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foreverindreamlandd · 2 years

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Sweeter Than Honey • 1

Pairing: Mechanic!Bucky x Fem!Personal Assistant!Reader

WC: 6.4k

Summary: It all started with a failed attempt to buy your boss a new phone, and then suddenly you're in the middle of nowhere in Ireland crying your eyes out in front of a handsome mechanic who would do just about anything to make you smile again...

Note: This scene was loosely based on a very real moment from a few months ago when my boss asked me to buy him a new phone and Best Buy said no <3 And then I said okay what about this but in Ireland lol. No warnings for this one. Enjoy!

Series Masterlist

“I’m sorry,” you said, pinching the bridge of your nose as your brain tried to form one coherent thought through the force of stress radiating through your body. “I can’t just, like, buy a phone from you guys?”

The customer service rep, Seamus, shook his head. “Sorry darlin’,” enunciating his r’s so harshly with his thick, Irish brogue in a way you would have found charming had he not been making your day especially difficult. “We can’t set up international lines on the fly like that, especially for business accounts. Takes a wee bit of time to contact the right prodivers. We can get things started and have it for ye in the next five business days.”

You nodded, understanding and yet totally not understanding what the kind man was saying. After waiting for almost an hour just to have a fruitless conversation with him for 30 minutes to try to get sorted, you knew it was time to give in and call it quits. He had already put in a bunch of effort and you couldn’t let the line behind you build up any further in fear of them acting on their very apparent frustration.

So with one last, weak smile, you thanked Seamus and headed out the door onto the cobblestone sidewalk, face pointing up to the sky as the light rain gently kissed your skin. You took a few deep breaths, then made your way to your car.

The original plan for today was to spend your afternoon off exploring Dublin on your own before the book event that evening. You were going to go to the different shops, find the rowdiest pub and treat yourself to some stupidly expensive whiskey, do all the fun touristy things to celebrate your first visit to the place you had always dreamed of traveling to.

And then your boss's phone shattered into a million pieces as it cascaded down the Cliffs of Moher, and you were back on the clock before the destroyed device had even made its way into the Atlantic.

Tony had of course offered to go buy the phone himself, seeing that he was the one who had tried to hold it at a weird angle to try to get ‘the best shot possible,’ but you insisted you go. You were his personal assistant, after all, and it had only been about a month since you took the job, and since you were on an all-expenses paid trip to Ireland thanks to your new boss, you wanted to work your ass off to make sure he didn’t regret hiring you.

Besides, you had thought this task would only take 20 minutes tops, and then you’d be on your way to having a protagonist, P.S. I Love You moment with Gerard Butler.

But here you were, already failing your new boss with what theoretically should have been an easy task.

Once in the car, you took a deep breath, holding your phone to your ear as it rang.

“What’s taking you so long?” Quentin’s voice aggressively whispered into your ear.

Rolling your eyes, you rested your head on the steering wheel. Quentin Beck was Tony’s former PA, but recently got promoted to his Brand Manager, which shocked you because ever since you started working for the international bestselling author Tony Stark, the guy had been nothing but rude to you. That was his trick, though. As soon as Tony or anyone else important was in the room it was all charm and smiles. “Can I talk to Tony, please?” you asked.

You heard a loud, dramatic sigh, then a few sounds of shuffling before the familiar, ridiculously charismatic voice came through.

“Hey, Y/n,” Tony said in his bright, careless way, “Any luck?”

You felt tears prick your eyes in disappointment. Tony was such a nice person, and you hated that you had messed this up for him. “Sorry boss, apparently international phone purchases are a lot more complicated than we thought.”

“Damn,” he breathed out, but his voice remained the same. “No worries, it’s just another week. Pepper and Morgan will be fine.”

Your stomach sank. Of course that’s why he wanted the phone so bad. Not for work, but so he could talk to his freaking wife and daughter. “No no, let me just give you my phone so you can talk to them. I feel awful.”

“Don’t feel bad, Y/n. I’m the one who dropped it off the damn cliff while taking photos. Had you slapped it out of my hands, that would have been another story.”

You laughed softly. “Still, I’ll head back now so you can call them once Morgan gets back from school. And you can use it after dinner. We’ll make it work.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you, but I promise I won’t need my phone that much. I’m sure you and Beck can alternate nights so I can at least call them before bed. That’s all I’ll need to get through the rest of the tour.”

You grimaced, picturing Quentin’s classic scowl perfectly.

“I promise it’s fine, Y/n. This is just the universe’s way of telling me I should have studied tech instead of becoming a writer. Just enjoy the rest of your afternoon and I’ll see you later for the event, okay? You’re in Ireland. As your boss I order you to have some fun.”

You breathed out a small laugh. “Alright, boss man. If you insist.”

“I do. See you in a bit.”

“See you in a bit!” you said, then hung up the phone.

Okay, that could have gone way worse, you thought. Maybe I’m not a total screw up.

All you had to do was get Tony to the event and make sure that nothing else went wrong.

And until then….

You checked the time on your phone and smiled. Though you didn’t have enough time to have a true protagonist-adventure, you could take a slightly longer detour to get back to the hotel and still get your P.S. I Love You moment.

With that, you opened your GPS and turned on the ignition, determined to salvage this day.

The Wicklow Mountains were even more glorious than you could have ever imagined; its vast, green landscape peppered with gorgeous wildflowers. It was still cloudy with a tiny bit of rainfall, but in the far off distance the sunshine peaked through, illuminating pieces of the hillside like a beacon. You blasted your favorite Irish Folk instrumental music with your hand out the window, letting the rain dance along your skin.

You didn’t know if you wanted to laugh or cry from this beautiful moment. It ended up doing a bit of both. As you sat on a part of the stone wall lined along the road for a quick stop to soak in the views, taking photos of the stunning scenery, tears welled in your eyes as a smile threatened to split your face in two.

It was perfect.

Until…..the pothole came out of nowhere.

Well, technically it didn’t come out of nowhere. That crater looked as if it had taken up permanent residency there for years, almost perfectly centered in the middle of the narrow road. There were crevices within its crevices. A seemingly endless pit that laughed at you as you noticed it too late, and you tried to slow down and turn away. This had, apparently, been the worst thing to do because as your right wheel went into it at too slow a pace and turned too much to the side, you managed to wedge it snuggly within the pothole.

And then….the car slammed to a stop.

Heart pounding from the sudden adrenaline rush, you sat there for a few seconds replaying what just occurred in your head.

Then, looking up to the hood of the car in a silent prayer before looking back to the road ahead, you pressed on the gas pedal.

The engine revved, trying its hardest to go foreward, but you weren’t moving.

You were stuck.

“Are…you…fucking….KIDDING ME,” you wailed, slamming your palms on the steering wheel between each word. You checked the clock, which showed that you had about an hour before you had to pick up Tony for the event, and Tony was about 40 minutes away.

Tears burned your eyes as you took a few deep breaths, willing yourself to get your shit together. This was your job; you had to be the problem solver. You had to find a way to get Tony to the event.

Or else you might not have a job by the end of the day…especially if Quentin had anything to say about it.

Scrunching your face in frustration at the image of your coworker's smug expression as he watched you fail for the second time today, you pulled out your phone and tried to google a nearby garage.

No internet connection.

You bit your bottom lip, fighting back a scream when you looked out at the road ahead. There was a sign about 15 feet away that read:

Stuck in BHOD?

Confusion made you furrow your brows until you noticed the slightly small text below:

Car problems? With a phone number listed.

You jumped into action, dialing the number and muttering, “Pleaseee come on come on come on…”

“Wilson’s, how can I help ye?” a woman asked on the other line and you let out a sigh of relief.

“Hi,” you said, “I’m…I’m hoping I can get some help? I’m at the Wicklow-”

“Did the Black Hole of Death get ye?” the woman cut you off.

Ah….BHOD: Black Hole of Death. Funny, you thought, not laughing.

“Yeah,” you muttered, embarrassed.

“That thing is a beast. Hold on. I think I can get a car to ye in ‘bout an hour..”

“I’m sorry,” you said, voice raising a few octaves as you fought back tears, word vomiting to this kind Irish lady who had no idea who you were, “It’s just…I’m supposed to pick up my boss in an hour and I already couldn’t get him a new phone and the asshole I work with is going to probably get me fired if I can’t get there in time and I just-”

“Calm down, darlin’,” the woman said, her voice soft and soothing. Then, she let out a long breath. “Let me give my brother a call. He should be finished up with a job nearby…”

“Oh my God, thank you. Thank you thank you thank you,” you replied, wishing this lady was in front of you so you could give her the biggest hug.

She chuckled. “Can’t let yer asshole coworker win, can we?”

You laughed, shaking your head. “Hell no.”

“That’s what I like to hear. Alright, keep a lookout for a blue truck. And don’t mind Bucky. He does know how to talk, he’s just weird with new folk.”

You narrowed your eyes but nodded. “Gotcha, I think.”

After you hung up, you decided to step outside and at least enjoy some more of the fresh air. The rain had stopped, leaving behind your favorite smell. It always amazed you how a bit of rainfall could heighten the scent of nature, and standing here surrounded by green fields in Ireland….it made it that much more amazing.

So amazing, that you were able to forget all of your stresses for a few moments, and just be.

Now all I need is for a gorgeous Irishman to sweep me off my fee-

The distant sound of an engine pulled you from your daydreams as you looked over to your right.

It had only been five minutes since you got off the phone with the woman at Wilson’s, and already here was the blue truck to come to your rescue.

You were going to have to call her back and get her name so you could name your first child after her.

The person in the car - Bucky, you recalled her saying - had on a black baseball cap, obscuring his face from you as the car pulled to a stop.

You stood up from leaning against the car to prepare to greet your rescuer, but as soon as he stepped onto the pavement, your body seemed to have lost any sense of balance and you found yourself leaning back against it for support.

He was the most gorgeous man you had ever seen.

Though his body was covered by a red henley and brown leather jacket, you could tell by his frame that underneath all of that material was a strong, muscular body. A black hat covered the brown wavy hair that rested right at his shoulders.

The worst part about this ridiculously good-looking giant man was his jaw. You knew in an instant that it was one of those sharp jaws that Hollywood searched high and low for to get those swoon-worthy profile shots of a kissing scene, covered in a thin layer of stubble that you found yourself wishing you could scrape your fingers over.

And he was so tall. The closer he got the more he towered over you. He gave you a quick up and down, that glorious jaw clenching almost imperceptibly, then moved his attention to the rental car.

You had expected him to say something when he approached, but even when he was only feet away from you, he remained silent. Apparently his sister wasn’t kidding…

The silence made you so uncomfortable that you decided to fill it.

“Hi,” you started in a light, drawn out tone, before immediately shifting to rambling, “You must be from Wilson’s. Gosh, that was fast. I just got off the phone with your sister and she said you’d be able to help. Thank you so much for coming out here so quickly. I have to go pick up my boss before he’s late for an event-”

“Can ye put the car in neutral?” Bucky finally said in a low, grizzly voice. You had yet to hear the accent from such a deep baritone and it caused you to have to take a beat and swallow as you gathered your composure.

You nodded, opening the door and sliding into the driver’s seat as you followed his request, continuing your nervous rambling, “I guess it was dumb of me to come all the way out here, but I didn’t think I would get stuck in a massive pothole-”

Your words died in your throat, mouth hanging agape as you watched Bucky positioned himself at the front of the car, squat down, clench his jaw once more, and lift it.

With you still inside.

You let out a soft oh as he pushed the car back and out of the hole, standing up straight and wiping his hands in front of him as if nothing out of the ordinary just happened.

As if he hadn’t just lifted a car without breaking a sweat.

You sat there for a few seconds, gaping at him as he made eye contact with you. As soon as he saw your awestruck expression, the corner of his mouth twitched up and he let out a soft chuckle.

And then your insides turned to mush as the beautiful man became infinitely more beautiful.

Finally, you cleared your throat and got back out of the car, feeling both elated by the fact that you weren’t going to be late to grab Tony and from being rescued by the literal man of your dreams whom you would probably never see again.

Of course, had this been P.S. I Love You, you’d both instantly fall madly in love and kiss at the bridge and he’d move back to America with you and you’d both live happily ever after until he got sick and-

Yeah, maybe it was best that you just left it here.

“Thank you,” you said breathlessly, eyes locked on his. They were a bright, cerulean blue; a shade you were certain you had never seen before. “This was a huge help. I cannot express how grateful I am.” You checked your phone and once you saw the time your eyes widened. “Shit, I really need to get going… Um, thanks again. I’ll call your sister and have her bill me if that’s okay?”

As soon as you were about to turn to get back in the car, Bucky’s glorious jaw clenched again and he shook his head, causing you to stop in your tracks.

“That’s not gonna happen,” he said.

Your eyes narrowed, and you realized that his lack of talking was getting kind of annoying. “I’m not going to call your sister for the bill or…” or are you about to kidnap and murder me?

He shook his head again, then cocked it over to the right side of the car. “Tire’s flat. We gotta tow it back to the shop.”

You felt all of the blood drain from your body as you walked over to the tire.

Which didn’t have a single ounce of air in it.

Fuck.

And then, all of the composure you had been desperately holding onto crumbled as your bottom lip began to tremble.

“Great,” you said, tears welling in your eyes. Your body sagged against the hood of the car. “So I officially, totally fucked up then,” your voice broke and you breathed out a wet sob. “Literally my first big work gig and I’m going to get fired after only a month because Quentin will finally have proof that I can’t do anything right-”

That was when your weeping totally overcame you, and speaking was no longer something you were capable of.

It was almost poetic, sitting here in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the most beautiful scenery you had ever laid eyes on standing next to an even more beautiful man while you cried into your hands.

What wasn’t poetic was the snot that was starting to build up your nose and threatening to leak out.

You quickly moved a hand to wipe it away, horrified by the scene you were displaying in front of an innocent bystander. But you were completely overcome, powerless to your emotional breakdown.

Suddenly, you felt something touch your hand.

A thin, soft, paperlike material.

A tissue.

You looked up at Bucky, his hand extended out to you with the offering, a small sympathetic smile on his face.

Grabbing the tissue and wiping your nose, you grimaced as you regained composure. “Sorry,” you muttered out, “I’m sure witnessing a crazed pathetic woman having a breakdown wasn’t on your bingo card for today.”

He shrugged. “Not a huge deal. Besides, I’ve witnessed way worse from Becs.”

Your brows knit together questioningly. “Becs?”

“Becca, my sister.”

You nodded, brows relaxing. “Looks like I’m naming my first child Becca.” Bucky’s head cocked to the side questioningly and you continued, “I decided that’s the debt I must pay for her doing me such a solid.”

The corner of his mouth twitched again as he fought back a smile. There was a mischievous light in his eyes, and he looked like he was debating whether he wanted to say something else or go back to being his mysterious, quiet self. He thankfully chose the former and responded, “But I’m the one who actually came to yer rescue. Shouldn’t ye name your kid after me?”

There is no fucking way this guy is flirting with me right now. But if - by some glorious chance - he is let’s do this.

You feigned innocence and shrugged. “I could, but the problem with that is I don’t actually know your name.” A lie, but he didn’t need to know that.

Then the universe decided to finally gift you something good today as Bucky’s mouth pulled back into a full-on grin, and it felt like you were looking at the sun.

He extended his hand out for you to shake. “James.”

You frowned as you shook his hand, speaking before you could control yourself, “I thought your name was Bucky.”

All he did was chuckle. “Thought ye didn’t know my name.”

Your right eye twitched in horror and he bit his bottom lip, smile still plastered to his face.

“Bucky is my nickname,” he continued. “Friends, family, and those who have gone head to head with the Black Hole of Death and lived to tell the tale can call me Bucky.”

Giggling, you rolled your eyes, taking mental note of the way Bucky’s face brightened at the sound of your laugh. “Well then, nice to meet you, Bucky.”

You both realized that you were still holding hands, and you thought that you felt him squeeze yours the tiniest bit before letting go.

“So,” he said, clearing his throat, “And what do they call the soon-to-be mother of mah namesake?”

Damn, he’s smooth, you thought as heat rose to your face. “I’m Y/n.”

He nodded, still smiling. “Y/n.”

That was the moment you decided you never wanted to hear your name unless it was spoken with a husky Irish accent. Bucky’s husky Irish accent, really.

Unfortunately, the romcom moment you were experiencing was ruined as you remembered the reason that the beautiful Irishman was here, and you let out a long sigh as you grappled with the inevitable.

“Well, Bucky, I guess I gotta go meet my fate. Any chance your shop is hiring? I have very little skill with cars, but I make killer itineraries,” you said with a half-hearted laugh.

Bucky puckered his lips, then switched his gaze between you and the rental. When he locked his eyes on you once more, they narrowed. “How much time till ye have to pick up yer boss for the event?”

You checked your phone. “Forty minutes. There’s no way-”

“Grab yer stuff,” Bucky said, pulling out his own phone.

“What do you-”

“I can get ye there in thirty.” He tapped a few buttons then held the device to his ear. “We can grab yer boss, take him to the event-”

“But what about the car?”

“I’ll take care of it. We gotta move though or else I won’t be able to stop him from sacking ye.”

He walked back toward the truck and you stood there for a second, shaking your head. “Bucky!” you whined out.

“Y/n!” he whined back before muttering into his phone, and you found yourself laughing incredulously as you moved to the trunk to grab your ‘Oh Shit Kit’ work duffel and purse.

“Listen Stevie,” you overheard Bucky grumble, “Please just do me this solid and I’ll buy ye all the pints in the world tonight. Right…thanks, ye daft brute.” He hung up, opening the door to the passenger side and turning to you. As you approached, he reached out to grab your things to load them into the back seat.

“Dare I ask again about the car?” you asked skeptically.

He wiggled his eyebrows once. “It’s taken care of. All I need are the car keys and we’ll be good to go.”

You narrowed your eyes at him, still smiling. “This isn’t actually some plan for you to kidnap and murder me is it?”

He shrugged. “Guess you’re gonna have to find out, love.”

Love.

It was then that you knew that - even though it seemed like your job was no longer in jeopardy - you were totally fucked.

All you could do was shake your head, eyes glued to those beautiful blues before you as you handed Bucky the keys.

He gave you a small wink as he closed the door for you, then walked over to the Stuck in BHOD? sign and hung them against the other side.

Once Bucky was in the car, you told him the name of the hotel you were staying at and the two of you hit the road.

You only lasted about a minute before the silence made you uncomfortable again and you looked over at Bucky and asked, “So…how long has the Black Hole of De-”

“Ye can call it BHOD-” Bucky pronounced it like bod, smirking at you, “Makes it easier.”

You nodded. “Okay, well, how long has BHOD been terrorizing the good people of Dublin?”

“Long as I can remember,” Bucky said and you scoffed.

“Why hasn’t anyone done anything about it?” you accused.

He rolled his eyes, glancing over at you for a moment before focusing back on the road. “Well isn’t that an idea,” he said sarcastically. “Listen, love, that beast cannot be tamed. We’ve tried many, many times. Each time we try to fill the hole, it comes back bigger and stronger than ever. Eventually we gave up trying to mess with the forces of nature and instead decided to spend the money on putting up the sign.”

Couldn’t argue with that.

The silence had returned, but before you had the chance to end it, Bucky beat you to the punch. “So, yer boss is…?”

“Tony Stark,” you answered. “He’s a children’s author.”

Bucky smiled to himself. “Oh, I know who Tony is. Sarah’s kids are obsessed.”

Ah, so he was with someone. You felt your stomach turn to knots as you asked, “Sarah?”

“In-law. Her brother is married to my sister,” he said.

The knots unraveled and you bit back a smile. “Are they going to the event tonight?”

He shook his head. “Nah. Sold out in seconds, apparently. The boys were gutted.”

“I’m sure I can get them in!” you said. “Tonight would be the only night I could, probably, since I’ll most likely be unemployed by tomorrow.”

Bucky furrowed his brows. “Why are ye still saying you’re going to get fired when I’m drivin’ ye to pick him up right now? Ye should be fine now.”

“Maybe, and I cannot begin to express how much I appreciate you doing this for me,” you instinctively reached out to rest a hand on his forearm. He flinched, bringing you back to your senses and you pulled it back immediately as if you had been burned. Well, in a way, you had.

But then you saw the redness rise up his neck and into his cheeks, and you realized that the giant, gorgeous Irishman was blushing.

It was a delightful sight.

“Anyways,” you continued, thumb rubbing over the palm that had just touched Bucky, “Hopefully I’m in the clear, but not likely. How am I supposed to explain his ride to the event being a pickup truck rather than the rental he’s been paying for these past few days? And then there was the whole phone shitshow-”

“What’s the phone shitshow?”

You groaned. “Tony dropped his phone off a cliff and I tried to get him a new one but because of international reasons and shit that a very nice tech person tried to explain but went right over my head, they couldn’t do it. And Tony seems like a really nice, super understanding guy, but I’m so new and have already shown I can’t handle the tasks I’ve been hired for and Quentin is definitely going to fight for me to get fired.”

“And who the fuck is this Quentin?” Bucky asked, annoyance in his voice.

You groaned louder. “He sucks. Ugh he sucks so much. He’s basically the PR/brand guy, so he’s really good at being two-faced and pleasant to the people that matter. Then he turns around and treats booksellers and me like shit. But Tony’s never seen it and Quentin has worked with him for years, so it’s my word against his.”

Bucky scrunched his face in disgust. “What a dick.” But when he said dick, it sounded like deck, which pulled you out of your grouchy mood and you giggled.

“Yes, a real deck,” you said.

Bucky scoffed. “I’m sorry, love, but are ye making fun of my accent while I’m going out of my way to save your arse?”

You kept laughing. “I know, I know, I’m sorry. I promise I think your accent is amazing.”

“Really now?” he said cheekily.

“Are you kidding? If you say my name or call me love one more time I’m pretty sure my heart is just going to give out.”

It was silent after that, and you were worried you crossed a line. But after a few seconds, Bucky responded.

“Whatever you say, Y/n.”

Bucky pulled up to the entrance of the hotel, and you jumped out to go grab Tony. Thankfully, Quentin wasn’t able to go to the event because he was handling preparations for the fundraiser dinner tomorrow night, so you didn’t need to deal with his dramatic ass for the rest of the night.

Your boss was a bit confused when you led him to the blue pickup truck and saw a giant man in a black baseball cap and a red henley in the driver’s seat waving to him with an awkward smile, but he got into the passenger’s seat nonetheless as you climbed into the back.

You noticed that Bucky had been on the phone with someone as you approached, quickly putting his cell away when he caught sight of you.

He kept his gaze on Bucky as he buckled his seatbelt and said, “Uh…Y/n, who is this?”

“Tony, this is Bucky. Bucky, this is Tony.”

Bucky nodded, holding out his hand. “Pleasure, sir.”

Tony shook it. “Likewise.” Then he turned around to face you. “It thought we were taking the rental?”

You opened your mouth, ready to tell him about the situation with the flat and bracing yourself for his reaction, but Bucky spoke before you had the chance.

“Turns out there was an electrical issue with the car. It broke down while Y/n was on her way and she called our shop. We offered to tow it and call her a cab but she was quite insistent that she needed to get ye to the event. She’s very persuasive, that one.” You stared at Bucky in the rearview mirror and he winked at you.

Tony nodded. “Alright then. Well, good job thinking on your feet, Y/n. I’ll be sure to call the rental company to make sure they cover the charge of the work seeing that it wasn’t our fault-”

“Already taken care of, sir,” Bucky responded. “We have this thing called BHOD Warranty that’ll cover everythin’.”

Tony gave you an impressed look then turned back around, murmuring to himself about never hearing about a BHOD Warranty and allowing you a moment to gape at Bucky’s reflection. He just shook his head.

The hotel was about 15 minutes away from the venue, and Tony spent the entirety of the trip chatting with Bucky. He asked about his job, his family, this awesome truck he was driving, and, of course, if he had ever heard of Tony’s books.

“I have, actually. Got two nephews who are big fans.”

“Are they coming tonight?” Tony asked.

Bucky nodded. “Originally no because tickets sold out so fast. But Y/n said she’d be able to get them in.”

“Good,” Tony said. “If they’re willing, they’re welcome to hang out for a bit afterwards to chat and take some photos.”

Bucky beamed, a sense of boyish excitement painted across his features as he looked at Tony with a smile. “That would be absolutely grand, sir. Thank ye.”

Tony shook his head. “It’s the least I can do for your help today. I might even get to an event early for the first time in ages.” He turned over to you and wiggled his brows, and you felt a sense of ease wash over your whole body.

Maybe you’d still have a job tomorrow after all.

Once you got to the venue, Bucky got out to help you with the work bag and escorted you inside.

“Will you stay for the event?” you asked once you got to the green room, eyes wide and hopeful. Normally you would have cared way more about the desperation in your voice. But you knew that your time with Bucky was limited, and you didn’t seem to care all that much how obvious it was that you didn’t want him to leave.

And based on the look on his face, he felt the same way as he smiled. “What, and miss an opportunity to hear a bigshot author speak? Not a chance, love.”

You beamed, smiling to the point that you almost split your face in two. “Good.”

He smiled back, ocean blue eyes piercing yours. Tony was out in the hallway talking to the event coordinator, so it was just the two of you in the room. Not that you would have been able to notice anyone or anything else that existed in this moment aside from the man before you.

You felt your pulse quicken as Bucky’s pupils began to dilate, and you realized that the distance between you was beginning to close in. And then his eyes flashed down to your lips…

And then his phone started ringing, causing the two of you to jump back in surprise.

Bucky swallowed, eyes still on yours as he pulled out his phone. When he finally looked down to see who was calling, he groaned, pulling the phone to his ear.

“Stevie,” he said, annoyed, “Have I ever told ye your timin’s shite?”

“All the time,” you overheard the mysterious Stevie say on the other end. “Just letting yer ungrateful arse know I’ll be there in twenty.”

“Fine,” Bucky responded.

“You’re welcome, jerk.”

“Thanks, punk,” he said, hanging up the phone. “That was Steve. He’ll be here with the car soon.”

Your head hung back as you looked up at the ceiling, letting out a huge sigh of relief before looking back at him. “Thank fucking God. Thank you Bucky. You really didn’t have to do all of this.”

He shrugged, giving you a side smile. “What can I say, love? I hate seeing a pretty lass cry. Gotta do whatever it takes to see her smilin’ as much as possible.”

Just as you were about to respond to that stupidly romantic statement, Tony walked in and it was time to get the show on the road. Bucky excused himself, saying he was going to wait by the entrance for Sarah and the boys.

You spent the next half hour helping Tony get ready, touching base with the bookstore staff running the event, and making sure everything went according to plan. This was the part of the job you loved, the rush right before a big event where everything was chaotic and you were hyper-focused on smoothing any issues out.

Then, it was time for Tony to get on stage. Before he did, though, he turned to you with a small smile.

“I’m really glad you’re on this team, Y/n. Couldn’t have gotten a better hire.” He rested a hand on your shoulder and squeezed it, then turned around and walked out to greet the crowd, leaving you with a fresh sheen of tears in your eyes.

Once you were convinced that Tony was all settled and the event was in full swing, you moved from backstage to the very back of the venue hall, leaning against the wall as you watched your boss do his thing. He was so charismatic, and the audience couldn’t stop laughing as he spoke, yourself included.

A few minutes into his talk, you felt a large, muscular arm brush against yours and you turned to see Bucky standing next to you.

You smiled, cocking your head to the side questioningly and you whispered. “Are Sarah and the boys here?”

He nodded, leaning over to whisper into your ear, and the heat of his breath made you have to fight back a shiver. “Just got in and sat down.”

“Don’t you want to sit with them?” you asked, though you wished he would stay with you for the rest of forever.

“Had to get something to ye,” he said, and he leaned back, hand extended out to you.

He was holding out a small shrink wrapped box with the image of a phone on it.

You stared at it, eyes wide.

“Did I mention earlier that Sarah works in tech?” he asked.

You shook your head, eyes still glued to the phone.

“I guess her company keeps stock of American devices, because - shockingly enough - yer boss isn’t the only one to lose or break his phone while traveling abroad. It’s all legit, all he needs to do is log into his plan and everything should be set up in less than 20 minute-”

Bucky let out a soft oof as you hurled your body into his, wrapping your arms around his neck. He only froze for a few seconds before wrapping his arms around your waist, pulling you closely to him.

“Thank you,” you whispered into his shoulder.

He chuckled. “Anytime, love.” He pulled away to look at you. “Unfortunately, phones are expensive as shit so I can’t necessarily waive this charge like with the tire…”

“Absolutely,” you said. “I’ll give Sarah my number and I’ll cover that bill. Though that still doesn’t feel like I’m adequately making up for all of the miracles you’ve pulled off today.”

Then, for the second time today, Bucky blushed, and he scratched the back of his neck. “Well, actually. I was wonderin’ if ye might be willin’ to make it up to me by, erm….goin’ out with me tonight?”

Your jaw dropped, and Bucky’s eyes widened in panic as he frantically whispered, “It’s not a big deal. Ye can say no. It’s just, I figured it’s yer first time in Dublin and my friends and I always go to the pub on weekends and I thought it might be fun for ye to get a real taste of Ireland-”

“Yes.”

His eyebrows rose. “Yes?”

You nodded, biting your bottom lip. “I’d love that, Buck.”

His chest rose and fell as he let out a sigh of relief. “Excellent,” he said, and then the two of you turned your smiling faces around to watch Tony speak.

For the rest of the event, you both stood side by side against the back wall, your cheek leaning against his arm.

After all the shit you had gone through today and all the stress that had previously consumed your body, you couldn’t help but feel grateful that you had accidently driven your car straight into a ditch.

Sure, you could have easily gotten fired, but even if you had, at least you got to meet Bucky.

Hillary Swank would be proud.

Chapter 2

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Header image taken by the woman who requested this magical fic, @w0nderw0mansw0rld <3

#bucky x reader #bucky x y/n #bucky x you #bucky barnes #sweeter than honey

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foreverindreamlandd · 2 years

Text

Sweeter Than Honey • 3

Pairing: Mechanic!Bucky x Fem!Personal Assistant!Reader

WC: 8.2k

Summary: It all started with a failed attempt to buy your boss a new phone, and then suddenly you're in the middle of nowhere Ireland crying your eyes out in front of a handsome mechanic who would do just about anything to make you smile again...

Note: That's all, folks! Thank you so much for reading this mini series of mine. I had WAY too much fun thirsting over our favorite Irish mechanic. If I were a famous children's author with all the money in the world, I would by you all plane tickets to Ireland to find yourselves a hunky bae <3 Banner photo taken by *moi* ;)

You woke to the feeling of Bucky’s hand cupping your face, thumb stroking your cheek.

“Come on, love,” he whispered, and though your eyes hadn’t yet opened, you could hear the smile on his face as he spoke. “We got a big day ahead of us.”

God, his morning voice might actually be the thing that killed you.

He kissed your forehead and you let out a small, content sigh, eyes slowly fluttering open.

Bucky was, in fact, smiling. Eyes looking at you as if you were everything good in the world.

The sun was just beginning to rise across the vast fields before you. Bucky had originally offered to drive you back to the hotel as the late evening transitioned to early morning, but you were so happy, so lost in this magical little bubble the two of you had created together, that you said you wanted to stay in the back of the truck and watch the sunrise.

So, here you were, safely secure in the arms of the man who made your chest ache and your head spin, your leather jacket from the night before replaced by one of his flannels he kept in the truck as backup. The air was a bit chilly this early in the morning, but you barely registered it thanks to the furnace that was Bucky’s body and the blanket wrapped around you.

His smile grew as he watched you wake up, and he leaned forward to give you a slow, chaste kiss.

“Morning, love,” he murmured into your lips while pulling away.

Another happy sigh. “Morning, Buck.”

“Ready to see the sunrise?” You nodded and he kissed your nose before pulling you up to sit along with him. “Right then, we need to get moving then.”

You let out a soft whine and he chuckled, rubbing his hands up and down your arms at a quick pace and then caging your face between his calloused palms to pull you in for a deeper, hungrier kiss.

That woke you right the fuck up.

He guided you down the bed of the truck, then grabbed a few bottles of water from the cooler and you smiled as he handed one to you. Never in your life had you had someone who was so attentive to your well-being, and Bucky seemed to do it so effortlessly.

His cheeks turned pink as you continued to stare at him fondly. “What?” he asked.

You shook your head. “I’m going to be really fucking sad when I leave tomorrow,” you responded, your voice light but coated with bitterness.

Bucky frowned, then pulled you in for a tight embrace, his chin leaning on the top of your head. “Can I be honest with ye?”

Your heart skipped a beat as dread spread through your body in an instant. He was going to say that he couldn’t wait for you to leave, or that you leaving wasn’t going to affect him at all.

You braced yourself and nodded against his chest and he sighed, hand running up and down over your hair.

“I know it hasn’t been a full day since our paths crossed, and I don’t mean to startle ye,” he said, “But I’m pretty sure that the second you’re not within arms reach of me, my heart is goin’ to cleave in two. Colors will be less bright, the air will be less sweet, everythin’ will be dim because you’re not there.” He chuckled. “I must sound like a nut, don’t I?”

You squeezed him tighter before pulling away to look into his eyes, moving a hand up to trace along his jaw and cup his cheek.

“No,” you said softly. “I think you described it perfectly, Buck.”

He smiled, moving forward for another deep kiss, a light breeze pushing the tips of his hair into your face and you reveled in the feel of it, soaking up as much of the experience as you could.

After another passionate makeout session that made you breathless, Bucky took your hand and led you down the field and up a small hill that ended up providing a perfect view of the sunrise. You sat there between his legs, back leaning against his chest as he wrapped his arms around you. He kept his cheek pressed against yours, moving only to press his lips to your temple, your forehead, your jaw, every spot of your skin he could get to.

You turned to look at him once the rays began warming your body, admiring the way his skin glowed in the light. The way the orange/yellow hues mixed with the blue of his eyes made your breath hitch, and with the way they sparkled when he looked at you, you knew he felt the same.

As much as you would’ve liked it to, the moment could not last forever. You still had a job to do and Bucky had one more stop planned before dropping you off. He took you to a cafe, where you had the best coffee and soda bread of your life, the two of you sharing stories of your childhood, your friends and family back home, learning as much as you could about the other person.

Then, your time was up, and suddenly his truck was pulling up to the hotel. His hand was interlaced with yours, and he lifted it up to kiss your knuckles.

“See you tonight?” you asked with a smile.

He nodded. “I’ll be countin’ down the hours, love.”

You scrunched your face and he scrunched his back, the two of you giggling as you got out.

When you reached the door of the hotel, you turned around to find him still parked, eyes locked on you, smiling.

You pulled open the door and winked at him, and you could hear his chuckle perfectly in your mind as he shook his head, switching his focus to the road and driving away.

A small groan escaped you as you noticed Quentin standing against the wall by the door to your room, his arms crossed in front of him. The sound caused his head to shoot up, and he scoffed.

“Where the hell have you been?” he chastised, standing straight.

You rolled your eyes, digging through your bag for your key. “I was out.”

His hands waved around in the air as he let out an even more dramatic scoff. “Out where? With that mechanic Tony said you met yesterday? Are you even capable of doing your job, Y/n?”

You whipped your head at him, eyes filled with rage and momentarily startling Quentin.

“Quentin,” you said in a cool, calm voice. “Was there an emergency last night involving Tony?”

He huffed. “Well, no but-”

“Did Tony ask you where I was at any point last night or this morning because he needed me?”

“No but-”

“Then I don’t understand what the problem is.” You held up a hand, pressing one finger at a time as you listed off facts to the brat in front of you. “I got him his phone, I got him to his event last night, I got him back to the hotel, and now I’m here an hour before his press schedule begins. And had Tony called me at any point last night, I would have dropped whatever I was doing and taken care of it. Now unless you have some actual constructive criticism about my job performance, I would ask that you let me change and get ready so that I can get Tony where he needs to be, alright?”

He clenched his jaw, stepping toward you and you narrowed your eyes in defiance, showing no fear as he leaned down to meet your eye. “Listen here, you little-”

“Y/n,” Tony said, voice slow and questioning as he watched you and Quentin jump back from each other, eyes both on your boss with much lighter expressions. “Beck…everything okay with you two?”

Quentin let out a chuckle, seamlessly switching into his Tony’s in the room time to schmooze mode. “Of course, Tony, just making sure Y/n here got in okay. Looks like she had a wild night.” His hand patted on the flannel Bucky told you to keep covering your shoulder and you flinched.

Tony nodded slowly. “Right….uh, Y/n, can I talk to you for a sec?”

Knots formed in your stomach and you nodded, forcing yourself not to look over at Quentin’s smug expression as he walked away.

This was it, you were actually going to get in trouble for being out with Bucky last night.

He walked over to you and smiled. “So, I take it you had fun last night?” His eyes went down to the flannel covering your arm.

You grimaced, wrapping your arms around yourself. “I’m sorry boss, I should have come home and been here if you needed anything. This was so unprofessional-”

He shook his head. “No no no, Y/n you’re fine.” He smiled. “I’m glad you had a good time! I love that giant bastard. Pretty sure I got lost in those sweet baby blues of his a couple of times yesterday.”

You laughed. “They are quite hypnotizing.” Your eyebrows furrowed. “So, you’re not mad at me? And I’m not fired?”

His eyes narrowed, head jumping back in confusion. “Absolutely not. Why on earth would I fire you?”

Biting your bottom lip, you explained to him the reason for your panicking. “Cause of the fiasco yesterday with the phone and the car, and I’ve just spent the night galavanting off with some random guy I just met.”

Tony cocked his head to the side. “Was Quentin just giving you shit for all of that?”

You blinked, not wanting to put yourself into a deeper hole with Quentin or causing Tony any unnecessary stress.

It was enough of an answer for him though and he rolled his eyes. “Clearly he never told you about his first year on the job. Kid forgot to convert my international tour schedule to the appropriate time zones. I don’t even want to talk about the number of flights and events I missed because of that.”

Your eyes widened and you breathed out a small chuckle as Tony continued. “Y/n, you are seriously doing a fantastic job. Yes, yesterday got a little crazy, but this whole job is fucking crazy. And you handled it like a champ! As far as the Bucky thing goes, you’re an adult! And though the hours for this job get a bit nutty, I hardly expect it to be a 24/7 gig. In fact, I would hate that for you. So if you meet a cute guy in a foreign country and decide to get safely swept away by him during the time I’m not asking you to buy me a new phone that I dropped off a cliff, who am I to get in the way? I am the cool boss, after all.” He winked and you laughed again.

“Thanks Tony. For this job, this trip…everything. You’re seriously probably the best boss I’ll ever have.”

He grinned. “Damn straight.” Then, he lifted his arm to check his watch. “Alright, I should go back to my room and let you get ready.” Walking backwards, Tony made a peace sign with his fingers and went back into his room.

A small smile lingered on your face as you walked into your own, checking the time yourself.

Technically, you should start getting ready for work now so that you didn’t have to scramble to meet Tony on time.

Or….you could scramble and still make it on time….after laying in bed and pressing your face against Bucky’s flannel for five more minutes.

Yeah, that would be a good idea.

When Tony first told you about the fancy dinner you would be attending to raise money for child literacy programs, you had originally gone shopping for fancy gowns and sparkly dresses. It wasn’t everyday that you got to attend such a high society event, so why not go all out with the glam and live out your Princess Mia Thermopolis dreams?

But then, two weeks into your job you worked your first event, and you were glad that you hadn’t bought an outfit yet because you were hit with a sudden realization.

There was no way you were going to wear a dress while running around every which way for hours on end. Your thighs would never forgive you.

So, you went with pants.

A green sequin jumpsuit, to be precise (you were in Ireland, after all).

It was now the greatest thing you owned. So sparkly and chic, yet incredibly comfortable. The quarter-sleeve piece hung loosely around your body making it easy to move around without fear of anything ripping or tearing, and its tie belt wrapped around your middle to give your figure shape.

In this outfit, you felt hot as fuck even as you were lugging stacks of chairs across the large ballroom, a thin sheen of sweat forming over your brow as you hustled to put everything together.

You had thought that Quentin had set everything up last night, seeing that he used it as an excuse to skip Tony’s event. It turns out that he had set up the tables….and rolled the racks of chairs into the room.

That was it.

So when you showed up an hour before showtime to a half-empty room, you asked one of the servers setting up the bar for a free shot of scotch before getting to work, scrambling to decorate the tables and put up the seating cards and make the fundraiser that was supposed to raise millions for children’s literacy program into something that looked worth investing in.

Luckily, after a month of working for Tony, you had grown used to the chaos and you were able to shift to total work mode and get things done quickly. Within thirty minutes, the tables were dressed and decorated. You were so focused that you barely noticed the stack of chairs being lifted from your hold for a moment until you realized that you were walking towards a table with empty arms.

You stopped short, staring at your hands confused until you heard a soft chuckle behind you. And then Bucky was walking past you toward said table, chairs in hand. You took a moment to ogle at the giant irishman, dressed in a tux that fit his body extremely well. So well, in fact, you felt slightly concerned that if he turned too quickly he might tear the fabric. The thought made you instinctively run your fingers over your mouth to make sure you weren’t drooling.

“Ye gonna stand around all day while I get this place situated, love?” he asked, giving you a side smile as his eyes looked you up and down hungrily. “Not that I’m complainin’ if ye do. Ye look too gorgeous to be doin’ any work, in my opinion.”

You grinned, running forward to give him a quick kiss before grabbing another stack of chairs. “I love the flattery, Barnes, and I owe you many more kisses for coming to my rescue to help set up, but we have twenty minutes before the big wigs show, and this place needs a lot of work.”

He nodded, expression going serious. “On it, boss.” Then he smiled again. “Ye look beautiful, Y/n. Just gotta make sure ye know.”

Your smile grew. “And you look devilishly handsome, Bucky. Now let’s get this party started so it can be over that much faster and I can finally rip that bowtie off of you, undo a few buttons, and mess up that gorgeous hair of yours.”

This time, when Bucky nodded, he stayed silent as you watched his Adam’s Apple work.

By the time the first round of guests arrived, the room looked stunning, as if an entire team of workers spent hours making sure everything was perfect, instead of two now very exhausted people running around last minute in a panic. As soon as the final napkin was placed on the table, the head bartender of the evening placed filled glasses of whiskey in yours and Bucky’s hands, congratulating you both on achieving the impossible.

The two of you made eye contact as you downed the drink, laughing in complete shock that you had finished the job.

Tony and Quentin were one of the first to show up, Tony looking around the room in awe as they walked up to you.

You pulled on Bucky’s arm, silently asking him to lean down until his ear reached your lips and you whispered, “That’s the deck I was telling you about. Quentin.”

Bucky let out a low, almost silent growl in the back of his throat and his jaw clenched. When he stood straight, you saw him roll his shoulders back and puff his chest out, looking larger and more intimidating than ever before.

You knew he was trying to look frightening, but to you, he had never looked hotter as the Irishman went into full protective mode.

“I gotta say Quentin, you really outdid himself with this one…I swear it’s never looked this good before,” Tony said as they approached, patting his employee on the back.

Bucky furrowed his brow, opening his mouth to argue but you elbowed him in the gut and smiled, nodding at your boss.

“Just doing my job boss. You know I’ve always got your back!” Quentin narrowed his eyes as he looked Bucky up and down, sizing your date up (even though your date towered over him easily). “So,” Beck said, “You must be Bucky…”

Bucky nodded, one hand reaching around to rest on your waist as the other extended out to shake Quentin’s. “And you’re Y/n’s colleague. Heard a lot about ye.”

Quentin cocked his head to the side and shook his hand, fighting back a groan as you watched his fingers get crushed within Bucky’s tight grip. All he could do was bob his head in response, desperate for his hand to be free. When Bucky finally let go, Beck’s fingers flexed a few times to allow the blood flow to move once more.

“Anyways,” Quentin said, forcing a smile, “I should start chatting with some of the investors. You should do the same, Tony. You know they love ya.” He patted your boss on the back and Tony rolled his eyes.

“I know how to talk to people, Beck. You do your thing and I’ll do mine.”

You and Bucky exchanged glances as soon as the two of them left, then burst out into a fit of giggles.

“Bucky, you’ve done a lot of stupidly hot things over the past 24 hours. But the look on Quentin’s face as you crushed his hand? That takes the cake, babe.”

His eyes lit up and he winked. “Listen, that deck has to know that as long as you’re my girl, he better be on his best behavior. Even if ye weren’t my girl, he should respect ye as the fierce, hard working woman ye are.”

You bit your bottom lip, fighting back the urge to kiss him senseless in a room full of people that weren’t his closest friends like at the Golden Elixir. “Well, Buck, ready to meet Dublin’s elite?”

He stayed by your side the majority of the night, chatting with various investors with so much charm and wit that you had to force yourself to stop staring at him and make eye contact with the other people you were chatting with.

It worked out for Bucky as well, because everyone you spoke with took a liking to him immediately, and as soon as he mentioned that he worked at Wilson’s, most of them remarked that they would be willing to check the shop out, complaining about the shit work “high end” mechanics did around these parts. Bucky was overjoyed at the idea of potential new business, and you beamed when he offered free tune-ups to anyone who contributed more than five thousand dollars for the fundraiser.

“Bucky,” you whispered, hand wrapping around his forearm.

He shook his head, smiling. “It’s alright, love. It’s for a good cause. Plus, we’re good at what we do, so if we can lure them in with free work, we’ll most likely get guaranteed business forever. It’s all about the investment, right?” He winked again, and you couldn’t stop yourself as you stood on your tiptoes and kissed the now blushing man on the cheek.

“Oi! Barnes!” a deep, rumbling voice echoed through the room and you saw a blond head bobbing through the crowd. “Is that you, mate?”

Yesterday, you had first thought that Bucky was the tallest man you had ever seen in your life.

Then, you met Steve, who managed to stand over Buck ever so slightly.

But now, as the blond man stood before you, you were certain that he was an actual giant, a literal skyscraper next to anyone who ever crossed his path.

Bucky smiled from ear to ear, moving forward to pull the large man in for a hug. “Thor! It’s so good to see ye, brother! How are ye?”

Thor grinned back, shaking Bucky’s hand when they pulled away. “Absolutely grand! Even more so now that I know someone fun is at one of these things.”

Bucky turned to you. “This is Thor Odinson, part of Asgard Electric. His family’s company lights up almost all of Ireland. We went to primary school together. Thor, this is Y/n, she’s Tony’s assistant.”

You extended your hand to shake Thor’s, only to let out a small yelp as he wrapped his arms around you, lifting you in the air as he hugged you with a hearty chuckle.

“Y/n! Lovely to meet ye!” He lowered you to the ground and you stumbled back to Bucky’s side. “Ye sure have a lovely woman on your arm tonight, Barnes.”

Bucky shook his head, smiling as his arm made its way back around you. “Aye, she is lovely, but I feel as if I am her arm candy for the evening. She’s quite an impressive woman. Practically put this whole thing together.”

Thor’s brows raised and he nodded. “Well, you’re lucky to have such an impressive lady.”

Bucky nodded back, squeezing you against him. “That I am.” He looked at you with a fond smile before turning back to Thor. “So, are ye here alone or is the rest of the clan here? I’ve been meaning to talk to yer mother to see how her car’s been holding up since we changed the battery last month-”

His words were cut off as the two of you were jostled by a figure bumping against your arm. Quentin.

He let out an incoherent apology as he worked to stand up straight, alcohol sloshing around in his glass and he gave you a mischievous grin.

“Well, Y/n,” he slurred, completely ignoring Bucky and Thor as his arm waved around to gesture at the crowd. “Welcome to your first party filled with the dumb, snobby rich folk. Now I know you came here with your own date or whatever,” Bucky pulled you closer to him and out of Quentin’s reach, “But you should really consider hitting up some of the old crones who are looking for a fun time. I’ve managed to add a few extra thousand dollars to a donation thanks to my generous attention to some of the guests who are looking for a little something extra.” You looked over to Thor and Bucky who were both frowning, clearly uncomfortable with what your trashed coworker was saying.

Quentin, completely oblivious to their being upset by the conversation, kept going, and he whispered loudly in your ear, “I think I’m gonna go for the wife of the electric company guy. That hag Freyja looks like she hasn’t had a good time in decades-”

Thor roared, grabbing Quentin by his jacket and lifting him up in the air, face red with rage. “What did you just say about my mother?”

Quentin whimpered. “I’m sorry, I didn’t- I wasn’t-”

“What is going on here?” Tony emerged next to you, brows knit together in anger.

Bucky jumped to action, moving to Thor’s side and whispering something in his ear. Thor grumbled back, but then lowered Beck to the ground, his hands still clenching his suit. He looked the terrified man in the eyes as he responded to Tony. “This little maggot just disrespected my mother, Stark, and I’m half inclined to rip his mouth from his face so that he never gets to speak ill of her ever again.”

Another whimper from Quentin. “Tony,” he pleaded, “Ya gotta, ya gotta believe me man I was just joking around of course I would never-”

“Are you drunk, Beck?” Tony asked, crossing his arms.

“N-no,” Quentin stammered, hands out in an I’m innocent manner. “I mean, I’ve had s-some drinks here and there-”

Thor let go of Beck and stood back as Tony stormed over to him, silencing his employee and you heard him murmur. “I want you out of here, Beck. Don’t pretend like you’ve been acting like a real piece of shit these past few months. I thought the new role would give you more responsibility to finally get your head out of your ass, but looks like I was wrong.” He gave Quentin a long, cold stare before saying, “Pack your bags, you’re fired.”

Quentin stared at Tony, horrified for a few seconds before he regained composure, standing straight and buttoning his suit jacket. “Fine,” he said, feigning nonchalance. “I’ll go, and see how long you last without me.” His glassy eyes bore into yours and you glared at him. “Good luck with this incompetent loser managing everything on her own-”

He yelped as Bucky’s hand grabbed him by the back of his hair, the seething Irishman now dragging him by the scruff toward the exit. Nobody had noticed the scene playing out before, but now all heads were turned to the two of them as they cleared a path to the exit.

Bucky was back by your side in less than a minute, his hand interlacing with yours and squeezing it as he leaned down to whisper in your ear. “You okay, love?”

You nodded, squeezing back. “Thank you…for being here and taking care of that.”

His jaw worked. “Believe me, I’ve been wantin’ to do that ever since I realized he was the root cause of ye cryin’ yesterday. It was a pleasure to toss him around a bit.”

At that, you let out a small giggle, and Bucky finally smiled for the first time since the whole ordeal.

Afterwards, you went into damage control mode, starting with politely asking the servers to hand out a new round of drinks to everyone and escorting them to their seats so that speeches could start to hopefully prevent gossip from spreading too far. Then, you, Tony, and Bucky went to issue a formal apology to the Odinson family (Bucky, of course, had nothing to actually apologize for, but he still offered to do a full detail of each of their cars for free). Per your suggestion, Tony offered to donate five signed full sets of his books for the libraries at the schools of their choosing.

Thor gave both you and Bucky a big hug for dealing with Beck. “Barnes, the way ye dragged him out with his tail in between his legs was just grand! Wish it could have been me doin’ it, but I probably would have done way worse and for everyone’s sake, I’m glad I didn’t.”

Bucky nodded, shaking his hand and you smiled up at the man at your side, grateful to have him here to keep you grounded after feeling you were going to pass out from the panic racing through your veins.

You were definitely still in shock, not totally believing that Quentin had just been fired.

Thank fucking God.

The rest of the night was a roaring success. Tony went up to the stage shortly after the chaos died down, being his usual charming self and completely winning the crowd over. Bucky kept his hand in yours for the rest of the night, never wanting to leave your side.

There was one moment that the two of you had to temporarily part ways at the end of the night – much to both your disappointment – when you had to square away payment for the bartenders and caterers.

When you returned, you noticed that Bucky was standing in a circle with Tony and a few of the investors that were heading out, smiling and laughing as Bucky shook one of their hands. He turned to you as you approached and his smile widened, excusing himself to head your way.

“Making friends, Barnes?” you asked, tilting your head to the side questioningly.

He wiggled his eyebrows up and down. “What can I say, love? Everyone wants a chance to talk to the handsome mechanic who can get them a deal on good-quality service.” He leaned closer and whispered, “Becca and Sam are gonna shite themselves when they start getting calls from some of these folks.”

You laughed, rolling your eyes. “Alright, Mr. Hotshot Mechanic, how about the two of us get out of here?”

His eyes lit up in excitement and he extended his arm out, the other finding its way back around your waist right where it belonged. “Lead the way, love.”

You both bid your goodnights to Tony and then Bucky went to grab the truck, leaving you and your boss outside the venue by yourselves.

“I’m so sorry you had to deal with all this shit, Y/n,” Tony mumbled, face apologetic. “I should have fired him long ago. I guess I never realized how much he sucked until I actually hired a good assistant.”

You gave him a small smile, nodding. “No worries, Tony. I’m just sorry he wasn’t who you thought he was.”

He shrugged. “Well, I’ll be much more mindful of that when I look for a new Brand Manager. Until then, your workload might get a little nutty. That okay?”

You laughed. “If it was anything other than nutty I’d honestly be a bit concerned.”

Tony laughed with you, resting a hand on your shoulder. “Ain’t that the truth.” Headlights hit his face and you turned to see Bucky’s truck pull up. “So….are you two like, officially a thing now?”

You turned back to Tony, smile turning bittersweet. “Who knows. Kind of complicated, you know, living thousands of miles apart and all.”

“You never know. Sometimes things change.” He paused for a moment, then grinned. “Speaking of change, I got asked to go to breakfast with one of the investors from tonight right before our flight home. It’s right by the airport and it would honestly be a waste of time for me to go there and then pick you back up at the hotel.” His eyes flickered to the truck then back to you. “Do you think you might be able to find a ride to the airport and just meet me there?”

You fought back a gasp, eyes widening. Not having any morning obligations with Tony, nor driving with him from the hotel to the airport meant so much more time with Bucky. It wasn’t much, but any amount you could get with him was now a precious gift. You nodded, seeing the knowing look in his eyes and feeling like you’d never be able to adequately express your gratitude.

He nodded back, patting your shoulder before stepping away. “Right then, go have a good night and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

You grinned. “Have a good night, boss!”

His fingers moved up in a waving motion as he walked toward the valet pickup area, and you wasted no time turning and running to Bucky’s car.

The first stop was to the hotel so that you could both change into sweats and pack up your things. You nearly squealed with delight when Bucky let you remove his bowtie in between kisses, and then nearly dropped all of your toiletries when he removed his shirt, finally getting a peak at the hardened muscle all those terrible layers of clothing had been hiding all this time. Bucky let out a soft chuckle when you pouted as he threw on his red henley before he began to help you pack.

Helping turned out to be more like a series of constant derailments caused by him wrapping his arms around you from behind and kissing your neck every five minutes.

Once that was done, you checked out of your hotel and Bucky put your belongings in the truck, and then it was time to drive to your new favorite spot: a field in the middle of nowhere Ireland where the stars shone brighter than the streetlights in New York.

In the arms of the man you had fallen for before you even had a chance to stop yourself.

There were many moments when you wanted to crumble and burst into tears, as his hand cradled your face, or when his lips brushed against yours so tenderly. But you knew that as soon as you started you wouldn’t be able to stop, and you didn’t want anything to ruin this perfect moment.

Still, there were a few tears that managed to slide down your face, but Bucky kissed them away before they could leave streak marks on your skin.

You held onto each other, through the stories you shared, the silence that lingered as you stared into each other's eyes, the desperate kisses that made you wish you could stay in this moment forever.

Forever wasn’t an option, but the emotions you had felt the last two days would at least last you a lifetime.

You tried to stay awake all night, arguing that you could just sleep on the flight home. But the work from the last few days left you completely exhausted, and your lids grew heavy as Bucky’s hand moved along your arm in a hypnotic motion.

What really did you in was the moment he started humming an unfamiliar ballad, his perfect, soothing voice coaxing you to sleep.

When your eyes opened back up, the stars were gone, replaced by a purple sky.

You turned your gaze to the side to find Bucky awake, staring at you, a small, sad smile on his face.

“Morning, love.”

Things moved by in more of a haze the rest of the morning. You watched the sunrise, but your focus was more on the feel of your cheek against Bucky’s shoulder. The green fields passed you in a blur as you passed them on your way to the airport, your attention solely on the profile of Bucky’s face as he stared out at the road ahead, the way his fingers wrapped around the steering wheel of the truck, the way his hair blew in various directions from the wind.

Everything you could memorize about him, to paint the clearest picture in your head so that no matter where he was in the world, you could find him in your daydreams.

When the airport finally came into view, you felt knots form in your stomach, bile rising in your throat, dread puncturing your heart. Bucky noticed your distress and took your hand, giving you a comforting smile as he parked the truck.

You both sat there for a moment in silence, looking out at the crowds of people moving about outside, unable to make eye contact.

“We never spoke about it,” you finally whispered, taking a deep breath and turning to look at him. “About the after. After I leave…and what happens then.”

“Well,” Bucky started, clearing his throat, “I’m probably going to go to the pub and drown in my sorrows for the day after I make sure you’re settled and kiss ye senseless. And then, I’m gonna sit by my phone and wait for ye to call me when ye land and tell ye how much I miss ye.”

You smiled, tears welling in your eyes. “I know you said that you don’t have plans to visit New York anytime soon, but if you ever find yourself with a free week or something and feel like taking a trip across the pond…I would really like that.”

He bit his bottom lip, grinning. “That sounds grand.”

“And I definitely have to go back to the Golden Elixir to hang out with the hot redhead,” you said with a wink.

Bucky groaned, a low chuckle rumbling in his chest as he shook his head and you laughed along with him.

Your phone buzzed and you looked down at it, smile dropping from your face. “That’s Tony. He just got here. Guess I should go meet him.”

Bucky nodded somberly, then reached out to grab the back of your neck to pull you in for a sweet, tender kiss.

The two of you moved slowly as you grabbed your bags and made your way to the airport entrance, Bucky’s hand around your waist, thumb stroking your side.

Once you got to the double doors, you stopped and Bucky followed suit. You could see Tony through the glass windows scrolling through his phone, the one that you had been so desperate to get for him only two days ago.

The memory of Bucky’s small smile as he handed you the small rectangular box, as if he was truly so excited to do something that would make you happy. To fix whatever was going wrong in your life.

Oh how you wished he could fix this moment for you.

You turned to him, tears starting to fall. “I-”

“I have somethin’ for ye,” Bucky said nervously, lowering your bag to the ground and reaching into one of his pockets.

You breathed out a laugh. “If it’s another phone Bucky I might slap you.”

He shook his head. “No, it’s not that, love. Although if you want one let me know and I’ll give Sarah a call.” You lightly shoved his left shoulder and he grinned. “It’s nothin’, really, and if ye hate it you’re more than welcome to toss it in the bin as soon as I turn my back. I erm,” he shifted on his feet, “That day we met, I was finishin’ up a job near ye, and as I was walkin’ back to my truck Becca called asking me to head over to BHOD to help a panicked American lass out.” He smiled fondly at the memory, then pulled something out of his pocket, holding it out to you.

It was an Irish penny, a circular piece of metal punched through it and attached to a black leather cord.

“As I was talkin’ to Becs, I saw this coin right by the front tire of my truck. I don’t know what the custom is in the states, but it’s good luck to find a penny on the ground, so I took it. I never realized how much luck I was going to get from the blasted thing, but it led me to ye, and now I feel like the luckiest bastard on the planet for getting to spend these last few days with ye. They’ve been the best days of my life, and no matter what happens when ye walk through those doors, I’ll cherish the memories forever. I just want ye to remember that.”

You took the necklace, brushing your fingers over the coin, more tears falling down your face. You looked back up at him with a smile.

“I love it.” I love you, you thought, but couldn’t find the courage to say it. You figured he knew, though, and you figured he might feel the same.

“Grand,” he said, beaming. Then he moved behind you to tie it around your neck, leaning down to brush his lips right above where the leather rested along your skin.

When he was back in front of you, his hands caged your face between them, and he wiped away your tears with his thumbs.

“This isn’t the end, love, okay? I reckon we’re too good together for that to be the case, aye?”

You nodded. “And miss a chance to see this pretty face again? Never.”

He scrunched his nose with a smile, then pulled you in until your mouths found their way home.

No matter how long it might be before you crossed paths again, you knew you’d never forget the mesmerizing taste of Bucky Barnes’s lips.

They were sweeter than honey.

He pulled away to envelope you in his arms, embracing you to the point of almost crushing your body, and you still felt like it wasn’t tight enough.

“Until the next time, love,” he murmured into your ear. “I’ll be counting down the seconds.”

You nodded, moving back until you locked your eyes on the beautiful cerulean ones before you.

“Remember what you said to me that first night? About your lips being mine as long as I’ll have them?”

He smiled, eyes glistening. “I do.”

“Remember what I said after?”

A tear fell down his cheek. “That ye’d have them forever.”

You kissed him again, then whispered into his lips, “I’m holding you to that, Barnes.”

His smile widened. “Sounds like a plan, love.”

You smiled back, rubbing your nose against his and running your fingers through those soft, gorgeous chestnut locks.

Then, you grabbed your bags, took a long, deep breath, and moved to the double doors.

As soon as you got inside the airport, you looked over your shoulder.

Bucky was still there, smiling at you with tears in his eyes.

With one small wave, you turned and kept walking, heart cleaving in two.

FOUR MONTHS LATER

“Listen Y/n, are you sure you can’t come with us to D.C.? We’re meeting the President and everything!”

You chuckled, looking both ways before crossing the street. “I know, I know, but it’s my best friend’s wedding this weekend. I know the President is a big deal, but he wasn’t there with a sewing kit when I had a wardrobe malfunction at junior prom.”

Tony sighed. “That asshole,” he joked and you both laughed. “Well, I hope you have fun this weekend. Maria and I will sing all the karaoke without you.”

You nodded, even though he couldn’t see the movement through the phone. Maria Hill was Tony’s new Brand Manager. At first, she terrified you, her seemingly tough and serious demeanor incredibly intimidating. But then Tony took the two of you out to a karaoke bar after the first event she worked, and you realized that she was actually just the coolest, funniest person ever. She even helped with setup and breakdown, and complimented you when you did your job well. Basically, she was awesome, and you did feel a tinge of disappointment that you were missing a chance to hang out with them this weekend even though you saw them almost everyday. “If y’all sing any Spice Girls I will be devastated, you hear?”

He gasped, acting as if you had just accused him of murder. “I would never.”

“That’s what I thought, Stark.” You checked the time on your watch. “Has your car picked you up yet? They should be there within the next five minutes.”

“Not yet,” he said. “I’m bringing my bags down right now though so I’ll be ready when they do.”

“Do you have everything? Wallet, laptop, boarding pass, Invisalign-”

“Y/n, you have to let the Invisalign thing go. I forgot it one time-”

“And then I had to overnight it to Texas for you, where it got held up at some warehouse and took twice as long to redirect it back home. I’m sorry boss, but until those pearly whites are straight and no longer need a fancy retainer, it is permanently on the checklist.”

He sighed. “You know, sometimes it’s annoying how good you are at this job.”

“Just trying to make it impossible for you to fire me.”

“Well, you already nailed that one. If you ever threaten to leave me I might actually get on my hands and knees and beg you not to. Or I’ll make Morgan give you her best pouty face.”

“That’s not fair. You know I can’t resist a Morgan pout.”

“Neither can I.” He paused, then continued. “So…the wedding. Got a date or anything?”

“Nah, I usually go stag to these things. Besides, the only person I’d want to go with is thousands of miles away.” Though your tone was joking, you felt the familiar ache return in your chest, and your free hand moved to grab the penny resting on your chest.

You and Bucky had talked non stop since you left Ireland, either texting almost 24/7, late night phone calls, FaceTiming, or sharing funny TikToks with each other. You had wished that the two of you could have reconnected in person by now, but with your chaotic schedule and him focusing on applying to schools, there didn’t seem to be enough time for it to work out. Nor did it seem like it would anytime soon…

“Gotcha,” Tony replied, “Probably for the best, anyways. I bet you’re going to be too busy making sure the bride doesn’t have her own wardrobe malfunction.”

You giggled. “Exactly.”

“Oh, car’s here. What are you up to right now?” Tony asked.

“Almost home. Why? Do you need something?”

“Well, I did have something delivered to your place that should be there by now. Just want to make sure you get it.”

You furrowed your brows in confusion, rounding the corner to your building. “What is it-”

You stopped short, mouth agape as you stared wide-eyed at the door of your apartment.

At the ocean blue irises that were now locked onto yours, the sheepish smile just below them.

“Bucky?” you breathed out.

“Oh, good,” Tony said, and you could hear the smile on his face. “Delivery got there. I’ll leave you to it then. Have a great time, Y/n.” He hung up, but you couldn’t move the phone away from your ear. You couldn’t move at all.

Bucky walked slowly down the stairs and toward you, hands buried in his pockets.

You finally lowered the phone to your side. Your heart was pounding, head dizzy.

He stopped when he was a few feet away from you, and you noticed a pink hue form along his neck and up to his cheeks.

“Hello, love,” he said softly.

“W-what…what are you doing here?”

His shoulders moved up and down as he released a deep breath. “Well, I kind of live here now.”

Your face scrunched in confusion. “Wait, like in New York?”

He nodded. “Classes start in a week, so I just moved into my new flat.”

Your brain felt like it was moving 100mph and yet the idea of forming a coherent sentence seemed impossible. “You- classes? You do school here?”

He grinned at your words. “Columbia. Studying engineering. Also managed to snag a job as the personal mechanic for some rich author or whatever.”

Bucky was here. He was in New York. And he was staying? “I..”

“Listen, love. I know this was sprung on ye and I’m sorry I didn’t tell ye sooner. I had actually been wantin’ to apply before we even met, but I didn’t want to say that in case it made you feel any kind of pressure between us. And I honestly didn’t think I’d be able to get in because this school is so damn nice and I didn’t want to get yer hopes up. But Tony introduced me to some people in Dublin who knew members of the admissions team and..well, here I am.”

You tried to speak again, but there were too many words trying to push themselves up and it caused what could only be described as a traffic jam in your throat.

The silence made Bucky uncomfortable, so he continued. “We can talk about what this means. Obviously this is a very different scenario than what ye first imagined all those months ago. If ye wish our paths didn’t cross while I’m here, that’s…” he took another deep breath, “That’s fine. But I’d love to take ye out on a proper date if you’re interested. Many dates, if possible. Of course, I don’t know any of the places around here to eat so ye’d have to tell me what place ye like to-”

Without warning, you had finally regained control of your motor functions, and you jumped to close the distance between you, lips crashing into his.

He let out a gruff moan, arms wrapping around your waist and pulling your feet off the ground as he held you tightly to him.

And just like that, it felt like you were back in Ireland, surrounded by fields of green as the light of the sunrise kissed your face.

His lips were just as you remembered. Soft, tender, hungry.

Sweeter than honey, and all yours.

Forever, just as you wanted.

The End 🍀

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