100 Marvel One Shots✔️

Wednesday >> Punk!Bucky Barnes X Reader

In her black leotard, and tights, ________ was at the forefront of the dance troupe, surrounded by junior students, all kitted out in the standard pearl-white outfits anyone thinks of when picturing ballerina. They all follow her lead on the bar while the professor looked on from near where he stood. Bucky wasn't a cultured kind of guy – perhaps the most culture he got sometimes was the fact that his clothes were made overseas, and he drank orange juice from a few states over, and ate tacos occasionally – but he could say for certain that he'd never gone to see people dance. He was rubbish at dancing himself, and moved like a sardine who'd escaped the tin on the supermarket shelf when there was music to dance to, but he wasn't an idiot. _______, and the rest of the dancers moved like air was water, and they were swans, masters of both.

"Are you another student from Melinda's art class?" The professor has her sleek hair pulled into a fashionable bun, eyes alert, makeup simple, yet elegant. "I don't think I can handle another one like him watching the dancers, they get distracted when there's handsome boys about."

Bucky feels his face heat up. "I'm – I don't take art, I'm a computer science student. I'm – just watching ________. A friend." He tells the professor hurriedly, and adds, "Handsome?"

She waves the word off, almost swatting it so it flies away. "Kids these days find everyone good-looking for anything. I assume you're quite the lady-killer from the hairstyle alone," It sounds like a joke, and Bucky laughs. "So, computer science student watching ________ dance, what really brings you here? Youth are always chasing love these days. I suppose you are too?"

His face reddens. "I – I think I like her?" It sounds like a question. He isn't sure if it's supposed to be a question. "I was a bit curious as what a dancer did."

The professor frowns. "They dance, computer science student. But that's not all. You are a book, and I am reading you."

"I was also going to ask her if she liked to drink coffee sometime soon," He admits. He's not sure why, but this professor of the dancing department has some serious vibes that make him want to spill all the beans. Bucky glances to ________, watching her as she leads the dancers into the centre of the room, executing a fancy twirl he doesn't know the name of. He frowns, and turns back to the professor, his not-prosthetic out to shake her hand, "Bucky Barnes. And you are?"

She grins. "Professor Cho. And I know that ______ is free tomorrow after class – same time as today – and likes drinking coffee a little too much." At this, she claps her hands, and the dancers disband, and walk toward where they keep their bags, and sip water. "_______! Barnes wishes to take you to grab coffee. Tomorrow okay?" She calls out.

"Sure!" She calls out, going to her own bag. "See you then, James!"

-

Tomorrow comes faster than he can stop. It's crazy. If he texted Nat to say he had a date, she'd freak out and call him more names than he could handle, or if Steve caught wind of the fact he was doing something other than playing around with his laptop, he'd tell Sam, and then everyone would know because Sam probably hated his guts (he wasn't sure if that was true or not, but acting like an ass to Sam and Sam acting like one back just became the parameters of their not-quite-friendship).  So, he keeps it quiet. He showers. He washes his clothes, even using the dryer on campus. He looks at the prosthesis before fitting it for the day, and contemplates that discussion. But his classes rush by like a train going through Siberia, and then boom! he's waiting outside of F Block, one hand over his messenger bag, other in heaven, R. I. P. hand.

"Hey, stranger," ______ greets, and guides him by his good elbow in the direction of the campus coffee shop. "Let's get coffee."

He nods, and starts on the process of making small talk. "I had no idea what was going on yesterday. Your professor, she's nice."