You sat at the kitchen island reading a book while you at your breakfast. It had been a peaceful morning, by the grace of god Sam and Bucky both slept in leaving you to enjoy the peace. You’d think after living together for over a year they would get along better, but the jabs never seem to end; although it is getting hard to tell if they’re because they actually care for each other and don’t want to admit it or if they truly do still hate each other. You had just taken your last bite when Bucky emerged into the kitchen.
“Morning,” He said in a still sleepy rough voice.
“Morning, Buck.”
You went back to your book thinking that was the end of the conversation. It’d been a year since Pepper moved you into the compound. You were a Red Room survivor and long-time friend of Natasha, so when you showed up at the remnants of the compound looking for her Pepper offered her place in what remained of the Avengers Initiative to you. It was no secret that you’d never be able to fill those shoes, they were impossible to fill, but you looked forward to being a part of something bigger. Sam had welcomed you with open arms, Bucky, on the other hand, kept you at arm’s length.
“Any plans for the day?” Bucky asked coming to stand across the counter from you.
His coffee cup steamed on the counter in front of him, you looked it at rather than him, confused by his sudden concern in your plans. If there was no mission in the works or casual polite conversation involved, Bucky rarely spoke to you. He was never rude, but he certainly didn’t extend an olive branch or show any interest in being friends of any kind. In fact, every time you would take a step towards friendship, he would push you away.
“Nothing really. I might go for a run later, but I haven’t decided.” You paused for a moment. “Why, did something happen? Fury calling us in?”
He shook his head, “No,” He hesitated, “just curious.”
You stood from the stool to clear your dishes confused by the exchange. Tension between the two of you wasn’t uncommon, but this felt far different.
“(Y/N), have you ever been to a baseball game?”
Well, this just got weirder. You thought to yourself.
You closed the dishwasher door, “No, Buck. I’ve never really cared for any sport but football.”
He nodded smiling to himself, “I remember Nat talking about going to a game with you. She had a lot of fun that day. She did warn that anyone who goes to something like that would you should be prepared for the drunk you.” He chuckled softly, “She said it’s pretty entertaining.”
Your heart warmed at the topic of your old friend. “I miss her.” You confessed.
He placed his flesh hand on your shoulder softly, “Me too.”
Internally your mind was throwing all kinds of flags – red danger, orange caution signs. But you smiled at the gesture.
He turned his attention back to his coffee cup; you took the opportunity to put some distance between you; taking your own cup to the coffee maker to get a fresh cup.
“Steve and I used to go to baseball games when we were kids.” He reminisced. “The Dodgers were in Brooklyn back then.”
You laughed. “Sorry, I don’t mean to laugh. I just don’t remember a time that they weren’t in Los Angeles.”
He smiled. “Sometimes I forget how young you are.”
“Age isn’t relative.” You replied automatically.
“This is harder than it was back in the day.” He mumbled so low you weren’t sure you were supposed to hear.
You came to stand across from him, coffee cups and island in between. “Bucky?” You said trying to get his attention.
He looked up at you, you could see the torture in his eyes.
“Hey, whatever it is. Just spit it out.”
Bucky took a deep breath, “Would you be willing to come to the Yankees game with me this afternoon? I have to throw out the first pitch for Stark Industries.”
“Oh,” You were shocked at the question.
You searched his expression, he seemed sincere in his request and you could see the anxiety eating away at him as you contemplated his request. Part of you wanted to decline the request because it seemed so far out of the left-field, but the bigger part of you wanted to say yes. You wanted to be friends with your housemates, and this was a good first step. Besides you’d be lying to yourself if you said you didn’t admit there was a part of you that had wanted more with Bucky.
“It’s okay if you can’t or don’t want to.”
“No, no.” You suddenly felt bad it took so long for you to answer. “I’d be happy to go with you. Two conditions, though.” You smiled.
“Name ‘em.” He replied with a confused smile.
“You have to answer all my ridiculous questions and beer is a requirement.”
He laughed; it was a musical sound that you didn’t often hear. “I think I can handle both.”
“When is the game?” You asked.
“We need to leave in two hours.” He replied.
You scrunched your face in frustration as you rounded the counter to put your cup in the dishwasher. “You’re giving me a two-hour notice to figure out the game of baseball and figure out appropriate attire for a game.”
Bucky smiled, “You don’t have to learn anything about the game, I’ll teach you.” He drank from his coffee cup, “And its September in New York, whatever you might wear to a picnic or to the park or something, that would be fine for a baseball game.”
You nodded, “I guess I’m going to go get dressed.”
As you turned to walk away Bucky’s hand casually caught your own, you turned back to look at him.
“Thank you.” He said softly.
You squeezed his hand lightly. “You certainly don’t have to thank me.” You smiled back, “I should be the one thanking you for taking me to someplace new.”
** Two Hours Later **
The clock read 1:56 PM and you were startled by a soft knock on your bedroom door.
“(Y/N), the cars here,” Bucky said from the opposite side of the door.
“Coming.” You said getting up from your vanity.
You heard the footsteps down the hall signaling that Bucky wasn’t waiting outside your door any longer. Taking a deep breath, you tried to remind yourself this was just another day. You looked in the mirror one last time – sporting a red tank top, denim capris and black Nike’s; it didn’t feel right, but it would have to do. Opening the door, you made your way down the hall and the flight of stairs leading to the big open foyer. Bucky stood with his back to the stairs looking at his phone, the sound of your footsteps drawing his attention to turn around.
“Wow,” He said smiling. “You look amazing.”
A blush crept up your cheeks, “Thanks, Buck.”
He held out his arm, “We should go, Pepper sent over a car. Apparently, she doesn’t trust me to get to the game myself.”
You laughed grabbing a hold of his arm. “I probably wouldn’t trust you either.”
“I should probably be offended by that statement,” Bucky said as he led you out of the door.
“You probably would be, if you didn’t know there was some truth to it.”
He laughed as the driver opened the backdoor.
“Thank you,” You said as he waited for you to get in before closing it himself.
The drive went by quickly despite being through heavy traffic, electricity seemed to fill the silent car as you both looked out your separate windows as the car. When you arrived at the stadium you were taken by a security team to a private box that overlooked the stadium while Bucky was led to the locker room where he would meet the team and prepare for the first pitch.
“Sergeant Barnes will be up after the ceremonial pitch, through those doors,” the man pointed, “is a full bar and eatery. If you need anything, Mrs. Barnes security will be right outside the door. Enjoy the game.”
The man didn’t wait for any response, he just left the box. You were shocked by the man’s assumption that you were married. You wondered if Pepper knew you would be in attendance, or was Bucky planning to bring someone else? Before you let your mind wander any further you walked through the door the attendant had pointed out and got two beers – one for you and one for Bucky.
You sat in the middle seat of the row and watched as the players of each team warmed up and Bucky appeared to chat up some executive looking people. You were impressed at how casual he made everything look, you knew the anxiety he was feeling about the situation only because you had known him so long. You imagined if Steve and Natasha were still here how different this situation would be, you may not even be here; but if you were you could imagine Steve cheering him on and Natasha telling him not to cheat with his metal arm. Cheers broke your thoughtful trance as the announcer introduced the ‘Avenger Sgt Bucky Barnes on behalf of Stark Industries’. You smiled and cheer from your seat as he threw out the first pitch.
It was only a matter of minutes before the box door opened and Bucky appeared.
“Looked good out there Barnes.” You said turning to look at him.
“Thanks, it’s been a long time since I’ve thrown a baseball.” He said coming to sit next to you.
“What a hundred years or so?” You smirked.
“Oh, you’ve got jokes now do you?” He laughed.
“I don’t know if they actually have any effect on you, but I got you a beer.” You gestured to the cup holder in front of him.
“Thank you,” He said reaching for the bottle.
You watched rotations of batters come up slowly piecing together the bits of the game, you’d probably be more focused on the game if Bucky’s arm wasn’t slung across the back of your seat. It was a simple gesture that shouldn’t be so distracting, but this was the closest proximity you’d ever been with each other. Emptying your own beer bottle, you slipped it back in the cupholder.
“Would you like another?” Bucky asked as he emptied his own. “I believe that was part of the agreement.”
You smiled at him, “Yes please.”
He stood to grab both bottles, “I’ll be right back.”
The short time he was gone you found yourself paying closer attention to the game, it was seemingly straight forward – ball hit, run to base and try not to get out. It was clearly more complicated, but that was definitely the basic understanding.
Bucky came to sit next to you again, holding out the beer to you with a smile grinning from ear to ear.
“Thank you” You took it, “what’s got you so smiley?” You asked.
“Did you know they think we’re married?” He laughed.
“I assumed they probably did. The man who brought me up here referred to me as Mrs. Barnes.”
“It does have a nice ring to it,” Bucky mumbled,
He had a good habit of mumbling; you often chose not to respond because you rarely thought you were actually supposed to hear them. A blush crept up your cheeks at his statement, nonetheless. A few more silent moments passed between you.
“I feel like I’m not keeping up my end of the bargain.” He said breaking the silence.
“What do you mean?”
“I was under the impression that I would be answering ridiculous questions.”
You laughed, “It seems straight forward enough, I haven’t thought of any.”
“They don’t have to be just about the game.” He replied.
The answer surprised you. Bucky had never been very open with you and this seemed like an open invitation to be just that.
“Well, this could get interesting.” You smiled before taking a sip of your beer.
He flashed you a sincere Bucky smile, the kind that could melt even the thickest ice blocks.
“You never did answer the question about this?” You gestured towards the beer in his hand.
“It does affect me; it takes a lot more than the average person.”
You nodded, “Do you really hate Sam?”
He laughed, “I can’t answer that, you’ll tell him.”
You laughed and shook your head. “I would never.”
He stuck out his flesh pinky towards you, “promise?”
You pink promised him.
“No I don’t; not since after the blip.”
“But you’re still mean to him?”
“That term is a little harsh.”
You laughed, “You moved all of his bedroom furniture out to the courtyard knowing he’d come home in the middle of the night from a mission.”
Bucky laughed. “Point taken.”
You paused thinking for a moment, “What is your favorite color?”
He looked at you puzzled by the simple question, “Red.” He replied.
“Favorite musician from your era?”
“It would depend on what the occasion was; probably Louis Armstrong or Bing Crosby.”
“Two names I can actually recognize.” You laughed.
“I’ve seen the stacks of Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald vinyl albums in your room.”
“You’ve been in there?” You questioned.
“A few times.” He hesitated as he watched your expression, “Sometimes if you’re on a long mission or missed a check-in I will sit in there while I wait to hear.” He looked away and picked at the label on the bottle. “It makes me feel a little closer to you, the room smells like you too.”
You smiled at the sentiment of his statement.
The two of you bantered back and forth, him answering any question you could think of; you attempted to keep them as lighthearted as possible. The game seemed to pass by quickly, the crowd being your indicator if something was good or bad. None of it seemed to matter much to the two of you. Bucky got up to get you both another round of drinks and came back with a pair of filled shot glasses.
“To better friendships.” He said handing you one of the glasses.
You smiled at him, “So you thought we were friends before this?”
He looked at you confused,
“I’m kidding Bucky.” You said setting your hand on his thigh. “Spre prietenie.”
Both of you downed your shots.
“I didn’t know you could speak Romanian.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me.”
A light breeze kicked in causing you to shiver. You didn’t feel cold, but you were sure the alcohol had lowered your blood pressure causing your body temperature to decrease as well.
“It’s cold, you should take my jacket,” Bucky said shimming out of the long sleeve black flannel he had on.
It left him in a short sleeve white t-shirt that sculpted to his body perfectly. He pulled the flannel over your shoulders wrapping you in the warmth and the sweet smell of him.
“Thanks, Buck, guess I hadn’t realized it would get so chilly.”
He smiled back at you.
“Alright folks, it’s time for the 7th inning stretch! Everybody on your feet!” The announcer called out.
“Wait, it’s a real thing?” You asked with a laugh.
“Come on doll,” Bucky said standing up.
You had never seen him like this- childlike, innocent happiness.
“Take me out to the ball game, Take me out with the crowd;” He sung out, swaying with the crowd. “Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack, I don’t care if I never get back.” He smiled at you as you watched in awe, “ Let me root, root, root for the home team, If they don’t win, it’s a shame. For it’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out, At the old ball game” Bucky counted three strikeouts on his fingers in your direction.
The crowd cheered as the song ended with everyone taking their seats. Your cheeks hurt from smiling so much at this new version of Bucky you witnessed.
“What?” He said sitting down, his arm stretching behind your seat again.
“Nothing,”
“(Y/N), spit it out.”
“This is a good look for you, Buck.”
He looked at you confused.
“Happy.” You stated, “I’m not even joking when I say that your smile could melt the polar ice caps.”
The sun cast a shadow across his face, but you were pretty sure that you were witnessing him blush for the first time. You were beginning to think the alcohol was a bad idea, the line between the Bucky you knew, and the alcohol influenced Bucky was blurry and only got worse with each passing second. Picking up the bottle from the cup holder you finished what was left of it.
“I’m going to run to the little girl’s room.” You said standing up.
Bucky smiled up at you, “Do you want me to grab you another drink while you’re gone”
“No, I’m okay. Thank you though.”
You took the space as an opportunity to breathe and try and get your head back on straight. Something changed, you couldn’t put your finger on it, but there was no way that Bucky had ingested enough alcohol to make this kind of change.
Smiling at him you sat back down. His arm quickly found its way around the back of your seat and you took it as an opportunity to make a move of your own, settling into your seat you rested your head on his shoulder. It was a simple gesture and he didn’t seem to pull away from it. Instead, his arm came to rest on your own pulling you closer to his side. Between the alcohol, the fall heat and the glorious smell that could only be described as Bucky you found yourself in a trance-like state.
The crowd cheered in the background as a fan caught a fly ball.
“Hey, Buck,”
“Yeah doll?”
“Thank you for today.”
He squeezed you a little tighter, “I should be the one thanking you for coming with me.” You could feel the sigh he let out. “I also owe you an apology.”
With that, you pulled your head back to look at him.
“Please hear me out.”
“Okay.”
“Ever since the day you moved in, I’ve kept you at a distance and I haven’t been fair to you. You can relate to so many things from my past and that terrified me; I would see you do amazing things and care so much about others around you. Every day I seem to fall more in love with you and I’m tired of fighting it.”
You smiled at his confession, pressure building in your chest.
“I know that I haven’t given you any reason to feel the same, but if you’ll let me, I’d like to change that.”
Before he could say anymore you leaned forward to kiss him, your fingers tangled in the hair at the base of his neck. When you broke the kiss, you leaned your forehead against his neck trying to catch your breath, he placed a gentle kiss to the top of your head.
“I’m guessing that means you’ll let me try to make it up to you.”
You both laughed softly.
Looking up at him you smiled, “You don’t have anything to make up.”
You laid your head on his shoulder again. “I wish we could stay like this forever.” You said softly. “I don’t want to deal with Sam yet.”
Bucky laughed at your truthful statement. “I know a few ways to shut him up.”
It was your turn to laugh at him.
He leaned in kissing you again, the game in front of you completely forgotten. You weren’t sure what any of this meant, but you were more than willing to find out.