play pretend | BUCKY BARNES

twenty one

His 6am daily run was completed, the cool winter air blowing past his face had woken him up as he jogged through his city. Bucky had actually been doing his workouts every day since he left his depressive episode after he finally started dating you. It had been two weeks since he took you out on the long awaited first date, and things couldn't be better.

He stuck to the same running route almost every day, but much like when he was hiding from the world after he found out you were sleeping with some dude, he still avoided as much human contact as possible, and if that meant ignoring someone trying to talk to him as he ran past every now and then? So be it. He didn't care, he'd never see these people again. And there were more important things for them to be worrying about anyways.

Your coffee order came to him naturally now when he brought you in a takeaway coffee, your usual just slipped out when he got to the counter to order.

He knew your favourite place to get coffee was at your friend Pietros coffee shop, but Bucky wasn't 100% sure if the blonde actually liked him or not, so he avoided stopping by there as much as he could.

Sure Pietro had been nice to him when they met, but one could never be 100% on someone's views on them. But he knew how much he meant to you, so because he loved you, he'd make more of an effort in the future, but for now Starbucks coffee it is.

And just like he had done for the past few mornings, he finished his running route outside your apartment, unlocked the door with the key you had cut for him last week, placed the coffee in the kitchen and made his way to your room.

He took a minute to stand in the doorway smiling as he watched your curled up, peaceful form. But he knew watching people sleep was kinda creepy.

So instead he went to the side of the bed you weren't crawled up on, and done the same as he had the past few mornings and crawled in beside you.

"Hey, doll."

"Mhmm..." You began to stir awake and rolled over and curled up onto his broad chest. "Since when did my personal alarm clock get so hot?"

Bucky chuckled, and wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling you closer to his chest. "As in warm or good looking?"

"A bit of both." You looked up at him with a grin, before he leaned in and placed a kiss to your lips.

"As much as I'd love to stay here with you all day," He said in between kisses, "You really got to get up for work, doll."

"But I don't want to," You whined, burrowing yourself further into his chest.

"I'll take you out for lunch if you get up now, there's also coffee in the kitchen for ya'"

"I love you so much." You looked at him with gratitude, coffee was exactly what you needed right now.

I love you still made Buckys heart stop, even though you had been telling each other that non stop for the past two weeks. He would never grow tired of the feel of your hands intertwined with his, or the sparks that flew when your lips connected. He couldn't be happier.

"I love you too."

—

Bucky kept his promise, like he always did, and turned up at your office to pick you up for lunch.

"You ready, doll?" He asked, leaning against the doorframe, his usual leather jacket flung over his work clothes replacing his suit jacket and clung to his chest tightly.

"Mhm..." You acknowledged his presence, but hadn't actually answered him yet, you were too busy typing to try and finish a draft of an article on tourism increase in New York.