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“Seriously, Nat? Do I really have to go through with this?”
“Yes. You said once we had completed the mission, I could find you a date. We've completed three missions since then, therefore I am putting my foot down. Deal with it, Rogers.”
“I hate you.” Steve sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What does he look like, then?”
“Blue eyes, brown hair, kinda long and wavy. He has a beautiful smile. Told me he's wearing a leather jacket.” Natasha said happily, clearly intending to hold this over Steve over the next few weeks.
“All right. I think I see him.” Steve said, peering through the window at the man almost hidden in the booth.
“You're gonna love him, Steve. He's real friendly, funny and sweet.”
“Let's just get this over with. I'll talk to you later.” Steve sighed and hung up, only just realising he didn't ask for the guys name. He resolved to just ask him personally when he introduced himself. No point calling Natasha back for one little thing. Steve mentally braced himself before charging through the doors of the restaurant, straightening his shirt and smoothing back his hair.
“Can I help you sir?”
“Oh, I'm meeting someone. Thanks.” Steve smiled and walked past her, heading straight to the booth the man was sitting in. “Hi, I'm Steve. You must be Natasha's friend?”
The man looked up from his phone in shock, seemingly unsure of what to do. “I- I uh-” He cleared his throat and tried again. “I'm Bucky?”
“Nice to meet you.” Steve smiled and sat down across from him, taking in the chiselled cheek bones and the sparkling eyes.
“So… How's N- Natasha doing?” Bucky asked slowly, looking all around the restaurant nervously.
“She's fine… Didn't you just hang out with her the other day?” Steve narrowed his eyes at Bucky, his suspicions being raised slightly.
“Oh, yeah, we did. She just mentioned not feeling that well. Like she was getting a cold or something.” Bucky smiled, sitting back in his seat.
“Oh! Shows what kind of friend I am.” Steve snorted. “I had no idea.”
“Well, you know Natasha.” Bucky shrugged.
“True.” Steve laughed, slowly starting to relax properly. “So, I just have to put this out there, I've never been on a blind date before. Just- forgive me if I seem a little off.”
“No that's- not a problem.” Bucky's eyes widened in relief, his face cracking into a big grin. “Me neither. I don't get out all that much.”
“Tell me about it.” Steve rolled his eyes. “I work full time as a history teacher. Only supposed to be Monday to Friday and yet, every weekend I'm too busy grading tests and planning lessons to do anything at all. I love my job but it's a damn miracle I'm even here if I'm being honest.”
“At least you enjoy your job, man. I work at a café across town. Always fucking busy. Always understaffed. I hate it.” Bucky sighed, shaking his head with a smile.
“I feel your pain, man. I had to work at McDonald's while I was studying. Worst job I've ever had.” Steve commiserated. “Should we order some drinks? And food?”
“Yes! Yes, that is a good idea.” Bucky nodded, giving Steve another of those stunning smiles that seemed to light up the entire restaurant.
“Where's the waiter?” Steve asked, craning his head around to see if one was in sight.
Bucky did the same, his face looking guilty as he did so. Steve brushed it aside though. This was already going better than expected. He didn't care if Bucky had, for whatever reason, delayed the waiter. They finally spotted one hovering by the kitchen and managed to call him over.
“Good evening, gentlemen. Are we ready to order?”
“We haven't even had a look at menu's yet.” Steve scoffed. “Could I please get a scotch though? Neat?”
“Good choice. And for you sir?” He turned to Bucky who looked extremely uncomfortable.
“I'll have a bourbon and coke. Thank you.” Bucky smiled.
“Wonderful. I'll be right back with some menu's for you.” The waiter gave them a parting smile before disappearing.
“You okay?” Steve asked, eyeing Bucky up nervously.
“Yeah, I'm fine. Just- hungry.” He shrugged, his eyes darting over to someone sitting alone nearby.
Steve glanced down as his phone lit up with a text from Nat. He turned it off an slipped it in his pocket, giving Bucky his full attention. “So, what do you do in your spare time? You look like you work out.”
“I try to. Don't really get that much time for it though. Otherwise I love to read books. I'll read any kind of book anywhere I can.” Bucky explained, his eyes lighting up as he started to talk about his favourite books.
The evening wore on, getting better and better. Natasha was right. He was incredibly friendly and funny. He seemed to be charming the pants off of Steve. It wasn't until Steve's phone started ringing that he realized it was almost midnight. The restaurant was mostly empty, save for a few other couples looking wrapped up in each other.
“Sorry, it's Natasha. I promised I'd call.” Steve explained, pulling out his phone. “Hey.”
“Hey! How's it going?” She asked happily. “You home yet?”
“Uh, no. I'm still here with him.” Steve smiled at Bucky, the attraction growing stronger and stronger with every minute he looked at him.
“Tell him I say hi.”
“Natasha says hi.” Steve rolled his eyes.
“I say hi back.” Bucky mumbled quietly, taking a sip of his drink.
“He says hi back. I'm going to go, okay?” Steve sighed. “I'll talk you tomorrow.”
“Bye, Steve. Make good choices.”
“Fuck you.” Steve laughed, hanging up the phone again. “Sorry. You know what she can be like.”
“That I do. Bucky smiled. “So, how long have you been a teacher for?” Bucky asked, shifting in his seat.
“Two and a half years now. I figured it was probably the best position for me after quitting my other job.” Steve explained, taking a sip of his drink.
“What was your previous job?” Bucky asked, narrowing his eyes slightly.
“I- I worked for Shield?” Steve said slowly.
“Shit! That's where I know you from! You're Captain America!” Bucky burst out, clapping his hands together triumphantly.
“Did Natasha not tell you that?” Steve questioned, the suspicion from earlier in the evening coming back suddenly.
“I- she didn't- mention-”
“She told me she'd explained who I was to you and everything...” Steve said slowly. “I'm going to call her.”
“No, don't!” Bucky shouted, his hand reaching out to stop Steve. He stopped it halfway across the table and retracted it, looking down as guilt covered his face.
“What's going on?” Steve asked nervously. He obviously could over power this man if he needed to, but it didn't make it any less nerve racking. This man was not who he said he was. He glanced down at the blinking light from Natasha's unopened message from the beginning of the date. He opened it up, his heart clenching up at what he read.
“Is your name really Bucky?” Steve asked slowly.
“I mean, technically. My full name is James Buchanan Barnes but my friends call me Bucky.” He said carefully, looking like he was going to make a run for it.
“So your name isn't Andrew Watson?”
“No...”
“So… Why didn't you correct me when I sat down? Why did- any of this even happen?” Steve asked, starting to get angry.
“Okay, the truth is. I was having a shit week. My best friend stopped talking to me for god only knows what reason. We were supposed to have dinner plans here tonight and I showed up hoping he would too but he didn't. Then suddenly this gorgeous guy is introducing himself to me and sitting down and suddenly it was too far in for me to tell you the truth.”
Steve stared at Bucky angrily. “Why should I believe any of that?”
“Because despite not actually being your blind date, we still had a really good time and I'm doing whatever I can to get you to agree to still see me again?” Bucky said in a rush, peering from underneath the hair that had fallen in front of his face.
“I- I don't know...” Steve mumbled. “Who fucking does that?”
“I'm sorry, okay? I was lonely and I just didn't think.” Bucky sighed.
“I'm leaving.” Steve stated, grabbing his abandoned coat and standing up. “Thanks for the dinner.”
“No, Steve, come on!” Bucky called after him. Steve ignored him though, continuing his march out of the restaurant. He didn't even want to talk to Nat about it. He just wanted to go home and forget this evening had ever happened.
The next morning, he woke up to dozens of texts and missed calls from Nat about him standing Andrew up. Steve decided to ignore them, choosing instead to roll onto his side and look at the rain falling against the window outside. He thought back to the night before and became annoyed at himself for not figuring it out sooner. Who doesn't check their phone for four hours? Someone who was having a really good time, that's who.
Steve reeled at the thought. He didn't want to have feelings for someone he had gotten to know through a lie. It wasn't exactly a good start for even a friendship. But whether he liked it or not, Steve couldn't stop thinking about Bucky and his shining eyes. He pushed the thought aside, there was nothing he could do about it now anyway. He didn't have Bucky's number nor did he want it.
Steve spent the rest weekend doing what he always did, grading tests and planning lessons, only this time, his thoughts kept being pulled back to Bucky. There was something about him. It was infuriating. The man had lied for his own personal gain. That was not someone Steve needed to be around. It was hard enough getting his life sorted after leaving Shield. He didn't need some dodgy guy in his life.
Monday rolled around all too soon and Steve found himself in his classroom, pretending to be working on his computer while his students worked silently. He was about to call them all to attention when the door burst in suddenly, giving everyone a fright.
“Bucky?” Steve blurted out incredulously. Bucky was standing in the doorway, out of breath and soaking wet from the rain and looking like a cliché.
“Steve, I fu- screwed up.” Bucky altered his words, eyeing up the interested students. “I withheld certain truths and was deceptive for my own selfish reasons and that was a shi- crappy thing to do. I'm so sorry for any hurt that I caused you. With that being said, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since Saturday night. I don't know what it is, but there is something about you that is telling me not to let you go.”
Steve stared at Bucky incredulously. “How'd you find my school?”
“I've been to four others already. This is the only one boasting about Captain America being their history teacher.” Bucky explained, wiping water from his face.
“You probably could have googled it.” Steve smirked, his eyes dragging down Bucky's body as he took in the wet clothing clinging to Bucky's skin.
“Probably… So, do you think you can give me one more chance?”
“I think I can.”