Your Ivy Grows

Chapter 32

Bucky

5 Days Ago

Times have certainly changed. Not too long ago, they'd needed to resort to blackmail to get him to attend one of these events. But tonight Bucky is walking through the entrance to Gotham Hall for no other reason than he wants to be there. He wants to see her. It seems he'd do just about anything if it guaranteed him even a glimpse of Alexis Walker. It's probably something he'd unpack with the therapist they forced upon him if he ever bothered to tell her anything real.

Rather than walking through the doors that lead to the ballroom, he makes a beeline for the restroom. The fact this isn't the first time he's stood in front of a mirror this evening studying himself makes him feel a little pathetic. Straightening his bow tie for what feels like the hundredth time tonight already, he lets out a loud sigh. He's not sure he's cared this much about his appearance since, well, ever.

It takes a good ten minutes to psych himself up to face her. Everything feels different after their night together at her house. He felt it the moment she leaned down and kissed him. She kissed him. He's still more than happy to take baby steps if that's what she needs, as long as those steps are forward, not back. There's no going back, not for him.

Entering the ballroom, his eyes don't take in any of the beautiful features it offers. Instead, he's scanning the room in a bid to locate her. Blatantly ignoring any attempts people make to talk to him, he slowly makes his way through the room. Hiding his annoyance when John spots him first, Bucky makes his way over to him, hoping that wherever John is, Alexis can't be too far behind. Shaking his hand, he lets John talk while he attempts to scan the crowd for any sign of her.

"Oh, there she is." John says, gesturing to someone through the crowd and getting Bucky's attention. Bucky follows his line of sight and the tightness in his chest—that he hadn't even noticed was there—suddenly seems to ease as soon as he spots her.

She's a vision in white walking towards him. Her beauty knocks the breath right out of him. There's no stopping the smile that spreads across his face as she draws closer. The steady thump of his heart seems to falter when she returns that smile with one of her own. She looks practically angelic; ethereal.

"You look beautiful." He mouths the words to her and loves that it makes her smile wider.

"There you are, Alex." John reaches out for her, grabbing her arm and dragging her towards him. Bucky's jaw ticks as he stamps down the urge to wrench that hand right off her arm. "I've been looking for you. Look who finally showed. I can't lie, Barnes; I wasn't too sure you'd make it. Not without the SoD himself blackmailing you to do it, that is."

Bucky fakes a laugh at the comment. I'm not here for you, he thinks as he tries to keep his gaze from lingering on the woman who should be by his side, not John's.

"I told you I'd come and I keep my word, Walker. Remember that." Bucky smiles to mask the threat behind those words. "Plus, I owe you after that lovely dinner."

He allows himself to look at her then, his mind replaying their time together in that kitchen. Nothing has ever turned him on more than the sight of her fucking him, moving herself back and forth on his cock as she took what she wanted from him. She holds his stare and the look in her eyes is one he knows well. She's thinking about that night too and, fuck, if that doesn't turn him on. He sends her a playful wink, unable to help himself.

Soon enough, John draws him into a conversation about the Flag Smashers and Bucky attempts to act like he cares, but he doesn't. Not right now. Not when Alexis is so close to him and yet he hasn't even touched her yet. No, he's had the displeasure of watching John keep her pressed to his side instead. But it doesn't take much for Bucky to expertly steer the conversation in a direction that has John insisting Bucky take Alexis off to dance as if he's the one who came up with the idea.