Short Stories and Oneshots

A Handsome Stranger

Author: Celticheart72

Platform: AO3

Type: Marvel x Reader

When a previous date gone wrong shows up a handsome stranger comes to your rescue. Reader-insert. One-shot.

~

You pace back and forth inside the bathroom, thankfully alone for the moment. Panicked thoughts race through your head while you wear a path over the crappy floor tiles with your heels. Every so often when you turn your toe hits the corner of a broken tile and you come close to tripping.

Wouldn't that just be the icing on the cake?

Trip on a broken tile in a shitty bar bathroom and break your brain.

Shaking your head at the thought you turn and lift your foot in time to avoid one of said broken tiles just as your phone buzzes in the pocket of your dress. You yank it out of the fabric so violently the front of the dress almost flies over your head. Thankfully only the mirror is witness to your shame.

The message is from your best friend. Rolling your eyes you unlock your phone and open it.

Teri: Kyle and I made it to his place, u home yet?

You: No, I'm still in the bathroom.

Teri: for 20 fucking minutes? Wtf? Are you dying or something? That uber is gone by now!

You: I know, I know. That last drink didn't agree with me. I'm getting ready to leave.

You rub your fingers over your forehead and sigh, you hate lying to her. Had she known the creepy guy you went on a date with a few months ago was at the bar, she and her boyfriend never would have left you alone.

It's not even that he's creepy per se. Well, maybe he is. He was overly clingy for a first date and got really insulted when you wanted to take a cab home rather than give him your address so he could drive you.

Deciding that hiding in the bathroom all night is not a solution to your problem you march to the door. In the process, you trip over one of the broken tiles and practically throw yourself into the hallway. Thankfully, once again, no one is around to see what a total klutz you are. You smooth the fabric of your dress down and start walking to the bar's exit. Halfway there you catch sight of your clinger and run right into a wall of muscle because, of course, you're not paying attention.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry," you stumble back and are dangerously close to falling on your ass.

"Careful doll," a hand closes around your upper arm to steady you, and if you're not mistaken it feels a bit like metal.

You look up to find a pair of the prettiest blue eyes you've ever seen looking back. The eyes are set into a scruffy face that doesn't look like it often sees a smile but there's a flicker of one when the man looks down at you.

"I'm really sorry," you ramble out. "I didn't mean to run into you like that!"

That earns you a wide smile and it lights up his entire face. "Pretty sure you cant do much damage to me that hasn't already been done." His brow furrows when you crane your head to look around him then immediately try hiding behind the breadth of his shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"I know you don't know me, but can you just pretend to be my date?"

He looks vaguely skeptical and one brow arches, "Okay, but..."

"Kiss me," you whisper urgently as you see clinger getting even closer.

"What?" his hands moved to cup your elbows when you get closer to him but he's also not pushing you away.

This has got to be the weirdest encounter this guy has ever had with a woman, you think to yourself as you push up on your toes and loop your arms around his neck. "Please, I'll explain later."

"Alright, doll," he bends his head and when his lips touch yours you literally feel like sparks are flying in every direction.

Your lips tingle, the skin of your ears and neck tingle, your hands laying over his muscular back tangle.

Other things tingle.

One of his hands reaches up to caress your cheek and you melt at the gentle touch as he hooks a lock of your hair behind your ear then breaks the kiss, leaning his forehead on yours.

"Please tell me you don't have a girlfriend," you whisper as clinger moves right past you to the bar and you relax just slightly.

"No," he chuckles, and his eyes flick behind you. "He an ex?"

You shake your head and wonder just how he knew who you were trying to avoid. "He was a date gone wrong. Thank you for not thinking I'm a crazy person."

The man takes one last look at your clinger then his gaze drops back to you, and he offers his hand. "C'mon, you hungry?"

"Yeah, I am actually," you take his hand and let him lead you out to the sidewalk where he drops it and stuffs both of his into his pockets.

"I know a diner around the corner that's open all night. I get the feeling this might take a while to explain?" He grins and you still get the impression he doesn't have occasion to smile much. It's then, as you look up at him in the light of the streetlamp, that you realise his hair is actually somewhat long and he has it pulled back into a man bun.

"Yeah," you laugh lightly, returning the grin that still lingers on his lips and try not to let your thoughts wonder to that amazing impromptu kiss, "it just might. What's your name, by the way? When I tell my best friend I was saved by this handsome stranger I'd at least like to have your name to give her."

It's faint but you can see a flush creep over his cheeks as he moves to the outside of the sidewalk, and you start walking in the direction of the diner. "James Buchanan Barnes. But my friends call me Bucky."