Attachment Theory - Bucky BarnesxOC

Part 9: first dates

"It sounds like you're planning our first date," he replies with a smirk. "Not me."

She plays with the hem of his Henley and his eyes are fixed on her fingers, jaw clenched, and cheeks flushed. For a moment, she thinks he's upset, but then he smiles.

"Oh, no, this isn't a date. This is two people who love kissing, hanging out, and eating breakfast together."

Bucky's grin grows wider. He's a little sassy, Alice thinks. She had no idea that was underneath all of the muscle and intense stares.

"Is it?"

"It is!" Alice laughs as his hands run up and down her waist. "I'll let you plan the date. I swear," she giggles again, kissing him again and pushing his hair out of his face. He's so beautiful. "Please let me cook for you?"

"Okay," he replies.

She's not a master chef, but she makes a mean hashbrown bowl with fried eggs, crispy bacon, potatoes, green onions, peppers, and a ton of cheese. She used to make it when she was still dancing professionally to fuel her in preparation for long days at the studio. Bucky looks like he eats a lot, and she doesn't understand how someone so big isn't constantly shoving a protein bar in his mouth. Alice climbs off of him, much to her own dismay. She wishes she could just stay in his lap, straddling his gorgeously thick thighs and kissing those perfect, pillowy lips.

Alice walks toward the kitchen, grabbing the ingredients she needs. Bucky moves to the breakfast nook, drinking his cold coffee. She giggles.

"I can heat that up for you."

"It's fine," he replies. "Still tastes good."

"You drink cold coffee?"

"Sometimes."

She cooks quickly, using muscle memory. So much of her money is wasted ordering takeout that she forgets how much she actually likes to cook something from scratch. She can feel Bucky's eyes on her as she chops up onion, potato, green onions, and peppers. Alice fries up two eggs and four pieces of bacon, and grates some cheese over the bowl before splitting everything (mostly) in half and giving Bucky a little more than her. He is massive, afterall - and he must be starving.

"You like hot sauce?" She asks.

He thinks for a moment.

"Um... sure?"

Alice chuckles. He doesn't sound sure, but she puts some hot sauce on his food regardless. Just a bit, since he doesn't sound nearly as confident. She places the bowl in front of him, along with a glass of water as she goes to reheat her coffee. Bucky insists on drinking his cold, that it's not a problem. Nothing is ever a problem for Bucky. He always wants to be "just fine"; never wants to make a fuss.

Instead of merely sitting across from him, she sits in the seat next to him and drapes her legs over his. The breakfast nook looks out over the strip. The morning glow is just beginning to fill the sky with the most beautiful shade of orange. Alice never gets tired of watching the sunrise here.

Bucky smiles at her and gestures to his bowl.

"This looks good."

"I used to eat it when I was dancing. Usually just for breakfast, and then it was like an apple and some peanut butter after that."

"They didn't let you eat?" He asks, stabbing at some potatoes.

She sips her coffee.

"There was no rule, but there was a culture of looking a certain way, and that certain way was pretty waify. If you wanted the good parts, you had to look like that."