bucky barnes imagines

xxxix. POOL DAY

You woke up to see the sun streaming through the gap in the curtains, bringing a smile to your face. You could feel the warmth on your exposed skin as you stretched, preparing to get out of bed and make the most of the good weather. Just as you sat up, a loud knock on your door startled you.

"Come in!" you called, not caring about your sleepy, disheveled appearance. Your smile grew as Natasha pushed the door open.

"Get up, lazy, we're all having a pool day." She immediately began to close the door again, but paused. You could hear the smirk in her voice when she spoke again.

"Oh, and wear that new red bikini, will you? Barnes will love it."

"Nat..." you whined, drawing out the single syllable as she giggled, quietly shutting the door.

She and Wanda were the the only people in the tower who knew about your huge crush on Bucky, who also happened to be one of your closest friends – but with the way they both constantly teased you about it, you had no doubt that others would soon begin to catch on.

"You can thank me after you guys end up fucking in the pool!" she shouted through the closed door, much too loudly for your liking.

"Nat!" you yelled again, much more sharply this time. Finally getting the message, she walked away, still laughing as you shook your head, sighing to yourself.

You quickly ate breakfast and then began to get ready, still in good spirits and excited to spend the day with your best friends. Once you'd showered, fixed your hair and slipped into your new bikini, you made your way over to the mirror to see how you looked.

"Not bad," you murmured to yourself, nodding your head slightly in approval. Obviously, you still had your insecurities, but for once you tried to push them aside. And really, you did look pretty good – the skimpy swimsuit accentuated your curves and left little to the imagination.

When you were done, you made your way down to the pool. Most of your friends were already there; Scott, Peter, Thor and Clint appeared to be playing a game of water polo, while Pepper, Wanda, Nat, Steve and even Bruce sat at the side, talking in a group. You thanked Tony as he handed you a cherry coloured cocktail, before making your way over to an empty lounge chair.

As you began to chat with everyone, you noticed that Bucky wasn't there. Coincidentally, Steve also realised this and stood up, announcing that he was going to find his best friend. However, Nat stopped him.

"No, stay here! Y/N, um... forgot something inside, so she can look for Barnes at the same time. Right, Y/N?" She sent a not so subtle wink in your direction, causing you to groan out loud as you walked back into the tower and reluctantly made your way to Bucky's room.

You knocked softly on the door, not wanting to startle him; after all, he may have still been asleep. However, you heard a quiet shuffling noise before the door opened a little and Bucky peered through the gap.

When he saw you standing there, he smiled and motioned for you to enter the room. You did so, and only then did he notice what you were wearing – or rather, what you weren't wearing. You blushed as his eyes roamed your body, taking in your appearance; he had never seen you wearing something so revealing and, although he was internally cursing himself for being so obvious, he thought you looked absolutely gorgeous.

After a few seconds, Bucky forced his gaze back up to your face, clearing his throat and nervously running a hand through his hair.

"Did you, uh, need something?" he asked, stumbling over his words.

"Oh!" Suddenly you remembered why you were in his room in the first place. "Yes, well... we're all having a pool day. Don't you wanna join us?"

Bucky sighed at your words and sat down heavily on his bed. He rubbed his eyes slightly, causing you to realise that they were bloodshot and his eyelashes were glistening as if he'd been crying. You frowned and, without asking, sat down next to him.

"I can't," he blurted abruptly, sounding upset. Obviously, you were about to ask why, but he anticipated your question and answered it preemptively.

"All the other guys... they'll be having fun, splashing around in the pool with their shirts off. But if I ever took my shirt off in front of anyone, they would probably run away screaming." He laughed bitterly and shook his head. "I'll never be as good as them."

"Oh, Buck..." you murmured. In a moment of confidence, you reached across and placed your hand on top of his, lacing your fingers together.

"I know you're worried about how your arm looks, and that's okay. But think of it this way: it's just an arm. It's a part of you, and nobody here is going to be bothered about it."

"But it's not just an arm, is it, Y/N? It's a weapon, this arm has killed people, and– and the scars, it's just... I'm disgusting." His voice cracked and he turned his gaze to the floor, ashamed.

"Bucky, look at me," you whispered. He didn't, so you used your free hand to gently tilt his chin up until his eyes met yours. "The Winter Soldier killed people, yes. But that's not you. Your name is James Buchanan Barnes and you're a good man with a good heart. And those scars of yours, they don't make you ugly. They show that you've been through a lot, but you were strong enough to fight and get through it all. Now, you deserve to live without being afraid of yourself anymore."

Despite your own nerves, your voice was clear and firm. Your words brought more tears to Bucky's eyes but made him smile for a fleeting second. An idea came into your head and you lightly fiddled with the hem of his red Henley shirt.

"May I?" you questioned, not wanting to make him uncomfortable.

"Tryin' to get me naked, doll?" Bucky smirked at you, letting out a small chuckle when you blushed. He lifted his arms up, allowing you to pull the shirt over his head, leaving his top half exposed.

His breathing quickened as you placed a hand over his shoulder, your fingers delicately tracing the area where metal met skin. Turning to face him properly, you leaned down to press soft kisses to his scars. As you did so, Bucky snaked an arm around your waist and pulled you closer to him, until you were practically sitting on his lap.

This time, it was Bucky who tipped your chin up, allowing you to meet his intense gaze. His lips were slightly parted and he looked at you with awe in his eyes.

"You're something else, Y/N," he mumbled, his face inches from yours. You didn't reply; instead, you leaned a little closer, until Bucky closed the rest of the distance between you and your lips met his.

Of course, you'd dreamed of kissing Bucky, but the real thing was better than you could've ever imagined. You melted under his touch, only able to focus on the way his lips moved against yours; slowly, gently, passionately. You absentmindedly wrapped your arms loosely around his neck as you both pulled away, breathless.

Neither of you spoke for a moment. You knew you were grinning like an idiot, but it didn't matter because Bucky was too.

"Do you– do you still wanna go to the pool?" he finally murmured, reaching down to grab both of your hands, intertwining your fingers with his.

"We could..." you replied, before placing a light kiss on his cheek. "But I think I'd rather stay here with you."