A Fool In Love

"And this is the third update we are introducing to the briefing system.." the voice on the phone droned about changes in the briefing system. It had been a mandatory meeting for every shield personnel and you had tuned it out after the first ten minutes. Instead, your attention was on the Avengers table. You caught Sam rolling his eyes at Peter who was listening intently and poking Bucky in ribs. Bucky's foot connected with Peter's chair and startled teenager flipped him off. The duo tried to contain their laughter when Maria gave them a side-eye but you could still see Bucky's shoulders shaking in silent laughter.

You giggled at the scene and Bucky looked across the table at you. You gave him a small wave, receiving a wink before he turned his attention back to poking Sam. Even from this distance, the wink was enough to set butterflies fluttering in your stomach. He was just so damn beautiful. He was like poetry in motion, so graceful and refined. You kept trying to find ways to compliment him, to tell him how his beautiful smile took your breath away or how you dreamt of his blue eyes every night. Every time he was around, you chickened out. Your brain went into a hyperactive mode and you just couldn't get your mouth to say the words. He always teased you about being an adorable mess and left you craving for something more than easy friendship you shared. Something tangible, something that could let you call him 'yours' forever.

Oh, you could imagine how cute you would look standing next to him, your hand around his waist and his chin resting on top of your head. You could imagine his fingers finding yours and rubbing circles on the back of your hand as you talked with others. You could imagine threading your fingers through his hair as you curled up on the couch on a lazy afternoon, lulling him to sleep by singing lullabies. You could imagine dancing in the kitchen with him while cooking dinner and arguing over who is a better cook. You could imagine getting jealous and pouting over the attention he gets by girls and making up with kisses. You could imagine slowly drifting to sleep as you cuddled into him, letting his warmth seep into you.

But that was all it was to it, just your imagination. You craved for him; you were so much in love with him and you just couldn't wait to tell him. But your damn mouth always replaced your 'I am in love with you Bucky's with "You are awesome Bucky" or 'Bucky you are so amazing!". And your dreams just stayed dreams.. Agonizingly beautiful dreams...

Whenever he slung his arms around your waist, your world halted and you lost yourself in that innocent touch. A tickle fight ending up in your first kiss was one of your favorite daydream scenarios. His hands around your waist, pulling you closer to his chest and pinning you to his body with no wiggle room. The sheer shock of being so close to him would send you in frenzy and you would look at him in confusion only to find his dilated blue eyes fixed on your lips. You would feel your body warm up under that intense gaze and you could feel his cold metal arm through all those layers. He would lean in and you would close your eyes in anticipation of the kiss. You could hear your heart beating beating beating...
Slowing down just so his touch could send it in overdrive and once his lips would touch yours, it would take off. It would be perfect...
Everything would always be perfect in your imagination...

Maybe it was typical of love, but no matter how much you craved for him, your mouth couldn't say those fated words.
Your hugs lingered more than necessary and your eyes sought him out every second but you hid it under the guise of being friends.

You were a fool, an imaginative fool in love with a dumbass but the fool nonetheless.