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Small worn out combat boots rush through the glass of Bosley Coffee Co. the late Saturday morning autumn air blowing against her messy bun, loosening a few curls around her face as she smiles at her favorite barista.
"Hello Peter, how are you?" She beamed as she walked up to the empty counter, her oversized grey rolling stone tshirt falling mid thigh over her ripped fishnets as she tugged at it.
"I'm about 75% better now," he cheerily smirked as she nodded with a chuckle.
"Glad I could help, even if its only 75%. I need a large caramel machiotto with extra caramel," he nodded.
As he makes her drink, she returns a couple emails on her phone, grabbing a seat at the small counter and deciding to spend the morning with Peter. He was more than happy to entertain the tired curly haired redhead that giggled at his corny jokes and teased him the perfect amount. She'd thought him sweeter than most of the harsh realists that fill the city.
"Peter, seriously...there's this girl that works with me. She's friends with my assistant, super cute, 19, aren't you 19?" He nodded excitedly, she continued, "she's dry in the humor department but I think she'd enjoy you." He smiled as he worked, "yeah, always open to meeting people. It's always so awkward to walk up to a stranger and be like. 'Hey I'm Peter, do you like starwars?' Y'know?"
"I definitely get that, I'm just a nervous talker and can't stop myself from conversing...it's like my least favorite thing about me." Poppy twirled a curl and quickly returned an email Wanda sent about a meeting with Clutch.
Peter slid a free muffin over to her with a tightlip smile, "for making this shift so much better."
The two had spent the morning chatting and catching up. "So you really performed with Clutch?" Peter's eyebrows raised at the thought as she nodded, "not by choice but now I have a boatload of vacation and I can say I sang on stage with a real band."
"Wish I coulda seen it!" He added as he helped another customer. Poppy scoffed dramatically, "never gunna happen. I refuse to sing like that infront of people again, one time deal."
She'd been there for a couple hours enjoying her new friend and his nervous adorable joking. She'd realized how distant Natasha had been this trip and couldn't help but feel slightly alone recently.
He places a coffee on the counter for a blonde nearby, "I didn't tell you about the new internship I landed!" He beamed at his friend.
"Oh yeah? How is it?" She smiled and sipped at her third coffee, attempting to avoid the shakiness of her hands.
"Well, I'm working with the biologists in Stark Industries, it's incedible." His voice was so enthused but she couldn't keep the anger from her eyes. 'Stark is everywhere,' she thought to herself.
Her face flushed white when she heard, "you're working with Stark?"
Her words were stern. Catching the brunette by surprise, he nodded hesitantly. "Well yeah not with him. Just in his building, why?"
She shook her head, "I uh- well he is technically my father. Didn't know you worked there."
She took another big swig of her coffee as his jaw dropped, "Stark is your dad?" He spoke a little too loudly making her out a hand on his, "yeah and I'm not super proud of it. So hush," she fought her urge to roll her eyes.
"We aren't the best of friends, barely know the guy, we just met recently." Her phone rang just as she felt the knot forming in her gut. She looked at Peter, "that stays between us..." she pointed at him as she put her phone to her ear, he nodded.
"Hey James, what's up?" She hummed into the phone as she answered it quickly.
'Where are you baby doll, busy?' His voice flirtatious, making her look down with a blush.
"I'm at Bosley's Coffee, no plans other than this." She smiled at Peter who was nosily listening, trying to figure her out, just as everyone does.
'I'll be there soon,' he smiled into the phone.
"I'll be waiting and hopped up on coffee," she giggles as she hangs up.
When she tossed her phone into the pocket of her olive green silk jacket, she smiled at Peter. He looked inquisitive, "boyfriend?"
She tilted her head before shaking it, "nope. Just my boss," she nodded.
His eyebrows raised, "from BBR?"
She nodded, "that's the one," as she finished the last of her coffee. "Okay don't give me anymore or I'll be up until Tuesday."
They chuckled over the idea of a loopy hazy Poppy, 'zombied by coffee,' as Peter put it.
The tattood CEO appears in the doorway of Bosley Coffee to see Poppy laughing loudly with the young brunette barista infront of her acting out a joke. He tightened his fist at the sight before walking towards her. He is a man that always had control, but somehow he always felt so out of control around her. He insisted it was frustrating but truthfully he was addicted to it, the excitement of never knowing what he'd get with his girl.
She turned slightly to notice him, "hey James! This is my friend Peter, Peter this is James Barnes."
Peter smiled when she called him a friend, before nervously wiped his hands down his pants, stumbling to reach a hand out.
"Pleasure to meet you Mr. Barnes," he smiled kindly as James gave him a stern look and shook his hand.
"Likewise, Peter," he stated plainly as he turned to look at the curly head beside him.
"I had an idea for today, want to get outta here?"
She smiled at Peter, "I'll see you tomorrow Peter. Text me!" She waved as she walked toward the door. James giving Peter another serious look before following her through the door. Peter suddenly flush with anxiety.
She walks out to see his black chevelle, hurrying to slide into the passenger seat before he can open the door for her. As he slides into his seat he looks her up and down, "you're an unpredictable little thing aren't you?"
She bit her lip and looked at her lap, "sometimes, why do you ask?" He smirked, "want to go to the shooting range around the corner?"
Her eyes widened and eyebrows raised as she looked at him, "what?"
He laughed and shrugged, "you may have mentioned your ability to shoot a gun while we drank with the bands. I want to see if that was your first lie."
She scoffed and opened her mouth, "oh Barnes. It's like you haven't learned a thing."
The car ride was relatively quick, completely silent, and filled with sexual tension. James wishing to eventually speak about the night at 7969 with the bands, but he didn't know how to approach it.
As they pull into the small indoor gun range, she smiled up at his crystal blue eyes. "You have no idea what you do to me, Barnes," she hummed as they stepped from the car and she grabbed his hand. He admired her, a few orange spirals framing her face as the rest were up in a loose messy bun.
In a few minutes, they had their noise canceling earmuffs on and each had a gun in hand. She watched him take a few practice shots that landed near the targets shoulder.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" She smirked as she lifted her small 380 pistol, aiming it at the fresh paper target.
"Show me what you got," he joked.
She let out a focused breath as she shuts an eye to aim. With one long breath out, she shoots all six rounds in a quick rhythmic pattern. As he looked at the target in shock, three bullets center of the forehead, three right in the heart.
His eyes widen when he looks back at her, "that's not good, it's...you're a perfect shot." His eyes squinted in attempt to figure her out, "I don't know if I'm terrified or aroused," he continued in a hummed.
She chuckled, "it's okay to be both, darling." His breath caught in his throat, the way she said darling in the sweetest flirtatious voice. The knot in his stomach hot and tight as her looked at her lips and traced her face, he always fell enthralled with her.
She grabs the chrome 1911, 45 caliber from his hand with a sly smirk. This gun had more of a kick, she checks the chamber and counts her rounds before lifting the gun up. She aims and shoots two the chest and two in the head of his target. When she sees others watching her she kicks it up and shoots the two empty targets next to her one in each of the heads. She smiles as James with a mischievous grin, "told you, I don't lie. Even when I'm drunk."
After a few more minutes if James trying to wrap his head around her ability to shoot, she heard her stomach growl. With a chuckle she looked up at James, "I'm hungry."
He laughed, "uh oh, not the little monster. Gotta get her fed."
The drive towards his apartment was quiet but this time, there was an uncomfortable tension. "So, Peter, how long have you been friends?" He asked curiously, but it made her chuckle at him.
"I met him a few weeks ago. He makes my coffee everyday and tells great jokes."
She looked over to see his eyes on the road but his brow furrowed with an focused stare, "he stares at you alot."
She waved him off, "he is listening to me. Not everyone is staring Barnes."
He scoffed, "but he's just a friend?"
She rolled her eyes but stared out the window, "yes, James. Just a friend. I'm thinking of setting him up with MJ, Steve's new assistant."
She wouldn't admit it to herself, but she loved the way her little actions wound him up, she adored the control she felt without even having to try. Nobody had ever been so fond of her, not enough to carry such a jealousy about her little actions.
"So how did you become such a perfect shot? I gotta know." He asked as they pulled into his apartment parking deck.
She took in a deep breath, "well, my mothers husband, Ian. He was a horrible man, as you know. When I was a teenager, he threatened to kill me if I kept making his life more difficult. So I asked a friend from school to help me. He and his dad taught me how to shoot, and eventually, they gave me a gun."
She seemed like she wanted to say more but she stopped and gazed out the window. He was nervous, "I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Poppy. How old were you?"
She looked down, "fourteen," and put her hand on his thigh as they parked. She shook her head, "don't be sorry." The tension in the car was palpable, intoxicating.
She couldn't stop the desire that built inside of her to go against everything she believed in when it came to love or lust, relationships for that matter. Letting people in gives them the opportunity to let you down or leave, and Poppy felt she'd been let down enough.
"So when you said you wanted me to be yours," she narrowed her stare and placed her hand on his upper thigh. "I think I may want to be all yours, eventually, I don't really even know what that means. It scares me...how I want you."
He bit his lip as she leaned forward, her tongue running along her lower lip. He smiled as his palm cupped her face, "I'm happy to be whatever you wish me to, Poppy. And I'm not going anywhere."
When they made their way back inside, the food James ordered was at the door. They made their way inside, James grabbing a bottle of Bourbon as she plated their Chinese food. The pair lay on his large black sofa eating their food quickly as they listen to classical music.
After the pair finish their food and glass of bourbon, Poppy's head on his chest. They lay belly to belly, legs interwoven as their skin felt closer than ever.
"What else don't I know about you, Ember?" He shook his head and looked into her intense green gaze.
She narrowed her stare, "oh James Barnes, what a loaded question. Well, first, I love to sing, I'm just too shy to do so unless I'm alone, but clearly that went to shit this weekend when I got absolutely pissed and my alter ego came to perform."
He looked at her wide eyed, "and you were amazing or she was," he laughed. "Is there anything you can't do?"
She chuckled, "bite my tongue. Keep my opinions to myself. Oh and I can't run, I mean I can but it's a horrible sight."
He laughed, "you can't run?"
She nodded with a small bush, "I can...it just looked funny, little legs. So only in an emergency." She points to her legs as she confirms with a small running motion.
"Tell me something about you, James." She smirked and raised an eyebrow.
"I'm really good at braiding hair, I learned from Sam's sisters."
Her jaw dropped, "oh my goodness, how many sisters?"
"He has four. He is the oldest and they're all so sweet," James smiled as he spoke.
"So he braids hair, that's incredible, I never learned how. But I am extremely flexible, I did some gymnastics in school."
He beamed at her words and nodded, "incredible girl, how do you do it?"
She shrugged, "do what?"
He chuckled, "continue to surprise me?"
She laughed, "oh darling, you're not even halfway through the cake."
"Do you want to go out, doll?" He asked in a whisper against her ear.
She turned and pressed herself against him, "I'd prefer your bed and a movie. Maybe more bourbon and cookies?"
Three hours later, they're both well past drunk and watching a movie neither had paid much attention to. He looked into her drunken emerald gaze with a goofy grin, "Poppy, I feel myself getting lost in you."
She shook her head noticing how glazed over his eyes were. Poppy smirked, "I promise you'll regret that." He scoffed, "no I won't. I wish you knew how incredible you are."
He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead, "tell me all the things you think I won't adore. I need to know," he whispered.
She lets our a slurred hum of a breath, "Well since I'm well sloshed..."she kissed his lips gently.
"I get angry, like a raging fire ignites in my stomach and I become a passenger to the anger. You saw one of many moments the other day. I'm truly a mess, James. Have always been a bit hot-tempered." She looked at her hands as she spoke quietly.
"Why do you think that is, Pop?" His thumb runs across her cheek softly as she hums.
"Everyone you meet carries atleast one demon with them, a painful pocket within themselves that aches or peaks out sometimes. We all have demons, I just choose to feed mine...give in at times. I do what feels right in a moment, because I'm impulsive. It's created chaos everywhere in my life."
She finished her drink, "it's why I'm scared of this." She motioned between them as he held her face it his hands.
"I'm not scared." He spoke plainly, "intimidated? Yes. Constantly in awe of you? Yes. Feeling out of control for the first time in my life?" He narrows his stare at her, kissing up her neck and cheek, "yes."
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his lips to hers, lifting her legs up and wrapping herself around him. Their kiss was passionate, they wanted the the other so badly, it physically ached.
"James, there's one piece of me I've never shared...with anyone. I may be drunk but I want to tell you." She spoke before she even thought about it. In her mind, she is his, atleast he wanted her to be. So he deserved to know it all, see it all.
The bourbon she lifted to her lips was already unraveling her mind, "James, I mentioned Ian, and his passing away."
He nodded, studying her for a moment, "yeah, how did he pass away?" He breathed quietly as she cringed, "I killed him."
For a split second, he thought she was lying, a joke. Until he saw the tears brimming her eyes.
"Wait- you really?" He breathed in surprise. She nodded, "I did."
"And the police know about that?" He breathed out without thinking.
She huffed and looked at him, quickly wiping her tears agrily. "Yeah, James. It was self defense. He had, my neck was bruised...handprints."
The silence was deafening, he'd never met anyone that had actually taken a life. She felt vulnerable and hated the silence, "fuck this. I need a smoke."
She paced quickly to his balcony. She stood with her thin white stick in hand and smoke leaving her lungs in a relaxing hum. She'd been out there long enough to be at the middle of her second cigarette when the door finally opened.
"I'm sorry, Poppy," he breathed out quietly. He had no idea how to handle her unpredictability, her constant surprises were giving him whiplash.
When she turned to face him, her eyes stained with tears and cigarette butt in her shaking fingertips. He rushed to her side and wrapped his jacket around her, holding her head against his chest. His fingers running through her hair in silence for a moment, her breathing steadying while he holds her close.
"You just..Poppy I want to know it all. I need to, but you have to admit...there's no one like you," he looked into her emerald eyes. "I've never loved surprises, but I do with you."
He searched for a moment in the long silence. As a small smirk tugged on one side of her lips. "James, I've shared more with you than anyone in my life, ever."
He let out a breath, the bourbon taking hold of him. "Poppy, I think I'm falling in love with you."
Her jaw dropped at his honest confession, "James."
He wrapped his arms around her middle, rubbing small shapes on her back. "I don't want you to say it back, I just want you to know how much you mean to me, how serious I am about not letting go of you."
She let out a loud breath sigh, "whatever this is...I've never experienced it. But love...with me...that's a mistake, James."
He shrugged whispering in her ear, "then let's make mistakes together."
He bit her ear lobe as she purred, her sound encouraging him as he kissed down her cheek, her neck, biting along the sensitive parts.
"I want you James, " she hummed into his ear, "all of you."
Thats all he ever wanted to hear. His tattood hands met her hip bones with force, pulling her against him. He pressed his bourbon covered lips against hers, hungry and curious. She moaned against him as her arms slithered around his neck, hoisting herself up around his hips with a grip near his hair. James' right hand gripped her bottom as his left held the base of her head, pressing his lips against hers as if she was a source of oxygen.
Her lips remained attached to his as he walked back into his glass balcony door, when their lips finally parted, she released a whimper. He lay her down on the bed and pulled at the netted fabric clinging to her legs. She slipped quickly from the jacket and grey cotton tshirt. Her clothes were in a pool on the floor when she stared up at him, his shirt had found its way into the pile and he unbuttoned his denim jeans as he climbed ontop of her. She hummed at the sight of him, he groaned as he tugged at the last piece of fabric covering her.
As she lay bare under him, she writhed at the ghostly touches he left across her skin. "You know, last night was tough for me, baby doll. Watching my girl flirt with other guys and girls as I had to sit and bite my tongue."
He nibbled at her ear, making her hum until he bit at her neck. She moaned and mewled as his hands explored her softly. Her body begging for more, aching for a squeeze or another bite.
"I'm sorry, James. I was-" she grabbed at him but he pinned her hands above her head with his large rose tattood mitt. "You were teasing me with that remarkable ability you have to make people adore you," he sucked at her neck as her hands her pinned, marking her as his.
She moaned right into his ears as she bucked her hips towards him, "please, James I need you."
She wrapped her legs around his waist to gain leverage, "pretty girl, but so naughty."
The way his words flowed from his throat in a low growl sent shivers through her body and erupted a hot flame in her groin that had her soaked.
"Please, just touch me," she whined, arching impatiently against him again. He couldn't make either of them wait any longer. Slowly, bringing his middle finger down and slid it gently over her folds.
Poppy threw her head back. "Please, yes. Keep going." So he did, this time his fingertip slipping between her sheath, gathering her wetness.
"Are you going to be a good girl?" He growled against her ear. She whimpered in response as she squirmed under him.
He chuckled in a low scruffy tone as he pulled his fingers from inside her, "use you're words."
She whimpered at the emptiness, "yes." He let out a low moan at the honey in her voice, his fingers finding their way between her folds again, his thumb flicking her sensitive jewel.
He parted her with two inked fingers and pressed against her clit, flicking it a few times with his thumb before letting his grip on her wrists release. Moving down over her sex, his mouth latching onto her sensitive nub and sucking it gently as she writhes beneath him. Her moans rip through her as she experiences a tightening ball of fire in her stomach.
She cried out just as one of his hands reached up to get a grip on her breast, his two fingers pressing the tip of her nipple firmly between them as she whimpered. "I'm gunna-"
He breathed against her as his fingers press into her, "cum for me baby doll, be a good girl and cum."
Like his words resonated within her, she bucked her hips against his face, grabbing a hold of his raven locks as she unraveled against him. She reached her climax with a whimpery yell, "James!"
He sucked every drop of her, working her through her orgasm and down the hill as his tongue licked every bit of her sheath. James was lost in it, the taste of her, the smell of her, the feel of her being so close against him again.
As he moved to hover above her, she loved the way his eyes traced her as she came down. Her breath catching up to her slowly as she looked up into his eyes.
"Well for a bad girl, that was quite pleasant," she teased as she turned onto her belly and closed her eyes.
His lips release a low growl, her face was etched in deep pleasure as she rested, a sexual mess.
He loved it, every bit of it,
and he knew he loved her.
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