The Winter Cowboy || Bucky x Reader

Chapter 9

Note before reading:

While you read this chapter, play the 50s Love Songs playlist by Spotify. You will not regret it. Also, yes- this is a long ass chapter, but I cannot write smut without going completely overboard. I blame Sebastian Stan. Also- trigger warning in case you are not into smut (which I seriously doubt); get your sweet innocent eyes away from this chapter and move on to the next.

--------------------

By the end of the night you felt you had mapped Bucky's eyes like a star chart, memorizing all of the irregular dark specks which defiantly set off the light steely blue you had decided was your new favourite colour. As you were dancing, he had found countless ways to make you flush; his strong arms pulling you closer to him; his lips moving dangerously close to your ear as you danced and the way his thumb teased the fabric on your waist. He left you feeling disarmingly lightheaded, turning you into a flustered puddle of nerves in his arms. And he smiled because he knew.

You spent the final hour of the night saying goodbye to old friends who promised to come by more often and chasing out some stragglers from the barn. Harper swayed slightly as you guided her back to the house, returning with a broom and some trash bags. When you found your way back to the now empty barn, you found Bucky leaning against the doorpost, his jacket and gloves discarded on a nearby chair and his white dress shirtsleeves rolled up to his upper arms which were crossed across his chest.

"Oh no you're not," Bucky chuckled as he looked at the contents of your hands, "-plenty of time for cleaning tomorrow." You watched him for a moment, smiled and emptied your hands of the cleaning supplies on the bar behind him. You opened some of the coolers only to find that almost all of the drinks had been sold. Your eyes settled on two almost empty liquor bottles. You emptied one of its whiskey and the other of its cherry liquor, certain now that the bar had completely been emptied. You handed the glass of whiskey to Bucky as you sipped your drink, watching him intently as the taste of burning cherries tickled your tastebuds. As you did so, you stepped out of your heels, your eyes now inches lower than Bucky's, causing you to have to look up again like you usually did. You kind of liked it.

"Come on," you decided as you allowed your fingertips to find Bucky's hand, lacing your fingers with his. He didn't pull back in the slightest, but squeezed back softly as he allowed you to guide him away from the barn. You felt confident the intimacy of the night hadn't all been for show, for it was during the most private moments that his eyes had lingered too long and his rough calloused fingers would squeeze yours when no one was watching. Feet bare, you stepped on the grass which was slowly dampening as the darkness of the night was starting to settle in.

As the both of you walked in silence and sipped your drinks, your eyes soon found the sky, spotting countless stars after your eyes had adjusted to the darkness. You attempted to locate some of the constellations you had learnt in school, feeling you had foolishly lost interest in the secrets and wonders of the universe. You felt Bucky's thumb trace patterns on your hand, like he was tattooing his favourite constellations into your skin.

"The last time I took the time to look at the stars like this must have been when I was still in the army," Bucky suddenly uttered. You moved your head sideways to watch him.

"Well- you're still looking at the same stars now," you replied with a small smile, "-most stars have been here for billions of years. So they have been here long before we were born, and will be here still long after we've gone," you said, in awe of the infiniteness of it all. Bucky's lips formed into a gorgeous smile as his eyes didn't leave the stars, almost begging to be kissed. You also turned your eyes back to the stars, unbothered by your bare feet going cold in the damp grass and the chill creeping onto your arms.