Caramel Kisses
Characters: 40’s!Bucky x Fem!Reader
Word Count: <2.2K (!!)
Summary: Bucky takes you to the fall festival at Coney Island.
Content Warning: Pure fluff! Established relationship (young love!), kissing, use of pet names (doll, my girl, sweetheart)
A/N: I’m so excited to present my piece for Stan-O-Ween with the Stantastic Association! Banner and divider by me. Written and edited on my phone; any and all mistakes are my own.
Masterlist || AO3
A rainbow of leaves crunch underfoot as you and Bucky walk through the busy streets of Brooklyn. Pedestrians brush by on the sidewalk as street lamps begin to flicker on, the cool air nipping gently at any exposed skin it can reach.
You probably should’ve worn stockings today, the fabric of your dress not quite enough to battle October’s evening temperatures—but it’s too late for that now.
And Bucky’s entirely to blame.
“Hey, doll,” he had said. A charmingly crooked grin adorned his face the moment you opened your door. “You, me, Coney Island. What d’you think?”
You glanced at the small clock on the wall of your apartment, the time barely after 6pm. The sun is already beginning to set. “So late?” you questioned, head tilted to the side.
He just nodded and didn’t give you another moment to think before his hand wrapped around your wrist, tugging you out the door. You had barely managed to grab your coat off the rack before you found yourself rushing down the stairs of the apartment building, trying not to trip over your own feet attempting to keep up with him.
Now, vehicles pass by on the street in a rush, and despite him walking between you and the road like the gentleman his ma raised him to be, his body is unable to shield you completely from the added breeze to the already cool air.
“Buck, are you sure this is a good idea? It’s probably colder at the Island,” you say, one hand firmly tucked in the crook of his arm, the other shoved in the small pocket of your coat.
He glances over at you, a boyish grin spreading on his face as his blue eyes meet yours, sparkingly in the evening light. “Don’t worry, sweetheart, I’ll keep you warm.” He places a large hand over the top of yours and guides you towards the stairs to the subway. “Besides, I’m sure at least one of the stands has some hot apple cider.”
By the time you step off the subway and onto the street, the air is borderline cold. A small breeze blows off the bay and through your hair—and your clothes, for that matter.
You can almost swear Bucky smirks as you cling tighter to him for the warmth seeping through his own coat.
The lights of Coney Island shine brightly in front of you as you approach, and a smile tugs at the corners of your lips despite the temperature. The sounds of rides, screaming children, and the not-so-distant sound of waves crashing onto the beach fill the air.
Bucky is practically giddy—his love of rides, carnival games, and food easily accessible and all in one place.
Booths line the street, each one decorated for the season. Some have paper pumpkins plastered on the signs, some have fake spiderwebs. Others have leafy garlands draped along the counters, or simple signs that read 'Happy Halloween!' As you pass, you notice each one has at least one Halloween-themed prize to win.
“Smell that?” Bucky suddenly says as the arched entrance comes into view. His eyes close momentarily as his chin tilts into the air, inhaling the scent of cinnamon, sugar, and the salty sea air.
You take a quick sniff and your stomach growls obscenely loud, like you hadn’t already eaten before he showed up on your doorstep. Bucky laughs, opening his eyes to look at you.
“Alright, let’s get my girl a little something, huh?”
The two of you make your way inside the main area of Luna Park, families bustling about and trying to wrangle their kids, and couples on similar date nights to your own.
Bucky first buys two hot dogs—“Gotta make sure we don’t get sick from just sugar”—before making you ride the Cyclone twice.
But that’s not nearly enough for the Sergeant, who eats like he’s still a growing teenager, so he then buys some kettle corn and proceeds to lose about half the bag in his mission to catch each piece in his mouth.
“Buck,” you say with a laugh, tugging on his arm just in time for him to toss another in the air. “You’re wasting it!” He opens his mouth wide, and sure enough, it bounces right off his forehead and falls to the ground for a pigeon to snatch up.
He chuckles in response, nudging you with his shoulder. “Fine, your turn.”
He tosses one in the air before you can protest and it hits you on the nose before joining the other pieces on the concrete. He laughs loudly, head falling back as he grabs his stomach.
“Bucky!” you swat his arm playfully, grabbing the bag from his hands. “This is mine now. No more for you.”
He gasps in mock offense, bottom lip sticking out in a pout. “Really, doll? But I’m still hungry.”
You shrug and back away, careful to hold the bag out of his immediate reach. “You can’t be that hungry, Sergeant, or you’d eat it.”
He narrows his eyes playfully and follows your movement, taking a step towards you. “I was eating it.”
You move back again, and he follows without hesitation, the curve of a small smirk beginning to form on his face. “You’re really going to keep it from me?”
“Only to make sure the pigeons don’t get all of it.” You turn and begin walking towards the Wonder Wheel, not bothering to check that he’s following.
He scoffs, lunging forward to quickly close the distance, his strong arms wrapping around your waist and pulling you into his chest. You squeal as he does so, earning the stares of several people around you. Warmth radiates from him, his broad chest pressed against your back, and you realize just how cold you’ve gotten here on the boardwalk.
“Sweetheart, the birds need to eat, too,” he teases with a wide grin.
He leans down, his cold nose nuzzling into the warm crook of your neck. The temperature difference is startling and you squeak softly, squirming in his grip. His smile drops. “Are you cold?”
You nod, a shiver following quickly, and he frowns. “I’m so sorry, I told you I’d keep you warm. C’mon, let’s go get you a drink.”
Keeping you closely tucked into his side, he guides you to yet another vendor, this one stocked with all sorts of fall goodies—apple cider, pumpkin cookies, Rice Krispie treats shaped like ghosts, and caramel apples with varying toppings.
Bucky orders two hot cups of cider, the steam evaporating quickly into the night air as your cold fingers wrap around the warm paper cup. Then, despite your refusal, he buys a caramel apple.
“Y’know what we should do?” he says, taking a sip of his own cider, gaze flicking around the many attractions and booths as he twirls the caramel apple by the stick absentmindedly. The crowd is beginning to thin, the late time and ocean breeze starting to scare people off. “We should go ride the Red Mill.”
You shake your head, knowing what’s coming. “You would suggest that,” you tease, face burning again.
He scoffs playfully, eyes rolling before landing on you again. “Is it so bad that I want to sit close to my favorite girl in a dark boat, drinking cider and just generally enjoying your company?” He winks and jerks his head for you to follow as he makes his way across the park towards the ride’s entrance.
You bite your lip, heels clicking on the ground as you hurry to keep up with his long strides, careful not to spill your drink.
The line is short, but by the time the small boat pulls up in front of the two of you, your cider is gone; thirst and desire for warmth completely taking over. Bucky tosses both your garbage before climbing in behind you, draping one arm over the back of your seat and pulling you close.
“You spoil me, you know that?” you say, leaning your head on his shoulder in hopes to steal some of his body heat.
He grins like a kid in a candy shop that’s been told he has an unlimited budget and to get anything he wants. He sits up a little straighter and puffs out his chest. “Damn right I do. You deserve everything.”
Your heart leaps, a different kind of warmth spreading rapidly in your chest. You feel your face flush again and the muscles in your cheeks beginning to ache from smiling so much.
He rests his cheek on your head for a moment as the ride jerks to life, the small boat heading for the dark tunnel ahead.
It's not long before he’s eyeing the caramel apple still in his hand, and he speaks again. “You’re gonna help me with this, right?”
You nod as you look up at him, watching him take the first bite. His lips press into the sticky treat, humming in appreciation. A small piece of caramel sticks to his lip, which he licks right off as he offers the stick to you, your fingers brushing his as you take it.
The caramel surprisingly soft when you take a bite, and as you start to hand the stick back to Bucky, you notice the smirk plastered on his face.
“You, uh,” he starts, pointing to his own lip. “You’ve got a bit of caramel.”
You raise your eyebrows and attempt to lick the sticky goop off your lip, but you must not have gotten it all because his smirk widens.
“It’s still there, isn’t it?” you ask quietly, your free hand flying up to cover your mouth. Of course he had to buy the stickiest dessert at the park. And of course he had to drag then you onto his second favorite ride at Coney Island, far from any napkins.
“Here, I’ve got you.”
He gently moves your hand out of the way, his thumb coming up to carefully swipe at the caramel and lingering a moment longer than necessary.
Your breath hitches, heart skipping a beat. It’s been months by now, but no matter how long you’ve been with him, James Barnes still takes your breath away. Tonight was no exception.
“You’re staring, sweetheart.” He smirks, voice low and wrapping you in a different kind of warmth. He pulls his thumb away, sticking it in his mouth to clean off the caramel.
“I can’t help it, James,” you whisper, face burning.
He chuckles softly, thumb slipping back out of his mouth as his blue eyes locked on yours. Something in his facial expression shifts—subtle, but there.
Neither of you have been paying any attention to the ride, the scenes drifting by as though they aren’t even there.
Slowly, he reaches back up to cup your face, palm rough against your soft skin. “Sweetheart, I hope you know how much you mean to me,” he whispers, pausing for a moment, eyes searching yours in the dim light of the ride. “I would do anything for you. Including eating caramel off your face.”
You nearly snort a laugh at that and lean into his warm touch. “I can take another bite of the apple if that’s what you want.”
He chuckles again, gaze flicking to your parted lips. “That won’t be necessary.”
Just as the ride’s current scene ends and transitions into darkness, Bucky leans forward, his soft lips brushing against yours—slow and completely unbothered.
The darkness envelops you, heightening your remaining senses. The smooth glide of his lips on your own has something tugging in your gut, and he tastes of caramel, cinnamon, and apples. The clicking of the ride’s track, water gently flowing around the boat, and a soft hum of contentment are the only sounds you can hear. You're not even sure if the sound came from you or him, too lost in the moment to care.
One large hand slides to the back of your head, the other finding its way to your waist to pull you closer in your seat and deepening the kiss. Your arms find their way around his neck, caramel apple stick still firmly in your hand.
He pulls back after a few moments and rests his forehead on yours, lips parted and kiss-swollen.
The boat glides along, finally exiting the building and back outside to the cold night air. There’s a twinkle in his eye as he helps you up and out of the ride, one that usually appears when he’s feeling mischievous—which is often.
“Don’t you dare,” you whisper, eyes darting around your surroundings. He smirks. “James, I swear—”
You don’t have a chance to finish before he’s scooping you up into his arms and tossing you over his shoulder. Your happy squeals capturing the attention of everyone still on this end of the boardwalk as he takes his sweet time heading back to the subway.
Tag list (WIP): @star-yawnznn @sebastians-love @wint3rbarnes @sunday-bug @gremlin-girly @barnes-babydoll @sebs-babygirl @wherewinterblooms @wintersoldiersgfie @buckytakethewheel @overwintering-soldier @miraclediviner
Finally getting my act together with the taglist, sorry if I’ve been missing you!
