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The night was a cool one. The sky was particularly clear, the stars twinkling above the buzzing crowd of people. The wind slowly made its way through the crowd, playfully tickling and nipping at anyone it would get its hands on. Steve shivered, "Jeez, Buck- why did we have to come out here so late?" He rubbed his arms to try to warm himself up. He couldn't believe he let Bucky drag him to the carnival..
The same carnival where immature boys were showing off their skills and winning stuffed bears for their giggling girlfriends. At the same carnival, Steve was expected to go on a double date with his best friend and a few gals his best friend had met at the soda shop last week.
The last thing Steve wanted to do right now was go on a date. Let alone with someone he had never met before. He could already picture the girl's disappointed huff as he introduced himself;
"Oh my god, are you serious?" She would whisper to her friend, "Is this a joke? Look at him. I could fit him in my back pocket!"
Steve tightened his grip around himself. Bucky glanced back at Steve, slowing his pace and wrapping an arm around Steve's shoulders, "Come on, Steve. I thought it would be fun. The fair only comes around once every fall."
Steve sighed. "Yeah, but it's the middle of fall and I'm cold."
"It's not my fault you didn't bring a coat." Bucky subconsiously pulled Steve closer to himself, his finger fidgeting with one of Steve's suspenders. Bucky frowned, noticing how Steve's cheeks had slowly started to flush. He let out a small sigh, planting his feet and slowly releasing his grip. "You're a punk, Steve. Why didn't you tell me you were cold?"
Steve trembled, upset that Bucky moved his arm. "Bec-Because I'm fine. You don't have to worry about me all of the time." Steve stuttered, clenching his jaw to forcibly stop his teeth from chattering.
Bucky scoffed playfully, unbuttoning his jacket. Steve paused. His eyes followed Bucky's fingers, focused on the way they moved down the soft-looking fabric with ease. It slowly slid off of Bucky's shoulders, wrinkling his button-up and sticking to his tie. "Here." He said with a soft smile.
Steve blinked, his shoulders no longer slack. "What?"
"You heard me, here. You're cold, and the last thing I want is for you to get sick."
"No-" Steve blurted out, trying to push the jacket back towards Bucky. "Bucky, it's okay. You're going to get cold. And-"
Bucky reached the jacket back toward Steve, "Stop making excuses, Steve. I'm okay. I'm also not the one who gets sick at the drop of a hat."
Steve huffed, crossing his arms. "Bucky-"
"Steve." Bucky took a step forward, opening up the jacket and draping it over Steve's shoulders. Steve stiffened again, reluctantly sliding his arms into the sleeves. They covered his hands slightly, and he felt like he was drowning in the fabric- Bucky didn't notice Steve's sour expression slowly softening, too focused on making sure Steve was comfortable.
Bucky smiled, glancing at Steve's face. "There we go. See, was that so hard?"
Steve crossed his arms, "You're a jerk, Buck..."
Bucky chuckled, ruffling Steve's hair again before his arm found its way back to Steve's shoulders. Steve sighed, allowing Bucky to lead him toward the ring toss.
___
A few other couples were standing by the booth, making small talk with each other or trying to impress their dates. It was a bit embarrassing. Steve was watching a few boys attempt to flirt- blowing almost all of their money on a single stuffed toy. He had been keeping his eye out for the girls, tuning out all of the noise around him.
Bucky stood close to Steve, looking around as well. He looked rather bored, the droop of his brows matching the small frown etched into his features. Steve sighed, glancing up at Bucky. "Buck, I hate to burst your bubble-"
Bucky sighed, his hand gripping Steve's shoulder. "No worries, Steve. It's not a big deal." Bucky gently squeezed Steve's shoulder. Steve turned towards Bucky. Bucky's expression was soft. "Do you want to start heading home, Steve?"
Steve shrugged, glancing down at the ground. "The night is still young. We could... walk around a bit. Just the two of us. It could be fun." Steve started to mumble a bit, glancing up at Bucky with a small smile. He was lightly grazing the grass with his shoe.
Bucky couldn't help the smile that started tugging at the corners of his mouth. He tilted his head back a bit, shaking his head. "Just the two of us? Are you asking me out on a date, Rogers?"
"Oh shut up," Steve jerked his shoulder out of Bucky's grasp, "Don't make it weird, Barnes." Steve let out a small scoff, ignoring the way his heart skipped a beat at the word "date."
Bucky glanced back at the ring toss, smirking to himself. He reached a hand towards Steve, unbuttoning the pocket on the side of the jacket. Bucky pulled out a small wad of ones. "One game, please."
Steve crossed his arms with a small head shake, taking a step back as the carny handed Bucky a few rings. "Let's see what you've got, hotshot. "
At first, Bucky had tried to stick to a somewhat of a strategy. He would carefully scan over the bottles and focus on his aim. But after about the third round, Bucky had just started to toss the rings at random. As more and more rings clinked against the glass bottles, the irritation on Bucky's face became more apparent.
"Come on, damnit," Bucky mumbled, already three dollars deep into the madness. The carny was practically rubbing his hands together as he waited for Bucky to throw his last two rings. Bucky tossed the ring, testing his patience. It took its sweet time bouncing from bottle to bottle before eventually landing on the ground. "OH COME ON!" Bucky boomed, slamming his hands down on the edge of the booth.
Steve failed to bite back his wide smile, and a small but noticeable chuckle escaped his lips. Bucky froze, glancing back at Steve.
Steve wrapped an arm around his stomach, his ribs already starting to hurt as his chuckles became louder. His smile was wide and his eyes were closed. Steve's cheeks flushed, no longer standing behind Bucky like a timid rabbit.
Bucky's expression eased into a shy smile, his gaze lingering on his best friend. He clenched the final ring tightly in his hand as he shifted his stance. "You want to give it a try, Steve?"
Steve wheezed as he caught his breath, wiping a tear from his eye. "Yeah- what else do we have to lose, our food AND train money?" Steve stopped at Bucky's side, reaching his hand out to receive the last ring.
The carny scoffed, tapping his foot as he impatiently waited for Steve to throw the ring. Steve shut one of his eyes, "If I make this," he muttered as he stuck his tongue out in intense focus, "then you owe me a pretzel."
"Oh? Cocky now are we, Rogers?"
Steve was quiet, tossing the ring lightly. It bounced back and forth, losing a bit of its momentum before it finally settled on top of one of the bottles.
"YES!"
"WHAT! HOW THE HELL-"
The carny raised his brows, putting his hands on his hips. "Well, I'll be damned. What prize do you want, short stack?"
Steve put his hands on the counter, scanning over the various prizes the man had to offer. There were a few clowns, their sunken eyes and little frowns reminded Steve of a kicked puppy- He grimaced slightly and glanced slightly to the left of them. It felt like they were watching him. Behind one of the many sad clowns, there looked to be a little bear.
"Can I get the bear, please?"
The carny grabbed the bear, the googly eyes moving as its head slumped to the side. He handed the bear to Steve.
The bear had short and stubby arms, its head and torso made with patches of a lighter fabric.
"Thank you, sir," Steve smiled. He looked down at the bear and then up at Bucky. "Here, Buck." Steve handed the bear to Bucky.
Bucky shook his head, "Keep it, you won it fair and square."
Steve chuckled, placing the bear in Bucky's hand. "I want you to have it. Besides, YOU owe me a pretzel."
Bucky held the bear for a moment, glancing down at its sweet little face. He tucked the bear under his arm and ruffled Steve's hair. "Shall we?" Bucky held his arm out for Steve to grab hold of.
Steve rolled his eyes, taking Bucky's arm, "We shall."
The carny shook his head, giving Bucky a knowing smirk, "You and your friend have a good night."
"We will." Bucky lightly tugged Steve closer, causing Steve's heart to skip a beat. Warmth slowly crept up his chest, his small smile growing into a wide grin. He couldn't help but chuckle. Bucky had his arm tightly tucked underneath his own.
Bucky's expression was soft, his eyes focused ahead of him. Occasionally glancing down at Steve when he thought he wasn't paying attention. Steve caught his eye once or twice, making Bucky smile and shake his head.
"What's got you so giddy, Buck?" Steve quirked his eyebrow.
Bucky shrugged, "Nothing in particular." Bucky's gaze was fixated in front of him, his teeth grazing his bottom lip. He was attempting to bite back the embarrassment that was erupting throughout his body...
Steve furrowed his brow. Why would Bucky be embarrassed? When it came to Bucky, he had almost NO shame. Steve had watched Bucky talk to lots of girls, and even after being rejected-
Steve didn't dwell on it too long, the smell of fresh pretzels derailing his train of thought.
___
After they had finished their pretzels, they began to wander around once more. They had stopped at a few more games, wandering over to the rides with the few tickets they had left. Steve was holding onto Bucky's arm, humming as they walked around.
The two paused, standing a few feet away from the Ferris wheel, "Do you want to go on one more ride before we head home?" Bucky used his neck to gesture towards the wheel, Steve's eyes following towards the small line of people. He glanced back up at Bucky, giving him a small smile. Steve pulled his arm away and got in line. Bucky frowned a bit, following behind Steve.
There were a few people ahead of them. A father holding the hand of his excited daughter and a young couple. They looked to be in their early twenties, a diamond glimmering on the woman's ring. The man she was with, presumably her husband, had his arms wrapped around her waist. He was planting gentle kisses along her neck, whispering sweet nothings into her ear.
Steve rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. "Get a room..." He mumbled.
Bucky chuckled, ruffling Steve's hair. "Don't be salty, Steve."
Steve swatted at Bucky's hand, huffing with a playful glare. Bucky scoffed, his arm snaking around Steve's waist. "Aw, don't pout. It's just hair." Bucky rested his chin on top of Steve's head.
Steve felt his face slowly heating up, glancing down towards the ground. "I'm not pouting..." He mumbled.
"Mhm," Bucky hummed. Bucky's nose gently brushed against the top of Steve's head, causing Steve's heart to flutter.
"Buck-"
"Hm?" Bucky tightened his grip.
Steve tilted his head, trying to get him off. "Buck, not in public. It's embarrassing..."
Bucky sighed, slightly loosening his grip. But, he still didn't let go. Steve rolled his eyes, watching as the line moved forward.
"Bucky, it's almost our turn."
Bucky groaned, reluctantly letting go. Once they got to the front, Bucky handed the operator the tickets, and he locked them into the ride.
Steve's shoulder brushed against Bucky's, their knees lightly bumping one another as they tried to get comfortable. Steve took a deep breath, his hand resting on the safety bar. The Ferris wheel slowly moved back, his gaze focused on the ground below. It made Steve jump when the wheel jerked to a stop.
He took another deep breath, shutting his eyes for a moment.
Bucky felt his hand twitch in his lap, hesitantly reaching out. He placed his hand over Steve's, "Steve?"
Steve shook his head, slowly opening his eyes, "I'm okay, Buck."
Bucky nodded, their gaze meeting one another's. Bucky smiled, slowly tucking his hand under Steve's. He removed it from the cool bar, intertwining their fingers. Steve stiffened, but he didn't pull away. His heartbeat sped up, looking down at his feet as a distraction.
Bucky tightened his grip, watching for Steve's reaction. Steve could feel his cheeks slowly starting to flush, briefly glancing up at Bucky.
"Steve?" Bucky mumbled.
"Mh..?"
Bucky pulled Steve's hand up to his lips, pressing them against Steve's knuckles.
Steve's breath hitched, intently watching Bucky.
Bucky smirked, pressing another kiss upon Steve's knuckles. He continued, kiss after kiss, always glancing up at Steve to see his flushed expression.
Steve's legs tensed, Bucky's thigh rubbing against his own with every slight movement. Each kiss sent a small shiver up Steve's spine. Bucky's affection slowly moved up Steve's arm. Even through the fabric of Bucky's jacket, Steve could feel the warmth of his lips. A small laugh escaped Steve's mouth, scooting a bit closer to Bucky.
"Buck, that tickles.."
Bucky pulled away for a moment, his free hand resting on Steve's thigh. "Tickles?" He teased. He slowly started to rub up and down Steve's thigh.
"Mhm..." Steve started to lean into Bucky's side, finding great comfort in his touch. He carefully laid his head on Bucky's chest, listening to the soft thump of his heart. Bucky's hand kept gently moving along the fabric of Steve's pants as he leaned back against the seat of the Ferris wheel.
"Bucky?"
"Yeah?"
Steve sat up for a moment, leaning in and kissing Bucky's cheek. Bucky's eyes widen, surprised by the sudden gesture. Steve's lips were soft, the kiss warming up Bucky's cold cheek.
He pulled back slightly, a shy smile forming on Steve's face, "Thank you for taking me out today..."
Bucky nervously squeezed Steve's thigh, not sure how to respond. His hand moved up Steve's thigh. Steve hesitantly parted his lips and watched as Bucky slowly leaned in. Bucky gingerly captured Steve's lips, his hand continuing to trail up and rest on Steve's side. Steve's breath hitched, and Bucky tugged on the jacket Steve was wearing. He was attempting to press their bodies closer together.
Steve wrapped one of his legs around Bucky's, slowly starting to kiss him back. Bucky's hands rested on the small of Steve's back. Steve started to trail his fingers up the fabric of Bucky's shirt, letting his fingernails graze and dig into the skin of Bucky's neck.
Bucky pulled away, pressing a few desperate kisses against Steve's collarbone. Steve took a deep breath, holding back a moan that threatened to slip past his lips. "Buck- not in public..." Bucky pouted, glancing up at Steve. Steve chuckled, moving his hand to gently rest on top of Bucky's head. "When we get home."
"Promise?"
Steve chuckled, "Yes. I promise."
As the Ferris wheel screeched to a stop and the operator unhooked the safety bar. Bucky grabbed Steve's hand, pulling him up and out of the seat. He was very eager to get home.