Steve caught Bucky watching you again. It was impossible not to notice the way Bucky’s eyes followed you across the diner, the way his grin slipped in when you leaned over the jukebox, laughing at something one of the girls said.

“You’re staring, Buck,” Steve teased, stirring the straw in his empty glass.

Bucky leaned back in the booth, rolling his shoulders like it meant nothing. “I’m not staring. I’m… observing.”

“Observing, huh? You look like a lovesick fool.”

Bucky shot him a mock glare, but when you turned and smiled at him from across the room, his tough act cracked. He grinned, wide and shameless, before quickly looking away. Steve smirked. “See? That’s what I’m talking about. You cannot stop grinning when she’s around.”

Bucky ran a hand through his hair, trying to play it cool, but the truth slipped out anyway. “She’s got this laugh, pal,” he said softly, glancing back at you. “It makes everything feel lighter. Like… like maybe the world is not as heavy as it feels most days.”

Steve tilted his head, watching his best friend’s expression. “You should tell her that.”

Bucky shook his head, his smirk returning. “Nah. I’d rather just keep trying to make her laugh. Feels like a better way to tell her.”