Eleanor Stark had it all. A kind brother, amazing friends, and a promising career.
So, what will happen when she constantly bumps into a blue-eyed soldier, who, in her words, is the personification of the word trouble?
Placed in Captain America: The...
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It was 4:50 that Saturday and Ellie was sure James would not show up.
It was as if a wave of doubt had overcome her.
She was pacing in her kitchen, mumbling to herself "what if he doesn't show up?" more times than she could count.
It was 4:52 now and Ellie couldn't take it anymore.
She knew that it was eight minutes to five, but her nerves and doubts made her leave her apartment, which began to feel smaller and smaller every minute.
She went down the stairs and opened the door to the street.
That's when Ellie smiled.
James was there, mumbling to himself, pacing back and forth, a bouquet of flowers in hand.
"Hello there" said Ellie and James stopped dead in his tracks. He shut his eyes, still very much nervous.
"Oh, heeey" he said, opening his eyes a bit, blushing furiously.
"Hi" she added, grinning, "how long have you been here?" she asked curiously, taking a step towards him.
"Since four" he confessed and looked at her. He let out a breath and a silent wow when he saw Ellie, "you look beautiful"
Ellie felt an unwelcome blush on her cheeks, "thank you... You don't look bad yourself, Barnes''
James walked towards her and gave her the flowers.
Ellie took them silently, her fingers curling around the flower stem.
"I love them," she said honestly, smelling the fresh flowers.
"I am so glad" said James, letting out a breath, "I wasn't sure you would like them, it took me some time to decide which one to give you and-" he rambled but Ellie stopped him.
"I love carnations, James," she said, looking at the flowers.
She did loved carnations. Back when her parents were still alive, her father would bring one of those flowers to her mother whenever he could. Money may have been tight, but her father found a way to bring her mother at least a flower once a week.
"Really? I mean, I thought about roses, but I couldn't, I mean-" he rambled again and Ellie placed a kiss on his cheek. This stopped his rambling.
"James, I love them. I mean it" she said, and he nodded quickly.
He took a breath and smiled at her, offering his hand. She took it gladly.
✧✦✧
James had thought it would be a great idea to go ice skating.
And Ellie had seen him so excited about the idea, she didn't mention she didn't know how to skate.
But when it was time to put on the ice skates and Ellie struggled with them, James instantly knew.
His smile turned into a sad expression, "we didn't you tell me, Laney?" he asked, "I- I mean, we could've done any other thing..."
"James" she said but he was still rambling.
"And I didn't know you didn't know how to skate and..."
"James" she repeated, a small smile on her face noticing how red his cheeks were.
"If I had known, of course I would have chosen any other option..."
"Bucky" Ellie said and he stopped talking, his eyes on hers, "and I thought I was the one who rambled more of the two"
"I just ramble when I'm around you" he said without thinking and then regretted the words, "wait, did you just call me Bucky?"
"Nope, pretty sure I called you James" said Ellie.
"No, no" he said, eyes wide, a huge grin on his face, blue eyes shining, "you just called me Bucky"
"I did?" she asked.
"You did!"
"Okay, so I did," she shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant but failing miserably.
Bucky smiled and, without thinking about it - a custom he had come to have whenever he was around her - he said "can I kiss you right here, right now?"
Ellie tried to blink away her surprise but felt her heart race.
She didn't even hesitate when she said yes.
Bucky smiled and leaned closer to her. His lips grazed hers for a moment before he kissed her.
It was short, almost as if both of them were afraid of the outcome, but it was sweet and calm and it carried so much emotion Ellie smiled like an idiot after it.
"I feel like a teenager," Bucky said, smiling just like Ellie, "feeling all nervous and... Shit, I'm speaking without thinking again" he mumbled to himself.
"I like that" Ellie said, taking his hand in hers. And it didn't feel wrong or bad or terrible.
It felt amazing.
"Now, sergeant Barnes" Ellie said, placing her head on the crook of his neck "are you going to teach me how to ice skate?"
"I'll try to" he said and Ellie let out a nervous laugh, "but I can promise you I won't let you fall"
