James Bucky Barnes, the former soldier, doesn't think he's got any gentleness left in him. But Grace Juniper Cunningham, the former child prodigy, strongly disagrees.
;
"𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯."
"𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴�...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
MAY 2022
"I can't believe this whole time, I actually thought you knew about stars," Bucky said, watching me peer through the telescope.
"Why would you think that?" I asked, pulling my face away to look at him. We were sitting on a blanket in the grass. It was my spot—the one I used to go to before I met him, in the park where the stars were clear.
"You know about everything!"
"That's an exaggeration."
"You asked me to come look at stars with you. We've been talking about this for a year now. I thought it was important to you."
"You think I'd ask you on a date where I'd lecture you the whole time? Stars are just cool. I like to talk about how shiny and pretty they are."
"Pull up a constellation chart thing on your phone."
"What, you wanna learn now?"
"I already know more than you do, apparently."
I snorted. "I've never even used one of those. It's about appreciating them."
"Pull it up," he said like he was wildly inconvenienced. "I'll find a constellation. I guess I have to do all the work now."
"You are not about to mansplain my own stargazing spot to me."
"What the fuck does that mean?"
"No one's ever said that word to you? You're so hot. I love you."
"I love you too. What is it? When a man explains something?"
"Yeah, like when a man thinks he's smarter or more knowledgeable and explains something that the other person knows about or doesn't care to know about. I didn't mean it. I was just teasing you."
"Okay, pull up a constellation map and I'll find one and keep it to myself."
"No. Just gaze," I said. I scooted over so he could take my place.
He leaned forward, peering through the telescope. "Yeah, they're there."
"They're there?"
"Yeah. The stars. They're up there. I haven't counted 'em, but I think they're all there."
"You wouldn't have said that to me if you'd just met me."
"Is that what we're doing? Pretending we met three days ago?"
"Yeah. Pretend like you're trying to sleep with me."
"I am trying to sleep with you."
I huffed. "Pretend you're trying to impress me."
"Am I not impressing you?" he asked, mock-concerned.
"Just act interested in the stars, James."
"I am! You won't let me figure out the constellations."
