â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â 㠤㠤㠤㠤㠤㠤㠤㠤㠤㠤㠤㠤㠤pinefall valley
âË â Űśŕ§ ă ¤summary. heavy with the weight of a job you never had any passion for, you decided to open the envelope your grandfather gave you after shoving it in your office drawer for years. suddenly, youâre living in a small obscure town in the middle of nowhere getting more than what you signed up for.
content. town doctor!bucky barnes x fem!farmer!reader , mutual pining , buckyâs got a big fat crush on u , miscommunication , your vegetables grow really fast but letâs just ignore that , jealousy , mdni (18+) , outdoor sex , dom!bucky , unprotected p in v , marking/biting , pet names (baby, sweetheart, doll, city girl) , almost getting caught
word count. 14k
from lia. here's my little present in celebration of hitting 5(00) followers, i love every single one of u sm! this is incredibly self-indulgent but oh well. on a side note, literally in all of my stardew saves i only romance harvey (except for that one time i deliberately romanced shane for his blue chickens) bc he's....he's my man... this is also just a tiny bit proofread!
to live in the city was the only answer that stayed constant whenever someone asked about your future. whether you become a firefighter or a police officer, you had to become one thatâs from the city. you were no different from other suburban children whose dream was to get out of the rural area you lived in to go to hustling and bustling new york city.
when it was time for you to make a decision that would effectively cement you into one profession for the rest of your careerâyouâve already answered every occupation there is. five-year old you wanted to become a teacher, to guide and give equal opportunities for everyoneâeverything is rooted in education, after all.
at the age of ten youâve dropped that ideology the moment you saw a doctor rush in from the er and into the back of an ambulance in a speed unlike any youâve seenâand you decided you wanted to be like him, too.Â
youâve stuck to that answer until you were about sixteen, then you decided you wanted to become a photographer who has her own studio at an apartment in brooklynâand for the most part thatâs what you truly planned on pursuing, but practicality had other plans.
your knuckles were beginning to sting after forcing it open as you typed away on your computer, hunched over the keyboard like a shrimp. youâve already drank god knows how many red bulls but you were nowhere near done with heaps of paperwork and presentations you have to catch up on.
this isnât where you imagined yourself to be. you were in a big city, sureâand youâve got a somewhat high paying jobâbut this isnât the version of your lifelong dream you wanted to spend the rest of your career in. this isnât the situation youâd want little you to see whenever the ghost of her decides to come visit you in your dreams tonight.Â
your parents have always given you the freedom to be whoever you wanted to be, whatever career choice appealed to you the mostâwhether it be a mortician or a snake milker, your parents were always behind you on every decision you made.
but practicality over passion loomed above your head like a stormy cloud that wonât leave, and now youâre stuck finishing numbers your co-worker shouldâve done weeks agoâthough it seems like youâre the only one responsible around hereâand youâve got a bunch of other deadlines to chase after, like a fish chasing for the bait stuck in a never ending sea. at least fishes are free to swim around as they please and not get stuck in a suffocating cubicle.
letting out another heavy sigh, your fingers wrapped around the cool surface of the canned beverage shoved in the corner of your desk before taking a hefty gulp. if you were going to suffer and wallow in your decisions, the least you could do was to keep yourself energized. as your fingers hovered over the daunting keys that stared back at you in what you like to imagine the same tired expression as yours, you heard someone call your name from somewhere behind you.Â
âhey! weâre gonna be heading out for dinner, you wanna tag along?â trisha, the first person youâve ever talked to since joining the company and, admittedly, your only friend around these parts, was already halfway through the glass exit of the office, blazer in one arm and another co-worker holding tightly against the other, when she invited you to join her. she looked at you expectantly, a kind smile playing on her lips.Â
she had always made an effort to keep you included in thingsâno matter how big or smallâshe made sure to invite you or tag you along with whatever sheâs got going, as long as the both of you were free. you could tell it was one of the only things left thatâs keeping her tethered down to earth, lest she goes insane. and honestly, you werenât far off from that too.
a part of you desperately wanted to clock out earlier than you usually do and not stay overtime to let yourself indulge in a little treat and eat out somewhere goodâmaybe chinese takeout or thaiâ and give yourself the rest you desperately need. but, you didnât really feel like getting into any form of conversation right now, you needed to finish this spreadsheet.Â
you mirrored back a warm smile of your own, âsorry, iâve got a lot to catch up on. maybe tomorrow?"
âaww, alright. donât work yourself too hard!â she waved, before peeking her head out from the exit one last time, âor do, go get that bag, girl.â
with an exasperated sigh and your head in your hands, just as quick as she momentarily pulled you out of work, you were face to face with the daunting, glowing screen of your monitor.Â
your eyes felt heavier the second you lifted them up to read the numerics and alphabets on the screen, that dreadful weight heavying the already awful pressure resting on your shoulders. the job you currently have was thoroughly, and utterly draining out the life out of youâand youâre sure no amount of ibuprofen can pull you out of this one.
in a fit of pent up rage finally surfacing up and out onto the tips of your fingers, you tried to drink your woes away with another sip of the caffeinated drink beside you. instead, the can slipped from the pads of your palm and spilled onto the desk, dripping its contents down on the drawers and the floor below.Â
cursing lowly to yourself, you pushed the wheels of your office chair backwardsâthe tires screeching softly against the waxed floor. you plucked a piece or two from the tissue box on your desk to start drying up the mess you made, and just when you were about to begin wiping the floor clean, the drawer on the bottom slipped open, revealing the contents that hid within it.
amidst the dozens of haphazardly arranged random colored folders and extra stapler bullets, was the letter your grandfather gave you a few years back, sat comfortably in silence.
visions of your memories of him rekindled in your head, back to when you visited him on weekends in that sweet quaint town he used to live in, and the last words he said to you on his deathbed as he handed you the letter you were currently ogling at like it was something otherworldly.
âopen this envelope whenever you feel the weight of the world dragging you down.â
you pursed your lips, hands reaching down still smelling of red bull, and the tight air around the office started to wrap around the space of your cubicle specifically.
suddenly the buzzing of the air conditioner was too loud, the clacking of keyboards from your co-workers who decided to stay behind just like you were louder than you remember, and the light still radiating in front of you glared anticipatingly.
the contents of the letter was a mystery to you, hell, you surprised even yourself for holding off on opening it for this long. you didnât find any need to be curious about whatâs inside for a long time, since the world used to spin around under your feet before atlas suddenly decided to transfer its weight to you.
in a sudden change of events, the letter now rested in your grasp like it would be the answer to all of your problems. and a part of you silently prayed that it wouldâprayed that the almighty stars up above will finally give you something that could bring flavor to your stale world and make you feel alive again. youâve been feeling tired and empty, even without acknowledging it yourselfâand you already knew you have been for a long, long time.Â
the envelopeâs flap crackled as you flipped it wide with shaky hands, and the first sight of your late grandfatherâs handwriting brought you a wave of nostalgia. like the paper in your hands was the most valuable thing ever, you lifted it out from its sleeve carefully, hesitance coursing through you.
another piece of paper fell onto your lap as you held the letter, your deadlines and spreadsheets long forgotten. it was the deed to your grandfatherâs piece of land and the title to his farmhouse in the country. you couldnât stop the startled gasp that left you, because sure, you expected a message from your grandfather, but you surely didnât expect for him to include the deed to his property.Â
âoh my god.â slowly, your eyes continued to widen, both in shock and overflowing gratitude, before tears began welling up in the corners of your eyesâthreatening to spill and roll down your cheeks. your heart clenching at the thought of your grandfather caring for you this much definitely reduced you to a sobbing mess right here in your office cubicle.
the sound of your computerâs motherboard whirred in the background as you read the message written like a founding fathers', eyes sharper than ever and mouth going impossibly dry.
my dearest granddaughter,
when we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change. i want you to remember to never let life become a burden to you, it is not a problem you immediately ned to have an answer to, it is meant to be enjoyed and celebrated. never give up, you are a strong-minded girl, just like your mother.
iâve enclosed in this letter the deed to my place, my pride and joy: the family farm. itâs located in pinefall valley on the southern coast. itâs the perfect place to start a new life. whenever you are ready, the place will be there waiting for you with open arms.
this was my most precious gift of all, your grandmother insisted i leave it in your hands instead of letting it rot away in the hands of others, and now itâs yours. i know youâll honor the family name, my girl. best of luck.Â
love, grandpa
being the cautious person that you were, you werenât sure if this was the right choice to be made. youâve spent a good chunk of your life nursing the dream of finally living in a big cityâand now here you were, complaining about it just seconds ago like it was a ball and chain attached to your ankle, pulling you further and further down the pit youâve willingly jumped into.Â
with an unsteady exhale, you pressed your eyes closed and basked in the office air one last timeâunwilling to give yourself the time to dwell on your decisionâbecause you knew the second you start rethinking, youâre bound to start reconsidering things and before you know it youâll be back at square one.Â
you breathed in through your nose and shut your eyes to clear your headâthis is it. you needed this. you need a fresh, clean start. and if youâre gonna find that in the middle of buttfuck nowhere, then so be it.
on a rainy early sunday morning, you left brooklyn with a hole right in the middle of your chest. as much as this city brought you most of your problems and made you impossibly homesick on some days, it was still the dream, and dreams are a hard thing to forgetâespecially when they come true.Â
you werenât only forfeiting an apartment and a job in exchange of living a new lifeâyou were leaving behind everything youâve worked so hard for for the past years leading up to now. itâs definitely a lot to be dropping, even with a hefty resignation payout. and you didnât even have the chance to bid trisha a proper farewellâyou hoped she could forgive you.
the bus was empty when you stepped inside. aside from the hooded guy situated at the far end of the vehicle, it was only you and the conductor exchanging glances and smiles before you decided on which corner you were going to sit and spend your next five hours on.
you guessed it wasnât anyoneâs interest to visit a small town thatâs probably not even on the map, its name reeked of old-fashionârugged around the edges. given how there wasnât anyone lining up to visit the place, the place has probably been forgotten by time. hadn't it been for the fact that your grandparents lived there, you wouldâve never managed to find the small town of stonefield even if you were with the greatest pioneer in the world.
as you expected, the sights on the way were nothing short of breathtaking. it felt refreshing to finally see the world outside of the four walls youâve gotten so used to seeingâfrom the trees to the dozens of lakes youâve passed by and admired from behind the busâ windowsâyour life was beginning to breathe back in color, number by number.
it was beginning to feel very much like a hallmark movie. youâa career-focused woman from the city moves to a quaint small town, but youâre yet to meet a charming local who would swift you off your feet.
despite the feeling of anxiety ebbing at your chestâyou could feel excitement slowly bubble up in the bottom of your chest, this could either be the worst or best decision of your life, and youâre beginning to feel confident that itâs going to be the latter.
you arrived at pinefall valley at around three in the afternoonâthe wind gently blew against your warm cheeks as you clutched the handle of your suitcase nervously. you picked up your phone to look at the map you pre-downloaded before getting on the bus because despite being nervous about ditching your city life for a much calmer provincial one, you were also very nervous about getting lost and eventually ending up on television.
creepily enough, you didnât pass by anyone on your way to your grandfatherâs farmâyou donât remember this place having a large population anyway, but it was still unnerving to see the lack of people at this time of day. shrugging off the unsettling feeling from your shoulders, you pocketed your phone the moment the rocky and gravel filled roads began to fee familiar to you. as the old worn-down keys jingled inside the knob and the door swung openâyou breathed in the air only the countryside could offer.
on the front porch sat boxes that contained some of your stuff that probably arrived the day before by the moving company, and you let the sight before you sink in as you stepped foot on the property. it was left the same way as you rememberedâwith a few unfamiliar things here and there, of course. there were a few baby photos of you hung up on the wall, a hopefully working sink and kitchen counter, a refrigerator, a television, a furnace, and a cozy bedroom that housed a queen-sized bed.Â
âthis is gonna be a lot of work.â you murmured to yourself, already mentally taking note of all the things that could use some rework.Â
the place wasnât the biggest one out there, but it was home. it still sang of a life that was once alive and breathingâand you were determined to bring it back to its former glory.
the first week in a new town didnât bring you anything eventful. you havenât gotten around meeting the townsfolk and all the wonders stonefield has to offer, and youâve mostly cooped up working on your farm.
your days were primarily filled with you clearing out the enormous plot of land that could probably house four other homes just like the one you were currently living in. how rich exactly are your grandparents? there was an abandoned greenhouse to the left of your home. it needs a lot of renovation and a ton of money, but you figured if harvesting crops was your main source of income, it would probably be a good thing to invest on while you still have the funds to do so.Â
clearing out rocks and grass patches was never something youâve ever considered doing in your entire career, everything felt new to you. however, strangely enough, you couldnât find it in you to stop. it brought comfort to you in ways your previous office job couldnât offer, it didnât matter if it left you boneless on your bed at the end of the day.
while cleaning, youâve also discovered a cave filled with fruit bats along with a shortcut that you arenât too sure where it leads to yet somewhere between the road to the greenhouse and your home. the place wasnât just big, it was full of mysteries, too. hopefully the bats wonât be too much trouble, though.
the rooster from the neighboring barn has long since cawed into the ripe morning air, signalling that the sun has risen and itâs time for another day filled with cleaning up the land. but after a particularly rough day yesterday, you wanted to stay in bed for another hour or two, youâre now your own bossâa little sleeping in wouldnât set you back too much.Â
but as you rolled over to the other side of the bed, blankets comfortably wrapped around you like it too didnât want to let you goâthree loud consecutive knocks pounded on your door.Â
knock! knock! knock!
with a tired groan, you rubbed your eyes and slipped on your slippers to make your way towards the door. who could possibly want to visit you at this hour? but a better question is; why would there be someone knocking at your door? you never left the farm even once, and you havenât introduced yourself to anyone, is this how tight-knit communities are?
you hastily swung the door open, your messy hair and untidy appearance the last thing on your mind.
standing in front of you, was an elderly man, maybe late fifties or early sixties, and his head was slightly balding. he wore a kind smile on his lips and held a basket in his hands, and upon seeing you, his mouth stretched into an even wider grin.
âgâmorninâ! i didnât disturb you or anythinâ, did i?â
you scrambled your still sleepy brain for a response, ân-no! not at all sir. i was just about to get ready for the day!âÂ
âi see,â with a chuckle, the man nodded in understanding. âlet me introduce myself. iâm the mayor of stonefield; everyone here calls me arthur. word's gotten âround a new face has made its way to town and is now living in the abandoned farmhouse. i had to come see it for mâself!âÂ
you tipped your head up in understanding, âif that's the case then yes, thatâs me! iâve never gotten the time to roam around town just yetâso i donât really know anyone right now.â you sheepishly explained, hands twiddling the side of your pajamas, âthe farmâs been taking up most of my time since moving in.â
it's true. you've been cooped up in the property for the vast majority of your first week in stonefield, the closest you've gotten to leaving the place was walking near the edge of the fence that bordered between your farm and the outside to take out the trashâand even then, you've only managed to see a few people pass by.
he let out another hearty laugh before continuing, âoh well, itâs nice to have someone finally take care of this place, the previous owner who lived here was a good friend oâmine.â
âyou were friends with my grandfather?â
mayor arthurâs eyes seemed to widen at that, he looked like he was about to drop the basket in his hands. âyouâre normanâs granddaughter? oh how fast youâve grown! last time i saw you, you were no taller than my hips! if i knew it was you who was moving in, i wouldâve arranged for a proper welcome.â
you laughed, chest warming at the sight of seeing your grandfatherâs friend still alive and kicking. you couldnât remember who he isâyou were very small when you met mayor arthur, after allâyet it was still comforting to see a face that once appreciated your grandfather the same way you did.Â
âanywho, i jusâ wanted to give you this small welcoming gift. itâs a few packets of tomato seeds and a scented candle. sânot much, but iâm sure itâll remove the smell of dust in the air.âÂ
âthank you! i appreciate it, i promise iâll be sure to check the town out as soon as i could.â you kindly smiled, taking the basket from his hands.
âalright, iâll leave you to it, then. have a good day!â
the wooden floorboards of the porch rattled underneath his leather boots with each step he took further down the stairsâallowing you to breathe out a sigh of relief. you figured you should get ready to begin another day of cleaning, and getting a gift from the mayor certainly was an unexpected way to start your morning.
back in the city, you usually woke up at around five in the morning to let yourself get ready for about an hour, after which youâll find yourself something to eat from your painfully bland pantryâhowever if you are in a hurry you grab whateverâs the first thing you see on the streets on the way to your officeâbefore getting ready a second time, by fixing your hair and makeup.
you leave your apartment at seven and arrive at the office at quarter till eightâa full thirty minutes early before your shift starts. for the entirety of the morning, all you can hear are the distinct clicking sounds of keys and whirring of printing machinesâand maybe youâll catch wind of the occasional gossip from your co-workers, but thatâs a post-meeting exclusive rather than a daily occurrence.
after lunchtime activities are no different, except for the fact that youâre working on reports and proofreading haphazardly-made documents. you stress on about missing meeting notes until evening, and by then youâre too tired to eat anything decent, so you grab chinese takeout on the way back home.
now, all your eyes can see until the far distance are rocks, trees, shrubs, and more trees. itâs certainly a culture shock to be going from seeing computer screens on a daily basis to staring at rocks for more than an hour or two, but you like to think itâs a good change.
youâre in love with the idea of planting your own produce and eating the fruitions of your labor, and maybe you could share them with your future-friends-slash-neighbors, and you could all share and appreciate the fruits and vegetables youâre going to work so hard on tending to.
wiping the sweat rolling down your glistening forehead, you shoved the gardening shears you found inside the shed beside the farmhouse down to the ground to let your freehand dangle freely. youâve managed to clear up enough space to plant the seeds mayor arthur gifted you this morningâit was already around ten in the morning and the next thing on your agenda is visiting the town as promised.
right after ridding yourself of your gardening clothes, you padded into town feeling slightly nervous about the environment youâre about to walk into. youâre no stranger to peopleâs judgments, and usually, they donât bother you at allâbut given the circumstances and how youâre fresh out of a job from the cityâyouâre slightly restless about what everyone in town would about a girl who had it all and traded it for the south coast life.
the general goods store was bigger than you thought, there were racks of produce in one corner, a handful of gardening supplies in the other, and a bunch of necessities and snacks were in the other surrounding shelves. you made a beeline for the seedling packets sitting right next to the leafy greens and started looking for squash and corn seeds, since they were vegetables in season right now as per the seasonal produce guide by snap-ed youâve graciously educated yourself on beforehand.
âgood morning.â
a sultry voice suddenly pulled you out of your reading on the back of the packets, causing you to let out an involuntary squeak in surprise. because youâve been so engrossedâyou didnât notice the man in a turtle neck standing by the vegetable rack. he greeted you with a warm smile and a hand still holding a cabbage.
âsorry, didnât mean to scare you.â he carefully apologized, âi wasnât sure how to approach you, but itâs nice to see the face everyoneâs been talking about.â
nervously, your eyes drifted down to your feet before going back to his face. âwh-what do you mean?â
âitâs not everyday someone moves into town. so word about a city girl moving in spread fast.â the man turned to fully face you, face still holding that warm smile.
only then did you notice just how much he was towering over youâhe looked like he was well over six feet. his auburn hair was combed over professionally, and his biceps were still visible even under all that fabric. he wore an endearing grin to match his pretty cerulean irises that put the blue skies above to shame, he was handsome. hallmark movie it is, then.
âiâm bucky, i work at the local clinic right next to this store.â
âo-oh! i do remember passing by a clinic, itâs a pleasure to meet you!â you replied, biting back the nervous laughter you wouldâve let out and possibly embarrass yourself with. you gave him a small but kind smile back along with your name, now fidgeting the packaging of the seeds in between your fingers.
âhow are you finding the town so far?â
"it'sâit's nice... i haven't gotten around seeing the whole place, i mean i'm in the middle of doing that right now. but so far everything's really lovely and cozy. i really like it."
"so you haven't gotten a tour?" bucky's face almost looked pleased upon hearing those words come from you, before his lips dropped into a tiny frown. "i'd love to show you around, but you knowâduty calls. i've got a home visit this afternoon with the elderly couple down the road, mrs. donovan. a lovely lady with an even charming husband." he punctuated his words in a tone you could only describe as teasing, and you couldn't keep the laughter that bubbled up from your chest.
bucky, looking very pleased with himself, leaned onto the vegetable rack with confidence. watching you with eyes that were nothing short of mesmerized.
suddenly, an equally burly and muscular man appeared from around one of the shelves, presumably the owner of the store. his hair glimmered blonde from the light that came in from the store's windows, giving his head an almost ethereal crown of locks.
"buck! quit loitering by my brussel sprouts and get your assâoh my! it's the new girl!" he cut himself off from scolding bucky, voice sounding like an overworked parent who doesnât have any time to deal with his teenagerâs bullshit right now.
"sorry, i thought he was doing something else.â the blonde apologized, turning his head to squint at bucky accusingly. âis my friend over here giving you a hard time shopping? don't worry, i'll kick him out for you."
the brunette clicked his tongue, "steve, is this how you treat the town doctor?"
steve, or at least thatâs what bucky called him, elbowed him right in his side, causing the doctor to recoil in faux pain.
"wow, a new face 's in town and you're already giving her a bad first impression. i was just trying to tell her about all the very lovely people we have âere, yâsee she's not that familiar with the area."
steve rolled his eyes, ignoring his best friend's teasing to continue looking at you. almost as if he was trying to memories every feature on your face. "oh, and you'd just love it if you could show her around, wonât you?"
"actually, while i would love to do just that, i've got an appointment with esther. which you would know if you even tried to listen to our conversation. and for the record, i wasn't loitering. i was about to buy these cabbages."
âsure you were.â
bucky lightly shoved steveâs shoulders, keeping the atmosphere light with his oh-so charming personality. âget back behind the counter, rogers. you shouldn't butt into other people's very private and very personal discussions, you know.â
steve gave him a flat look before retreating back to where he once stood, muttering a small whatever with annoyance evident on his face. as you watched him retreat to his post, bucky looked back at you with the same grin heâs been giving you since you first uttered a word to him.
âiâll be the first to head out, city girl. i lost track of time and iâve got abouuutâfive minutes to walk to mrs. donovanâs house before our appointment starts.â he exclaimed, all most disappointedly. âit was nice talking to you.â
city girl. for no apparent reason, you felt your stomach do somersaults at the nickname. youâve just met the guy and somehow heâs already making you feel things that causes your cheeks to redden. in embarrassment or endearmentâyouâve yet to see.
tentatively, you pulled the hem of your shirt down to try and rid yourself of the feeling of butterflies in your stomach, the sound of his voice echoing in your head and etching itself onto the ridges of your brain. âwhat about your cabbages?â
âi just said that so heâd get off my back, but iâll buy one of these soon.â
your laughter echoed inside the store one last time as his lips stretched into another smile, your cheeks were beginning to ache with how much youâve been enjoying yourself in his company, no matter how short lived it was.
âit was nice talking to you too, bucky. iâll see you around.â
âdefinitely.â
with a smile, your eyes followed his frame as he began to widen the distance between the two of you snd ounded a shelf to make his way towards the door. he gave you one last glance before his hands pushed the doors to the store open, and you watched his back disappear as the distance between you two grew. and just like that, the store went back to its quiet state from a few minutes ago.
you walked up to the register with a small skip in your step this time, one hand holding the seed packets and some fertilizers in the other.
âfind everything you need?â steve asked, his hands busy with handling all the stuff you bought. âi hope my friend back there wasnât too much trouble.â
âyup! and no, not at all. heâs actually very nice.â
âthatâs what they all say, wait until you see him when thereâs one slice of pizza left.â he joked, pulling out a paper bag from underneath the counter. âa rabid animal, that one.â
âyou guys are close?â
âwe live in a small town, everyone hereâs close with each other.â he teased, âbut i get what you mean. weâve been friends since diapers, buckyâs basically a brother to me. thatâll be 19.99.â
steve watched you reached into your pocket to pull out your wallet, hands flat on the counter and a curious glint in his eyes. he wondered what couldâve possibly caused a city girl like you to move down to a town as hidden as stonefieldâbut he figured he should hold off on the questions for now.
âoh! i never got to properly introduce myself. my nameâs steve rogers. but steveâs just fine. iâm the owner of this establishment.â
you gave him your name in return as you handed the exact amount, hands holding the paper bag in your arms like you were cradling a baby, âitâs nice to meet you, steve. i think iâll be seeing you often.â you joked, head slightly nodding towards the array of fertilizers and gardening tools.
steve laughed and nodded politely as you turned around to walk toward the exit of the place. you realized the tension you felt since the first moment you took a step into the store was long gone, now replaced with a feeling of relief and comfort. you were surprised with how quickly you were growing accustomed to the new environment, but itâs no surprise since everyone has been nothing but kind to you.
you craned your head to look behind you before pushing the doors wide, grinning politely. âthank you for the fertilizers!â
steve lifted his sturdy hand into the air to wave you off, âcome back soon!â
the fresh stonefield air wafted against your face the second you stepped out into the open. you figured you could take a quick stroll around town and take a peak at the beach downtown since you could vaguely make out memories of you fishing there with your grandfather when you were young.
the streets were no longer empty when you started walking along the cemented path, children were now playing amongst themselves in the playground that was situation in the middle of the town. and there were a few people sitting atop benches talking amongst themselves. the trees were quietly dancing along with the breezeâand you could distinctly make out the sound of waves crashing against the shoreline the further you walked into town.
eventually, the smell of saltwater invaded your senses as you stumbled across a beach with pristine white sand. the sun blared, heating everything in its wake as its rays of sunlight illuminated every space under its watchful visionâyour skin welcomed the warmth the big star in the sky ever so graciously gave it, making the harbor sitting by the ocean towards your left the only thing that could offer you shade.
your feet collided against the grains of sand resting beneath the soles of your sandals, warming the calluses and skins in between. you donât remember the last time youâve been to the beach on your own accordâyouâve never had the chance to.
it somehow felt weird to be in somewhere so mundane and presumptive yet foreign at the same time. youâll have to come back here on a different day to properly bask in the beautiful waters this town has been keeping hidden from the worldâfree of the horrors and corruption you hope it would never experience.
upon closer inspection, the harbor turned out to be a fish shop. you were craving some fresh fish, since your palette has been nothing but leftover stock of food from your previous grocery shopping back in the cityâit was only natural youâd want something else for a dish.
the bell sang in the air the second you opened the door; the deck's decrepit timber material squeaked with each step you took. the shack felt like it was derelict and had deteriorated from all the years it had watched gone by; the place could probably be a family heir loom at this pointâyet simultaneously it looked as sturdy as ever.
you meticulously trudged inside the shop with the paper bag still in hand, gazing at all the paintings of the ocean hung up on the wall, along with the replicas of certain fish decorated across it as well.
there wasn't anyone manning the counter when you arrived, and upon your arrival, someone was yet to appear behind it. you lightly tapped on the bell that sat right beside the register and the cup of fishhooks, hoping to find someone to talk to and happily buy fish from.
apart from the sounds of waves kissing the sand like a ritual it has known since the beginning of time and the squawking of seagulls from somewhere around the dockâyou could almost hear a pin drop with how quiet things are.
you were about to turn around and come back some other time before a girl clad in jeans and a shirt emerged from the back door, dusting off the fabric of her top with hasty fingers.
"hi! sorry for the wait, haul just came in. you're in luckâtoday's fish is fresh from the sea!"
the lady seemed like she was about to tell you more about today's catch but upon closing in against the counter, after getting a good look at your faceâher eyebrows furrowed in thought and her eyes narrowed as if she was trying to recognize you.
she hummed, the sound causing you to straighten your back. "i haven't seen that face before, you must be the new girl everyone's been fussing about."
they really weren't exaggerating when they say this place doesn't get that many visitors.
âiâve been getting that a lot.â you awkwardly laughed, fixating your view on one of the framed sardines sitting idly beside the fishing rods.
âitâs such a pleasure to meet you! welcome to town! my nameâs sarah wilson, i would shake your hand right now but i figured you wouldnât be too fond of the smell afterwards.â sarah chuckled, continuing her endeavors of cleaning her shirt that seemed to have a speck of some sort on it. âso, what can i do for you today, miss?â
you pointed towards the crate of groupers towards her right, a wave of saltine wind gushing through the open windows of the fish shop clashed against your cheeks as you spoke. "can i get three pounds of those?"
"certainly! let me go wrap it up for you."
you left the store with the smell of fish still smothered on the tip of your nose, yet somehow it mixed in just right with the briny wind of the beach.
because you were new in town, sarah gave you a discount for the bag of groupers you bought. without even knowing your name, she's already found her way through your heart with a price too good to be true for three pounds of fish. and with a lighter heart than when you first came into town, you strode away from the dock grinning to yourselfâexcited for your future visits to the wilson fish shop.
you're fitting in just right with the community. you realized after a few months that youâve spent less time counting the days until you lose the feeling of missing the city and more time tending to your crops like they were your mission in lifeâand they might as well be.
after what months of pondering about your direction in life, you were at a place where you believed you are truly happy with yourself. your sense of belonging was finally becoming, piece by piece.
it was another fresh start of the month, and by now your face has already been memorized by the locals with how often you've been leaving your farm compared to when you first got here. you are, after all, their new source of farm-to-table fresh vegetables.
your routine consisted of waking up before the sun rises to clean up the leftover debris by the green house, to watering and tending the crops, to clearing out some more area of the farm. you finish at around twelve pm, and by then you go and visit the town to talk and interact with all the lovely townsfolk.
you've gone from acquaintances to close friends with sarah who runs the fish shop with her brother, samâwho happens to own the saloonâand wanda who owns the ranch down the block from your farm. you've also met natasha, who you've come to find out is the local carpenter and owns a home hardware store just behind your farm.
steve's also grown accustomed to your face after seeing you almost weed out all of his fertilizers within a month, and you've grown quite a bond with the store manager over rising produce demand.
much to your dismay, however, you've run into bucky less times compared to them. only seeing him whenever both your schedules permit you two to do soâbut you figured it comes with the job of being the town doctor and the townâs self proclaimed greatest farmer.
but still, on the occasional event you run into him down the street on the way to the store or the library, you always made sure to give him a warm smile and wave at him to which he waves back at you in return.
bucky, on the other hand, has interacted with you exactly fifteen times in the past months, including checkups. heâs been counting every momentâand not in the creepy wayâhe ran into you and youâll flash him that pretty smile of yours heâs always somehow itching to see.
normally, buckyâs got his cool always in checkâhis nerves calm and his hands steady. but lately, like a boy with his first crush, he has to chew his lip every time you spoke to him to stop himself from stuttering out a reply back.
he could physically feel his cheeks warm up and the tip of his nose go red at each time you compliment his clothes for the day. whenever his stethoscope draws close to your chest to hear the thumping of your heart, his own organs roars loud in his ears and he ends up hearing his own rhythmic beating in the process.
heâs found himself walking into steveâs store more times than he needs to in hopes of catching a glimpse of you around the vegetable section. and maybe heâs been going down to wandaâs ranch to âcheck out the cowsâ because suddenly heâs very invested in whatever the chickens and barn animals are up to, and maybe heâs caught himself borrowing books at the library despite having the exact same copies of it back at the clinic just to gamble on the idea of you being there at the same time as him.
underneath the collected facade heâs put on is a man whose cheeks turn pink at the thought of you.
if only his schedule would allow it, heâd visit you on your farm and bother you with whateverâs on his mind at the moment. but for now, all he could do was wallow in his feelings at the saloonâhis hand clutching an almost half empty mug of coffeeâand the person lucky enough to be the audience of buckyâs misery was none other than sam.
âyou gotta face this head on man." sam pushed, wiping a glass. "how about you try visiting her farm. yâknow, bring her some of those dishes you've been making for us. the fastest way to a womanâs heart is through her stomach, barnes.â
bucky took a sip of his coffee with a sour expression, eyes glued somewhere between the barrels of rum behind the bartender in front of him.
âi donât know, what if she finds it weird?â
sam scoffed, ânow where did all that charm youâve been boasting about back at steveâs go?â
âi justâi want to do this right... she gets along with everybody pretty well, and i want her to be the same with me.â
âsteve told me you two get along just fine.â
bucky chuckled lowly, his arms folding onto the table with. âi go all red in the face with just a quick glance from her. itâs like my bodyâs reacting before i could even think about what to say.â
his thumb circled the rim of his mug as he pursed his lips, his eyes carefully traced the ripples of the brown liquid inside the ceramic before continuing. âyâthink i got a shot at taking her to the flower dance next month?â
sam, too focused on mixing up the cocktail order from another client, only lifted his eyes to gaze behind bucky, head not moving an inch âyeah i do. but why donât you go ask her yourself?â he smirked.
bucky felt his feet run cold the second he heard footsteps approaching the bar counter, heart racing at speeds he's absolutely sure cannot be healthy. he looked at sam one more time who mouthed go get 'er, tiger before focusing on the drink in his hands like it wasn't almost empty and you weren't approaching the bar counter.
he straightened his slumping shoulders the second your fingers landed on the surface, face now plastered with a lazy grin. "well if it isn't my favorite city girl."
you raised an eyebrow, "you know any other city girls?"
"no, jus' you. but you're still my favorite."
you laughed as you slid into the stool beside his, "itâs nice seeing you here!" you cheerfully greeted, instantly lighting up the room with your presenceâor at least in buckyâs mind thatâs exactly what you did. in the corner of his eye, he can see sam's smirk grow into a playful grin before hurriedly turning around to tend to another customer. "do you come here often?"
âgotta let loose somehow.â he replied, bouncing his left foot up and down to try and quell the sudden spike of adrenaline his heartâs been pumping out the second he laid eyes on you. samâs never gonna let him hear the end of thisâso heâs giving his all to put on the charming front heâs carefully curated.
âtell me about it. as much as i love my grandfatherâs farm, itâs really a pain in the ass to maintain.â
âiâve been told the place has been looking better than ever.â bucky replied smoothly. in all actuality, no one told him that. heâs noticed it himself each time he purposefully passed by your farm on one of his morning jogs. steve teased him for suddenly taking a different route from his normal one, but the doctor kept on insisting heâs always been going down that path.
heâs even caught you working away at the farmâyour back facing him, knees flush to the ground and your cheeks stained with dirt. hands pulling apart the weeds on the ground with vigor as sweat dripped down to your clothes.
bucky thanked that the sun was nowhere near out when he witnessed the sight before him, the lack of light obscured his face from being seen. he felt a deep admiration for how hardworking you were. and by the end of the jog, his brain was already replaying the image of you over and over again.
âreally?â you lit up instantly, âitâs good to know that iâve at least got some amount of progress after breaking my back for months.â
you gave sam an order of sliders and a side of mozarella sticks before continuing your conversation. after declining an offer for a drink, you turned your focus back at bucky, who was giving you a look that spent your nerves in a frenzy.
âif you donât mind me asking, what brought you here to little olâ stonefield?â
you shrugged your shoulders with a smile, âwasnât a big fan of the life i was living back at the city. i tried convincing myself that living in new york with a nine-to-five job was the dream iâve always wanted.â
bucky sat in silence, attentively listening to you talk about the life you used to live back then.
âand then iârummaged through my office drawer one day and i found a letter from my grandfather. it had the deed to the farm and i justâŚbooked it and ran all the way here.â
âyou look a lot happier than you did the first time you moved here.â
âreally?â you teased, arm coming up to rest your chin on the palm of your hand. âdid my medical records tell you that?â
bucky matched the smug look on your face with one of his own, almost as if you were challenging him to a contest of sorts.
âwould you actually believe me if i said yes?â
âno way.â you laughed, hand slowly approaching the plate of sliders sam placed in front of you in between your conversation with bucky. âiâm curious, by the way, where did you study medicine? is there a college nearby?â
âi studied at columbia.â
âwhat!â the words came out louder than intended, your hands racing upwards to cover your mouth in mild embarrassment. âwhat!â you repeated, a lot quieter this time. âi used to live in new york! whyâd you choose to work here instead ofâyou knowâthere?â
bucky hummed in thought, resting his forearms on the furniture in front of him. "this town is near and dear to my heart. i can roam the entire world for the rest of my life, but i'll always find myself coming back here. you can take a man out of stonefield but not stonefield out the man." he remarked, "so, i figured i'd just practice medicine here."
you took a bite out of your slider, "i can see why you feel that way, this place is great. the last time i felt this happy and free was back in freshman year.â
the atmosphere surrounding the two of you began to shift as subtly leaned in closerâyou wouldâve missed it if you blinkedâbut it was there. as if he was subconsciously gravitating towards you like it was the most natural thing that occurred to him.
âyou mustâve had a lot of fun back then, city girl.â buckyâs head tutted towards one of the barrels of rum sitting behind sam, playful grin still lingering on his face. âyou drink?â
it was a dangerous game to be participating inâyou knew you get a bit much when you go drinking, and it especially doesnât help the fact that youâve got a not-so little crush on the man comfortably next to you. but youâll allow yourself to let loose just this onceâyouâre now getting the chance to spend time with the man youâve seen the least since moving despite wanting the opposite. and to top it off, who are you to pass on the opportunity of drinking with a man as pretty as him?
âi havenât found the time to drink lately.â you murmured somewhat bashfully, taking another bite out of your slider.
ââs that so?â bucky took a hold of the glass sam placed in front of him with that lazy charming smirk. dauntingly, he moved his weight from one arm to the other, almost inclining back on a non-existent wall behind himâlooking all suave and laid-backâan almost convincing ploy to cover how his heart was drumming like crazy right now. âlet me change that.â
you hesitantly pursed your lips in deep thought, a small hum vibrating through your throat. saturday nights are meant to be enjoyed, you reasoned. letting out a huff, you nodded your head in agreement with a grin. veggie deliveries will have to wait âtil monday, then.
the walk to the wandaâs ranch was one of the short periods of time where you truly got to think. while yes, you like to daydream while rummaging through the soils of your garden to keep your brain busy was what you usually doâlong walks were something you appreciated on a different level. as the leaves of the trees shuffled and your feet crunched against the gravel, youâd stare at the sky and think about whateverâs been bugging you, no matter how long ago or recent it was.
as you rounded a corner that brought you closer to your destination, samâs words ricocheted in the back of your mind. while visiting sarah to buy your weekâs worth of fish this morningâand to deliver some leeks and green beans she orderedâher brother offhandedly mentioned something about the freshness of your vegetables going great with buckyâs cooking.Â
âbucky can cook?â
âyeah. heâs like our personal nutritionist. always insisting on preparing us healthy meals whenever he gets the chance to. and ever since you started supplying steve with those vegetables of yours, itâs like he never wants to stop anymore.âÂ
âhuh.â
it checks out, you suppose. he takes care of peopleâs health for a living, it only makes sense he enjoys creating delicious and nutritious food for the people he cares for. hearing sam say those words did send a small jolt of pride in the pit of your chest, and you did spend all morning while watering the crops thinking about it like a hopeless romantic.
you couldnât stop the giddy smile from forming, face contorted in excitement and your cheeks slightly duster pink. the only ones to witness your look of love sickness on you were the mushrooms and carrots sleeping deep undergroundâwho were by now probably sick of hearing you fuss about the man working at the clinic.
come to think of it, youâve also been running into him more often at the store. you were now steveâs new supplier of produce (you lived far closer than any of his previous ones, and they were of better quality too) and on occasions you buy fertilizersâwhich was very frequent, youâve always, without fail, ran into bucky. and youâd stay at the general store longer than you had anticipated, but gladly so.Â
youâve even gone out of your way to give him some vegetables yourself, more so as an excuse to his face, after sharing that eventful night with him at the bar. since then, youâve increasingly grown closer to the town doctor to the point that appointments were one of the things you looked forward to the most.Â
you remember him visiting you at the farm one quiet afternoon the day afterâto your surprise, he went out of his way to check on you. you were busying yourself as always clearing out the land, when out of nowhere a tall man with broad shoulders showed up with food in his hands.Â
âshouldnât you be resting?âÂ
your heart practically leaped out of your chest as the voice coming from behind you boomed, making you drop your shovel in surprise.
âchrist, you scared the shit out of me. arenât doctors supposed to treat heart attacks and not induce them?â you held a gloved hand against your thundering chest.Â
bucky let out a laugh as he closed the distance between the two of you. he dressed like he just clocked out of workâhis long sleeves were rolled up until his elbows and his necktie was hanging loosely against the buttons on the fabric. his right hand was pocketed while the other held a plastic bag.
âsorry, thought you could hear my footsteps.â he watched you dust yourself off the ground, eyes squinted.Â
bucky, overcome with concernâand slightly overwhelmed with the desperation to see you againâdecided to visit you the morning after your abrupt drinking session with him at the saloon.
he only drank a decent amount, being not too fond of drinking too much, and while you did drink as much as him, maybe even a bit less, your steps were wobbly and uneven while your voice slurred the moment your feet clashed against the floorboards of the saloon, and bucky graciously took you back home with his hand warming your back and your drunken ramblings in his ear.
it was a miracle, really, that you managed to keep your feelings for the guy closed and tucked away into one of the corners of your heartâeffectively saving you from the embarrassment youâre bound to face the day after not just from bucky, but probably from sam too.
âwhatcha got there?â you asked, tilting your head to the side to get a better glance at the contents of the paper bag he was carrying around in curiosity. Â
he lifted it up to grant you a better look, whatever was inside was contained in a brown boxâso you still had zero clue about whatâs inside.
âfood. i thought you wouldâve taken the day off so i brought you something to eat.â his head steered towards the direction of where you were previously crouched at, hat over your head and your fingers through the ground. âbut i guess not even alcohol can keep a girl away from her farm.â
âdamn right. these carrots are my babies.â you glanced towards your front porch, fingers already pulling off the leather material encasing them. âwould you like to go inside? we can share whatever you brought.âÂ
âwhat about your babies?â
âi was about done, anyway.â you shrugged, already heading towards the farmhouse. âcome on, itâs hot out here.â
needless to sayâyour growing adoration for him sowed deeper that day.
your knuckles clattered against the oak surface of wandaâs ranch, the basket of potatoes sat bolstered in their sack against your chest, your gloved hands holding the material with extra care.Â
not long after, the door jarred open to reveal your friend wandaâwho was in similar clothing as you.
âgood morning, city girl.â she teased, lips curling into a grin, âi see youâve brought my potatoes! i canât wait to try out this new recipe i saw on tv. thanks babe.âÂ
she expressed her gratitude and took the sack from you, âdo you have anyone in mind to be your partner for the flower dance?â wanda queried, leaning against the door frame and her voice teasing and her eyes had mischief written all over it.
you gave her a pointed lookâyou know that she knew who you want to go to the event with, youâve been mouthing off his name behind closed doors for weeks now. rolling your eyes, you crossed your arms and stood tall. âi dunno. i might not even go.â
âwe all know youâll be there, girl.â
âwe donât know that.â
now it was her turn to roll her eyes. you both knew youâll be there despite your incessant attempts of saying otherwise.
shaking her head, she held the handle to the door and looked at you apologetically, âiâd love to stay longer and chat, but i gotta get back to work, the cows wonât milk themselves.â
chuckling, you nodded in understanding and bid farewellâwanda waved you off before promptly going back to milking the cows with how loud they were howling inside the barn.Â
on your way back home, you heard a pair of elderly ladies sitting on the bench chattering about. now, it was absolutely none of your business to be eavesdropping whatever they were talking about. but with how loud they were talking about said business, you canât possibly put all the blame on yourself.
you slightly tilted your head forward towards their directionâyour steps decelerated as much as you can without looking like a weirdo.
âi saw bucky looking at flowers this morning, who do you think itâs for?â one elderly woman exclaimed, crossing her legs and her hand flailed in the air.Â
the other responded, âthe flower dance is just around the corner, isnât it? maybe heâll finally ask natasha out!â
your heart sank. six feet underâmaybe twice more than that. just as fast as your heart dropped down like it was held dozens of meters up in the sky, you were hit with the whirlwind of emotions that came along with it.
your feet slowed into a halt, hidden somewhere behind a tree near the old pair, but still far enough for you to go unnoticed. you already heard a lot more than you shouldâveâunfortunatelyâmight as well listen to what else they have to say and most likely crush your hopes from shattered to fine powder.
âiâve always loved them together! they make such a cute couple!â
the lady with her legs crossed shook her head, a scowl evident on her face. âi wonder what took him this long! it was pretty obvious from the get go it was gonna be her, he couldâve asked her out ages ago!â
you left the second you the other old woman retaliated something in return, mumbling about timing and busy lives, not caring about whatever else they have to say. or rather, you couldnât bear to hear what more they have to say, your heart was already heavy as it is.
the rest of the walk back home was a blur, and you no longer had the energy to install the water sprinklers you got from steve earlier this weekâtheyâll just have to wait until tomorrow. for now, youâre going to drown your misery with sitcoms and ice cream.
you didnât feel foolish at all for liking a man like bucky, but a part of you did feel silly for feeling so defeated and disheartened just from hearing gossip. you began recounting each of your interactions with bucky that included natashaâand your mind came up with the definitive answer that the flowers were meant for her. theyâve known each other longer than you have, theyâve got a bunch of things in common, theyâre basically meant for each other. Â
plopping down onto the comfortable sheets atop your bed, you let out a blood-curdling muffled scream into the mattress, heart still lodged into the streets where you heard the world-destroying news from their throats.Â
you were now armed with a new goalâget over your witless crush on bucky before the flower dance so you wouldnât have to try and survive the pain of seeing him dance with another girl.
bucky didnât know what to do. to be frank, he was completely losing it on steveâs couch. steve was sitting on a chair adjacent to the settee bucky was crying his heart out on (not really, but steve definitely sees it that way), and it seemed like steve was going to be the psychiatrist for bucky today.
âi used to talk to her about seven times a week. now itâs gone down to one, even zero! i feel like i made that one scenario up in my head to cope, so i think i didnât see her all week.â bucky complained, gaze glued onto the ceiling light of steveâs living room.
itâs all thatâs been on buckyâs mind recently. he checks on patientsâ vitals a tad longer than usual with how his head is at a different placeâhe hasnât been able to walk on the streets peacefully with the amount of times he thought he saw your face that day, only for him to turn around and see that it wasnât you.Â
and on the rare instance that it was youâyouâd immediately duck your head and speedwalk out of whatever establishment the both of you were in. he chalked the first occurrence on bad luck, as well as the second time. but by the thirdâhe was fully convinced that you were ignoring him.
heâs already racked his head on all sides trying to figure out what he had done for you to avoid him like heâs the plague, but bucky always circled to the conclusion that he had done nothing wrong, leaving him perplexed.
âyouâve been counting?â the blondeâs eyebrows raised in concern, slightly taken aback by what he heard.Â
âsubconsciously,â bucky defended, âi cherish every moment i get to see her. itâs practically part of my routine. but now, i didnât see her onceânot on the streets, your store, by the dock, itâs like sheâs completely disappeared.âÂ
âand the problem isâŚ?â
buckyâs blue sorry eyes shifted onto steve, âiâm supposed to ask her out to the flower dance, stevie. i already asked esther to save me some peonies.â his dragged his hands down his face, covering the flesh with his rigid fingers.Â
his friend sat with his nose stuck between the pages of an art magazine, mindlessly flipping through each entry as he listened to the town doctor lavish in his feelings. âwhat stupid thing did you do this time, buck?â
ânothing!â he shot up from the couch, looking borderline unhinged. âi-i donât think i did anythingâŚi justââ bucky groaned, planting himself back onto the soft cushions.Â
there were too many words in his chest and not enough courage to let them out. too many parts of him that had quietly started to expect you. with eyes full of longing and a few too many limbs craving for your presence, the words that ached to run free died on buckyâs tongue. he felt powerlessâutterly crushed, even. but he couldnât do anything but wait for you to come around again. because doctors donât show up to checkups unless asked for.Â
âi miss her.â
the days breezed by, and as fast as spring rolled around, the day of the flower dance came. you entered the secluded venue with your arm linked around sarahâsâeyes unintentionally scanning the area to look for the auburn haired manâto avoid him, of course.Â
although it was your first flower dance, you knew this wouldnât be your last. the place, though hidden in greenery, was absolutely breathtaking. the trees hid just enough of the sky and the sunâs light peeked through them like spotlights. the cool air kissed weaved through your hair as you stepped inside, all while waving at a few townsfolk.Â
you were wearing an all-white dress with flowers decorated onto your hair. the dress belonged to wandaâshe was kind enough to lend you the garment for the time being since it was your first time attending the annual event and you had no available white dress, you didnât really have to prepare since you were already wearing the stress of moving in and fixing the farm.
wanda already went ahead of you, eager to go to the festival early with vision. you still had no idea who you wanted to ask to dance withâso you decided to head towards the food table for the mean time.
there were an array of dishes on displayâfrom barbecue to dozens of seafood dishesâyou set your sights, along with your stomach, on enjoying the free food the town had to offer.
as your hand carried an empty paper plate, a large warm hand cupped your shoulder. you jumped in your skin while your heart fell through your ass at the thought of whose face youâd be seeing when you turn aroundâit made you want to not turn around.Â
before you could further debate on looking back, the voice the hand belonged to cut through your thoughts.
âlovely seeing you here.â
thank god. it was steve, youâve never felt so refreshed when that wave of relief washed over you.Â
âthatâs a very beautiful dress! looks good on you.â
giggling, you turned your full attention to him. âthanks, steve.âÂ
he was dressed nicelyâclothed in all white and a ranunculus placed in his breast pocket. he didnât look half bad.
âwhoâs your partner for the dance?â you questioned, subtly trying to look around to see if you could catch a glimpse of buckyâbecause if steve was here, heâs bound to be in the same place as well.Â
steve shrugged, coming forward to stand beside you and serve himself a cup of fruit punch. âi donât plan on dancing.â
âwhat!â you shrieked, before covering your mouth and lowering your voice to a more respectable tone. âyou arenât serious. youâre wearing such a nice suit, you canât let it go to waste!â
âno oneâs asked me to dance with them yet, so i guessâŚi donât really plan on participating in the dance. iâm okay with watching.â
no oneâs asked him to dance?! a man that fine cannot be wasted and cast aside as a bystander!
with a look of seriousness suddenly replacing the smile on your face, an expression that steve could only slightly describe as terrifying, âdance with me, then.â you offered.
steve, shocked at what he was hearing, couldnât help the confused sound he le out. âwhat? but didnât he ask you to beââ
âwho asked me to be their what?â
ânevermind.â steve shook his head, maybe bucky didnât go through with his plan of asking you out, since here you areâstanding alone and loitering around the food table. besides, youâre a close friend of hisâand the festival was about begin, it wouldnât hurt to dance with you when you asked him to.Â
and he figured bucky needed a little push to grow his confidence.
 âalright, iâll dance with you.â
steve craned his head in all directions in search of his best friend, bucky insisted he went on ahead to the festival but he is nowhere to be seen.
âalright, everyone!â mayor arthurâs voice boomed through the speakers, âto all of those ready and plan on participating in the dance, please step towards the middle with your partner!â he instructed, clearly excited to get things going.
âthatâs our cue!â you cheered, grabbing steve by the hand and pulling him to where the others are gathered.
you stood in front of each other beside wanda and vision, who gave you a teasing look to which you tried waving off.Â
âi see youâve already found your partner.âÂ
âwanda! shhh, iâm only doing this for fun!â you scolded, voice barely above a whisper.Â
wanda laughed incredulously, âi wasnât saying anything!âÂ
you rolled your eyes and focused your attention back to steve, a nervous look now on your face. âokay, so i know i asked you to this dance, but i have no idea how to dance.â
steve laughed at that, genuine and sincere. âitâs alright, just follow my lead.âÂ
and as the music began and rang through the forestâbucky could feel his chest tighten and his fist tremble with how hard he was clutching it.Â
okay, maybe he didnât really have the right to feel this way. he wasnât able to ask you out since he didnât see you the entire week before the flower danceâyet it still sent a pang of sadness and worst of all jealousy through his heart at the sight of you dancing with steve.Â
you looked like you were having a lot of fun. despite stepping on steveâs and your own foot more times than a normal person was capable ofâyou were laughing to your heartâs content. and bucky wasnât fond of the thought that it should be him making you this happy.Â
all he could do was watch at a distance and fix his tie to hide the look of hurt spread across his face.
âsteve i am so so sorry!â you laughed, stepping over his foot again. âi genuinely have no idea what iâm doing.âÂ
the blonde holding your hands breathed out a hearty laughter, amused at your antics. âat least youâre having fun, that makes up for looking like an idiot.â
ârude. but iâll let it slide, rogers.âÂ
his fingers gently guided your body to twirl around his, your dress flowing along with the air and the flowers made your smile glowing brighter with each step.Â
the crowd cheered as the song subsided, and your feet were starting to go numb with how much it has collided into steveâs that noon.Â
you excused yourself from steve with a giggleâclaiming that you need to use the restroom and to take a breatherâyour heart beating relentlessly with joy from having so much fun. you made a beeline towards the small area quite a few steps away from the venue, but before you could make it any further away, a hand clasped your armâmaking you stop and let out a small screech.
thinking it was steve, you quickly turned around to tell him off for scaring you the second time.Â
âsteve can you please stop ambushing me from behindââ
no. it wasnât steve. no, it wasnât wanda or sarah either. to your absolute terror and surprise, it was bucky.
âoh.â was all you could say, your throat suddenly running dry at the sight of the man in front of you.
maybe it was the side of you that was so deprived of him talkingâbut boy, did he look good.Â
his hair was combed over, and he wore a suit similar to steveâsâbut it looked so much better on bucky. his steel blue irises stared into yours, and he was angelicâwith the rays of the sun shining against his backâit almost looked like he had a halo.Â
he had a defeated look on his face, like he was desperate to see you. the second you turned around, the grip on his hand tightened as he murmured your name, the tone of his voice dangerously low.
âwhereâve you beenâŚ?â he chuntered, grip persistent. âi havenât seen you in two weeks.â
âi was justâbusy with the farm.â you broke eye contact to look at your feet, unable to bear the look on his face because you know your resolve would crack if you stared a second longer. âcan you- umâŚiââÂ
âyou can at least give me a better answer than that. i know youâve been ignoring me.âÂ
youâve been caught redhanded. and being the stubborn person you are, you held your gaze on the groundâheart starting to ache at the confrontation happening. in all honesty, you didnât know what to tell him. you couldnât give him the true, foolish reason as to why youâve been circumventing away from him to an unreasonable degree.
âb-but itâs true, i have been busy.â you didnât know if you were trying to convince bucky or yourself with how meek you were speaking, like the mere thought of raising your voice would cause your throat to close up and the dam that kept your feelings at bay to burst open.
bucky pursed his lips, his hold on you loosening but still intact, like he was deathly afraid you would disappear the second heâd let you go. âlook at me when you say that.â he pressed, voice dripping with desperation.
âdo you know howâhow crushing it was for you to suddenly just⌠stop talking to me all of a sudden?âÂ
head still lowered down like a dejected puppy, all you could do was shift your weight from one foot to the other.Â
âiâi thought i was doing things right, and then you just- just treated me like weâre strangers again, like it all meant nothing. i spent so many nights thinking and thinking about what i did wrong.âÂ
bucky stepped closer, the tip of his shoes almost touching yours, you could practically feel the warmth radiating from him. hesitantly, you built up the courage to look into his eyesâa decision youâve come to regret after seeing the face of absolute devastation and sadness in themâlike the act of you avoiding him was physically painful.
âand then i saw you dancing with steve, whatâs up with that?âÂ
âwh-what do you care? the people i dance with are none of your business.â
in complete contrast to the conversation, buckyâs lips were hovering against yours. you didnât make any effort to stop it because truthfully, you couldnât find it in you to do so. you couldnât lie to yourself that you didnât like the feeling of his chest flush against yours. all your hard work of trying to forget about him dissipated into thin air the second his hands curled on your waist.
you donât know who leaned in first, but it took you a second to realize his lips were already molding into yours, accompanied by a rough calloused hand grazing your cheek. his tongue pushing past your lipsâfeverish and wet and sloppyâand you could feel the jealousy practically oozing on it as it danced with yoursâthe intrusion causing you to let out a soft gasp bucky gladly swallowed.Â
your hands grasped his neck to deepen the kiss, your own desperation growing clearer. you couldnât think straight about how good it felt to finally feel his lips on yoursâlike it was something you didnât admit youâve been needing for a long, long time.Â
bucky broke off the kiss to admire youâhow pink your lips have gotten, swollen from all the kissing and your eyesâpupils blown, half-lidded and full of devotion. âtell me you want this.âÂ
you swallowed a breath caught in your throat, hips bucking against nothing in desperation as your cunt pulsed with pure need. âi-i wanâ you buckyâ fuck please-â
you reached for the zipper of his slacks, eager and needy and wanting more.
he flipped you to face the bark of the tree, heavy hands coming to still your jittery hips desperately trying to relieve the ache in your cunt. he lifted your dress high enough to reveal the wet spot on the fabric of your pantie, and ran two fingers over itâcausing you to yelp in response.
âpleaseâbucky- i need you so badââ
you heard the rattling of a belt clinging loose, and the thick head of his cock pressing against the entrance of your warmth, sliding it against your folds but not quite pushing in just to tease you.Â
you groaned in frustration, hands scraping on the rough surface of the tree, âbuckyâ please put it inââ you whined pathetically, wiggling your hips to try and entice him to end your suffering.Â
âso impatient, city girl.â bucky murmured condescendingly, palm coming to run across your lower back before settling on your side, âalright, since you asked so nicely.â
bucky began to shove the tip of his cock to intrude into you, deliciously slowâhe wanted to savor the feeling of being in your warm, welcoming walls before he completely ruins you for anyone else.
âfuck!â you whined, hands bracing against the tree while your hips pushed back to grind against his. âbuckyâoh my god-â
âyouâre so fucking tight.â bucky hissed, already falling apart just from being inside of you.
slowly, he began to pull out inch by inch, before pushing back inside all in one swift thrust. bucky had to quickly clamp a hand on your mouth to stop the loud wanton moan from echoing into the forest.Â
âgotta be quiet, baby.â he leaned over closer to you, sheathing himself to the hilt inside of youâbreath fanning over your ear and his hips burrowing impossibly deeper into your leaking pussyâyour back bowing in the process.
wet, pornographic slapping filled the space in between the air and the bushes. his cock, thick and pulsing, began to drill into you repeatedly and you could feel your eyes go bleary and your knees give up at the sudden speed he decided to pick up at. if it werenât for his large hand muffling the obscene sounds you were letting outânot squeezing or gripping, just strong enough to keep your sounds to himselfâyou wouldâve been caught by anyone unlucky enough to be in these parts of the woods.
the leaves shook with each drag of his cockâsending a jolt of electricity up your spine as the knot in your belly slowly building up. he felt like he was splitting you openâyour hands were scrambling behind him to find purchase as he continued to plow into your cunt, juices messily dripping down your legs.Â
before you could ask for more, his thumb began to rub tight circles over your clitâswollen and throbbingâcausing your hips to jerk back against him. he trailed hot, open-mouthed kisses along the curve of your neck before sucking on that particular sensitive part of your skin, leaving red and purple marks in its wake.
âfeel good, sweetheart? yâthink steve can make you feel this good?â he moaned, still sucking on your neck like he couldnât get enough of you, âkeep quiet, doll.â
you changed his name like a prayer behind the skin of his fingers, biting your lip harsh enough to draw blood, the pleasure sowing itself deep into your abdomen and running up from your toes and through your entire body almost too much to handleâthe coil in your stomach threatening to snap. you can feel how soaked you are, your slick was practically drenching your abandoned underwear bunched up around your ankles.Â
his hands were harsh against your skin, clenching hard enough to leave bruises in its wakeâyouâre sure to look like you got beaten in an alley but only in specific places after this.
bucky could feel you getting close with how tight youâve been clamping on his thick cock, pushing him closer and closer to sweet release, he rocked his hips with much more fervor and intensityâand you screamed at the change of paceâhe pulled you back onto him as if to say you canât run away from it.
his sweat stricken forehead pressed into your temple, âmine.â thrusting particularly harder into you, he bit down on the space between your neck and shoulderâa loud wanton moan ripped through your throat before you could stop it, fingers desperately clutching on the large hands that enveloped your waist.
you felt yourself cum before you even realize it, gushing and coating your already damp thighs in your juices leaving your body shaking while he painted your walls white with a groan of his ownâhis cum slowly began to trickle down your plush, now limp and numb thighs.
bucky slowly began to pull out all the while rubbing slow, comforting circles on your bruised hips and soaked thighs.Â
suddenly it struck youânow hit with the clarity of post-orgasm, you quickly clambered to collect your bearings, leaving bucky with a confused expression and struggling to catch up with you as he hurriedly tucked his cock back in his pants.
âwoah woah, are you sure you can walk right nowâ?â
you sputtered, âi-imâ this was a mistake i shouldnâtâve-â
he flashed you a look of disbelief, âa mistake? we justââ
âwhat if natasha noticed weâre both missing. i donât want to cause any dramaââ
bucky held up a hand to stop your rambling, brows furrowed and his head in a doozy. âwait, natasha? what does she have to do with all of this?â
âum,â you felt like a small child being asked by her parents to explain something they probably wouldnât understand, all you needed to do was to twiddle your thumbs and youâd get the part. âarenât you-? isnât she yourâyou knowâŚdonât you like her?â
âwhat?â
âi overheard some old people talk about you buying her flowers and the flower dance was coming soon so i thoughtâi thoughtââ
before you could continue mumbling about even further, bucky cut you off with a loud, obnoxious laughter that left him clutching his stomach in pain.Â
âwh-whatâs so funnyââ
âis that why youâve been ignoring me? you thought those flowers were for her?â
âi mean, arenât they-â
âthey were meant for you, city girl.â he shook his head with exasperatedly, âi was planning on asking you out to the flower dance, but you went ahead and ignored me for days on end. i ended up not going through with the plan when i saw you dancing with steve.â
âoh.âÂ
âyeah âoh.â i thought i made it pretty clear i liked you.â
âthey were talking about how you were taking too long and that probably meant youâve already liked her for a long time! so i just thought you were beingâyou knowânice.âÂ
annoyingly enough, he let out another laugh. now suddenly feeling stupid, you stretched your arms forward to try and hide your face into the crook of his neck.
you were about to roll your eyes and complain about missing the food when all of a sudden bucky rushed to press his hand over your mouth once more.
âwait. shhh, someoneâs there.âÂ
the words shut you up instantly, simmering your breathing down to barely audible to try and listen for whatever bucky heard that caused him to hush you up.
âhello?â someone called out from behind the trees, âis someone there?â
bucky held a finger against his lips and gripped your hips tighter, and you had to stop yourself from letting a giggle bubble up from your chest.Â
as the footsteps began to fade out, you and bucky both simultaneously let out a shared laugh at the thought of almost getting caught by some poor townsfolk.
bucky leaned against the tree trunk he was previously railing you on, âwe should umâprobably get back.â
you nodded in agreement, âyeah iâm starving-â
âand youâre dancing with me this time.â
@ chipotleburritobowl. do not steal i will scissor you

















