Blacksmith’s (1/2)
The age might be a bit off, but this was inspired by of course CIVIL WAR and a very lovely piece of art I stumbled upon by @marty-mc of a smol hipster!Steve and a tol veteran!Bucky ^^ it was too perfect (a word that I don’t use very often) and I just had to do something apart from show it to all my Stucky shipping friends who wanted a fluff fic. This may be a bit fluffy??? Like in the later bit??? But idk, I sorta combined it with a cafe!au so enjoy ^^
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Hipster/veteran au:
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Sitting at Blacksmith's was Steve's favourite pastime. He often stayed there for hours every other day, his sketchbook before him and multiple cappuccinos over the expanse of time at which he stayed. His friend Sam who was a barista there would shake his head, saying he has no concept of time, that lad, he simply enjoyed sitting there and taking in the daily surroundings.
"You know one day your hand's gonna fall off from the amount of drawing you do." Sam said, dropping off another cuppa for his blonde-haired friend. Steve rolled his eyes and propped up his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose, giving Sam a pointed look after.
"The only one whose hand is gonna fall off is yours if you get another tattoo." He snorted in response, jerking his head at Sam'a sleeve on his right hand. In comparison, his left hand was bare except for a two little birds by his wrist and a feather behind his left ear. Steve never quite understood his fascination with birds.
Sam shook his head with a bemused smile and went back to work, leaving Steve to his devices as the blue-eyed Brooklyn-born scanned the sidewalk for his next muse.
A different day, a different sketch, he had the time to spare and his sketchbook was all but filled with sketches of multiple personalities. It didn't matter that they were just people, it mattered that all had a story and he tried to capture that story within the time that he saw them.
Something glinted and caught his eye. He spotted a figure walking towards the cafe. A man, looking to be slightly older than him, in a camo jacket, a grey v-neck and long back jeans tucked into black combat boots.
His hair was shaved at the sides and the rest was grown out and tucked into a man-bun while his left ear was lined with piercings, a small sliver of a red star tattoo peeking out from the collar of his shirt. The shocking glint that had caught Steve's eye was the flash of something metallic under the left sleeve of the camo jacket.
Another small flash. It seemed as if there was something metal hidden beneath the black glove that hid hand. How queer.
Steve took a sip of his cuppa, set his pencil-tip down onto the paper and began to sketch. The mysterious man ordered his drink, exchanged pleasantries with Nat, the other barista, it seemed he was a regular and Steve wondered how he'd never noticed this peculiar character before, and sat back outside to wait. Steve was so engrossed in sketching the man that he didn't notice Sam hovering over his shoulder and the mystery man sipping his coffee.
"So, Buck's your new muse?" Sam suddenly said, startling Steve out of his trance.
"Buck?" Steve asked curiously, shooting a glance at the man. He let out a gasp when he noticed that the length of his arm exposed between his jacket sleeve and his glove was made of metal.
"Sergeant James, Nat calls him Bucky." Sam nodded.
"Is he a veteran?" Steve asked, still transfixed by the man's arm.
"You guessed it. Fought in Syria, let's just say shit got real and he lost his arm. They got it fixed though, a real neat metal biometric arm and shit, works just fine now." Sam rambled and his eyes went back to Steve's sketch. "Want me to ask him not to move for another hour?"
"NO!" Steve exclaimed, which drew attention to his state and his cheeks flushed red as he noticed James turn to look at him. "You know how I like to draw people, in their calm serene state where they don't know I'm sketching them and they’re in their own world." Steve quietened his voice and Sam rolled his eyes.
"Yeah yeah, got it Captain Rogers. Here's your refill. Have fun." Same gave him a mock salute and a chuckle before Steve could ask him more. Steve let his eyes wander back to the man, James, and he was surprised to find him staring right back, a pair of startling grey-blue orbs set into his face. Steve ducked his head in embarrassment and tugged at the collar of his sweater, had it suddenly gotten hotter?
He worked away at the sketch of James, only abandoning his book in favour of ordering a muffin, returning to find his muse gone. He frowned, he wasn't even done yet, and stared back down at the half-finished sketch and to his surprised he found writing at the corner of the page.
It read :
Try being less obvious next time.
Next time? Steve raised an eyebrow.
Nice sketch.
Followed by his number.
Well that had turned out better than expected.
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Two weeks later and the two decided to meet after texting back and forth almost every day since the meeting, snarky comments, light flirting, something Steve was completely not expecting. It couldn't be that easy, could it?
"Seems like all your people watching has done you some good Cap." Sam had chuckled on his break as he sat by Steve, Nat throwing a nod from where she was whizzing away at the coffee maker.
"It's not people watching. It’s called observing life." Steve huffed, crossing his boot clad feet.
"Heads up, look who's here." Sam nudged his knee with his and got up without saying another word. Steve tensed up as someone slid into the seat across from him.
"Nat said you like cappuccinos?" James, Bucky as he had come to know him by, smiled and nudged the cup toward him. A smile slipped into Steve's face.
"You didn't have to." He said sheepishly taking a sip and Bucky took a sip of his long black.
"It was the gentlemanly thing to do." Bucky winked and Steve rolled his eyes. Jerk.
"Not sketching anyone today?" Bucky asked, twiddling his thumbs. Steve raised an eyebrow at him, subconsciously noticing that Bucky was dressed nicely, and he smiled to himself.
He'd made the effort to look good. His hair had been let loose from its man bun and it was flipped over to the right side of his head in long waves and messy tendrils. He had on a black pullover with red tentacles crawling up his left sleeve which he'd rolled up to his elbow, exposing the metal of his arm, a show of security in Steve's presence. He'd also swapped out his jeans to skinnys and his combat boots for Doc Martens.
“I’m here to meet you, not sketch people. Besides if I ever need a model, I’ll give you a call.” Steve said with sneaky wink, his grin half hidden by his mug and Bucky’s eyes widened by a fraction before he schooled his expression.
“You’re one of a kind aren’t ya punk?” He replied, a lopsided grin on that stupid face of his. Steve raised an eyebrow at him.
“Says you.” Steve smiled, jerking his head in the direction on Bucky’s metal arm. Bucky’s face fell a little at that and Steve found himself thinking, no don’t be sad, I don’t want to see you sad.
“I like it, actually.” Steve said after a moment’s pause. Bucky raised his head at that and looked at him like he was crazy.
“What? It makes you, ya’know, you.” Steve said lamely, averting Bucky’s gaze.
“Yeah but it’s not natural.” Bucky said softly, clenching and unclenching his biometric fist, the soft whirring from within drawing Steve’s attention back to the veteran before him. He unconsciously reached out his hand to unclench Bucky’s fist and hold his hand.
The metal was cool to the touch and a tiny shiver triggered goosebumps up along his arm. If Bucky noticed, he showed no sign of it, save for a tiny wince.
“Doesn’t matter, I still like it. It’s cool. If that isn’t reason enough, I don’t know what is.” Steve insisted. It was strange to tell you the truth, not feeling a pulse as he lightly clasped Bucky’s wrist, feeling icy metal and whirring gears inside in its place, but it was a comforting cold, numbing almost and it was addictive.
Bucky’s gaze softened and he smiled at Steve. He was a loss for words so he said the only thing that came to mind.
“Punk.” He shook his head, hand still lightly clasping Steve’s.
“Jerk.” Steve replied and Bucky laughed.
Steve found that he liked Bucky’s laughed.
When he finally stopped laughing, he looked right back at Steve and they sat in silence for a bit, Steve drawing lazy circles on his metal wrist, something that Bucky later picked up as a fidgety habit.
He liked Steve’s eyes, it was a pity he hid them behind those frames, maybe he could convince him to get contacts.
Steve stared right back at him, enjoying the silence.
He had an uncontrollable urge to run his hand through Bucky’s hair halfway through their mild staring contest. He settled for tucking a stray lock of Bucky’s hair that had fallen in front of his eyes behind his ear.
Bucky decided there and then that he liked the way Steve’s hand felt on his skin, smooth yet slightly gritty from all the drawing with charcoal and lead.
And then the grandfather clock tucked away by the collection counter sounded, it was already five and they’d been talking for longer than expected.
“It’s getting late, better get home, I’ve got the morning shift tomorrow.” Bucky said finally, seeming almost crestfallen to leave. Steve frowned slightly, unsure of how to respond, not wanting their time together to end when Bucky continued, “Carry on again next Thursday, same time?”
Steve all but nodded his head off, a Cheshire smile painted on his face, earning a grin from Bucky.
“Right then, I’ll head on home too.” Steve said as they cleared off their table and walked out side by side, pretending not to notice Nat and Sam wolf-whistling from behind them.
“See ya around,” Steve began, turning right.
“Aren’t you going to the subway?” Bucky asked curiously.
“I live a few blocks down, I’ll walk.” Steve called over his shoulder. Next thing you know he heard footsteps as Bucky jogged to catch up with him.
“At least let me walk you back.” He smiled, a light pink tinging his cheeks.
“The gentlemanly thing to do?” Steve teased and Bucky laughed.
“Yes, let’s call it that.” He smiled and the pair walked slowly back to Steve’s apartment matching each other step for step.
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“Thanks for today, haven’t had such a good time in a while.” Bucky said as they arrived at Steve’s doorstep.
“I should be thanking you, haven’t really gone out with anyone since what, I graduated? And that was ages ago.” Steve replied, turning to face him. He hadn’t realised how close the other man was standing. Bucky inhaled sharply, eyes darting down to Steve’s lips. Steve exhaled in a quiet breath.
“Well, thank you.” Bucky said hurriedly, his breath reaching the shorter man’s cheeks in puffs before he leaned in to press a quick kiss to his lips.
Or it was supposed to be quick.
It ended up with Steve’s hands clasped onto Bucky’s neck by his red star tattoo, his fingers curling into the hairs at the base of his neck while Bucky had his arms wrapped around Steve’s slim waist, holding him close.
When they pulled apart, Steve immediately missed the warmth that Bucky brought along with that kiss, despite his hand and all.
“See you.” Steve said a little breathlessly, his hands still looped around Bucky’s neck. The taller man smiled, pressed one last chaste kiss to Steve’s lips before leaving, Steve touching his fingers to his lips as he entered his apartment, still hazy from the kiss.
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“Did y’all bang?” Was the first thing Sam asked once he’d gotten through to Steve’s cell.
“If you bet on that, we can’t be friends.” Steve huffed on his end of the line and Sam laughed.
“Guess not. Dammit.”
Steve groaned and he swore he heard Nat’s laughter on the other end of the receiver.
Some friends he had.
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I think I’ll do a part two :) otherwise this will get really long haha but hope you guys enjoyed it ^^ also a small dedi for my friend :) More fluff in the second half. I promise :))
