#cooking class

[justc2world]

Finally the Sainz pancakes 🥞

[blu-raes]

Vesuvia Weekly: Cooking Class, or in this case, a Masterclass in how Not to Cook

I had bigger ideas for this piece, but life and mento iwwness got in the way and I ended up sticking to the original idea

Based on an...unfortunately true story of me trying to cook soup solo

He had a recipe, alright. A recipe for disaster.

[one-time-i-dreamt]

I was taking a cooking class taught by Gordon Ramsay himself and after we all had lunch, he took us outside and the building kind of just…fell away? Revealing it was a car dealership the whole time. I said with the utmost confusion, “What?! But I don’t even like cars?!” And then I woke up. 

[arcanarubinaito]

Headcanon Post (2)

"Cooking Skills + Cooking Class"

With a lot of time on his hands and the bounty of the forest at his doorstep, it shouldn't be any surprise to anyone that Muriel knows his way around a skillet. He's not a five star Michielin chef, and he prefers simple meals over complex ones, but he's not a bad cook by any means.

Really, he prefers to make food that can last him a while. When he gets his hands on some good meat, whether through hunting or Inanna bringing him something, he'll set aside parts of it to dry out into jerky and use the rest in a stew.

Toss in some mushrooms, wild onion, and other forageable ingredients and you have something hearty that doesn't let anything to waste.

And of course, eggs. His neighbors are kind enough to let him use their eggs for breakfast in exchange for some extra feed, or corn if he can afford it.

He doesn't have the energy to cook often though. So it's not until you've moved in with him that you find this out about him; and it's a very pleasant surprise. Muriel starts to cook a little more often until it becomes a weekly occurrence; you even begin going out with him every Sunday morning to forage, and if you have the stomach for it he's willing to teach you how to hunt.

... of course, as nice at it is, stew and jerky can get a little old sometimes. You both begin fishing, trying out different ways to cook the ingredients you hunt and forage for.

One evening, you try your hand at making some bread. Muriel is there with you, helping you knead the dough. The consistency seems off but you don't think much of it until you put it in the little oven he built for you both... and it doesn't exactly turn out well. (Still, it was a wonderful way to spend time together.)

You end up asking Portia for some advice; she insists on coming back to the hut with you with some supplies to teach you both yourself.

It ends up working out well. There's a small mishap with the flour; all three of you are COVERED in it, and for the first time you hear Muriel break out into loud, deep-bellied laughter.

The bread you end up baking isn't perfect, but it's edible and tastes fine. Like the first attempt, it's more about the time you spent together. (And honestly, he and Portia are starting to become friends. An extrovert adopting an introvert sort of situation?)

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

Vesuvia Weekly: Brainrot's Baking Lesson

~ What happens when six friends ask their local author to show them his bread recipe? What happens when this involves teleporting them to brainrot's IRL apartment kitchen? ~

1.6k words, rated PG

I don't know why I thought it was a good idea to have all of them over at once, instead of inviting them in twos and threes. Nadia and Asra are both sitting on my kitchen stools, being politely conscious of the fact that they are in my personal space. Muriel is surprisingly at ease - he's found my cat. He's very happy to have something small and soft to protect, and she's very happy to have such a tall and attentive shoulder to perch on.

Julian, Lucio, and Portia, on the other hand, are already starting to stress me out.

"Where's the fire?!" Portia's voice echoes from inside my oven, one hand braced dangerously close to the knob that would make the fire she's searching for appear - right under her nose.

"I'll show you how it works after I show you how I make my dough - Julian, your diet is too poor for me to explain what those are."

The doctor glances guiltily over from where he's been examining the selection of instant noodles on top of my fridge. Of course it's the first thing he'd notice, being so damned tall. "Can you blame me? These have pictures of soup on them, but they feel crunchy! Why do they feel crunchy?" He widens his eyes, crunching a packet in one gloved fist for emphasis and I wince.

"I -"

"Why do you have winter in a box? I hate winter!"

"Close the fridge, Lucio."

"Fridge? As in frigid?" Nadia watches her ex-husband's antics with poorly concealed amusement. "How innovative. This eradicates the need for a cellar."

"What kind of magic does it run on?" Asra's question is innocent, but the way they're eyeing the mechanics of my freezer with a curious gleam is anything but.

"Not a type that you're familiar with, so can we please focus on why you're here?" I don't know what it is about my tone that gets my point across, but it works. I stoop to retrieve my bread bowl and set it on my counter. "So, uh -"

Having six pairs of eyes on me at once (seven pairs, if I count the cat) is not a sensation I think I can get used to. I get several encouraging smiles and take a deep breath. These are my friends. They're all sitting with me because they like being here. This is fun. I love them.

"Uh, so, first, I put some hot water in my bowl." I turn on the kitchen tap to 'hot' and immediately take everything back.

"What -"

"What is that?!"

"That does not look natural."

"You can decide the temperature?!"

"Is it safe?"

"How does that work?"

I shut the tap off. For the first time since I ushered them through the door, the apartment is silent. The cat gives me an unimpressed yawn and curls up on Muriel's shoulder for a nap.

"Okay," I run my fingers through my hair, "Okay, let's try this again. This is a water source, in my apartment, that I control the temperature of. The point is not that I have water, the point is that I need hot water to start my dough."

"We have something similar in the Palace," Nadia muses, "though so far its use is limited to drawing the baths and running the fountains. I've been thinking of expanding the network using the aqueducts, but it had not occurred to me to adjust the temperature of the water as it runs through the system."

"U-um, yeah." I nod, hastily measuring the liquid into my bowl. I hope the butterfly effect from this isn't catastrophic. "Anyways, we need oil, honey, and salt next."

I hand different containers to my different guests, giving the salt to Lucio as I expect it to be the least messy ingredient involved. Portia's quick to wave me off when I offer her a measuring cup. "Oh, I'm just watching. I need both hands free to take notes." She's got an old envelope in one hand and a pencil in the other. I nod and move on.

Putting the dough together is fairly straightforward. Besides Julian calling himself a slippery boy, Lucio howling with laughter when I explain the function of yeast, and Nadia sneaking little tastes of honey from the measuring cup, getting to the point of adding flour is fairly event-less. That is, until it's time to add the flour.

I know they can cook, but I'm quickly finding out that Asra might not have any experience baking. Before I can warn him, he's haphazardly tossing a cupful of flour into the mixing bowl, causing the powdery substance to explode all over the counter, the ingredients, and ourselves. There's a moment of stunned silence before Portia reaches over and rumples their curls, raising a second floury cloud from their hair. She giggles. "It just blends right in, doesn't it?"

There's no question in my mind when it comes to who has the best hand and arm strength for kneading. The question is whether he's willing to part with my cat for long enough to do so. Taiga is thoroughly enamored with her preheated napping tree.

"I'd take her, but I'm still writing my notes." Portia looks ready to cry from frustration. Nadia, always quick to smooth things over, reaches up and begins to lift the furball down.

"I'll hold her. She seems very sweet -"

The tiny, annoyed 'mew' the cat makes as she's lifted down is enough to capture the guests' attention. Muriel takes advantage of the distraction to get a headstart on kneading the dough, his massive hands getting the job done in half the time it usually takes me. I should invite him over to help out more often ...

"She SMACKED me!"

"What do you expect if you try to touch a cat right after they hiss at you?"

When I look over again, Taiga is crouching in Nadia's lap with her tail bushed out, letting out low warning yowls in Lucio's direction. Julian is busy trying to get both of the offended parties to calm down, while Asra sneaks her treats with a proud look on their face. I narrow my eyes. When did he pull those out of my cupboard?

"Now what?"

"Hm?"

When I look back at our project, Muriel is standing over the bowl with both hands slathered in dough and the beginnings of an embarrassed pout on his face. "... I can't get it off."

"Oh gosh - let me help with that. Sorry, this recipe is really sticky ..."

Lucio materializes at my other elbow as I work the dough off of Muriel's hands. "I'm tasting this now."

Before I can protest, he's scooped some out with his finger and already has a chunk in his mouth. For half a moment I consider bapping his hand much like my cat did a few minutes ago, but I let it slide. A little raw flour never hurt anyone ... right?

"I hate to be bothersome, but ah ..." Julian is still standing in the middle of the kitchen, swaying slightly on his feet. "I'm afraid I forgot to eat, and I'm beginning to suspect that bread takes longer than a half an hour to produce ..."

"Honestly, Ilya, why would you do that?"

Julian stares down wide-eyed at his sister, comically intimidated by someone half his size. "I was ... busy."

"Busy since when?" Portia's eyes narrow as she presses her brother to confess the full extent of his sins. "Speak."

"Er - yesterday?"

"You bastard!"

"Okay!" I jump in. "It's going to take another hour and a half, so ... how about we eat?"

Lucio and Asra both look mildly disappointed when I cut off their brewing entertainment. Nadia looks generally concerned. "We'd hate to impose on you. I fear we've already caused enough trouble."

"It's not troublesome," I tell her as I reach for the top of my fridge, "instant noodles are easy."

"I though you said my diet was too poor to learn about these." I swear Julian's eyebrows get bushier with excitement as I set my electric kettle to boil.

"I underestimated you."

... he looks way too self-satisfied with that.

By the time the bread has risen, been shaped, risen again, been baked, and cooled enough to slice up and send home, my guests have made themselves perfectly comfortable. Portia has raided my wardrobe and tried on every cosplay I still own. Nadia has gone through all my chopsticks and arranged them by pairs. Muriel has given Taiga so many scritches that I think she's imprinted on him. Julian has smuggled at least seven instant noodle packets into his coat and grilled me about every item in my medicine cabinet. Lucio has tested out every single makeup product leftover from said cosplay days (I don't know how to tell him that it's all expired and should probably be thrown out). Asra has somehow managed to innocently unearth all the embarrassing things I own before taking a catnap in my bed.

"And that's how I make my bread," I tell them. The six are standing at my door again, each holding half a loaf to take home. "Any questions before I take you back?"

"Can I have some jam for this?" Lucio's already tucking into his piece, speaking around a large chunk in his mouth. "It's kinda dry without it."

"I'm sure you'll be able to procure some upon our arrival." Nadia is somehow making a wrapped half-loaf look like a ballgown accessory with how elegantly she's holding it. "I worry that we may have overtaxed our host."

"Not at all," I tell them, and I mean it. Whatever grey hairs I've gotten from this are far outweighed by how happy I was to spend time with them. "Let me know if you ever want more. Maybe next time we could watch a movie."

"What's a moo-fee?"

"Never mind!" I yelp, "Let's head out, I'm sure you're more than ready to be back in your world, let me just make sure the cat doesn't try to follow us -"

The cat is, indeed, trying to follow us. She gives Muriel's shoulder and Asra's treat-filled pocket a forlorn look as I gently scoot her away from the door. Wait -

"Give those back!"

"Never!"

[samtheplatypus]

Let's pretend I'm actually saying something and it isn't just scribbles bc I was too lazy to think what the class actually was

My brain died, the hamster in it went to sleep and never came back

[sircarebearalot]

keep it simmering baby

up for adoption bc while i am def gonna write this baby some day, i'd LOVE too see others do thsi too and honstely if i post it here it's bc it's up for grabs

han sooyoung and kim dokja go to couples cooking bc they both can cook

(kdj, having been in the claws of poverty, never had the ingredients, energy and time, and now he just wanst a fool proof way to learn from scracth

hsy, having lived her youth in the lap of luxury, has always ordered takeout and is now emabrarred by her completely inability to contribute in the kitchen)

and they want to be a fucntionng adult for their partners, yoo 'tsundere star chef' joonghyuk and yoo 'perfect human being' sangah

they decide to sign up for a couples class bc that's less embarassing than just straight up admitting they don't know how and there aren't really classes for hopeless adults and also bc it's cheaper and they are both hopeless cheapskates

so yes, consider they are spending money and time together in a place where their partners aren't aware... does that look good?

lucky for them!! their partners are logical enough to know that kdj and hsy would never cheat on them (BC THEY ARE SUCH SIMPS) nevermind with eachother, unfortaunaltey, kdj and hsy's rep is bad enough for yoo joonghuk and yoo sangah to think that they have found themselves into trouble with .... wait for it.... THE LOCAL MAFIA!!!

so, see in this episode where kim dokja and best friend, han sooyoung go to a couple cooking class and (grudungly and painstakingly) pretend to be in love while all the attendeant, much older couples, fawn over them --- and one younger couple eye them mistruftully bc they think that kdj and hsy are cheating on therui couples bc (why the hell not) kim com are alll low level famous, (hsy is an author, kdj is an editor---whcih no one cares about bc he is also yjk's boo) and the young couple are very salty about it but OFC THEY WON'T POST ABOUT IT BC THAT'S AGAISNT THE SACRED RULE OF COUPLES COOKING BUT LOOK, LOOK??? HOW COULD KDJ RUTHLESSLY BREAK YJK'S HEART??? AND WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SIMPING FAITHFULNES OF HSY???

anyways, that is happening there in that studio, while on the other side of town, yoo joonghyuk and yoo sangah have enlisted kimcom to take down the fearsome mafia to save the two fool that aren't even in trouble.

naturally this epsiode will feature hilarious cutawar moments such as thsi one...

["Do you think Sangah is thinking of me right now?"

"I'm sure she is cutting down the city wondering where you are at," Kim Dokja replies drolly, as he poked mistrustfully at a perfectly fine tomato.

On the other side of town, Yoo Sangah smiles angelically at a mob boss, who was on his knees and holding his right pec protectively. "You will answer my questions, won't you? Where is Han Sooyoung and Kim Dokja?"

"Who?" the mob boss demands.

Yoo Sangah's smile tightens and she nods at Yoo Joonghyuk, who's eyes are gleaming with a slightly demonic light. He advances once again and the mob boss' pleas of ignorance are ignored.]

and ofc

["I don't even know if Joonghyuk will eat my food," Kim Dokja sulked, looking moodily after the instructer that had failed at hiding a grimace at Kim Dokja's liberal use of spice. "He only eats his own cooking anyways."

"Don't you want to feed those brats like the responsible ajjussi they think you are?"

"You have a point," he sighs. "I hope they have finishied their homework."

Not too far away, Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung are arguining on how they will punish the criminals for taking Kim Dokja away (the adulst of kim com failed to remeber how the kids have access to the baby monitors), kimcom for leaving them out of the rescuing ('that jerkface is going to pay for keeping me from rescuing hyung!!"), and each other for allowing such a tragedy to take place. All while a fierce baby Biyoo chimes on with an ocassionaly 'Baat!']

so, stay tuned for the misadventures of silly gooses and silly billies alike!!

[chaotictoon]

Cooking Class

Cartoon girl + Cooking/Kitchen

[vesuviaweekly]

Vesuvia Weekly: Prompt for Jan 31 - Feb 14

You voted, so here it is!

Cooking Class

With that, the "familiars screwed up" prompt is officially closed!

The tags are the usual #vesuvia weekly and for this specific prompt, #cooking class. The masterlist for all works submitted for this prompt will be under the poll for next week :D

MASTERLIST

Brainrot's Baking Lesson by @iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia

Feels Like Home by @1bbgms

Putting it Together by @mermaidchan05

Cooking with Julian art by @samtheplatypus

Cooking Class, or in this case, a Masterclass in how Not to Cook by @blu-raes

"It was a one-time thing ..." by @xen-blank

Cooking Skills + Cooking Class by @arcanarubinaito

[mermaidchan05]

Vesuvia Weekly: Putting It Together

CHOO CHOO ALL ABOARD THE ANGST TRAIN

For @vesuviaweekly 's "cooking class" event. The prompt made me think of Asra teaching the Apprentice to cook after they first woke up, which led to... well, all of this XD

Approx. 2600 words.

Featured characters: Asra and my OC Meleia (she/her), with important appearances by Faust and the stove salamander.

TW for panic attacks and flashbacks. But there IS a happy ending, and the flashback doesn't last too long.

_________________

It was amazing, really, how the smallest things had a way of leaving the biggest impact.  

After Meleia woke up with  no memories and very little control over her new body, Asra was forced to take things one step at a time.  They both were.  It always started so simple, a few shaky steps here and there, a few words that Asra recognized… but every change was important.  And it all added up amazingly quickly. Meleia was doing so well now.   

True, Meleia still had her struggles.  Crowds were debilitatingly overwhelming, she didn’t quite have the strength for going out on her own yet, and there was still a bit of a language barrier.  But so, so much progress had been made.

The next step was working on meals.  Meleia was well enough now to start cooking on her own instead of relying on Asra.  He had to admit, he was proud.

And though he would never admit it, he was decidedly nervous.

For their first official cooking lesson, they were starting with a simple dish.  Meleia loved mushrooms. And they had plenty of rice around.  So fried mushroom rice it was.  Asra hadn’t made anything like this in a while, and as far as he knew, Meleia had never made anything like it, even in her previous life.  But it seemed a safe place to start.  It was hard to mess up just throwing things together and heating them up.

Not impossible, as Asra had proven many times over.  But difficult enough to make him assume they were safe.  

But, naturally, got off to a rocky start.  And not due to any fault of Meleia’s or Asra’s.  The stove salamander was simply refusing to cooperate. 

Asra leaned closer to the grate.  “Come on, little one… we really need your help.”

The stove salamander pouted at Asra, then deliberately turned his back on him.  Asra sighed. 

Meleia put a hand on his shoulder.  Asra carefully stood up, making sure not to shake her away.

“What is it?” he asked gently.

He half expected Meleia to need help with something.  Or for her to need some support in standing up.  It was still hard for her to be on her feet for long periods of time…

But she stood tall, more than tall enough for Faust to balance happily across her shoulders.  And she was smiling.  She quickly let go of Asra’s shoulder and nodded towards the grate.

“I… can help,” she said, only slightly haltingly.  “Let me try.”

Asra couldn’t help but beam in pride.  “Of course.”

He stepped out of the way, allowing Meleia to crouch down so she was right near the stove salamander.  And she started talking to the little magical creature, her tone soft and gentle.  She was speaking a language that Asra still didn’t recognize, even after all this time. 

From the very first time she woke up, Meleia had understood Asra perfectly.  But in yet another unexpected side effect of getting an entirely new body, she had apparently fallen back into whatever her native language was.  She was still learning how to speak the common language of Vesuvia out loud, and Asra had only managed to pick up a couple of her unfamiliar words.  But they understood each other. 

And clearly, the stove salamander understood her as well as he understood anybody.  Meleia kept gently coaxing him.  The salamander was clearly a little grumpy about something.  But he wasn’t immune to Meleia’s charms.  In moments, the salamander was carefully stepping into Meleia’s offered hands.

She lifted the stove salamander up closer to her eye level, laughing fondly.  Asra’s heart thudded.  He loved that sound.  Always had.  And she looked so adorable cooing at the salamander.  Even more so when he pressed his sooty little nose against her own.  Multiple times.  The aftermath almost made her look like she had a few extra freckles.

Then Faust tilted her head.  The stove salamander looked back at her.  And Faust twisted so she was looking at Asra.

Messy stove, Faust reported.

Asra flushed a bit.  “Ah… I must have forgotten to dust out the stove again…”

Silly Asra, said Faust.

“Right.  Silly Asra.”  Asra managed another little smile.

It was far from a simple case of “silly Asra.”  Asra hated cleaning the soot out of the stove.  He didn’t enjoy dusting, either.  The dust and soot all over his hands… it brought back unpleasant memories.

But Meleia didn’t need to know that.  So he forged on.

“You keep holding him, alright?” he said, keeping his smile pasted on.  “I’ll clean up.”

“Thank you,” said Meleia, beaming at Asra.

Asra’s heart thudded.  “Thank you” was one of the first additions to her vocabulary after she started picking up the common language of Vesuvia.  And Asra was always moved when he heard it. 

She was really growing in strides.  And that made everything worth it.

Asra cleaned up as quickly as he could.  Meleia was very happy to hold onto the stove salamander.  She laughed when he scurried across her palms in little circles, and kept chatting to him in her native language.  Asra listened as he worked, focusing on the wonderful sound of her voice instead of the horrible feeling of ash on his fingers.

The moment he was done, Asra immediately washed his hands.  He couldn’t even allow himself a little sigh of relief.  He had to smile for Meleia’s sake. 

“There we are,” he said.  “All set.  Are we ready to get started?”

Meleia eagerly nodded.

At first, everything went smoothly.  The stove salamander settled into his newly-cleaned spot and got a fire started.  Meleia diligently followed Asra’s instructions.  And it was rather nice, working close together in the cozy kitchen.  It almost reminded Asra of the way things had been before.

But no.  He couldn’t allow himself to think about that.  Meleia deserved to have a choice in whom she spent time with.  Just like she deserved to choose her preferred food. 

For as long as he had known her, Meleia had never eaten any meat, though cheese and butter and things like that were fine.  As far as he knew, there was no medical reason for it.  Just a matter of preference.  So he had carefully introduced the idea of making a new choice when she first woke up.

She’d stuck with her traditional preferences.  Asra rather appreciated that.  It was good to know that some things hadn’t changed.

Still… he had to be very careful when it came to food.  Nothing triggered Meleia’s memories quite like a familiar smell.  And that made some foods very dangerous.  Asra was lucky that the pumpkin bread they both loved so much hadn’t had the same effect on her as the first time he had made them both some simple pasta with cream sauce….  

She had grown so much.  But there were some risks he simply couldn’t take.

Asra firmly shook his head, trying to stop the spiral of dark thoughts.  Meleia gave him a questioning look.  As always, Asra answered with an easy smile.

“Sorry,” he said.  “Just lost in thought.  And it looks like you’ve gotten the butter and garlic all taken care of.”

Meleia beamed at him.  “Yes.  Ready.”

Asra’s heart swelled with pride.  “Perfect.  Let’s put the mushrooms in.”

He allowed himself to squeeze even closer to Meleia, their shoulders brushing together, while they moved onto the next step in the recipe.  Which was probably part of the reason things went wrong.

The kitchen was small enough as it was.  And Asra had never been one to put things like dishes and mugs away after washing them.  What was the point, when he was just going to use them again the next day anyway?  Far more convenient to leave them near the sink.

The truly unfortunate thing was that the sink happened to be dangerously close to the stove.  So it was probably only natural that Meleia’s elbow bumped into a mug.  And, of course, said mug immediately hit the floor, shattering on impact. 

Asra winced at the sound.  His pulse spiked.  But that was nothing compared to Meleia’s reaction.  Her breath caught.  And she went utterly rigid at the sudden crash. 

Asra immediately turned his attention to her.  “Meleia, are you hurt?”

Meleia shook her head.  She crouched down, moving to clean up the mess.

Asra quickly caught her hand.  “No, don’t touch those.  Not with your bare hands.  Here… I can help.”

Meleia shook her head again, a bit more stubbornly this time.  “My fault.  I… s-sorry…”

“It’s alright,” Asra said gently.  “It was an accident.  And no one was hurt.  That’s what’s important.”

Meleia still looked utterly guilt-ridden.  “But…”

“It’s fine.”  With a flick of his fingers, Asra used a little magic to safely gather up all the broken pieces.   “See?  No harm done.”

“But… Asra…”  Meleia hesitantly reached out a hand.  “Your… most liked?”

“My favorite?” Asra clarified.

Meleia nodded.

Asra glanced at the shattered fragments.  He recognized the pattern, now.  All the air seemed to rush out of his lungs.

“Asra, I… n-not want…” Meleia choked out.  She was near tears by then.  “My fault.  I’m sorry…”

Asra couldn’t respond.  He hardly heard her.  Not over the sound of his own pulse pounding in his ears.  Of his own breathing coming far too quickly.  Of the shards of ceramic shattering further as they clattered to the floor, his magic immediately petering out in his panic.  

He was back, back in a time when Meleia was still gone.  When the world had seemed so broken, so empty.  When nothing mattered but finding a way to see her again.  And it was his fault, it was all his fault… he had left her, fought with her, abandoned her, just so she could fall to the plague.  And then… he had made so many more mistakes.

“Asra?”  

Asra had forgotten how to breathe.  His hands were shaking.  Traces of soot still lingered on his fingers.  It was just from cleaning the grate.  He knew that.  But to his eyes, the soot looked like the crimson-stained ash of the Lazaret.      

And the shards of his mug had become the even more broken fragments of Meleia’s favorite teacup.   

All he could do was stare, eyes wide, hands shaking.  A hollow pit had opened up in his stomach, nearly consuming his entire being.  He felt just like he had back then.  The cup was hers, one that Asra had never dared to use even when it was clean, since it was so special to her.  A memory of her life before Vesuvia.  It had been hers, and now it was gone, and she was gone…

Everything was gone…

“Asra…”

A gentle touch on his shoulder made Asra flinch.  He whipped around… only to see Meleia, staring up at him with eyes wide in concern.  Asra’s heart tore a little more at the look on her face.

She wasn’t supposed to see him like this.

Asra managed to take a breath.  “I’m sorry, Meleia.  I must have gotten lost in thought again…”

Faust somehow managed to scoot across Meleia’s shoulders and transfer herself over to Asra.  She gave him a gentle, grounding squeeze.

Safe, she promised.  Friend here.

Asra took another breath.  He was still far from himself.  Still felt a bit detached.  But it was better.  And Faust was right.  Meleia was there.  That was what mattered. 

Meleia clearly knew something was still wrong.  She gazed at Asra for a moment more, searching his face.  Probably looking for some way to help.  Asra did his best to smile for her.  To show her that he was alright, no matter how far from the truth that may have been.  It wasn’t very convincing.   

Then, slowly, Meleia looked at the broken mug.  And with a little frown of concentration—a look that Asra had always found heartbreakingly adorable—she copied the spell Asra had used.  She gathered up the shards of ceramic and collected them all in her skirt.  Then she sort of… stared at them.  She looked rather forlorn.

“My fault,” she said again.  “I’m sorry…”

“It’s alright,” Asra insisted.  He carefully put a hand over hers.  “It’s just a mug.  Besides, we can fix it.  Here… let me teach you a spell.”

As he had done a hundred times before, he gently guided her through this impromptu magic lesson.  With every word, every gentle touch to guide her hands, his panicked heartbeat slowed.  His breathing grew calmer.  His trembling hands stilled. 

By the time the magic was done, he was nearly himself again.  And the mug was whole.  Almost.  It was put together again, at least, and it would work perfectly.  But there were still some faint cracks.  A little chip had gone completely missing.  And the pattern was ever so slightly off. 

Meleia looked even more heartbroken than before. 

“What’s wrong?” Asra asked.

“It’s… broken,” she said.  “Still.”

“It’s fine,” said Asra with a little smile.  “We can use it again now.  That’s enough.”

Meleia’s fingers carefully traced the now-imperfect pattern.  “All wrong…”

Asra hummed thoughtfully.  “Is it?  I think it’s still beautiful.  It’s different, but that doesn’t make it bad.  There’s a kind of beauty in fixing something, too.  In seeing all the scars.  Now it’s unique.”

“Unique…” Meleia repeated, slowly sounding out the word.

“Yes,” said Asra.  “One of a kind.  And that’s part of what makes it beautiful.”

Meleia slowly picked up the mended mug.  Her gaze was rather distant, and still decidedly sad, as she turned it this way and that.  Asra saw how lovely the new, no-longer-symmetrical pattern was.  But he was sure that Meleia was just seeing the traces of the cracks.

“Broken,” she said again.  “Like me.”

Asra’s heart lurched.  He carefully wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into a gentle hug.  Meleia sank into his embrace. 

“No, Meleia,” he whispered.  “You’re not broken.  I know things have been… challenging.  But you’re doing so well.  And no matter what happens, you are a whole person.  A wonderful person.”

Meleia took a shaky breath.  She blinked back tears.  She leaned against Asra a moment more, nearly snuggling into the hug.  After another few heartbeats, she pulled back. 

And she was smiling again.  It was faint, but it was genuine.

“Asra?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you,” she said.

Asra smiled in return.  “You’re welcome.  Did I help?”

“Yes.”  Meleia’s smile grew a little wider.  Then she glanced up at the stove… and the probably-a-little-too-crispy mushrooms.  “Try again?”

“Of course,” said Asra.  He got to his feet, taking her hand and pulling her up as well.  “Let’s make this the best mushroom rice dish the world has ever seen.”

Meleia laughed.  And any remaining worry in Asra’s heart faded.  If only for the moment.

Meleia always had a way of making things seem brighter.

The mushroom rice didn’t come out quite the way Asra had expected.  Especially when they wound up spending more time making a game out of tossing the rice into the pan instead of just pouring it in there.  But it was delicious nonetheless.  And Asra was happy that Meleia was feeling better. 

She had never voiced the thought before.  But Asra doubted that this was the first time she had thought of herself as broken.  Asra was grateful that he was able to cheer her up.  And eternally thankful for every moment they shared. 

Maybe, in a way, things really were like the mug.  They were still picking up some pieces.  Still learning how to put everything back together.

Nothing would ever be the same as it was before.  But they could still make something beautiful.     

[1bbgms]

Vesuvia Weekly: Cooking Class

Hello! I wrote this oneshot a while ago, and I think it will be alright to submit for this week's prompt!

It's centered around the entire crew, with some Nadia x Portia and Muriel x Asra shipping involved in the background. Fluffy fluff. Enjoy :3

[thesugarclubs-blog]

Taste of Fate - AU Bucky Barnes x OC

warnings: civil war Bucky, strangers to lovers, ghosted date, smut, 18+

word count: 11.5k

WP: https://www.wattpad.com/1312808798-taste-of-fate-colette

Masterlist

The cold breeze nipped at Colette’s nose and blew her dark hair into her face as she walked down the busy New York street. Pulling her wool jacket tightly around herself, she made her way to the large brick building. A black sign with white writing told her she was in the right spot. The Brooklyn Kitchen was supposed to be one of the best cooking schools in the city, and it was an experience that Colette had always wanted to try.

She had been seeing Kyle for a few weeks and the two had originally bonded over their love of food. Kyle wasn’t exactly the normal type of guy that she would set herself up with, but that was what had intrigued her the most. She was stepping out of her comfort zone and still found things to bond with him over. He was sweet and not as pushy as she was used to from other guys. After their first date, Colette had mentioned doing this class and when he seemed just as excited as she was about it, it was booked.

A swarm of butterflies danced in her stomach as she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and leaned herself against the brick wall as she waited. Looking down at her phone, she huffed out a sigh. 2:56 pm. No text messages or missed phone calls.

“He’s probably inside…” Colette mumbled to herself, as she spun and gripped the black metal door handle with her gloved hand and shuffled herself inside.

She pulled off her gloves and shoved them into her coat pockets before shedding it off her shoulders and placing it on one of the only empty hooks that still lined the wall. There were 6 counters that littered the brick room, and at each stood two people, except for one where a tall, muscular man stood by himself.

Her eyes traced his thick arms where a red Henley clung to his muscles, up to his long dark hair that was tucked under a black baseball hat. She caught a glimpse of his ocean blue eyes as they flickered to her over his shoulder.

But no sign of Kyle, as the clock hit 3 pm and the class was about to begin.

“Fuck this,” Colette muttered to herself and walked further into the room. She paused by the counter at the back, unsure where to go now.

She glanced around, noting the only empty workstation, and made her way over. Ingredients were piled up in a wicker basket, and next to it a Brooklyn Kitchen branded apron and a set of polished knives.

Colette quickly stored her things, surveying the room as she did. Most of the couples were set up already but the lone man was standing looking a little lost, his apron hung around his neck but was not tied and he was eyeing the knives cautiously. He must have sensed her eyes on him because the next moment he was looking right at her.

“Looks daunting doesn’t it?” She chuckled nervously, hoping he didn’t think she was rude for staring.

He offered a shy smile, his cheeks dusting pink as he glanced down at the knives in front of him.

"A little, yeah," he chuckled. "Never really done anything like this before."

She offered him a big, warm smile that made him smile in return. He was cute, bright blue eyes, high cheekbones, and soft stubble dusting his chin. His long hair fell loose, some strands falling in his face from the base of his hat that he quickly tucked behind his ear. The longer she stared at him, the more she was kind of grateful that Kyle wasn't coming.

"Well, you're in good company," she replied. "I'm pretty new to this too. We can be overwhelmed together."

The relief in his eyes was palpable as his smile got wider and he nodded. Colette tied up her own apron and he quickly followed suit. Before he could say another word, the door opened and someone who clearly looked like the instructor walked to the front of the room.

She was a bit shorter than Collette with a round face, greying hair tied back into a ponytail and soft features that had a look of wisdom to them, as she stood at the front of the room and gave everyone a quick once over before introducing herself with a warm smile.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Evelyn and I'm gonna be your guide in today's class."

“You all have an ingredients list in your baskets. I’d like you to check through first of all to make sure you’ve got everything.”

Colette took her list and started to pick through her basket when she heard muttering from the guy next to her.

“Everything OK?” She asked with an encouraging smile.

“What the hell is ch-chorizo?” He stammered at the unfamiliar word, a deep furrow forming between his brows.

Colette grinned and held up the dark red sausage, waving it slightly and giggling as his cheeks turned even pinker than before.

The corners of his mouth upturned slightly as they flickered from the sausage back to her making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. God, he was cute. She watched as he found his own chorizo package and pulled it from the basket, waving it gently at her to signal he’d found it.

Colette tossed him a reassuring nod before turning back to her own basket. Glanced at the door, realizing that by now Kyle definitely wasn’t showing up.

“You,” a voice called drawing her attention to the small woman in the white coat, Evelyn reached her station with a raised brow, “you had a partner, no?”

It was Colette’s turn for pink cheeks as the instructor stared up at her, “uhm, yes but he… he is sick.”

The woman narrowed her eyes slightly before looking at the man next to her. Colette’s gaze followed, she could tell he was trying not to listen as he continued pulling things from his basket and inspecting them.

“You two will pair up.” Evelyn waved the two of them together.

Colette’s eyes went wide as the man froze both of them gawking at the woman.

There was a tiny flutter in her stomach- she chalked it up to nerves and balanced her hands on the edge of the counter. This will be fine. So what if Kyle stood her up? She could figure this out, she didn’t need-

“I’m sorry your friend didn’t show.”

Her new cooking partner’s words interrupted her spiraling thoughts. Her cheeks burned as they made eye contact, immediately drawn into the man’s soft, blue eyes. How did he-

He offered her a slightly pained smile. “You, uh, said some of that out loud.” Great, she thought. Already off to a great start.

She looked around the room, noticing a couple of questioning eyes on her before their attention went quickly back to their tasks again.

Evelyn cleared her throat. “Bans, right?” She looked at the confused man. “Get over here and continue with your list. We’ll get through the recipe together shortly,” With that, she made her way over to another couple.

Colette sighed and buried her face in her hands. Shame washed over her. She was here to have fun and learn, not to have a meltdown in the middle of-

“It’s Barnes actually. James Barnes. But you can call me Bucky.” She looked up from the sudden closeness of his voice.

He stood right next to her with an outstretched gloved hand with a warm smile on his lips, a hint of redness forming on his cheeks.

Colette took his hand and shook it. “Colette Grey” she smiled nervously at him. They stood there awkwardly for a few moments before she dropped his hand and turned back to the ingredients list double checking that they had everything needed for their dish.

"So you know why I'm here..." She swallowed tightly trying not to look back at him. She felt like all she could do was stare but his presence beside her was not something she could just ignore. His broad shoulder brushed against her as he leaned down and helped her with the ingredients.

"It's silly..." Bucky said quietly, handing her another package.

Colette breathed out a laugh and shook her head, nudging her small shoulder into his arm lightly, "As silly as getting stood up?" she questioned, turning her eyes back to him with a soft smile.

All her friends had told her that she could do better than Kyle. The man didn't even have a bed frame and owned 2 mugs that he just rinsed out the one time she'd gone to his house. Her friends certainly were going to get a kick out of this. Hopefully, she could soften the teasing by telling them about her new friend.

"I uh, it feels like I haven't cooked in 70 years..." he laughed softly, shooting her a crooked smile, "so I thought it'd be good to get out and try this..."

“Nothing silly about that,” Colette replied softly, “and hey, maybe with two of us, we’ll actually make something edible!”

“You say that but I haven’t cooked with half of these ingredients before, so it’s pretty much all on you.”

Bucky nudged her playfully as he spoke, the most relaxed smile on his face yet, and Colette felt her skin warm all the way from the tips of her ears. She was certain her whole face was pink when she glanced up at him next, soft eyes studying her only to be snapped away when the instructor clapped her hands at the front of the room.

"You'll want to make sure you follow the directions on the sheets I'm about to hand out! And working together is important!" The instructor looked directly at Bucky and his face turned bright red.

"You think she heard me?" He asked with a wink.

Colette couldn't help but collapse into giggles, and she looked up at him, his bright eyes sparkling as he smiled.

"How about this: Since we're both pretty much helpless, we help each other out. You can read me the directions and we'll try not to burn the place down. Teamwork."

Bucky bit his lip, nodding. That lip bite was going to kill her. She was so glad Kyle didn't show up today.

"Teamwork," he agreed.

"Let's do this!" She whisper-yelled as she rubbed her palms together in exasperated excitement which caused his mouth to turn up in a beautiful smile that had the corners of his eyes crinkling.

And if her heartbeat stuttered at the sight of that, it was nobody's business.

His mesmerizing blue eyes lingered on her unsure smile a little longer, as she started to occupy her hands so her mind wouldn't go wandering places that weren't appropriate in this setting. Especially around all these knives.

“Alright, everyone! Listen please!” Evelyn clapped, her voice commanding the attention of the room. “We’re going to work through the instruction sheet, you have a timer there if you need it, and if you get stuck just hold up your hand and I’ll come over.”

“Feel like I’m back in damn school,” Bucky grumbled, adjusting the straps on his apron.

Colette patted his arm reassuringly and then gestured to the sheet of paper in front of them.

“So partner, what’s first?”

She didn’t miss the smile that spread across his lips, giving a full view of the sharpness of his cheekbones as he leaned forward to read the list.

“Well, it says here to slice the chorizo into rounds.” He glanced up at her brows knitted together, “whatever that means.”

She chuckled softly, taking a peek at the couples near them watching as they sliced the sausage. Colette raised a finger, pointing at them, “I think something like that.”

Bucky turned to her and gave her a wide grin. He picked up one of the knives by the handle and twirled it in his hand between his fingers, so the blade of the knife spun dangerously close to the palm of his hand. Colette's eyes widened as she watched.

“I … thought you haven’t cooked all that much. Because that is some serious knife skills you’ve got their partner.” Colette said stunned

"Yeah old trick," he turned the blade over once more, the light reflected off the steel and twinkled in the dark rings of his blue eyes as he looked over at her.

"Where did you learn how to do that?" She asked as he positioned the chorizo under the blade awkwardly, "curl your fingers," she pointed to his hand, the blade dangerously close to his skin. She shook her head, rounding him and leaning over his arm, she wrapped her fingers over his and them out of the way of the knife. "Like that," she said, looking up to find his expression softened as he watched her.

“Uh, you know… Military.” Bucky fumbled, his face turning red though Colette couldn’t tell if it was from how her front pressed against his back as she guided him, or the fact that his answer was obviously vague to cover up the truth of his familiarity with blades.

Whatever it was, she could tell cooking was not the setting in which he had learned his skills and she giggled as Bucky looked around to the other pairs of cooks to see what thickness they were cutting the chorizo.

“That seems too big.” Colette smiled, as she pulled away from him once he got the hang of curling his fingers to protect them from the sharp edge.

“You got a problem with the size of my sausage?” Bucky asked, glancing at her from the corner of his eyes and Colette felt her whole body flush with warmth.

She burst out into giggles suddenly, earning a side-eye from the woman next to them and an eyebrow raise from Evelyn.

“Oh, Jesus. I definitely didn’t mean it like that,” Bucky mumbled, “sorry.”

“No, no. Don’t apologize! You just tapped right into my sense of humor.”

Bucky just nodded, his own cheeks a little rosy as he continued slicing the chorizo.

He was being super precise, and steady with the knife as he cut the sausage into neater, smaller pieces. Just as he was finishing up, Evelyn did that deafening hand clap again as she launched into discussing the fastest way to chop an onion.

They both listened as she demonstrated at the front of the class, dicing the onion so fast that Colette flinched a little and took a deep breath. She definitely felt out of her depth. She looked up at Bucky, grabbing the onion from the table.

"You wanna chop this?" She asked. "You handled that sausage pretty well."

He began to giggle, shaking his head.

"I'm never gonna live that down, am I?"

"Nope, sorry, bud. You're doomed to that humiliation forever."

"I thought we were partners. If you're gonna give me a hard time, you've at least gotta dice the onion." He elbowed her again. "See, I said dicing. I'm learning."

Colette's giggle began to mirror his.

"We are partners! I look pretty and read the directions, and you handle the knife stuff," she quipped.

Part of her just really wanted to see him flip that thing again. His cheeks flushed again as he rubbed the back of his neck, the tip of the knife pointed at the cutting board.

"Well, I think that jerk who stood you up is missing out on a great partner." His eyes met hers as he gently took the onion from her hand, their fingertips brushing before she heard him add, "Pretty one, too."

She felt heat flood her cheeks and down her neck at his words while little zaps of electricity traveled up her fingertips from their brief touch.

As her lower lip caught between her teeth, Colette couldn't stop herself from gazing into the clear blue of his eyes a second too long to be appropriate before turning away from him and hiding behind her curtain of hair.

"Tha— thank you," she stuttered shyly.

His cheeky smirk prevailed for a while longer before his attention diverted back to their instructor as demonstrated how to cut the onions.

“Dicing’s really small!” He exclaimed, gesturing with the knife toward where the instructor had demonstrated.

“You can do it, big guy. I have faith in you.”

Colette saw him square his shoulders at her words of encouragement and he attacked the onion with gusto, remembering to keep his fingers out of the way as she showed him.

“Get a load of you, Bucky! You could be on Masterchef!” She exclaimed with a bright chuckle.

Once again that adorable confused look crossed his face, and his chopping slowed, “Master—I don’t, what is a Masterchef?”

Colette stared up at him for a moment something about the curiosity and confusion in his voice softened her smile. “It’s a TV show.” She said quietly.

His eyes widened for a moment, an awkward chuckle leaving his lips as the air between them grew thick, “oh—I uh don’t watch very much TV.”

Bucky cleared his throat and continued chopping the rest of the onion. “Well,” Colette started softly. She decided to take a different approach, and she lowered her eyes to the list in front of them.

“While I figure out what pans we need, why don’t you…” her voice trailed off. She glanced in his direction, still not making eye contact, as she heard his chopping slow once again.

“Why don’t you tell me how you like to spend your time? Since you’re obviously not watching TV.” She finally made eye contact and flashed him a small grin. As his eyes widened, she was pretty sure she felt her knees knock against each other.

"I could get used to this," he gave her a tight smile.

"To cutting onions?" Colette giggled, she gave his arm a squeeze.

"Well, more so cutting onions with a pretty sous chef," he said, watching her intently and waiting for her reaction.

Colette felt herself blush violently making a list of activities that she could take Bucky to do to help him discover more of what he liked. She quickly shook the thought from her mind, embarrassed with herself for trying to make plans with an absolute stranger, though he was admittedly a very cute stranger.

But something in her wanted to see that gorgeous smile and those magnetic blue eyes well after the cooking class ended.

She didn’t say anything about it though, just looked down at the instructions on the paper, trying to figure out what they needed to do next.

“Alright!” Colette and Bucky both jumped as Evelyn suddenly spoke. “Everyone should be done with the onion, onto cutting the chicken! You want to make sure they’re nicely cubed, gives a more even cook.” She demonstrated quickly and then gestured at everyone to do the same.

Colette glanced up at Bucky, getting caught in his blue eyes for a moment.

“Um, okay so, cubes. How hard can that be?” she asked, grinning when Bucky straightened up, chest partially puffed.

“Easy as pie,” he said and grabbed a chicken breast. It slipped out of his hand and smacked onto the counter. “This shit’s slimmer than I remember,” he said as Colette giggled.

“Yeah, it’s pretty gross. I’m actually glad she put me with you because I think I would have just given up at this point otherwise. You’d have to pay me a lot of money to touch that,” she remarked, the end of her sentence giving way to a squeal as Bucky wiggled his slimy fingers in her face.

Bucky laughed as she jumped back, his nose scrunching as the joyful sound filled the kitchen space. It was gorgeous, rich, and deep, and when he snorted at the end, Colette fell into giggles all over again.

Somewhere in the room, someone shushed them and Bucky rolled his eyes.

“Maybe it was a bad idea putting us together, I think we’ve been branded the troublemakers.”

“Story of my life,” Colette replied.

“And it seems like getting paired with troublemakers is the story of mine.”

"You're a troublemaker?" She asked, a teasing edge to her voice.

He grinned, slightly bashful as they worked. Every time his eyes met hers, she melted. She couldn't stop smiling. Or giggling. Something about him just reduced her to a complete puddle. Colette didn't want this class to end.

"Just a little. I think it's why we work so well together."

“You should be cooking now,” Evelyn sang, with a pointed look in their direction.

“Shit, Sweetheart, I think we gotta get some of this stuff in the pan!” Bucky exclaimed.

Colette threw him a mocking grimace and scraped the sliced chorizo into the wide-bottomed frying pan, turning the heat on medium as the instructions suggested. She was definitely ignoring the extra flash of heat that rippled through her when he called her sweetheart.

“Low and slow people!” Evelyn all but shouted as she walked between stations, eyeing the pans, “we don’t need any fires starting.”

The pan sizzled as the chorizo began to smoke. The smell wafting between them made her stomach growl softly.

She caught his gaze out of the corner of her eye as she cleared her throat with an awkward grin.

“When was the last time you ate?” He asked.

Colette eyed him at the question. It was blunt and almost accusing.

Bucky must have caught on to her confusion as he shook his head, “no, that’s not I just meant, your stomach growled.” He said shyly.

Colette would normally have been embarrassed, but something about this broad-shouldered softy put her at ease. “How did you possibly hear that?” she asked with a laugh.

The spicy smells wafted around them as he smiled, his nose crinkling slightly. He grabbed a wooden spoon from the counter and handed it to her. “You stir,” he said, his smile softening.

He looked down at her, his eyes falling to her lips for a split second before meeting her gaze once more. Colette felt her stomach lurch with an entirely different type of hunger. “And maybe,” his voice was lower now, “we can go grab a cup of coffee and a snack after class.”

“A snack?” She smirked, “I know this cute little cafe with all the best desserts,” she began to ramble as she stirred the food so it didn’t burn. She looked up at him expecting to find him watching the food as she had been but he was staring at her. Heat licked at the back of her neck, “of course, we’ll have to get one of each.”

“Of course,” he smiled, his tongue darted over his bottom lip. “How can I figure out what I like if we don’t,” he replied.

Colette’s mind was racing with a million ways they could figure that out, her cheeks began to burn from the amount of blushing she had been doing, and to keep herself from absolutely melting she shifted her focus back to the pan.

The oil had begun to seep out of the chorizo and Bucky was still cubing the rest of the chicken so she scooped up the onions he had chopped earlier, adding them to the pan which hissed and sizzled. A cloud of smoke wafted up from the pan, stinging her eyes more than she had anticipated, causing them to water and her belly to grumble again because despite the pain the food still smelled really good.

“Oh gosh,” Colette cringed, squeezing her eyes shut as they began to burn more.

“Shoot.” She heard Bucky say, the sink at their station turning on telling her that he was washing his hands before she knew it, there were large warm palms on her face.

Bucky was holding her cheeks and he told her not to move as he blew on her eyes to stop the stinging; it was a gentle, yet firm action, and damn did it feel nice.

Her chocolate brown eyes fluttered open to meet his ocean blue ones, and a soft smile graced his lips, as his thumb swiped away the one tear that escaped down her cheek.

"You okay?" Bucky spoke softly, keeping her face in his hands.

His callouses were rough against her skin, but it was countered by how soft his touch was. Every nerve in Colette's body ignited as a blush crept up her neck. Suddenly every morsel of her thoughts about Kyle rushed out of her head and was replaced with her new blue-eyed cooking partner who had managed to be more of a gentleman to her in the hour and a half of them knowing each other than Kyle had been in the last few weeks.

Colette cleared her throat, and nodded slowly, keeping her eyes locked with his, "much better, thank you..." she whispered.

“Anytime doll,” Bucky replied lowly, his hands slowly falling away from her face, fingertips lingering, leaving a tingling in their wake. Colette shivered and looked down, gasping as she remembered the food. She turned down the stove, the pan smoking slightly.

They salvaged it, Bucky tossing in the chicken once the onions were softened and Colette took over chopping veggies and prepping the rice.

“Look at us! Cookin’ like pros now, sweetheart!” Bucky grinned and it took everything in Colette not to do something stupid like kiss the stranger turned cooking partner that she was definitely crushing on.

Their coffee date was motivating her to get through the last of this cooking class. So until then, she stuck close to Bucky, hands brushing every so often as they both reached to stir or taste, and she hoped the spark she felt every time wasn’t one-sided.

As they cooked, Bucky glanced down at her.

"You wanna team up to do the dishes?" He asked.

She grinned, her mind still miles away, daydreaming of having coffee with him. Colette could picture it all in her mind clear as day. She even knew the perfect spot to take him. There was a cozy cafe around the corner where she liked to go to read sometimes.

"It's a date-- I mean, uh... yeah..." Her cheeks reddened and Bucky smirked at her.

"I thought coffee was a date, but if you wanna pack dishes in there, too, I think we can make that work."

Her stomach fluttered and he reached out one more time, swiping something off of her cheek. This man was getting bold. This little spark was definitely mutual.

"You had an eyelash," he breathed.

Suds landed perfectly onto the top of his nose rendering him speechless. Colette bit her lip watching as a wolfish grin spread across his cheeks.

“Oh you’re in for it now,” he lurched towards her, scooping up a small pile of suds with two fingers before swiping it across her own nose. Giggles ensued as she gasped up at him.

Colette couldn’t help but scoff, grabbing the metal take-out containers for their food and chucking them at him which only made Evelyn give her another glare before she turned on swift heels to check on the other cooks.

“Sweetheart, you keep acting like that and we’ll never be allowed to take another cooking class in this town again.” Bucky grinned at her, those cute laugh lines hiding under his stubble causing her heart to fly.

Colette bit back another smile, taking the containers she'd thrown and him back and swiftly packing their food to go though she had desperately wanted to start digging in because of how hungry she was.

Dessert and coffee were calling her though and so was the smile plastered across Bucky's face.

The two of them thanked the teacher, and giggled through an apology for their trouble, before retrieving their jackets from the hooks and heading back out into the cold February air. As they walk, their hands brushed together, and Colette pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. All she wanted to do was link their fingers together but she wasn't sure at that moment if it'd be too forward.

"The uh, the cafe is only a couple of blocks away," she softly smiled up at him, nervously tapping her fingers against the side of the food container as she held it close to her body.

She took note of how out here, Bucky seemed tenser than he had in class. His eyes darted around the street and flickered down to her every once in a while.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, nudging her elbow lightly into his arm.

"What?" Bucky's head turned to look at her, clearing his throat and nodding once, "Ye-yeah, everything is fine. Just - looking forward to the desert."

“Mmm, me too!” Colette replied happily, brushing off the moment with a soft smile which Bucky seemed to appreciate. “They do the best lemon meringue pie and a bunch of chocolate options too if that’s more your thing.”

She glanced up to see Bucky looking down at her fondly.

“What?”

“Oh nothing,” he chuckled, “you’re just a breath of fresh air that I didn’t know I needed.”

Without prompting, Bucky’s pinky caught Colette’s, his hand sliding into hers effortlessly and like that’s where it had always belonged. This man knew what he was doing, the smirk on his lips not quite hidden by the lingering shyness in his eyes.

The two of them walked to the coffee shop, the sun still shining as they move through crowds of people. She could feel his eyes on her the entire time, her entire body heating up beneath the weight of his gaze. Colette finally mustered up the courage to glance back up at him.

"You like to stare, huh?"

He blushed immediately and began to stammer.

"I-- uh... do you... not like it?"

She smiled as she squeezed her hand.

"I never said that, just an observation."

He grinned and gave her hand a little squeeze back. She was surprised that he was so gentle considering how much bigger he was than her. Colette had to push aside thoughts of his Herculean frame pressing her against a wall, his mouth on hers. She cleared her throat.

"You sure blush a lot when I look at you."

She grinned.

"Do you not like that?"

"I never said that just an observation," he replied with a flirtatious grin.

Colette returned the grin shaking her head, “in all fairness I don’t think I’ve ever met someone who stares at me so much.”

Bucky’s gaze met hers, sparkling blue eyes glistened down at her. “In all fairness, you deserve to have someone stare at you.”

She cocked a brow biting her lip as his words finally registered, making him grimace.

“That sounded way creepier than intended,” he breathed out a laugh before pausing for a moment “you’re just the prettiest girl I’ve gotten the courage to talk to in a long time and I meant what I said earlier about your friend standing you up. He is an idiot.”

“Most men born this century are no offense,” she quipped.

“None taken,” he smirked at her, fixing his hat on his head. She had an inkling Bucky was full of secrets he was just waiting to share with the right person.

Colette slowed her steps as they reached the stop and before she could get the door Bucky opened it for her. “Thank you,” she whispered sliding past him.

The cafe smelled like heaven and Colette couldn’t help but do a small happy hop as she thought about the many sweet treats she could potentially shove in her face but also screaming at herself in her head when she found herself considering what Bucky’s lips would taste like.

Everything about him was just so comforting though, the wave of butterflies in her stomach had been fluttering uncontrollably for some time now and she was sure that if she had decided to dramatically throw herself at him and pretend to faint like a damsel that Bucky would catch her in his strong arms and let out the most beautiful laugh in the process for her acting so silly.

She settled on getting a chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream and a caramel drizzle… You know, just in case he decided to kiss her.

Bucky ordered a strawberry cheesecake, and the two carried their treats to a small table tucked in the corner by the windows.

"I - I have to be honest here, I haven't been on a first date in... a really long time," Bucky admitted as they sat down.

Colette cocked her eyebrow as a grin formed on her lips, "Date huh?" she questioned.

His eyes widened, and he brought his gloved hand up to rub the back of his neck, "I mean, I - sorry, I shouldn't assume anything... I -"

"Bucky!" She interrupted, with a giggle, "I was kidding, I would love if this was a date"

He let out a breath, the smile appearing back on his face, "you are trouble."

“It’s my middle name,” she grinned, taking a spoonful of her dessert and placing it between her lips. Her eyes fluttered shut as she tasted everything. “Oh my god, this is amazing!”

Bucky’s laugh choked off and she opened her eyes, meeting his, a little darker than before as he stared at her. Right at her lips, she noticed with a small smile.

“See something you like?” she asked slyly, and Bucky blinked back to awareness.

"I don't stand a chance against you, do I?" He chuckled, shaking his head.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Colette replied as she took another bite and then pushed her brownie toward him. "Here, try some."

He looked flustered. Maybe the sugar would take his mind off of it. She offered Bucky her spoon and he took a small bite, his eyes widening as he smiled and nodded his head. Colette noticed a little speck of caramel on his lip, and couldn't help herself. Before she knew it, she was reaching out and wiping it away with her thumb. She let it linger on his mouth for just a second before Bucky's mouth dropped open, that darkness returning to his eyes.

"Sorry," she murmured, wiping her thumb on a napkin. "I got a little... carried away."

He grinned. The spark between them was instantaneous. She knew nothing about this man and yet she was comfortable enough to wipe caramel off of his fucking lip. What the hell had gotten into her? Heat flooded her whole body.

"I wouldn't say that." He paused for a moment, his eyes studying her face, lips curling into a soft smile. "You're real pretty when you're flustered, though."

“If you don’t stop saying nice things to me I might have to take you home,” she teased.

“Maybe that was my plan all along,” he took another bite. “Play dumb, flash a smile. Charm the gorgeous sad girl.”

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t charmed,” she smiled. “You’re very smooth Bucky Barnes.”

“I haven’t heard that in a long time angel,” he looked up at her through his heavy lashes with a soft smirk on his face.

“I haven’t had someone flirt with me so much in a long time.” She said and for some reason she forgot to smile, her mind wandering to all jerks who had stood her up over the years.

“Don’t do that,” Bucky said, his brows furrowing as he shook his head.

“Do what?” Colette asked, unsure of what she’d done.

“Frown. You break my heart when you do that," he said and she hadn’t even noticed his hand had reached out across the table, his fingers searching for hers.

Colette let their fingers curl together and Bucky took her hand with a smile, bringing her knuckles to his lips before gently kissing them.

“Only smiles from here on out sweetheart.” Bucky grinned and she melted faster than the ice cream on her plate.

"Well, if you keep talking like that, I think I can agree to those terms," Colette chuckled, pulling her spoon between her lips as she watched Bucky for a moment.

The conversation flowed from there, Bucky asking her questions about what she did, and some of her favorite things. The two enjoyed their desserts as much as they enjoyed each other's company. Laughter echoed through the cafe as Colette watched Bucky relax and come alive in front of her eyes.

"The last date I went on was... with a girl named Bonnie, or was it, Connie?" He questioned, licking the last of the strawberry jam from his spoon. "Anyway, we went to this expo and... actually, she kind of looked like you a little bit" Bucky smirked, tilting his head to the left, "anyway, it didn't work out..."

Colette laughed, and cocked an eyebrow, "What do you mean she looked like me?"

"Not exactly! And no in a bad way I promise, I think it's just," He thought for a second, "I have a thing for brunettes, that's all" he answered, laughing awkwardly.

"Ah, gotcha," she tsked, swiping her tongue along her bottom lip, "Well I have to admit I am a little glad it didn't work out with Bonnie... Or Connie." She teased.

He chuckled.

"Yeah, me too, actually." He looked up at her. "I don't think it would have worked out anyway."

"Yeah? How come?"

He shrugged and looked a little sad.

"Lotsa reasons."

Colette gently tapped his foot underneath the table.

"Hey, you said smiles from here on out, mister."

His laughter was the best thing in the world. A little raspy and his eyes crinkled at the edges when he did it. Sometimes, his nose scrunched up. She really liked that part.

"Right, gotta take my own advice, huh?" He sighed and bit his lip. "Thanks for being my partner today."

He really meant it. It wasn't just a ploy to get in her pants, even though, she definitely wouldn't say no to that.

"Any time, Bucky. Thanks for being mine."

"Any time, doll."

“Even if I do get you almost kicked out of class?” She laughed setting her spoon down.

Her eyes met his when he didn’t answer, the light dusting of pink now returning under the light shade of stubble. “Especially so.”

Colette’s smile faded for a brief moment. God, he was sweet and he seemed to like her loudness and the way her laugh would quickly turn into a cackle. Not once did he tell her to quiet down or seem like he was embarrassed to be with her. He was her breath of fresh air.

She cleared her throat realizing she had been quiet for entirely too long, “well, should we uh-get going?” Colette stammered as Bucky let out a soft chuckle.

“Sure Darlin, let’s go.”

They made their way outside, Bucky once again held the door open for her as she tucked the food containers under her arm. Stepping aside she brushed against the brick building. She heard him toss a thanks back to the girls behind the counter before stepping onto the sidewalk offering his hand for her to take and without hesitation her fingers intertwined into his.

He smiled down at her, their eyes meeting for a moment before he reached up, brushing back the bangs that had fallen out of place. Electricity crackled through her as his fingertips brushed her skin causing her to suck in a breath, watching as his eyes darkened.

“Colette,” he breathed softly, “I’d really like to kiss you now.” His fingertips lingered on her skin, “would that be okay?”

Her cheeks flushed under his touch, so delicate across her skin as they hooked behind her ear and his palm rested against her cheek. His eyes ghosted over her features, his throat bobbing as they studied her lips patiently waiting for an answer.

"I thought you would never ask," she cooed, barely able to breathe as she wrapped a single hand into the collar of his shirt.

He gently guided her chin upward, the world growing quiet around them as he took her bottom lip between his and kissed her better than she had ever been kissed before. She stifled an embarrassing moan that threatened to ruin the moment as she tugged him closer, chasing the taste of salty-sweet cheesecake that lingered on his tongue.

The tingling sensation that began to work its way from her toes to her heart was almost too much and Colette couldn’t help but fall back into the brick, bringing Bucky with her as she did.

She just needed to feel him pressed against her, to be sandwiched in her desire and she brazenly let her own tongue run across his bottom lip but just as she did she felt Bucky pull away hesitantly. He was bright red, blush nipping at his ears and he tried to vocalize something but he seemed to be absolutely failing.

“Was that too much?” Colette asked nervously, kicking herself for always being just a bit too bold.

“N-no… No that was great. I just- I um… I think we’re blocking traffic.” Bucky said as the door to the cafe opened next to them, practically swinging into Bucky’s side as people tried to exit.

Colette giggled and curled her fingers lightly into the fabric of his shirt. Her eyes flickered down the street before returning to Bucky. Every nerve in her body was on fire, and she didn't want to say goodbye to him just yet.

"Ok look, this is going to sound a little forward, but I promise I don't mean it the way it sounds," she smiled at him, and looked down the street again, " I only live a couple of blocks away, do you want to come over? Have a drink, and maybe actually eat some of the food we cooked earlier."

Bucky swallowed thickly and traced her features with his eyes, "I um, I - yeah, I would like that"

Going up on her tiptoes, she placed a soft kiss on Bucky's lips, pulling back with a smirk as she moved to intertwine their fingers once more, "Sorry... I couldn't resist"

“Never apologize for that darlin’,” Bucky murmured, the light, faded flush on his cheeks returning. Colette grinned at him and started walking in the direction of her place. Their hands swung gently between them as they strolled the sidewalks and into her apartment.

“Why don’t we get these in the kitchen, get plates and silverware?” Colette said as she led them down the hallway.

Bucky followed her. He was quiet, and she glanced over his shoulder to see him looking at some of the pictures she had hung on the walls. Old friends from college, her parents, and a couple of pictures of her with some ex-boyfriends. She kept those ones up because she looked really good in them. Over time, her eye just stopped landing on the guy next to her, it was like he faded into the background. Bucky stopped in front of one and Colette smirked.

"Don't go getting jealous, gorgeous."

He grinned and shook his head.

"Not my style, doll. You look pretty in this one."

She knew exactly what picture he was pointing at. It was from a friend's wedding a summer back. She paid a lot of money for that dress and no way was she going to be the only one to see how good she looked in it. In fact, it was still hanging in her closet. Maybe she'd wear it for Bucky if they got a second date.

"Yeah, that's the reason it's still up," she quipped, winking at him. He laughed and she beckoned him into the kitchen. "Come on, handsome. There's food to eat."

She held out her hand and he gently grasped it, bringing it up so that he could press his lips against her knuckles. Colette blushed furiously.

"You don't stand a chance against me?" She teased, trying to keep her composure. "I don't think I stand a chance against you."

"Good," he breathed. "We're on equal footing then."

She grinned, “I don’t know about that, keep calling me pretty and biting that lip of yours I may just fall in—“ Colette stopped herself before the word vomit became too much.

Bucky tugged on her hand gently, pulling her back towards him. Dinner or.. after dessert dinner could wait. She bit her lip feeling his hand wrap around her waist pulling her to him. Her chest heaved against his and she was sure that he could feel her heart trying to escape out of her rib cage.

He reached up to press his thumb against her bottom lip, gently pulling it free. “Ditto sweetheart.”

He looked at her like he was tempted to steal another kiss from her lips as he leaned in and hovered over her. As his lips parted she closed her eyes, waiting to be graced yet again in such a short period but instead she felt his breath on her ear, "do you have forks?" He asked.

She pulled back, her brows knitting together in confusion, "That was mean," she pouted.

"Food first, then kissing," he mused, his lips tickling her cheek. "I can't kiss you when you haven't been fed properly, it'll weigh on my conscience," He narrowed his pretty blue eyes on her the second she opened her lips to argue, "and the brownie doesn't count."

"As long as you promise," she said, tempted to take a kiss regardless of his silly declaration.

"Oh darling, that's a promise I won't break," his eyes flickered to her lips.

Colette grumbled, the lust coursing through her burning but she turned around quickly, yanking open one of her kitchen drawers and removing two forks which she placed on the counter much more aggressively than she meant to.

She could hear Bucky chuckling behind her and oh goodness how she wanted to swallow each one like it was medicine. Her body broke out in goosebumps when she felt him place a gentle hand on the small of her back as he moved to stand behind her while she opened up the food containers.

Somehow the contents were still pipping hot and Bucky wasted no time, grabbing one of the forks and scooping up the tasty-smelling food. Colette was caught off guard when he held it up to her mouth.

Honestly, she almost passed out from sheer frustration and exasperation when he gave her a devious grin and huskily said “Open up sweetheart.”

Cocking an eyebrow, Colette kept her dark eyes locked with Bucky's as she took the fork between her lips, a low moan escaping her chest. Two could play at this game. If he was going to leave her frustrated in her own house, she could make him feel just as frustrated.

Bucky's tongue swiped across his bottom lip as she watched as his throat bobbed. A fire ignited in her belly and pressed forward to ghost her lips over his with a smirk playing at the corners of her mouth.

"I really think dinner can wait until later..." She whispered, brushing their noses together before she hooked a finger in the collar of his shirt, and turned slightly so her body was flush with his.

"Colette I - ..." Bucky stuttered quietly, tracing his deep blue eyes over her features and watching the way her chest heaved with her breath.

She shook her head and pressed her back into the counter, pulling Bucky into her, "Bucky, please..." she whispered again, pressing her lips to the edge of his jaw as he placed one hand beside her and tucked his other under the hem of her shirt gripping lightly into her skin.

Colette was desperate to feel his skin against hers, but he still had his gloves on.

“You wanna take those off?” she asked softly, flicking her eyes up at his hand by her head.

Bucky grimaced and pulled back from her, standing straight. “Colette, there’s something you should know,” he started, pulling off one glove and then the other revealing a mismatched set of hands, one flesh and one metal.

Her eyes widened and Bucky stared at her, his leather gloves balled up in one hand. She didn’t really know what to think, her eyes focused on the metal hand glinting beneath the light. But when her gaze landed on his, that’s when the gravity of the situation began to settle in. He looked terrified, his pulse racing in his throat, and the grip on his gloves getting tighter. Slowly, she reached for them and he let her pry them from his hands. Colette set them down on the counter behind her.

“Don’t need ‘em here.”

Bucky didn’t look convinced, it was like he was waiting for some other shoe to drop. She grasped his metal hand, surprised when he let her turn it over. Slowly, she began to trace the lines and ridges, staring up at him.

“I’m not afraid if that’s what you’re worried about.”

His eyes brimmed with tears and she brought his palm up to rest against her cheek, kissing his metal wrist. He looked like he needed more reassurance, more kindness, more something. That was easy for her.

“I promise, Bucky.”

She let out a breath that she hadn't realized he was holding as bright blue eyes searched her features. His cool metal thumb began to rub small circles over her cheek, sending sparks shooting through her nerves. Bucky leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers as his eyes slid closed.

"I don't know who blessed me enough to stumble upon you today but--" he lifted his head again, tilting it slightly to catch her gaze, "I'm happy they did."

She linked her fingers with the metal ones still pressed against her cheek as she leaned into his touch.

"Ditto," Colette whispered back, breathless and wanting every part of him no matter the scars or the pain. She'd embrace it all because even though they just met, a part of her guessed he'd do the same for her.

Bucky took a deep breath and she watched as the metal in his arm clicked and shifted almost as if it was alive. “Thank you,” he whispered.

“I didn’t do anything,” she licked her bottom lip.

“You’ve done a lot more for me in the last five minutes than I can properly explain,” he swallowed tightly.

“How about you show me,” she urged him, knowing that he needed the space to work around whatever barriers he had put up around himself but needing more of the touch that he had been so hesitant with.

A soft curve formed on his lips and he ducked down just enough to scoop her up around his waist, Colette nearly squealed from the movement, his fingers gentle as he set her carefully atop the counter. He kissed her again, slowly this time, chasing the spark that fizzled and popped every time they connected. She leaned into his hold, his hands curving around her lower back and pressing curiously into the exposed skin beneath her shirt.

Colette had never felt as needy as she did that day, wanting to feel Bucky’s lip on hers again but she moved more gently than she had before, sensing trepidation in him still. She leaned in close to him, rubbing her nose against his, licking her lips, and pressing a soft but firm kiss on him. Bucky sighed heavily into it, humming as he did.

His warm fingers ran up her spine under the fabric of her shirt while his cool metal hand wandered up her side, treading ever so close to her chest but never actually touching it causing her to whine. Colette could feel him smiling against her lips, kissing her deeply as he did, tongue sliding into her mouth so effortlessly.

He still tasted like strawberry cheesecake and she wanted to savor him just as much as he was savoring her. She slid her hands under his shirt, blindly mapping every muscle of his abdomen and chest, fingers tracing over scars she had no doubt he hated. Bucky pulled away just a little when she grazed the skin around his shoulder and she quickly broke their kiss, shushing him gently and pulling him closer.

“You’re gorgeous I swear.” She whispered to him, kissing him softly.

With that, she gripped the hem of his Henley and helped him pull it over his head, leaving it in a puddle on the floor with his hat. Colette pressed her lips to his chest and ghosted them over his skin, landing small, soft kisses along the jagged edge of his shoulder where metal met skin.

Her fingers lightly danced over the muscles on his abdomen tracing every dip and bump she could find. She could feel Bucky's breath quicken and the grip he held on her thighs tighten as a low moan dripped from his mouth, causing her to smirk into his skin.

Moving from the counter, Colette looped her fingers into the belt loops of his jeans and gently tugged him towards an open door in the hallway.

"Colette, I don't want you to think that I -" He whispered, but allowed himself to be pulled along with her, keeping his eyes on hers.

She shook her head, "I don't"

"But I just - "

Colette halted in the doorway, and stood up tall to capture his lips with hers once more, "Bucky, my sweet boy, let me show you beautiful you are to me..." She spoke quietly, before pulling her own shirt over her head as she slowly walked back into her room.

He followed like he was in a trance, watching her as she undid her jeans, letting them fall to the floor as she sat on the edge of her bed. Bucky stopped in front of her and she tugged on his belt loops again until he was in between her legs.

“Can I?” Colette asked her hands on Bucky’s waistband.

He nodded then rasped out a quiet “Yes, please.” Colette smiled at him, undoing the button and slowly pulling the zipper. She helped his jeans slide to the floor then she leaned in eyes on his still and pressed a kiss to his cloth covered dick. Bucky let out a strangled sound, his eyes were dark and desperate.

Colette pulled back, taking his metal hand as she slid back on the mattress, Bucky climbing on, following her lead until he was laying propped up on the pillows, with her straddling him.

She watched his breath hitch in his chest and his throat bobbed. Colette’s fingers gently grazed his jawline and he melted into her touch, but anxiety lingered. Muscles were coiled beneath her, his entire massive body tensing.

Colette had the feeling that nobody had been gentle with him like this for a long time. She leaned forward, placing kiss after kiss along his jaw, down his neck, and along his collarbones until her lips met gnarled and scarred flesh that sat next to metal. Whatever hurt him, whatever did this, she just wanted to make it go away.

Beneath her, Bucky twitched and she fought back tears, swallowing the lump that was growing in her throat.

“Colette,” he rasped, his voice crushed beneath the weight of the secrets she knew were buried beneath muscle, bone, and metal. Colette had a feeling they were bad. She wanted to make him forget for a while.

She lifted her head, her eyes meeting his blue ones that were glossy with tears. Just like her own. She smiled through them.

“Bucky, I don’t know who hurt you, but I promise I won’t.” She paused. “Do you believe me?”

He nodded, the tears in his eyes finally spilling over and rolling down his temples. Colette kissed them away before pressing her lips to his forehead.

“I’ve got you,” she whispered.

She kept repeating that as she kissed both his cheeks and the dimple in his chin, "I've got you, Bucky" following almost every kiss she laid on his skin, wanting to help assure him and calm him down.

She kept her weight lifted a little off his lower body so he wouldn't be overwhelmed even though every fiber of her body wanted to feel connected to his but, as he trembled under her lips, she only thought about him and hoped that she could show him how beautiful he was and turn the nerves to pleasure.

Her lips pressed under his ears, taking pride in the shuddering breath that left his lungs and how his hands had drifted to her thighs and his grip tightened for a moment before loosening.

"I want to touch you, Bucky," she breathed. Her warm breath was so close to his ear that she saw goosebumps raise on his skin.

"I want to show you exactly how I feel about you," she begged, a whimper escaping him at her words.

"About all of this," she finished as her hands drifted up his abdomen over his scars and to the marred skin of his shoulder.

His breath shuddered again, eyes sliding closed as her roaming hands paused.

“I want to—“ he whispered making her sit up a bit, “but—“

She rested her hands against his cheeks, urging him to open his eyes to look at her, and when he finally did she could feel her heart begin to shatter at the broken and scared look lurking beneath the sharp angles of his stubbled jaw.

“It’s just been a long time,” he admitted and knew it wasn’t the whole truth but the last thing she wanted to do was load him down with questions.

Tears welled in her eyes again as he reached up to push back the hair that had fallen in her face, “we’ll go as slow as you need.” She whispered, “and if you say stop, we stop.”

His hand slowly wrapped around the back of her neck sending fireworks shooting along her spine.

“I want this.” He breathed, sounding as if he was trying to encourage himself. Bright blue eyes met hers again, “slow?”

Colette smiled warmly leaning into him, “slow.” She repeated before he pulled her into him, lips slotting perfectly against the others as the courage she had been hoping he would regain slowly filled him again.

She let him explore her skin as they kissed, slowly sinking into his warm curves as if she had always belonged to him. She gave him the freedom to control the pace hoping it would help him regain whatever confidence had been stolen from him.

She stifled a soft moan as his cool metal fingers flickered beneath the strap of her bra, tugging it gently over her shoulder. He pulled from her lips, peppering the untouched skin of her collarbone and shoulder as he worked the other strap down.

“You smell so good,” he said, his lips hovering over the swell of her breasts. She sat back, letting the light that cracked through the closed curtains cast over her as his fingers ghosted over the lace of her bra tracing the streak of sun that draped over her down the plane of her stomach to her belly button.

He swallowed tightly, “I have seen every dark corner of the world, but never have I been so blessed by a view as I am right now.”

Colette nearly sobbed, fighting not to wrap herself up and hide from sheer embarrassment. She chewed on her lip as his finger traced a line back up to the cups of her breast. She reached behind her and unhooked the clasp letting it fall loose into his hands.

She whimpered quietly as Bucky’s hands traced the edge of her panties.

“Colette, can I- I want to taste you,” Bucky mumbled, their lips still attached until she pulled away, nodding quickly.

“Please, Bucky if you’re sure-“ She cut off as Bucky carefully flipped them over, sliding down her body, panties following and off her legs.

Bucky bit his lip and groaned as he bent forwards, inhaling deeply. “No idea how much I want this,” he grunted and pressed a kiss to her inner thigh before licking a stripe up her folds.

“Fuck!” Colette cried, one hand flying to Bucky’s head, burying in his hair and holding on as her other slapped up and hit the wall behind her.

Her head pressed back into her pillow as she felt his big hands wrap around her upper thighs and grip them tighter, pushing them wider to get more access.

The tip of his tongue traced around her bundle of nerves lightly eliciting a deep moan from the depths of her throat as her legs started to shake in his hold. He'd barely touched her and she was reduced to a puddle of moans in response to his exploring tongue.

"Oh my— fuck!" Colette's moan turned to a shout as his tongue slipped inside her wet folds, burrowing deeper as his electric eyes connected with her barely open ones.

The groan that left him at the sight of her pleasure-wrecked body coursed through her pussy and sent waves of pleasure up her body.

Colette's hand moved to grip the fabric of the pillow beside her, as her back arched and pushed her hips further into Bucky's face. If this was his skill level out of practice, she knew she was certainly in for a ride the next time.

"God Bucky -" She rasped, her words getting broken off by a whine as he slipped a finger inside her, curling it against her G-spot.

A jolt of pleasure shot up her spine as he hummed against her clit, taking it between his teeth and sucking. She could see him grinding his hips into the mattress desperate for some pleasure of his own and she needed him almost as much.

She reached down and tugged his hand up, getting his attention as she pulled his mouth back to hers, tasting herself on his tongue, "I need you.." She breathed against his lips, "if you're ready for that..."

Bucky’s chest heaved as he stared down at her, his blue eyes watching her cautiously, before nodding his head slowly, "please," he groaned in response, kissing her once more as he shoved his boxers down his legs and kicked them off into the room somewhere.

He centered himself between her legs and let out a deep breath as he leaned his forehead against hers, "are you okay?" he spoke quietly.

"I was just going to ask you that question..." Colette softly smiled up at him, and cupped his cheek, "I'm okay if you're okay..."

A crooked grin pulled at his lips, and he ducked down to kiss her again. As he did, he guided himself between her folds, gasping at her tight, wet heat around his dick.

“Shit, baby, ‘m not gonna last long,” Bucky moaned as he slid another inch into her cunt.

“It’s okay, fuck- just like that, oh Bucky,” Colette breathed as his hips pressed flush against hers. He waited a moment, letting her adjust, his body trembling.

“Shh, it’s okay honey, whatever you need,” she murmured, leaning up and kissing his chest as he pushed himself up above her and slowly began fucking her.

As their hips moved in tandem, moans, and whines echoed through Colette's apartment, mixing together in perfect harmony. She felt cunt fluttering and clenching around him as a fire began building in her lower belly, pleasure flowing through every vein in her body.

Bucky leaned down and buried his face in the crook of her neck as his hips picked up the pace. He peppered her skin with small nips and kisses with deep groans breaking through, "you feel so good, angel" he whispered into her skin.

"God Bucky, just like that -" She breathed, wrapping her arms around him, "I've got you - fuck" she moaned.

Bucky's cock twitched inside her and the fire grew tighter, teetering on the edge of completely letting go. Colette's head felt fuzzy, and she heard a soft sob leave her lips, clenching tightly around him. He must have heard her because his head came snapping back up as his blue eyes searched her features.

"It's okay, Bucky, I'm okay..." she whimpered, pulling her bottom lip between her teeth to stop another moan.

He shook his head and pressed his forehead into hers, "I need to go faster, baby...."

"Please..." She nodded, pressing her lips back to his and swallowing his moan as his movements became quick and uncontrolled.

Pleasure was coursing through every pore of her body as her hips started to lift in an attempt to meet his own. The pace was heavenly as she felt his hip bones almost bruise her when he hugged her closer.

His flesh hand slid down her back and sank into her skin, making her arch further into him while his metal gripped the pillow next to her head tightly enough that they both heard it tear.

Both their eyes merely flicked to it before connecting again.

"Sorry.." he whined between thrusts.

“Don’t be,” Colette gasped as Bucky changed the angle and brushed against her spot. “There! Oh fuck, Bucky, don’t stop!”

“C’mon baby, lemme feel you, need to feel you,” Bucky whined, biting at her lower lip gently.

Colette’s breath hitched as she felt her orgasm overtake her, pleasure coursing through her body and lighting up her veins.

“Oh shit!” Bucky grunted as she tightened around him, his hips tripping as he came too, pumping his hips hard.

Colette breathed heavily, her chest heaving beneath Bucky’s, the two of them staying pressed close together, even as Bucky rolled over onto his side, Colette snuggled up into him.

The two of them stayed there in silence for a while, listening to each other’s breaths and just living in the moment. Colette suddenly pressed a soft kiss to Bucky’s chest and pushed herself up and off the bed. Extending out a hand, she nodded her head towards the kitchen, “come on you, I can hear your stomach growling,” she giggled.

Grasping her hand, Bucky moved out of the bed and came to stand in front of her, a wide smile on his face. He grabbed his boxers and pulled them on quickly as Colette pulled on her panties and the two of them padded back out into the kitchen.

She bent over in front of him and retrieved his shirt from the tile floor, and pulled it over her head, spinning around with a wicked grin on her face, “how does it look?”

Bucky leaned against the counter, a soft smile dancing on his lips as he watched her, “you have no idea how perfect it looks…” he answered.

She giggled and turned to scoop some food onto the two plates they’d gotten out earlier, flickering her eyes over to Bucky every once in a while. She could feel him watching her, not in a weird way but with admiration. It was a sweet feeling of him being safe and wanted in her space.

Swooping behind her, Bucky wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to the crook of her neck, as he tried to sneakily take a fork full of food and shove it into his mouth with a deep chuckle.

“Isn’t that cold?” Colette exclaimed, spinning slightly to look at the shit-eating grin that was plastered on his lips.

Bucky shrugged, and shook his head, “It’s not that bad actually”

Colette followed suit, eating some off one of the plates before looking back at the big man behind her, “that’s actually really good”

Taking the plates off the counter, the two of the sank to the floor in a heap of giggles as they reminisce about their class. It certainly was not the way Colette expected the evening to go but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

As they were eating, she quickly reached onto the counter and pulled her phone down, clicking it open to see 1 new message from Kyle.

“Sorry I forgot about today but my buddies mom needed help with something”

Colette rolled her eyes, slid her phone back up to the counter, and returned her full attention back to Bucky. The man that in the span of a few hours made her feel more alive and more loved than anyone else ever had.

“What was that?” Bucky questioned as he took another bite.

A smirk crossed her lips and Colette shook her head, “It was nothing… Nobody important”

Bucky nodded once, and picked up another fork full of rice, holding it out to her which she gladly accepted with a giggle. She shifted her weight and placed her lips against his, tangling her fingers into his long dark hair.

When she pulled back, Bucky smiled softly at her and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek with his metal fingers, “thank you for making today worth it…” he whispered. 

[ask-myth-melody-ponys]

first class was fun

background pony

@asktwilighteclipse

[one-time-i-dreamt]

I had a cooking class hosted by Gordon Ramsay but everyone had to pay after every thing they did. I was asked to come forward and whip cream but I then promptly had to pay a few bucks for interacting with Ramsey.

[everythingbutresolved]

"Yes chef!"

[hellcheerficdatabase]

Dishing Up Love

Author: @dibidibidani

Rating/Warning: General

Chapter Count: 1/1

Description:

Chrissy and Eddie are partnered up for cooking class and dish up some delicious food and some underlying feelings.

Tags: Alternate universe- no vecna, cooking class, idiots in love, lots of flirting, so much flirting, fluff, Eddie has a crush on Chrissy, Chrissy has a crush on Eddie, getting together, Chrissy POV, one-shot, status: completed