Forbidden (Bucky Barnes x OC)

Just Coffee

A/N: Here it is! My first chapter. Bare with me, I'm just finding my feet. I hope you enjoy! ♡

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It was a cold Tuesday evening in September and Evelyn was tidying up after a busy day working in the quaint little café on the outskirts of the city. The hidden gem was toasty and warm shielding her and the little jungle of plants that possessed the room, from the frost of the outdoor world. The condensation was glowing ever so slightly upon the large windows, lit gently by the fairy lights that were scattered across the walls between the heavy oak bookcases that held the many delicate and well-loved books. Customers often enjoyed reading whilst they enjoyed their hot drinks, appreciating being hidden away from the real world.

Her shift was almost over, just a couple hours to go. She always worked the late Tuesday shifts alone but she didn't mind, she enjoyed the peace and quiet in the homely aesthetic of the café. Tuesday's were student nights at the university that was buried in the heart of the city, which took away most of the customers for the day.

With the evening winding down and the jobs cleared from her checklist, she tugged gently at the soft cream cardigan that hugged her shoulders, pulling it around her waist to hold her tighter. Just as she perched herself up on the counter, book in hand ready to read a chapter of her book in her own serene company, the door swung open, encouraging the gentle ring of the bell that sat atop of it.

The streets were always cold at this time of year and no one knew that better right now than James Barnes. He strolled down the streets of the city, looking for a place to get warm for a moment before he pushed through the last section of his walk to his car. The pavement was slick from the rain the night before, eventually turning into frosty patches by the fearsome dropping temperatures. The soft glow of the street lights almost made it look like cool panes of glass laying down the old town streets. Just as he was about to lose hope he saw warm glowing lights coming from a little nook in the corner of two buildings. It looked homely, a little café he could steal a moment of warmth from.

As the sound of the bell faded into the air, the tall stranger shuddered from the cold although he was soon embraced by the warmth of the cosy café. Her eyes shot up from the pages of her novel, the fairy lights allowing a subtle glow of honey and chocolate tones to pool within them as she looked on at the unfamiliar man that walked towards her, he had never been in here before - at least not to her memory but she definitely would have remembered him, she thought to herself slowly.

After happily taking in the homely surroundings he simply looked up at her perched there on the counter top and couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. As she looked up at the tall man walking towards her, she found her eyes meeting his own piercing blue ones, her lip catching between her teeth for a brief moment before she snapped back to reality.

"If you take a seat I will come over and take your order for you" she smiled softly, a slight flush of pink coming to her cheeks as she drank in his appearance.

Evelyn was a beautiful girl, even if she didn't always recognise it. Her legs fell from the counter as she allowed herself to hop down onto the floor, placing her tattered book down onto the hard wooden side. Her hands ran down over her delicate waist before travelling to slide the pastel pink dress neatly over the curvature of her hips, her fingertips ending their journey upon her thighs. The soft cardigan she wore fell back into place, hugging her upper body to keep her warm. Her hair fell in thick chocolate brown locks, attracting a subtle copper glow as the light bounced from the soft waves.

All of her details the male had already noticed as he took a seat at one of the tables without saying a word, just a smile coming to his lips. He pushed a loose piece of his long mahogany hair behind his ear as looked on at her thinking about what he had witnessed just moments before when her lip was caught between her teeth.

Feeling a little warmer than he did upon his arrival, his hands came to slip his blazer from his body, hanging it on the chair behind himself, his eyes never leaving her as she fumbled around behind the counter.

The pen and pad found their way into her hands as she made her way over to him, tucking a thick lock of her hair behind her ear before she gently cleared her throat.

"So, what can I get for you?" She spoke softly with a smile, the pen twisting through her fingers as she waited for his response. His eyes locked onto her own as she stood before him, her height barely came above his own as he was sat down, she was only five foot, he must have been six, if not taller. The warmth of the quiet cafe seemed to rise in that moment as his deep blue eyes grasped her own soft honey ones.

"I'll take a cappuccino and whatever you would like to have for yourself" he spoke confidently, snapping her from the heat that was rising in her cheeks as her eyes left his own and slowly wandering down his physique as he had done to her moments before. She was drinking in his appearance, she only got as far as his broad and heavy shoulders that she swore could rip through the grey fabric of his shirt, before her eyes were quickly averted from going any lower as his voice echoed betwixt them.

A smirk came to his lips as her eyes came to find his own again, she parted her lips to speak once again "A cappuccino and - oh you really don't have to"

"Please, allow me to buy a beautiful girl a hot drink on such a cold day" he interrupted swiftly causing her breath to hitch in her throat and a deep crimson to creep its way onto her cheeks earning a bigger smile from him. "Of course, how can I say no to someone so handsome" she smiled softly wondering where that burst of confidence came from as she turned on her heels to walk away.

As she returned to the little table she placed down the cup of coffee and allowed her eyes to glaze over him, he was stood at the bookcases, tracing his fingers over the spines of the books that sat neatly in the large wooden cases. It was irrational the way she was getting so worked up over someone she had barely spoken to sentences to, but he was just so attractive.

"There you go, please let me know if you need anything else from me" she spoke sweetly her lip finding its way between her lips once again as she thought of the answers he could give to her request if the circumstances were different.

"I certainly will" He spoke as he made his way back to the table, his tone was gentle despite the seemingly curious and hungry expression laid upon his dark, handsome features. Without a word, she walked away from him with a small smile on her lips.

The petite girl hopped back onto her corner of the counter where she crossed her legs, forcing her dress to ride ever so slightly up the plump flesh of her thighs although his eyes only got a momentarily glance before her fingers tugged it back down. He watched her as she hopped up onto the counter and tilted his head to the side as he gazed at her curiously. He found her incredibly attractive, his eyes quickly snapped down to the book he had earlier selected in the moment he realised he was staring but he just could help himself.

The tall stranger was used to girls fumbling in front of him, he just happened to be one of the more attractive professors up at the university in the heart of the city but the girl before him seemed older than the ones he was used too, she was shy, beautiful and more importantly - not his student.

He finished his coffee in a timely manner as he stole the occasional glance up at her perched on the counter, enjoying the dress that hugged her figure despite the cardigan that covered some of her from his gaze. Swinging his blazer back around his shoulders and slipping the buttons to their correct places he took out his wallet and placed a tip, much more than the amount of the coffee under his cup.

"That's me off for the evening, thank you" he said in a kind tone as his eyes ran over her one final time. "I'm James by the way, I'm sure I'll be back again" he continued in a suggestive tone. The lights shone in the deep honey tones of her eyes as she watched him leave, enjoying the simple act of the way his large hands slipped into his pockets after pushing his thick locks of hair behind his ears.

"Evelyn" she spoke softly, causing him to turn back for a moment with a smirk before he finally left.

"Hmm Evelyn" he repeated to himself as the door closed behind him. That wasn't the last time her name would be on his lips.