Senior Year, two weeks before graduation
"Bucky! Wake up. We're going to be late for class!" You yelled and banged on his door again.
You and Bucky had been close since the first day you met on campus. The two of you bonded over your love of astronomy and your desire to one day work for NASA. In the nearly two years that you had known each other, your lives had fallen in sync with the other. Your class schedules were almost identical and you were even able to get him a job as a waiter at the restaurant you worked at. The manager was a family friend, so she always made sure to schedule you and Bucky on the same shifts. You and Bucky had grown so close that by the end of your junior year, you decided to rent an apartment off campus together instead of dealing with the cost of on campus housing.
The only downside was that you had fallen in love with Bucky. You did your best to hide it. Since the night he'd almost kissed you, nothing else had ever happened between the two of you. You both had dates here or there, but they never went further than the first date. You thought that finding someone else would help you forget your feelings, but no one ever gave you butterflies the way he did.
"Y/n, why can't we skip today? I'll even go see that new romance movie you wanted to see and take you to get sushi afterwards. Just let me sleep in." Bucky groaned when he opened his door.
"We can't slack off just because we're about to graduate. Get ready and then come eat. I made you breakfast." You said, walking away from his room.
"You're evil!" He yelled, making you laugh.
Bucky was still bleary eyed when he walked into the kitchen and sat down at the small table in the corner of the kitchen. You place a plate with an omelet in front of him and he grunted out a 'thank you' as he started to eat. To be honest, you would've loved to spend the day lazing around your apartment, but you had worked too hard to get your degree and you wanted to see it through with the same gusto you started with. The only bright side about today was that neither of you had to work and you only had a half day of lectures.
"Do you want me to pick up some burgers and snacks after my last class and then we can watch movies the rest of the day?"
You took the seat across from him and rested your chin in your palm.
"Please. I just want to be a gluttonous slob and do nothing once I get home." He mumbled.
"Sounds like a great idea." You giggled. "So, how'd your shift go last night?"
"You know damn well how it went." He said with a glare.
Willa had come into the restaurant again asking to be seated in Bucky's section. Once she found out where he worked, she began coming in almost once a week to flirt with him. On occasion, he was able to get someone to cover her table so he didn't have to deal with her. She'd pout the entire time as she tried flagging him down, but he was a pro at avoiding her. However, last night they were swamped and he couldn't trade tables. He spent an hour and a half dodging her touches and rejecting her propositions.
"Just two more weeks, Buck. Then we'll be out of here and starting our grad program two whole states away from Willa Taylor."
"It isn't soon enough if you ask me."
Bucky had all but grabbed the poor girl and shaken her to get her to realize he wasn't interested. It gave you a sense of vindication that she was getting the karma she deserved. The one man she wanted was the one she couldn't have and it made you bristle with satisfaction.
~
After your last class ended, you headed to pick up burgers and milkshakes for you and Bucky. The line was long since it was lunch time and it was a popular spot since it was close to the university and had some of the best food around campus. Bucky texted you to let you know he was on his way home and you were replying when someone tapped you on the shoulder.
"I think it's your turn, miss."
You looked over your shoulder to see a man with dark eyes, tanned skin, and dark mused hair staring down at you. He had a friendly smile on his face and his hands were shoved into his jacket pocket.
"Oh, sorry about that." You said, looking him over before turning around and stepping up to the counter.
Once you ordered, you moved to the side to wait. You took the chance to look over the man that had tapped you on the shoulder. He was tall and well dressed. He seemed polite, but you sensed that he could be intimidating if he wanted to be. You turned your attention to your phone before he finished at the counter in order to not be caught staring. A minute later you felt someone standing in front of you, waiting for you to acknowledge them.
"Excuse me?" They said politely. "I just wanted to introduce myself."
You looked up and saw the same man standing in front of you with the same friendly smile.
"I'm Marc. Marc Spector."
"Oh, h-hi. Y/n Y/l/n."
"Nice to meet you. I just wanted to say that you have really pretty eyes."
You blushed and dropped your head in embarrassment.
"I don't normally do this, but, um, you're very attractive and I was wondering if maybe I could take you out some time." He asked shyly.
"You wanna take me out? On a date?"
Marc's direct request took you by surprise. The recent dates you had gone on were with men you met on dating apps. It had been a long time since a man approached you in public to ask you out and they never got to the point as quickly as Marc had.
"Yeah. I want to take you on a date." He chuckled. "What do you say?"
"Uh..." You paused, still shocked.
Your mind flashed to Bucky and your heart sank. Hiding your feelings was taking a toll on you. Every time he told you he had a date, it took all of your strength to act as if it didn't completely break you. You still wanted him, but he never looked at you with any interest other than his friend.
Marc seemed nice and he was easy on the eyes. Sometimes the thing you needed showed up at unexpected times. Maybe you needed to give Marc a chance. He could be the man you need in order to finally forget about Bucky.
"Sure, why not." You smiled.
"Yeah?" He asked in surprise.
You nodded and his shy smile turned into a grin.
"Okay then. Here, let me get your number."
Marc passed you his phone and you entered your number just as your order number was called.
"I'll text you soon, yeah?" He said.
"Sounds good. See you around, Marc."
~
"Bucky, I'm home!" You yelled as you shut the door behind you and dropped your bookbag on the bench next to the door.
"Thank God. I'm starving!" Bucky rounded the corner and took the bag and his milkshake out of your hand.
You followed him to the couch and sat next to him as he brought up Netflix. He scrolled through until you both settled on a movie and then started eating. You let Bucky choose the second movie while you ran to the bathroom. Your phone chimed as you were washing your hands and when you checked, it was Marc asking if you were available that evening for dinner.
Tonight was supposed to be just you and Bucky, but every night was just you and Bucky. Being with him all the time was comforting and heartbreaking at the same time. You texted Marc back before you could second guess your decision and told him you were free and to let you know when and where to meet him.
"What are we watching next?" You asked as you took your seat next to Bucky.
"I was thinking of a James Bond movie. What do you think?" He asked.
Your phone chimed in your hand and you glanced down at it to see the name of a restaurant and a time. You had two hours until you had to start getting ready.
"Uh, sure. How long is the movie?" You didn't look up from your phone as you replied to Marc.
"Skyfall is about two and a half hours long. Does it really matter though?" Bucky looked over at you in confusion.
"Yeah, I have a—a date—and I have to start getting ready in the next couple hours." You avoided looking at him as you fidgeted with the phone in your hands.
"A-a date? Got it. Uh, we can just watch something else then. I'm gonna run to the bathroom. Why don't you pick something else? I'll be back in a few."
Bucky didn't wait for your response as he got up from the couch hastily and walked out of the room. His reaction was weird because he had never acted this way before when you had mentioned a date. Maybe he was upset because the two of you were supposed to spend the day watching movies. You made a mental note to make it up to him before scrolling through Netflix to pick something else.
~
You pulled up to the Italian restaurant at seven on the dot and walked inside to look for Marc. Bucky was nowhere to be seen when you left, but you hoped he wasn't still mad at you for bailing on him. Marc was off to the left in a dark pair of jeans, a black button up with the sleeves rolled up, and the same tousled hair that he'd had earlier. You smiled at him and he pulled you into a hug when you approached him.
The hostess seated you and handed you both menus before leaving. You looked over the menu as an awkward silence filled the space between the two of you. Once you ordered, Marc smiled nervously at you.
"So, uh, tell me about yourself." He said.
"Well, I was born and raised here. Probably one of the few in this town that are." You chuckled. "I'm a senior at South Hill University and I'll be graduating with my Astrophysics degree in a few weeks. My friend and I are moving to Illinois at the end of June to get settled before starting our masters program at Northwestern. I'm kind of a pop culture nerd and enjoy reading almost anything. I'm also pretty introverted and riddled with anxiety, so the fact that I even accepted your date is a small miracle."
"I'm glad you accepted." He smiled.
"What about you, Marc?" You took a sip of your wine and leaned back in your chair.
"I'm from Chicago, but just moved here because I was offered a position as a History professor at South Hill. I got my degree while I was in the Marines, so I've traveled all over the world. It just wasn't what I wanted to do with the rest of my life though. When my time was up, I walked away and decided that I wanted to teach. Mold the minds of tomorrow, you know."
"It's an honorable job, but isn't it frowned upon to date your students?"
"Technically you aren't my student." He said with a flirty tone. "And I don't start my teaching position until the summer term, so you won't be a student during my time as an instructor."
"Guess we're both in the clear then." You flirted back, but it felt wrong.
You and Marc talked and laughed through the rest of dinner once the tension was broken. The date was nice and he was good company, but he didn't make your stomach flip in excitement or set your skin ablaze when his hand brushed against you. Only Bucky made you feel that and it saddened you that you had a great guy sitting in front of you and you felt absolutely no romantic interest for him.
"I know this might come off as rude, and I promise I don't mean it to sound that way, but how are you single?" He asked once your plates were cleared away.
"I was more focused on my academics than dating." You shrugged.
"There's something more though, isn't there?"
His eyes were soft and his tone was polite as if he knew that you were thinking about Bucky the entire night. It made you feel even more guilty that you didn't feel drawn to him the way he seemed to be to you. Marc had been attentive and a perfect gentleman. The look in his eyes told you he would be more than willing to take you on a second date if you were up for it.
"There may also be this guy that I've been pining after since the beginning of my junior year. He doesn't know though, so it's an unrequited love situation." You sighed and looked down at your hands in your lap.
"Then he must be absolutely fucking crazy." Marc said softly.
You looked up at him with a guilty smile and shook your head slightly.
"I'm sorry if I wasted your time. I really thought I was ready to forget him this time."
"Hey, you didn't waste my time. I got to spend a nice evening with a beautiful woman. The only downside is that I won't have the chance to do it again." He smirked.
"Thanks, Marc." You smiled sincerely at him.
~
You walked into your apartment at nine and pulled your heels off, dropping them on the shoe rack by the door. Even though you insisted on paying for your meal, Marc refused stating that there may not be a second date, but he wouldn't allow a lady to pay for her meal when he had asked for the date. He was the perfect guy to help you get over Bucky...if only you had felt for Marc a fraction of the feelings you had for Bucky. Until you were able to rid yourself of those feelings, you were swearing off dating. It wasn't fair to the guys you went out with and it wasn't fair to you for trying to push yourself into a situation where you wouldn't be happy.
Bucky was in the kitchen making popcorn when you walked in. He was still in his pajama pants, but he was shirtless now. Your eyes scanned over his well defined back muscles and shoulders, wishing you could reach out and feel them ripple under your fingertips. Shaking your head, you cleared your throat to let him know that you were home. He twisted to look over his shoulder and gave you a small nod.
"Hey." He said.
One word answers meant he was still mad.
"Sorry I ditched you tonight."
"It's fine." He didn't look at you as he spoke.
"No it's not. We had plans and I ruined it by bailing on you."
Bucky just shrugged this time.
"I really am sorry. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?"
Bucky finally turned to fully look in your direction. His hands gripped onto the countertop behind him as he stared at you. Your hands twisted in front of you and your lips turned down in a frown at the dejected look on his face. He wasn't just angry, he was hurt. You looked down in shame and waited for him to speak.
"Shit, why can't I stay mad at you?" He muttered under his breath.
Your head shot up and your eyes locked with his.
"Clean my room for the next three weeks and we'll call it even." His lips quirked into a smirk and you sighed in relief.
"Whatever you want...as long as you aren't mad at me anymore." You said quickly.
"How'd your date go, doll?" His smile softened as he looked at you.
"Okay, I guess. He was nice." You fidgeted with the strap of your purse and your brow furrowed.
"Did he ask for a second date?"
Bucky turned back to his bag of popcorn. He didn't want you to see the hurt in his eyes if you said yes.
"No. We both had a good time, but there won't be a second date."
"Why not?" Bucky asked, turning back around to face you.
Your eyes roamed over his body openly. It didn't matter if he noticed anymore. Nothing would ever come of it anyway. Your gaze moved back over his bare abs and chest until your eyes met his.
"He's not the one I want." You said smoothly and then left the kitchen to go to your room.
"Fuck." He whispered.
Bucky leaned back against the counter once you were gone and blew out the deep breath he had been holding when you were running your eyes over him. The memory of the observation night rushed into his mind. It was a scene he had replayed many nights and tonight was no different. He could feel his arousal rising the longer he thought about how your lips would feel on his. He left his popcorn sitting on the counter and headed towards his room, praying that you wouldn't hear him as he took care of his growing problem.
A/N: Ooo, feel that sexual tension. Spice coming up in the next part. :)