Chapter Text
CHAPTER 1
With quick strides Bucky hurriedly enters the upscale fine dining restaurant, the High Tower. He’s trying not to panic on the outside, but on the inside, he’s worried because he’s late. He’s meeting a couple potential clients here and he really needs to nail this contract. Being late to the first meeting is going to give a bad impression.
He gives the hostess his name and she allows him to pass to the elevator that goes up to the VIP bar and lounge. He takes a few deep breaths to calm his nerves. When the elevator stops and the doors open he breathes a sigh of relief. The bar is mostly empty save for a couple people that are not part of his meeting, and a pretty bartender who’s giving him a friendly smile.
Since he has a moment he decides he needs a drink to calm down. He heads to the bar giving the pretty bartender a polite smile in return. “Whiskey dry please.”
“Coming right up.” You smile again, reaching for the bottle of whiskey. While getting his drink ready you take a good look at the handsome guy on the other side of the bar. His blue eyes caught your attention as soon as he stepped off that elevator. But he looks nervous. His fingers are tapping and he keeps looking out the window.
This guy needs to lighten up. You think to yourself. His nervously tapping fingers make you notice the gloves he’s wearing and frown. It’s late summer, definitely not glove weather. “Is there a tarp and duct tape in the back of your tinted window van too?”
The guy stops tapping his fingers and slowly turns his head back toward you just as you’re sliding his drink across the bar to him. “I’m sorry?”
You snort out a laugh and point to the gloves. “Serial killer joke. It’s not exactly glove weather.” He shakes his head and takes a sip of his whiskey like he’s not sure how to respond to that. You put your hand flat against the counter and lean against it. “No sense of humor huh? Should I make you stiffer drinks before whoever you’re meeting gets here? You look way too tense, it's adding to your weird glove vibe.”
“Do I really?” He groans as he sets his glass down on the counter. “I don’t know what to do. I have an important business meeting any minute now. What’s more weird, gloves or no gloves?” He asks, looking genuinely worried about your words. He slides the glove partly down on his left hand revealing the metal underneath.
You raise your eyebrows in surprise. “Depends, what’s the story behind it?”
“Old army injury, lost my whole arm. This is a prototype from Stark Industries I’m trying out. It moves and feels like a real arm, but clearly doesn’t look normal. Sort of draws attention.”
You facepalm yourself, now feeling terrible. “Well now I’m an asshole for insulting a war veteran. Really stuck my foot in my mouth this time. I retract the whole tarp and duct tape comment.” You say with a sheepish smile. “That being said, I’d say go without the gloves. You said it’s a business meeting, being a veteran will definitely earn respect and trust points. Use it to your advantage.”
He smiles at you and you swear your heart skips a beat. He’s already attractive, but that smile you’re sure will be the death of you. “You’re not an asshole. I actually appreciate the honesty. So, thank you.”
“No problem.” You say with a giggle and immediately want to slap yourself for it. You never get giddy around customers. There’s just something about this guy though.
“I’m Bucky, by the way.” He says, not fazed by your embarrassing giggling.
“(Y/N)” You smile back. Then the elevator doors open, a very tall and very loud man with long blonde hair steps out alongside a slimmer man with dark raven colored hair. The tall blonde waves to Bucky. “Looks like your meeting arrived. Be cool, calm, and confident. You got this.”
“Thanks.” He winks as he walks away. Thank god you had your hand on the counter because you had to catch yourself when your knees just about gave out on you.
Bucky isn’t gone very long before he comes back to order some drinks. He leans over the counter as he talks to you and turns his back to the guys he’s meeting with. “Can you do me a huge favor? The Odinson brother’s I’m meeting with, these two can drink like fish. Can you keep the drinks coming but make mine virgin?”
You bite your lip trying not to laugh, and lean in close to him. “Which one are you trying to take advantage of? Or is it like a package deal and you get to take both home with you?”
Bucky blinks his eyes at you, while trying to hide his smile. “Do you ever think before you speak? Or do you just blurt out the first thing that pops into your head?”
You shrug your shoulders. “Life’s too short to be censored. I tend to just say what’s on my mind.”
“I kind of admire that. Even it if is inappropriate.” He chuckles. “Well to answer your question, neither. I can’t keep up with their drinking and still function tomorrow. They’re like descendants of Vikings or something. I’m trying to keep them happy with the drinks while not overdoing it myself. So, can you help a guy out?”
“I think you just like making me stick my foot in my mouth.” You laugh. “Don’t worry, I got your back.”
“Maybe just a little. And thanks doll.” He winks for a second time tonight as he walks away. Is this guy trying to kill you?
As the night goes on you realize Bucky wasn’t joking. You don’t know how those two guys he’s meeting with are still standing. He did make the right choice in not trying to keep up. Bucky takes a quick bathroom break and when he comes back he stops at the bar to talk to you one last time before he calls it a night.
“So, did your meeting work out?” You ask when you see him approaching.
“Good first step. We have more negotiating to do. But you were right about the arm, it was a good ice breaker.”
“I know. I’m always right.” You tease. Then you tip your head toward the table he was sitting at. “I think the meeting has ended for the night. Looks like you’re not their type either. You’ve been replaced.”
Bucky turns and looks toward the table and sees two pretty young women now occupying the table where he was previously sitting. “Right again.” He sighs jokingly.
“They propositioned me first. I was offered to join a Viking sandwich.”
“What?!” Bucky chokes, eyes wide. Feeling a pang of jealousy. But why is he jealous? He just met you. “I mean, of course they did. You’re pretty and inappropriately funny. I bet you get hit on all the time working here.”
You chuckle at his response. “As tempting as a Viking sandwich sounds, I turned it down. Shouldn’t mix work and pleasure. Although I admit someone has me tempted to break that rule.” You look Bucky up and down as you say the last part to leave no room for misinterpretation. “Oddly enough it’s the one guy that hasn’t hit on me, and I wish he would.”
Bucky swallows thickly, but he can’t deny the excitement he immediately feels, and the instant attraction he’s felt to you. “Really?”
“Have I lied to you yet?” You smile at him coyly, tugging on his tie, pulling him closer until your lips are nearly touching. “My shift ends in 15 minutes. Meet me outside if you’re interested.”
15 minutes later you go barreling out of the restaurant at a record speed. But when you come outside to an empty sidewalk you’re instantly filled with disappointment. “Damn!” You huff, stuffing your hands in your pockets. You really thought you had something with Bucky. Maybe you read it wrong.
You make it a few steps, just next to the empty alleyway beside the building when a figure steps out and pulls you toward him. Then he presses you up against the wall. “There you are.” You grin, pulling on the lapels of his jacket. “Had me worried there for a minute.”
“I’ve uh, never done this before.” He whispers nervously, his hands tighten around your waist.
You find his nervousness adorable. “Well that makes two of us. I don’t take guys home from work. But there’s just something about you. So, we’re two consenting adults, wanna have a good time tonight?”
“With you? Definitely.” He breaths. You see a brief moment of hesitation and then suddenly his lips are on yours. His lips are soft and warm, and you can still taste the whiskey on his lips. He’s devouring you like he’s been waiting all night for this moment.
You really aren’t sure how the two of you made it the 8 blocks you needed to walk to your apartment. Because you really couldn’t keep your lips and hands off each other once the floodgates were opened.
Somehow you make it into your apartment with the door practically bursting open. Kissing each other more hungrily as you tear at each other’s clothes and fall into bed together.
Bucky wakes in the morning in a strange bed. He rolls to the other side of the bed to wrap his arms around the beautiful little spitfire that came out of nowhere last night. But he finds it empty. He sits up with a groan and rubs the sleep from his eyes.
He looks around the small studio apartment and quickly finds the beauty he’s looking for. You’re leaning against a counter sipping a cup of coffee wearing his button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up. “Morning handsome.” You smile.
“Morning beautiful.” He smiles back. “Got any more of that?” He gestures to the coffee.
You hop over to the bed and climb into his lap handing him the cup of coffee. “This is all I got left. We’ll have to share.”
He takes the coffee cup and takes a few sips as he gazes at you. Then he hands the cup back to you, and puts his hands on your hips. “At the risk of sounding cheesy, I gotta say, last night was the best night I ever had.”
Setting the coffee cup down on the nightstand you slide your hands up and down his bare chest. You feel yourself getting hungry for him again thinking of his muscular frame on top of you again. Then you flick your eyes to his. His blue eyes that drew you in the moment you laid eyes on him. “Is that all you want it to be, one night? Or do you want more nights with me?”
He bites his bottom lip as his eyes search yours. You can tell he’s thinking. Thinking a little too hard from the looks of it. So you start to worry. Until he moves his hands to your face and finally answers you. “I want as many nights with you as you’ll let me have.”