✔𝚮𝐞𝐥𝐥𝛐 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞 ➳ 𝚩𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝚩𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 44: 𝐈𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐧 𝐠𝛐𝛐𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫

𝐎𝐚𝐤𝐰𝛐𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝚮𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 a ghost town to anyone who drove through it on the 4th of July. Unless you knew where to go, not a single person would be seen, and had it not been for the switching of lights, you might come to the conclusion that it was abandoned.

In reality, every citizen had been drawn to the harbour and its lights like moth to a flame. The hues were bright, almost as loud as the laughter around. It was the time of year that weaved the town together and proved that no matter what neighbourly gossip might be flourishing, the community was still above all.

The families with boats had set sail, while most of the older generation had retreated to the harbour part rather than the small boardwalk and the surrounding streets. The kids and young adults were all rushing between the different games and booths, eating as much candy as possible now that their parents weren't watching them like hawks.

It was between the harbour and boardwalk, down the street with Mrs Anderson's ice cream store and the hobby store, that Bucky and Jo were standing. Both of them watched Peggy walk after Steve and Wanda. Neither of them said a word until the three were out of view.

Both let out a heavy breath and then looked at the other. She wasn't sure what to say, and he wasn't either. He was the one to decide. Bucky took a step closer to her and enveloped her in a tight hug. The churning of her stomach slowed, eventually stopping. Her shoulders that had been tugged under her ears for so long, finally, relaxed. She allowed herself to calm down as his cologne filled up her nostrils.

"Thanks," she breathed out while burying her head in the button-up shirt with daisies he was wearing.

"Hey, that actually sounded sincere," Bucky chuckled and ran his hand up and down her back. "I should've pulled you out of there when Wanda told me to. I'm sorry."

He kissed the top of her head, and she clutched the fabric of his shirt between her hands, shaking her head.

"That's okay," she said while the sound of her heart slowly faded from her ears.

Instead, she was met with the sounds of people bustling around and talking loudly, the sea sloshing up the rocks and wood, the sounds from the Ring Toss. It was calming.

"I should find a place to clean my hands," Bucky said and slowly pulled away from her.

Jo grabbed onto his wrists and turned his hands in front of her. With a smirk, she began pulling off his bloodied rings, tracing the veins on the back of his hand. They were hardened from the years of sports and hands-on work he did in the summer when he was younger. Still, nothing had felt better against her skin. They were sturdy. Stable enough to hold her together whenever she couldn't do it herself. She didn't have to scramble to pick herself up anymore. He would help her and make sure she didn't make a mess of everything. There was no better tether to reality than him.

"What?" Bucky asked when she had taken off the last ring, holding them in her own small palm.

"I like your hands," she said and stuck the rings into the pocket of her leather jacket, not thinking about the blood on them that had barely dried.

Jo put his hands onto her waist, making sure he was holding her tightly as she wrapped her own ones delicately around his neck and pulled him down. Bucky did a shit job at hiding his smirk as he let her pull him down, and he wasted no time in kissing her deeply. Her body moved backwards from the force of it, but he held tightly onto her, making sure she couldn't get away. Her stomach fluttered, utter delight running through her, and she giggled against his lips as they sent a jolt of electricity through her.

"How much have you been drinking, young lady?" He jokingly asked, lips still close to her. "You taste like beer."

He attached his lips to hers. Music sounded through her as they harmoniously moved. The most perfect rhythm between them.