ostavil | rain meme for marriageable

[ Sure, she could have called. But that would require forethought. The clouds outside had been a dusky blue when she started her trek. That was hours ago.

Daphne is a Bridgerton. They have a proclivity for dramatics. If there’s trouble, it will find its way to them.

When Bucky lets her in, before she can slog her way through the mud and knock on the door, she looks like a drowned rat. Tendrils are plastered to her forehead and neck, positively swimming in her gown, soaked through with rainwater.

(At least it’s the right place. She was afraid she was going to have to burden a stranger.) ]

I thought - I would go for a walk.

It looks more like it ended up a swim. I don't happen to have any dresses for petite women hanging around but if you want to dry those clothes, I can give you something of mine to wear in the meantime. Pretty sure one of my shirts will be almost as long as a dress on you anyway.

( Bucky knows that colds are caused by viruses transmitted through the air but his mother telling him and Steve to get out of those wet clothes before you catch a chill overrides any scientific knowledge about the matter. Besides, she looks miserable. )

Is that okay? You would probably be more comfortable.

[ She is miserable, to say the least. Even so, his suggestion is one that is not only difficult for her to comprehend but one that she immediately balks at. It’s not so much wearing clothing fit for a man - her femininity cannot be in question - but wearing his clothes, specifically.

If not for the chill, she might have blushed. ]

Oh, I couldn’t impose—

[ Instead, she’ll just... drip all over his floor and shiver like an unwanted dog, arms wrapped around herself. ]

( Bucky gives her an incredulous look. He might be a lot of things these days but he's not the kind of guy to let a woman stand soaking wet in his doorway and not offer her the chance to get dry. )

Be serious, Daphne. You can have a shirt, a blanket, and whatever else you want to keep modest. You just don't need to be in those wet clothes any longer. Besides, you'll drip all over the nice floor I just repaired.

[ The thought for her modesty is persuasive, but it’s the prospect of ruining his work that shakes her out of her obstinacy. She looks down to the puddle forming below her, shame on her face. He’d gone through all that trouble, after all.

Whispery soft: ] Okay.

All right. I've only got one bedroom in this tiny place but if you go up that little set of stairs, that's where it is. I pretty much hit my head on something every day in here but that's not the point. The point is that there's a little dresser with all my clothes in it. Just get something out that you're comfortable wearing and take the blanket off the bed. You can hang your dress up in there to dry.

( Normally Bucky hangs his clothes outside to dry but that is not an option today considering it's still pouring down rain. He hasn't been here long enough to know the general weather patterns but it doesn't seem like it's letting up any time soon either. )

And before you ask, I don't care if you're going through my stuff. It's not like you're going to find much of anything in there anyway.

( There's his journal but he doubts Daphne is the type to snoop into something like that. )

[ A small laugh, dry but there. At least her sense of humor made it through the storm. ]

Should I be insulted you think I would take advantage of your kindness?

[ She gives a last look back through the paneled window, then to her drenched gown, worried both for his flooring and that of one of her only gowns. There aren’t many options for a girl from the Jane Austen era around these parts; she’s had to do a lot of improvising and working on fashioning her own dresses.

The little house is sparse in decoration and furniture — she notices that on the climb up, but it comes into sharper relief once she’s in the bedroom. There’s little more than the bed and dresser.

The emptiness occupies her thoughts as she removes all the layers she took care in putting on that morning, all the way out of her chemise, and then wrings out as much moisture from her gown in the adjoining washroom. The mirror reflects a pale, disheveled girl, almost unrecognizable in the dark t-shirt she quickly picked out of his possessions. The smell of soap is there, but so is something musky, masculine.

Her hair unsalvageable, she unbinds it, shaking it out, before climbing down, her feet and quite a bit of her legs bare. ]

( He knows he shouldn't look. He absolutely should not look. However, last he checked he still had a pulse and so he looks and then looks again before looking away and coughing awkwardly. Daphne's already in the house with a man she barely knows, she doesn't need him staring at her on top of it.

There's a blanket on the small couch he has in what passes for a living room so he passes it over to her. )

Get warm and tell me what inspired you to take a walk all the way over here to see me instead of using the relic thingie? Did you miss my face or something?

[ She will pretend not to notice the staring; she doesn’t know what to do about it beyond blush to her roots, her pulse quickening, jumping at her throat. Anyone else she would be liable to throttle, but you don’t scream at somebody after you came to visit them and then dripped all over their newly rebuilt home.

Accepting the blanket, it’s quickly wrapped around her middle. Very unfashionable, but it will have to do. Swallowing, she ventures over to the lit fireplace. She’s not too much of a lady to refuse to sit beside it, lowering herself to her knees and crowding close to the warmth.

It’s a few minutes before she gets up the will to speak. ]

And what if I did? [ Her voice, gentle but firm. ] Would that be so wrong?

No, nothing wrong with that. Just surprising, is all. I would venture a guess that you've met people a lot more interesting and much nicer than I am on a regular basis.

( He's been nothing but gracious and polite to Daphne, actually, and the only not-nice thing he's done is looked at her more than a nice, friendly person would do. She's a beautiful woman and he's not dead so it's happened but he's tried to keep it subtle so she doesn't get embarrassed. She hasn't told him to stop or anything and she's clearly fine with visiting him so he hasn't committed a cardinal sin. Yet, anyway. )

People actually don't make a habit of visiting me at all, come to think of it. You're my first visitor here.

[ Daphne cuts her eyes at him in mild surprise. ] No one?

[ That is very sad, but she refrains from saying so. Her eyes speak for her.

This is very much not how she envisioned things going. Then, she also hadn’t envisioned the sky falling out on her way over.

She’s not entirely sure what she thought would happen when she got here, but she sighs, reaching her hands out closer to the flame. ]

You’ve been a wonderful guide... and friend. I truly cannot grasp why you insist on speaking with such negativity toward yourself.

You could say that if I set the expectations low, nobody can be disappointed in what they get. Still, I'm glad you think so. You've been a pretty good friend too, actually. It's been fun showing you things.

( The way she looks now with her hair disheveled and out of her proper dress, Bucky can imagine she looks just like this when she first wakes up and that's a very dangerous thought. He puts that thought in a box and locks it up tight. )

I'm not exactly the kind of person that the Ninth Viscount Bridgerton would want around his sister, I'm sure, but I won't let anything happen to you either.

[ The look he gets for that is a slow, lingering smile. The color is coming back to her cheeks, slowly but surely.

She has to keep pushing the sleeves of his shirt up around her wrists, it’s so long on her. A laugh tumbles out of her throat. ]

My eldest brother is [ a whoring rake ] not precisely the company a proper lady keeps himself. He hardly gets to have an opinion on who I befriend and how I choose to spend my time. [ Anymore. ]

Besides, [ she points out, her stomach pinching at the thought, ] he’s not here, is he?

No, he's not. I'm just saying I might not be the kind of company a proper lady keeps either but you keep coming to talk to me anyway. That's some of that stubbornness again, yeah? Even if I'm not a tree limb you're trying to haul away?

( Bucky's glad that Daphne has actually made the effort because the last time he made the effort, it went sideways, and he didn't really feel the need to stick his neck out again until she showed up. A man can't live completely without friends but he thinks he would have given it a good try. )

I am not stubborn! Take it back. [ Now she’s pouting a little, but only in jest.

It’s true enough; Daphne is nothing if not full of perseverance, and if it wasn’t her natural charisma that made him want to befriend her, she would have just had to doggedly pester him until it worked. It seems to be.

He needed a friend. She wants to be his friend.

Daphne pats the place across from her in invitation. ]

I would hazard you are not one to be moved unless you wish to be, Mr Barnes.

( Daphne is a duchess. She'd told him she was married and that was her title and he's so far below that he might as well be an ant. Still, she pats the place beside her and it looks so, so inviting. Then she says he's not someone to be moved unless he wants to be.

She's not wrong. He, too, is impossibly stubborn and always has been (even if Steve beats him for that tenfold) and the thing he's most stubborn about is his lack of self-worth when it comes to being around people who haven't been touched by war or tragedy. He has blood on his hands. He shouldn't be in the same room as Daphne but she's here anyway.

So he moves. He sits across from her and suddenly feels like he's even bigger in this small, small space than he already is. )

Well, I only moved because you sold me on the coziness of this. Not at all because I wanted to sit closer to you.

[ Daphne doesn’t care about titles. In Folkmore, she’s learned they’re only words. Wind. Actions speak louder. Still, it is hard to unlearn everything else. The mannerisms, the innate repression. How is she to shed that, when it’s all she’s ever really known?

If she were one to scoff, she would now. In lieu, she smiles indulgently, pleased that he’s chosen to acquiesce to her. ]

Of course.

[ Her eyes slide back to the hearth, quiet but close to content. It’s a while before she speaks again, picking her words with care. ]

I feel safe with you.

( When he speaks, it's soft and low. )

You shouldn't. There's things...there's things I've done that can't be forgiven, Daphne. If I told you, you would probably hate me for it and there's nothing I can do about that. I would never hurt you, you don't have to worry about that, but I'm not a safe person.

( It's a lot to say but here next to the fireplace with the rain pouring down, it feels safer to admit those things than it would any other time. )

[ She takes it in. She listens.

She doesn’t doubt that—she knows war is awful, that it takes and takes. She’s heard stories, ones no lady should ever hear, eavesdropping on her father and later her brothers. War is not kind. War is brutal, cold, senseless. She knows that, though she’s never lived it.

Bucky is not those things.

A lapse of silence, just their breathing to break it, before she reaches to place a hand on his. Flesh over metal. Steadily, she says: ]

I forgive you, James.

( She forgives him. Daphne doesn't even know half of what he did and he's not sure that he could tell her if he even tried but she forgives him. She says it in a way that doesn't brook an argument either, the sort of quiet acceptance that he thinks he's never really had before. )

I need to tell you something else. It's not...that but it's related to it. When I first got here, there were people who already knew my past before I even got a chance to share it with them. One of them was a woman and she said my past didn't matter, you know? Told me I was a good person, went out of her way to tell me she was attracted to me. I finally get up the nerve to actually do something about it and it turns out that while she was telling me that, she was interested in someone else. Someone not like me. She was willing to sleep with me but I wasn't worth the rest, you know? And I think it's because she knew. She knew everything I did in my past.

So you tell me that you forgive me but you don't know everything you're forgiving me for, you know? It might change your mind.

[ Daphne doesn’t know this woman, as far as she’s aware, so she cannot be sure that’s why things didn’t work out between them. But she’s quite sure that’s not what he needs to hear now either. She’s done something similar herself. Led a prince on our of sheer jealousy, when who she really wanted was Simon. ]

She wasn’t honest, but you can’t assume it’s your doing. It isn’t your fault if someone lies to you.

No, it's not. Just like it's not your fault that I can't trust what people tell me. So I trust you, Daphne, when you say that you forgive me.

( Bucky is quiet for a moment and then he covers her hand with his right so he can feel the softness of her skin. )

You still probably shouldn't trust me, though. I want to do stuff with you that you shouldn't be wanting to do with married duchesses. I think to myself - well, he's not here and we have no idea if he'll ever be here - and you shouldn't do that. I just thought I ought to tell you.

[ Daphne didn’t even piece together what ‘sleep with me’ meant; she’s thoroughly unprepared for what he follows with, though her body is anything but.

Warmth spreads across her lower belly, working its way down to between her thighs. A similar warmth blooms in her face.

When she speaks, it’s breathy, but not repudiation. Her hand has not budged. ]

What... stuff? [ Humor her. ]

( Bucky huffs lightly and shakes his head. She hasn't pulled away and her cheeks look a little warm but it could be from the fire. )

I shouldn't be thinking about going to bed with someone else's wife but I think about it almost all the time when I'm with you, Daphne. I'm not going to drag you off or anything - I'm not and have never been that kind of guy - but I think about it from time to time.

( All the time. )

[ Oh.

She will be requiring a moment to let that sink in, stomach lodged in her throat. She doesn’t entirely know what he could mean by going to bed with, but she’s gleaned it is the very thing her mother and Simon spoke of, without ever properly telling her.

She can’t manage to make her voice much louder than a whisper, and her hand is clammy between the two of his. ]

Are you thinking of it now?

Hard not to be, considering you're not wearing anything but my shirt. I was just trying to be a gentleman about it so you wouldn't slap me into next month.

( He draws her hand up and kisses the inside of her wrist. )

What are you thinking about?

[ A breath punches out of her the second lips meet skin, an unmistakable noise, and one that humbles her thoroughly. That particular spot is sensitive. Shame ripens in her chest, but want is climbing higher and higher, overtaking it.

After an internal struggle, a decision is reached. ]

I’m thinking...

[ She’s thought too much as it is. Suddenly, impulsively, she closes the space between them to press her lips to his. ]

Edited 2024-12-03 09:00 (UTC)

( Bucky doesn't know if he should have expected the kiss or not but once she's kissing him, all the concerns he had about her being married and him being a bad person seem to melt away. He works his hands into her still-damp hair and slants his mouth over hers. She might have made the first move but he isn't someone who is passive about anything - not anymore - and he prefers to be the one in control of where things are going. )

[ That suits Daphne just fine. She isn’t particularly passive either, for all she might subscribe to some traditional aspects. That said, she has very little experience when it comes to kissing, having just the two under her belt, and she’s learning she quite enjoys a man that takes charge. She melts into his grip; he can fully guide her. She leans into the fact he knows what he’s doing here, and into him, opening her mouth under the persistence of his. ]

( Bucky hasn't kissed anyone since '45 but he thinks this would be among his best kisses anyway. He manages a little while before he has to break away and just pull her into his lap before he can go any further. )

If you want to stop, you need to let me know, because I don't want to stop at all.

[ She wouldn’t know if he had kissed somebody the day before, but she thinks not. If feels as if he saved this for her.

The longer they kiss, the more heat flares in her. She’s panting when he deposits her into his lap, as if she weighs no more than a feather. That alone, and the heat of him and his strong arms around her turns her on even more. She gasps for breath, heart pounding already, the implications of what he says stirring a moral dilemma. She shoves it away, deep down.

She wants this. Why should she be denied it, even here?

Her fingers cup his jaw, lifting it, and she presses her mouth again to his, parting only a few millimeters. ]

I don’t want you to stop.

Then I won't.

( Part of him thinks she should be more informed about, well, everything that has to do with him but he thinks if he sits and talks about his own body and everything that's been done to it to make him not-quite-human he'll lose his nerve. Besides, she's seen how strong he is already. It isn't like he keeps it a secret.

He moves his left hand to brace her back while he slips the right down to cover her knee while they're kissing, his fingertips touching the hem of the shirt's she's wearing. )

[ Kissing becomes progressively easier, more natural. She finds she likes the wet slide of his tongue against hers. The taste. Just him.

She knows she’s signed up for something, though what continues to elude her, but her body still jumps at the bare fingers on her knee, slipping a breadth back to look down at his hand, the play of it against her—his shirt. Oh. The underclothes she wears are damp from the rain, but a new wetness joins it. She catches herself nodding as she kisses his mouth again, breathless. Inviting. ]

( Bucky slides his hand up higher on her thigh, up under the edge of the shirt, and breaks the kiss from her lips only to move them to trace along her jaw and along her neck. )

You have no idea how much I want you.

[ His lips against the line of her jaw, her throat. She squirms, fingers finding his hair to sweep through. A sweet moan buds out of her. She would be abashed, if not for how aroused she was. ]

Show me, then.

If you want me to really show you, we're gonna have to go back up those stairs again. I need more room to work with.

( If Daphne says no, then Bucky has an idea of how far he can push things but if she says yes and agrees to go back up to bed with him? Well, that opens a whole new world of possibilities. )

Why not here?

[ Genuinely, she doesn’t know. Daphne presses a gentle kiss to the corner of his mouth, too, partly an attempt to convince him, she can be very persuasive, but mostly because she doesn’t want to stop kissing him. ]

I think you deserve better than a couch or the floor if I'm going to really get my mouth on you, that's all. It's a matter of pride.

( Bucky laughs softly, though, and smooths his hand over her hair. )

But if you can't manage to stop long enough, I can be creative.

[ Wait.

She pulls back incrementally, confusion and arousal at war. ]

Your mouth?

( Bucky frowns a little and his brows draw together. )

You're married and your husband hasn't...Daphne, you mean to tell me that your husband hasn't kissed you anywhere other than your mouth?

[ She laughs, too, but the sound is incredulous, and she links her arms around his neck. ]

Well, he’s kissed my hand, and my neck. Where else would he?

( Bucky blinks at her slowly for a moment in disbelief. Her hand and her neck. That's it? That's all he's taken when he's been married to a woman as beautiful as Daphne? )

Between your thighs, Daphne. If I have to be vulgar about it, I absolutely will, but I think you can figure that one out.

[ MAJOR deja vu happening here.

She shifts on his lap, the reason known to both of them, but in mounting disbelief. ]

Whatever for? That sounds rather... Uncouth. [ Fingers were one thing. Mouth??? You eat with that! ]

Maybe I'm an uncouth kinda guy but I promise you, it feels good. Probably the best feeling you'll have in your life. Of course, if it's too uncouth, I could just not do it.

( He's playing now, clearly teasing. )

That husband of yours ever make you come, Daphne?

[ She might have felt some mild revulsion, but there’s climbing curiosity as well. Indignant, she pouts at him for teasing her. ]

You’re acting ghastly, you know. I don’t know what any of these words mean.

[ She thinks about it, though, and gives a small shake of her head. Simon has barely looked at her since she forced his hand into marriage. ]

Do you promise it’ll feel good?

I promise it will. I wouldn't even think about doing it if I didn't think it would feel good for you. That's more important than anything else.

( This, he's sincere about, because he wants Daphne to trust him. )

Hm.

[ Thinking, she presses her lips to the tip of his nose, struck as she does that everything she’s done since she climbed into his lap has been unprecedented.

Everything here will be new to her.

She drops another kiss to his mouth. ]

Okay.

( His house is small but Daphne is also small so it is easy to pick her up and hold her close while he navigates the stairs up to the little lofted bedroom he has. He thinks it's probably a good idea he redesigned this place a little while he rebuilt it because the old version of the house wouldn't have allowed for this.

Once they're upstairs, he lays Daphne on the bed gently. )

You can tell me if you want to stop. That still applies, all right?

[ Caught off guard, she ropes her arms closer around his neck, stomach flipping. Nobody has picked her except for her brothers in play, and her father before them. She bites her lip once he stretches her out on the bed—his bed—the shirt riding up her thighs. Without thinking, she reaches to pull it down, then stops, instead relaxing her hands on her stomach. She nods, a little nauseous. ]

( Bucky takes his time pushing up the shirt and then he only pushes up just under her breasts so her stomach is exposed but she isn't completely naked yet. It's a lot at once, he thinks, and he doesn't want Daphne to get overwhelmed.

He touches at her underwear and they're damp from the rain, sure, but he thinks they're damp from want too. )

I'm gonna take these off. You're okay with that?

[ The touch comes almost unexpected. Her stomach jumps, lips parting, a puff of hot air. Daphne barely touches herself there; even the lightest of touch from his fingers running against the fabric, directly over her most sensitive of places, is a vast difference from her own.

Quietly, closing her eyes, she lifts her hips to help. The cool air against her needy cunt makes her clench around nothing, wet and messy. Her heart races. ]

( Bucky slides his right thumb over her cunt, testing how wet she is, and pleased with himself when Daphne is soaked. He's done a good job working her up without even touching her and that's pretty good for someone who hasn't had sex in as long as he has.

He kneels at the edge of the bed and slides his hands under her to pull her close to his mouth, her legs over his broad shoulders. He nuzzles her thigh before sliding his tongue against her in a first taste. She's perfect. )

[ Cold air, his thumb—she almost twists away, a sharp exhale from her throat. But that’s nothing compared to when he replaces it with his tongue. Surprise and pleasure, bleating out of her. She tries to pull away at once, out of shock, a whimper on her lips and her cunt shiny with want. ]

James—

( Bucky lifts his head for a moment so he can look at her and make sure that she's all right; this is new for her and he needs to be careful with it. )

You're all right. I wouldn't do anything that feels bad, I promise.

( He dips his head again to taste her, slow so he doesn't worry her or make her feel afraid, and he reaches for her hand with his left to hold it. )

[ Daphne calms, incrementally, at the gentleness of his voice, then more when he reassures her. It’s what she needs to hear, to the letter.

He promises.

She believes him.

The next slide of his tongue is slower, less of a shock; this time he gets her hips rising a little, pressing into his mouth. ]

( Daphne lifts her hips and presses up against his mouth and that just makes him want her more. He wants her all over his face, wants to know she's trembling in pleasure because of something he did. He presses a finger against her, dipping inside but not pushing in, and tries to see how she reacts to it. If she pulls away, he'll take it away and just use his mouth for now. )

[ She doesn’t. The tip of his finger is squeezed by her cunt, opening up for him like a promise, a stray drop of wetness slipping out of her and down, missed by his mouth. She pushes for him to continue, a little whimper again, this time in lust rather than fear. ]

( Daphne's noises sound more like wanting than fear so he slides his finger in and lets it sit for a moment before easing another in beside it. Bucky's pretty sure he could do this all day, just have his mouth on her until she comes all over him, but he knows that she'll finish sooner than he wants her to. )

Oh, [ she gasps, tensing around the second introduction, stretching to fit them. Two of his fingers are like three, maybe four of hers, she thinks, but she’s wet enough that it’s not uncomfortable. Wet enough that when his fingers begin to move, it’s noisy, filling his bedroom with what he’s doing to her, done to her, and her face and chest burn with embarrassment. ]

( He loves the noise. He loves knowing that Daphne feels good and isn't shy about showing it to him even if they come from way different places and modesty is a hell of a lot more important to her than it is to him. She isn't reserved in here with him and that's all he could hope for and more.

He keeps sucking at her while moving his fingers, trying to get her to come and let go of all the tension he can feel strung up in her body. )

[ In time, her thighs cage his face in, and her fingers reach for his head, looking down her body to watch him as he works her open. They meet eyes.

The building tension is familiar now; she knows what’s coming, and she lets it happen, panting harder, unable to take her eyes off him.

She stills quite suddenly, and tips over with a cry to punctuate her undoing, squeezing his fingers. ]

( Bucky hadn't expected her to actually look down at him when she came and for those few moments, he thinks he might be worth something and entitled to be here instead of stealing some other man's wife.

He doesn't lift his head until she's stopped trembling and when she does, he gently eases his fingers out. )

You're pretty perfect, Daphne Bridgerton. You know that?

[ The onslaught of pleasure lasts a while, and when it calms, she’s left blissed out, entirely relaxed. Her legs dangle from his shoulders, her heart thudding in her chest, still slowing.

She can only laugh, cheeks flush with dew. Her fingers stroke his hair. ] So I’ve been told. It’s hardly true.

No, I'm pretty sure it's true. I know exactly what I'm talking about down here, after all. I'm an expert.

( Her hand is in his hair and he rests against her thigh for a moment before gently shifting her legs off his shoulders so he can stand. She looks good in just his shirt and nothing else and Bucky wonders if he can just freeze this little moment in time. )

I think I'm overdressed for our party.

[ Bucky Barnes’ new career path: OBGYN.

Languidly, Daphne rises to her elbows. She looks fairly fucked out already, especially with her hair down and air dried. ]

I am in agreement. You are terribly overdressed for the occasion. [ She’s not sure she could undress him if she tried, though, so she will simply watch. ]

( Bucky laughs, dipping his head down so he's not looking at her when he does. He isn't used to having anyone praise him about anything - physical or otherwise - so it feels good to have the attention from her. )

Do you want to come help me maybe? I might have trouble getting undressed with such a gorgeous woman in the room.

You would make me rise? After that? [ Playful. She does indeed rise and move forward, so that she’s kneeling on the edge of the bed right before him. His shirt slips over one of her shoulders, exposing the skin there, while she has to push back the sleeves to her elbows. She’s petite, swallowed by his shirt. ] Where shall I start?

Anywhere you want to start but if you want ideas, we'll go shirt first.

( He's intending to get hers off as soon as he can, after all, so it's only fair. )

[ She pushes the fabric up, stopping when she gets to his shoulders to let him take over, staring openly at his chest as he gets it off. Her fingers reach forth, the very tips stroking down, tracing muscle. ]

( Daphne looks a little deer in the headlights but it's in a good way and Bucky's glad that she likes what she sees because he's always a little self-conscious about his arm no matter how long he's had it.

He makes a low sound as she touches him and lets her explore for now. )

I'm guessing I'm up to a duchess's standards?

[ She hums in the back of her throat, vague agreement, rubbing her fingers against a pale scar on his stomach, lingering, before she stops at his waistband and looks up in question. She’s used to being the one being dressed, not doing the undressing, and his very modern belt is a bit of a question mark. ]

( Some of his scars are sensitive and that's one of them so Bucky makes a soft noise before realizing Daphne's not pulling at his belt. Oh, right. Modern clothes. He guides her hands to it and helps her. )

You just slip it through the buckle. Like shoes, if you've seen shoes with buckles?

[ She’s a quick study, but she savors the feeling of his hands over hers. Showing her. Biting her lip, she pulls it free. The zipper she figures out on her own, looking up again for approval before she tugs his jeans over his hips. ] Like this?

Yeah, exactly.

( Bucky is a little breathless because he's so turned on he thinks he might die from it but he holds on because he wants her so badly. )

It's my turn to see you now. I let you hide before.

[ She drops her hands from him, her own breathing uneven, stomach flipping. A nod, and she lifts her arms for him to take off the borrowed shirt. She won’t hide now. ]

( Bucky takes off the shirt and drops it to the floor before sucking in a breath. She's as beautiful as he expected she'd be but even still, it's one thing to imagine and another to actually see. He slips his hands down to cup her ass and pull her closer to him. )

Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

[ There’s an instance of nerves, to be so bare in front of a man when she has never been before. Never known this level of exposure, Bucky’s eyes roving over every inch of her body. She feels overheated.

A squeal as he drags her to him, and then she’s laughing, throwing her arms about his neck. ] You have been deceived, my good sir. I am anything but.

Nah, I know what I'm talking about. You're gorgeous and you know it. No point in being shy about it, Daphne.

( Bucky tips his head down to kiss her and holds her close while he does, letting her feel exactly what she does to him. He hadn't thought he'd ever have anything like this again and now it's just fallen into his hands so easily. )

[ The kiss sears through her, reigniting her arousal, her fingers slipping to the nape of his neck. The hard angles of his body press against hers. Needy, her body buzzing with heat, she breaks away to voice the obvious: ]

I want you.

[ She’s not perfectly sure what that entails, but she knows she wants more of this. ]

( That, he can give her, so when he presses her back against the bed and covers her, he cages her in with his body. Daphne's small, so he knows he probably needs to go slow to start, but that's not a problem. It's never a problem.

When he presses into her, she's so tight that he lets out a low moan and he pulls her legs up around his hips so he can go deeper. )

[ She only just begins to understand what is happening when he lays her down and climbs on top of her, and her heart leaps in her throat. Wordless, she tries to keep her eyes on his face, but curiosity gets the best of her, looking down between their bodies while he adjusts himself to slide between her lips.

It was her mistake to think this would be as simple as his fingers inside her. Just the head of his cock breaching her cunt is too large, too much, her body tensing in rejection, the breath knocked out of her. ]

Ow—

( Shit. Daphne says ow and everything in his body wants to recoil because he's hurt someone he cares about and it's because he's...him. He's always going to hurt everyone he cares about. He shifts enough to pull out of her. )

God, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. Was he smaller than me or something?

[ Even his cock leaving her is agony. She can’t form words, or do more than squirm in pain. Something feels like it has torn in her nether regions.

She shakes her head, needing several seconds to collect herself, vision blurry with tears. Her hands cover her face. Is this what Mama was preparing her for? Was this what she was referring to so cryptically? ]

No. [ Her breath hitching. ] I don’t know. I think something has torn.

( Wait a minute. )

Daphne, have you never had sex before? Because sometimes it hurts the first time, especially if the guy is big.

( He rolls from atop her so he isn't smothering her and tries to decide what to do with this. He hates that he hurt her and he hates that he still wants to have sex with her and those two things bounce around in his head. )

We don't have to try again. I don't need that.

[ The more he speaks, the more shame floods into her. A sense of feeling overly exposed joins it. She hates this nakedness more than any of the nerves she felt before.

Her palms still covering her face, she lets the pace of her heart slow, and the pain to abate before sitting up, batting away tears before she finds words. Her hands fold into her lap, trying to summon back the countenance she’s more familiar with. There is no dignity here. She’ll have to manufacture it. ]

I would like to leave.

Yeah, absolutely. Look, if I ruined our friendship, I'm sorry. That's the last thing I wanted to do, Daphne. I think your dress is probably dry by now.

( The rain has stopped, at least, and she'll be able to go home without getting soaked again. He wants to comfort her but she probably never wants to see his face again so this has turned into exactly the thing he hates: he isn't meant to have this with anyone. He should have known that going in. )

Let me get up and give you some privacy. I wish I could take it back and not hurt you.

( It doesn't take him long to get dressed and get downstairs so she can have her privacy to collect herself. )

[ She watches him go with her lips parted, not knowing what to say, but feeling the weight of unshed tears.

It takes considerably longer for her to dress, and to try to do something about her hair in the state it’s in, which gives her some time to think of what she’s going to say.

She wishes her mother were here. She would know what to do, the right thing to say in this moment. She always knew. But she isn’t.

Though quiet, she’s at least calm as she descends the stairs, holding her skirt in one hand. ]

Bucky?

( He's sitting on the couch when Daphne descends and as soon as she says his name, his head whips up so he can look at her. )

Yeah? What can I do for you?

[ The way he frames that. Her heart hurts. Maybe their friendship is ruined.

She presses her lips together, and looks away. Her jaw works, before returning her gaze. ]

I don’t need anything. I wanted to apologize.

To me? You have nothing to apologize for, Daphne. I hurt you physically and I know part of it is because of...what I am. And I think I need to explain that to you so you understand that I didn't mean to do it and I'm the most sorry I've ever been in my life about this. If I knew it was going to hurt you like that, I never would have taken it that direction.

( He takes a chance and stands to put a hand on her shoulder to squeeze it. )

You did nothing wrong. If you still feel comfortable around me, I would like to have a conversation about my past and some things that I haven't told you. If you don't, you can go. I won't force you to be here. Not now and not ever.

[ Daphne blinks, rapidly, and it seems for a moment that she is without words. It doesn’t last; she snaps out of it, shaking off his hand on her shoulder. ]

No. [ Her head shakes. She turns, pinching her nose the way she has seen Anthony do many times over. They are nothing if not mirrors in many ways. ] No, you’re not listening to me.

You’re… wallowing in your perceived misdeed. God, I am so tired of men wallowing around me. My brother, Simon, now you. And you think it is somehow virtuous, but I assure you it is not. If only you’d listen first, perhaps you would understand that.

( All right, that's not what he expected. He had wanted to comfort Daphne and tell her that he wasn't a monster on purpose but if she thinks he's wallowing, he probably is. He's pretty good at wallowing. He does need to listen to her, though, so he decides he's going to do exactly that. )

All...right. I'm gonna listen, then. If I start wallowing again, you can remind me with a kick or something but right now, I'm all ears.

[ She needs to cool off, before she starts yelling at him, but pacing back and forth is really not giving her any chill, just clarity of mind.

Finally, she stops to look at him square in the eye. ]

I grasp that there are many things I do not know in life. I know that you have many more years on me, and I fully accept there is much I have to learn about you because of that.

[ A deep breath. Here, she does soften. ]

You believe that you hurt me, physically. If anything, you have wounded my vanity. I am the one to blame for my own naivety and for not being forthright. I withheld my virtue from you, and my misfortune, even if involuntary. Hindsight has allowed me to acknowledge that that was my own undoing.

It has nothing to do with you, James. I am not made for this, clearly.

( Her virtue and her vanity? Bucky tries to parse that and comes up with maybe that Daphne was a virgin, which checks out, but not being built for this and hurting her vanity? Well, that's probably not true. Virgin women have sex every day. It just takes warming up. He thought he'd done a good enough job but he didn't have all the information, either. )

Look, I didn't realize you didn't know. I assumed because you had been married, you knew about sex and there's clearly a miscommunication here. But virgins have sex every day, Daphne. You just have to warm up more for that. I don't think that's anything to hurt your...vanity. I can see why you would feel that way, though, if you didn't know.

[ She laughs, a dry sound from her throat, and plucks at the button on one of her gloves. ]

You misunderstand. I am a woman who has been cursed. Branded.

[ Her smile is sardonic. ]

God has already decided that. I see now. [ Resolute, she nods. ] That is why I am married to a man who cannot give me children. It is why I will live my life, alone, with a man that despises me utterly — and I cannot even blame him for that, truly.

And I would not blame you, either, if you regret every part of what has transpired here this night. But I — [ Her breath hitches audibly. ]

( So this is a lot deeper than he thought. He pats the space beside him to invite her to sit if she wants to because this seems like a heavy conversation. )

I regret hurting you physically. I also regret not listening to you before - but I do not regret making you feel good. Making you feel good made me feel good too and you deserve that, Daphne. I know it's a lot for me to ask you to talk about it but...do you want to talk about it? Your marriage and this whole being cursed thing?

[ This time, her laugh is wet, and she has to press her wrist to her nose to try to compose herself. ] Not particularly.

[ She won’t sit. She can’t. She’s sure if she does, she’ll lose all momentum and drown in her own sorrow. ]

It’s silly. I just thought maybe I could have this. With you. You desired me, and I desired you.

( Bucky stands up instead and slips his arm around her. There's clearly more going on here that needs to be talked about but maybe it doesn't need to be talked about right now. He can assure her of one thing though. )

If you want something with me, you can have me. There's stuff you can do in the bedroom that isn't the one act, Daphne, and I showed you one of them. Besides, I like you more than just the physical. I'm fascinated by you. It didn't change.

[ She steps further into his embrace, coaxed by the warmth coming off of him. Even the metal arm cannot diminish that warmth.

She peeks up, her eyes plenty sad. ]

Is that it? Fascination? [ She’s been desired many times over, she realizes that now. Fascinated men for years. ]

No, that's not it. Maybe fascinated was the wrong word. Any time I see you, my heart skips a beat. I feel like the man I was before I went to war. I felt like maybe I could have something good - I feel like I could have something good. I feel like I can trust you with my secrets and you won't hurt me with them. I can be soft with you, Daphne, and I can never be soft.

( He squeezes her lightly. )

You'd rip my heart out if you never spoke to me again. I don't know if I've expressed it well enough or anything but...that's how I feel.

[ Tears gather in her eyes. When he finishes, with a sharp inhale on her part, two spill over. She reaches to cup his cheek with one palm, rubbing the stubble with nothing short of fondness. She steps closer still, hoping he’ll lean down toward her. ]

Well, I could not do that. I may be cursed, and occasionally unkind, but I am not cruel.

( Bucky leans into the touch and closes his eyes, enjoying the feel of it. Honestly, this is better than the rest of it. He hasn't had anyone care about him in entirely too long and it feels good to know that Daphne does. )

If you're cursed, so am I. I've thought I was cursed for almost a hundred years.

[ She presses her forehead against his once he’s close enough, soaking in the full strength of his attention. ]

Do two curses break each other?

Mmm, bet they do. I don't know a lot about curses but I know that there's no curse that would keep me from trying to be with you. I'm not a man who gets scared of curses.

( He chances a kiss, the lightest one he can manage, and pulls his lips away to speak again. )

Are you a woman afraid of curses, Daphne?

[ A kiss she reciprocates, pressing her lips to the corner of his own. With a weight lifted off her chest, her arms move to slip around his neck. No, she suspects he charges straight into curses. ]

If I am, will you hold my hand and weather the storm with me?

I will. No questions asked. I'll even stop wallowing in guilt for you and that's the biggest promise I've made a woman in my life.

( He says it with a bit of a tease but he means it utterly - if it means he can have something good in his life, he's willing to let go of the bad he's done. )

[ With further passion, she kisses him again. ]

No more wallowing, then. It’s settled.

( It's a hell of a kiss and it knocks him off kilter before he leans into it fully but once she breaks it to speak, he feels himself wanting to start it up again. )

Did you still want to go or do you want to stay a while? I'm good with either - my house is your house.

[ Daphne smiles, the sort that reaches her eyes and crinkles them. Both of her hands reach to cup his face. ]

My mother would love you, James Barnes. And I adore you.

Well, I can't ask for more than that. I adore you, too, Daphne Bridgerton. And hey - you're allowed to have any life you want here. I bet that means a lot more freedom than the stuff you've got going back home.

( He doesn't want to allude to it more than that but he wants her to know that she'll have freedom. )

[ It is something she’s given thought before. She nods, but brightens as she gets on her toes, pulling him down to meet her mouth again. She’s a simple woman. What she wants right now is him.

It’s a heated kiss; she thinks she’s getting the hang of this. ]

( Bucky is a little surprised the kiss is so heated considering how upside down things went earlier but he's not put off by it; he's the opposite of put out and he spans her waist with his hands as he deepens the kiss. She's probably the smallest woman he's ever been with in his entire life but that makes him want to protect her and keep her safe - even from him. )

[ His hands overlap where they rope around her waist; something about that is deeply satisfying, her hindbrain going wild at the realization. Aroused, she pulls him closer with her hand in his hair, licking the inside of his mouth, pressing her front against his. ]

( Bucky doesn't want to mess this up again. He thinks they're in a better place now that they've cleared the air but he doesn't want to go and get turned on and then make Daphne think he's after sex again after they just discussed how it's not about sex. And it's not. But he hasn't had sex in a long time and the earlier attempt had frustrated him a little even if it wasn't Daphne's fault at all.

Still, it's a kiss right now, and he nips a little at her lower lip with his teeth just to show her that he wants her, not enough to remotely hurt. )

[ She likes that, letting him know plainly with an approving mewl; when she pulls away, her chest is rising and falling erratically, eyes glazed over, and tugs on him to pick her up as he had before. ]

( Bucky thinks about asking her if she's sure but he thinks that qualifies as "not listening" and will just wind them right back around to the earlier argument. He's not going to try intercourse again without her specifically asking for it, though, and even then he's going to spend forever warming her up for it.

For now, it's easy to lift her into his arms but this time he does it by guiding her arms around his neck and catching her under her knees so she can wrap her legs around him. )

[ Her legs wrap around his waist with surprising ease, heart skipping. Her weight seems to be nothing to him. She isn't sure how far she wants to go, but there is no real harm in exploring, is there? She doesn't think so, but she's been so naive already. ]

The settee? [ Testing. ]

Fine with me. I do what the lady wants.

( When he sits, he sits and makes sure that Daphne is in his lap so she can still kiss and touch him as much as she wants. The kissing had been fantastic earlier, as had going down on her, so he wouldn't mind more of both. He doesn't necessarily need anything in return right now. )

You're the lightest thing I've ever held.

[ She nudges her nose with his and gets comfortable in his lap. She wouldn't mind seeing him without his shirt again. ] Evidently you have not held enough babies.

Nah, just my baby sister when she was born. Never had a chance to have children so I didn't get to hold very many babies.

( Bucky kisses her again softly. )

I'm not worried about those today, though. I'm just thinking about you.

[ She melts against his mouth, carding her fingers through his hair. Her own is beginning to come unbound again. ] All I ever wanted was children. [ It's a confession. It feels silly to speak of, in light of what he's been through. Her own life wants seem trivial. ]

Is this how they are made?

Edited 2024-12-09 06:50 (UTC)

What we were doing earlier before it went sideways is how you make babies, yeah. It's supposed to feel good for both people, though. Now that I know the situation, that's not going to happen again. We can take things slow.

( Bucky doesn't want to lose her over the physical act. )

It is? [ She bites her lip, mulling that over, interest piqued, though not without some dread. Her cheeks turn rosy. ] You said the first time hurts? If one is... endowed.

Yeah, it can hurt the first time if the guy is...endowed. It doesn't hurt after that - or it isn't supposed to. It's supposed to feel good for both people and I know how to make it good. I just wasn't expecting it to be your first time.

( Daphne at least looks interested and he wants to be open and honest with her because she's an adult and she deserves that. She doesn't deserve being sheltered and in the dark about things involving her own body. )

[ She swallows audibly. Most of her is simply curious — she may not be quite as intellectually curious as Eloise, but this has to do with her, with her body, which is already growing hotter and more attentive by the second. She brushes her fingers down to his chin dimple, pressing her thumb against it, her eyes dropped to his mouth. ]

Is it meant to feel better than what you did earlier? When you used your mouth?

Depends on the woman. Some women like one or the other better - they feel different, as you're probably aware. But there's ways to make that feel as good as me using my mouth and I know how to do it. If you don't like it as much as my mouth, we can do that more. I just want to be with you, Daphne. It doesn't matter what we do.

( Her fingers are touching his face and he closes his eyes, enjoying the touch. )

[ All she remembers is what it felt like when he pressed into her. ] It felt as if you were splitting me open, [ she blurts out, and immediately regrets it because she senses the truth may hurt him. She strokes his chin. ] And women enjoy that? [ Not so much a question as a revelation. It strikes her that they must — her mother and father had eight children, and they very well might have had more if his life had not been cut so short. ]

Well it doesn't always feel like that, Daphne. It's not supposed to, anyway. If I had known you were a virgin, I would have worked you up to that better.

( Bucky frowns a little. )

The women I've been with have enjoyed it but I haven't been with one since...you know. The war.

Oh. [ Not that it matters. She hadn’t done, well, anything until tonight. She remembers watching him disappear into her, and something about the memory stirs a flare of heat. Her cunt is wet. ]

I think... I think I would like to try it again.

Really?

( Bucky is a little incredulous because he remembers Daphne's face when he tried to press into her before, the tears threatening to fall, and he doesn't think he can bear that look on her face ever again. He doesn't want to ever hurt Daphne like that again. )

I'm more than willing but I don't want to hurt you, Daphne. You know I don't want to do that.

You won’t.

[ She cups the back of his head, tenderly caressing beneath one of his eyes. A gentle undercurrent in her voice, in her eyes. ]

Do you remember what I said earlier?

I remember. You told me you adored me. I don't think anyone's ever done that before.

( Bucky has had relationships before, sure, but they'd been more fun than anything else and he's never had anyone touch him as tenderly as Daphne is touching him now. )

I was also not allowed to wallow for perceived sins. Daphne, if you want me and you want to try again, I want you too. I don't think I couldn't want you.

Yes. And I said I feel safe with you. [ She repeats, all seriousness and truth. She kisses him again, sweet, but not long enough for him to deepen it. Her forehead sits against his. ] I trust you, James. I want you.

[ Her expression changes. Gently, she takes his right hand in her own and, with not small courage, steers it under her dress, beneath her shift, and to the heart of her thighs, over the collected wetness he’s brought out of her. ]

( Bucky is shocked that she's as wet as she is but he isn't surprised by her bravery. Part of the reason he's even attracted to Daphne is because beneath her English rose exterior, she's actually pretty tenacious, and this isn't any exception to that.

He slides his thumb over her a few times to feel how wet she is and to tease her a bit more before he speaks again. )

I have an idea about how we can do this again that's probably better than what I tried before. You can sit in my lap instead of me looming over you.

[ A whine pitches out of her throat, high and needy. He could suggest just about anything right then and she’d agree, but he still gets a rapid nod. Her body shares the same sentiment, slickness dripping onto his fingers. ]

Please— I feel— I feel empty.

We need to get undressed again, you know.

( Bucky laughs though because he's more than happy to make that happen as soon as possible. He leans in and kisses her first though, a desperate kiss, and when he pulls away he gasps for breath. )

I got something to help with you feeling empty.

[ She thinks she understands, her firm grasp on his wrist running up to the hardness she’s felt gradually growing beneath her. She touches him lightly, swallowing hard. She feels like she’s burning up. ]

This?

Shit.

( Earlier, Daphne hadn't touched him and Bucky isn't prepared for how good it feels to be touched when it's been so damn long. He had been content with just going down on her and making her come but this is something for him when he hasn't had positive attention and affection since before HYDRA. It's a lot to handle all at once. )

Uh, I mean, sorry for the language...it just feels good.

[ Her arousal spikes, particularly when she feels him jerk beneath her hand. Before he can even think to repudiate her, she shifts back to get a better visual perspective — he’s tinted against his pants — and her fingers shake, but she quickly, nimbly, begins to undo the buckle again, following his previous instruction. ]

( Bucky doesn't remember being this turned on ever in his life and he takes in a ragged breath when Daphne starts undoing his buckle. He gets his hands between them to help her get his jeans and underwear down and he hopes he lasts long enough for Daphne to even get to the good part. )

Maybe you should...take a look around first. I didn't really give you a chance before.

No, you did not, [ she agrees with a sharp exhale, slightly overwhelmed, though her eyes are not on him but trained on the cock bobbing between them. She’s a bit intimidated at first; it’s not as if she hadn’t seen the male member before, but never this close, and moreover, it was mostly her younger brother running around naked and then some intimate paintings or drawings.

Her hand hovers before lightly passing over him, taking a very loose hold. If her innocence was ever in question before, this would resolve that. She has no idea what she’s doing nor how to begin.

She does complain, though, her nose scrunched up. ] The paintings are grossly inaccurate.

Edited 2024-12-10 06:34 (UTC)

( Bucky laughs softly. )

Uh, that's because they're imitating the Greco-Roman ideals of male beauty and they tended to think it was more attractive to not be distracted by sexual desire. Or something like that. I have no idea why I know that.

( He does because the Winter Soldier had basically been crammed full of knowledge and before that, he was an avid reader and enjoyer of a hell of a lot of things but none of those things matter right now. He's getting distracted. )

You got a problem with it? Because I can't really change it.

[ Her eyes sparkling, she smiles up at him, twisting her lips to the side to resist grinning. He acts clueless, she's noticed, but she thinks that must be insecurity; it's not the time to call him out on that, though. She wonders, too, if her elder brother, Benedict, would have known this fact. Probably so.

Getting back to the task at hand, she traces down the length of him. ]

Mm. We will just have to make it... fit.

( Bucky can't really say anything back because a sort of strangled noise comes out instead; he hadn't realized that letting Daphne take control of this would result in so much teasing but he's not going to complain. He's never going to complain about that. He is going to worry about his ability to hang on. )

Yeah, it's gonna work out. You're just gonna have to...take mercy on me.

I am very merciful indeed, I will have you know. [ This is a newfound power, Daphne soon realizes, unlike any she has known before. Sucking her bottom lip into her mouth, she watches avidely the pleasure unfold across his face. She must be doing something right. Soon, her other hand joins, stroking together. ]

You do that for too long and you're not gonna get what you want, babe. I can only take so much.

( Maybe he's got good self-control. Maybe it's been a long time since he's even been in this situation and he's still acclimating to it. One thing he does know is that he's not gonna manage to get inside her if she keeps up with her hands stroking him. )

Oh - I apologize. [ Daphne takes that to heart, taking her hands off and lifting them away, fingers flexing in the air. She looks a little like a deer in the headlights again. She had gotten carried away. ] In my defense, I have no proper idea what I'm doing.

It's all right. It's just if you wanna try having me in you again, I can't get too excited about it or it'll be over before it starts. Let's just...

( Bucky lifts up her skirts enough that she can straddle him and keeps his hands firm on her thighs. Maybe if she's in control of it, it won't hurt as much. )

We'll go slow, just like before, but I want you in control of it, all right? Take as much as feels good.

[ This part is nerve wracking, in truth. She’d lose her nerve altogether if not for how dizzingly aroused she currently is; she’s sure she can feel her pulse down there.

She lifts herself up on her knees, takes him into hand again, thinking of the process mechanically, and lowers herself close enough to feel the tip of him just pressing against her clit. For a moment, she balances there, distracted, rubbing herself against him. Using him. ]

( God, it feels good. She's so slick and wet that he just glides against her and he knows it's going to feel goddamn good when he's inside her. He just hopes that Daphne can handle it but he knows that her being on top and having control will be better. She can take as much as comfortable as her. )

I need you. God, I need you.

[ She shudders, and the look on his face gives her the steel she needs.

The initial press in does hurt, girth stretching her wide, but Daphne expects it this time, unlike earlier, and she’s able to breathe through it, taking her time. His hands help ground her. ]

You don't have to move as much in this position so it's better for you.

( Bucky barely gets it out, though, because Daphne is tight and wet around him and he hasn't felt this in so long that he forgot how good it actually feels. He'll try other things once she's used to him but for now, this is more than enough. )

[ She takes her time, her body swallowing him inch by inch, bit by bit. It takes a while for her to start feeling the urge to move, not quite with all of him inside, and she quivers. ]

What do I do?

Rock against me. Think about riding a horse.

( Surely Daphne's ridden a horse before, right? She's from the 19th century so horses would be very commonplace. )

[ Her hips do as instructed, rocking, and with it, a feeling not unlike pleasure begins to build again. She sighs, the pinch of being stretched by him receding. ]

Like so?

God, absolutely like that.

( Bucky tries not to be forceful, tries not to take control, but he knows his fingers dig into Daphne's thighs hard enough to leave marks on her pale skin. )

[ Soon enough pleasure does ripple in, pain ebbing away to nothing; she rises and falls at leisure, a throaty moan, her head angling down toward his for his mouth. She’s been using his shoulders for leverage, but one of them slips up his neck. ]

Good?

The best. God, you're good. Faster?

( He's never been one to talk a ton during sex but Daphne needs the reassurance and he's happy to give it. Besides, nothing he's said is a lie - he feels damn good with her riding him like this. )

[ She nods and accommodates him, pace gaining, raising mostly off of his cock then back down. Her breasts strain against her corset with every panted breath, and it does — it feels good, he feels more than good, that when he slips from her, she whines and reaches to realign him. ]

Please—

( Bucky's too far gone with this to switch positions right now but he does dig his hands into her hips and guide her faster, trying to get them both there if he possibly can. He doesn't know if Daphne will come but he wants her to, desperately. )

[ It helps; the increased speed drives her higher, nearer, and she chases it with growing abandon, closing her eyes, her head tipping back. When she starts to peak, her fingers claw at his shirt, gasping, and then crying out when she crests. ]

( While he had hoped Daphne would come he hadn't really thought it would happen considering their first go-round on this so when she does, it takes him by surprise. He buries his face against her neck, kissing the crook of it, and tries to muffle the sounds of him coming against her skin. There's no one to overhear them, no, but he feels the need to be quiet about it just now. )

[ Her own climax is so intense, but she still registers the heat that surges inside her and his shuddering body underneath, against hers. The pleasure takes a while to wane, aftershocks of it. She moves only enough to wrap her arms around him and set her cheek against his head. It’s staggeringly intimate; she can’t help but want to hold him. ]

( Being held is almost as good as the rest of it and Bucky lets himself enjoy it, lets himself finally relax and just enjoy being with someone for once. It's been entirely too long. )

I think you're going to end up making me a complete fool and I'll love every second of it.

[ She feels it the moment his body goes lax, and tucks that away in her heart. Tender, her hand runs through his hair.

Gently, she laughs, colored by disbelief. ]

Whatever for?

I'm pretty easy to get to. It's been a long time since anyone's cared about me and I definitely haven't had this. So...a fool.

( Bucky doesn't think he'll mind it, though, so long as Daphne keeps laughing like that. )

[ She doesn’t quite know what to say to that, so she chooses not to reply. There is enough joy in the moment, she doesn’t think it requires one.

After a while, she shifts her weight, enough so that he slips from her, wet left in its wake, drawing her attention. She reaches beneath her skirt without thinking, to swipe at the mess, but that’s not in any measure a sufficient method. ]

( It hits him after a moment that he probably absolutely destroyed her dress and he wants to feel bad about that and can't summon enough remorse for it. He touches the little cap sleeve of it. )

I'm going to have to wash this for you, yeah?

[ When she pulls her hand back, her fingers are stained, his cum and what she quickly registers is blood. Her cheeks redden. She isn’t very sure what to do with that, or the wetness leaking down her thighs. ]

I think that might be wise. I.. may I borrow your wardrobe again?

Yeah, you can borrow whatever you need. It's fine, I don't mind if you borrow my stuff.

( Honestly, he likes seeing her in it and it just does something for him. )

[ The look on her face is a soft one, tender, almost as tender as the kiss she presses to his cheek before she carefully, very carefully, in order that she might not make more of a mess, gets to her feet. There’s a very different reason for her dress to need to be removed than when she arrived, drenched, at his front door. ]

( Bucky isn't quite as much of a mess as she is but its enough to know his jeans are stained too. He can change in a bit, though, and let Daphne have the run of things for right now. He calls out to her. )

Let me know if you can't find anything, all right?

[ Daphne, for the first and likely not the last time, makes the waddle-walk journey up his stairs. Once presentable, dressed in a new shirt and washed from the waist down, she ventures out from the top of the stairs: ] I am decent now. You may come up.

( Bucky wants to laugh at the idea of her needing to be decent before he sees her because they just had sex but he doesn't. Modesty is a hell of a lot more important to Daphne than it is to him. )

I bet you could put me out of my bed for a week and I wouldn't mind it. I'd just move in downstairs and let you have the whole loft to yourself and then you'd have two houses.

( He's joking as he says it, a smirk playing at his lips. )

[ Flirtatiously, she smoothly replies: ] And why would I put you out of your bed when there is room enough for two?

[ What Daphne doesn’t say is that her family has at least two houses already. That wouldn’t be strange to her in the least. ]

Absolutely true. We could share my bed as often as you want. You don’t even have to wait for a rainstorm to come over.

( He draws closer so he can touch her again, knuckles brushing against one high cheekbone. )

You can stay over today, even.

[ She melts into the touch, eyes fluttering shut, her face leaning against his hand. They open only to dance over the line of his mouth. She swallows. ]

The rain has not ended yet... perhaps it would be best if I remained here. [ With him. ]

Can't have you getting your pretty dress all rainy and muddy again. I don't think it would survive three washings in one day. That's a little rough.

( Bucky laughs warmly because the pretense is so, so thin but he is glad that she wants to stay here with him even if it's just for the day. )

Besides, you're safer here than getting blown away in the rain.

I don’t think I would survive it. [ This would be a perfect opportunity to quote The Wizard of Oz, but alas. She knows zilch about pop culture.

Nevertheless, his eyes and his laugh are warm. She lifts herself to wrap her arms around his neck, kissing it lightly. ]

Am I safer, Mr Barnes?

Edited 2024-12-29 08:11 (UTC)

You absolutely are, Miss Bridgerton. I can protect you from all the big bad things lurking outside in the rain, including water, and you’ll be nice and cozy in here. Of course, I might end up trying to seduce you again. It’s just a hazard of being around me.

( He grins at her, content for once in his life. )

Good with the bad, yeah?

My knight to the rescue, then. [ She beams back, unable to resist even if she were at all inclined to. ] I am utterly at your mercy.

Don't worry, I'm completely merciful. I'm the nicest guy you'll ever meet. Promise.

( Bucky doesn't think anyone would describe him that way at all but he's a lot softer around Daphne than he is around anyone else. He trusts her in a way he doesn't trust other people and now this trust is even deeper. )

I'll even let you have my comfy bed.

Yes, you have said as much. [ She smooths a hand over his collar, straightening it, then casts him a look beneath her lashes. It is earnest, not seductive; she’s not sure how to even begin to be seductive. That’s not something that was in all the guidebooks. ] I don’t want your bed. I want you.

But do you want me in my bed? That's the question.

( Bucky likes this Daphne that flirts with him and seems interested in him and not in anything he can offer her. )

Beastly man. [ Pouting. ] You know I do.

Oh, so now I'm a beastly man. I see how it is. Well, you just have to get used to me, unfortunately, because I'm going to keep asking you over.

( He grins at her pout. )

It can get cold up there sometimes. You might need to cuddle up.

rain meme for marriageable

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