bucky barnes imagines

lxxxv. LOCKET [smut]

A/N – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS, hqrlivys !!! ILY AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS CHAPTER. <3

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You dreaded your birthday.

Well, maybe "dread" was a strong word. You didn't hate your birthday, but you definitely didn't look forward to it.

This year was no different. You woke up with a quiet groan and desperately tried to fall back asleep – anything to make the day go by a little quicker. But the aura of drowsiness had already escaped you, and now you were stuck. Your so-called "special day", much to your annoyance, was only just beginning.

As much as you wanted to, you knew you wouldn't be able to hide yourself away for the entire day. You had maybe an half an hour (at most) before your friends would come knocking at your door, bearing gifts and cake and all the other traditions that you just didn't care for.

As you slowly rolled out of bed, you mentally chastised yourself for being so pessimistic. Of course, you knew that you should be grateful. Ever since you'd been living at the tower alongside your friends and fellow Avengers, they'd never missed your birthday, and always made an effort to celebrate with you. You never had the heart to tell them that their efforts were in vain – because something always ruined your day. Always.

Just like any other morning, you busied yourself with getting ready. By the time you were finished, an hour had passed, yet there was still no sign of anybody else. Relieved, you decided that it was safe to head downstairs for some breakfast.

And as soon as you entered the common area, you regretted it.

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Y/N!"

You jolted in shock as several people jumped out from their respective hiding places, all grinning with an unbridled happiness that definitely didn't match what you were feeling in that moment. But still, you plastered a smile onto your face and thanked everyone politely.

Your smile only became more genuine when Bucky approached you, pulling you into a tight hug and practically lifting you off your feet. He was the only one that would make this somewhat bearable – as much as you loved the others, you loved him so much more.

In a friendly way, of course.

That's what you kept telling yourself, anyway. But in reality, you knew that you didn't want to be just his best friend anymore – and it was becoming increasingly clear that he felt the same about you. The two of you would flirt constantly, always leaving each other shy and blushing, especially when someone else tried to point out the obvious tension within your interactions. It was really only a matter of time before one of you would finally make a move – not that you weren't enjoying the waiting game, though.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart," Bucky mumbled, pressing a light kiss to the top of your head before pulling away. "I'd give you your gift now, but it's better to wait until everyone else is gone. Don't want them to ruin the moment."

"So you're not into exhibitionism? Got it," you joked, giggling at his shocked expression. Part of you was curious about what his gift could possibly be, but you decided to be patient and wait until he was ready.

The conversation was cut short as you were dragged towards the table, which was piled high with gifts from everyone. Receiving gifts tended to make you awkward, especially when others were watching your reactions – though truthfully, you couldn't really complain about feeling like the Avengers' sugar baby for a while.