They sat at a little booth for two near the back of the restaurant. Ruth took her jacket off and set it next to her on the seat with her purse and was promptly mesmerized as Bucky removed his jacket and hung it on the hook next to the booth before sitting down. She had noticed the dark jeans and his boots when he picked her up but the black button up with the top button left undone was the perfect finish. He looked incredible. He sat down and she brought her eyes back up to his face.
The waitress arrived a moment later and Bucky insisted they get drinks. Ruth ordered an Old Fashioned and Bucky a simple gin and tonic. As they looked over the menu, Ruth asked why he'd insisted on drinks.
"Tony said you can tell a lot about a person by what they drink. So I was curious."
Ruth raised her eyebrows,
"Oooh. And what does my choice say about me?"
He thought a moment.
"You are classic, a little old fashioned, strong and no frills without being simple or boring."
"You did not get that from my drink choice."
Ruth laughed and Bucky grinned,
"Nah. But I was curious."
As they enjoyed their meal, Bucky asked about Ruth's family and how she came to work for Stark and where she went to school. She told him all about how she was an only child and her parents had both passed a few years ago but her best friend Violet was her family. She explained that she got the job at Stark Industries simply by applying before she'd even graduated college but that Tony had taken an interest.
"He once said that I reminded him of his Aunt Peggy. It wasn't until years later that I understood what that meant."
"Peggy Carter."
Ruth nodded.
"I take that as one of the best compliments anyone could receive."
"It's funny you say that because Steve said the same thing about you when I got back to the apartment last night."
Ruth wasn't normally one to blush but she seemed to be doing a lot of it around Bucky. When they finished their meal, Bucky insisted on paying, they both put their jackets on and stepped out onto the sidewalk. The sun had just set but the sky was still light. When they reached the motorcycle, Ruth reached for the helmet. Bucky said,
"I have one more surprise tonight, if you're up for it."
"I'm always up for surprises."
He smiled and climbed on the bike. Ruth tugged on the helmet and got on. They pulled off the curb and only rode for a couple minutes before Bucky found a parking spot right along Central Park.
"Care for a walk in the park?"
"That sounds lovely."
There were a few people still out and about in the park but not many. They kept a leisurely pace as they wandered down the path, chatting. During a lull in the conversation, Ruth couldn't help but notice how comfortable she felt in Bucky's presence. Something about him just made her feel like she didn't have to be anyone but herself and she felt…safe. She took a chance and reached over and took his hand as they walked. He only looked down at their joined hands a moment and Ruth swore she saw a faint little smile cross his face. He didn't pull his hand away, so she took that as a good sign.
They walked quietly for a few minutes, just taking in the slightly muffled sounds of the city and the park around them. Ruth broke the silence,
"Bucky, can I ask you a rather personal question?"
"Sure."
"Why do you always wear gloves?"
He was quiet a few moments and Ruth could tell that he was thinking about how to respond to her.
"Habit, I guess. When I was…the Winter Soldier…I always had gloves of some kind on. The nature of what they were making me do, I guess. Handling weapons and such. Also…well…the arm seems to make people uncomfortable. I try to just blend in, honestly."
Ruth's heart broke a little at that answer. She noticed a bench ahead and pulled him toward it. When they sat down, she turned to face him. Having still not let go of his hand, she held it up and asked,
"May I?"
He shrugged his shoulders in a noncommittal way but relaxed his fingers which allowed her to pull the glove off. The dark vibranium was smooth and just slightly cooler than her own hand as she laced her fingers with his again.
"Not that my opinion matters but I think it's beautiful and it's a part of you so I don't really understand how someone could feel uncomfortable about it but maybe that's just because I feel comfortable with you. Which may be odd seeing as it's only been a couple days but that's how I feel and I'm rambling please stop me."
Bucky smiled sweetly at that.
"I kind of like your rambling. It's so honest."
Ruth looked up and was absolutely captivated by those blue eyes that she forgot what she was going to say. He held her gaze for a moment before he looked up and said,
"It's dark now. We should probably head back."
He didn't let go of her hand, simply put the glove in his pocket, as they strolled back toward his motorcycle. He couldn't help but noticed how nice it felt to have her hand in his. It was small and warm and she showed no fear or unease of the metal appendage even knowing full well what it was capable of. That gave him some small comfort that he had not known before.
Bucky didn't let go of her hand until they reached the bike. Then he put his glove back on and got on the bike as she put the helmet on and got on behind him. She scooted a little closer to him this time and enjoyed how warm he was as evening had brought cooler air.
When they reached Ruth's building, Bucky walked her to the door. Before they reached the door, it dawned on Ruth,
"I don't have your phone number! Phone please."
Bucky obliged with a smile and placed his phone in her outstretched hand. As she suspected, it was Stark tech, so she knew exactly how to operate it. She entered her number in his contacts with her name and sent herself a text. She handed him his phone back and looked up at him.
"I had a really nice time tonight Ruth."
"I did too. Thank you. It was lovely."
They just gazed at each other for a moment then Bucky leaned down and kissed her gently. Ruth felt like she'd swallowed whiskey straight. He pulled away far too soon and Ruth opened her eyes she hadn't consciously closed to see a little lopsided smile on his face.
He picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles then stepped back toward his bike.
"Goodnight Ruthie."
"Goodnight Bucky."
She managed to get the door opened then turned to watch Bucky start his bike and she waved before closing the door. She put her back against the door and listened as the sound of the engine faded and she took a few deep breaths to try and calm her pounding heart. She pulled out her phone as she climbed the stairs. Violet answered as she stepped through the door to her apartment.
"How was it?"
"Incredible! Vi, he kissed me!"
"Oh. My. God!"
