It starts as a simple conversation, light and teasing, but with Bucky Barnes, nothing ever stays that way for long.

You sit across from him, arms crossed, a smirk tugging at your lips. "If you were courting me, you'd buy out every florist in town."

Bucky leans back in his chair, rolling a toothpick between his fingers, eyes fixed on you like you're the most interesting thing in the room. "If I were truly courting you," he muses, "I wouldn't need flowers." He pauses, lets his gaze drag over you slowly, deliberately. "l would need five minutes alone with you in my office and a hair tie."

Your heart skips a beat. You fight to keep your expression neutral, but his smirk tells you he knows exactly what he's doing to you.

You tilt your head, feigning innocence. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Bucky's eyes darken, his smirk turning into something more dangerous. He leans in slightly, the space between you growing smaller, tension thick enough to suffocate. "You're smart," he murmurs, voice like silk and sin, "I'm sure you can figure it out."

Your breath catches, but you refuse to let him win that easily. Two can play this game.

You meet his gaze, unwavering. "Sounds like a whole lot of talk, Barnes."

His smirk deepens, but there's something sharp behind it, something unreadable. "Doll, I always back up my words."