Behind Closed Doors (Bucky Barnes)

~6~ About last night

As Lani's eyelids fluttered open, she sensed a persistent poke at her side, prompting a low groan to escape her lips as she longed for the intruding presence to retreat and allow her to slip back into slumber.

"Noo, leave," She uttered softly under her breath as she buried her face into the soft fabric of the pillow.

Lani was roused from her sleep by the sound of laughter, so familiar that she immediately recognized it as Sam's. She groggily uncovered her head and shot her friend a glare, still feeling disoriented from being woken up.

"Why did you wake me up?" She insisted, flinging her pillow in Sam's direction.

"Because it's morning, and you should be awake, Leilani," Sam responded with a hint of annoyance, carefully placing the pillow back on the bed, and receiving a sarcastic retort in return.

"Oh, interesting Samuel, I didn't know you wanted to die on this beautiful morning." Sam couldn't help but chuckle at her response, while Lani's lips curled into a smirk.

"You can't kill me, girl. I will outfly you." Sam stuck his tongue out at the girl.

Lani's lips curled into a mischievous smile. "Too late, Sammy boy, I've already decided how," she declared with a hint of wickedness in her voice.

Sam chuckled softly as he gently placed the coffee mug on her bedside table. "Get ready for breakfast," he said, as he opened the door to leave.

Lani let out a contented sigh, "Next time, you should start with coffee, Sam," she said with a smile, clearly pleased with herself."

As she stepped into the shower and felt the warm water cascading over her, she couldn't shake the feeling of regret for the texts she had sent to Bucky the previous night. While lathering up her hair, she cringed as the memory of her embarrassing messages flooded back. She even thought about throwing her phone into the toilet to spare herself from further embarrassment.

After finishing her shower, she prepared for the day ahead. Wanting to appear presentable in front of her father and mask any signs of a hangover, she applied a touch of makeup. Upon leaving the bathroom, she was startled to find James sitting on her bed, engrossed in one of her books. The sight nearly caused her to jump out of her skin.

"Oh my God, James. You scared the shit out of me, what are you doing here?"

He lifted his eyes from the pages of her book and smirked at her. "I did knock, but you didn't answer, so I let myself in," he said. "I came by because I wanted to talk to you about something - about you wanting to be my make-out buddy."

His smirk made Lani's face turn a deep shade of red. She tried to say something, but her mind went blank. He let out a laugh as he stood up and returned the book to her shelf. As he came closer to her with a teasing smirk, he tilted his head to the side.

"What cat got your tongue now, doll?" His use of the nickname made her feel flushed, but she was determined not to show it.

"About that... I- it was a dare. Yup, Lena dared me to text you." She let out a shaky breath as Bucky came unusually close, his lips grazing her ear. "Liar," he murmured.

Pulling back slightly, he locked eyes with her, a signature smirk playing on his lips. Their faces were mere inches apart, their noses almost touching, when Lani couldn't suppress the burning feeling in her core any longer.

"Everyone is going to die, and nobody will remember you. So, screw it," she muttered more to herself, before impulsively crashing her lips against Bucky's.

He quickly returned the kiss and deepened it pressing Lani to the nearest wall. She wrapped her fingers in his hair slightly tugging on it earning a low moan from Bucky.