Marvel Imagines (x Fem!Reader)

A Lesson in Hope: Bucky Barnes x Reader

If it were to work out, and Bucky hoped to God that it would, she would have to deal with that side of him. The side he only let his best friend see, and even then, it was only because Steve would push open the door in a rush to comfort his screaming friend in the middle of the night.

Bucky would be putting her in danger just by sleeping with her. And what of intimacy? Bucky hadn't thought about the aspect of sex in a very long time, the thought of letting someone see him so vulnerable making his stomach turn. He couldn't be in a relationship when he was too afraid to even stick a hand down his pants to see how it would feel.

No. Bucky wasn't ready for intimacy and he wasn't ready to treat a girl like Eloise the way she should be treated. It would be selfish of him to even think about going in there to ask her how her day was, if she had been busy, if she wanted to grab dinner with him.

"How has your day been?" Okay, so he was selfish.

"Long and tiring, you?" Elouise looked at him with big, blue, innocent eyes, her perfection once again taking Bucky off guard.

"Uh, yeah same." Elouise laughed, tipping her head back to expose her long pale throat. Bucky cleared his own throat, looking away as his cheeks tinted red. "It's been busy then?"

"Very." She smiled, flicking the coffee machine on to start his drink. "Slowed down just over an hour ago." Bucky nodded, tapping his fingers on the counter in front of him.

The only question he could think of next was asking her to dinner. He felt it in his gut that it was a bad idea, his tongue cementing to the bottom of his mouth, refusing to move.

"Here's your drink, Bucky." Bucky looked up, once again meeting her eyes that seemed like they were begging for him to ask her. Shaking away the thought as wishful thinking, Bucky grabbed his drink with a smile, nodding his head in thanks. "Enjoy your evening." Elouise sighed, watching the strange man shuffle out of the mostly empty café with a sad, longing smile.

As Bucky walked back over to his usual pining spot, he noticed a woman struggling to get all her groceries into her hand. Downing his drink quickly and tossing it into the trash, Bucky jogged over.

"Did you need some help?" The woman startled, a bag of sugar dropping from her mouth and tumbling to the ground where it split open onto the concrete below.

"Mother fucker." She whispered, glaring at the spoiled bag. "That was for the god damn birthday cake."

"I'm so sorry." Bucky grimaced, grabbing a bag from her hand and watching her stretch her fingers that were red from gripping at the plastic.

"Not your fault I have some weird complex about doing two trips." Bucky bit his lip to stop a laugh spilling from his mouth as he stared at the woman, whose eyes were still gazing longingly at her bag of sugar. "Uh, if you could just help me get them to the door on the first floor, that would be great."

Bucky nodded, opening the gate and holding it open for the smaller woman to tumble through, wincing as she nearly dropped them. Walking past a sign on the front door, Bucky nearly stopped, frowning at the words.

YN Hart: Integrated Therapy Centre

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Three hours earlier

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"Ma, I said I was fine, so I'm fine." YN groaned, sitting outside of the supermarket, her head resting against the steering wheel.

"Darling, you know I don't like you in that apartment all by yourself. Are you sure Joey-" YN squeezed her eyes shut, a frustrated grunt leaving her mouth.