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"Steve, just watch the dog, that's all I ask." I grabbed the car keys and headed for the door when Chase ran up, tail wagging a mile a minute, ears perked. I bent down and chuckled. "Sorry buddy. You and Jake aren't seeing each other today. This is *my* play date."
Steve poked his head around the corner and looked at me with furrowed brows. "Tell me that you just didn't..."
I facepalmed and groaned. "Yeah, as soon as I said it, I wanted to kick myself." Patting my jeans, satisfied that I had my wallet, I opened the door. "Don't wait up fellas!"
As soon as I saw her smile, a warmth went through me that I've never experienced. God, she is beautiful. Wearing a pale yellow sundress, I silently thanked the slight breeze that caused it to show more of her magnificent legs. Oh those damn legs. My eyes traveled up to her face again. Ok Bucky calm down. Behave. You're a gentleman. Well, somewhat.
The cooler weighed in my hand heavily with all the food for our picnic. Well, it was mostly the water, but still, when Bucky Barnes packs for a picnic, he doesn't mess around.
"Hi doll." I leaned down to kiss her cheek. She smelled of lavender. And looked like a goddess.
"Hi Buck." She nodded to the cooler. "What do you have there? The entire 7-11?" Her giggle was music to my ears.
"Hey little one, I promised a picnic lunch. If you poke fun, I'm not sharing." I playfully pouted at her, but my eyes were mischievous.
She slipped her arm through mine and grinned. "Cmon ya big baby."
We sat at a secluded spot in the park and I fed her a grape as she sat between my legs, leaning against my back. "So why the park doll?" I nuzzled my face in her neck and kissed it. "We're here all the time."
She visibly shivered and smiled as she took a grape and popped it in my mouth. "But this is the scene of the crime. Where would we be today without Chase getting away from you?"
"I would still be self-conscious about my arm and miserable. How 'bout you baby doll?"
A young couple walked past and winced at us. The girl whispered a *little* too loudly, "Would you still love me if I looked like *that*?"
I felt her tense against my body. Damn people and their fuckin ignorance. I snuggled into her and whispered in her ear, "Watch this." I twist my arm at just the right spot where the sun reflected a bright glare of light directly in her face. Momentarily blinded, she yelped as she closed her eyes and tripped over her own feet.
"Oh my God Bucky! What did you do?" But she was grinning like a Cheshire cat.
I took a bite of my sandwich, giving her an innocent look. "Wha?"
The entire afternoon was perfect. I was lost in her eyes and oblivious to anyone else. Where had this angel been all my life?
"Whatcha thinking about handsome?"
"Mmmmm..." How crazy I am about you...where would we get married...how many kids do you want... I smiled down at her, holding a cupcake to her mouth. "Just how good you'd look with frosting on your nose." I gently touched the pastry to the tip of her nose and giggled.
She sat straight up and laughed with me, rubbing the whipped cream on my shirt. "Oh, you're gonna pay for that Bucky boy!" She entwined my fingers with hers and pushed me down to the ground, laying on top of me. Her eyes were shining as she looked into mine. "What am I going to do with you?"
I shrugged and put my hand on the back of her head. "Kiss me."
Her smile softened as she lowered her face to mine. Our lips met, my metal hand lightly caressing her cheek and she whimpered in pleasure. I love that my arm doesn't bother her. She reassures me constantly just as I need to reassure her that her weight is not an issue with me. Ugh, we are two insecure idiots.
She rest her forehead on mine and whispered, "You are a menace Barnes."
I flipped her on her back, my lip trembling with exaggeration and giving her the saddest eyes I could. "But...but...I was just thinking how crazy I am about you and you have to say such horrible things."
"Aw baby, I'm..."
"No," I sat up and pouted, my arms around my knees. "It's too late." I buried my face in my legs and smiled.
She hesitated, then sighed loudly. "Well, maybe you're right." I heard her get up. "Maybe we're better off just being friends."
I looked up to see her smirking at me, and tilted head. She held out her hand. "I bid you adieu Mr Barnes."
I allowed her to pull me up and I hugged her. "*You* are the menace baby doll." I picked her up bride style and attacked her neck, biting and kissing it, reveling in her squeals. "Like hell I'm letting you go."
We packed up the remaining food and took in an outdoor concert. The band wasn't familiar to either of us, but it didn't matter, we didn't pay much attention to it. We got to know so much more about each other now that we were without the dogs. For instance, she moved to New York only two years ago and avoided people to the point that she had no friends.
"Well I have trust issues, so there's that." Her face fell then she continued. "I had a few so called friends that would call me 'the chunky one' to other people." Her eyes narrowed and I could see her holding back tears.
"Hey," I crooned, cupping her jaw. "You my darling, are gorgeous." She opened her mouth to argue. "Don't you dare! I can tell you right now what their issue was. But first let me ask you a question?" Her sad eyes looked at me. "Did you have guy friends?"
"Yeah Bucky. FRIENDS! Always friends. ONLY friends!!" Her tears were falling.
The plates in my arm were constricting, which startled her. I dropped my hand abruptly. "Sorry. When I get upset or angry..." I shrugged. Her eyes softened and she relaxed again, then I continued. "All men are IDIOTS!! Every single one of us!! Women aren't shallow or vain baby doll, MEN ARE!!
"You are probably...no definitely, the funniest woman...no, make that PERSON, I have ever known. That in itself is a great quality in a female. It's rare." I sighed happily at her beautiful face. "You are selfless and kind. The reason those..." I sneered, "twats said that was to make you look down on yourself and lose your self-confidence.
"As for the guys," I shook my head. "I can guarantee that a lot of them liked you, wanted to date you, or probably fell in love with you, but their friends would've teased them to no end." I gave her a weak smile. "It's unfair, yes, but it's unfortunately the way men are."
She rubbed her forehead, trying to process all of the information. When she looked at me she asked, "So why aren't *you* like that?"
I shrugged. "I was raised not to be an asshole."
She jumped in my arms. "I'm so glad we found each other Bucky."
I smiled against her neck and crooned, "And as I said, I'm not letting you go."