bucky barnes imagines

xlix. STRAWBERRIES

Bucky watched from the couch as you strolled through the kitchen, hoping to find a late night snack. A smile graced his lips as you clumsily tripped over your own feet, and his eyes lit up as he heard the small, sleepy giggle that you emitted as you left the room again, carrying a bowl of strawberries away with you.

The sound of the television slowly drifted away as Bucky slipped into a daydream about you. He couldn't stop thinking about you – your eyes, your voice, your laugh, your face, hair, hands, everything.

"...so we started running there and— Bucky? Are you even listening to me?" Steve waved a hand in front of his best friend's face and Bucky shook his head lightly, snapping out of his lovesick daze.

"Um, could you say that again? I got a little distracted by—"

"By Y/N?" Steve finished, smirking smugly in a way that made Bucky want to reach out and slap the annoying expression right off his face. "Who would've thought – Bucky Barnes, notorious ladies man, is afraid to ask a girl out!"

Bucky sighed in exasperation and ran a hand through his hair. "It's been a long time, alright? And what if she says no? I mean, I don't wanna ruin—"

He suddenly stopped speaking as a silhouette appeared in the doorway. You stood there, still holding the strawberries. Originally, you were planning on just going back to your room, but you'd turned around and decided to watch a movie in the living room instead. You weren't expecting it to be occupied so late at night.

"Ooh, gossip!" you teased as you walked in. There was an empty seat directly by the door, but you moved past it and jumped onto the couch next to Bucky. For a second, he had to remind himself to breathe.

An idea formed in Steve's head, and he immediately stood up. "Alright guys, I'm gonna get some sleep. I have to train early tomorrow."

Panicking about being left alone with you, Bucky stood up too, intending to follow Steve out of the room. You reached up and tugged on his wrist, giving him puppy eyes when he turned to look at you.

"Please stay? You can watch a movie with me. I was thinking The Maze Runner?"

Bucky sighed quietly and sat back down, internally reminding himself to act normal around you. Nonetheless, he couldn't stop his leg from jumping nervously as you pressed play on the movie and settled back on the couch next to him.

Of course, you noticed Bucky's strange behaviour; you found it adorable, the way he was always so anxious around you. Living among a group of people who loved to irritate each other, you'd obviously already been informed of his feelings for you – Nat had told you one day, after Bucky had irritated her on a mission.

You liked him too, you had for a long time. How could you not? He was quiet but caring and funny – not to mention absolutely gorgeous.

Originally, you'd wanted to wait until he was ready to confess to you. But now, when you were alone with him, the opportunity was too good to pass up. You decided to mess with him a little.

About five minutes into the movie, you caught Bucky sneaking glances at you. Smirking slightly, you shuffled a little closer to him, so that your thigh was touching his (he had really nice thighs – any excuse to touch them, right?). His breath hitched and he froze for a second, before relaxing again.

Suddenly, you realised that you still hadn't started eating your strawberries. As you set the bowl in your lap, another idea popped into your head.

"Want some?" you asked, pointing the bowl towards Bucky. As he nodded, you picked up a single strawberry and extended your hand towards him, intending to feed him the snack yourself. It was a tad childish, even by your standards, but you didn't care.

Bucky looked a little confused but, even in the dark, you could see the blush that spread across his face as he leaned forward and bit into the strawberry. He hummed quietly as he chewed it and you giggled, eating one yourself.

The two of you continued to share the snack, until they were almost gone. You blinked in surprise when, in a rare moment of confidence, Bucky leaned forward a little further and delicately kissed the back of your hand.

"Oh God, I– uh, sorry," he stuttered almost immediately afterwards.

"Don't be, it was cute," you murmured in response. And then, a little more quietly, "you're cute."

Even though you lowered your voice, he heard you. He was sure that, in all his hundred years of living, his heart rate had never been so rapid. But Bucky tried to push his fear aside – he would kick himself if he missed any chances with you.

"You're cute, too. The cutest," he whispered, eyeing you warily to check for any negative response. You simply gave a soft smile, which calmed him down and upped his confidence again.

You started paying attention to the television screen again, watching as Thomas ran through The Glade. However, Bucky's focus was on you. You could feel his eyes on you and you wondered how long it would be before he made a move.

Half an hour later, after giving himself an extremely long internal pep talk, Bucky took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into his chest. You'd been steadily moving closer and closer to him throughout the movie, but now his chin rested on the top of your head as he cuddled you – you couldn't get much closer than this. You curled your legs up and happily snuggled into him, feeling warm, safe and a little sleepy.

You remained in that position until the movie was over. You sniffled as the credits began to roll, still upset over Chuck's death. Noticing, Bucky muted the television and sat up slightly, pulling you further towards him until you were basically straddling his lap, facing him.

Now, it was your turn to be nervous. Your face was inches away from his, and the way he was looking at you – you'd never noticed it before, but he gazed at you as if you were the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes on.

With a shaking hand, Bucky used his thumb to wipe away a stray tear that had rolled down your cheek. He continued to rub small circles along your cheekbone, his eyes darting back and forth between your eyes and your lips. You leaned in slightly, until the tip of your nose nudged against his.

"Doll..." he whispered, his eyes beginning to flutter closed, "Sweetheart, I really, really like you."

And then his lips were on yours, kissing you softly. One hand cupped your face while his metal arm slid around your waist, holding you close. Your brain was fuzzy, hazy, thinking the craziest of things – like how Bucky tasted of strawberries and sunshine and pure happiness. You smiled into the kiss, before finally pulling away and resting your forehead against his.

"I know," you replied simply, chuckling as a look of slight panic passed over Bucky's face. "And I like you too."

"You- you do?" The panic quickly melted away, into a softer, more relaxed expression.

"Of course."

"But... Jesus, I waited so long because I thought you could never, ever like someone like me." Bucky paused for a second, before frowning slightly and raising his voice a little. "You know what, I've already waited for too long. Y/N, will you be my girl?"

"I've always been your girl, Bucky."