Dating Game ☆ Bucky x Reader

Chapter 5

As you walk around the building to the door, you can feel the tension slowly easing in his arm. He must really like this place, you think to yourself. The night is busy as usual but this little bar is tucked away on a less used side street. The buildings are older, the street less maintained. There's really nothing special about the outside of the bar. It looks like every other building for the next three blocks. You walk up to the door and reach out to open it when suddenly he shifts around you to open it himself and narrows his eyes at you like a parent whose kid stepped slightly out of line.

"That's my job," he grumbles at you continuing his stern frown.

You return his glare but lose it quickly after you step through the door. The interior of the bar is wildly different from the exterior. It's like stepping through a portal into another time. There is rich dark wood on nearly every surface and what isn't comprised of glossy wood planks, mainly the furniture, is all deep red leather. The smell of food and alcohol hits you and makes your stomach growl reflexively. There is a mirror-backed set of shelves behind the very long bar to one side of the room almost crammed full of bottles - some empty and some full. There are circular benched booths to one side, enclosed by high partitions. The bar wasn't quite crowded yet but every single person in the room was dressed for the occasion. Not a single modern outfit in sight. You stand there for a moment lost in the atmosphere.

You are brought back to reality when you feel his arm tense slightly. You watch his face as his eyes gloss over, seemingly just as absorbed as you were a moment ago. The look in his eyes is almost nostalgic sadness.

You hear a woman shout "Well aren't you lookin' sharp, handsome!" and it seems to snap him out of his daze. The expression on his face changes almost instantaneously and is the complete opposite of what you have seen out of him so far. His blue eyes light up in a way that makes you notice just exactly how crystal blue they are and a genuine smile crawls across his lips.

"Mary!" he shouts, more excited than you have seen him the entire time he's been in your presence. He reaches over and ruffles the hair of the black-clad blonde that seemed to appear out of nowhere, "How's my favorite dove, huh? Holdin' up alright?"

She grins wide, almost laughing, "Yes, sir! You and your ladyfriend want your usual table?" she says as her eyes meet yours with a split second of slight confusion and strangely - mild contempt.

James nods curtly and extends his free arm out toward the bar, "After you, dollface," You roll your eyes as the girl blushes and skips through the building towards the far end of the bar.

He unhooks his arm from around yours and wraps it lightly around your waist, causing you to jump a little bit sideways. He gives you an apologetic look and instead places his hand on your upper back. You follow the annoyingly perky waitress down the length of the room and into the room at the back, where the band has set up. There were several tables and a few booths along the wall. Mary guides you to the booth in the corner, as far away from people as you could get and still be able to see the rest of the room. He settles in, once again placing his back to the wall, while you carefully slide into the other side.

You were hardly in your seat a few seconds before you hear him speaking to the waitress, "If Sawyer is at the grill, my usual times two. If he isn't, could you come back with a couple of menus, dove?" Mary nods quickly and writes in her little notepad, "Whiskey on the rocks for me and a red for the dame.. whatever he recommends that pairs well, I trust him. Got all that?" You could see the smile in his eyes as he caught you glaring at him from across the table. He leans over and overdramatically kisses Mary on the cheek, "Now off you go! Shoo!" he says jokingly, watching her disappear around the corner with a grin.

"Woah. What the fuck has gotten into you? One minute you are growling and grumbling at me and the next you're flirting with this poor waitress who obviously adores you? Also, you do realize that I am a grown ass adult and can order perfectly fine for myself thank you very much? And for that matter dame? Really?" The words are falling out of your mouth so fast they are almost jumbled together. While you are talking he props his elbows up on the table, interlaces his fingers and sets his chin on his hands obviously fighting back laughter.

"One, if Sawyer is at the grill you'll thank me when you get your food. Two, if you don't like it you're more than welcome to yell at me for doing the proper thing and ordering for you so you didn't have to. And as to your final question, did you forget where we are, doll? Loosen up a little. You'll have more fun that way." James replied, practically bouncing. He reaches up and takes his hat off, sitting it carefully on the table close to the wall. He runs a gloved hand through his hair seemingly out of habit because he immediately tucks the bits that fall down by his face behind his ears.

You smile in spite of yourself with a sigh, the drastic change from the asshole you had been dealing with is refreshing and dare you say it, almost cute. He is definitely more relaxed in here, just like Natalie said he would be. Might be just a tad too into the roleplay of the atmosphere for your taste but...what if you did let loose a little?

You look around the room for the first time actually taking in all the details. You are in one of eight booths, four on each of two walls, and there are 5 small tables with two chairs apiece. Across from you along the other wall was what you assume is a stage. It's barely four inches from the rest of the floor. There are warm, rich colored rugs strewn across the floor under the tables, overlapping in a few places but right in front of the stage is a wide stretch of scuffed hardwood flooring. The lightning is dark, primarily coming from sconces along the walls. It is surprisingly cozy. Out of the corner of your eye you catch him watching your face as if he's studying your every move, once again with his face propped up on his hands.

You almost jerk your head back around in slight shock, "What are you doing?"

He sits back against the back of the seat and shrugs slightly, "Reading your mind."

"Well don't," you try to glare but have to stifle a laugh to do it.

"Afraid of what I'll find?" he quirks an eyebrow but before you can answer Mary comes back with your plates of what are clearly pretty normal burgers and piles of steak fries.

"I'll be right back with your drinks, the bartender is swamped. It might not look busy from back here but all the folks wanna be near the alcohol. Let me know if you need anything, love," she winks, obviously not at you.

"Sure thing, doll. Thanks," he says as she walks away, "She always insists on being my waitress every time I'm in here. It's kinda cute if I'm honest."

"I don't know why she's fussing over you, that bartender was pretty cute. At the very least he has to be a hell of a lot more polite," you snip back, punctuating the snide remark by crunching into a fry.

James lets out a loud huff about the same time Mary comes back around the corner with your drinks. She sits your glasses on the table, each followed by a glass of water. He immediately tips the glass in her direction and downs the entire thing with an almost inaudible growl and places it back on her tray without so much as a flinch.

Seemingly sensing the tension she remarks under her breath that she'll be right back with another one and quickly turns on her heels and leaves.

When you turn back after watching Mary march off, he gestures at your plate, "You gonna try it or not?"

Okay, so I probably took it a bit far with that one, you think to yourself but he kinda deserves it.

"Fine," you grumble. You pick up your burger and take the first bite...and close your eyes and melt into the seat. Looking at it a little closer, it has lettuce, pickles, and cheese. It's not that fancy. Regardless, it's perfect.

"What did they put in this thing?" you say before taking a sip of the mystery cabernet in your glass.

He smirks, "Are you going to yell at me for ordering for you or was I right?"

You sigh, "You were definitely right. You win."

As you take another bite of your food, he adds, "And forgive me for whatever made you snark at me a minute ago?"

Almost completely forgetting your irritation, you nod with your mouth still full.

A huge grin spreads across his face, "Good. Cause the night ain't over, and I'm dragging your pretty ass out there to dance before it is."