Imagines and Preferences: Book 2

Ignorance and Inclination (Part Three) | Bucky Barnes

Part Three of Three

Summary: Y/N arrives at Treeside and realizes she was quite wrong in assuming Mr. Barnes wouldn't show up. Mr. Barnes, then, endeavors to speak to her, but it doesn't go as planned. While he tries to get over his fear of speaking to her again, she makes a shocking discovery...

QOTP: Wickham or Willoughby?

Word Count: 5600

Mr. Barnes, upon walking into the sitting room of Treeside behind Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, was lured into a false sense of security upon seeing the only people present were the Starks, Miss Brant, Mr. Coulson, Mr. Rhodes, and Dr. Stephen Strange. Mr. Barnes and the Rogers joined the party, Mrs. Rogers looking disappointed, but then turning to Mr. Barnes and mustering a smirk, "I told you so. She isn't here."

But, then, Mr. Stark said to Miss Brant, "Oh, yes, we're expecting a few more. They should be here any minute."

Mrs. Rogers' sprits seemed to lift, then positively hit the ceiling when Y/N walked in with her sister. Mr. Barnes', however, hit the floor. Mr. Rogers gave him an apologetic look and said, "It's alright; we can walk further away from her."

Mr. Barnes nodded, about to just be thankful that Mr. Beck wasn't there and therefore wouldn't be anywhere near Y/N, but then the man himself walked in with a smile and an apology for being late.

Meanwhile, Y/N, upon walking in with Y/S/N, scanned the party, her eyes finally landing on Mr. Barnes. She gasped under her breath, shocked, embarrassed, and quite upset. However, she couldn't just leave and offend the party — especially the Starks, whom she had just greeted. Then, to complicate things further, Mr. Beck arrived soon after her.

He smiled at her, then went to greet the Starks first, as they were the hosts, and she watched as he politely took Mrs. Stark's hand and talked with a wide smile on his face, then deciding that his arrival wouldn't complicate things — it would simplify them. She would spend her time with him and her sister and wouldn't think about Mr. Barnes at all.

Mr. Beck walked over to them, taking both their hands in greeting. As he said his hellos, it almost seemed as if his smile toward Y/N were one of conspiracy, as if the two of them knew something no one else in the room did — an inclination to each other perhaps, or maybe even an attraction. It was undeniable that he felt something for her, she just didn't know how strong those feelings were yet.

Once greetings were over, they all three began to talk politely until Miss Brant came over to Y/N, asking, "Don't you find it curious Mr. Parker and Miss Jones are not here?"

In truth, Y/N did not. The invitation said it would be a more intimate party, so only the Starks' closest friends would be invited, and, while Mr. Parker was good friends with them, he was younger than nearly everyone else they knew. He would be more out of place, and Miss Jones would be more so seeing as the Starks don't know her very well. In order to avoid an offense as well as a lie, Y/N replied, "Do you?"

Miss Brant smiled. "I don't, actually. Surely you've heard?"

Y/N had not. "Heard what?"

"Mr. Parker and Miss Jones are engaged to be married," Miss Brant said, almost in a whisper. She was excited, despite the fact that it was not the match she had worked for in the first place, and she had contributed next to nothing to it.

"Oh, that's wonderful," Y/N replied, still unsure as to why that meant that they wouldn't be here.

"They want to get married as soon as possible," Miss Brant went on, "so they're most likely planning as we speak. She's going to move in with Mr. Parker and his aunt."