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thesugarclubs-blog · 2 years ago

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More to the Story - Bucky Barnes x OC

warnings: post-tfatws, fluffy bucky barnes, strangers to lovers, grumpyxsunshine

word count: 11.1 k

WP: https://www.wattpad.com/1334925555-more-to-the-story-priya

Masterlist

It was only nine in the morning and Bucky Barnes was already losing his mind.

His phone woke him up, ringing obnoxiously loud enough to wake even the neighbors. Bucky had heard air raid sirens that weren't that aggressive. After a lot of grumbling from the super soldier and supportive yowling from Alpine, he'd figured out how to turn the volume down. Except now the vibrations had started, rattling against the glass coffee table Bucky had just put together last week and interrupting the little bit of peace he enjoyed every morning after he woke. There were only a hundred pages left in The Two Towers, the second installment of a series by Tolkien he was still waiting to be able to read, and Bucky intended on finishing before noon.

He called Sam in confusion, reluctant but eager to eliminate the source of his irritation. Why the hell did he even need a phone, especially one made almost entirely of very breakable and vibranium arm susceptible glass, was just one of the questions Bucky asked himself as Sam walked into the apartment. Or who Bucky thought was Sam.

"I'm here to save the day, gramps!" Peter Parker exclaimed as he entered, a broad smile on his expressive face. He was dressed for class, a black backpack on his shoulders, with jeans and a t-shirt that matched.

Pushing his sunglasses onto the top of his head, Peter held out his hand, ignoring Bucky's confused state.

"What are you doing here?" Bucky groaned as he passed Peter the object of his annoyance.

"Well, Cap texted me, said he was busy and that you needed help," Peter replied, tapping at the screen. "Can't say I'm not disappointed it isn't, I don't know, aliens or terrorists, but setting a phone to "do not disturb" is pretty cool too, I guess."

Bucky scoffed and suppressed a smirk, the kid's eagerness never failing to remind him of Steve. A low whistle from Peter made Bucky snap out of his thoughts and furrow his brow.

"What? Why did you do that?" Bucky asked, reaching to swipe the phone and failing at being faster than someone for once.

Peter's eyes went wide and he couldn't hide his amusement, the corners of his under eyes crinkling. Holding out the phone towards Bucky, the young man scrolled through row after row of unread messages in Bucky's inbox.

"Dude, you have, like, a million emails! Have you ever checked this thing?!"

"Give me that," Bucky growled, this time succeeding in snatching the phone from his grasp. "And don't call me dude."

Peter snickered and ran a hand through his dark curls, walking back from the living room to the door.

"Well, Mr. Barnes, it's been fun but I gotta run to class. Hopefully, that'll help and seriously, check the emails. Maybe you'll find something cool!"

Bucky grunted, scrolling through the app Peter had pulled up as the door clicked closed. He would have to remember to tell the kid thank you whenever he wasn't so goddamn irritated. Messages filled the screen, all promotions and requests for photo ops and interviews. It was one mindless subject line after another until one caught his attention.

"Request to Interview: Bucky Barnes"

It struck him as strange, someone using his nickname in one of these requests rather than his official name, James. He deemed that his excuse for clicking on the message, an email based out of the New York Times.

He scanned through the text, the tone of the message professional yet somehow lighthearted, asking him if he would consent to an interview. It would be “informal”, the request stated a quiet chat over a nice lunch. Bucky grunted once more but this time in amusement as the sender quipped that the Times would even foot the bill for the food. There was an electronic signature at the bottom of the mail, Priya Abalan, a picture that was too small to see on his phone screen and of course, he couldn’t remember how to do the finger thing to enlarge the image.

He held the phone closer to his face, trying to make out the woman’s appearance. He heard that name before but he never got a face to match it. From what he could see, she had dark long hair that was slightly curled and tanned skin - that’s it.

For a second he thought about just deleting the email but then he heard Sam in the back of his head, saying he should get his head out of his ass and socialize some more. Maybe he was right for once, and well, from what Bucky heard about Priya, she used to do professional interviews with lots of famous people, mostly politicians, so it couldn’t be that bad.

Bucky stared at his phone for a minute longer before he groaned and hit reply. “Goddammit, Sam,” he said under his breath.

Ms. Abalan, he started, moving as fast as his big finger would allow him on such a small keyboard.

“I could mail a letter faster,” he grumbled but continued to type.

While I am honoured, your request to interview me appears to be misplaced. I’m doubtful that the people of New York want to read stories from the mouth of a mean war-torn old man. You’re better suited requesting the time of Captain America.

He signed his name and fumbled with the send button for a beat too long. The incompetence a blow to his ego.

“You’ve murdered aliens Bucky,” he mumbled to himself, “aliens!”

He tossed the phone to the coffee table and rubbed the frustration off his face with his hands. Completely defeated, until he heard the soft chime of a new email in his already crammed inbox.

That sound was going to get annoying fast, he thought to himself as he let out a short huff, reaching for the small box that was making noise. It was something he was still getting used to in this new world of freedom, that people could just contact him any time they wanted. The old him probably would have loved it, but this him after everything, liked the quiet during the day.

Still ignoring the long list of red dots in his email, Bucky clicked on the top notification, revealing a reply from that reporter already.

Maybe she had realized she'd emailed him by mistake.

Thank you for getting back to me, Mr. Barnes! I understand the hesitation with everything that's happened in recent years, but believe me when I tell you this is a story the city of New York would love. This is a story the city needs to hear and I truly believe they should hear it from you yourself before other news outlets run with rumours. Let me do you and your life some justice, you deserve that.

Bucky’s eyebrows disappeared into his hairline as he read the message. He gaped at the screen and then shook his head, the comfortable frown settling across his forehead once more.

He typed then deleted, typed then deleted again, staring at his blank response in consternation.

“Well shit,” he said aloud as he typed once more and then tapped send.

Pinching the bridge of his nose he closed his eyes and let out a sigh as he slumped back into his couch. He was already regretting agreeing to the interview but he’d be damned if he knew how to unsend an email.

He received a response back from Priya, almost immediately, asking him if he would be able to meet her in an hour at the establishment of his choice. She expressed that she wanted him to feel comfortable and have an enjoyable lunch rather than be thrust somewhere he might not like.

Bucky responded back affirmatively and gave her the direction to Izzy's so they could meet there.

As soon as he sent his message, he got up from his couch and padded across the living room to the bathroom. Looking at himself in the mirror, he debated whether he should change into something a little dressier for lunch and made sure his hair wasn't doing the weird thing it did in the morning anymore where it flipped up in different directions.

He would never admit it to Sam but going out like this, out of his comfort zone, in a world he didn’t fit into, was nerve wracking for him. He didn’t really like it but he had to do it. He couldn’t live on like this forever, though his little apartment and his books were enough for him.

After doing his hair and changing into some new jeans and a dark dress shirt - Peter bought this for him, saying it would look “lit” on him (whatever he meant by that), he grabbed his bike keys and he felt something furry touching his leg.

He looked down to meet the gaze of his little white cat, Alpine.

“Hey girl, I’ll be back later okay?” He kneeled down and patted her with a soft smile on his lips. This cat was the best thing that happened to him after all the fights he’s been through. Besides Steve and Sam, Alpine was his best friend.

He locked the door behind him and made his way to the elevator, inhaling as deeply as he could before pressing the button.

He could do this.

The parking garage below his complex was pretty dead this time of day except for Lottie, the kind security guard that manned the front gate. Bucky pulled his bike up slowly to her gate.

“Oh look at you,” Lottie leaned out the door, “all handsome. Where do you think you're going looking like that?”

Bucky offered her a smile, she had that effect on him. “I have an interview,” he squeezed his legs tightly to the low rumble of his bike. Grounding himself to the feeling and giving himself something to hold onto while he battled his nerves.

“You’re gonna do great,” she encouraged. “Don’t forget to show her some of that Barnes charm!” Lottie lifted the gate for him.

“You’re the only woman in my life that gets that Lottie, you know that.” He pulled the bike from the garage into the warm sunlight and turned onto the busy New York street without hesitation.

The mixture between the sunlight and cool breeze that whipped past him as he rode seemed to calm the explosion of butterflies that threatened to take over his system. He'd done small interviews before but they were always focused on the fight or Steve and the rest of the team. This was the first one where he was asked about himself, and that was the scariest part.

Although he wasn't exactly sure what was going to be asked of him, thoughts of the Winter Soldier flashed in his mind. That was a point in his life he was not willing to relive, especially not to some reporter. Hell, he hadn't even spoken to his therapist about that fully.

Bucky did his best to switch his focus, mostly on the road but ideas of the reporter herself floated through. Her long dark hair and caramel skin, and what had looked like a bright, infectious smile. The corners of his mouth upturned at the thought of the small photo he'd seen of her.

"You got this, old man," he whispered to himself as his bike hummed to a slow stop in an alleyway beside the restaurant.

📰📰📰

Her heeled boots clicked along the sidewalk as she slipped away from the Uber she took over to Izzy's. Her recorder sat neatly in her bag, just in case Bucky was comfortable enough to let her use it. But if not, her small notebook would be more than enough for her profile. The idea wasn't to scare him off in any way, she just wanted to hear his true story and let the world see him for him, not whatever the government chose to put out there.

She was ecstatic this morning when she received the notification of his message back after a few days had gone by. She had worried that she might have been too eager in her initial message, or not enough to show she was serious about her request.

Priya pulled open the entrance to Izzy's and she quickly scanned the floor meeting Sergeant Bucky Barnes' bright but nervous blue eyes looking back at her sitting at the table by the window farther back. The restaurant wasn't too full but the table he chose was private enough that if it were to fill up they'd still be able to talk at a normal volume.

As she made her way to him, she saw him stand, stopping the anxious fidgeting with his metal fingers in the process and couldn't help but smile.

"Hi Sergeant Barnes, it is so wonderful to finally meet you," she voiced happily, extending her hand between them.

He responded with a quiet “hi”, shaking her hand rather quickly before he pulled her chair back to let her sit down. She was startled by his gesture, saying a quick thank you and sat down. He nodded in response and took his seat on the opposite side of her. His brows were furrowed as her eyes met his. She didn’t know if he was just nervous or if he didn’t like her - maybe it was both.

However, she tried not to let his behavior demolish her confidence and the plan she had for this interview.

"You can call me Bucky," he said, well he blurted.

"I'm sorry?" Priya fished her notebook from her bag, instantly knowing from his tense, pinned back posture that pen and paper would be the best approach.

She watched him carefully, setting the things down on the table beside her glass, which had already been filled with water much to her surprise. Sergeant Barnes, a true gentleman after all, she thought. She knew her contacts wouldn't steer her wrong. This interview was exactly what she had been waiting for. Refreshing honesty from a soldier's perspective.

"You called me Bucky in the email, you can... here too. I prefer it, I'm not that man anymore. The Sergeant." He swallowed thickly, his blue eyes clocking his nine and three as more people entered the restaurant.

It was obvious now that she’d noticed, the way his eyes would rapidly scan the room before returning to her and she felt a twinge of sorrow for him having led a life that had required him to be so vigilant that it was now an ingrained part of him.

Realising the silence might have been a little too long she nodded and widened her smile.

“Bucky it is,” she agreed. “Thank you again for meeting me, and at such short notice.”

Bucky made a grunt of acknowledgement and then seemed to check himself. He cleared his throat a little and the line between his brows deepened slightly before he spoke.

“You’re welcome.”

Priya looked around at the bar, a short walk from the subway station and in a part of Brooklyn that she never really had a chance to visit. The walls were a dark green, soft black accents and dim lighting that made her feel comforted. She wondered as she looked at the anxious hero in front of her if he received any small relief from the hole in the wall bar.

"At the risk of sounding like a bad pickup line," Priya said with a tinkling laugh. "do you come here often?"

Bucky chuckled back with a nervous smile and she beamed hoping she'd get to see more of that throughout their conversation.

"Quite a bit actually," he started, "I come to lunch with a um, an old friend here every week. Or used to, maybe we will again some day."

He pressed his lips into a tight line as his eyes fell back to the table and Priya felt a small pang in her chest.

"Did something happen between you two? And this is not for the profile or anything, but I'd love to hear more about your friend if you feel comfortable and it helps to talk about it..."

"There's a negative side to every story Ms. Abalan," Bucky said, his hand flexing against the table like a nervous tell. "My time spent here with Yori was spoiled by the crimes of the Winter..." he inhaled through his teeth and his jaw ticked.

"The Winter Soldier?" She asked and Bucky gave her a tight nod in response. "Listen, this interview is about you. I didn't ask for one with the man you were, I want a new perspective on who you are as a man now. The journey you took to get here. And please, call me Priya."

Bucky watched her for a moment longer, Priya just wishing she knew what was going on behind the icy glare. "Yori was a friend when I was acclimating to New York. The city you know, not the city I grew up in. The sounds," he inhaled again, puffing his chest and stretching out the muscles, "the lights and the crowds... the technology. It was too much. But Yori, he taught me how to navigate it."

"Do you mind?" She pointed to the notebook.

"It's what we're here for isn't it?" He offered her a tight smile.

She scribbled down words, thoughts, and he waited for her to finish but before she could question him again the waitress arrived at their booth to ask for their order.

“I haven’t even looked at the menu yet,” Priya chuckled, reaching for the laminated card, but then paused and looked up at Bucky, “unless you could recommend something? You’ve got to have a favourite, right?”

She almost laughed out loud at the expression on his face, he almost looked baffled. Pulling his bottom lip between his teeth in thought he hummed a little.

“The, ummm, the salmon and avocado temaki are good. Goes well with a beer.”

“Then let's go with that,” Priya smiled at the waitress before turning back to Bucky. “I trust you.”

Bucky’s eyes went wide at her statement, his cheeks flushed and he sighed almost like some relief washed over him at her words. His eyes drifted back to the table. Priya wondered when the last time someone expressed any kind of trust in him, especially a stranger.

He flagged down the waitress and she watched him as he ordered for them. The waitress seemed to know his usual order, down to the type of beer he liked to drink. She could tell that he was nervous. He kept flexing his hands, fiddling with his fingers. "Bucky..." She wanted to redirect him, make him more comfortable. "What do you do for fun?"

"Well," Bucky drawled as his eyebrows furrowed, the perplexed expression making Priya smile softly. "I like...to read?"

This time Priya couldn't contain her giggle and the grin she got in return from Bucky caused a surprising warmth to rise in her cheeks.

"Why did you phrase it like it was a question?" Priya asked with a tilt of her head, black waves falling over her shoulder.

"Because, I'm not sure if that's what normal people even do anymore," Bucky said with more enthusiasm than she expected, gesturing out the window. "All this technology and convenience, people don't slow down anymore. Don't take the time to just..."

"Read? Something calming and quiet, is that why it appeals to you?"

His blue eyes met her umber ones again and she felt that pull again. This wasn't planned. She was a professional and didn't get caught off guard easily. But here was James Barnes, making her blush in the middle of an interview with just a look.

"Yeah," he murmured, his voice raspy as he picked up his glass of water. "It gives me somewhere to escape to. Helps me think of times where everything was simpler."

Priya watched the flexing of his jaw as he took a few gulps from the glass and set it down.

"But I don't think your readers want to hear all about a boring old man and his books," Bucky laughed softly.

"Well, I've never cared what the readers wanted to hear," Priya replies sweetly, sipping from her own glass. "Only what they need to hear. And I feel like all of New York needs to hear more about you."

"That's encouraging," Bucky said, "do you...read?" He asked, his tone a little more lenient as he spoke.

Priya had the urge to chase the sound of that laughter, she liked the way it made his eyes soften and shoulders relax. "I'm a journalist, it's kind of my job. What's your favorite book?" She asked, straying a little further from her preplanned topics but curious about the man before her.

She had come into this interview with the expectations of meeting a hardened, battle-worn soldier but she was met by a book loving, sushi eating old man who looked at her like she was glowing. It made her feel warm, and seen for the first time in a while. Throwing elbows in the breakroom with a bunch of ancient white men who believed they were god's gift to earth had been leaving her feeling anxious and angry.

He dipped his head and Priya would even go so far as to say he looked bashful when he replied.

“There’s so many, I couldn’t pick just one. But at the moment I’m reading The Two Towers. It’s part of a series called…”

“The Lord of the Rings,” Priya finished with a smile. “It’s a good one. Have you seen the movies?”

She gasped slightly as Bucky raised himself out of his seat a little, his eyes going wide with surprise.

“They made them into movies?!” He exclaimed, and it was the most animated he’d been so far.

Priya let out a laugh, tilting her head back. "They're really good. About an entire day's worth of Frodo and the gang." Somehow his eyes went even wider, a child like quality washed over him that she could tell lived below his stony exterior. She didn't blame him for hiding it away, she only wished he would get more moments to show it.

"Are they as good as the books?" He asked with a raised brow. The corners of his mouth curled upwards into a grin as she smiled back at him.

"Just about."

Bucky leaned back into his chair, shaking his head gently. The excitement coming to a head. "The world has changed so much..." He breathed in a gentle laugh.

Priya watched with an inquisitive quirk of her brow as Bucky tilted in his seat and reached into his back pocket, pulling out a small notebook. Cover faded and pages worn, she could tell it was well used, flicked through and carried around.

“Sorry, I just—uh…” Bucky waved the book, “gotta write this down.”

She nodded in understanding as he opened it to a page half way through the book, a list already started, and he glanced up looking a little lost.

“You need a pen?”

“Please,” he smiled, reaching out when she held hers up for him to take. Their fingertips grazed as it was passed between them and Priya gasped softly at the touch. But then Bucky was writing and the moment had passed, instead she waited patiently as he scrawled onto the page.

Lord of the Rings - MOVIES.

She chuckled quietly as he underlined it twice.

"How long have you had that thing?" She asked.

There was other writing in it, mostly lists. Some of it was consistent with Bucky’s handwriting and some of it wasn’t. Blockier, less slanted to the right. Definitely not his.

She spotted more names: books, movies, public figures, and TV shows. Bucky’s face fell a little, sadness eclipsing it as it crept into his eyes. Suddenly, Priya felt like she shouldn’t have asked that question. She shook her head.

“We don’t—“

“No, it’s… it belonged to an old friend.” Bucky cleared his throat. “Kind of gave me a blueprint for coming back to the 21st century.”

He flipped it closed and tucked it back into his jacket, handing her the pen back with his left hand.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” When she reached for it, the tips of their fingers brushed together.

Sparks. Butterflies. They were swarming her belly, almost tormenting it. She took a deep breath. Professional, Priya. Professional. Bucky’s cheeks reddened before he quickly withdrew his hand and reached for his water, taking a long drink.

Priya did the same and Bucky set his glass down.

“What else did you want to ask me?”

"Well... I want New York to know more about the real you, Bucky," She answered. "We know about the crime fighter, we should know about the man underneath all of that."

Priya clicked the back of her pen a couple of times as she looked down at the few notes that she'd made for herself. Why can't I think straight? I had all of this thought out before I sat down.

At that moment, the waitress stepped back up to the table with their order of food and sat it between them before giving Bucky his beer. "It's on the house today, Bucky. Don't even try to leave anything for it. You overpaid for your lunch yesterday."

Bucky tried to protest as Priya's eyes grew wide, looking up at the waitress.

"Does he do that often?" she asked the server, the girl's dark bob moving quickly as she nodded.

"Oh all the time," she continued, her eyes lighting up. "Our girls get cheated out of a lot of tips and Bucky never fails to make up for it. You picked a good one for a date, girl."

Before Priya could stammer out that this was not in fact a date, the waitress was making her way back to the bar. She looked embarrassed at Bucky, who was busy fixing his chopsticks to pick up the first roll of his lunch.

"Don't worry about it, she likes to tease me all the time." Bucky scoffed, waving his other hand slightly and he dug into his food. "Says I don't get out enough so she just assumed-"

"That's okay," Priya murmured softly, starting into her own food with butterflies in her stomach. "I don't mind."

"Don't mind what?" Bucky grinned and Priya saw the man in the photos at the museum for a brief moment. "The teasing or thinking this is a date?"

She flushed, feeling it high in her cheeks as she glanced down at her food.

“Either. Both.“ Priya looked back up and met Bucky’s widened but pleased eyes. “I figure she’s right anyways- I did pick a good one.”

Bucky stared at her, his eyes full of something that looked like gratitude, before he shifted his gaze down to his metal hand, flexing and clenching on the table. He quickly relaxed it when she looked, flattening it on the table and drumming his fingers.

“So, what uh- what else d’you wanna know?” Bucky asked, and Priya blinked a few times before looking at her notes again.

She was getting distracted by his looks and his charm, and that wouldn't do. Keep it together Priya, he's handsome, like real old time handsome. Open the doors for you and bring you flowers handsome, but you gotta focus on the interview first!

She looked over her notes, searching for what she should ask next, before finally settling on, "I'm sure you've faced a lot of changes, what's your favorite, well, anything, that you've encountered in the 21st Century?"

When she looked up, Bucky was looking at her, curious but contemplative.

"Honestly one of the first things that comes to mind is food which probably sounds ridiculous," he said with a shy laugh.

"Hey I love food, so I'm all for that answer."

Priya gave him a reassuring smile, urging him to go on.

"Well back when I was young I liked food too and my ma made this great cobbler anytime she could but that was a once in a while thing. Then in the war and before I um- well before I became me again, I mostly just ate whatever field ration was available just to survive, you know?" he took a swig of his beer and continued, "Now I can actually enjoy it."

"What kind of cobbler?" She asked him, genuinely wanting to know the answer.

"Peach," he smiled, "but I'd eat cobbler with just about any fruit."

"You like fruit?" She jotted down and slipped the pen between her teeth.

"Have you ever eaten a meal out of a can? The field rations tend to be slimy, and taste worse than a bullet between your teeth." He described to her, "coming home, getting the freedom to eat whatever you wanted. Fruit, it's the opposite, juicy and sweet. Erases some of the memories of tin from my mind."

"You're nothing like they describe," she sighed, staring across at him she realized that underneath all that scary stuff that the news outlets had spewed was just a young man trying to figure it all out after having it all taken from him.

She watched as Bucky's muscles tensed under his dark dress shirt at her comment. Even her boss was very reluctant to let her come to this interview alone, but something deep within herself made her believe that this was a story worth telling.

“Thanks…” Bucky mumbled, taking a long swig of his beer.

Priya watched him carefully, a soft smile lifting its way onto her plump lips, “you really are a good man, Bucky, I mean it.”

Her heart leapt at the blush that crept across his face and he busied himself with the food, pushing the plate of sushi towards her so that she could make the first selection.

“So the sushi then, that was obviously new to you. What did you think of it?” She asked, using her chopsticks to pick up one of the temaki.

“When Yori first suggested it I was dubious, you know?” Priya nodded and he continued, “but I liked it. Maybe it’s the company too, first Yori, now you…”

It was Priya’s turn to blush at his words but he continued to speak.

“You just gotta watch out for that wasabi crap. I thought I was gonna die. You shouldn’t be able to feel food in your damn nostrils!” He shook his head in exasperation and Priya couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled out of her throat.

His eyes flicked up to her, that charmed smile forming on his lips once again. Another wave of warmth coursed through her at the gesture.

"Wasabi is like your Kryptonite then I suppose." She grinned, picking out one of the sashimi rolls, placing it between her lips feeling the weight of his gaze on her.

Bucky cleared his throat, realizing that he was staring although she didn't quite mind it. Keep it professional Abalan. "Krypto-what?"

She smiled, covering her mouth to swallow, "Superman?"

He shook his head softly, "He's a comic book character. Strong, super speed, super hearing, among other things," Priya continued, "Kind of like you, but he can fly--" Her brows knit together, "You can't fly can you?"

Bucky chuckled, shaking his head, "No, Cap flies. I prefer two feet on the ground."

Priya nodded before continuing, "well, he's got one weakness, it's called Kryptonite. Some alien crystal thing... but he's also just trying to live as a normal human man, so I'm sure he's got more than just that."

He considered her words carefully, "Are you comparing me to Superman?" He breathed a laugh, shoving another roll into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully.

"You two are similar..." She smiled, "I prefer the real thing though."

“You always such a sweet talker when you interview people?”

He caught her eye and Priya glanced down, not sure how to handle the twinkle in his soft blue irises, or the way his lips curved into a smirk — teasing in every sense.

Bucky was oozing the charm that the old stories told of, and nothing like the recent reports. She felt a small glimmer of pride over that, that he felt he could relax a little more than usual in her company, given the circumstances.

“Gotta be sometimes,” Priya replied truthfully. She glanced at her open notebook, pen laid across the page untouched since their food arrived. “But I haven’t written a single thing down in the past ten minutes so I’m not sure if we can class this as an interview anymore.”

When Priya raised her eyes from her notebook, they found his blue ones staring at her. Her lip upcurved a little and she quickly grabbed one of the sushi rolls with her chopsticks.

Bucky watched her every move, before copying her and grabbing a sushi roll himself.

"I could live with that." he mumbled with a shy smile, before placing the roll in his mouth with ease.

"You're rocking the chopsticks, Bucky." Priya commented on his movements.

"Oh you should have seen my first try, doll." he responded before a grumbling laughter escaped his throat.

Priya felt the butterflies in her stomach again and she couldn't stop herself from laughing with him. "Yeah, first times are always embarrassing." she chuckled.

"Oh, yes. Should have seen me trying to order a coffee at Starbucks the first time. I've seen high-tech stuff in Wakanda, but none of that was as complicated as Starbucks. After the fourth weird question, I literally ran out of the building and never entered a Starbucks again."

“So not a coffee guy then.”

“No, I am,” he laughed. “I just… latte, cappuccino, cold foam… what the hell is all that stuff? I just want a black coffee in one of those little paper cups with the shitty lids.”

“The ones that burn your hand because the paper’s too thin?”

He pointed at her, his eyes lighting up.

“That’s a real New York cup of coffee. Gotta be tough to even carry the damn thing.”

Priya chuckled and shook her head.

“Well, I like lattes usually, but after a really long night out, I could get on board with an old fashioned bodega cup of coffee. And one of those greasy breakfast sandwiches.”

Bucky’s eyes rolled back and he let out a groan.

“They’re the best. I could live on those things.”

She chuckled. The more he opened up, the more she didn’t really care about the interview. She just wanted to get to know him. There was so much bullshit out there about him in the press. Assumptions, things that didn’t match up at all with the gorgeous blue-eyed man sitting in front of her. He was charming and funny, and the little nickname he dropped oh so casually made her heart skip a few beats.

Priya fell silent and picked up another sushi roll. Bucky did the same and she took a deep breath as she chewed.

“What’s been the hardest adjustment for you? Outside of running screaming out of a Starbucks and never coming back?”

“I didn’t scream,” Bucky retorted as she giggled. But the question made him suddenly contemplative, pain clouding his features. “But, if you want the honest answer, I’d have to say… that coming back to all of this felt like walking into a party that nobody wanted me to come to.”

Her brows scrunched.

“What do you mean?”

“Just… after everything I did… it’s hard to get people to—“ He cleared his throat. “Accept you. I felt like an alien. Everything I did, everything I said was all wrong. Everyone I knew was gone except for Sam," his eyes misted with tears that he blinked away in an instant. "I didn't think about how lonely it would be."

Priya frowned softly and without thinking, reached to rest one hand over his metal hand, ignoring the coolness she felt. "Bucky... I know whatever I say doesn't really help the matter. But I'm doing my best to change that if I can."

She ran her thumb over the back of his hand, glad that he hadn't pulled away from her yet. "I've been to the museum and I know what you've been through... from the stories..." her words and her thoughts were getting tangled.

Priya sat up, shaking her head, starting to pull her hand away. “I’m sorry, I just mean-“ Bucky caught her hand in his, gentle but keeping her from withdrawing.

“Thank you,” he said quietly but earnestly, blue eyes fixed on her dark ones. Priya felt her heart stutter a beat, and she nodded, realizing a beat too late that Bucky had released her hand. She pulled it back, grabbing her pen and spinning it between her fingers, nervous excitement bubbling within her.

"You know," Bucky started, then hesitated, poking at his food for a moment before he started again.

"You know, I thought this would be horrible. But you're, uh, you're nice," His voice dropped to almost a whisper, so Priya had to lean forward to hear his next words, "You have a nice voice."

Priya felt the heat crawl up her neck and over her cheeks, "Really?"

“Yeah, it’s beautiful,” Bucky’s face softened and he blinked slowly. Smiling, he added “your accent reminds me of someone I knew once, a long time ago.”

Priya lost herself in his eyes. They glistened with such emotion as he remembered. She wondered if the person he was thinking of had been an old flame or a lost love. She took a breath, ready to speak, when he spoke again.

“Your voice is softer though. More soothing,” he refocused himself on the dwindling platter between them, “I could listen to you talk all day.”

Priya’s face flushed as she watched him casually place another roll into his mouth. His cheeky grin closed around the rice as he watched her. This 40’s boy had not lost one iota of his charm.

"Perhaps I should be asking you the questions."

“Perhaps…” she said in a softer tone as she looked at him through her lashes, catching him getting flustered at her flirty look. “But maybe not today…today shouldn’t be about me.”

“Oh, so you’re assuming there’s gonna be a next time then?” Now Bucky was the one who got into his flirting skills, raising one eyebrow and pushing his tongue against his cheek as he leaned forward on the table.

“We’ll see,” she said confidently, her eyes not leaving his.

“Can’t wait,” he smiled as he leaned back again and got back to his sushi.

They ate in silence for a minute or two but it wasn’t awkward, which surprised her. Priya had always read about people “making eyes at each other” and now she finally knew what they meant by it. A whole conversation was held between them without a word being uttered until Bucky’s gaze turned mischievous, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

He leaned across the table and slid Priya’s notebook towards himself. Flipping to a new page he tapped the pen against the pad a couple of times and spoke, his mouth twitching into a charming smile.

“So, Ms Abalan, if you could describe your ideal date, what would it be?”

Priya watched the confidence wash over him in beautiful waves. The light of the bar glistened against the flecks of gray in his eyes, making it extremely hard to answer the question without saying, this.

She sucked in a deep breath, leaning back into her chair as a smile formed across her lips. "Well, it would start out with dinner," Priya grinned when the pen started moving across her pad.

"Hmm, okay go on," he grinned up at her.

Priya laughed softly, "you're very eager Mr. Barnes," his tongue flicked over his bottom lip forcing her eyes to watch before flicking back up to his own. He rolled the pen silently asking her to keep going, "alright, alright..." she conceded, "after dinner we'd take a walk by the waterfront, the lights are beautiful at night."

The pen stopped for a moment as he looked back up at her, "We?"

It was her turn to grin at him.

"Then--" She said ignoring his question, "enjoying one of those bodega coffees on the walk home."

Priya watched her pen dance across the page before Bucky finished up the last bullet point with a flourish of the word ‘coffee’.

“Looks like a pretty good date to me,” he breathed, “could I maybe add one thing?”

“I thought this was my ideal date?” Priya teased, and Bucky scrunched his nose in playful rebuttal.

“Humour me, sweetheart? We’re off topic as it is.”

And she couldn’t resist the happy crinkles at the corner of his baby blues if she tried as she gestured with her hand for him to continue.

“Make it dinner and a movie. You talk at dinner, you get to sit close in the movie theatre, or couch if you do that — what is it they call it… Netflix and chill?”

Priya laughed as Bucky wiggled his eyebrows and her belly flipped. An all encompassing feeling of ‘this could be something good’ simmering through her limbs as they fell into a companionable silence.

"You know what Netflix and chill means, right?" she laughed while watching his brows knit in confusion while tilting his head a little.

"Yeah, watching a movie on the television. Through the internet. Isn't it?" he asked while quickly grabbing his own notebook to note down her explanation.

"Actually..." Priya started but struggled to hold back her laughter. "... it's more like ignoring the movie and having... you know... sex instead."

Bucky had started writing down every word Priya said, but before he could write the word "sex" his eyes raised and he looked at her.

His eyebrows slowly raised, his lips pulling apart.

"Oh. OH." he mumbled, his cheeks cherry red while he quickly closed his notebook and put it in the pocket of his jacket again.

"That would be a lot for a first date, huh?" he added, trying to hide his embarrassment as best as possible.

"Yeah. But dinner plus watching a movie for real sounds like a pretty amazing date." Priya said, trying to change the topic and make him feel comfortable again.

"Would you be up for that?" Bucky asked, his facial expression a mixture of excitement and fear.

"Absolutely!" she answered almost immediately with a big grin on her face.

Bucky’s lips twitched in a smile, beaming back at her. “Wh-when would you like to go out? I mean, we didn’t really get to do much of an interview… I uh… could answer more questions for you.”

“I mean… it wasn’t dinner, but I’m not busy now,” Priya said, grinning widely as he stood up, walking behind her and pulling her chair out with her nod. Bucky made a wide gesture with his metal arm.

“Shall we take a walk?” he asked, a crooked smile on his face as Priya tucked away her things, picking up her bag and sliding out of her chair.

She could feel Bucky’s hand light on her lower back as he guided her out of the restaurant, saying goodbye to the waitress. As they stepped onto the sidewalk, Bucky offered her his arm, and she smiled, turning to look up at him, his eyes scanning their surroundings.

The afternoon weather was perfect for a stroll through the local park. Bucky led Priya along the winding paths as they talked and laughed. She enjoyed getting to know more about him, and the more she shared about herself, the more comfortable he became, opening up to her like a blooming flower nurtured by her presence.

Bucky talked about what Brooklyn was like back when he was a teenager and, at Priya’s request, talked about his family, but she never once asked about the war. She wanted to know all of the parts of him that existed now – some of which were remnants from his youth – not the parts he wished he could forget. Never those darker parts.

When the shadows grew longer and the afternoon turned to a cool evening, Bucky walked Priya to a quaint little hole-in-the-wall café for a hot cup of coffee. The kind that almost burned you through the cup, just as they had discussed. Everything about him was alluring. She knew she should have kept it professional but being with him was effortless, and so refreshingly good.

She hadn't realised they had stopped walking by the wrought iron gates that lead to the street. Warmed by hot coffee and the outstanding company, Bucky stepped closer. He looked down into her upturned eyes and asked…

“How about that movie, doll?”

Priya's tongue swiped across her bottom lip before she pulled it between her teeth, keeping her dark eyes locked with his gaze, "I - I honestly probably shouldn't. It's against my ethics training to date my sources," she paused.

The way Bucky's eyes flickered to the ground away from her and the nod of his head caused a mischievous smirk to cross her lips as she kept him waiting.

"I understand..." he all but mumbled, the disappointment coming through in his tone.

Breathing out a laugh through her nose, she reached forward and softly placed her hand on his chest, bringing his eyes back to her face, "but for you, I'll make an exception," she teased, shooting him a sweet grin.

A smile exploded across his face and she got another glimpse of that almost child-like joy that she wished would stay for longer. It belonged there and Priya vowed that she would do everything she could to make sure it returned.

“Is there anything in particular you wanna see?” He asked, pulling his phone from his pocket.

He tapped the screen a few times and stared daggers at it, as if it had done him some great insult.

“I can book us some tickets…apparently,” he grumbled.

“Do you actually have Netflix Bucky?” She asked, patting his chest gently.

Bucky glanced up from his phone, brows furrowed, before letting out an awkward breathy laugh, "I--uh.. I think so. Sam set it up for me, but I've never used it."

She smiled, "I can show you how to use it," Priya offered, knowing that she was dangerously stepping over that ethical line, "I mean if you're up for it. Movie theaters are great too."

He glanced up and down the street, the nervousness returning to him. "You want to come to my place?" He asked, the unsureness in his voice leaking through.

"If you're up for it," She reminded him, not wanting to push him too far.

"I'm up for it." He said a little more confidently, holding out his arm for her.

Priya smiled, wrapping her hand gently around his bicep, "such a gentleman. I'm pretty sure the Lord of The Rings is on there, we can watch that if you're up for diving into three more hours with me."

Bucky shot her a playful look, "I've lasted this long darling."

“Well then, lead the way.”

Bucky paused as they approached the street where Izzy’s was.

“I uh— I forgot I rode my bike here, are you— we can walk back if you don’t want to—“

“I’ve been on a motorcycle before, Bucky. Plus, the quicker we get back the more movie time we have.”

With the decision made, she followed Bucky onto his bike, trying not to think about how close they were as she clung to him, arms wrapped around his strong build as he zipped through the streets back to his building.

Before she knew it, they were rolling up to a security gate guard as they made their way through.

Her kind eyes softened as they flitted from Priya to Bucky and back again before she shot the super-soldier a wink.

“Not a word, Lottie.” Bucky chuckled as if he could read her mind. Priya raised her brow inquisitively and it seemed Lottie couldn’t help herself.

“Looks like you put that charm to good use, Barnes.”

Bucky shook his head, riding off to his usual space before anything more could be said.

“You are very charming, you know,” Priya told him once they were inside and waiting for the elevator.

“You haven’t seen me first thing in the mornin’, Priya.“ Bucky countered, flashing her a lopsided grin as they entered the carriage and zoomed up to his floor.

Priya laughed as she got off of the elevator and waited for Bucky. “You haven’t seen me either. It’s a bit of a sight to behold.”

She followed him down the hall to his apartment and watched as he unlocked the door. As they stepped into the apartment, the sound of a trilling meow filled the room. “You have a cat?”

A petite white cat with the most vibrant blue eyes slinked its way towards Bucky, winding around his legs and purring loudly before sitting between its human and Priya. The cat eyed her curiously.

Bucky scooped the cat up into his arms and approached Priya as if showing off a newborn baby.

“Priya, this is Alpine. Alpine, this is Priya.” The cat chirped in Bucky’s embrace as if it knew its name. “She’s seen me through some tough nights,” Bucky stroked Alpine and brought her closer.

“Aww, she’s gorgeous!” Priya held her hand out gently for Alpine to sniff, trying not to force herself into the cat’s space. “Are you a good girl? I bet you’re a very good girl for your dad, huh?”

Alpine reached up to boop Priya’s hand with her nose and purred. Only then did Priya move to pet her.

“She likes me!” Priya beamed a huge smile and looked up at Bucky to find the strangest expression on his face as he watched the two ladies interact.

Narrowing her eyes at Bucky, she kept a soft smile on her face as she tilted her head to the side, "what's wrong?" she chuckled.

Bucky shook his head, and moved his vibranium hand to scratch the special spot behind Alpines ears, "no, nothing, I just -" he paused, smiling down at his little girl, "I've never seen her like someone so quickly," he looked back at Priya, a small twinkle in his blue eyes, "she must know you're special..." he all but whispered.

A blush crept up the sides of her neck as her hand slowly dropped from the cat, turning herself slowly to look farther into Bucky's apartment. The story of Bucky Barnes was writing itself in her head but for now, her reporter brain shut itself off and allowed her to be just herself. Just a girl with a swarm of butterflies in her chest every time she looked into those ocean blue eyes.

"You have a really nice home here Bucky, the plants, the books, it's really... you," she turned back to him with a smile, "I like it."

Bucky shifted on his feet, that lopsided smile returning as he looked around, assessing the room. Everything had it's place. Books were lined up neatly on the shelves, small medallions and picture frames sat in between the stacks. His free hand came up to rub the back of his neck as his eyes met hers again, "Thank you. It's finally... starting to feel like a home now."

Priya ignored the pang in her chest at the thought of it once not feeling like that for him before turning to head towards a line of frames hanging in between a pair of windows.

Alpine wrestled herself out of his arms only to beat Priya to the windowsill earning a chuckle from her father.

"That's her favorite spot," he grinned, taking a step sliding himself next to her, "She likes to yowl at the kids on the street."

She let out a chuckle, "Like father like daughter I'm guessing?" Priya raised a brow at him.

"They get loud sometimes," he grumbled, biting back the smile on his face before moving to the TV and picking up the remote. "Here, if you can work your magic and get that thing to work, more power to ya," he said all but shoving the remote into her hand, "You want something to drink? I have water… beer, tea if that suits you. I usually only drink it when I can't sleep."

With a nod, she let him take her bag and smiled, "Tea would be great."

Bucky nodded, “make yourself at home, there are blankets in that basket if you wanna get comfy.”

“Thanks, Bucky.”

With a soft smile, Bucky turned on his heel and headed to the kitchen, leaving Priya to her own devices.

She got Netflix up and running easily enough and then turned her attention to the frames on the wall, wandering over to inspect them more closely.

Black and white photos filled the two of them. A much younger Bucky — although only by ten years or so in looks — stood side by side with a scrawny Steve Rogers in the first. The second, a family shot, weathered and torn but taped back together. Something in her chest lurched at the sight of Bucky as a young boy and she turned away, suddenly feeling like she was invading his privacy.

“You can look, sweetheart.” Bucky was there, two cups of tea in his hands and a melancholy expression on his face, “I trust you.”

Priya turned and looked at him, her cheeks colored pink. “That’s who you were talking about earlier… the notebook. It was Steve’s.”

Bucky’s head hung just a little lower and he nodded, his solemn expression more than enough to tell her that perhaps now wasn’t the time to press him for more memories, he had already gifted her with enough for one day.

“Nothing gets past that journalist brain of yours, does it?” His smile was weak but full of care. It was obvious that he didn’t want to push her away.

“Bucky,” she stepped closer, taking his hand that lay limp at his side and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be here to listen.”

He nodded, meeting her compassionate gaze with acceptance.

“But in the meantime, I’m here for the child-like delight you’re going to experience when you see the movies they made of those Tolkien books you’re reading. Don’t think I didn’t see that bookmark near the end of The Two Towers. And mister! I’m here to tell you that we’re watching them all in order.”

“Them all?” Bucky perked up, that excited glint returning to his eyes.

“All three of them.”

“Tonight?”

“God no! We can save some for other dates.”

“I like the sound of that.”

Priya's heart swelled in her chest as the two of them smiled at each other for another moment. This soft, sweet man was not at all what she had been expecting. Rumours of the short, cut answers he had given to other reporters floated around the city like red leaves in the fall, and knowing what she did of others in her field, she didn't blame him at all. Her mind wondered what she herself had done differently to make him trust her, but that would be a conversation for another day too. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy the company of a perfectly good man who she really liked.

She plopped herself down onto his black leather sofa, and patted the cushion next to her, "You ready?" She teased.

A confident smile spread across Bucky's lips as he took a seat and draped his arm lazily along the back of the couch behind her shoulders, "as I'll ever be."

She beamed up at him before turning towards the TV and pressing play. The opening credits began and like a moth to a flame, his eyes were glued to the screen. Priya settled into the couch, her knee bumping his leg gently as she did. His gaze flicked to hers for only a moment as the smile grew on his face before they returned to the screen.

As they got deeper into the movie, she glanced over at him. His lips moved gently with the monologues but his focus unbroken by her watching him. She couldn't help but smile to herself, seeing his favorite books come to life on a screen that she was sure he never thought he'd be able to see.

Alpine had jumped down off the window and planted herself in Bucky's lap, curled up into the tiniest white fluff ball that Priya had ever seen. His eyes flicked down to the cat and then over to Priya.

"You like it so far?" She asked, feeling his body lean towards hers.

"There's how many more of these?" He asked, pausing as wraiths flickered over the screen.

"Six if you include the Hobbit movies," she whispered, nudging him gently with a grin, feeling herself drawn to his warmth the closer he got to her. Priya sucked in a breath gently before scooting closer to him, his arm falling from the top of the couch and finally resting on her shoulders.

His eyes went wide as he pulled her closer as if out of habit, "Six! We have a lot of dates to plan then sweetheart."

Priya laughed, her nerves settling when he didn't push her away, "well… five now." She grinned.

"Make it ten," he bantered with a smile.

“I’m sure we can find things to watch for an extra five dates,” Priya couldn’t hide her smirk as Bucky looked down at her resting against him.

“No doubt.” He gave her shoulder a playful squeeze and turned his attention back to the movie.

The wraiths had cornered Frodo and the other Hobbits in the ruins at Weather Top. Bucky tensed as the music grew more ominous and they drew in for their attack. The screams of the wraiths made Alpine jittery in his lap, and she shifted, looking around for whatever heinous creature was lurking out of sight.

Instinctively, Priya reached to stroke her, soothing her with gentle long strokes down her back until her fingers brushed something without fur. Bucky’s hand lay underneath her fingertips, stilled by the contact and heated, just like the rest of his body. He lazily parted his fingers so hers would dip between his and he stroked there almost absently, cosseting Alpine with the motion.

On the screen, the Witch-King stabbed Frodo and Bucky jolted, causing Priya to gasp. She realised she had been holding her breath, captivated by the feel of his skin against hers, and by their closeness.

Bucky cocked an eyebrow as he turned his gaze down toward her, a glimmer of a playful smile dancing at his lips, "Are you okay?" He whispered.

Her head nodded against his shoulder and she returned the smile, giving his hand a small squeeze, "never better," she whispered back.

Nuzzling herself deeper against him, Priya did her best to turn her attention back to the screen, but the feeling of Bucky's thumb gracefully rubbing the side of her hand pulled her focus away from the movie once more. Every movement he made was careful and soft, purposeful and filled with intention. Through whatever he had happened in his life, some semblance of a man remained, tethered to the darkness that he so clearly thought followed him.

It broke her heart to think about this good man stuck behind bars, watching the terrible things that went on around him. But the strength that radiated from this survivor was captivating in every way. It made Priya hold on to every moment with him. Every smile he'd flashed her had gotten brighter as their day had gone on, the confidence in not only his voice but his demeanour. A warmth spread throughout her body as she turned her dark eyes up to Bucky once more, catching him once again mouthing a few of the words as the film started to draw to a close.

Priya hadn't even realized the movie ended until he glanced back down at her, breaking the gaze she had studying his features. Every line, freckle and crinkle his eyes made when he smiled was not lost to her now. Nothing more perfect and nothing out of place. He squeezed her hand playfully drawing her attention back, "What'chya lookin' at darlin?"

Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she sat up gently, "You." She admitted softly, "I just..." Priya knew she was about to cross a line and the raise of his brow and gentle curve of his lips egged her on, "I'm just grateful you replied to that email," she pulled her toe back from the line.

"Y'know, considering how tonight has turned out, I am as well." He smiled, everything in her core turning to fire.

Alpine jumped off his lap, stretching her little body across the dark rug. Not once did their eyes leave each other hearing her yowl softly trotting her way into his kitchen. He untangled their still intertwined fingers and trailed his fingertips to her wrist. "Priya," he breathed gently, crystal blue eyes searched her own, "I'd really like to kiss you now..." he trailed off.

She felt herself smile before nodding, "I'd really like that."

That charming smile returned to his features as he lifted his hand, gently resting it against her jaw as he leaned in closer to her. Priya met him halfway, leaning into him with her hands planted firm against his chest. The hard muscle doing nothing to hide the racing beat of his heart hammering against his chest. Knowing he could hear hers trying to escape her chest.

Bucky slotted his lips over hers, taking her top one first and leaning into her like she'd melt away if he didn't. Her fingers dug into the cotton of his shirt and she swore she heard a small moan fall from his lips as he pulled away from her sucking in a breath. "Was that okay?" He asked almost nervously.

Priya nodded, twisting her fingers into his shirt even further, grasping onto anything she could, "more than."

He beamed, the blue in his eyes glistened as he dipped his head again, pressing his lips to hers once more.

Priya felt like she could melt in his arms right then and there. One of his arms wrapped around her waist, and she let out a small, happy sigh.

Bucky smiled against her lips, her sweet sighs making him deepen the kiss so tenderly she felt like she might sublime from solid form to vapour just from the subtle heat of it all. He was truly a marvel, a paradox of hard edges and primal ruggedness offset with such gentleness and vulnerability that she thought she might never tire of his facets.

Bucky suckled her lower lip gently, pulling her body tighter against his chest so their hearts beat so close to one another. His tongue sought hers out, but he didn’t push himself into her mouth – no – they met in the middle and danced there, exploring and teasing until, with a heavy sigh, Bucky pulled back. He rested his forehead against hers, where a disbelieving laugh escaped them both together.

“That was…” Priya’s words were lost in that exuberant giggle again.

“I’ll say!” Bucky grinned.

Their eyes locked as the tips of their noses brushed together softly, breathing in each other's scent and relishing in the moment that they had created for themselves. Here in Bucky's apartment, it felt like a safe space for him to be himself and he had allowed her to see this side of him.

The black and white photos on the walls, with greenery draped about. The classic books that lined his shelves and the dark brooding furniture showed every bit of who Bucky Barnes really was underneath all the rumours and badness that surrounded his past. This wasn't who the government was telling him to be, or who Hydra tried to make him. This was him. This was Bucky. And it was clear to Priya that his story in life was just beginning, allowing her to be a small part of that.

A loud ring sounded from Bucky's phone and brought the two of them back to the present. With a reluctant groan, and another soft, quick peck to her lips Bucky swivelled his hips to grab his phone off the coffee table, checking the messages with an annoyed frown.

"Sweetheart, you have no idea how sorry I am for this, but it's Sam..." he grimaced, sliding his phone back away and returning his attention back to her, cupping her face in his hands.

Priya hummed and leaned into his touch, turning slightly to place a light kiss on his metal palm, "It's okay, really... we have 9 more dates to plan anyway," she giggled, running her fingers gently on his forearm, "it's late anyway, I should probably go."

With a disappointed sigh, Bucky stood from the couch and extended his hands, helping her up from the couch and pulling her flush into his body, smiling softly down at her, "you're really pretty, you know that?"

Feeling the blush creep onto her cheeks, Priya's bottom lip found a home between her teeth, as she stretched up to place a kiss on his cheek, "don't let Alpine hear that," she winked, spinning herself out of his grasp and sauntering herself to the front door.

Bucky's feet followed her quickly and he softly caught her waist, turning her back to him, "seriously though, I will call you as soon as this is taken care of and we can plan, I promise."

"That sounds perfect," Priya whispered.

Dipping his head once more, Bucky's lips caught hers in a soft, lingering kiss, followed by quick messy pecks down her jawline, pulling sweet giggles from her lips.

"Ok Mr. Barnes," she laughed, tangling her fingers into his dress shirt and gently nudging him backwards, "I'm really looking forward to your call," she smiled brightly, "After all, I think there's a lot more to this story..."

With a playful wink and another gentle kiss on his cheek, Priya left him on the other side of his apartment door. Bringing her fingers up, she placed them on her lips and let out a breathy laugh as the butterflies returned to swarm in her chest.

That was something she was leaving out of the story. This Bucky Barnes, she was going to keep all to herself.

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