Work Text:
Four of you sat in the common room of the watchtower. Walker and Ava sat on the floor, playing some form of card game on the low coffee table, bickering occasionally when one would dislike another's choice in cards. Bucky was over by the minibar, back turned to you all, and nose deep in some book. And you? Well, you were lying back on the couch, disgust plastered on your face as you flicked through dating profiles on some app. Throwing your phone down on the cushions next to you with a frustrated groan, you rubbed your hands across your face, hiding your despair from your fellow teammates. Not that it wasn’t obvious, Ava and Walker had already slowed their incessant battle of sarcasm to watch you.
“You ok?” Walker broke the silence. You chuckled bitterly into your hands.
“I am totally fantastic, Walker.” He shook his head.
“Fine, don’t tell us,”
Ava sent him a sideways glare, already having an inkling about what this was related to.
Recently, you had made an attempt to reignite your dating life. It may, or may not have been, an attempt to get over a certain teammate – but no one had to know that. Unfortunately, the intricacies of the modern dating world were almost entirely new to you, as being an assassin rarely left many networking opportunities. Your first attempts at romance had not been pleasant experiences.
“This isn’t about that dating app again, is it?” Ava jumped straight into the deep end, leaving an uncomfortable silence lingering in the room. Peeking out from under your hands, your attention was drawn to a certain dark-haired super solider, who had stilled at the mention of your dating life. You turned back to Ava.
“Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!” You tried to mask your discomfort behind the joke, hoping that the others wouldn’t dwell too much on it.
“I don’t get that stuff,” Walker butted in, annoyance was evident in his voice but you couldn’t decide if it was the cards or the topic of conversation. “Why do you need an app to meet people? Just go outside.” You chuckled at Walker’s bluntness.
“That’s easy for you to say, you’ve been married.” Ava bit back. You agreed with her, sitting up so you could address them properly.
“Yeah, Ava’s right. Plus, spending your life around people who are just training you to kill, or are being killed by you, doesn’t leave much room for practice with flirting.” Bucky had fully turned in his chair now and had given up on pretending to read, observing your conversation from afar.
“You know,” You turned to face Ava – she always gossiped with you about your dates. “I went on a date with this person like two days ago, and they got up mid-way through our dinner to go to the bathroom-”
“Oh noooo, how terrible,” Walker interrupted you. In response, you threw a pillow at the back of his head.
“As I was saying!” You glared at Walker. “They went to the bathroom and then never came back! I got left to foot the bill.” You saw Walker visibly cringe, clearly feeling bad about his previous comment.
“Jeez… that’s not cool,” Was all he could manage. Ava sent him a pointed look.
“Really? That’s the best you could give them?” The pair started to bicker again, too distracted to notice Bucky approaching you all and sitting near you on the couch.
“That… that’s bad. That wouldn’t have happened when I was younger, they wouldn’t have gotten away with it.” That silenced Ava and John.
“You are, like, one hundred years old. Dating has changed.” Ava shrugged. You found yourself staring at Bucky, who had a wistful look on his face.
“I don’t know, I’m probably just overreacting. I’m sure there are lots of other, far worse things that could have happened." You tried to reassure your friends.
“I suppose it is good by your standards…” Walker commented. You whipped your head around to stare at him.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Well… didn’t you go on a date where someone spent the whole time telling you about how in love with their ex they were?” Walker trailed off, only for Ava to jump in and add to your shame.
“And what about that one where your date got blackout drunk and trashed the restaurant?” You could feel heat rising up your neck, especially with the way Bucky was staring at you with wide-eyed incredulity.
“Where are you finding these people?” The quiet horror was evident in Bucky’s voice.
“Oh that’s nothing. There was this one time-”
“Okay! We get it! I don’t have a particularly high bar for what is considered a good date.” You harshly interrupted Walker, sighing in defeat and pinching your brow at the headache you could feel coming on.
“Maybe that’s something that we can fix.” Bucky chimed in. You stared at him, disbelief on your face.
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but there isn’t a line of ‘quality candidates’ lining up to ask me on a date.”
“I’ll take you then.”
Ava and Walker had remained quiet throughout your exchange, watching with eager curiosity. To be honest, you weren’t really registering their presence anymore, too distracted by the earnest look in Bucky’s eyes and the blatant manner in which he had made his statement. You fell back on your humour again, trying to make the situation a little less awkward.
“Bucky Barnes, are you offering to take me on a date?”
“I am.” You drew in a deep breath.
“Alright then, wow me.”
A knock sounded at your door at exactly 7 PM. You already knew who it was; you had been waiting for this moment for the past half an hour. In typical you-fashion, you had prepared far too early and therefore had been sitting around in your date clothes. Bucky told you he would take care of the planning, and that all you needed to do was be ready for him. He had also mentioned that it wouldn’t ‘just’ be a restaurant date – and to wear clothes you could be comfortable in. So here you were, sitting around in an outfit that you had spent hours toiling over, and feeling nothing but dread and nerves. It wasn’t an unfamiliar feeling. You had come to expect it while dating.
You opened the door to your room and stepped out to meet Bucky. He was holding a bouquet of flowers, and not just some store bought packet, they looked like they were from an actual florist. An involuntary gasp left you.
“Oh! Thank you, I’ll just put these in a vase.” As you set about finding a vase, Bucky hovered in the entryway to your room. You could feel his eyes studying you, but not in a predatory way like others had, it was like he was admiring a painting from afar. You returned to him.
“You look nice,” His voice was low and gravelly, like the compliment was only for your ears. You felt your face heating up as you thanked him.
“So do you, I really like this jacket on you.” You traced your fingers up the zip of his leather jacket. He seemed a bit taken aback by you returning his compliment, but he sent you a small smile of thanks regardless. He had adhered to the ‘comfy but nice’ dress code, and he looked good. His hair was neatly styled in a side part, and he wore a pair of nice jeans to accompany the dark leather of his jacket. Underneath you could see something reminiscent of a compression shirt, that sat tight against his skin.
“Shall we go?”
The night started out with a twist; you had never pegged the serious ex-winter soldier for the dancing type. Yet as you climbed out of the taxi, which he had paid for despite your protests, you found yourself in front of an old-fashioned nightclub. A flutter of excitement rushed through you, and you saw a pleased grin on Bucky’s face as he watched you marvel at the flashing lights in the entryway. Most of your dates had been boring dinners or walks with nearly no chemistry. You could already tell this would be different.
Bucky offered his arm to you. “Are you ready to head in?” You took it without hesitation.
“I never pegged you for a dancer.”
“Yeah. Well, it’s been a while, so don’t get your hopes up. You might end tonight with another embarrassing story.” He sent you a sly smirk, and you swore your legs turned to jelly.
“Please, if anything, you’ll be embarrassed by me. You don’t know what you’ve gotten yourself into here.” You laughed.
The pair of you walked into the nightclub together, remaining unbothered by bouncers. Immediately, a rush of warmth, alcohol, and, much older, music hit you. It was pure joy. Couples were dancing unabashedly in the centre of the room, where the tables had been pushed back for such activity. The building was two stories, and you could see the balcony from where you stood. It was clearly an area for people to sit with their drinks, tucked away from the music in secluded privacy.
Bucky used your hold on his arm to gently direct you both towards the bar. As you ordered, you saw him pull a card out of his wallet. And when you tried to pay for your drink, he gently pushed your hand down with a reassuring gaze. The two of you settled at the barside, sipping as you chatted.
“Thank you, you didn’t need to pay for everything so far.” He sent you a confused look.
“What do you mean? I get to go on a date with you, I should be thanking you.” All of the breath left your body at that. And he said it so easily, so confidently.
“What?”
He shrugged, as if what he was saying was the most obvious thing in the world.
“You could have said no.” You nodded. Of course, that’s what he meant – he would have been embarrassed in front of the others if you had rejected him. You were taking it the wrong way. Stupid feelings. You blinked, and there was a hand in front of you. His hand. He was… offering it to you? “Would you like to dance?” There it was again, that earnest look in his eyes. A blue so deep that you could sink into them.
“I would love that.” You grasped his hand firmly, and the pair of you made your way onto the dance floor.
The music was upbeat, and it took a minute to get into the dancing. You didn’t really loosen up until Bucky took the lead, pulling you into something somewhat resembling a swing dancing routine. You allowed yourself to be carried by the music, twirling and spinning, and occasionally, Bucky would grasp you firmly by the waist, lifting you into the air like it was easy. It was like time slowed down, the pair of you whooping and throwing one another about the floor. By the end of it, you were both a panting mess. You collapsed against him as the song shifted into something a little calmer, laughter getting lost in the sounds of the dance floor. As you leaned on his chest, you felt his arms gently circle you. He was looking at you with such a fondness, such a bright smile – it made your heart beat like you were running a marathon. You felt shivers tingle down your spine as Bucky leaned down to speak into your ear.
“Have you ever done the fox-trot?” His grin was cheeky, a reflection of his boyish youth. You shook your head, allowing him to show you this side of himself. He led you around the floor, reciting steps to you with a protective arm around your waist. Once you got comfortable, he started to have fun with you, adding flair to your twirls and swaying his hips. As you laughed, you felt yourself falling into place, allowing him to whisk you around the dance floor with practiced precision. The other couples moved for you both, and some tried to copy, but either way – you were having so much fun. Your cheeks were aching from the smile, and your heart caught in your throat every time you caught Bucky staring at you with that adoring smile. Once the song had ended, Bucky bought you both another round of drinks, leading you to a secluded table on the upstairs balcony. From your seat, you watched the couples twirl below, joy palpable on their faces.
“This has been so fun!” You grinned at Bucky, who nodded with a knowing smile. “And you were not as rusty as you claimed,” You motioned to the dance floor with a giggle.
“You were pretty good yourself, you picked up the moves really quickly. I’m impressed.” You let yourself sit in the ambience for a minute, enjoying the music now that it was quieter, but there was something that you were caught up on.
“Bucky-”
“James.” You blinked at him in confusion, and he quickly clarified. “I want you to call me James, at least for tonight. I don’t want you to think of me just as the winter solider, I want you to see James.” He was awkward in his delivery, but the words were heartfelt. You nodded, continuing your previous thought.
“Ok, James.” The name was foreign on your tongue, but you didn’t dislike it for him. “Earlier, you said you should be thanking me for accepting your invitation. What made you say that?” You searched his face, hoping desperately that your internal thoughts had been wrong. He chuckled, and part of you panicked for a second. Bucky sat for a second, clearly contemplating how to answer your question. His stare was switching between the floor and your face, like he knew he was about to say something that would change how you saw him.
“I’m going to be blunt here.” You swallowed hard, dread pooling in your stomach. “The way other people have treated you is ridiculous.” You stared at him for a moment. But he continued before you could press. “You are wonderful, and amazing, and strong – and the fact that they wasted their chance with you is.. it’s so stupid.” He was quiet, but starting to stumble over himself, frustration gnawing at his words. Bucky took a breath and met your eye with a quiet determination. “If you keep giving me a chance after tonight, I swear I will not mess it up.” He looked down to the lower floor, and couples were preparing for a slow dance. While you were still processing, he stood and offered you his hand. “Last dance?” His tone was hopeful. You accepted without hesitation.
The slow dance was nothing short of magical. Your arms were looped around Bucky’s neck, and your bodies were pressed together tightly. Every movement was amplified tenfold. The lights had shifted to a low blue, bathing you both in splendid tones as you glided slowly across the floor. But despite that, it was his eyes that caught your attention. They always did. How could they say so much, without saying anything at all? The heat of his hands on your waist was driving you insane. And with your faces mere inches apart, how were you supposed to survive this dance? The song started to slow, coming to a close, and he leaned down to your ear again.
“I really want to kiss you right now. Would you mind?” You nodded, breathless at his confession. One of his hands moved to your face, the other planting you firmly in place, and he brought his mouth down to meet yours. He was gentle, warm, and surprisingly soft. You let him take the lead, suddenly feeling very aware of your inexperience with romantic acts. When you separated, he let his forehead rest on yours, eyes closed like he was savouring the moment. His voice was barely audible.
“Thank you.”
As your evening drew to a close, James walked you to your room. You felt like you were floating, even as you travelled through the watchtower. If one of the others had seen you, well, you dreaded the thought. You leaned back against your door, hoping that he would steal another kiss from you. And he did, as if he were reading your mind. It was just as careful as the first, like he was worried he’d scare you off if he was any harsher. A surge of confidence prompted your invite.
“Would you like to come in?” It was a breathless whisper against his mouth. And he groaned against your lips.
“You are making it very difficult to be a gentleman.” You shrugged with a small smile. “We’ll have time for that later, if you still want it.” He backed away from you, slowly, as if it was hard to do so. A smirk plastered itself over his face. He knew what he was doing as he left you, his parting comment drifting over his shoulder as he walked away. “Sleep well.”