Bucky gets dragged to a speed dating event by Sam and Kate. He's exasperated and unimpressed by everyone he connects with, until he comes face to face with Nora, the owner of a book store. She's sweet, kind, and funny, but she's not interested in a...
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A/N: 😏 there's also an exchange that's taken directly from Anne Carson's very loose translation of Orestes by Euripides because it makes me cry and it's basically inspired Bucky and Nora's relationship.
CW: Forest smut, Bucky has a praise kink, soft!dom Bucky is back.
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Don't take this the wrong way You knew who I was with every step that I ran to you Only blue or black days Electing strange perfections in any stranger I choose
Would things be easier if there was a right way? Honey, there is no right way - Hozier, "Someone New"
They spend the next few days walking around Paris, eating until they're stuffed, and going to as many museums as they can and enjoying each other's company before the wedding.
Bucky tells Nora about some of the art and she listens, holding his hand the entire time. He's never thought of himself as particularly intelligent, but he loves to read about this kind of stuff, and he could spend hours doing it. Nora listens, asking him questions and the two of them talk about paintings and sculpture. It's so nice not to have to talk about missions, or his past.
He can be a normal person around her.
This whole faking it thing is beginning to feel real. He has to leave in a few days, and he's dreading this mission more and more as Sam gives him more information.
So far, it's Yelena, Sam, Parker, Kate, and some of the Widows. They're formulating a plan and meeting without Bucky, which is fine by him. Sam said they would give him a job to do and Bucky said he would do it. But he would rather be spending time with Nora in the most romantic city in the world.
The days he spends with her go by far too fast. Suddenly, he's looking at 48 hours before he has to leave her for the night. They decide they're going to make the best of it. Bucky knows it's just a night, but he also knows that these things have the potential to go very wrong. He doesn't want to tell Nora that. The last thing she needs right now is to panic.
This morning, they decided to rent a car and go hiking. It was Nora's idea to get out of the city for the day and spend some quality time together in nature. It's been a long time since Bucky has been hiking, but Nora seemed to know exactly what she's doing. He just followed her lead as she packed backpack, put on a pair of running shoes and packed them a large bottle of water that they can share.
Last night, they decided to go to one of the large parks that's about an hour away from their hotel. It looks nice online, lots of trails and nature, and beautiful views.
