this morning (seriously, Steve had never cared much for clothes, but hot damn, this guy and the way he shoves up the sleeves of his shirts, revealing those forearms) and looking actually edible. A little bitter maybe, but Steve doesn’t like it too sweet anyways.
Two stops later there’s a whole bunch of kids coming into the train – which is unusual and disturbs Steve’s routine –and suddenly the carriage is much fuller and Steve takes a couple of steps backwards to make space for the kids (you gotta be careful, kids and excited gestures, that stuff can be dangerous) and in his head he’s going through the plan of his upcoming class when – “Excuse me”, says a deep voice and there’s an arm shoving against his back.
Steve turns halfway around, hoping he didn’t run someone over again, and it’s kinda cute guy looking (glaring!) at him.
“Oh shit, sorry sorry”, Steve says and smiles, because the frown gets deeper and it’s the weirdest thing to find hot, but apparently he does and apparently his brain to mouth filter is broken, because he says “Don’t we know each other?”
Kinda cute guy actually looks murderous now, as if Steve said something insulting (but who knows, because maybe being associated with Steve is insulting for kinda cute guy) and answers “Don’t think so.” He sounds clipped and annoyed, but his voice is nice and deep and maybe Natasha is right and this is the crush of the fucking century.
But then something in Steve’s brain shifts and suddenly he knows – this is James Barnes. His family lived next to Steve and his mom when Steve had been a child and they used to play together and Steve also remembers that the guys sister Becca had a crush on him for ages.
“Bucky?” he blurts out, because that’s his old nickname, made back when Steve couldn’t pronounce his ridiculous middle name Buchanan.
Kinda cute guy – Bucky! – who had already looked away again, turns back to Steve and looks confused.
“Who the hell is Bucky?”
“Dude,” Steve nearly screams, suddenly he’s incredibly excited and happy, this is the best Tuesday ever. “You’re Bucky. I’m Steve Rogers. We used to be neighbors in Brooklyn.” He explains.
And then a miracle happens; Bucky’s whole face lights up and he’s actually smiling. Steve wholeheartedly expects angels to start singing.
“Steve? Skinny Steve?” Bucky asks and then his eyes wander over Steve again, from head to toe, and hell, Steve knows when he’s being checked out and right now Bucky is doing his fucking best. He’s smirking now, looking all cheeky and hot. “Look how you’ve grown.” He says.
The robotic voice announces the next stop and interrupts their lingering gazes.
“This is me”, Bucky announces (Steve knows, because this is kinda hot guy and they’ve been taking the same train for the last year). “But you know what? Let’s do some catching up real soon” he adds and if catching up doesn't mean fondue-ing on every surface of Steve’s flat he might set himself on fire.
“Sure”, he drawls and winks.
When kinda cute guy – who’s Steve’s childhood friend Bucky Barnes, what a fucking coincidence – left the train, Steve gets out his phone and rapidly types a text to Natasha.
I think I just got a date with kinda hot guy from the train. You won’t believe what happened!!!!!