pov- imagines

JUST FRIENDS- B. BARNES

pairings: bucky barnes x reader, ocs
warnings: christmas centric, family
about: 's prompt ​​"It's nice to see my whole family again but it would be even better if everyone stopped asking me if I'm in a relationship with my friend I brought with me."
and one more for jamecember haha

"it's going to be okay. everything is going to be fine," you mutter reassuringly, breaths coming out in visible puffs of white air as you balance your weight from one foot to the other repeatedly, your hands fidgeting nervously, fingers pulling at each other until it looks like you're about to pop them out of their sockets.

"i know, sweetheart, y'don't have to be so nervous," bucky assures, concern in his amused eyes as they trail over you, catching on your hands and on the pull of your bottom lip between your teeth, the little crease that usually resides between bucky's eyebrows now in between yours. bucky wants to rub it away with his thumb.

"i'm not talking to you," you reply softly, resorting to digging into the skin around your nails when your current coping mechanism doesn't seem to work how you'd like.

bucky hasn't seen you this antsy since... ever. never have you ever shown such—or any, really—anxiety before any type of mission, the most he'd ever seen was when you leaned your cheek against his shoulder and grabbed his hand, but even then, you'd whispered a joke into the tense air of the jet with a shaky smile.

bucky reaches for your hand, taking away the nails doing damage to your fingers and holding it between his two palms, urging you to turn to him, "it's just a dinner," he reminds softly, "with your family for christmas."

you nod madly then, "exactly, with my family for christmas—" you repeat in an urgent voice, not moving to take your hand back. at bucky's look of bewilderment, your lips form into an unintentional worried pout, "you're not ready for this," you warn, slipping your hand from his hold to push back a strand of hair and stare impatiently at the door. "we already rang, right? how long does it take to walk from the kitchen to the door—"

as if on cue, it opens up to the sight of your mother, dogs already at her feet, interested in the guests, "y/n! honey, y/n is here!" she yells excitedly into the house, prodding at the dogs to move back, "come in, come in! my, you're so handsome," she smiles at bucky, arms reaching to loop around his shoulders before he even has a chance to fully enter, "and so strong, too—you must be bucky, y/n talks about you all the time."

you purse your lips, shutting the door while bucky attends to a very interested bucky, "mom," you start.

"does she now? all good things, i hope," bucky smiles cheekily.

"oh," she swats at his shoulder, "great things. she could go on about you for hours—has— you know, she told us about that time you took her to—"

"okay," you cut in, "let's not tell him about that time he took me to that place, okay, mom?"

your mom shakes her head sadly, "oh, she's always been so private about her boyfriends. such a shame, it's only my first time meeting you."

"he's not my boyfriend," you mention, "just a friend."

she seemingly ignores you, looking to bucky with furrowed eyebrows, "are you private about her?"

bucky doesn't seem as distraught as you do, shaking his head, "ah, no need," he says, watching as your mom nods thoughtfully. he looks around the house, catching on pictures of you when you were younger and feeling a smile tugging at his cheeks, "you have a lovely home, miss l/n."

putting a flattered hand against her sternum, your mom smiles coyly, "thank you, bucky. you know, y/n forgot to mention how charming you are. i can see how she fell."