Flowers in the Darkest Parts: Bucky Barnes X OC

Unbroken

We order food and it eventually comes out. When we finish eating, the band is switching to another group for the second half of the night. They announce themselves and start playing a catchy, upbeat song. People start moving around, getting up and grabbing their partners to move to the dance floor.

I silently study them from our booth. The couples spin each other around while people clap from their seats and stomp their boots. The beat is catchy and I start to tap my fingers on the table to the beat of the music.

Suddenly Bucky is standing next to me with his hand outstretched, "May I have this dance, Miss Rogers?" He's got that crooked grin on his face that I love so much.

My skin heats, "Bucky, I don't know. I haven't been dancing since... forever." Since that first night we were together.

He takes my hand anyway and pulls me to stand. He tugs my arm and pulls me right up to him. Grabbing my waist, he pulls me close to him, his body pressed up to mine and my face only inches from his. "I'll tell you a secret," his eyes shine. "Neither have I."

Before I can even think, he's pulling me onto the dance floor. He takes my hands in his, leading me into the dance. It's a distantly familiar feeling, and the more I begin to let loose, the easier it is to dance with him. I let my mind take the backseat as my body takes over. My movements become effortless and after a couple minutes I feel like I'm back with Bucky the night of the Expo.

He spins me around and dips me back. There are no rules or practice, just the feel of the music and letting your body flow with each other. It's about reading each other's moves and anticipating the next one. That's one thing Bucky and I are good at, reading each other. We know exactly what the other person is going to do before they even do it, and it makes us excellent dance partners.

The crowd loves it, they yell over the music, cheering us on. About ten other couples are dancing around us, but their eyes slowly start to turn to us, mesmerized. They slow, one by one, until everyone but us has stopped. The band keeps playing, but we're the only ones still dancing. Everyone in the bar, even the other dancers are now clapping to the beat and cheering for us.

My cheeks go flush, "Everyone's looking at us, Bucky."

He grins and his eyes sparkle with a playfulness I haven't seen since we were younger. "Don't look at them. Look at me. Right now it's just me and you."

The music speeds up, we twirl and spin and move with each other like we were always meant to do this. I never take my eyes off Bucky's. He's so charming in the best way, he makes me feel alive again. He makes me feel like me.

Everyone is a blur around us, like we're the only ones in the room. The music ends and he dips me back and kisses me deeply. The crowd cheers and claps for our performance. He pulls me back to stand, the crowd still roaring in my ears, and I wrap my arm around his waist. I look up at him, he's breathing heavily and so am I, but I feel great, like I can take on the world. He has the biggest smile on his face and is looking back and forth between the crowd and me. He's always so worried about people being afraid of him, judging him for his past. But these people are seeing him for him.

And I'm proud of him.

And I love him.

The singer taps the microphone, "Let's slow it down now folks, grab your love and bring 'em out." They begin playing and the couples that were dancing before start to make their way back out onto the floor again.

Bucky drags his hand across my waist, pulling me to him. I lay my arms around his neck, lacing my fingers together. We sway back and forth in the low light and I can't help thinking of how gorgeous he looks.