AUGUST || Bucky Barnes x OC

19

"Come on, Buck! You can tell me." Bruce teased, shoving his best friend playfully with his elbow.

"There's nothing to tell," Bucky smiled, trying to shut down the topic as quickly as possible.

"Oh come on! Is it that bartender in town? What's that place? Scarlett's? She practically eye fucks you every time we go in there." Bruce pushed. Taking a sip from his beer as he kicked his feet in the water.

They had both had a very long day working on Bucky's bike. Covered in grease and exhausted from the hot air of summer, they had decided to end the night with a few beers on the dock at the Barnes Estate.

"No, it's not her.." Bucky responded matter-of-factly, rolling his eyes.

"So there is a girl! I knew it!" Bruce laughed.

Bucky was trying not to show discomfort through body language or expression, finding it a bit hard to look Bruce in the eyes as he kept pushing him for more information.

Bucky had  decided that there was no way he could move his relationship with Valerie forward before coming clean to Bruce. He had even managed to convince Valerie that they should tell him together, a plan that seemed to be derailing this very moment.

"Bruce..let it go. Please." Bucky warned jokingly.

"I've never seen you like this, man. All giddy and shit. It's like she's got you wrapped around her finger. I practically had to force you to come down here for the summer and now I have to damn near make an appointment to see you!" Bruce sounded somewhat offended about the fact that Bucky refused to share any details. "Is the sex that good?" He laughed.

Bucky almost spit out his beer. The awkward tension filled his chest, being the only one aware that Bruce was referring to his own sister.

"I-we... First of all, it's none of your business. But there's no...sex. Okay? I really don't want to talk about this right now, Bruce" Bucky tried to maneuver the conversation without coming clean just yet, still clinging to the hope of having them tell Bruce together, so that they could have a chance at being taken seriously.

"wait, wait, wait! Hold on. Hold the fuck on. You're seriously telling me that you, Bucky Barnes, have been beating around the bush for what? A month? You've been keeping this girl a secret, haven't fucked her, and won't even tell me her name? What are you like...in love with her or something?" He gestured frantically with his hands as he spoke. But it was Bucky's silence that made Bruce realize he had been right. His eyes grew wide. "Holy shit, you're fucking in love with this girl. Aren't you?" Bruce's tone of voice changed once he arrived at his last conclusion. Bucky couldn't accuse him of being wrong. It's not like what he was saying was completely untrue. Maybe for the first time, he was in love with the girl. And it just happened to be his unbelievable shit luck that it was Valerie.

He felt bad. He felt like a traitor. But his desire to be with Valerie, to actually be with her, in more ways than just physical, was taking a lead.

"I...guess" Bucky finally mustered the courage to look up at Bruce, who seemed awestruck. "Yeah. I think am, actually" He exhaled with relief.

"You've known her for barely a month and you're in love with her?" Bruce's tone of voice sounded surprised, almost uncertain.

"Actually..I've known her for a pretty long time. I just haven't really looked at her in that way before" Bucky hesitated as he responded, knowing he was  on incredibly thin ice.

"Wait, what? I'm even more confused now. Do I know who she is?" Bruce raised an eyebrow. Bucky could literally see the cog wheels turning in his brain.