Work Text:
Steve sat sketching in The Swietzer Sanctuary for Dogs, or more plainly put, the local dog park. The leaves were changing color, dogs weren't dying of heat stroke, and people were starting to bring hot cocoa instead of Iced Americanos when they came to the park. One of the best times to go out and look for inspiration.
An outline of Steve's chocolate lab sat on the page of his sketchbook, but he just wasn't motivated to do the rest.
Eventually he sighed and started to get up off the ground. When Shield came running over, Steve clipped the leash onto him and shoved his pencils into the backpack resting on the ground.
"Come on boy, time to head home." They got about two steps before a body collided with his, knocking all of the air out of him.
He hadn't felt that way in years, not since he was a tiny kid with a million health problems.
A second later, he was on the ground, a groan emitting from his lips.
"Sorry, sorry, sorry! My dog! S-she just got excited over a squirrel and I... I couldn't control her... S-sorry." The stranger exclaimed, stumbling over his words as he too struggled for breath.
Steve knew almost instantly he would forgive the man that was currently sat in his lap with arms on either side of his head.
How could you not when said man had icy blue eyes, long (soft looking) hair that partially hung in front of his face, and a close to perfect jawline. Not to mention the adorable way he tripped over his words.
"Don't worry about it, I'm sure you didn't mean to. At least, I hope you didn't." Steve found himself saying as he sits up.
At this point the stranger seems to realize he was still in the others lap and jumps to his feet, offering his hand to Steve so he could pull him up after he is stable.
Steve grabbed the hand but not before realizing that it was not a normal hand. It was shiny... Shiny and metal. He was very curious but thought it best not to ask. The hand was cool as he slid his hand into place, and the fingers have off a slight whirring sound as try twisted around to grab Steve's wrist.
"Haha! I try not to make a habit of it. I'm sorry, again. Are you ok?" He tucked a price of hair behind his ear as he apologized yet again.
'Dang, could he be any cuter?! Focus Steve, you met him literally seconds ago.'
"I'm fine. Shield looks ok too." Steve answered, forgetting his manners for a split second but recovering quickly, "What about you? You look kinda shaken up."
"Oh!" He nearly shouted with wide eyes, almost as if he spaced out for a bit. "Yeah, I'm good. Just glad no one apparently got hurt."
A small smile graced his lips as he looked up from behind his bangs. Once again, his good looks momentarily ruined Steve's manners.
He stuck out his hand and introduced himself. "Steve Rogers, pleasure to meet you, even if it was a little painful."
A deep chuckle came from the other as he took Steve's hand in his own again. He still looked a little guilty though.
"Bucky Barnes, the pleasure is all mine. Though I must say, it makes a pretty good meet cute story." Steve blushed deeply at the thought of this being a meet cute.
'How the heck did he go from waving all timid and shy to what seems to be shameless flirting in a matter of seconds?!'
"Bucky, huh? Don't think I've ever heard that before. Not that it is a bad name! Unique, to say the least." His rosy cheeks went a few shades darker as he noticed that he insulted this very good looking stranger.
"I get that a lot. My name is actually James Buchanan Barnes. Bucky comes from the Buchanan."
"Ah, I see. Steven Grant Rogers. A little less exciting." It seemed appropriate to share his full name in return.
And then there was that chuckle again, the one that Steve had heard only a couple times but still made his heart pump faster.
But Bucky was laughing at another thing, which he so graciously pointed out.
"Uh, Stevie? You're kinda still shaking my hand."
"Oh, shit! Sorry!" Steve retracted his hand quickly, as if he had burnt it.
"Not a big deal, I just think we ship dl save hand holding for the first date."
"Wha-"
"Oh no. Hydra is still chasing that squirrel." Bucky cut the other off and began to step away. "Sorry Stevie, gotta run. I'll see you around!" He shouted behind him as he started to jog away, almost as if he was oblivious to how stunned the blonde man was.
Did that just happen?
Steve just started to walk home again, his mind going over what just happened again and again.
A meet cute? A date? And would he really see him again? Not that he was complaining. The man was drop dead gorgeous.
It ran through his head all day, and when he went to sleep that night, the last thing he saw was a pair of warm gray eyes and a messy bun.
~~~~~~~
Every day after that Steve went to the park. A few days past, then a week, then a week and a half. The trees had lost almost all of their leaves and snow was sticking to the ground. It wasn't even Thanksgiving yet but Christmas lights were going up and coffee shops were selling peppermint mochas to every other person.
Shield absolutely loves the snow, and in all honesty, so did Steve. Winter really made for some great drawings. But there was one underlying reason Steve kept going back. One even he didn't know about. Consciously anyway.
James Buchanan Barnes.
Whenever Steve went to the park and sat down on the bench, he would find himself scanning the crowd. He never really knew why but he did. And every time a man bun appeared, or a golden retriever dragged their owner by him, Steve would perk up just a bit.
Then, a couple days later, the man he had subconsciously been looking for all along actually showed up.
At the time Steve was sketching an evergreen holding snow on it's thick branches. As soon as James saw him sitting on the bench(quite beautifully, might he add)he called out to him.
"Stevie!"
It only took a split second for Stev(i)e to look up. He knew that voice.
"Bucky? What are you doing here?"
"Well hello to you too." Bucky snidely remarked, though they both knew there was no real venom in his voice. "I was actually waiting here for someone, hence the cocoas." Steve looked down at the two steaming cups in the other man's hands and deflated at the thought of Bucky meeting up with someone. Was it a girl? Or a guy? Was it a date?
But his panicking was cut short when Bucky went on. "My friends Sam was going to stop by to hang out but he got caught up in a meeting at work. Jerk." He muttered the last bit but instantly went back to his bright demeanor when he looked at Steve with bright eyes. You could practically see the lightbulb go on above his head.
"Hey, here's an idea!"
"Really? I don't see any around here." Steve joked while swiveling around as if he was looking for a physical manifestation of one.
"Shut it, you punk. Seeing as how I have two cups of hot cocoa and no one to share with, would you like it?"
Steve blushed deeply as he nodded. Buck Barnes was basically offering him a coffee date. Hot cocoa instead of coffee, but Steve always loved the chocolatey goodness more anyway. Bucky sat down next to him on the bench and handed him one of the drinks.
"Where is your dog?" He asked politely, just to keep the conversation going.
"He is somewhere around here. I like to keep him off the leash because it's all fenced in. What about yours?" Steve responded, all but abandoning his recent work that was currently sitting in his lap.
"Same here. She is always super excited to get off leash. Bucky smiled sweetly at him and then took a sip of his drink.
'Just try and be more adorable, I dare you.' Steve brain comments as he watched the other.
And so time passed just like that. The two men chatting pleasantly as they drank hot cocoa on the bench in the park. As the minutes ticked by, Bucky scored closer to Steve. He kept finding lame excuses like "I need to be closer to see the drawing" or "I got scared of the bird that was staring at me funny" but in the end the best he could come up with was "I'm cold and you're warm... Shut up."
Steve didn't mind. He really, really didn't mind. Bucky was comfy and warm and oh so attractive. But that wasn't even the best part about this man. He was funny and passionate and sweeter than a lollipop. Steve could see himself calling him 'teddy bear' in the future. They were even called a cute couple by an elderly woman as she walked by. It safe to say they were both blushing very deeply after that. But it all ended to so soon.
Hydra came galloping up to Bucky and started to nuzzle his leg. Bucky looked at the watch on his wrist and sighed deeply.
"I'm sorry Steve, but it's her feeding time and she'll get really grumpy if she doesn't eat. I have to go."
There was a twist in Steve's stomach as he heard the other say those words, but he didn't want to let it show. He figure the best route to go was to play it cool.
"Don't worry about it, Shield gets the same way. I had a lot of fun though!"
The blush was highly visible on Bucky's cheeks as he mumbled his next words. "Would you... Would you like to do this again sometime? I would be lying if I said I didn't really enjoy today."
"Yeah!"
'Shit Steve, calm down. You're as red as a tomato.'
"I, um-yeah. I would like that a lot. Maybe just a place that's a little warmer next time? I tend to try and avoid getting pneumonia."
Bucky giggled-fucking giggled as he asked Steve for a pen. The blonde pulled one out while looking at him curiously. He started to scribble down something next to the drawing of the evergreen then handed the own back. It was his number, Steve figured out after a second.
"And here I was thinking I was enough to keep warm. But whatever you want. Just tell me the details when you get the chance, alright? Bye Doll." The last part was whispered so close to Steve's face that he could feel his hot breath and smell the chocolate he imagined Bucky tasted like. And there was a reason he was so close.
But it was not what Steve was expecting. He was heading right for his lips when he turned his head just slightly and left a lingering kiss on his cheek. Which may have been better than an actual kiss just because it was so polite and soft and damn it. This guy was shaping up to be the most perfect person to ever exist. He winked and walked away.
Steve is pretty sure his cheeks are hotter than the remaining hot cocoa in his hand. He is definitely calling him later.