Don’t let it get the best of you, you’ll make it out alive.

[trymyluck]

He knows Bucky meant well by telling him he should go for it with the cute girl behind the counter at the shop on the corner, but he feels foolish for letting him build him up, just to watch him fall. Bucky had been encouraging him for weeks, telling him he should talk her - Daisy - up, that it had to mean something the way she always gave Steve a big smile when they came in. This evening he'd all But pushed Steve towards her with a handful of cash for their weekly groceries and Steve had swallowed the fear in his throat and forced himself to speak to her. Her warm smile had faded, her eyes filling with pity when he'd asked her if she wanted to go to a movie sometime and he'd felt his face heat up to the point that he was sure it was on fire.

"I'm sorry, I've got a boyfriend," she'd said, her voice saccharine sweet. Steve had nodded and stumbled over saying something - he had no idea what - before he'd told her to keep the change and bolted for the door. He'd thought he'd heard Bucky calling after him, but he refused to slow down for him to catch up. Besides, it wouldn't take him long to do so anyway, it wasn't as if Steve was athletic, and Steve was half afraid he might punch him in the face. Still, the air is a little too cold, even in March, and it's only about two blocks before Steve has to slow down and try to force air through his lungs. He leans on a random stoop, air catching in his lungs before he drops to the bottom step to rest for a moment.