Grumpy & the New Girl | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18
Stay With Me
Darling
I Noticed
Shoulder to Lean On
The New Winter Soldier: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Birthday Bucky
Dreaming of You
Fat Funny Friend
Drunk Confessions
In Every Universe: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
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Summary: During a mission, you and Bucky accidentally trigger a machine that sends you to a different universe. As you travel the multiverse together, you have to find each other in every universe. But will you ever make it back to your original universe?
Word Count: 9,127
Author's Note: Hey guys!! I know I've promised some fics that I haven't done yet, and I've also gotten some requests that I'll try to work on, but I had this idea and kinda ran away with it (aka I have senioritis and this fic is what I've been doing instead of school work), so I hope you enjoy! I'm making this a series and I hope it has the same vibes as Grumpy and the New Girl!! Also idk if you guys are fans of the whole multiverse thing or not, but hopefully you enjoy! Lmk what you think😊
The warehouse smells like dust, oil, and something faintly metallic. You step carefully over a coil of cables on the concrete floor, your flashlight cutting a narrow beam through the dim room. Most of the building had looked exactly like this – abandoned offices, empty storage areas, rusting equipment that hadn’t been touched in years. Except for the few rooms that clearly weren’t abandoned. Those had been…different. Too clean. Too organized. Too full of tech that absolutely did not belong in a run-down warehouse in the middle of nowhere. The entire team had been assigned to this mission, and Fury thought they were storing intel and possibly some tech related to the multiverse.
You lower the beam of your light as Bucky pushes open the next door.
“Clear,” he mutters automatically, stepping inside first.
You follow him, sweeping the corners out of habit. “Also empty,” you say after a second.
“Shocking.”
You snort softly. You and Bucky have been paired together most of the mission. It’s not unusual – Steve likes putting you two together because you’re both thorough. Also because, according to Sam, you’re both “stubborn enough to out-stubborn the other.” Which is not true…okay, maybe a little. But the two of you work well together. Even when you butt heads.
You step farther into the next room, your eyes adjusting. This one isn’t like the others.
“Uh…Bucky?” you say slowly.
He’s already noticed. The entire far wall is lined with equipment. Sleek metal consoles. Monitors. A circular platform built into the floor with glowing lines etched into it. You whistle quietly.
“Okay,” you say. “That definitely does not scream abandoned.”
Bucky moves closer, eyes scanning everything. “Looks recent,” he mutters.
You crouch beside a console, brushing dust off a panel. The screens are dark, but the machinery around them hums faintly. “Multiverse tech maybe?” you say.
Bucky huffs. “Great.”
You glance up at him. “What?”
“Because that always goes well.”
You grin. “Hey, last time we dealt with multiverse stuff you only almost got thrown into a different dimension once.”
“Still counts.”
You reach for a stack of folders beside the console. Most of the papers inside are diagrams – dense scientific schematics that make your brain hurt just looking at them. “Yeah, okay,” you mutter. “Definitely experiments.”
Bucky walks slowly around the circular platform. “There’s power running to it,” he says.
“Probably some kind of portal system.”
You flip through another folder. Nothing useful, just equations. “Great,” you sigh. “So we found the science nerd room but not the intel room.”
“Let’s keep looking.”
You nod, tossing the folder aside as you stand. But when you step backward, your boot catches one of the loose cables trailing from the console.
There’s a sharp click. Both of you freeze.
“Did you just–” Bucky starts.
The console lights up.
“–trigger something?” you finish weakly.
Every screen flickers to life. The circular platform glows brighter. “Oh no.”
The hum of the machines deepens into a low vibrating thrum. You spin toward the door.
“Steve–” you start, reaching for your comm.
But the words never finish. The air in the room suddenly warps. Your vision bends. The floor tilts sideways.
“What the–”
Your stomach lurches violently.
Then–
Everything goes black.
--
You wake up with a gasp. Your chest heaves as you bolt upright. Or try to. Something tight around your waist stops you. You freeze. Your brain struggles to catch up with reality. You’re in a bed. A warm bed. Soft blankets. Your heart is still racing when you realize something else. There’s an arm around you. A very familiar arm. Metal fingers curl loosely against your stomach.
Your head snaps sideways. Bucky is lying right next to you. His face is inches away. His hair is messy, his expression slack with sleep. He’s shirtless. Your eyes widen. Your brain short-circuits. You both stare at each other. Two seconds pass. Then three. Then both of you explode into motion. You scramble backward, nearly falling off the bed as he jerks upright at the same time.
“What the hell–”
“What is happening–”
“Why am I–”
“Why are we in bed–”
You both stop. You blink. “Wait,” you say.
He frowns. “What?”
You look around the room. Your stomach drops. “Oh my god.”
Bucky follows your gaze. His eyes widen too. “…This is my room.”
You stare at him. “I know.”
You both go quiet. Your heart is still racing as you drag a hand through your hair. You glance down at yourself. Sleep shorts. An oversized t-shirt. You freeze. You know this shirt. Your stomach flips. You’re about 99.9% sure it belongs to Bucky. You immediately decide not to acknowledge that. You get up and start pacing the room instead.
“Okay,” you say quickly. “Okay okay okay.”
Bucky swings his legs off the bed and stands. He’s only wearing boxers. You accidentally glance down. Your brain short circuits again. Nope. Eyes up. Focus.
“Why were we–” he starts. Then he stops. “Cuddling?”
Your face goes hot. “We were not cuddling,” you say.
“We definitely were.”
“We were unconscious!”
“Still counts.”
You point at him. “That does not count!”
Bucky runs a hand over his face. “Okay, forget the cuddling – why are we in my room?”
Your pacing speeds up. “Because,” you say slowly, thinking it through, “we triggered that machine.”
“The one in the warehouse?”
“Yes.”
“And?”
“And–”
Your brain finally catches up. Your steps stop. “…Oh shit.”
Bucky looks at you. “What.”
You point between the two of you. “I think we’re in another universe.”
Silence. He stares at you. “…No.”
“Yes.”
“There is absolutely no way.”
“Think about it!” You start pacing again. “That room had multiverse tech. We triggered it. Then we blacked out and woke up here.”
“Okay,” Bucky says slowly. “But why would we be in my room?”
You gesture around wildly. “Because we’re in the bodies of our other universe selves!”
He blinks. “…That sounds insane.”
You throw your hands up. “You have a metal arm and are from the 1940s and you’re telling me that sounds insane?”
He opens his mouth. Then closes it. “…Fair.”
You keep pacing. Your brain is running a mile a minute. “Okay,” you say. “Okay. If we’re in another universe…” You glance toward the bed. Your stomach drops again. “…Then that means.”
Bucky follows your gaze. Then he slowly looks back at you. “…Yeah.”
You both say it at the same time. “We’re dating.”
You stare at each other. “Oh god.”
“Oh no.”
You rub your face. “This is so weird.”
Bucky exhales hard. “We need to figure out how to get back,” you say.
“Yes.”
“Immediately.”
“Yes.”
You nod rapidly. Then, your eyes drift downward again. Bare chest. Muscle. Boxers. You snap your gaze back up.
“…Also you need to put pants on.”
Bucky stares at you. “Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“That’s your concern right now?”
“It’s distracting!”
He squints at you. “You’re an Avenger.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve fought aliens.”
“Yes.”
“You’ve jumped out of planes.”
“Yes.”
“And my legs are where you draw the line?”
Your face burns. “PUT. PANTS. ON.”
Bucky rolls his eyes but walks over to the dresser. You very deliberately stare at the wall while he pulls on sweatpants.
“…Happy?” he mutters.
“Yes.”
You glance over again. Your brain betrays you. Still distracting. You turn away immediately. “This is a nightmare.”
Bucky sighs. “Yeah.”
You lean against the wall, trying to think. “So we triggered the machine,” you say slowly. “Which means if we want to get back…”
“We probably need to find the machine in this universe.”
You nod. “Exactly.”
Bucky looks around the room. “Which means we might have to pretend to be…us.”
Your stomach flips again. “Oh my god.”
He raises an eyebrow. “What.”
“You realize everyone in this universe thinks we’re dating.”
“…Yeah.”
“And we just woke up screaming in your bedroom.”
“…Yeah.”
You both pause. Footsteps echo faintly in the hallway outside. You slowly turn toward the door.
Bucky groans. “…We’re screwed.”
Your eyes widen. “Bucky–”
There’s a knock on the door. Then Sam’s voice comes through. “Hey lovebirds,” he calls. “You two alive in there?”
You and Bucky stare at each other like deer caught in headlights.
“Say something!” you whisper.
“You say something!”
“It’s your room!”
Bucky groans quietly, then raises his voice. “Yeah, we’re fine!”
There’s a pause. You both freeze. Then Sam snorts on the other side of the door.
“Alright, just checking. Sounded like somebody got murdered in there.”
Bucky rubs his face. “Dropped something,” he calls back.
“Uh huh,” Sam says, clearly not believing that for a second. “Well try not to kill each other before breakfast.”
Footsteps start walking away down the hallway. You both wait. Then you collapse onto the edge of the bed. “Oh my god.”
Bucky exhales and drags a hand through his hair. “This is already a disaster.”
“We haven’t even left the room yet.”
“Exactly.”
You push yourself up again, pacing. “Okay, okay. Focus.”
Bucky leans back against the dresser, arms crossed. “You said the warehouse.”
You nod immediately. “Yes! We know where it is.”
“The one from the mission.”
“Exactly.”
“Which means the machine should be there in this universe too.”
“Hopefully.”
Bucky tilts his head slightly. “So we just go back there.”
You stop pacing. “…Right.”
He waits. You stare at him. “…How are we getting there?”
Bucky pauses. “…Quinjet.”
“Correct. Which we don’t currently have access to.”
He exhales slowly. “So we either explain this to the team–” he starts.
“Or steal a jet.”
He raises an eyebrow. “You went straight to stealing.”
“Weird multiverse emergency!”
“That’s not a real excuse.”
“It should be!”
Bucky pushes off the dresser, pacing now too. “If we try to explain it…”
“They might believe us.”
“Weirder things have happened,” he says.
“Exactly!”
“But,” he continues, “we also might sound insane.”
You rub your face. “Yeah.”
“And if they don’t believe us,” he adds, “they definitely won’t let us take a jet.”
You groan. “This is impossible.”
You’re both pacing now, circling the room like stressed animals.
“We could try to slip away after breakfast,” Bucky says.
“And just casually take a jet?”
“Yes.”
“From the Avengers compound.”
“Yes.”
You stare at him. “That sounds like the worst plan I’ve ever heard.”
“You suggested stealing it first.”
“That was hypothetical!”
Another knock interrupts you. You both freeze. “…We didn’t answer fast enough,” you whisper.
Bucky sighs and opens the door. Steve stands in the hallway. He smiles slightly. “Morning.”
“Morning,” Bucky says.
Steve glances past him briefly, then back. “You two coming down for breakfast?”
You step closer to the door. “Yeah, we will.”
“Training starts soon,” Steve adds. “Figured I’d check.”
Bucky nods. “We’ll be right there.”
Steve studies both of you for a second. Your heart rate skyrockets. Then he nods. “Alright. See you downstairs.”
He walks away. Bucky closes the door. You both immediately spin toward each other.
“Training?!” you whisper-yell.
“We cannot go to training!”
“We have to get to the warehouse!”
“I know!”
You start pacing again. “Okay okay okay, we need an excuse.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know!”
“We can’t just skip it.”
“Steve will hunt us down!”
“Exactly!”
Your brain spins. You run through every possible idea. Sick? Injured? Definitely not convincing. Then suddenly, a thought hits you. You stop pacing. Your face twists.
Bucky narrows his eyes. “What.”
“Nothing.”
“You thought of something.”
“No I didn’t.”
“Yes you did.”
You wave your hands. “It’s stupid.”
He crosses his arms. “What is it.”
You groan. “Bucky.”
“What.”
“It’s weird.”
“Just say it.”
You rub your face dramatically. “We could say I might be pregnant.”
Bucky blinks. He stares at you. Then his expression slowly shifts. “…That might actually work.”
Your eyes widen. “WAIT.” You immediately start backtracking. “Wait wait wait – how long have we even been dating in this universe?”
“I don’t know.”
“What if it’s like two weeks?!”
“Then that’s concerning.”
“Exactly!”
You start pacing again. “And also – maybe we haven’t even–” You gesture vaguely between the two of you. “–you know.”
Bucky tilts his head slightly. Then very casually says, “That hickey on your neck says otherwise.”
You freeze. “…What.”
Bucky nods toward your neck. “Right there.”
Your hand flies up instantly. “WHAT?!”
“Shh!”
“Are you serious?!”
“Yes!”
You spin toward the mirror across the room and nearly trip rushing over. You yank your shirt collar down slightly. Your eyes widen. “Oh my god.” There is absolutely a hickey on your neck. You whip back around. “BUCKY.”
He’s trying very hard not to laugh.
“This is not funny!”
“I didn’t do it!”
“You kind of did!”
He shrugs. “Technically.”
You stare at him. Your brain short circuits briefly. Then you close you eyes and shake your head. “Focus.”
“Right.”
You point at him. “We need to figure something out.”
“Agreed.”
“Soon.”
“Also agreed.”
You both pause. Then glance at the door. You look back at Bucky. “…This is a disaster.”
Bucky exhales. “Yep.”
You both stand there for a second. “…We really need a plan,” you say.
You and Bucky stare at each other for another long second.
“…We should just act normal,” you finally say.
Bucky exhales. “Normal?”
“Yes.”
“You mean pretend we know how our alternate universe selves act?”
You point at him. “Exactly.”
He rubs his face. “This is going to go badly.”
“Probably. But it’s still the best plan. Gather information. Don’t look suspicious. Then figure out how to get a jet.”
Bucky sighs. “Alright.”
You hesitate near the door. “…I should probably go get ready.”
He nods. “Yeah.”
You open the door slowly, peeking down the hallway like you’re committing a crime. No one’s there. You slip out quickly and head toward your room. The second the door shuts behind you, you lean back against it and exhale. Your heart is still racing. You cross the room, running a hand through your hair as your brain replays the last twenty minutes.
The warehouse. The machine. Waking up in Bucky’s bed. The hickey.
You groan and drag your hands over your face. “This is insane.”
You move to the mirror while pulling a clean shirt from your drawer. Your eyes immediately land on the mark on your neck again. You turn your head slightly, examining it. Your brain betrays you by imagining the very obvious person who could have put it there. You shake your head violently. “Nope.”
You change quickly, then go to the bathroom and wash your face, run a brush through your hair and put it into a ponytail. But while you’re tying your shoes, your mind drifts again. Because the thing that’s bothering you the most isn’t the multiverse. It’s the other part. You and Bucky. Dating.
You sit on the edge of your bed for a second. It feels weird. Really weird. But…you can also kind of see it. Which you absolutely do not want to admit. You and Bucky already spend a lot of time together. You already know each other’s habits. You already bicker like an old married couple half the time. And apparently in this universe…you just skipped the whole “figuring it out” part.
You shake your head again. “Nope,” you mutter. You stand up quickly. Mission first. Existential romantic crisis later.
You head back into the hallway and knock on Bucky’s door. He opens it a second later. He’s still in the sweatpants from earlier and now a dark t-shirt. You both pause awkwardly for half a second. Then he nods toward the hallway.
“Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
You start walking toward the elevator together. Your shoulders almost bump. Both of you subtly adjust your steps at the same time. It’s awkward. But also weirdly easy. You both know each other’s pace without thinking. Neither of you mentions it. When you walk into the kitchen, everyone is already there. Every single one of them turns to look at you. Sam immediately grins.
“Well look who finally decided to join us.”
Your stomach drops. You force a casual smile. “Morning.”
Natasha raises an eyebrow. “Rough morning?”
You sit down at the table quickly. “Why does everyone think that?”
Sam gestures between you and Bucky. “You two were yelling.”
Clint smirks. “Very loudly.”
You freeze. Bucky grabs a mug and starts making coffee. “Dropped something,” he says.
Sam leans back in his chair. “You drop things every morning?”
You narrow your eyes at him. “You’re very interested in our morning routine.”
“Oh, I’m extremely invested,” Sam says.
Natasha smirks into her coffee. Bucky sets a mug in front of you.
You blink. You didn’t even ask. He already made it exactly how you like it.
Sam notices immediately. “See?” he says loudly. “Domestic.”
Your face heats. “It’s coffee.”
“You didn’t even ask for it.”
“He knows how I like it.”
Sam leans toward Steve. “Domestic.”
Steve hides a smile behind his cup. You take a sip of the coffee. Yep. Exactly right. You refuse to acknowledge that.
Natasha watches you both carefully. “You two are acting weird today.”
You almost choke. “We are not.”
“You’re quieter.”
Clint nods. “Way quieter.”
Thor looks confused. “Are they usually louder?”
“Much,” Sam says.
You glare at him. Bucky sits down beside you. Not touching. Just…close. You feel hyper aware of it.
Tony sets down his fork. “So,” he says casually, “did you two sleep well?”
You and Bucky both choke. Sam immediately bursts out laughing.
“OH my god,” he says. “You definitely slept in.”
“We did not!” you say quickly.
Natasha smirks. “You look like you did.”
You shove a piece of toast in your mouth to stop talking. Wanda tilts her head.
“Didn’t you stay in Bucky’s room last night?”
You freeze. “…What?”
She looks confused. “You usually do.”
Sam nods. “Yeah, you basically live there.”
You look at Bucky. Bucky looks at you.
Clint grins. “You might as well just move in together already. You already spend like every night together.”
Your brain short circuits. Every night. Together. You stare very hard at your toast.
Sam grins at you both. “You two are red.”
“We are not.”
“You absolutely are.”
Natasha watches you. “You two fight or something?”
“No,” you say quickly.
“Yes,” Bucky says at the exact same time.
You both look at each other.
“…What?”
“…What?”
Sam slaps the table laughing. “Oh this is gold.”
Steve stands. “Training in five.”
You and Bucky both look horrified.
--
Training is worse. Because now everyone is watching you. And training starts with sparring rounds of course.
You stand across from Bucky on the mat. Sam leans against the wall.
“This is gonna be good.”
Natasha folds her arms. “Fight like you usually do.”
You and Bucky glance at each other. “…How do we usually do it?” you whisper.
“No idea.”
“Great.”
You lunge first. Bucky blocks easily. Your movements fall into rhythm almost instantly. Years of fighting together kick in automatically. You dodge. He counters. You spin. He catches your wrist. You freeze for half a second. He lets go quickly.
Sam whistles. “You two are weird today.”
You shove Bucky lightly. “Focus.”
He smirks. “You’re the one distracted.”
You narrow your eyes. “Oh really?”
You sweep his leg. He stumbles and grabs your arm to steady himself. For a split second you’re very close. You both freeze again.
Sam groans dramatically. “Just kiss already.”
“SAM!” you yell.
“WHAT.”
Natasha is watching with a small smile. “You two are adorable.”
You groan. “This is a nightmare.”
“Agreed,” Bucky mutters beside you.
Steve claps his hands. “Alright,” he says. “A few more sparring rounds.”
You wipe sweat from your forehead and groan quietly. Of course.
Natasha smirks from across the mat. “You two again.”
Sam grins. “Yeah, let’s see if they’re still mad at each other.”
“We are not mad at each other,” you say immediately.
Bucky glances at you. “You literally swept my leg five minutes ago.”
“That was training!”
Sam points at you both. “See? Tension.”
Steve sighs, but he’s smiling a little. “Alright, let’s go.”
You step onto the mat again, rolling your shoulders. Bucky stands across from you. For a second you both just look at each other.
“…We’re doing this again?” you mutter.
“Apparently.”
Sam leans on the wall again. “Don’t hold back just because you’re dating.”
Your face burns. “We are not holding back!”
“Sure,” Clint says from the corner. “Last week you pinned him in thirty seconds.”
You freeze. “…I did?”
Clint nods. “You bragged about it for like an hour.”
Your eyes slowly shift to Bucky. You blink. Then shake your head.
“Okay.” You square up again. “Let’s go.”
You move first again. This time the rhythm is smoother. You’ve trained together so many times your bodies just…know. He blocks. You twist. He counters. You duck under his arm and shove him backward.
Sam whistles. “There it is.”
You try not to think about the fact that Bucky’s hands keep catching you before you stumble. Or that every time you step wrong he steadies you automatically. You swing again. He dodges.
At one point, your ponytail comes loose slightly, strands sticking to the side of your sweaty face.
You try to blow them away. But before you can fix it, Bucky reaches out. His fingers brush lightly against your temple as he tucks the loose strands back into your ponytail.
The movement is automatic. Effortless. Like he’s done it a thousand times. You freeze for half a second. Your heart does something weird in your chest.
“…Thanks,” you mutter.
He just nods.
Sam immediately groans from across the room. “Oh my god.”
You glare at him. “What?”
“That was disgustingly domestic.”
“It was practical!”
Natasha smirks. “Sure.”
You spin back toward Bucky quickly. “Focus.”
“Right.”
You attack again just to distract yourself. But now you’re hyper aware of everything. Every time his hand brushes your arm. Every time he steadies you. Every time he adjusts his stance slightly so you don’t collide with someone behind you.
It’s not over-the-top couple stuff. It’s small things. Subtle. Things most people wouldn’t notice. But you notice.
Because in your universe…he doesn’t do them. At least not like this.
You step back to catch your breath. Bucky immediately reaches down and grabs your water bottle from the bench. He holds it out without looking. You stare at it.
“…How did you know I was about to grab that?”
“You always do after the second round.”
Your brain stalls. “Oh.” You take it slowly. “…Right.”
Sam is watching you both again. “You two are ridiculous.”
“Why?” you ask defensively.
“You move like a married couple.”
“We are not married!”
“Yet,” Clint says.
You choke on your water. “CLINT.”
Natasha laughs quietly. Steve walks past, shaking his head. “Alright, next drill.”
You hand the bottle back to Bucky automatically. He takes it without looking. Your brains are apparently on the same weird autopilot.
The drills continue. You and Bucky end up paired together again for partner work. Of course. While Steve explains the exercise, Sam leans toward you.
“So,” he says quietly, “you two good now?”
You blink. “…What?”
“You were arguing yesterday.”
You glance at Bucky. He shrugs slightly. You quickly nod.
“Yeah, we’re good.”
Sam grins. “Good. Because the silent treatment thing you two do is exhausting.”
Your brain trips. “…We do that?”
“Oh yeah,” Clint calls from the other side of the room. “You two get petty.”
Bucky mutters beside you, “That sounds accurate.”
You elbow him lightly.
“Hey.” Steve claps his hands. “Focus.”
The drill starts. This one is closer. Grappling practice. You try very hard not to think about the fact that Bucky’s hands are on your arms. Or your waist. Or that he’s standing way closer than usual.
He shifts your stance slightly. “Foot back,” he murmurs.
You adjust automatically. Your shoulder brushes his chest. Your heart flutters again. You try very hard to ignore that.
“Better,” he says.
You glance up at him. “…You’re very good at this boyfriend thing.”
The words slip out before you can stop them. His eyebrow lifts slightly.
“I’m just doing what I normally do.”
You blink. “…Right.”
Sam watches the two of you again. “You guys seem less weird now.”
You straighten quickly. “We were never weird.”
“Uh huh.”
You and Bucky exchange a quick glance. Apparently you’re faking it well enough now. But the teasing doesn’t stop. It just becomes…normal.
Sam bumps Bucky’s shoulder as everyone takes a break. “You still taking her to that place tonight?”
You freeze. “…What place?”
Sam looks confused. “The diner.”
Bucky nods slowly. “Yeah.”
You stare at him. Diner. Okay. New information.
Clint grins. “Your weekly date.”
Your brain short circuits. Weekly. Date.
Natasha smirks at your expression. “You two are very routine.”
You rub your face. “Good to know.”
Sam looks at you suspiciously. “You forget?”
“No!” You clear your throat. “I was just…thinking about something else.”
Sam shrugs. “Alright.”
Training resumes. But now your brain is spinning with all the little pieces of information you’ve gathered. You and Bucky spend most nights together. You have a weekly diner date. You fight and give each other the silent treatment.
And apparently…you’re very good at acting like a couple. Which is somehow the weirdest part of all. Because the more the morning goes on…the more natural it starts to feel.
--
Training finally ends. Everyone starts breaking off and grabbing water, stretching, or talking.
You and Bucky end up staying on the mat for a minute, stretching out sore muscles. Your shoulders ache. Your legs definitely ache.
Bucky sits on the mat beside you, stretching one arm across his chest. “…Well,” he says quietly.
You stretch forward, touching your toes. “That was horrible.”
“You handled it fine.”
“I did not,” you respond.
“You did.”
You glance sideways at him. “You kept doing boyfriend things.”
He shrugs. “They came naturally.”
“That’s concerning.”
He smirks slightly. “Maybe you just make it easy.”
You immediately look away. “Nope.”
You stand up quickly. “We should go before someone asks us more questions.”
Bucky nods. “Good idea.”
You both grab your things. A few people are still around, but no one really says anything as you leave the training room together. You exhale the second you step into the hallway.
“Okay.”
Bucky runs a hand through his hair. “So.”
“So.” You start walking toward the elevators. “New plan,” you say. “We act normal for a little longer.”
“Meaning?”
“Shower. Lunch. Normal routine.”
“And then?”
“Then we meet back up and figure out how to get to the warehouse.”
He nods slowly. “That works.”
You stop outside your door. “Alright.”
You point at him. “Go.”
“What?”
“Your room.”
He looks down the hall. “You’re kicking me out now?”
“Yes.”
He huffs a quiet laugh. “Fine.”
--
The shower feels amazing. The second the hot water hits your shoulders, you let out a long breath you didn’t realize you’d been holding. It loosens the tension in your shoulders. Your brain is still spinning though.
Multiverse.
Machine.
Other universes.
You and Bucky dating.
Your brain trips over that thought again. You sigh loudly. You grab shampoo and run a hand through your hair. You try to focus on the actual problem.
Step one: figure out what your other-universe selves have been doing.
Step two: figure out how to get to the warehouse.
Step three: activate the machine again.
Simple.
Except your brain keeps drifting back to the same thought. You and Bucky. Dating. You scrub your face. It’s so weird. But…
You sigh again.
You can kind of see it. Which is the annoying part. You rinse the shampoo out of your hair. You force your brain back to the plan.
Then a thought hits you. You straighten slightly under the water.
Your phone. You put everything in your calendar. Appointments. Training. Meetings. You’ll be able to see what you’ve done in this universe the past couple weeks and what you have coming up.
You rinse off quickly. You’re almost done when there’s a knock at the door. You blink. “…Yeah?”
The bathroom door opens. “Hey.”
You jump slightly. “Bucky!”
“What?”
“I’m showering!”
“And?”
Your eyes widen. “What do you mean and?”
“I can’t see you.”
“That’s not the point!”
“Plus we’re dating so–”
“No we aren’t.”
“Technically we are in this universe.”
You close your eyes and sigh. “…Whatever. Can you at least leave so I can dry off?”
“Yeah, alright.”
The door shuts. You turn the water off and step out of the shower. Then immediately freeze.
You realize you didn’t bring clothes into the bathroom. You look toward the door. You are about 95% percent sure Bucky did not actually leave your room. You sigh.
You dry off a little bit then wrap the towel around yourself and slowly open the bathroom door. Bucky is sitting on your bed. Of course he is.
You stop in the doorway. “…Seriously?”
He looks up. “What?”
You walk to your dresser. “Can you leave so I can get dressed?”
He tilts his head. “Uhh…that’s not really gonna convince anyone we’re a couple.”
You groan loudly. “Fine. But turn around.”
“Alright.”
He rotates on the bed so his back is facing you. “Better?”
“Yes.”
You change as fast as humanly possible. You try very hard not to think about the fact that Bucky Barnes is sitting a few feet away while you’re changing clothes. You pull your shirt down quickly.
“…Okay.”
He turns back around. “So,” he says.
“So.” You sit on the bed. “I was about to check my phone.”
“For what?”
“My calendar.”
He nods. “That’s smart.”
“I put everything in there.”
“Good.”
You point at him. “You should check yours too.”
He stands up. “Alright. It’s in my room.”
You stare at him. “You came here without your phone?”
“I wasn’t thinking about that.”
You sigh. “Go get it.”
“Okay.” He heads for the door. “I’ll be back.”
The door shuts. Silence fills the room. You take a deep breath.
“Okay.”
You grab your phone off the nightstand and tap the screen – then freeze. Your background is a picture of you and Bucky.
It’s clearly a selfie. Both of you are smiling so wide your cheeks look like they hurt. The photo is slightly blurry, like it was taken mid-laugh. Bucky’s face is close to yours. Really close. His nose is almost brushing your cheek. It looks like he either just kissed your cheek or was about to.
Your stomach flips. Your heart does something stupid in your chest.
“Ugh.”
You unlock the phone quickly. Your layout is almost identical to your phone in your universe. Same apps. Same folders.
But your eyes keep drifting back to that picture.
You sigh. Then you open the photos app.
The first few pictures are random things.
Screenshots. Food. A picture of the team during training. Then—
You and Bucky again. This one is clearly taken by someone else. You’re both sitting on the compound couch. You’re leaning against his shoulder while he’s looking down at something on his phone. Your expression is soft and relaxed. He’s smiling slightly.
You stare at it. “…Okay that’s cute.”
You scroll. Another one. This time it’s a group photo. Everyone is outside the compound. But Bucky has one arm around your shoulders and you’re both laughing at something. Your head is tilted toward him.
You zoom in slightly. “…Wow.”
You scroll again. There’s a mirror selfie. You’re both in your room. You’re holding a mug and Bucky’s standing behind you with his chin resting lightly on your shoulder.
You squint at the picture. “…Did we take this at like six in the morning?” Your hair looks messy. His looks worse. But you’re both smiling.
You scroll again. A picture from what looks like the diner Clint mentioned. You’re sitting across from each other in a booth. Someone clearly took it from the next booth over. You’re mid-laugh, leaning forward. Bucky is looking at you like you just said the funniest thing he’s ever heard. Your heart flutters again.
“…Why do we look so happy?”
You scroll again. A candid one. You’re walking across the compound lawn. Bucky is slightly behind you, grabbing your hand to pull you back toward him. You’re laughing over your shoulder.
You stare at the screen. “…Oh my god.”
You zoom in. His hand is wrapped around yours. Comfortable. Easy. Like it happens all the time.
You scroll again. This one is from a mission. You’re both in tactical gear. Your helmet is off and you’re both sweaty and dirty. But you’re leaning against him while he holds the camera. Both of you look exhausted and completely happy.
You groan quietly. “This is stupid.”
You keep scrolling anyway. There are so many. Selfies. Candids. Pictures someone else took. Pictures from dinners. Training. Random moments around the compound.
In almost every one, you’re touching, or leaning against him, or standing close. Smiling. And it looks so natural and so real.
You stare at the screen. “…This is ridiculous.”
But you can’t help it. You smile a little at one of them anyway.
The door opens a few minutes later. You react instantly, closing the photos and opening your calendar. You sit up straighter just as Bucky walks back in.
He shuts the door behind him and walks over, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Find anything?” he asks.
“Not yet.”
He drops onto the bed next to you and unlocks his phone.
“…Huh.”
You look up. “What?”
He tilts the phone slightly. “Cute.”
You lean over to see. It’s a picture you hadn’t seen on your phone. Someone else clearly took it. You’re outside somewhere on the compound lawn, sunlight bright behind you. Bucky is giving you a piggyback ride. Your arms are wrapped around his neck, your faces are pressed together, and you’re both laughing. Your cheek is smushed against his and you both have huge stupid grins.
Your stomach flips. You immediately lean back. “Can you focus?”
He looks at you. “What?”
“We’re supposed to be looking for useful information.”
“I just said it’s cute.”
You roll your eyes dramatically and go back to your calendar. “We don’t have time for this.”
“Relax,” he mutters.
You scroll through your calendar. He glances over at your phone.
“What was your background?”
You stop. “…Why does it matter?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know. I’m curious.”
You keep scrolling. “Focus.”
A second passes. Then–
“Was it the same picture?”
“No.”
“Was it even me?”
You sigh loudly. “Yes.”
“I wanna see it.”
You close your eyes for a second. “…Bucky.”
“What?”
You sigh again and lock your phone. Then you tap the screen so the lock screen lights up.
The selfie appears again. Bucky studies it.
“…That’s cute too.”
You immediately unlock the phone again. “Focus.”
You look more closely at your schedule for today.
“Okay,” you say.
“What?”
“I have a meeting at two.”
“With who?”
“The whole team I’m assuming.”
He nods. “That sounds right.”
You scroll farther down. “…And apparently we have a diner date tonight.”
He snorts quietly. “Weekly.”
“Clint mentioned that.”
You scroll through the past few days. Training. Meetings. Some random things. You frown slightly. “No mission.”
“What?”
“In our universe we had that warehouse mission.”
“Right.”
You tilt the phone toward him. “Nothing like that here.”
He nods slowly. “Huh.”
You keep scrolling. The last few weeks are mostly the same routine. You sigh and toss the phone onto the bed. “Nothing helpful.”
Bucky shrugs. “Same.”
He scrolls through something else. You lean over slightly. “What are you looking at?”
“Texts.”
“Oh.”
You grab your phone again and open your messages. You scroll through conversations.
Then, you open your conversation with Bucky. It’s surprisingly short. “…Huh.”
“What?”
“We barely text.”
He glances over. “Probably because we’re always together.”
You roll your eyes. “Very funny.”
You scroll through the messages anyway.
Most of them are random messages or reminders. You keep scrolling. Then you stop.
“…Oh my god.”
“What?”
You tilt the phone away slightly. “Nothing.”
He leans closer. “What?”
You sigh. “You sent me a shirtless gym picture.”
He grins immediately. “I bet I look good.”
“No.”
Bucky laughs. “Well I’m sure you liked it in this universe.”
You roll your eyes and scroll again. Then you half laugh half groan.
“You sent me a meme that just says ‘date night?’ with a picture of a grilled cheese.”
“We were probably making grilled cheeses.”
“You’re ridiculous,” you say, closing the messages. “Nothing helpful.”
Bucky shrugs. “Maybe pictures?”
You try very hard to act normal. “Yeah.”
You open the photos app again. Bucky immediately starts scrolling through his. A second later he turns the phone toward you.
“Look at this one.”
It’s another picture of the two of you. This one you saw earlier. The couch one.
“Nice,” you say quickly.
He scrolls again. “Oh, look at this one.”
He shows you another. You both look half-asleep in the compound kitchen. His chin is resting on your shoulder, similar to the mirror picture you saw.
You sigh. “Okay.”
He scrolls again. “Oh wow.”
“What now?”
He turns the phone. It’s a picture of you sitting cross-legged on the training mat. Your hair is a mess and you’re glaring at the camera.
You groan. “Oh my god.”
Bucky laughs. “You look so mad.”
“Because I probably was.”
He scrolls again. “Oh this is embarrassing.”
“What?”
He shows you another one. It’s a selfie you apparently took of him while he was asleep on the couch. His mouth is slightly open and you’re doing a thumbs up.
You burst out laughing.
“I’m not proud of that,” he says, shaking his head.
He scrolls again.
“Wait.”
“What?”
He shows you another one. You’re both at the diner again. But this time you’re sitting on the same side of the booth. Your head is leaning on his shoulder while you’re looking at the menu.
Your heart does that stupid flutter thing again. You try to ignore it.
“I’m assuming this is at the diner,” he says.
“Yeah.”
You scroll for a few more minutes.
“Anything useful?” you ask.
He shakes his head. “Not really.”
You open a few other apps. Notes, maps, but don’t find anything helpful. You sigh and fall back onto the bed. “Well.”
Bucky sets his phone down. “That was productive.”
“Not really.”
You stare at the ceiling. “…At least we know we’re cute.”
He snorts. You immediately sit up.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Sure.”
You point at him. “Focus.”
He’s still half-smirking at you. You narrow your eyes.
“What.”
“Nothing.”
“You’re doing that face.”
“What face?”
“The I know something you don’t face.”
He leans back against the headboard. “I’m just saying.”
“Oh no.”
“You’re the one who said we’re cute.”
You groan and drop back against the mattress. “That is not what I meant.”
“Sure.”
You point at him again. “We need to decide what we’re doing.”
“Right.”
You sit up again. “I think we should just tell Steve.”
Bucky tilts his head. “Already?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because this is ridiculous!” You gesture between the two of you. “We’re pretending to be ourselves in a universe where we’re apparently dating and living the same life except not exactly and we don’t know anything about what’s happened here!”
He nods slowly. “Fair.”
“So we tell Steve.”
Bucky thinks about it. Then shakes his head slightly. “I think we should wait.”
You blink. “Why?”
“Because we still don’t know how different this universe is.”
You cross your arms. “So?”
“So maybe we gather a little more information first.”
You sigh. “Like what?”
“The meeting.”
You pause. “…Right.”
You forgot about that. You glance at your phone.
“Two o’clock.”
“Exactly.”
You groan. “That’s hours away.”
He shrugs. “We go to lunch.”
“And?”
“Hang around.”
You stare at him. “This is the worst plan.”
“It’s a patient plan.”
“It’s a slow plan.”
He smirks. “You’re impatient.”
You shake your head. “I’m practical.”
“Sure.”
You sigh dramatically and stand up. “Fine. Lunch.”
“Lunch,” he agrees.
--
The kitchen is busy again when you walk in. Everyone is already there.
Sam looks up the second you and Bucky walk in.
“Look who it is.”
You sigh. “Don’t start.”
“Start what?”
“The commentary.”
He grins. “Relax. You two seem normal again.”
You glance at Bucky. “…Normal?”
Clint nods. “Less weird.”
Bucky moves past you toward the fridge while you grab a plate. Conversation flows around the table, mostly the same kind of random chatter you’re used to.
At one point Wanda asks Thor about something from a mission. Clint argues with Sam about football. It all feels…normal. Almost exactly like your universe. You relax slightly. Maybe this universe isn’t that different after all.
There’s food laid out to make sandwiches, so you and Bucky do what you always do whenever there’s sandwiches for lunch. You each make your own sandwich, easily moving around each other and handing each other stuff because you know exactly what the other needs next. Then, once the sandwiches are made, you each cut yours in half and trade one half for the other, so you each have a half of each sandwich.
When you start walking towards the table, you realize everyone is staring.
“…Wow,” Tony says.
You look at him. “What?”
“You guys were…weirdly synced up while making those.”
“And did you guys just trade halves?” Sam says, laughing.
“Uhh, yeah,” you say. “And?”
Clint grins. “I’ve never seen something more…coupley.”
“Yeah, that was kinda gross,” Nat agrees.
“I think it’s cute,” Wanda says.
Steve just tries to hide a proud grin.
You glance over at Bucky, realizing that in this universe, you must not do the famous “sandwich swap” as everyone else calls it. In your universe, they think it’s funny. In this universe, they think it’s a couple thing. Which makes you realize it really does look like a couple thing.
You make your way to the table and sit down, with Bucky sitting right next to you.
Natasha smirks. “You two are ridiculous.”
You feel your face heating up.
Sam grins. “You two are so obvious.”
You shove your sandwich into your mouth just to avoid talking.
--
After lunch everyone ends up lingering in the common room. Sam and Clint are arguing over something on TV. Thor is explaining something loudly to Bruce. Natasha is reading on the couch.
You sit in one of the chairs with Bucky beside you. “Anything different?” you murmur.
“Not really.”
You nod slightly. “So far everything seems the same.”
“Mostly.”
Steve walks through at one point. “Meeting in ten.”
You sigh. “Great.”
The meeting takes forever. And it’s about the most boring thing possible. A follow-up discussion about a mission from a few months ago. You sit at the table beside Bucky trying very hard to look interested, but your brain is already fried.
Halfway through you feel your phone buzz in your pocket. You glance down under the table.
Bucky: Did we do this mission in our universe?
You type back quickly.
You: Yeah but we wrapped it up faster
Bucky: This meeting is brutal
You glance sideways at him. He’s staring forward like he’s paying attention. You bite back a smile and type.
You: Focus
Bucky: No
You kick his foot lightly under the table. He doesn’t react. Steve finally finishes the meeting nearly an hour later. “Alright,” he says. “That’s it for today.”
You exhale. Finally. You get up to leave and head to Bucky’s room.
You drop onto the bed. “…Okay.”
Bucky shuts the door. “So.”
“So.” You sit up again. “Do we go tell Steve now?”
He leans against the dresser. “Well…”
You stare at him. “What.”
“Our diner date.”
Your brain stalls. “…Oh.” You forgot about that. You stare at him. “Do you want to go?”
He shrugs. “I’ve been thinking about those burgers all day.”
You laugh. “You’re unbelievable.”
He grins. “So?”
You sigh. “Fine. We can go. Then we figure out the warehouse tonight.”
He nods. “Deal.”
He sits down on the bed next to you.
“Okay,” you say. “Let’s find diner pictures to see what time we usually go.”
You both open your phones. You scroll through photos again.
“Here,” Bucky says.
He turns the phone toward you. It’s another diner picture. You’re sitting across from him holding a milkshake. He’s halfway through a burger.
“This was around 8:15,” he says.
“So we go around eight.”
You scroll farther. “Oh my god.”
“What?”
You turn your phone. It’s a picture of Bucky trying to fit an entire stack of fries into his mouth.
He squints at it. “…Delete that.”
“No.”
He scrolls again. “Oh wow.”
“What now?”
He turns the phone. It’s a picture of you at the diner with food all over your face. Your hand is blurry with a napkin in it like you were trying to wipe it off, but Bucky took the picture before you had the chance.
You groan. “You’re lucky you have super soldier reflexes.”
He just laughs.
You scroll more, then find a picture where you’re both in the kitchen wearing matching hoodies. You freeze.
“…Are those the same hoodie?”
Bucky squints. “…I think so.”
You both stare at the picture. Then quickly scroll past it.
You scroll through more photos.
Some from missions. Some from training. Some random ones around the compound. One where Sam clearly shoved both of you into a photo together. One where Bucky is making a stupid face behind you while you’re brushing your teeth.
You burst out laughing. “You look ridiculous.”
“You’re the one taking a picture while you brush your teeth.”
You scroll again. You find another candid. You’re both sitting outside on the compound steps watching the sunset. You’re leaning against his shoulder. You stare at the picture a little longer than you mean to.
Bucky nudges you.
“What?” you ask.
“Nothing.”
You keep scrolling. Eventually both of you lean back against the headboard. Your shoulders press together naturally. Neither of you moves. You keep showing each other pictures and laughing, and groaning at embarrassing ones.
You shake your head. “This is humiliating.”
“Some of these are great.”
You glance at him. “…They are.”
You scroll to another picture. This one is a blurry selfie where you’re both laughing so hard the photo shook. You smile despite yourself. You hate how warm your chest feels. You glance sideways at him. He’s smiling at the picture too. Your heart flutters again.
You quickly look back at your phone. But a quiet thought slips through your brain anyway. Despite everything. Despite the stress. Despite not knowing how you’ll get home. You realize something.
As long as Bucky’s here, you’ll be okay.
And you really, really try not to think about what that might mean.
--
By the time you leave the compound, the sun is starting to dip lower in the sky.
You and Bucky walk side by side down the sidewalk toward the little diner a few blocks away. The air is cooler now, and the quiet of the evening makes everything feel strangely normal. Which is weird, because nothing about today has been normal.
You shove your hands into your jacket pockets. “What if this doesn’t work?” you ask.
“What?”
“If Steve doesn’t believe us.”
Bucky shrugs slightly. “Then we steal a jet.”
You snort. “That’s your backup plan?”
“Worked earlier.”
“We didn’t steal anything earlier.”
“We talked about it.”
“That’s not the same.”
He glances at you with a small smirk. “You’re still considering it.”
“…Maybe.”
The diner comes into view at the corner. You both slow slightly. “Alright,” you say. “Game faces.”
Bucky raises an eyebrow. “For burgers?”
“For pretending we know what we’re doing.”
He pushes the door open. The bell above it jingles. Immediately the smell of fries and grilled burgers fills the air. Your stomach growls.
“Okay,” you admit. “Maybe this part isn’t so bad.”
You slide into a booth near the window. Bucky sits across from you. You barely have time to look at the menu before a waitress walks over. She smiles brightly when she sees you.
“Well hey there.”
You blink. “Hi.”
Without asking anything, she sets two drinks down. Then a milkshake. With two straws. You and Bucky both stare at it.
“Your usual?” she asks casually.
You and Bucky glance at each other. Then back at her.
“Yeah,” you say carefully.
She nods. “Alright, that’ll be right out.”
She disappears toward the kitchen. You both stare at the milkshake. Then you both start laughing quietly.
“She knows us,” you say.
“Apparently.”
You tap the side of the glass. “Shared milkshake. Very romantic.”
He smirks. You both take a sip. It’s really good.
You lean back in the booth. “Okay,” you say. “Plan.”
“Right.”
You lower your voice slightly. “We tell Steve everything.”
Bucky nods.
You sigh. “I just hope he believes us.”
“He probably will.”
“You sound very confident.”
“He’s dealt with stranger things.”
“That’s fair.”
The waitress returns a few minutes later and drops two plates in front of you. Both have a cheeseburger with fries piled high on the sides.
“Enjoy,” she says with a smile.
“Thank you,” you say.
She walks away as you pick up your burger and take a bite. Your eyes widen. “Oh wow.”
Bucky laughs. “Told you.”
You both eat for a few minutes. The tension of the day slowly fades a little. But eventually you set your burger down.
“We should go after this.”
He nods. “We need to figure this out.”
“And we have no idea what’s happening in our universe.”
“Exactly.”
You both finish eating. Bucky grabs the check before you can even look at it.
“You don’t have to–”
He shakes his head. “It’s fine.”
He pays quickly. A few minutes later you’re walking back toward the compound. The common room is busy when you walk back in.
They all look up. Sam immediately grins. “Well?”
You blink. “Well what?”
“The date.”
You sigh. “It was good.”
Clint smirks. “Burgers?”
“Yes.”
Bucky looks over at Steve, who’s standing near the table. “Hey Steve?”
Steve looks up. “Yeah?”
“Can we talk?”
Steve nods immediately. “Sure.”
You and Bucky start walking toward the hallway. Steve follows you. You lead the way back to Bucky’s room. Once the door shuts behind you, Steve looks between the two of you.
“What’s going on?”
Bucky rubs the back of his neck. “…Okay.”
Steve’s expression grows slightly concerned.
“This is gonna sound really weird,” Bucky says.
Steve nods slowly.
“But you have to trust me.”
Steve folds his arms. “…Okay.”
Bucky takes a breath. “We’re not from this universe.”
Steve blinks. Silence fills the room.
You add quickly, “We were on a mission.”
Steve looks between you again. “What kind of mission?”
“We were looking for intel,” you explain. “We thought it was related to multiverse experiments.”
Steve’s brow furrows. Bucky continues.
“We found some tech there too.”
“And we accidentally triggered a machine,” you say.
Steve’s expression grows more confused.
“And it sent us here,” Bucky finishes.
Another pause. Steve looks…very lost. And a little concerned.
Bucky gestures vaguely. “That’s why we were yelling this morning.”
Steve blinks. “…What?”
“When we woke up,” you say quickly. “We had no idea where we were.”
“And also we were cuddling,” Bucky adds.
You bury your face in your hands. “Bucky.”
“What?”
Steve raises his eyebrows. “Cuddling?”
“We’re not dating in our universe,” Bucky explains.
Steve slowly nods. “…Okay.”
He thinks for a second. “You were acting really weird this morning.”
You nod. “Yeah.”
Steve rubs his chin. “Wait.” He looks up. “Where is this warehouse?”
“Romania,” Bucky answers.
Steve’s eyes widen slightly. “Romania?”
You nod. “You have that intel too?”
Steve exhales. “We just got word about this a few days ago.”
You blink. “Really?”
He nods. “We don’t have much information yet.”
He closes the folder. “So actually…” He looks between you both. “This helps.”
You feel a small spark of relief. “So you believe us?” you ask.
Steve nods slowly. “…Yeah.”
You and Bucky exchange a quick look. Steve straightens slightly.
“Then we should go. If that machine sent you here, maybe it can send you back.”
“That’s what we were thinking,” you say.
“Okay,” Steve says. “Do you guys know how to get there?”
“Yes,” Bucky answers.
“Alright. Get suited up, meet at the jet in 10.”
As soon as Steve leaves, you glance over at Bucky. “That went better than expected.”
“Yeah,” he agrees.
You leave to get ready, then you walk into the hangar the same time Bucky does. When Steve comes in a few minutes later, he says that he told the team they’d be leaving and that he’d explain when he got back.
You get on the jet and it’s not long before you’re in the air.
“This could work,” you say quietly.
Bucky nods. “I think so.”
“Unless it sends us somewhere else.”
He smirks slightly. “…Let’s not think about that.”
The flight is quiet. The warehouse sits in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees and empty fields. You land about a mile out. Steve powers the jet down.
“You two lead the way,” he says.
You nod. You and Bucky head toward the treeline. The walk is quick. Adrenaline pushes you forward. Soon the warehouse comes into view. It’s dark and silent, exactly like the first time.
“Clear,” Bucky mutters as you enter.
The building echoes softly with your footsteps as you make your way to the room. You stop in the doorway.
“It’s the same,” you say.
The equipment is exactly where it was. The circular platform in the floor. The consoles along the walls. Steve steps inside slowly.
“This is it?”
“Yeah,” Bucky says.
You walk over to the console. “Now we just have to remember what we did.”
You stare at the controls. Bucky starts checking cables. Steve watches from a few steps back.
“Try that,” Bucky says.
You press a button. Nothing happens. “Great.”
You flip a switch. Still nothing. Bucky suddenly reaches over and reconnects one of the loose cables. The console hums to life. Lights flicker across the platform. You jump slightly. The platform begins to glow.
Steve steps back immediately. “Alright,” he says. “Looks like it’s working.”
You glance at Bucky. He nods. “Ready?”
“As we’ll ever be.”
You both step toward the platform. The air begins to vibrate. That same low hum fills the room. Steve watches carefully from the corner of the room.
“Good luck,” he says.
You take one more breath. Then you both step onto the platform. The light intensifies. Your vision bends. Your stomach flips violently.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Masterlist
Bucky x reader
Summary: She wasn’t supposed to meet him like that. He wasn’t supposed to let her in. But sometimes, things don’t go according to plan.
Word Count: 6,607
Warnings: 18+ only, minors DNI, explicit content
Dinner had come and gone in a blur of laughter, drinks, and more food than anyone really needed. Plates were cleared, the server brought out coffees and dessert menus, and no one seemed in a rush to leave. The group had lingered, sprawled out around the big round table, as they settled into casual conversation.
You were leaned slightly into Bucky, your shoulder against his, both of you sipping from warm mugs while the others chattered around you.
Inevitably, the conversation circled back to the elevator.
“So,” Sam said, leaning forward with a smirk, “we’re just not gonna talk about it anymore? Like it didn’t happen?”
You groaned. “We already talked about it.”
Clint pointed a spoon at you. “We watched it. That’s different.”
Wanda nodded thoughtfully. “It was very…passionate.”
“Explosive,” Nat added with a smug grin.
Peter looked mildly traumatized. “It was so fast. The doors closed and it was like – bam.”
“You didn’t even breathe first,” Sam said, shaking his head. “Just immediate heat.”
Bucky gave an amused sigh beside you. “You act like we staged it.”
“Honestly,” Tony chimed in, “with that kind of timing? I’m not ruling it out.”
Wanda shook her head, but she was smiling too. “We knew something was going on. It was obvious.”
Steve raised an eyebrow. “Obvious, but still…surprising.”
“Yeah,” Sam said, looking between the two of you. “You guys were all slow-burn tension, lingering glances, brushing hands – then suddenly we’re watching a rom-com finale in an elevator.”
Nat tilted her head. “So…when did it actually start?”
All eyes turned to you and Bucky.
You exchanged a glance. A silent agreement passed between you.
“Yesterday,” you said casually. “After shopping.”
There was a beat of silence.
“That’s it?” Sam said. “You go shopping and come back soulmates?”
“Must’ve been some really good sales,” Tony muttered.
Clint leaned forward. “Did something happen at Victoria’s Secret?”
You just gave a tight-lipped smile and took another sip of your drink.
Bucky rested his hand on your knee under the table. “Let’s just say things escalated.”
Peter buried his face in his hands. “Oh my god.”
Wanda laughed softly. “You don’t have to tell us. We already know too much.”
“Way too much,” Steve added with a pointed look at Tony, who was still very proud of himself for digging up the footage.
“Not like that,” you said, waving them off. “We actually almost got kicked out for laughing so hard.”
“You almost got kicked out for laughing,” Bucky said, giving you a look.
“You were the one making me laugh!” you fired back, pointing a finger at him.
“Not my fault I’m funny,” he said, smirking.
“Well if you didn’t get kicked out for laughing, you would’ve gotten kicked out for touching all the thongs,” you said, raising your eyebrows at him.
That got the table’s full attention.
Tony nearly spit out his drink. “I’m sorry – what?”
“Excuse me?” Nat said, eyes already gleaming.
Bucky held up a hand like he was under oath. “Okay, pause. That sounds worse than it was.”
“Oh, I need to hear this,” Sam said, leaning forward with way too much interest.
“I was just–” Bucky started, but you were already cutting in.
“He was grabbing them. Holding them up and inspecting them like he was on a mission.”
“I was making observations,” Bucky said defensively. “They were tiny. It was a scientific evaluation.”
Clint was nearly wheezing. “What kind of science experiment involves fondling lace?”
“I wasn’t fondling! I was–” Bucky groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Okay, look. I was just picking them up and making comments.”
“Oh, he was,” you said, eyes twinkling. “He picked up this bright pink one and said, ‘This barely counts as fabric.’”
Sam was laughing now. “He’s not wrong.”
“He held up a mesh one and said it looked like a bag of onions from the grocery store,” you added.
That sent Wanda and Nat into giggles, and even Steve had to bite back a smile.
“You’re killing me,” Peter mumbled, red-faced and trying not to picture anything.
“I was just trying to entertain her!” Bucky said, throwing his hands up. “It was a distraction tactic. She was blushing so hard I thought she might pass out.”
“And yet,” you said sweetly, “you still walked me in there. Proud as anything.”
“I carried your bag,” he muttered. “Like a gentleman.”
“You also asked the cashier if they made bulletproof versions.”
That broke the table.
Even Steve lost it, laughing into his glass as Sam wiped tears from his eyes.
“I cannot believe you two are real,” Nat said, shaking her head.
“Oh, they’re real,” Tony said, already reaching for his phone again. “And I’ve got a whole folder to prove it.”
You groaned, burying your face in your hands as Bucky muttered under his breath, “I’m going to rewire the elevator system. Tonight.”
“Why, you planning on doing more in there?” Clint said, raising his eyebrows.
You just shook your head as the rest of the team kept laughing.
The teasing continued for a few more minutes, but eventually, someone changed the subject – probably Steve, out of mercy. You leaned back into Bucky’s side, still red-faced but laughing, your hand brushing against his under the table.
And even if you couldn’t keep the story straight, the secret was long gone.
But somehow, it all felt even better this way.
--
Eventually, everyone started to get up from their seats, finally filing out of the restaurant. When you got back to the compound, it was almost midnight.
Everyone else scattered, heading back to their rooms, but you stayed in the kitchen, pulling the freezer door open.
“Midnight snack?” Bucky asked, coming up behind you.
“Yep. I deserve it,” you said, grabbing a pint of your favorite ice cream out of the freezer.
Bucky was already opening the silverware drawer, pulling out two spoons. He handed you one as you pulled the lid off.
You dug in first, taking a big bite and sighing as you leaned against the counter.
Buck took a bite next as you just looked at him.
“I thought you only liked old man flavors,” you said, scooping up another bite.
“They’re not old man flavors,” he said, rolling his eyes.
“Then why is it only old men who get them?” you asked, raising your eyebrows.
“Because they’re the only ones smart enough to know that this,” he said, pointing his spoon at the container, “is too sweet.”
“Oh please,” you said, waving him off. “Only an old man would say that.”
He just side-eyed you and smirked. “I guess you’re into old men then.”
“I guess I am,” you said, smiling up at him.
You kept eating in silence for a few minutes, until you finally decided on a plan of action. You didn’t forget about what he did in the elevator earlier, and you needed to get him back double since everyone else saw it now, too.
You took another slow spoonful, casually leaning against the island. “Hey, Buck?”
He glanced over at you, still chewing. “Yeah?”
You grinned – then let your spoon “slip,” just slightly, letting a dollop of ice cream fall right onto your shirt, just over your chest.
You gasped dramatically. “Ugh – dammit.”
Bucky froze, spoon halfway to his mouth.
“I hate when that happens,” you said, voice as innocent as possible, looking down at your shirt like it was just another everyday inconvenience.
He just eyed you with an amused look on his face before reaching over and grabbing a paper towel.
But before he could say anything, you set the pint on the counter, grabbed the hem of your shirt with both hands, and in one fluid motion, pulled it off.
Revealing your new red bra.
You shook your head like it was nothing, plucking the paper towel out of his hand as his eyes swept over you, landing on your chest.
“Ugh, thanks Bucky. Such a mess,” you muttered, patting at your skin.
Bucky had not moved.
Not a blink. Not a breath.
Just wide blue eyes, completely transfixed.
“Bucky?” you asked sweetly, glancing over your shoulder.
Still frozen.
“Hmm?” he finally croaked.
You tossed the paper towel in the trash and casually walked past him toward the doorway, letting your bare shoulders and red straps do all the work.
You paused beside him, your voice low and smooth in his ear. “That was for the elevator.”
Then you disappeared down the hallway, leaving him standing there, spoon still in hand, looking like someone had just hit pause on his entire nervous system.
But you weren’t done yet.
You pulled your shirt back on before stepping in the elevator, not wanting Tony to have any more embarrassing videos.
And as you walked down the hall to your room, you pulled the group chat up on your phone, attached the video of Bucky sleep talking, then pressed send.
You grinned as you stepped into your bedroom.
You pulled your shirt off again, then threw on an oversized t-shirt, making sure you could still see the red bra straps as you made your way back downstairs. As you walked into the elevator again, the group chat was already blowing up.
Natasha: Oh my god😭
Sam: “THE CAT TOOK THE SYRUP” I’M LOSING IT 💀💀💀
Tony: Please tell me this is the start of a documentary. “The Waffle Wars: Barnes’ Untold Story”
Peter: WHY DOES THIS SOUND LIKE A PIXAR MOVIE
I would 100% watch it
Steve: He always did take breakfast seriously.
Clint: “Waffles got legs.” Me too, man. Me too. 🤝
Wanda: Is he okay?? 😭😂
Sam: This man is fighting demons in a diner at 3 am
Tony: “NO BUTTER” – he said that with his chest
You: He’s literally going to kill me when he sees this 😂
Natasha: Worth it. We needed this.
Peter: can we auto-tune it and make a remix???
Tony: Already on it. Dropping the track by midnight. Featuring DJ Syrupcat.
Steve: Please don’t encourage him.
Sam: Too late. It’s gonna be my ringtone
Bucky: …I hate all of you
Tony: 🥞🥞🥞🥞🥞
Sam: 🐱🥄
Peter: 🧇🦵
You: I’m sleeping with one eye open tonight.
Bucky: Good. So am I. Gotta protect my pancakes.
When you walked back into the kitchen, Bucky was leaning up against the counter on his phone as you tried to hold in a laugh.
He looked up right away, giving you a look. “Seriously?”
“Hey, I had to get you back double since you got us exposed.”
“I don’t remember you exactly pushing me off in the elevator,” he said, raising an eyebrow at you. “In fact, I remember you wrapping your legs around me.”
“Because you picked me up and pinned me against the wall!” you yelled, trying not to laugh.
“And you know you liked it,” he fired back, smirking.
You paused, then just sighed and rolled your eyes, knowing you couldn’t argue.
Because you did like it.
You leaned back against the island, and before you could reach for the ice cream again, Bucky took a step toward you, looking down at you with a smirk. He stopped right in front of you, then reached out and placed his hands on your hips.
“So you do like when I pick you up, huh doll?” he said, picking you up effortlessly and setting you on the counter.
Your heart started beating like crazy, but you didn’t want him to get the satisfaction of making you flustered again. So you just raised an eyebrow at him.
“I think you’re the one who likes picking me up.”
He just kept his eyes on you, trying to make you break. But you just held his eye contact for a little longer, before turning to grab the pint of ice cream and your spoon.
You started swinging your legs back and forth, with them brushing against Bucky’s legs, like sitting on the counter like this was completely normal. You scooped up a big spoonful of ice cream, eating it before you dipped it back in and held up a spoonful to Bucky’s mouth.
“Want some?” you said with your mouth full.
He just huffed out a laugh and shook his head. “You’re ridiculous.”
“You love me.”
“I hate you, actually.”
“Really?” you said, tapping your chin while your legs were still swinging. “Because I vividly remember you telling me you liked me just this morning.”
He just chuckled and shook his head again. “Just eat your ice cream.”
He took a step back so he wasn’t so close, but he still kept a hand on your hip as you continued eating.
A few minutes later you sighed and set the container down next to you. “I’m full.”
Without saying a word, Bucky just stepped away and put the lid back on the ice cream before slipping it back in the freezer. He took both of your spoons and rinsed them in the sink as you leaned back on your hands, watching him.
Then, he walked back over to you, grabbing your waist and lifting you up off the counter, setting you back on your feet on the ground.
You raised an eyebrow. “You seriously think I can’t jump down from the counter.”
“No. I think you wanted me to pick you up again,” he responded, smirking.
You just rolled your eyes again and smacked him lightly on the arm as you started walking away, him following right behind you.
“Ugh, I can’t wait to get out of these jeans,” you said, pulling at the waistband. “I should’ve changed when I went up the first time.”
“Are you gonna come back to my room after?” Bucky asked, looking down at you.
You narrowed your eyes at him. “What, you think you’re gonna get some?” you asked, laughing.
“No,” he said, softly, looking a little embarrassed. “I just sleep better when you’re there.”
You could’ve melted right there.
But you just smiled at him, feeling bad for joking with him now. “Of course I will.”
He smiled at you, then you looped your arm through his, leaning your head on his shoulder as you continued down the hallway toward the elevator.
When you got in, Bucky pressed 8, saying he would just go up to your room with you.
You walked into your room and went straight to your dresser as Bucky plopped down on the edge of your bed.
You pulled open your drawer and immediately peeled off your jeans, stepping out of them. You grabbed a pair of sleep shorts and pulled them on, then bent down and picked up your jeans.
You took a step toward your laundry basket, then froze, not even realizing what you did until now.
You slowly turned toward Bucky, jeans still in hand.
He looked a little shocked when you made eye contact with him, but not as bad as you thought he was gonna be.
“Sorry,” you said, cringing. “I promise I didn’t mean to do that. I already got back at you enough,” you said, laughing.
He just shook his head and looked down, chuckling. “You’re gonna kill me doll.”
You threw your jeans in the basket before going into the bathroom and getting ready for bed. You also took your bra off, knowing you definitely couldn’t do that in front of Bucky.
When you came back out of the bathroom, Bucky was standing near your door, waiting for you. You padded over and gave him a little smirk as he fell into step beside you, both of you walking quietly to his room.
Once inside, you headed straight for his bed, climbing in and laying back against the pillows. You pulled the blanket up over you, watching him from across the room without bothering to hide it.
Bucky didn’t say anything, just started getting changed – right in front of you. He reached for the hem of his shirt and tugged it up over his head, his muscles flexing with the motion, the ridges of his abs visible in the soft lighting as he tossed the shirt aside.
You bit the inside of your cheek to keep your face neutral, but your heart rate definitely didn’t get the memo.
Then he hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his jeans and slowly pushed them down, leaving him in nothing but his boxers. He stood there for a moment before turning toward you, clearly aware of the way your eyes followed him, the smallest smirk tugging at his lips.
“See something you like?” he asked, eyebrow raised.
You rolled your eyes, even as your face heated up. “Please. Don’t flatter yourself.”
He chuckled, clearly not buying it, then turned to grab a pair of sweatpants, tugging them on at a leisurely pace before pulling a t-shirt over his head. You just kept watching, not even trying to be subtle anymore.
When he disappeared into the bathroom, you let out a slow breath and blinked up at the ceiling.
A few minutes later, the bathroom light flicked off and the door opened again. You watched as he crossed the room and climbed into bed beside you, the mattress dipping slightly as he slid closer and wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you in against his chest.
“Comfortable?” he murmured against your ear.
You smiled softly. “Very.”
There was a pause, then he added, “You know you drive me crazy, right?”
Your smile grew. “I know.”
His hand lightly traced patterns against your side through your shirt, and you shifted to look up at him.
He was already looking down at you, a mix of softness and hunger in his eyes.
You pushed yourself up slowly, giving him a little smirk before kissing him.
His hands immediately went up into your hair, pulling you closer as he deepened the kiss. Your hand cupped the side of his face, before you slowly lowered it and roamed over his chest and abs.
You broke the kiss, breathing heavily as you sat up. Bucky lifted his head immediately, looking at you like a sad puppy, causing you to smirk at him even more. He pushed himself up and shifted back, so he was leaning against the headboard.
He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, you swung your leg over him, straddling him. He froze, then slowly smiled, leaning back in to kiss you before his hands grabbed your hips.
You slung your arms around his neck, one hand going up into his hair as your other stayed on his back, feeling his tight muscles through his t-shirt.
He deepened the kiss once again, tongue beginning to part your lips, exploring your mouth.
Slowly, you started to rock back and forth on his lap, pulling a low groan out of him. He gripped your hips harder now, not stopping you, but making sure you keep a slow, steady rhythm.
You slid your hands down his chest again, then around his waist, pulling him flush against your chest. Bucky’s hands slowly slid up, underneath the hem of your shirt, resting on your waist.
You stopped moving as you grabbed the bottom of Bucky’s shirt, pulling away from him as you pulled it over his head. He gave you a smug smirk as your eyes roamed over his chest and arms before you leaned in to kiss him again.
Bucky’s hands slowly started moving higher, the difference between the warm flesh and cool vibranium sending shivers throughout your body. He noticed, smiling against your lips before moving his hands to your back, pushing you further into his chest.
You could feel him getting hard beneath you now, the growing pressure unmistakable as your bodies pressed together. It only made your breath hitch, your hips stuttering slightly in response.
Bucky let out a low groan against your mouth, his lips moving with yours before he started trailing soft, open-mouthed kisses along your jaw and down your neck. You tilted your head for him instinctively, eyes fluttering shut as he nipped lightly at your pulse point, then soothed it with his tongue.
“God, you’re so beautiful,” he whispered against your skin, his voice low and raspy.
You let out a soft sigh as he kept going – down to your collarbones, taking his time, tasting every inch of exposed skin. His hands roamed your back and sides, fingers gripping like he didn’t want to let go.
When he reached the neckline of your shirt, he paused. One hand slipped down to the hem, fingers curling under it, lifting just slightly.
His other hand pressed gently to the center of your back, holding you against him as he looked up at you. His eyes were dark, but still so tender.
“Is this okay?” he asked quietly, breathless but careful. “Can I take this off?”
Your heart clenched at the way he asked – checking in, even now, with so much care in his voice.
You nodded, whispering, “Yeah. It’s okay.”
He didn’t move for a second, just stared up at you like he was trying to memorize the moment. Then he slowly tugged the shirt up, lifting it over your head and tossing it gently to the side.
When his eyes met your chest and he realized you weren’t wearing a bra, he froze again.
His breath caught in his throat, and his hands moved instinctively to your waist, holding you in place as his gaze slowly traveled over your bare skin.
“Jesus,” he muttered under his breath. “You’re so beautiful.”
Your cheeks flushed, but the way he looked at you – like he couldn’t believe you were real – made you feel like you were glowing.
You leaned in and kissed him again, this time slower, more deliberate. Bucky let his hands wander up your back and over your sides, memorizing every curve like it was sacred.
Your fingers threaded into his hair, tugging gently as you kissed him, but then Bucky suddenly shifted.
In one smooth, effortless motion, he flipped you – rolling you onto your back and pressing himself over you in one fluid move. You let out a soft gasp of surprise, heart pounding as you looked up at him.
He was smirking again, that same cocky expression that said he knew exactly what he was doing.
“Show-off,” you breathed, your voice slightly shaky from the rush of movement.
“You love it,” he whispered, his nose brushing against yours before he kissed you again – slower this time, but deeper. His body settled between your legs, weight supported by his elbows as he moved against you.
Then he broke the kiss, lips trailing down your jaw and neck once more, making you shiver as he lingered there. His tongue flicked out over your skin before his lips followed, warm and soft and relentless.
He kissed down to your collarbone, then lower.
Your breath hitched.
His mouth found the curve of your breast, and he paused, eyes flicking up to meet yours one more time. Just making sure.
You gave the faintest nod, already dizzy with anticipation.
That was all he needed.
His lips wrapped around your nipple, sucking gently, his tongue swirling in slow circles before he moved to the other, giving each the same reverent attention. His metal hand held your waist, grounding you, while his other slid up your side to cup your breast, thumb brushing lightly as his mouth kept working.
You arched into him, moaning softly, fingers gripping his shoulder. His hips rocked forward, slow and deliberate, pressing himself against you.
Even through the layers of clothing, you could feel the heat between you – the pressure building, the tension thrumming just under your skin.
“Bucky…” you whispered, voice barely there.
He didn’t rush.
He stayed there for a while, still worshipping your chest with soft, open-mouthed kisses, dragging his tongue slowly over your skin and letting his teeth graze lightly before soothing the spot with a kiss. You were a mess beneath him – breath shaky, fingers tangled in the sheets, body aching for more.
But he took his time. Like he wanted to memorize every inch of you.
When he finally started to move lower, his kisses trailed down your stomach, slow and deliberate. He paused at your belly button, giving you a little smirk before kissing just below it.
Then, just as you were starting to squirm from the anticipation, he pressed one last kiss to your lower stomach and started making his way back up. He kissed between your ribs, up your sternum, then back to your lips, where he kissed you deeply – tongue sliding against yours, one hand cradling the back of your head.
When he pulled back, his lips brushed against your cheek as he whispered, “Can I take these off, sweetheart?” His fingers were already hooked lightly in the waistband of your sleep shorts, waiting for your okay.
You nodded, voice caught in your throat, but that wasn’t enough for him. His eyes locked with yours again, more serious this time. “Say it, baby.”
“Yes,” you breathed. “Please.”
That was all he needed.
He sat back a little, pulling your shorts down slowly – like he wanted to savor it – and dropped them off the side of the bed. You were left in just your underwear now, your chest rising and falling fast.
Bucky’s eyes drank you in for a second before he lowered himself again, trailing kisses over your hipbone, then down your inner thigh. His vibranium hand held your knee gently, keeping your leg steady as he pressed kisses there too.
You gasped softly when his thumb rubbed lightly over the damp spot at the center of your underwear. He groaned, low and rough in his throat.
“Fuck, baby…” he said, voice low. “You’re soaked.”
You turned your head to the side, heat blooming across your cheeks.
He leaned in, lips brushing against your ear now. “That all for me?” he asked, voice rough and teasing. His thumb rubbed slow circles over the wet fabric, applying just the slightest pressure.
You whimpered, biting your lip. “Yes.”
He kissed your cheek. “Good,” he said, voice barely a growl. “Because I’m not stopping ‘til I’ve got you falling apart for me.”
Bucky pressed one last kiss just above the edge of your underwear, then looked up at you, eyes dark but still so full of care.
“Can I take these off too, baby?” he asked softly, his fingers already toying with the sides, but not moving further until you answered.
You nodded quickly, breath catching. “Yes. Please.”
He didn’t waste another second.
With slow, steady hands, he hooked his fingers into the waistband and tugged them down your legs, eyes never leaving your face. Once they were off and tossed aside, he leaned back in, one hand resting on your thigh as he trailed kisses up the inside again – this time much closer, much more deliberate.
You felt his breath first – warm and slow against your already-sensitive skin. Then his lips. Gentle at first, like he was easing you into it. But when you gasped and your hips twitched, his hands held you down more firmly.
He looked up for a second, smirking. “That’s it, doll…just let me take care of you.”
And then he really started.
His tongue moved in slow, expert strokes, switching between teasing licks and deep, purposeful movements that had you gasping for air. Your fingers dove into his hair without even thinking, tugging hard as you moaned his name like it was the only word you knew.
“Bucky – oh my god–”
That only spurred him on. He groaned low against you, the vibration sending a fresh wave of pleasure through your body. He gripped your thighs tighter, keeping you spread for him as he focused entirely on you – like this was all he wanted, all he needed.
And you couldn’t stop saying his name.
Over and over, breathless and shaky, like a prayer.
Your hips started to roll against his mouth on instinct, every slow stroke of his tongue drawing you closer and closer to the edge. He kept you there, his hands steady on your thighs, mouth relentless in his focus.
Then – without warning – he shifted slightly, bringing one hand up, and you felt the lightest press of his finger against your entrance.
Your breath hitched. His eyes flicked up to meet yours.
“Okay?” he asked, voice low and hoarse against your skin.
You nodded quickly. “Yes – yes, please.”
With that, he slowly eased one finger inside you, keeping the pressure firm but gentle, still moving his tongue in perfect rhythm.
You arched beneath him, the new sensation overwhelming in the best way. Your fingers tightened in his hair, your thighs trembling around his shoulders as you gasped.
“Bucky – fuck–”
He groaned again, loving the way you said his name, the way your body reacted to him. He added a little curl of his finger as he moved it in and out of you, syncing the pace with his mouth until your whole body was practically humming with tension.
“That’s it,” he murmured between kisses. “You sound so good, baby. You taste even better.”
You whimpered, hips jerking as you clung to the edge, your whole body coiling tight like a spring. His finger moved deeper, firmer, mouth never stopping – his tongue, his lips, his voice all combining into something that pushed you higher and higher.
You were so close now it was unbearable.
“Bucky – I’m–” you gasped, barely able to form words.
He just hummed in response, his free hand sliding up to hold your waist gently, grounding you while you started to come undone.
Your words fell apart as your body seized with pleasure, a high gasp escaping your lips as your back arched and your thighs clamped around him. He didn’t stop – his finger kept moving in that perfect rhythm, his mouth softening just slightly but staying with you through every wave, every tremble, every broken moan of his name.
“That's it,” he murmured, voice low and full of awe between kisses to your inner thigh. “That’s my girl.”
You felt like you were floating, your whole body trembling as the rush of your orgasm pulsed through you. Your fingers slackened in his hair but didn’t let go entirely. He slowed his pace gently, easing you down from the high, coaxing you through every last ripple of sensation.
Only when your legs finally stopped shaking did he press one last kiss to the inside of your thigh, then your hip. You let out a soft, breathy sigh as he pulled back, and the bed dipped when he crawled up over you again.
His hand slid up your side, and then you felt the warmth of his mouth on your jaw, your cheek, your lips. He kissed you like he meant it – slow, sweet, and deep.
“You’re incredible,” he whispered between kisses. “So damn beautiful. You should see yourself.”
Your heart clenched at the way he looked at you – like you were the most precious thing he’d ever held.
You smiled sleepily, still catching your breath. “You’re kind of amazing, you know that?”
He grinned, brushing his nose against yours. “Yeah, but I’ve got nothing on you.”
Then he leaned down and kissed you again, his hand gently brushing your hair back as if you were something to be cherished.
Bucky’s mouth moved hungrily against yours, hands caressing your waist as the heat between your bodies grew almost unbearable. He finally sat back slightly, eyes never leaving yours as his hands moved to the waistband of his sweatpants.
With one swift motion, he pulled them down and kicked them off, followed by his boxers. You felt your breath hitch as your eyes instinctively dropped – he was fully hard now, and…big. Like, bigger than you expected. Your heart thudded in your chest.
“Too much?” he asked, the tiniest smirk playing on his lips, but there was sincerity in his voice too – he was asking seriously, giving you an out if you needed it.
You shook your head slowly, smiling. “Not even close.”
That look he gave you – part hunger, part adoration – sent a full-body shiver through you. He leaned back in, kissing you deeply, slowly. His hips shifted slightly, and you felt him brush against your entrance, just enough to make your body tense with anticipation.
Bucky pulled back just enough to meet your eyes again. “You sure, doll?”
You nodded, voice soft but sure. “I want you.”
He smiled and pressed another kiss to your lips, then trailed down again – along your jaw, your throat, the tops of your breasts. He lingered there, worshipping every inch like you were the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. His hands held your sides firmly, grounding you, steadying himself.
He pulled away again, reaching over to open his nightstand and pulling out a condom. He ripped it open before rolling it on, then bent back down to kiss you again.
You felt him guide himself gently, the anticipation building with each heartbeat.
And then – he paused, breath mingling with yours, his eyes never leaving yours.
Everything about this moment was electric: the heat, the tension, the closeness. But more than anything, it was the trust, the care, the way he looked at you like you were his whole world.
Bucky hovered over you, one hand braced beside your head, the other gently cupping your cheek. His thumb brushed softly across your skin as he looked into your eyes, waiting – checking one more time.
You nodded again, barely breathing. “I’m okay,” you whispered.
He leaned down and kissed you, slow and deep, full of warmth and patience. You could feel the way he held himself back, every movement cautious, like he was determined to do this right. To make you feel safe. Cherished.
As he started to press in, he moved slowly, pausing when he felt you tense just slightly.
“Breathe, baby,” he whispered against your lips. “You’re doing so good for me.”
You took a shaky breath, wrapping your arms tighter around his shoulders, grounding yourself in the strength of him, the warmth of his body. He kissed the side of your neck as he pushed in a little further.
“Fuck,” he breathed. “You’re so tight baby.”
When he was finally fully inside, you let out a soft gasp, your body adjusting around him. He stilled, resting his forehead against yours.
“You okay?” he asked again, voice low, barely more than a breath.
You nodded, your voice just as soft. “Yeah.”
He kissed you again slowly and began a gentle rhythm, each movement careful and intentional. His hands cradled your sides, holding you like you might break, even though the way you clung to him said the opposite.
After a few minutes, the tension shifted. Your fingers started tugging a little harder at his hair. Your hips rolled to meet his. Your breath caught differently now – more desperate. Needier.
Bucky felt it too. His pace quickened slightly, his grip tightened, and he groaned softly into your neck.
“You feel incredible, baby,” he murmured, voice thick and rough with restraint. “So perfect for me.”
The tenderness was still there – woven into every kiss, every touch – but now the heat was rising between you fast, spreading like fire under your skin.
“Oh, Bucky…” you moaned, nails digging into his shoulder.
Bucky’s breath started to quicken, leaning his forehead against yours as he started to whimper.
“Fuck, doll,” he groaned, quickening his pace.
He let out one last groan before he came unraveled too with a groan, breathing heavily while you let out a sigh.
His breathing was still uneven, chest rising and falling as he hovered just above you, supporting himself with a forearm beside your head. Your hands were gently tangled in his hair, fingertips trailing lightly along his scalp, and Bucky leaned in to rest his forehead against yours.
Neither of you spoke at first. The room was quiet, other than the soft hum of the building and your slow, steady breaths syncing together.
“You okay?” he asked quietly, voice low and sincere, his thumb brushing against your cheek.
You nodded, eyes still half-closed. “Yeah,” you whispered. “More than okay.”
Bucky smiled softly, pressing a gentle kiss to your forehead, then another to your temple, before shifting his weight and lying beside you. He curled his arm around your waist, pulling you close until your head was tucked against his chest. His hand rubbed small circles on your back, soothing and warm.
“I still can’t believe you’re mine,” he murmured, lips brushing against your hair.
You laughed softly, the sound muffled against his skin. “I’ve been yours.”
He exhaled, almost like a laugh, and tightened his grip just slightly. “I mean it, doll. You have no idea what you do to me.”
You tilted your head to look up at him, your fingers tracing lazy shapes on his chest. “I think I’m starting to.”
For a moment, you just looked at each other – all the teasing and tension from earlier replaced with something quieter, deeper. His expression was so open, so full of affection, it made your heart ache in the best way.
Then he leaned down and kissed you again – slow, tender, like a promise he was sealing between the two of you.
A few minutes later, you slowly sat up, muscles pleasantly sore and spent. The room was quiet except for the gentle hum of the AC and the sound of Bucky’s breathing beside you – steady, calm, comforting.
“Be right back,” you whispered, brushing your fingers softly over his arm before slipping out of bed.
You padded to the bathroom, still a little wobbly on your feet, and shut the door behind you. You went to the bathroom and splashed some cool water on your face after you washed your hands. You caught your reflection in the mirror and smiled to yourself – flushed cheeks, messed up hair, and a kind of glow you couldn’t quite describe.
When you returned to the bedroom, Bucky was sitting on the edge of the bed now, leaning down to pick up his boxers. As he pulled them back on, you grabbed your sleep shorts and put them on, along with his shirt – oversized and soft – before crawling back into bed beside him.
He rolled toward you immediately, gathering you up like a blanket he’d been missing all night.
“You’re so warm,” he mumbled against your hair.
You giggled softly, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “You’re the one radiating heat like a space heater.”
“Mm, shut up and cuddle me,” he said, smirking at you.
You settled in closer, his arm wrapping tightly around your waist as your head tucked beneath his chin. His fingers lazily traced up and down your spine, slow and absent-minded.
After a long, peaceful pause, he whispered, “You really stayed.”
You tilted your head just enough to look up at him. “I told you I would.”
“I know, but…” He looked down at you, brushing some hair back from your face. “I still can’t believe I get to fall asleep like this.”
You smiled, heart clenching. “Get used to it.”
He smiled back, soft and sleepy. “Yeah,” he murmured, voice a little raspy. “I think I could.”
With one last kiss to your forehead, you both sank into the mattress again, legs tangled, bodies perfectly aligned. Sleep tugged at your limbs, but it wasn’t the exhaustion of before – it was the kind that only came with feeling safe. Held. Loved.
You drifted off in his arms, the steady beat of his heart the last thing you heard before you fell asleep.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Masterlist
Bucky x reader
Summary: She wasn’t supposed to meet him like that. He wasn’t supposed to let her in. But sometimes, things don’t go according to plan.
Word Count: 3,068
Warnings: 18+ only, minors DNI
After a few hours of reading, you closed your book with a dramatic sigh.
“I’m bored. And hungry.”
Bucky just chuckled, closing his own book and looking over at you. “Alright. Where do you wanna go?”
You just hummed, then looked at him with a smile. “We should go somewhere nice. First official date as boyfriend and girlfriend.”
“Okay,” he said with a smile. “I know a place.”
He stood, grabbing your book from your lap, then reaching out his hand to help you up. You took it and stood, then laced your fingers with his as you made your way back to the car.
He opened the passenger door for you, then walked around to the driver’s side and got in, leaning back and tossing the books back into the bag in the back seat.
The drive wasn’t long, just about twenty minutes, with soft music playing on the radio and your fingers still laced with his over the center console. You tried to guess where he was taking you, throwing out random names of restaurants and diners around the city, but he just smirked and shook his head each time.
When he finally pulled up to a charming, warmly lit restaurant tucked on a quiet street corner, you let out a delighted little gasp.
“This is perfect,” you said, already reaching for your door handle.
“Ah, ah,” Bucky scolded playfully, immediately getting out and circling the car.
You just smiled, heart fluttering a little as he opened it for you and held out his hand. You took it gladly, stepping out, and as soon as you were on your feet, he gently tucked your hand into the crook of his arm.
“Such a gentleman,” you murmured, teasing.
He just smirked. “You bring it out of me.”
Inside, the hostess greeted you with a warm smile and led you to a cozy table near the back, the lighting soft and golden. Bucky pulled your chair out before you could even think to reach for it, then sat across from you, his eyes flicking up to meet yours with a fondness that made your cheeks warm.
You both scanned the menus for a few minutes before placing your orders, and once the waitress walked away, you both settled in comfortably, conversation flowing easily.
“You know,” you said, twirling your straw in your drink, “if you keep being this perfect, I might get used to it.”
Bucky grinned, leaning back in his seat, one arm resting over the back of the chair beside him. “That the worst thing that could happen?”
You tilted your head in thought. “Hmm…no. But it does raise the bar significantly for everyone else.”
He leaned forward a little, voice low and teasing. “Good. I don’t want anyone else to try.”
You rolled your eyes with a soft laugh, but your smile lingered as you rested your chin on your hand. “You know, I like this. Just…us. Normal.”
He nodded, his gaze never leaving yours. “Me too, doll.”
The food arrived not long after, and the conversation shifted from mission stories and random Avengers chaos to childhood memories and bucket list dreams. You laughed so hard at one of Bucky’s sarcastic remarks about Sam that you nearly choked on your water, and he looked so pleased with himself it only made you laugh harder.
By the time the plates were cleared, you felt full – not just from the food, but from the warmth of the night, the comfort of Bucky’s presence, the soft kind of happiness that didn’t need to be loud to be real.
And when the waitress asked if you wanted dessert, Bucky looked at you and asked, “You want something sweet?”
You smiled. “I already got you.”
He groaned at the cheesiness, but he was grinning like a fool.
“Alright, now you’re just trying to kill me,” he said with a chuckle.
“Okay but seriously,” you said, looking at the waitress and raising an eyebrow, “what do you have.”
She laughed softly before handing you a dessert menu, telling you she’d give you a few minutes and stepping away.
Bucky clutched his chest as if you’d wounded him, eyes wide with mock betrayal.
“You actually do want something sweet?” he gasped.
You grinned, totally playing along. “I do. I can’t help it. I’m craving something rich and chocolatey.”
He gave an exaggerated sigh and shook his head. “Unbelievable. I give you my heart, and you throw me aside for dessert.”
You snorted. “Please, like you weren’t planning on stealing bites the second it shows up.”
He narrowed his eyes with a smirk. “Bold of you to assume I like sweet things.”
Before you could reply, the waitress returned, and Bucky turned on the charm like a switch. “She’ll have the chocolate lava cake, please.”
You rested your chin on your hand and smiled at him. “You know me so well.”
“I do my best,” he said with a wink.
When the dessert arrived, you practically lit up, grabbing a spoon and diving in with a satisfied hum. “Oh, this is so good.”
You held out a spoonful to him. “C’mon, just one bite.”
He leaned back slightly, shaking his head with a half-smile. “I’m not a big sweets guy.”
You froze mid-spoon lift, gasping dramatically. “Excuse me?”
He raised a brow. “What?”
“You don’t like sweets?” You blinked at him in mock horror. “So you don’t like me?”
His grin turned sly. “Oh, I like you plenty. I can handle some sweetness.” He leaned forward slightly, voice low and teasing. “I’m just saving my dessert for later.”
You paused, caught completely off guard by the heat in his tone. Your brain short-circuited for a second, your cheeks heating as your spoon hovered in midair. But then you laughed, biting your lip and shaking your head.
“Wow,” you said under your breath. “Did not see that one coming.”
But inside, your thoughts were far less composed. The words replayed in your head on a loop, and suddenly, your legs felt a little weaker under the table.
You finished the dessert with a flurry of shared smiles and lingering glances, and when the waitress brought the check, Bucky was already reaching for his wallet.
“I can–” you started, but he was already slipping a card onto the table.
He gave you a look. “I’ve got it.”
You shrugged, completely unbothered. “Good. Because I didn’t even bring my wallet.”
That got a real laugh out of him, head tilting back slightly. “Unbelievable.”
You just grinned smugly, pushing the empty plate toward the edge of the table. “What can I say? I like being spoiled.”
He leaned closer, lips curling into a soft smirk. “Good. I like spoiling you.”
And you couldn’t help it – your stomach flipped again, that light, happy flutter taking over your whole chest as you looked at him across the table.
The waitress came and took the check, then came back a moment later, setting it down with a smile. “All set. You two have a great night.”
“Thanks,” Bucky said with a nod as he stood, already moving around the table.
You started to push your chair back, but he was there before you could even touch it, gently sliding it out for you. You gave him a look as you stood, a smile tugging at your lips. “You really going for the perfect gentleman routine tonight, huh?”
He just offered his arm with a smirk. “Always, doll.”
You looped your arm through his, letting him lead you toward the exit. He opened the restaurant door for you too, holding it until you stepped outside, then following close behind.
When you reached the car, he quickly jogged around to open the passenger door for you. “After you.”
You raised an eyebrow, teasing. “Careful, Barnes. If you keep this up, I might get used to it.”
He smirked. “Good. You should.”
The second you were buckled in, he shut your door and rounded the front to slide into the driver’s seat. He started the car, one hand on the wheel, the other settling comfortably on your thigh.
At first, it was casual – his thumb rubbing slow circles into your leggings. But then his hand started to drift. Just a little. Barely noticeable.
Except your stomach noticed. Immediately.
You glanced down, then shot him a look, grinning. “You know that’s illegal, right?”
He looked far too smug for someone who was definitely not watching the road as closely as he should’ve been. “What? My hand? It’s just resting.”
“Resting doesn’t involve slowly creeping up my thigh like that,” you said, trying to keep your voice even.
His thumb moved just a little higher. “You sure? Feels pretty natural to me.”
You snorted, trying not to squirm. “You’re ridiculous.”
“I’m just saying,” he added casually, “if you didn’t want me touching you, you wouldn’t be wearing these leggings. They’re criminal, doll.”
You laughed despite yourself, shaking your head. “Oh, so it’s my fault now?”
“Completely,” he said without missing a beat. “You wear them, I suffer. It’s a crime against me, really.”
“Uh-huh.” You leaned your head back against the seat, trying to hide your smile – and how warm your skin was getting under his palm. “You’re laying it on thick tonight.”
“Can’t help it,” he said, flashing you a grin. “You looked too damn good crawling across that bed earlier. It’s burned into my brain now.”
You groaned, covering your face with one hand. “You’re such a menace.”
He chuckled, voice low and rich. “You love it.”
You peeked at him through your fingers. “Unfortunately.”
He laughed again, and you felt his hand squeeze your thigh gently – still wandering dangerously close to territory that was definitely not rated for a public highway. But his grin stayed playful, teasing, never crossing the line.
And the whole ride back, the two of you kept trading jokes and flirty banter, your laughter filling the car, the heat between you simmering quietly – the kind of warmth that promised more later, once you were back behind closed doors.
By the time you pulled up to the compound, your face hurt from smiling and your stomach still fluttered every time Bucky’s hand moved just a little higher on your thigh.
He parked the car and turned off the engine, glancing over at you with that same teasing smirk he’d worn all night. “You good?”
You raised a brow. “You mean aside from being relentlessly harassed in the passenger seat?”
“Harassed?” he scoffed, feigning offense. “That was gentle affection.”
You snorted. “Your definition of gentle needs some serious revision.”
He only grinned more, unbuckling and hopping out. You reached for your handle, but – of course – he beat you to it, opening your door with a flourish and offering his hand.
“Thank you, kind sir,” you said with a curtsy of your head as you stepped out.
He shut the door behind you and leaned in. “Anytime, sweetheart.”
You walked side by side into the compound, your steps slow, a bit lazy from the comfortable buzz of good food, warmth, and the lingering tension still dancing between you. The building was quiet – most of the team already turned in for the night. The low hum of lights and soft echo of your footsteps filled the halls as you headed toward his room.
The second you turned the corner toward his hallway, Bucky’s hand found your waist and pulled you in closer, his voice a soft rumble against your ear. “Still sweet?”
You glanced up at him, meeting those blue eyes with a challenge. “Why? You planning on testing that theory?”
His grin was slow and dangerous, his hand tightening just slightly on your waist. “Maybe.”
“Well then,” you said, opening his door, stepping inside, and tugging him in by the front of his shirt, “let’s see.”
The door clicked shut behind him, and the second it did, Bucky was on you.
One hand stayed on your waist as his other came up and cupped your face as his lips met yours. His fingers slid back into your hair as the kiss deepened, and your hands fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer, your bodies pressing flush.
You walked backward blindly, lips never parting, until your legs hit the edge of the bed. His hands were everywhere – your waist, your back, skimming the hem of your sweater and slipping underneath. Your breath hitched at the feeling of his fingers on your skin, warm and a little rough, his touch reverent and searching.
He picked you up effortlessly, laying you down on the bed as he climbed on and hovered over top of you. He used his knee to part your legs, then settled in between them as he leaned back down to you.
His lips crashed into yours again, more urgent now. He pulled your sweater up and over your head, tossing it aside without even looking, then leaned in to press open-mouthed kisses down your neck, taking his time like he had nowhere else to be but with you.
You gasped when he reached a sensitive spot near your collarbone, your hands tightening in his shirt before you started pulling it up. His red henley joined your sweater on the floor, and your fingers traced over the defined lines of his chest, the contrast of soft skin and firm muscle beneath your palms making your stomach flip.
His hand slipped underneath your back, unhooking your bra, then pulling it off of you.
His eyes dragged over you with quiet reverence, his voice dropping to a husky murmur as he leaned in and pressed a slow, lingering kiss to the center of your chest.
“God, you’re perfect,” he breathed, lips brushing over your skin with every word. “You have no idea what you do to me.”
You felt your cheeks flush, your breath catching as his kisses trailed lower – over your ribs, down your stomach – each one deliberate, slow, like he was savoring you.
“Still sweet?” he whispered again, his smirk returning as he glanced up at you, lips just above the waistband of your leggings.
You arched an eyebrow, challenging. “You tell me.”
That was all the permission he needed.
His fingers hooked into the band of your leggings, dragging them down achingly slow. “I plan on finding out,” he murmured, the heat in his voice sending a shiver through you. “Told you I was saving dessert for later.”
He kissed your hipbone, then lower, his voice rough with want as he added, “And I’ve been starving, sweetheart.”
Your breath hitched again as he settled between your thighs, and then his mouth was on you – warm, purposeful, and utterly devastating.
You cried out, fingers threading through his hair, hips instinctively rolling toward him. He held you firm, one hand gripping your thigh as the other slid slowly up your side, grounding you.
“Mmm,” he hummed, wicked and pleased against your skin. “Knew it. Fucking sweetest thing I’ve ever tasted.”
You were already trembling, pleasure curling low in your belly, but that voice – his voice – was what unraveled you. He kept talking between kisses, every word more sinful than the last.
“Could spend all night right here, doll…tasting you, hearing those sounds…”
You whimpered, and he chuckled darkly. “That’s it. That’s my girl. Let go for me baby.”
It didn’t take long.
And when he finally pulled himself back up over you, his mouth found yours again – slow, deep, dizzying – and when you tasted yourself on his tongue, your whole body lit up all over again.
And for the rest of the night, he made good on every promise his voice had made.
--
The soft hum of the alarm drifted through the room just after sunrise.
You didn’t move.
You were still curled against Bucky’s chest, your leg draped over his, your body tangled with his beneath the sheets. His arms were wrapped around you, protective even in sleep, one hand resting over the curve of your waist like it belonged there.
You felt him stir before the alarm clicked off – his thumb tracing slow, lazy circles against your skin.
“Morning,” he murmured, his voice low and gravelly, laced with sleep.
“Mm,” you hummed, eyes still closed, “no it’s not. It’s too early to be morning.”
He chuckled softly, and the sound rumbled through his chest against your cheek. “Fair point.”
You both lay there in the stillness for a while, no rush, no expectations. Just the warmth of the covers, the quiet hum of the compound beyond the walls, and the comfort of being exactly where you were supposed to be.
Eventually, you shifted just enough to look up at him. His hair was tousled, eyes still heavy with sleep, but the soft look on his face when he met your gaze made your heart flutter.
“What?” you whispered, smiling.
He shook his head slightly. “Nothin’. Just…never thought I’d be waking up like this.”
You let your fingers drift lightly over his bare chest, feeling his heartbeat beneath your touch. “Yeah,” you whispered. “Kind of crazy how fast everything changed.”
Bucky didn’t respond right away, but he looked at you with that rare kind of softness that was reserved only for you.
You tucked your face back into the crook of his neck, breathing him in, and let your thoughts wander. It really was wild, how different everything felt now. How not long ago, he was the quiet, brooding guy in the corner, the one everyone called grumpy. The one who barely spoke to anyone.
And now?
Now he was the one who kept your toothbrush in his drawer. Who ordered your dessert without asking. Who kissed you like it was the only language he knew.
“Y’know,” you said softly, “you haven’t been that grumpy lately.”
He hummed, eyes closed again. “Don’t need to be. Not when I’ve got you.”
You felt your chest squeeze, your smile turning soft and full of something deeper.
“Guess the new girl fixed the grump,” you teased gently.
He smirked, eyes cracking open. “Nah. She just gave him something to smile about.”
You leaned up and kissed him, slow and sweet – no rush, no pressure. Just love. Real and full and steady.
And as the morning light spilled gently through the curtains, you stayed right there in his arms, knowing that this wasn’t the end of your story.
It was just the beginning.
--
Masterlist
Thank you guys so much for the love on this series!!!! I appreciate you all so much! I loved writing this, but I decided it was time to wrap it up...I have so much more in store for you all though!
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Masterlist
Bucky x reader
Summary: She wasn’t supposed to meet him like that. He wasn’t supposed to let her in. But sometimes, things don’t go according to plan.
Word Count: 10,661
I was gonna break this into two parts because it's so long, but I couldn't do that to you guys...😏
Bucky’s alarm buzzed again the next morning, sharp in the silence of the dark room.
You stirred first, blinking slowly as you became aware of the warmth pressed against you – and under you.
Your head was tucked against Bucky’s chest, one arm draped behind his neck, the other resting on his chest. Your leg was tangled between his, and you realized, all at once, that you were practically laying on top of him.
You tilted your head up just slightly, meeting his tired but amused eyes.
“Morning Sleeping Beauty,” he said, voice raspy, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “Comfortable?”
You groaned softly, burying your face against him. “Don’t judge me. You’re warm and stupid comfortable.”
He chuckled, the sound low and rumbling under your cheek.
“I mean,” he said, “not that I’m complaining. But if anyone walks in, I’m gonna need you to explain why you’re on top of me right now.”
You laughed, pushing yourself up slightly.
But as you started to shift, his arm around your waist tightened, just for a second, like it was instinct. Like his body wasn’t quite ready to let you go yet.
You froze, eyes flicking to his. He was still looking at you, still half-asleep, and after a beat…he loosened his hold.
“Sorry,” he murmured. “Didn’t mean to–”
“No,” you said quickly, giving him a small smile. “It’s okay.”
You moved just enough to sit up, still perched beside him. “How do you feel this morning?”
He ran a hand through his hair, glancing up at the ceiling. “Good. Like…actually good.”
“Really?” you asked, a little surprised.
“Yeah,” he said, shifting slightly to sit up more. “Weird, right? After how bad it gets…usually I wake up the next day like it never happened. Head’s clear. Energy’s back. It’s always a little disorienting.”
You nodded, watching him carefully. “But you really feel okay?”
He met your eyes again, warm and a little softer now.
“I do,” he said. “Thanks to you.”
He finally sat up, rubbing his eyes once before standing up and walking over to the window. He opened the curtains and pulled up the blinds, finally letting light into the room.
You swung your legs over the side of the bed and went to stand up, but the second you put pressure on your ankle a sharp pain ripped through your leg. You winced and inhaled sharply, lowering yourself back down onto the bed.
Bucky turned at the sound of your breath catching, his eyes immediately locking on you.
“Are you okay?” he asked, already crossing the room.
You gave him a strained nod as you leaned forward, rubbing at your ankle. “Yeah. Steve said it’d hurt worse today after PT,” you explained, trying to wave him off.
He glanced down at your ankle before looking back at you. “Well, just sit here for a little bit and move it. I’m gonna get ready quick.”
“Okay,” you said, already moving your ankle in slow circles.
A few minutes later, you tried to stand up again, slower this time. The ache was sharp, but you managed to get fully upright, gripping the edge of the bed for support.
The bathroom door swung open just as you were steadying yourself.
Bucky froze in the doorway, clothes still in hand.
“Seriously?” he said, already striding over to you.
“I’m fine,” you insisted, lifting your chin even as your ankle throbbed.
“You should’ve waited for me to help,” he said, voice low with worry, reaching out to grab your waist and steady you. “You’re just asking to fall on your face.”
You smirked as you leaned into his side. “You’re really leaning into this Sergeant Softie title, huh?”
He gave you an exasperated look, but you didn’t miss the slight upward tug at the corner of his mouth.
“I swear, you’re gonna be the death of me,” he mumbled, tightening his arm around your waist. “Come on. I’ll walk you back to your room.”
You didn’t protest this time.
You just let him guide you out, one careful step at a time, tucked into his side.
Because if this was your new normal – the soft mornings, the easy teasing, the way he always came running – you weren’t complaining. Not one bit.
When you got to your room, Bucky nudged the door open with his foot, guiding you inside.
“Alright,” he said, leading you straight toward the bed. “Sit.”
You gave him a look. “I need to get ready.”
He didn’t blink. “Sit.”
You huffed but sat down anyway. “I can get my clothes, you know.”
“Nope,” he said. “I’ve got it. Just tell me what you want to wear.”
You gave him a slightly amused look. “You’re really gonna dig through my stuff?”
“Yes,” he muttered with a smirk. “Now tell me what you want.”
You rolled your eyes but pointed toward your dresser. “Top drawer – the black biker shorts and the matching sports bra with the white trim.”
He went straight over, opening the drawer and carefully sorting through until he held up the right set.
“This?” he asked.
You nodded. “Yep.”
He grabbed the set, then paused. “Shirt?”
You thought for a second. “Uh…gray tank top in the closet, left side.”
He made his way over, grabbed the tank, and then opened the bathroom door, placing everything neatly on the counter.
“Okay, anything else?” he asked.
“No, that’s it.”
You pushed yourself up with his help, carefully hobbling toward the bathroom with his arm still around your waist.
As you reached the door, you glanced at him with a sly smile.
“What, you’re not gonna help me put it on too?”
He froze for just half a second, then turned his head with a grin.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
“Bucky!” you yelled, smacking his chest with your hand as heat rushed to your face.
He laughed, backing out of the doorway with both hands raised. “Alright, alright – I’m going, I’m going.”
You glared at him as the door clicked shut behind you, but you were smiling too.
You emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, walking a little easier than you had earlier. It still hurt, but the stiffness had faded a bit, and you could at least put some weight on it without wincing.
You’d pulled Bucky’s sweatshirt back on over your workout set, the sleeves slightly too long and the hem falling past your hips – the same way it always did. It felt warm, familiar, like him.
Bucky was waiting right by the bed, arms crossed casually, but his eyes immediately dropped to your ankle as you stepped out.
“Better?” he asked.
You nodded. “Yeah. Getting there.”
He didn’t say anything else – just stepped forward, took your clothes from you, and walked them over to your laundry basket in the corner. He tossed them in like it was routine.
You walked over to your dresser and grabbed a pair of socks while Bucky grabbed your shoes from the closet. You sat on the edge of the bed to put your socks on, and without saying a word, Bucky knelt down in front of you and started to put your shoes on for you.
“I’m capable of putting on my own shoes, y’know?” you said, looking down at him with an amused look on your face.
He finished tying one shoe before slipping the other one on. “I know,” he said, glancing up at you. “But you don’t have to if I’m here.”
You stared down at him for a second, your heart doing that soft, fluttery thing again.
It wasn’t just what he said – it was the way he said it. So casual. So certain. Like it wasn’t even a question to him anymore: if he could help you, he would.
Bucky finished tying your second shoe and patted your knee lightly before standing up.
You smiled up at him, warmth flooding your chest. “Thanks, Sergeant Softie.”
He rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk. “Keep calling me that and I’m gonna start charging you for my services.”
You laughed, standing carefully as his arm hovered near your waist.
“You ready?” he asked, his voice softer now.
“Yeah,” you said, already walking to the door. He opened the door for you as you stepped into the hallway together.
You walked beside him down the hall, moving a little slower than usual, but mostly managing on your own. Still, Bucky kept his hand on the small of your back the whole way, just in case you needed him.
The second you walked into the kitchen, all conversation came to a halt.
“Well, look who’s finally attached at the hip again,” Sam called out.
Clint leaned on the counter with his eyebrows raised. “For a second, I thought you two broke up. I was gonna send flowers.”
“Please,” Nat added, sipping her coffee. “Like they’d survive more than a few hours apart.
“Must’ve been agonizing,” Tony muttered dramatically. “Do you guys get chest pain if you’re not touching for more than an hour?”
You just rolled your eyes and made your way to the island while Bucky reached into the cabinet for two mugs like he’d done it a thousand times before – which he kinda had.
But the jokes kept coming.
“So where were you guys yesterday, anyway?” Clint asked, squinting at both of you. “No one saw you. It was like you fell off the face of the earth.”
“Went full bunker mode,” Sam added. “I figured you were either in hiding or building IKEA furniture together.”
Nat raised a brow. “Definitely not in the gym. Or the lounge. Or literally anywhere else on this floor.”
Bucky set your coffee in front of you and said, without missing a beat, “We were just in my room.”
You turned and gave him a look, already biting back a laugh. “Like that’s gonna make this better.”
The group immediately let out another round of teasing noises – oohs and whistles echoing through the kitchen like a high school lunchroom.
“Just in your room?” Tony asked, raising his eyebrows.
Wanda smiled softly behind her mug. “Should’ve led with something less suspicious.”
You shook your head, laughing under your breath. “It wasn’t like that.”
Bucky smirked, then added more quietly, “I had a migraine. Bad one. She stayed with me.”
That brought the room to a brief pause.
Not dramatic, not awkward – just a beat of silence as the teasing tapered off and a few glances were exchanged.
“Oh,” Sam said, his tone shifting. “You good now?”
“Yeah,” Bucky nodded. “All good.”
“That was sweet,” Wanda said, her voice warm. “Really.”
There was a short, genuine moment of understanding. And then–
“So…you two are just gonna go ahead and get married now, right?” Clint said, grabbing a banana. “Skip the dating, skip the drama – straight to vows.”
“Already acting like an old married couple anyway,” Tony agreed. “Might as well make it official.”
You groaned into your coffee. “Unreal.”
After a little while, things had mostly settled again. The teasing had softened into casual conversation after everyone finished their food and were just nursing mugs of coffee.
You were still seated beside Bucky, his hand resting on the back of your chair now, thumb lightly brushing the fabric of your sweatshirt like he didn’t even realize he was doing it.
Then, Steve walked in and looked around before he started talking. “Alright,” he said, clapping his hands once. “Training starts soon. Finish up and start heading down.”
A few scattered groans answered him, but everyone started moving.
Steve stepped further into the room and gave a nod toward Bucky. “Hey, Buck. Didn’t see you around yesterday, where’d you disappear to?”
He opened his mouth to explain, but he was a second too slow.
“Oh, he was around,” Sam said, grinning as he stood. “Just locked away in his room all day with her.”
“Didn’t come out once,” Clint added, shaking his head in mock disappointment. “Unbelievable behavior.”
“Truly scandalous,” Tony said, deadpan. “We’re lucky the walls are soundproof.”
Steve’s eyes went wide as he turned to Bucky, brows raised, mouth parting slightly like he didn’t know if he should be horrified or impressed. “Wait…what?”
Bucky rolled his eyes, waving them all off. “It wasn’t like that.”
He turned to Steve. “I had a migraine. She stayed with me.”
Steve blinked, his shoulders relaxing instantly as the tension dropped from his face. “Oh – okay. Got it.”
He glanced around the room at the others, clearly realizing he’d been set up.
Sam just gave him a smug look. “Come on, man. You really think he’d tell us if it was like that?”
Everyone burst out laughing as Steve groaned, shaking his head and walking toward the fridge.
“You guys are the worst.”
“And yet,” Tony said, raising his mug in salute, “you still hang out with us.”
Steve just muttered something under his breath and grabbed a bottle of water.
You leaned toward Bucky, smirking. “You think he’s blushing?”
Bucky glanced at Steve’s pink-tinted ears and smirked. “Definitely.”
As everyone started getting up from the table, Bucky stayed close beside you.
Without saying anything, he reached out and gently pulled your chair back for you, then held out his hand.
You smiled softly as you placed your hand in his, letting him help you to your feet.
He kept your hand in his for a second longer than he needed to before giving a small squeeze and letting go.
Then, without missing a beat, he grabbed both your mug and his, carrying them over to the sink and rinsing them out quickly.
You watched him for a second, warmth blooming quietly in your chest, before you started making your way toward the door.
Bucky caught up with you easily, falling into step at your side as you headed down the hall together toward the training room, his hand occasionally brushing against the small of your back as you walked.
When you reached the training room, the rest of the team was already in there, stretching and warming up.
But instead of doing the same, Bucky walked with you to the room off the training floor where your PT was set up.
Steve was already inside, checking a clipboard and making notes.
Bucky slowed as you stepped through the door, and you turned slightly to face him.
He didn’t say anything at first – just leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head, his hand resting briefly on your waist.
“Good luck, doll,” he murmured.
You smiled up at him, feeling the butterflies immediately start up again.
Steve watched the whole thing happen with a slow, slightly amused shake of his head.
When Bucky disappeared out the door, Steve chuckled under his breath.
“I’ve known that guy for almost a century,” he said, glancing at you with a crooked smile. “And I’ve never seen him like this.”
You laughed softly, cheeks warming as you made your way over to the mat.
Steve walked you through a few new exercises before he left too, but they were mainly the same as yesterday. It didn’t take too long, so when you finished, you went out to find Steve.
You were moving surprisingly well, ankle feeling as good as it has since you hurt it.
Training was still in full swing when you stepped carefully back out into the main room.
It didn’t take long for Bucky to notice you.
You barely made it a few steps from the side room before he looked up – mid-combat drill with a punching bag – and immediately abandoned it without a second thought.
He was at your side in seconds, breathing heavily, wiping the back of his hand across his forehead.
“How’d it go?” he asked.
You smiled, touched by how fast he dropped everything to come over. “Good. Feels the best it has in days.”
Before he could say anything else, the others noticed.
“Aww, look at this!” Sam called across the room, hands on his hips. “Mr. Badass Assassin dropping everything the second his girl shows up.”
Clint clapped mockingly from across the mat. “True love, folks. True love in the training room.”
“Someone grab a camera,” Tony added. “This has Hallmark movie energy.”
Bucky just rolled his eyes but didn’t move away from you.
You were about to say something, maybe tease him back, when Steve came over.
“How’d it go?” he asked, more seriously.
“Good,” you repeated, giving him a small nod.
“Perfect,” Steve said with a smile. “Let’s get you back into the med room for another ice bath, just to stay ahead of the swelling.”
Bucky glanced at Steve, clearly reluctant to leave you, but you gave him a small smile and touched his arm lightly.
“Go back to your training. I’m fine.”
He held your gaze for another beat, like he was making sure, before finally nodding and stepping back toward his punching bag.
Steve just chuckled under his breath, watching him go.
“Never thought I’d see the day when Barnes acted like that,” he said quietly as he turned back to you. “You’ve got him wrapped around your finger.”
You laughed softly, following Steve back across the floor toward the med room.
About 10 minutes later, you were leaned back in a chair with your ankle in the bucket, the cold water surrounding it making it feel even better.
You had your head resting on the wall behind you and your eyes closed when you heard the door open.
You lifted your head up and opened your eyes, but you knew exactly who it was going to be.
“How’s it feel?” Bucky said, walking over while running a towel through his sweaty hair.
“Good. Feels like I could run a mile,” you joked, grinning.
“Maybe don’t do that,” he replied, laughing.
“But seriously, I think I need to get out of the compound before I go insane,” you said, dramatically leaning your head back onto the wall. “I’ve been couped up since I got here basically.”
“Well then we should go do something,” he said, without hesitation. “What were you thinking?”
“Well, the one thing I actually have to do is go shopping for new clothes–” you started, but couldn’t finish before Bucky cut in.
“Okay. I can take you to the mall.”
You lifted your head off the wall just enough to glance at him.
You expected him to be joking, because what guy in their right mind would want to go to the mall. Even you didn’t enjoy it that much. But when you moved into the compound, you got rid of a lot of old clothes that didn’t fit anymore, and you were in desperate need of new clothes, so you had no choice.
But Bucky did. And he still offered to take you.
“You do realize what I just said, right?” you asked him, raising an eyebrow.
“Yeah…” he replied, looking at you like he was confused.
“So…you’re telling me that you want to go to the mall?”
“What I want is to spend the day with you,” he answered, like it was obvious. “And if that means taking you to the mall then, okay.”
You just stared at him for a second, jaw dropping slightly and heart skipping a beat before you recovered.
You let out a breathless laugh, shaking your head. “Guys don’t just…do that, though. Voluntarily go to the mall.”
Bucky just shrugged casually, wiping the back of his neck with the towel. “Then they’re idiots.”
You snorted softly, feeling your cheeks warm. “You say that like it’s obvious.”
“‘Cause it is,” he said simply, stepping closer and tossing the towel onto a nearby chair. “If spending a couple hours at the mall means spending the day with you, I don’t see the problem.”
You smiled, feeling a little flutter in your chest, but then you started wondering if it didn’t have to do with something else.
“You’re not just…doing this because you feel bad, are you?” you asked, your voice a little softer now. “Because I stayed with you yesterday?”
Bucky blinked, genuinely thrown off. “What? No,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m doing this because I want to. I like spending time with you.”
Your heart fluttered and you opened your mouth to say something – anything – but your brain couldn’t form any words.
So you just smiled instead, the kind of smile you couldn’t hold back even if you tried.
“Okay then,” you said finally, trying to sound casual even though you were pretty sure your heart was doing somersaults. “Mall date it is.”
Bucky just smirked. “Deal.”
You glanced up at the clock, realizing that the 10 minutes was up. You didn’t say anything, just slowly lifted your foot out of the water.
“Can you grab me a–”
You looked up, but Bucky was already holding a towel.
“Oh, never mind.”
You reached out to grab it from him, but he just knelt down in front of you and wrapped it around your ankle, slowly and softly patting it dry. Then, he set your foot on the ground, still wrapped in the towel, and grabbed the bucket, dumping it into the sink for you.
As he set the bucket down and turned back toward you, you just gave him a look.
“You know,” you said, narrowing your eyes at him playfully, “you’re getting kind of scary good at this.”
“At what?” he asked innocently, grabbing your water bottle off the counter and handing it to you without you even needing to ask.
You just raised your eyebrows. “At knowing exactly what I need before I even say anything.”
He shrugged, trying to look casual, but you didn’t miss the way the corner of his mouth twitched, like he was fighting a smile.
“Lucky guess,” he said, completely deadpan.
You laughed, shaking your head. “Right. You just guessed I needed a towel, guessed I needed help drying my ankle, guessed I was about to ask for my water.”
“What can I say, doll,” he said, smirking as he finally let that hidden smile slip through, “I’m a man of many talents.”
You just laughed, then unwrapped the towel from your ankle. You threw it off to the side with Bucky’s then stood up.
“If we’re gonna be walking all day, you might wanna try to stay off your ankle before we leave.”
You raised an eyebrow again. “What, you gonna carry me bridal-style back to my room after I just said my ankle felt good?”
“Nah,” he said, trying to fight a smile. “I was thinking piggy-back ride.”
You snorted, then started to walk toward the door. But Bucky stayed right in front of you so you couldn’t go far.
Then, he turned around and bent down, sticking his arms out behind him. “Hop up.”
You just laughed, then tried to step around him. “You’re not giving me a piggy-back ride.”
“Oh, come on, it’ll be fun,” he fake-whined, standing up straight and glancing back at you. “I promise not to drop you.”
You just sighed and shook your head, but as he bent back down, you put your hands on his shoulders and jumped onto his back.
He hooked his arms behind your legs and his hands grabbed the bottom of your thighs, pushing you up higher on his back. The touch sent a jolt of electricity through your whole body.
“Giddy up,” you said, laughing.
He just laughed along with you as he grabbed your shoe, sock, and sweatshirt and walked out the door.
When you stepped out, most of the others were still there, either stretching or just talking, and they all looked over immediately.
Sam was the first to react, dramatically clutching his chest. “Look at them! True love in its purest form!”
Clint whistled low. “Damn, Barnes, didn’t know you were into carrying your girl around like a damn knight.”
“We need a picture of this,” Tony declared, already fishing his phone out of his pocket.
“Oh, definitely,” Nat agreed, grinning wide. “This is historic.”
You laughed, but before you could say anything, Tony was already aiming his phone at you.
“Come on, lovebirds, pose,” he said with a mischievous grin.
Without thinking too much about it, you leaned your head down so your cheek pressed gently against Bucky’s, the warmth of his skin making your heart skip a beat. You moved your hands from his shoulders to loosely wrap around his neck, holding onto him just a little tighter.
The closeness sent another jolt through your entire body – the kind that made your skin tingle and your stomach flip.
You felt Bucky freeze for just half a second, like he felt it too, before relaxing into it, his hands tightening slightly on your thighs to keep you steady.
“There it is,” Tony said smugly, looking at the photo. “Perfect. That one’s going in the compound’s hall of fame.”
Bucky just shook his head, still laughing under his breath, and adjusted you on his back as he started walking again.
“Thank you for that,” you muttered teasingly into his ear as he carried you down the hall toward your room.
“Hey, you’re the one who leaned in like we were doing a wedding photoshoot,” he teased back, glancing over his shoulder at you with a smirk.
“He told me to pose,” you argued, grinning.
“Yeah, I didn’t know you were gonna go full cuddly koala mode,” he said, adjusting you a little higher again on his back.
You just laughed, tightening your arms around his neck slightly. “Face it, Barnes. You love it.”
He huffed out a laugh but didn’t deny it – not even a little.
When he walked into your room, he turned around and bent down, gently setting you on your bed.
“So,” he said, turning around to face you. “What do you wanna wear to the mall.”
You just hummed, still a little distracted from the closeness you just had to him. “I don’t know, what’s the weather like?”
“I think it’s supposed to get pretty warm today.”
“Okay. Let’s go with…jeans. Bottom drawer. Then my plain white cropped tee, in like, the middle of my closet. And my black zip-up on the right side of my closet, in case I get cold.”
Bucky made his way around the room, grabbing everything you asked for then holding it all up. “This good?”
“Yeah,” you said, getting up off the bed and walking over to the dresser. You grabbed the bra and underwear you wanted, then walked into the bathroom. He followed behind you, setting your clothes on the counter.
“Alright, I’m gonna go shower and change. Meet you downstairs?”
“Sounds good,” you said, already peeling off your sweaty tank top.
He paused for a brief second, looking you up and down without you realizing. You turned away to start your shower, then he finally looked away as you turned back to him.
“Okay,” he mumbled, shutting the door behind him as he walked out.
You finished undressing, then took a quick shower. You changed into your clothes, dried your hair, then dropped your workout clothes into the laundry basket before slipping on your Birkenstock sandals. You gave yourself one last look-over in the mirror before grabbing your phone, purse, and jacket and heading downstairs.
When you got down there, Bucky was already sitting on the couch in the common room, scrolling on his phone. He was wearing jeans and a red henley, hair still damp from the shower.
And man, did he look good.
Before you could say anything, he looked up from his phone. “You ready?”
“Yep!”
He stood up and slid his phone into his pocket. “I figured we could just go out for lunch before we hit the mall, if that works?”
“Yeah, you can pick where we go.”
“You sure?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at you.
“Yeah. I mean, you are willingly offering to take me shopping, so.”
He just laughed before walking toward the kitchen. “Sounds good to me.”
You followed him in and waited as he grabbed a leather jacket and his keys. And, of course, Nat and Wanda walked in as you were making your way toward the elevator.
They both stopped mid-conversation when they saw you two heading for the elevator, Bucky’s jacket slung casually over his arm, keys dangling from his fingers.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Nat said, narrowing her eyes with a smirk. “Where are you two sneaking off to?”
You laughed, stepping into the elevator with Bucky right beside you. “The mall. I need new clothes.”
Nat blinked, clearly stunned. “And he’s going with you? Willingly?”
Wanda leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, smiling wide. “Wait, Bucky Barnes offered to go to the mall?”
Bucky just shrugged, totally unbothered. “She needed to go. I’m just along for the ride.”
Nat snorted. “Along for the ride, my ass. You’re gonna be carrying shopping bags and telling her she looks good in every outfit.”
You laughed, elbowing Bucky lightly. He just shook his head, trying – and failing – to hide the tiny grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“He likes it,” you teased under your breath.
“Damn right he does,” Nat said, exchanging a look with Wanda.
Before you could step fully into the elevator, Steve and Sam strolled into the kitchen, both dressed down in athletic gear.
“Where are you two headed?” Steve asked, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.
“The mall,” Nat and Wanda said at the same time.
“No way.” Sam said, jaw dropping. “Don’t tell me you’re going shopping.”
Bucky raised an eyebrow. “You got a problem with that?”
“No, no,” Sam said, holding up both hands, grinning like crazy. “I’m just shocked. Never thought I’d see the day. Barnes. At a mall. Voluntarily.”
Steve looked just as baffled, blinking between the two of you. “I’ve known him my whole life. I’ve never seen him like this.”
Nat leaned against the counter, smirking. “You should’ve seen them earlier. She jumps on his back, he carries her across the building, poses for a picture like it’s prom night...”
“Oh, I saw the picture,” Steve said. “It’s already in the group chat.”
Bucky groaned under his breath. “You’re all children.”
“But you love us,” Nat said sweetly, patting his arm as she walked past.
Steve just shook his head, smiling as he sipped his water. “Seriously, Buck. It’s good to see you like this.”
Bucky didn’t say anything – just gave a small shrug, casual and a little shy at the same time.
“Alright, alright,” Sam said, waving you toward the elevator. “Go have your little mall date. Don’t forget to pick out matching outfits.”
You rolled your eyes and grabbed Bucky’s hand, tugging him into the elevator.
“See you guys later,” you called as the doors slid shut.
Bucky just chuckled and shook his head as the elevator hummed to life and started going down to the garage.
“What,” you said, narrowing your eyes at him.
“I don’t think I’ll ever hear the end of this,” he said.
“Oh, definitely not,” you said, laughing. “I mean, you really are whipped now.”
He just laughed and shook his head again as the elevator came to a stop. You walked into the garage and Bucky headed around to the passenger side in front of you, opening your door for you.
You thanked him before he closed the door for you and walked back around the car to get in.
On the ride there, you mostly sat in comfortable silence, so you pulled your phone out of your purse to check it. You still hadn’t looked at the group chat, so you opened it.
The first thing that popped up was the picture of you and Bucky. And you had to admit, it was one of the cutest things you’d ever seen.
You had your arms wrapped around him, heads pressed together, and you both had big, cheesy smiles on your faces. You knew you had been smiling like a fool, but you didn’t expect him to be also.
Without thinking, you saved the picture to your phone before tucking it back in your purse.
When you got to the mall, Bucky circled the parking lot a couple of times, trying to find the closest spot. He finally found one that someone had just backed out of and pulled in, turning off the car.
“I’ve never been here, but I’m assuming there’s a food court?” he asked, turning toward you.
“Yeah, it’s huge,” you said, unbuckling your seatbelt. “Good luck choosing, there’s a lot of good stuff.”
You both got out and made your way to the doors. When you walked in, it was busier than usual, so you looped your arm through Bucky’s metal one to stay close, hand resting in the crook of his arm. He glanced over at you, looking surprised for a split second, before continuing forward, stopping at a map of the mall.
“Here’s where we are,” you said, pointing, other arm still looped with his. “The food court is just over there.”
“Okay,” he said, looking in that direction. As you guys headed over that way, you reached up and grabbed his forearm with your other hand, trying to stay as close as possible.
He glanced down at you, once again, but didn’t say anything.
When you finally got to the food court, you made a lap, looking at all the options.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“Hey, it’s not my job to decide,” you replied, laughing.
“I know, I just didn’t know if there was something that sounded good to you.”
“Nope, all up to you.”
He just hummed, looking around again. “I think I might go with that Chinese place, it sounds really good right now.”
“Mmm, good choice. I had it once and it was good.”
He smiled, seeming satisfied with your answer, and led you over to get in line.
It wasn’t long before they took your order, and Bucky let you go first before he ordered and paid.
You only waited a few minutes until you got your food, then found a little table in the corner to sit down.
“So, what’s the plan?” he asked, opening his container of food. “Is there certain places you wanna go, or do you just wanna walk around and decide from there.”
You took a bite of your food, thinking about it before answering. “There are a few places I know I wanna stop, but we can just walk around, because there might be more.”
“Okay, sounds good,” he answered, digging into his own food.
You ate in silence and finished around the same time.
“Mmm, that was good,” he said, wiping his face with a napkin.
“Told you. It’s one of the best Chinese places I’ve been to.”
“I might have to come back just for this,” he said grinning.
“Well, count me in,” you replied, shutting your container. “You ready?”
“Yep,” he said, shutting his own container and grabbing them both, tossing them in a nearby trash can.
You stood up and found his arm again as you started weaving your way through the mall, the buzz of chatter and the smell of cinnamon rolls filling the air.
The first store you stopped at was American Eagle.
You barely stepped a few feet inside, reaching out to flip through a rack of jeans, when your purse slid off your shoulder, dropping down your arm.
Before you could even push it back up, Bucky just reached over, slipped it off your arm entirely, and tossed the strap over his own shoulder like it was nothing.
You blinked at him, caught off guard. “You’re seriously gonna carry my purse?”
He shrugged like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “You need your hands free.”
You snorted. “You’re setting new boyfriend standards right now. Guys everywhere are about to hate you.”
He just smirked and kept pace with you, unbothered.
The second you grabbed a pair of jeans to try on, Bucky was right there, taking them gently from your hand.
“Hey,” you protested, half-laughing.
“I’ll hold it all,” he said casually. “You just focus on shopping.”
And he meant it.
Every time you picked up something new – a couple of shirts, another pair of jeans –Bucky automatically took them from you, juggling your growing pile effortlessly with his free hand, your purse still slung over his metal arm.
When you were ready to try things on, Bucky followed you to the fitting rooms, standing outside the door with his back leaned casually against the wall.
You peeked your head out. “You’re really gonna stay here?”
He gave you a look. “Course I am.”
You smiled and slipped inside, pulling on the first outfit.
One by one, you modeled for him – stepping out and spinning slowly in front of him.
You expected a few half-distracted nods or maybe a polite “looks good.”
Instead, he took it seriously – tilting his head, studying the fit, offering honest opinions.
“That one’s good, but the other jeans fit better,” he said after you spun in a dark wash pair.
“That color’s perfect on you,” he added when you tried on a dusty blue top, his voice so casual and certain it made your heart thud a little harder.
You grinned, feeling slightly flustered – in the best way – every time he nodded approvingly or smirked when you teased him with a little twirl.
Once you paid for your things, Bucky carried the shopping bag without a word, balancing it in the same arm holding your purse.
You moved on to a few other stores – a cute little athletic store where you found some new leggings and matching tops, a casual basics store where you grabbed a few staple tees and shorts, and even a little boutique where you picked out a sundress you hadn't planned on but couldn’t resist.
Each time, Bucky was the same – holding bags, carrying your purse, giving honest opinions, and standing outside dressing rooms without a single complaint.
In fact, he seemed to like it – being there, helping you.
You teased him about it once as he loaded yet another bag into his hand.
“You know, you’re making this dangerously easy for me. I’m gonna start expecting this treatment every time I shop.”
Bucky gave a mock-sigh and grinned. “Whatever you need, doll.”
You stepped out of another store, and it wasn’t long until you spotted the bright pink glow of the Victoria’s Secret sign just a few storefronts ahead.
You slowed down.
Then stopped.
Bucky took another step before realizing you weren’t beside him. He turned, confused, and followed your gaze to the store sign behind him.
“What’s up?” he asked.
You gave him a sheepish look, shifting your weight. “I, uh…need new bras. And underwear.”
Bucky blinked once, then looked over his shoulder to actually read the store sign – and immediately got it.
“I can just run in. You can wait out here.”
He looked back at you, expression unreadable for a second, then shrugged like it was nothing. “Nah. I’ll come with you.”
You tilted your head, surprised. “Seriously?”
“Seriously,” he said, already heading toward the entrance like he wasn’t walking into a den of neon lace and very intense perfume.
You followed him in, biting your lip to stop from smiling too hard. You’d expected at least a little awkwardness, but he didn’t even blink.
Or at least…not until you stopped in front of a rack of lace bras and held one up against your chest.
You turned to him slowly, a smirk on your face. “Admit it – you just wanted to come in here so you could picture me in these.”
Bucky sputtered out a laugh, immediately turning red. “I – what – no –”
You doubled over laughing, the look on his face way too good.
He ran a hand down his face, trying to recover. “You’re unbelievable.”
But then he grinned and walked a few feet over, plucking a truly massive bra from a high shelf. “Alright, fine. You should get this one.”
You turned – and immediately burst into uncontrollable laughter.
“Bucky! That would cover my entire torso.”
He held it up proudly. “Built-in armor.”
You were laughing so hard you had to grip the rack to steady yourself. A few other shoppers shot you dirty looks, but you couldn’t bring yourself to care.
You finally pulled it together and actually picked out a few bras – in your size – and handed them to Bucky, who accepted them like they were grocery items. No hesitation. Just casually standing there holding a bunch of lacy bras like it was his full-time job.
Then you made your way over to the underwear section.
And that’s when things really went off the rails.
Bucky immediately started pulling out the tiniest thongs he could find, holding them up between his fingers with exaggerated expressions.
“Oh yeah,” he said seriously. “This says ‘I’m dangerous.’”
You cackled. “You’re gonna get us kicked out!”
He held up another – black, sheer, with two tiny straps. “This one comes with a warning label, right?”
You were both doubled over laughing now, tears forming in the corners of your eyes. One woman gave you the dirtiest look yet as she walked by.
You wiped your eyes. “Okay, okay. I actually need to try the bras on. You behave.”
“No promises.”
You shot him a look as you took the bras from him and handed him the underwear you picked out, walking toward the fitting rooms laughing under your breath.
It didn’t take long until you came back out to find Bucky still waiting right where you left him, the underwear you picked out in one hand and bags still slung over one arm like the world’s most cooperative boyfriend.
You paid quickly, and as you stepped back out into the mall, you spotted an open bench nearby.
Before you could say anything, Bucky nodded toward it. “Sit. You’ve been on your feet long enough.”
You gave him a grateful look and walked over, easing down onto the bench while he sat beside you.
Your legs sighed in relief, and your ankle definitely thanked you.
You leaned your head back, stretching a little. “We’re definitely getting pretzels after this.”
Bucky leaned back beside you, letting his thigh rest against yours, his voice casual.
“Whatever you want, doll.”
And he meant it.
--
A few minutes later, you were standing in line for pretzels. When Bucky stepped up to order for the both of you, you couldn’t help but take in the sight of him. Purse slung over his shoulder, shopping bags hanging from his arm, wallet in hand to buy you a pretzel. You couldn’t help but smile as you pulled your phone out of your back pocket.
You held it up, snapping a quick picture.
Then, you created a group chat with Nat and Wanda, sending the picture along with a text, saying You were right…
They answered immediately.
Nat: THE PURSE IS CRAZY
Wanda: I’m actually crying. Look at his face, he’s so unbothered
Nat: He’s so serious about it too 😭
Wanda: He’s in his little “shopping husband” era
You bit your lip to keep from laughing out loud, still staring at the picture – Bucky in his red henley, completely unbothered, your purse hanging off his shoulder like it belonged there, shopping bags neatly stacked over his arm, scanning the menu like he hadn’t just casually walked around Victoria’s Secret with you.
Nat: If he doesn’t propose by the end of the week I’m staging an intervention
Wanda: This man is in love. And he doesn’t even know he’s being iconic rn
You smiled down at your phone, typing back:
You: He’s getting me a cinnamon sugar pretzel. With icing. I might have to propose to him first
Before either of them could respond, you felt someone step beside you.
You quickly locked your phone and looked up – and sure enough, Bucky was back, holding a pretzel in each hand, one of them already smelling like sugary heaven.
He handed the cinnamon one to you without a word, your fingers brushing as you took it, and you tried not to smile too hard.
“You okay?” he asked, nodding toward your ankle.
“Yeah,” you said, breaking off a piece of the pretzel. “This is the best recovery day I’ve ever had.”
He grinned, unwrapping his own pretzel and taking a bite. “Glad I could help.”
You leaned just a little closer as you walked away from the stand together, still warm pretzels in hand, and your purse still hanging off his shoulder.
You didn’t say anything.
But you were definitely saving that picture for the wedding slideshow.
--
After stopping at a few more stores, you decided you were all shopped out for the day.
“Alright,” you said, “I think that’s enough for today. Unless there’s somewhere you need to stop.”
“Nope, I’m ready whenever you are.”
You made your way back to the entrance, stepping outside and walking to the car.
Bucky opened the door for you once again, then shifted your shopping bags to his other arm before letting your purse slide down his arm, grabbing it, and handing it to you.
“Thanks, Buck!” you said, not even realizing how easily the nickname slid off your tongue.
He paused for a split second, like he didn’t expect it either, then softly shut the door before walking around to the other side, dumping your bags in the back seat, then hopping in the driver’s side.
He pulled the keys from his pocket, then looked over at you. “Anywhere else you wanna go?”
You hummed softly, tapping your fingers against your leg as you thought. “Mmm…I don’t think so.”
Bucky nodded and started the car, pulling out of the spot and heading toward the mall exit.
A few minutes passed, the soft rumble of the engine and low music playing between you.
Then, completely out of nowhere, you turned to him.
“I want tacos.”
He glanced over, one brow raised. “Tacos?”
“Yeah. Like, really want tacos.”
He chuckled under his breath, eyes still on the road. “Alright. I can swing by somewhere.”
But then you sat up straighter, a new idea sparking in your eyes. “Wait. What if we made tacos?”
Bucky glanced at you again. “Made them?”
“Yeah,” you said, already pulling your phone out. “Like, we pick up the ingredients, head back, and cook for everyone. Make a whole thing out of it.”
He gave you an amused side-eye. “You wanna make tacos for the entire compound?”
You grinned. “Why not? They deserve a good meal.”
He let out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. “You’re unbelievable.”
You smirked and pulled up the group chat, typing quickly.
You: Bucky and I are handling dinner tonight. We’re making tacos 🌮
The replies came instantly.
Nat: You two are so domestic it’s killing me
Wanda: This is adorable. Let me know if I need to bring a fire extinguisher…
Sam: Can’t wait to watch y’all burn the compound down in real time 😎
Tony: If you’re using my kitchen, there better be extra guac
You rolled your eyes, laughing. “They have so much faith in us.”
“I’m touched, really,” Bucky said dryly.
You arrived at the grocery store, and as you climbed out of the car, you slipped your hand through Bucky’s arm again without even thinking. Your fingers rested lightly in the crook of his elbow.
He glanced down, that soft look in his eyes again – the one he didn’t try to hide anymore. Like he liked the feeling of you right there.
Which, of course, he did.
You walked side by side toward the store, the automatic doors parting as you stepped in. He grabbed a cart, and you finally let go of his arm, starting down the produce aisle.
“Alright,” you said, glancing at the signs overhead. “We’re gonna need tomatoes, lettuce, onions–”
“Ground beef?” Bucky offered, already heading in that direction.
“And shredded cheese. And sour cream. Ooh – can we get the good kind of salsa?”
He glanced back with a grin. “I’m guessing you mean not the kind in a jar?”
“Exactly.”
“Bossy,” he teased, nudging the cart toward the next aisle.
“Efficient,” you corrected with a wink, grabbing a pack of taco seasoning off the shelf.
And just like that, you were off – weaving through the store together like it was something you’d done a hundred times. Teasing, laughing, tossing ingredients into the cart, and drawing more than a few second glances from other shoppers.
You finally made your way to the checkout line, and after Bucky paid for everything, you started to reach for a few bags.
But Bucky just grabbed your arm, ushering you away from the bags. “I’ve got it.”
“There’s a lot of bags,” you said, giving him a look. “I think I can manage one.”
He didn’t say anything, just gathered up all the bags with ease and made his way to the door, you trailing right behind him.
Not too long after, you pulled into the compound garage. You unbuckled your seatbelt and moved to hop out, but instead of going straight for the front door, you walked around the car to the driver's side and opened the back door, reaching in to grab your shopping bags.
Or at least, you tried to.
Before you could get your hand on a single strap, Bucky stepped in front of you, blocking your way.
“I’ve got it,” he said easily, already reaching in.
You stared at him. “You’re not about to carry all the shopping bags and all the grocery bags.”
He just glanced over his shoulder and waved you off like it was nothing. “I’ve carried heavier.”
“That’s not the point.”
But he was already grabbing everything – stacking bags along one arm, looping others through his metal hand, moving like this was his normal routine and not like he was turning into a one-man department store.
You stood there, baffled, as he popped the trunk, gathered all the grocery bags into his other hand, and nodded toward the elevator like it was no big deal.
“Let’s go,” he said, grinning.
You sighed, grabbing your purse and jacket off the seat before following him.
When the elevator doors opened and you both stepped out into the kitchen, a few of the others were lounging on the couches in the common room, half-watching something on the TV.
They turned at the sound of the doors – and immediately took in the sight.
You: carrying a purse and your zip-up jacket.
Bucky: buried beneath a ridiculous mountain of shopping and grocery bags, still somehow walking like he wasn’t struggling at all.
Sam was the first to speak.
“Oh my god,” he said, already grinning. “Look at this poor man.”
Tony didn’t even flinch. “I’m honestly not even surprised anymore.”
Nat leaned over the back of the couch to get a better look. “Barnes, blink twice if you need help.”
“Shut up,” Bucky muttered, but you caught the smile tugging at his lips.
He walked straight into the kitchen, gently setting the grocery bags on the counter. Then, without missing a beat, he kept the shopping bags in hand and turned toward the hallway.
You followed him out of the kitchen, but as you passed the common room, the teasing picked right back up.
“So, Bucky,” Clint called. “How was the mall?”
“Tell us everything,” Wanda added sweetly. “Did you get matching bracelets?”
“Please tell me he didn’t enjoy it as much as I think he did,” Tony said, shaking his head.
“Oh, he definitely did,” you said, grinning at him.
But before he could say anything, Nat’s jaw dropped. “Shut up. Is that a Victoria’s Secret bag?!”
Everyone’s eyes dropped to the bags in his hands. Wanda gasped and brought her hand to her mouth, Sam’s jaw dropped, and Tony just shook his head.
You and Bucky glanced over at each other at the same time, locking eyes before busting out laughing.
“Oh, great,” Clint said. “Now they have inside jokes too.”
You grabbed his arm to steady yourself before looking back at everyone else.
“Isn’t that a lingerie store,” Sam said, raising an eyebrow.
“No,” you said, a little too quickly. “Well – I mean, yes. But I just got bras. And underwear.”
The guys shook their heads as Nat and Wanda giggled, covering their mouths.
“So, how’d they look on her Barnes?” Nat asked, almost in tears from laughing.
Bucky, without missing a beat, responded with a completely straight face.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll let you know tomorrow morning.”
There was a beat of stunned silence.
You gasped – eyes wide as your jaw dropped – before immediately smacking him hard on the arm. “BUCKY!”
The entire room exploded.
Wanda leaned back, clutching her stomach. Nat was wiping tears from her eyes. Sam had thrown his head back with a wheeze. Clint looked like he was going to fall off the couch. Tony just shouted, “Oh my god!” like he was witnessing history.
And Bucky?
He just stood there with the smuggest smirk you’d ever seen in your life.
“You did not just say that,” you said through your laughter, face turning red.
“Hey,” he said, holding his hands up innocently, “they asked.”
“Oh my god,” Wanda managed between fits of laughter. “That was so fast. He didn’t even blink.”
“That man’s been waiting to say that all day,” Clint wheezed. “He had it locked and loaded.”
You shoved Bucky toward the hallway, still laughing. “Get out of here. Go. I can’t even look at you.”
He walked off smugly, the shopping bags swaying in his hands as he called back, “Don’t worry, I’ll give a full review.”
“BUCKY!”
That only made the laughter worse. You had to lean against the wall as Nat shouted something unintelligible and Sam choked out, “They’re already married, I swear!”
You turned and finally followed him down the hallway, biting your lip to stifle the grin still tugging at your mouth.
You walked into your room still shaking your head, your cheeks still warm from all the laughter.
Bucky was already inside, casually setting your shopping bags down on the desk like he hadn’t just made a suggestive joke in front of the entire team.
“I cannot believe you said that,” you said, laughing again as you shut the door behind you.
He glanced over his shoulder, that smug grin still glued to his face. “What? I just answered a question.”
You gave him a look, arms crossed. “You didn’t even hesitate.”
He turned to face you fully now, leaning back slightly against your desk, his arms crossing over his chest. “Well,” he started, clearly gearing up again, “I saw you in everything else you tried on. I think it’s only fair I see how you look in your new bras and underwear.”
Your jaw dropped for a second time as heat rushed to your cheeks. “James!”
He didn’t flinch at the name. Just grinned wider.
You couldn’t stop the laughter from bubbling out of you again, hands flying to your face as you tried to hide how red you were.
But when you peeked at him between your fingers, that teasing look was still there…only now there was something else behind it.
A flicker of something deeper in his eyes. A little darker. More focused.
Like he’d actually pictured it.
Your laughter faltered just slightly as your heart thudded in your chest.
He didn’t say anything else – didn’t push it – but the way his gaze lingered for just a second longer told you enough.
You turned around quickly, walking over to your dresser. “I’m gonna get changed,” you said, hoping your voice sounded even slightly normal. “Then we can go down and start dinner.”
Bucky pushed off the desk behind you. “Sure, doll,” he said, still smug. “Let me know if you need help with anything.”
You just laughed again, then decided that two could play at that game.
You grabbed a pair of shorts out of your dresser, then walked back over to the desk. You reached into the Victoria’s Secret bag, grabbing a bra and pair of underwear, handing them to him.
“Can you take the tags off these for me,” you said with an innocent look on your face.
“Sure…” he said, looking at you, a little confused.
You reached past him and grabbed scissors out of your desk and handed them to him. He cut the tags off and handed them back to you. You took them and headed over to the bathroom.
“Can you start cutting the tags off everything else too?” you asked, flashing him a smile before disappearing behind the bathroom door.
Your heart was pounding, excited but also nervous for what you were planning. You quickly changed into your new underwear, bra, and pulled your shorts up. Then you walked back to the door, taking a deep breath before opening it.
“Just realized a forgot another shirt,” you said innocently, strutting over to your closet.
He just glanced over at you before doing a full double take.
His jaw didn’t drop, but it was close.
His eyes trailed from your legs up to your chest in a not-even-slightly-subtle sweep, and suddenly it was his turn to be flustered.
You smirked – smug, knowing, fully leaning into the fact that he’d just walked headfirst into his own game.
The very same smirk he’d been wearing minutes ago.
He blinked a few times, like he was trying to reset his brain. “That’s, uh…new.”
You raised your brows, pretending to be confused as you opened your closet door. “What is?”
His mouth opened, then shut again, like he couldn’t form an actual answer – and your grin only grew wider.
But then, he stepped forward, and just like that, he recovered.
That slow, hungry look returned to his eyes, darker now, more focused.
He walked over behind you, his hands brushing your shoulders lightly as he leaned in, eyes absolutely zeroed in on your chest.
“This one looks good,” he said lowly, voice a little rough, eyes not leaving your chest.
You froze for half a second.
Then he leaned just a touch closer – so his lips were near your ear.
“But I bet,” he murmured, “you’d look even better in the red one.”
Your breath hitched.
Heat spread across your cheeks and down your neck like fire.
Bucky just smirked against your cheek, knowing exactly what he was doing.
“Are you just gonna stand there,” he said softly, leaning back, “or are you gonna grab a shirt?”
You opened your mouth to say something – anything – but your brain couldn’t form a single coherent thought.
And then, he got even bolder.
His hands slid up your arms, slow and deliberate, fingertips brushing over the bare skin of your shoulders. You could feel your skin rise in goosebumps.
Then he hooked his fingers just under the strap of your bra like he was adjusting it…or testing the feel of it…or maybe just driving you completely out of your mind.
“There,” he said, voice a low murmur. “Perfect fit.”
He finally looked up at your face, meeting your eyes, still smirking. Your eyes were wide, cheeks were flushed, and you were still completely flustered.
Neither of you moved.
Neither of you spoke.
Your heart was thudding in your ears as his hand came up slowly, brushing a loose strand of hair from your face. But instead of dropping it, his fingers lingered, curling lightly behind your ear as he tilted your chin ever so slightly up toward him.
Your eyes locked on his, your pulse pounding.
Then, he leaned in.
Not all the way. Just a few inches closer.
Close enough that you could feel the warmth of his breath against your lips. Close enough that you could see the way his gaze flicked down to your mouth – lingering like he needed it, like it was taking everything in him not to close the gap.
And your mind was racing.
This day – everything about it – was perfect. The mall. The way he carried all your bags willingly. The teasing, the laughter, the way he looked at you. How effortlessly he made you feel like you mattered. Like you were his.
And suddenly, it hit you all at once.
You wanted this.
You wanted him.
Not just the flirting. Not just the banter.
Him.
Your chest tightened as the realization settled deep in your chest – overwhelming, terrifying, and blindingly clear.
Bucky must have felt you freeze, because slowly and gently, he started to pull back, not wanting to push you, not wanting to cross a line you weren’t ready for.
But before he could take even a full step away, your hand shot up.
You grabbed the back of his neck and yanked him back down to you, crashing your lips to his in one quick, breathless motion.
It caught him off guard – just for a second.
But then, he melted into you.
Like he’d been waiting forever for this exact moment.
His hands found your waist, holding you like you were the only thing keeping him grounded. He kissed you like he meant it – no hesitation, no teasing, just days of tension and unspoken feelings poured into every movement.
His nose bumped yours, your fingers tangled in his hair, and when you finally broke apart just a few inches, the look in his eyes was completely different.
Soft. Open. Real.
He was breathing hard, his forehead resting lightly against yours, voice barely more than a whisper.
“…Took you long enough.”
You laughed – breathless and completely undone.
You were still breathing hard, forehead resting against his, when his hands slid just a little more firmly to your waist. He didn’t move away, didn’t speak – just let the silence settle around the two of you like it was something sacred.
Then, slowly, he leaned in again.
This time, the kiss was softer. Slower.
It wasn’t rushed like the first kiss moments ago. It was gentle and sure, like he wanted to savor it now that he had it – like he needed to commit it to memory.
Your hand stayed at the back of his neck, fingers lightly curling through the hair at the nape of his neck. His metal hand slipped up your back, settling between your shoulder blades, anchoring you to him.
When you finally pulled apart again, he looked at you – really looked at you – eyes slightly wide, as if he couldn’t believe this was real.
You couldn’t stop the smile spreading across your face.
Neither could he.
You let your hands fall to your sides slowly as you stepped back, cheeks flushed, heart still racing. “I, uh…I should probably put on a shirt.”
He huffed out a soft laugh, still smiling like an idiot. “Yeah, before I forget we’re supposed to be making tacos.”
You gave him a playful shove toward the door. “Go change.”
He shook his head, still looking stunned in the best way, and finally turned to head out of your room.
You watched him disappear down the hallway, then turned back toward your closet, pressing your hands to your face with a little squeal.
Your skin was still buzzing.
You grabbed the nearest t-shirt you could find and pulled it on over your new bra – your fingers still a little shaky, your lips tingling from the kiss.
And the smile?
It wouldn’t go away.
You tucked your hair behind your ears, took a deep breath, then finally stepped out of your room and made your way to the kitchen.
Still floating.
Still reeling.
And for the first time, letting yourself really wonder what it meant now that you’d kissed Bucky Barnes – and that he’d kissed you like that.
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Bucky x reader
Summary: She wasn’t supposed to meet him like that. He wasn’t supposed to let her in. But sometimes, things don’t go according to plan.
Word Count: 3980
The reunion we've all been waiting for!!! And happy Easter to those who celebrate!❤️
The week dragged.
And you hated to admit it…but you missed Bucky. A lot more than you expected.
Not that you were pining, of course.
…Right?
He told you that he would call you when they were finished and heading back, and you could barely peel your eyes off your phone all day, waiting for the call.
They said they would probably be back in the evening, but as dinnertime rolled around, you still hadn’t gotten a call. You were sprawled across the couch, book in hand, just starting to think about what you should make for dinner when your phone finally rang.
You picked it up and answered, probably quicker than you should have.
“Hello?”
“Hey y/n, how’s it going there? Destroy the place yet?” You could hear the smile in his voice.
“Only partially,” you replied, smiling into the phone. “You headed back?”
“Yeah, took a little longer today than we thought. But we’re headed back now, ETA is just after midnight.”
Your smile went away, feeling more disappointed than you probably should about the fact that you wouldn’t get to see him until later. “Okay.”
There was a beat of silence on the other end, then the sound of Sam’s voice in the background. “You on the phone with your girlfriend Barnes?”
You heard Bucky sigh. “She’s not my–”
A second voice, probably Clint, cut in: “We all heard you humming that Disney song yesterday, man. Just admit you miss her.”
You let out a little laugh. “Are you on speaker?” you asked.
“No,” he said quickly. “But I probably should’ve been.”
You could hear the smirk in his voice, but it softened.
“I’ll call you when we’re closer,” he promised. “And hey…”
“Yeah?”
“I missed you, too.”
And then the line clicked off.
You stared at the phone for a moment, heart doing that annoying fluttery thing again, then let your head fall back against the couch cushion with a sigh.
So maybe you were pining.
Just a little.
--
About an hour before midnight, you were laying on the couch, scrolling on your phone with a movie in the background, when your phone rang again.
This time, you waited a beat before answering.
“Hey,” you answered.
“Hey, yourself,” Bucky replied. “Just checking in. We’re about an hour out.”
You smiled to yourself, shifting on the couch to get more comfortable. “So you didn’t forget about me?”
“Impossible,” he said, without missing a beat.
Before you could respond, you heard Sam’s voice in the background again.
“Is that her again? You just called her!”
“I said I’d call when we were closer,” Bucky muttered, clearly trying (and failing) to cover the mic.
“Bro, you’ve been smiling at your phone all day,” Clint chimed in.
Then Nat’s voice floated through, deadpan: “Tell Sleeping Beauty we expect a full report on your separation anxiety.”
You snorted, covering your mouth with your hand. “You know I can hear all of them, right?”
“Unfortunately,” Bucky grumbled.
Sam called out again, louder this time: “Y/n, blink twice if he’s being clingy.”
“Do not encourage them,” Bucky said, clearly moving farther from the group. You could hear the shuffle of his boots against the floor, like he’d ducked into a quieter spot.
When the background noise finally faded, his voice dropped lower. “Sorry about them.”
“You mean your fan club?” you teased.
He huffed out a laugh. “They’ve been unbearable all week.”
“Well, tell them I said thanks,” you said, curling deeper under your blanket. “I missed the chaos.”
There was a pause on the other end – just long enough to make your heart tug a little – before he said, softer than before, “I’ve missed you.”
Your stomach flipped. Again. Unhelpfully.
“I’ve missed you, too,” you replied. “I’ll try my best not to fall asleep on the couch before you get back,” you said, smirking.
“Well if you do, I’ll still come say hi.”
You tried to hide the stupid grin forming on your face. “You’d wake me up?”
“Nah,” he said. “I’d probably just sit on the floor like a weirdo.”
You laughed. “You’re not a weirdo.”
“Tell that to the group chat,” he muttered.
You could hear someone in the background yelling, “Tell her goodnight, lover boy!”
Bucky sighed dramatically. “I gotta go before I end up in another meme.”
You smiled, already impatient waiting for him. “Bye, Bucky.”
“Bye, doll.”
The line went quiet.
And your heart absolutely refused to chill.
You set your phone on the coffee table, butterflies still in your stomach from the nickname. You put on a different movie, something you had never watched before, thinking it would help you stay awake, but you were wrong. You fell asleep within the first 20 minutes.
You weren’t sure what woke you up, the ding from the elevator or the sudden echo of voices in the kitchen, but your eyes fluttered open while you were laying down on the couch, heart starting to beat quicker as you lifted your head up off the pillow.
That’s when Bucky stepped out of the kitchen before anyone else, just standing in the doorway of the common room for a second, looking at you with a smile on his face.
“I take it you couldn’t stay awake?” he asked, dropping his bag on the ground.
“Nope,” you answered, smiling like a fool.
Bucky walked over to the couch, and you were about to sit up, thinking he would sit down next to you, but before you could, he lowered himself down onto the couch.
Right on top of you.
You let out a breath, then laughed. “Miss me?” you asked, wrapping your arms around him.
“Mhmm,” he hummed contently, as he slipped his hands underneath you around your back, nuzzling into your neck.
The others all stepped into the common room at once – and immediately stopped in their tracks.
There was a full couple seconds of stunned silence as they took in the sight of Bucky sprawled across you, face half-buried in your neck, your arms around him like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Then the chaos erupted.
“Oh my god,” Sam gasped. “He’s a human weighted blanket again!”
“This is getting out of hand,” Clint said, voice half-laughing, half-mocking. “Do we need to start knocking before we enter public spaces now?”
Bucky let out a low groan but didn’t move, except to pull you closer.
“Not even pretending to be embarrassed,” Wanda said, raising an eyebrow. “Bold.”
“Y/n, blink twice if he’s smothering you,” Sam called, clearly enjoying himself way too much.
“I’m fine,” you said, half-laughing into Bucky’s shoulder. “He’s surprisingly cozy.”
“‘Surprisingly’?” Bucky murmured, not even lifting his head. “Rude.”
“Barnes, you’re literally on top of her,” Tony pointed out. “That’s not flirting. That’s borderline married.”
“It’s okay, Buck,” Steve added, smirking. “We all know you missed her.”
Bucky finally turned his head just enough to glare at the group, voice muffled. “If I don’t move, will you all go away?”
“Absolutely not,” Sam said. “This is the best thing I’ve seen all week.”
“Oh, totally,” Clint added, arms crossed. “He’s been acting like a lovesick puppy for days. We knew this was coming.”
Bucky didn’t move from where he was half-laying on top of you, but he groaned into your shoulder. “I hate all of you.”
“That’s not what you were saying last night when you were sighing into your dinner like a Victorian widow,” Sam shot back.
“He really was,” Wanda said, sipping from her water bottle. “He sat there staring at his food and muttering about how quiet it was without you.”
Nat smirked. “And don’t forget when he snapped at Tony for saying she probably burned down the compound.”
Tony shrugged. “In my defense, she almost did the other day.”
“I didn’t snap,” Bucky grumbled, finally lifting his head just enough to glare at them.
“You basically did,” Clint said. “You’ve been an absolute menace. And then the second we stepped foot in the compound – bam!” He clapped his hands dramatically. “Barnes goes full sprint, practically dives across the couch like a heat-seeking missile.”
“Didn't even say hi,” Tony added. “Just booked it straight to his emotional support human.”
You rolled your eyes, hiding your face against Bucky’s hair. “You all suck.”
“Only because we care,” Sam said cheerfully. “Look, we’re happy for you, Barnes. Truly. But the pining? The pacing? The way you stared out the jet window like she was gonna appear on the runway? That’s material we can’t ignore.”
“Okay,” Bucky said, voice flat, “I’ve reached the end of my patience.”
“You reached that around day two,” Clint muttered.
Tony raised his phone again. “Smile, lovebirds. I’m making this our next group chat icon.”
“You are not,” Bucky growled, finally sitting up, but only enough to glare at him properly. His arm was still around your waist like letting go wasn’t even an option.
“You know you’ve got it bad when the Winter Soldier won’t even threaten us properly,” Wanda teased.
You peeked up at him, smirking. “You did kind of tackle me.”
“I did not tackle you.”
“Bucky, you dropped your bag mid-stride and collapsed onto her like a man coming back from war,” Tony said. “Which, fair, but still.”
Bucky just leaned back into you, muttering something that might have been "worth it."
“Okay, okay,” Sam said, hands raised. “Let’s give the happy couple some space before Barnes starts growling again.”
“We’re not a couple,” you both said at the same time.
“Text me when you change your relationship status,” Tony added as the group slowly backed out of the room, still laughing.
Bucky groaned again and let his head fall against your shoulder. “They’re never letting this go.”
You grinned, running your fingers through his hair. “You kind of launched yourself at me like we were in a rom-com airport scene.”
He didn’t even try to deny it. “Yeah,” he muttered, voice low. “I missed you that much.”
Your heart did that fluttery thing again. “I missed you, too.”
“Good,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Wanna come to my room for a bit while I unpack.”
“Sure,” you replied, as he finally got up off of you, helping you up. But before he handed you your crutches, he pulled you into a real hug, resting his chin on your head again. You smiled and hugged him back, closing your eyes to take in the moment, really realizing how much you needed him.
He pulled away just slightly, pressing another kiss to the top of your head. Then he pulled away completely, smiling down at you before grabbing your crutches and handing them to you.
“What, you’re not gonna sweep me off my feet and carry me?” you said as a joke, smirking.
“I definitely would, but I have to carry my bags. Plus, I think we’ve had enough teasing for one night,” he said, grinning at you.
You made your way down the hall together, Bucky matching your pace with his bag slung over one shoulder, his hand resting lightly on the small of your back the whole way there. As soon as he opened the door to his room, you immediately made a beeline for his bed, set your crutches on the ground, and flopped down onto it with a content sigh.
“Wow,” you said, stretching dramatically. “Missed this, too.”
He chuckled, dropping his bag onto the floor. “You missed my bed?”
“I missed comfort, Barnes. Don’t get cocky.”
He smirked but didn’t argue, already digging into his bag. As you lounged with your head on his pillow, he tossed a few pieces of clothing straight into the laundry basket, then moved around the room, putting gear and other things back in their places with practiced ease.
You watched him with one arm draped across your stomach, eyes following him as he moved around the room.
“How are you still moving?” you asked, voice soft. “I’d be collapsing after a week-long mission.”
He shrugged, walking toward the bathroom. “I’m running on post-cuddle adrenaline.”
You snorted, tossing a pillow at the door just before he disappeared behind it. “Loser.”
You heard the low rumble of his laugh through the door, followed by the sound of running water and the soft creak of a cabinet. He was only gone a few minutes, but by the time the door opened again, your eyes were already half-closed.
Bucky stepped out in a soft gray t-shirt and sweatpants, hair damp from the quick rinse he’d taken, looking ten times more relaxed than ever. His eyes immediately landed on you curled up on his bed, and his expression softened even more.
Without a word, he crossed the room and collapsed onto the mattress beside you, letting out a deep sigh as he did. His arm found its way around your waist like it was second nature, and he tugged you close, tucking his face into your neck like it was the only place he wanted to be.
You melted instantly, one hand settling on his chest as he pulled the blanket over the both of you, then pressed a kiss to your forehead.
“Told you I’d end up back here,” he mumbled against your skin.
You smiled, eyes fluttering shut. “Not complaining.”
“Good,” he said sleepily. “Because I’m not moving again.”
And he didn’t.
Within minutes, his breathing evened out, his hold on you warm and secure, and the only sound in the room was the soft hum of the air conditioning and the steady beat of his heart against your palm.
For the first time all week, you fell asleep without a single problem.
--
The next morning you woke up, still wrapped in Bucky’s arms. You smiled softly, realizing how much you really did miss him.
You lifted your head up to look at the clock on his nightstand, seeing that it was almost 11. You hadn’t slept this late in a while.
You just laid there for a little while longer, convinced there was no comfier place than Bucky’s arms, when he finally started to stir. He opened his eyes and looked down at you, a soft smile immediately covering his face.
“Morning, doll,” he said, voice low and rough from sleep.
“Morning,” you replied, smiling back up at him.
You shifted away from him to stretch your arms, but his arms tightened around you.
“Don’t get up yet,” he mumbled, voice thick with sleep. “Just a little longer.”
You smiled, pressing your face back against his chest. “We’ve been asleep for like ten hours.”
“Exactly. We’re on a roll.”
You let out a soft laugh, your fingers curling gently into the fabric of his shirt. “I really did miss you, you know.”
He hummed, his voice low and warm against your hair. “I missed you more,” he said, pressing a kiss to your hair.
You tilted your head back just enough to look up at him. “I don’t think that’s possible.”
“Trust me,” he said, meeting your eyes, “it is.”
There was a beat of quiet, soft and easy, the kind of silence that didn’t need to be filled.
“I thought I was losing it by day three,” Bucky admitted quietly. “Kept looking at empty seats and thinking, ‘She’d be sitting there. She’d be teasing me about how I drink my coffee. Or falling asleep with a book over her face.’”
You smiled, something fluttering in your chest again. “I was, uh…kind of a disaster without you.”
“Yeah?” he asked, brushing his thumb along your arm.
You nodded. “Didn’t sleep well. Dropped so many things and nearly faceplanted dozens of times. Kept making too much coffee by accident.”
Bucky chuckled, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I should leave more often. Sounds like you learned to appreciate me.”
“Shut up,” you said, smacking his chest lightly, though you were still smiling.
Another quiet moment passed, then you sighed. “We should probably get up.”
Bucky groaned dramatically. “No.”
You laughed. “We can’t hide in your bed forever.”
“Why not?” he muttered, pulling the blanket higher over your shoulders. “Seems like a solid long-term plan.”
You shook your head, sitting up slowly. “Okay, but if we’re getting up, maybe we should go to the kitchen separately. You know…minimize the teasing.”
Bucky raised an eyebrow, propping himself up on one elbow. “Minimize it?”
“I mean, they’re definitely going to say something if we walk in together.”
He gave you a look. “Doll, they definitely already know you spent the night.”
You paused. “…Fair.”
“Pretty sure they were placing bets on it before we even got back,” he added, standing up and stretching. “So we might as well just embrace it.”
You stared at him, amused. “Embrace it?”
He shrugged with a grin. “Own it. I mean, they’re gonna tease us either way. Might as well give them a show.”
You groaned. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re still here,” he said smugly, finally getting up from the bed. He tossed you one of his sweatshirts as he pulled one over his head.
You caught it, rolling your eyes as you put it on. “Unfortunately.”
He walked over and kissed the top of your head again. “Come on. Let’s go face the firing squad,” he said, picking up your crutches and holding them out to you as you scooted to the edge of the bed.
“Do I get coffee first?”
“I’ll make you some.”
You laughed and crutched your way to the door beside him. “You better.”
And together, you stepped out into the hallway, ready to face the chaos.
The second the two of you stepped into the kitchen, the room went silent.
Too silent.
Everyone was already gathered around the kitchen island, mid-coffee and breakfast – but they froze the moment they saw you walk in, Bucky right beside you, his sweatshirt hanging a little too comfortably on your frame.
Sam was the first to break.
“Well, well, well,” he said, dragging out each word like it was pure gold. “Look who finally emerged from their love nest.”
“I told you they were gonna come down together,” Clint said, reaching for his wallet. “Pay up.”
Tony groaned and slapped a twenty into Clint’s hand. “Unbelievable.”
Wanda smirked over the rim of her coffee mug. “Wasn’t expecting the matching outfits though. That’s a bonus.”
You glanced down at the oversized sweatshirt that was obviously Bucky’s and sighed. “I hate all of you.”
“Just admit it,” Sam said, leaning on the counter with a smug grin. “You spent the night, didn’t you?”
You opened your mouth to answer, but Bucky cut in first. “What gave it away? The sweatshirt or the fact that I look like I slept for the first time all week?”
Nat raised an eyebrow. “You look too relaxed. Suspiciously relaxed.”
Tony pointed at Bucky with his spoon. “You’re glowing. It’s disgusting.”
“You’re all so dramatic,” you muttered, heading to the island to sit down.
“Oh, no no,” Sam said, following you with mock seriousness. “You don’t get to just waltz in here with bedhead and stolen clothes and act like we didn’t all watch you basically koala-hug him last night.”
You turned toward Bucky. “He launched himself onto me!”
“Worth it,” he replied, already pouring two mugs of coffee.
“You know,” Wanda said thoughtfully, “I’m starting to think you’re both kind of obsessed with each other.”
Bucky handed you a mug and didn’t even bother denying it. “Yeah, and?”
“See, this is why we can’t have nice things,” Tony said, dramatically pretending to gag. “Because now we’ve got Bucky voluntarily cuddling. I’m losing touch with reality.”
“You should’ve seen him on the jet,” Sam added. “Every time someone mentioned her name, man looked like he was about to recite poetry.”
Nat nodded. “He went full soft. Like, ‘staring out the window with longing’ soft.”
Bucky didn’t even flinch. He just sipped his coffee and draped an arm across the back of your chair like this was all part of his morning routine.
You gave him a side-eye. “I thought you said we should embrace the teasing, not fuel it.”
He shrugged. “Leaning in is the fastest way to make them get bored.”
Tony laughed. “Nice try. We never get bored.”
Wanda looked between the two of you, smiling. “Still...it’s kind of cute.”
Sam groaned. “Don’t encourage them.”
You just rolled your eyes, sipping your coffee and mumbling into the mug, “Never should’ve come down here…”
“Too late now,” Bucky said, smirking as he bumped your knee gently under the table.
--
For lunch, Tony had ordered a ridiculous amount of pizza, and now everyone was gathered around the table, boxes open, paper plates stacked, and at least three different conversations happening at once.
You were squished between Bucky and Wanda, trying to focus on eating, but the teasing never quite let up.
“I’m just saying,” Clint said around a mouthful of pepperoni, “if Barnes had waited one more second to launch himself into that cuddle pile last night, we could’ve gotten it on camera.”
“Opportunity missed,” Tony said, dramatically waving a slice. “That could’ve been content for the highlight reel.”
“Do we have a highlight reel?” you asked suspiciously.
“We do now,” Sam muttered, and you immediately regretted asking.
Bucky, unfazed, casually reached for another slice of pizza and handed it to you without looking.
“See that?” Nat said, gesturing between the two of you. “They’re already operating on telepathic pizza wavelength.”
“Tragic,” Tony said. “We’ve lost him.”
“You act like he was ever normal,” Clint added.
Wanda leaned closer to you and whispered, “You know they’re only being this annoying because they’re happy for you, right?”
You smiled softly. “I know.”
Lunch carried on with more food and more banter, but eventually, the plates were empty, the pizza boxes were closed, and Steve stood up.
“Alright,” he said. “One last debrief in the conference room. Quick mission recap and reports. Let’s move.”
Groans echoed around the room, but people started standing and gathering their things anyway.
You stayed seated as Bucky got up and grabbed your crutches for you. As you took them, Bucky leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to the top of your head.
“Bye, doll,” he said, voice low and warm.
The room froze.
Tony’s phone clattered to the table. Sam choked on his drink. Clint audibly gasped. Wanda slapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide, and Natasha just blinked, clearly trying to decide if she’d hallucinated it.
“Oh my god,” Sam said, eyes wide. “Did he just – kiss you?!”
“And call her doll?” Clint added, already spinning in his chair. “That’s not just soft. That’s Hallmark movie-level affection.”
“I KNEW IT,” Tony shouted. “I knew we were in a rom-com. I’m living in a rom-com!”
“Do it again!” Wanda said, grinning. “I blinked and missed it!”
Nat raised an eyebrow. “You two are dangerously close to starting a team betting pool.”
Bucky, as usual, remained completely unbothered. He just looked at you with the faintest smirk and the softest eyes and said, “I’ll be back later.”
You stared at him, wide-eyed and flustered, and nodded slowly. “Uh-huh. Okay.”
Sam mimed fainting into Clint’s arms as the group filed out of the kitchen in a storm of chaotic energy.
You were still frozen in place when Bucky stopped in the doorway, turned around, and gave you a wink before disappearing down the hallway, leaving you sitting at the table with your heart racing, head spinning, and cheeks on fire.
You hadn’t expected him to kiss you and call you doll in front of everyone. But you weren’t gonna lie, you liked it.
You smiled to yourself, heart still fluttering, and took a slow sip of your coffee.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Masterlist
Bucky x reader
Summary: She wasn’t supposed to meet him like that. He wasn’t supposed to let her in. But sometimes, things don’t go according to plan.
Word Count: 3735
The next morning, when you hobbled into the kitchen, it was quiet. Too quiet.
You shuffled over to the coffee maker, determined to start your day like usual. You didn’t need Bucky to make you breakfast or rinse your dishes or lean against the counter with that stupid soft smirk while you teased him. You just needed coffee.
Your first problem: the mugs were on the top shelf.
You stretched up on one foot, wobbling slightly. The crutch under your arm shifted at the worst possible angle. You grabbed the edge of the counter to keep from tipping over, heart lurching.
“Seriously?” you muttered to yourself, staring up at the mugs like they personally betrayed you.
Eventually, you set your crutches aside and pulled a barstool over, climbing onto it awkwardly. You grabbed a mug and exhaled in victory – then nearly fell off trying to get back down.
Next, you wanted to make eggs.
You shuffled to the fridge, pulled a couple eggs out, then hopped away so the door could shut behind you. It was going fine, until you lost your balance and reached out for the counter.
One of the eggs rolled out of your hand and landed on the floor with a splat.
“NO,” you said dramatically, staring down at the sticky mess.
You sighed as you bent down to clean it up, cursing softly to yourself. This was ridiculous. This wasn’t even a hard task, and somehow, if felt impossible without Bucky.
You didn’t want to admit it, but you missed him. More than you expected.
And it was only day one.
--
The next day, you opted for cereal instead of making something, assuming it would be easier.
Until you were staring at it on the counter, wondering how you were going to get it to the island so you could sit down. You did not think this through.
So, you ended up eating it while standing at the counter, balancing on one leg like a flamingo.
Later, you wanted to distract yourself by doing some reading. You plopped down on the couch with a book you’d been meaning to start, a throw blanket, and an ice pack. You propped up your ankle on a pillow, then had to reach down to try to position the ice pack so it wouldn’t fall off.
It was harder than you thought.
You finally got it to stay, then leaned back with a sigh. It was so much easier when Bucky was here to do it for you.
--
The third day, you settled in the same place, almost done with your book.
The quiet was peaceful for a while, but then, you kept glancing up from the pages, half-expecting Bucky to wander in and plop down next to you, putting his arm behind you on the couch like he usually did.
You were halfway through a chapter when something under the chair in the corner caught your eye. You leaned forward and squinted – it was small and red. You flung your blanket off and hobbled over to pick it up.
It was a Monopoly hotel.
It must’ve gotten thrown during your game and neither of you noticed it while he was picking up. You smiled softly, remembering how fun the game was and how you laughed so hard your stomach hurt.
You set it on the coffee table and stared at it for a while.
It was dumb, honestly. But something about the tiny, red hotel sitting on the table made your chest ache.
--
The next day, you decided to watch a movie since you finished your book. And, of course, you fell asleep.
When you woke up, it was dark outside, a different movie had started playing automatically, and your neck and back were killing you from the weird angle you were slumped in.
You slowly sat up and groaned, rubbing your eyes. Your ankle throbbed as you turned off the TV and reached for your crutches.
It was easier when Bucky was there. He would just pick you up without a word and carry you back to your room.
As much as you teased him for it, it was always comfortable in his arms.
You pulled yourself up, stretched, then situated your crutches under your arms. You made your way back to your room, almost faceplanting a couple of times, missing Bucky more than ever.
--
Wrong. Now you were missing Bucky more than ever.
You tried to make yourself lunch without drama today. Emphasis on tried.
Everything was going well, until you were hopping over to the island, carrying your plate of freshly made nachos.
But because it was just a layer of chips on the bottom, they started to slide when you reached your chair. You tried to save it, but overcorrected.
The whole plate of nachos slid off and landed on the floor.
You just stared at it, eyes starting to sting.
You slumped down into the chair, crossing your arms on the table and laying your head down while a few tears slipped out. It was stupid to cry over dropping your lunch, but it was the fact that you felt like you couldn’t do anything on your own that upset you.
And you missed Bucky so much.
Not that you would admit that to anyone.
You finally lifted your head up, wiping your eyes, and grabbed your phone, sending Bucky a quick text: Hey
He had texted you a few times earlier in the week, but it had been a couple days. You knew he probably wouldn’t respond until later, but you just wanted to talk to him.
While you were sitting on the couch later, scrolling through your phone, he finally answered.
Hey, you okay?
You’re eyes started to sting again. Of course he knew you weren’t okay.
You thought about lying, telling him you were good and just wanted to check in, but you couldn’t do it. Plus, he would’ve seen right through it.
I haven’t eaten all day because I dropped my whole lunch on the floor. I miss you.
He texted back less than a minute later.
I’ll order a pizza to the compound. I miss you more.
You smiled down at your phone. Of course he would do that from thousands of miles away.
Half an hour later, the pizza was delivered (and already paid for), and you hopped over to the table with the large pizza box in your hand from your favorite place. You opened it up to your favorite toppings. It looked amazing.
You inhaled four pieces before sticking the rest of the box in the fridge.
--
On day six, your laundry basket was overflowing, so you attempted to do laundry.
You hobbled down the hallway, dragging your basket, and by the time you got to the laundry room, you were sweating and panting, genuinely considering giving up and wearing the same three outfits forever.
You leaned against the washer for a second, before finally dumping half your clothes into the washer, not even bothering to separate colors.
You crutched back to the elevator, went back to your room, and flopped down on your bed with a sigh.
Bucky would be back tomorrow. You just have to get through one more day.
When you were finally done with your two loads of laundry, you drug the basket back to your room. Once again, you were sweaty and out of breath, so you jumped in the shower before folding your clothes.
When you were done, the last thing you wanted to do was put your laundry away, but you forced yourself to do it. You didn’t want to be the girl that couldn’t function without her boyfriend.
Not that he was your boyfriend. But still.
--
The next morning, you woke up and tried to ignore the fact that you were smiling like a fool.
Bucky was coming back today.
And everyone else. You tried to convince yourself you were just happy because it wouldn’t be dead quiet around the compound anymore, but you knew what it really was.
You were excited to finally see Bucky and his stupid smirk again.
----
Bucky
The second he shut the door and started walking to the quinjet, he already knew the week was going to suck.
He stood in front of the jet, his bag slung over one shoulder, and his eyes drifted toward the door again. A dull weight settled in his chest.
He hated that she’d be alone while they were gone. Hated that she’d try to play it off, like it didn’t bother her, when he knew damn well it would. Hated that he wouldn’t be around when she needed help, or needed a laugh, or just needed someone to reach the damn mugs on the top shelf.
And he hated that he wouldn’t get to see her every day.
She wasn’t just a teammate anymore. Not to him.
--
When Bucky woke up to his alarm the next morning, the room was quiet. Too quiet.
He’d slept awful last night. He tried to convince himself it was because it was a new bed he wasn’t used to, but that wasn’t the real reason. He couldn’t stop thinking about her.
He sighed as he pulled himself out of bed, moving on autopilot to get ready. Before he left his room to join the others, he sent her a quick text.
Fall asleep on the couch last night?
He knew she wasn’t up yet, and he wouldn’t see her response until tonight when he got back, but he just wanted to talk to her.
When they got back to base later that night, Bucky went straight to his room and grabbed his phone, opening the text from her.
No, didn’t have someone comfortable to fall asleep on
He smiled, then sent a quick text back.
Glad I’m not being replaced
She answered minutes later.
I could never replace you. Tell your shoulder I missed it. And the rest of you too, I guess
He let out a chuckle, smiling down at his phone.
Yeah. He definitely missed her.
--
The next morning, he woke up groggy, blinking in the bed of his temporary room.
He dreamed about her.
It wasn’t anything crazy. Just her. Laughing. Sitting on the couch, half-asleep, head on his shoulder. Looking at him like he’d just said something dumb.
And for a second, he reached over to the spot beside him like she’d be there. But it was empty.
He sat up and rubbed his face before running his hands through his hair. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to make it the rest of the week now.
--
The third day, they were sitting around the base, eating dinner. He was zoned out, thinking about the mission that day. Thinking about her.
Suddenly, he was pulled out of his thoughts by Tony saying his name.
“Hmm?”
“Did you hear what I said?” Tony asked, one eyebrow raised.
“No, what’d you say?”
“I asked if you thought your girlfriend burned down the compound yet. She’s not exactly the best cook,” he said, laughing along with the others.
Bucky blinked, then scoffed. “She’s not that bad.”
“Not that bad?” Sam repeated, grinning. “Barnes, she burned her food the first time she tried to cook something at the compound.”
“That was one time,” Bucky muttered.
“Yeah,” Nat replied. “The only time she’s made something.”
“And it ended up tasting good, it wasn’t fully burnt,” Bucky said, sitting up straighter, voice just a little too sharp.
Everyone paused.
“Ohhh, you’re in deep, huh?” Clint said, shaking his head.
“I’m not–” Bucky started, then stopped, jaw flexing. “I just don’t like you talking about her like she’s helpless.”
“We didn’t say helpless,” Tony said, smirking. “We said she’d burn the place down trying to make toast. Which is, frankly, adorable.”
Bucky rolled his eyes and went back to poking at his food.
”It’s a good thing you’re down bad, you can just keep cooking for her to save the compound from destruction,” Sam said, laughing.
Bucky shot him a look. “I’m not down bad. She’s just injured.”
“Yeah, keep telling yourself that,” Steve replied, shaking his head.
And as everyone else was laughing, beneath the grumbling, Bucky was fighting back a smile. Because, yeah – he might be down bad. And if they were going to tease him about it? Fine.
She was worth it.
--
The next morning, he woke up from another dream.
Another dream she was in.
This time, she was trying to make pancakes and kept threatening him with the spatula when he teased her. He’d made some dumb comment about her flipping skills and she’d told him she was going to “accidentally” hit him with the spatula if he didn’t shut up.
When he woke up, he could’ve sworn he smelled maple syrup. He hadn’t even eaten pancakes in months.
After he got ready, he walked into the kitchen where the others were, still in a funk.
“Morning, Buck,” Steve said as Bucky walked in, going straight to the coffee machine.
“Morning,” he mumbled, grabbing the pot and a mug, avoiding eye contact with anyone.
He poured his coffee slowly, stirring it in that half-zoned-out way that usually meant his brain was miles away.
Sam leaned back in his chair and narrowed his eyes at him. “Okay, what’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” Bucky replied too fast.
“Uh huh,” Sam said, grinning. “You sure you’re not thinking about your girlfriend?”
Bucky sighed and took a sip of his coffee without answering.
Steve raised an eyebrow. “You miss her?”
Bucky didn’t say anything, just kept staring into his mug.
That was all the confirmation they needed.
“Aww,” Nat said, smirking over the rim of her cup. “He does miss her. Look at his little grumpy face.”
“Grumpier than usual,” Clint added. “You been writing poetry in your bunk, Barnes?”
“I will throw this coffee,” Bucky muttered.
“Yeah, yeah, violent threats, deflection. Classic symptoms of a man in love,” Tony said dramatically. “Soon he’ll be doodling in a notebook and putting their initials together.”
Sam tilted his head, mock curious. “You been dreaming about her too?”
That made Bucky freeze for just a second – just long enough.
Nat leaned forward with a mischievous grin. “You have been dreaming about her.”
“I’m gonna regret showing up to breakfast,” Bucky muttered.
Sam pretended to swoon. “Was it a romantic dream? Were you two holding hands? Staring into each other’s eyes?”
“Pfft, no,” Tony said. “It was definitely domestic.”
Bucky glared at all of them. “She threatened me with a spatula.”
“Oh my god, like the first night you met,” Steve said, actually laughing now.
Nat clapped once. “I knew it!”
Sam leaned over, grinning. “Hey man, dreams like that don’t come outta nowhere. Sounds like your subconscious is trying to tell you something.”
Bucky gave him a flat look. “Yeah. It’s telling me to stop talking to you.”
Tony raised his coffee like a toast. “Too late. You’re in it now, lover boy.”
And despite his best efforts to look annoyed, Bucky’s lips twitched. Just a little.
Because yeah. He missed her.
--
The fifth day, they had spent all day out on the mission.
When they got back to base, he went straight to his room, checking his phone to see if she had texted. His heart skipped a beat when he saw that she did text, but it was just one word.
Hey
That was all. But it was enough. He knew her, and knew how she normally texted. That “hey” wasn’t casual.
He opened the text and stared at it, guilt twisting in his gut.
He replied right away.
Hey, you okay?
It took a few minutes, but when the dots appeared on the screen, he didn’t look away once.
Then, her text finally showed up.
I haven’t eaten all day because I dropped my whole lunch on the floor. I miss you.
He swallowed hard, feeling guilty that she’d been feeling like this for hours.
He typed so fast his thumbs blurred.
I’ll order a pizza to the compound. I miss you more.
Right away, he went to the website of her favorite pizza place, placing an order for a large pizza with her favorite toppings, choosing the delivery option and typing in the compound’s address and his credit card number.
After he got the confirmation email, he sighed, dropping his phone back on the nightstand. He hated that she didn’t have anyone to help her. Hated that he wasn’t there to help her.
He took a quick shower, then headed downstairs for dinner. The second he walked in, Tony called him over.
“Barnes, why did I just get a notification that someone was at the door to the compound, saying they had pizza for James Barnes?”
He barely had time to process the question before Sam turned around in his seat, eyebrows raised.
“Wait, you sent a pizza to the compound?”
Bucky grabbed a tray and started scooping food onto it like he didn’t hear the question. “Yeah,” he said casually. “She hadn’t eaten all day.”
“Aw,” Natasha cooed, voice full of fake sweetness. “Our little soldier’s gone soft.”
Bucky shot her a look. “She dropped her lunch. That’s all. I was just helping her out.”
“Oh sure,” Tony said, leaning back dramatically in his chair. “Just helping out the damsel in distress. Purely professional. Not romantic at all.”
“It wasn’t–” Bucky sighed, setting his tray down with a little more force than necessary. “It wasn’t like that. She’s been stuck at the compound, injured. I figured it was the least I could do.”
Sam grinned like a shark. “And I’m assuming you knew what her favorite pizza place was, and ordered it with her favorite toppings?”
Bucky didn’t answer. He shoved a bite of food in his mouth and stared at his plate.
“Man,” Clint said, shaking his head. “You’re so far gone, it’s kinda cute.”
Steve was trying not to smile, but he leaned over and gave Bucky a gentle nudge with his elbow. “You care about her. That’s not a bad thing, Buck.”
Bucky didn’t look up. “She just needed someone.”
“And it just so happens that someone is you,” Wanda said softly, a little smile on her lips.
“You’ve officially become the team softie,” Nat said, biting back a grin.
Bucky pointed his fork at her. “You take that back.”
“Sorry, lover boy,” Sam said, leaning back in his chair with a smug grin. “You ordered pizza. You forfeited your right to be scary.”
Bucky rolled his eyes, shaking his head, but the corner of his mouth twitched. Just a little.
Because he knew she would feel at least a little better after having her favorite pizza.
--
The next morning, when his alarm went off, he was already up. He had been up for a few hours.
He couldn’t sleep.
He’d tossed and turned for hours before finally falling asleep, and he woke up way before his alarm, just laying there. Thinking about her.
He should’ve been there.
Helping her make meals. Reminding her to ice her ankle. Letting her fall asleep on his shoulder. Carrying her back to her room. Just be there for her.
But, they were almost done with the mission. He would see her tomorrow night.
That’s all the motivation he needed to pull himself out of bed, ready to start the day.
--
The next day, they finally wrapped up the mission, although it was a couple hours later than anticipated.
They got back to the base and had an hour to shower and pack before it was wheels up.
He couldn’t wait.
He was packing up his things, getting ready to head to the jet, when Steve walked in.
“You’re in a better mood,” Steve said, raising a brow.
“Yeah,” Bucky replied simply. “Going home.”
Steve gave him a knowing look. “Or just going back to her?”
Bucky didn’t answer.
He didn’t have to.
He hoisted his bag over his shoulder and started down the hallway toward the landing pad. The others were still packing up or grabbing something to eat last-minute, but Bucky was already halfway to the quinjet.
When he reached the jet, he set his bag down near the ramp and leaned against the side, arms crossed, waiting.
A few minutes later, Sam and Nat showed up, both carrying their bags and looking far too amused.
“Well, well, well,” Sam said. “Look who’s suddenly early for departure.”
Nat raised a brow. “You trying to impress someone, Barnes?”
Bucky didn’t even glance at them. “Just ready to go.”
“Uh huh,” Sam said. “You’ve been grumpy all week and now you’re out here smiling like you just won the lottery.”
“I’m not smiling,” Bucky muttered.
“You are, though,” Nat said, smirking. “It’s kind of adorable.”
Bucky groaned and ran a hand down his face. “Why are you both like this?”
“Because it’s fun watching you squirm,” Sam replied. “So tell us – what’s the plan? You gonna swoop in and give her the world’s most dramatic hug?”
Bucky gave him a look. “No.”
“Oh,” Nat said innocently, “so you’re going for the slow-motion hallway run into each other’s arms?”
He didn’t answer.
Sam grinned. “You have been rehearsing this in your head, haven’t you?”
“I have not,” Bucky snapped.
Which, of course, was absolutely not true.
He’d already imagined the way she’d look up when she saw him – maybe still leaning on those crutches, maybe sitting on the couch. Her eyes lighting up. That smile. He could picture it so clearly it almost hurt.
Steve finally walked up, duffel slung over his shoulder. “You guys giving him a hard time again?”
“He makes it too easy,” Nat said.
“Man’s glowing,” Sam added. “Love looks good on him.”
Bucky rolled his eyes. “You all need hobbies.”
Tony arrived next, eyeing Bucky like he was suspicious of how calm he looked. “Barnes, you’re smiling. You’re standing in a relaxed posture. Did someone put something in your protein bar?”
“I’m fine.”
“He’s in love,” Nat sing-songed.
Bucky picked up his bag and walked up the ramp without another word, shaking his head, ignoring the chorus of laughter behind him.
Yeah, maybe he was in a better mood.
And maybe it had everything to do with the girl waiting for him back home.
Summary: She wasn’t supposed to meet him like that. He wasn’t supposed to let her in. But sometimes, things don’t go according to plan.
Word Count: 4082
The next morning, when you (slowly) made your way down to the kitchen for breakfast, it was completely empty. The other Avengers had one last meeting this morning, then the rest of the day off before they left for their mission in the evening.
You crutched over to the coffee pot, realizing it was completely full. Along with the freshly brewed pot was a mug and a note stuck halfway underneath it. You pulled it out to read it.
Y/n, the mug is clean, thought I’d grab it from the top shelf so you didn’t have to try to -Bucky
You smiled as you took the pot of coffee and poured yourself a cup. You just knew he got obliterated by the others for that. Or maybe he made sure he was the last one in the kitchen so he could do that in peace.
Either way, it made your heart flutter.
You took a sip before setting it down on the island. Then, you leaned your crutches against the counter and hopped around the kitchen, making yourself a bowl of yogurt with strawberries and granola. You finally sat down in a barstool, out of breath from all the effort.
When you finished your breakfast, you hopped around the island to wash your dishes, but you lost your balance as you went around the corner. You reached out to steady yourself with the hand your bowl was in, and the bowl fell out of your hand when you grabbed the counter. As soon as it hit the ground, it shattered into a million pieces.
You just sighed and stared at it for a few minutes, wishing for once that the others were there so you wouldn’t have to clean it up. But you finally hobbled over to the supply closet to grab the broom, then swept all the glass up into a pile.
You weren’t about to try to sweep the glass into a dustpan while balancing on one leg, so you just grabbed a plastic bag and sat down on the ground to pick up the pieces.
When you were about halfway done, Bucky walked into the kitchen, but you didn’t notice him at first.
“Y/n!” he yelled, causing you to jump.
He was next to you in an instant, crouching down next to you with a hand on your shoulder. “Are you okay? What happened?”
He was so focused on you that he didn’t even notice the plastic bag you were holding. “I just dropped my bowl, I’m cleaning up the pieces,” you said, holding up the plastic bag.
He finally looked down, but didn’t seem to even care about the half-full bag of glass. “Did you fall?”
You held back a laugh, finding it funny how concerned he was. “No, just reached out for the counter and dropped the bowl.”
“Why weren’t you using your crutches? Were you walking on it? You need to let it heal.”
Your laugh finally escaped, and Bucky was still looking at you with concern all over his face. “What?” he asked.
“You worried about me, Sergeant Softie?” you said, raising an eyebrow.
He blinked. “Sergeant – what?”
You grinned. “You heard me. I think you’re going soft. First coffee, now medical-level hovering? You feeling okay?”
He gave you a deadpan look, but his ears were turning red. “I’m not soft. I’m–”
“Don’t worry,” you cut in. “I won’t tell anyone. Your reputation’s safe with me.”
Bucky muttered something under his breath that definitely sounded like “menace,” but you could see the corner of his mouth twitching.
“Move over,” he said, reaching for the bag in your hand.
“I can finish–” you started, but he cut you off with a look.
“You’re literally sitting on the kitchen floor picking up shards of glass like it’s a relaxing Sunday activity,” he said, plucking the bag from your hand. “Let me help before you end up needing stitches.”
You held up your hands in surrender, scooting back with a smirk. “Yes, sir.”
Bucky crouched, gathering the last of the sharp pieces with practiced care. He even used a wet paper towel to sweep up the tiny slivers, like it wasn’t the first time he’d done something like this. When he was done, he tied off the bag and tossed it in the trash, dusting off his hands.
“There,” he said, satisfied.
You were about to thank him, maybe make another quip – but before you could move, he turned around and scooped you up off the ground like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Bucky!” you yelped, instinctively wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “I could’ve just stood up!”
“You were gonna hop,” he said, already walking you back to your chair. “With glass still on the floor. And you’re barefoot. Absolutely not.”
“You’ve got to stop carrying me like this,” you said, exasperated but mostly amused.
He shrugged, not even slightly out of breath. “You keep giving me excuses to.”
“You know there’s a difference between being helpful and dramatic, right?”
He smirked. “I’m versatile.”
You snorted, arms still looped loosely around his neck. “Well, at least you admit it.”
Bucky set you gently down in the chair again, scooting the chair in like this was all part of his daily routine.
“Comfortable?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
You gave him a look. “You gonna bring me a blanket next?”
He crossed his arms and leaned on the counter, smirking. “Don’t tempt me.”
You shook your head, trying to hide the grin tugging at your lips. “You’re unbelievable.”
His tone softened slightly, just enough to make your chest flutter. “You really okay?”
The teasing faded for a moment, and you nodded. “Yeah. Thanks for swooping in like a dramatic Disney prince.”
He grinned. “Anytime, princess.”
You just shook your head. “Don’t you have a meeting you need to be in?”
“We took a quick break, thought I’d come see if you were up. Obviously you can’t function without me,” he said, smirking at you.
You grabbed a napkin from the counter and flicked it at him, laughing. “Go away before I call you Sergeant Softie again.”
He took a slow step back, hands raised in mock surrender. “You keep saying that like it’s an insult.”
“Mhmm,” you hummed, leaning back in the chair. “If the shoe fits…”
He was still smirking as he walked away, muttering, “Not soft,” under his breath.
And you just smiled to yourself, sipping your coffee.
--
After Bucky had left, you'd migrated to the common room, propping your crutches against the coffee table and settling on the couch with your ankle elevated, an ice pack resting on top and a blanket thrown lazily over your legs. You grabbed a random book off the coffee table – not sure whose it was – and started flipping through it, mostly rereading the same page over and over, distracted by the lingering warmth in your chest from earlier.
The compound had stayed quiet all morning, but the second the meeting ended, you knew it, because the elevator dinged and voices immediately filled the kitchen.
“Finally,” Sam groaned. “Why do those meetings always feel like they’re six hours long?”
“Because they are,” Clint replied. “Steve gives one PowerPoint and suddenly thinks we’re in a TED Talk.”
“You’re just mad because you had to sit still,” Nat said, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.
Tony’s voice cut through the conversation next. “Alright, children. I’m ordering lunch. We vote like adults or I pick something obnoxious and expensive out of spite.”
“You do that even when we do vote,” Sam muttered.
As the group started gathering around the kitchen island to argue over lunch, Bucky walked right past them without saying a word and made a beeline for the common room.
He didn’t even hesitate – just walked straight to the couch and dropped down beside you, sinking into the cushions with a sigh.
You raised an eyebrow at him, nudging his leg lightly with your knee. “Meeting that bad?”
His eyes closed as he leaned his head back. “Worse.”
“That’s impressive,” you said, flipping your book shut. “Steve usually keeps it to only medium torture levels.”
“Medium?” he scoffed, cracking one eye open to look at you. “He made us go over the same intel report three times.”
You grinned, amused. “You missed me, didn’t you?”
He didn’t answer right away – but the way he relaxed further into the couch beside you was answer enough.
Before either of you could say anything else, voices drifted in from the kitchen.
“Hey–” Sam’s voice cut off, then came back louder. “Where’d Barnes go?”
“Don’t need a tracker to figure it out,” Nat said dryly. “He’s probably on the couch.”
There was a beat of silence. Then Tony’s voice, already smug: “Yup. He’s in the common room. Sitting next to Sleeping Beauty herself.”
You groaned, tipping your head back with a dramatic sigh. “It begins.”
“Barnes, you skipping the food vote?” Sam called out, poking his head around the corner. “Or are you just following your stomach straight to her again?”
Bucky didn’t even flinch. “You make it sound like I’m whipped.”
Sam raised an eyebrow. “You left the kitchen mid-conversation and went straight to her.”
“I didn’t say it wasn’t true,” Bucky said with a shrug, not looking even slightly guilty.
Tony leaned into view next, phone in hand. “Okay, so lunch order: one pizza, two sandwiches, and a large side of codependency for Barnes.”
You threw a pillow in their general direction.
Bucky smirked. “Careful. She’s armed.”
Nat leaned against the doorway, sipping from her water bottle. “Honestly, I’m impressed. We were mid-argument about tacos vs. Thai food, and you didn’t even blink before disappearing.”
“I already know what I want,” Bucky said with a shrug.
“Oh?” Sam said, crossing his arms. “And what’s that?”
Bucky finally glanced back toward the kitchen, completely deadpan. “Peace and quiet.”
The others groaned collectively.
“Wow,” Clint said. “Didn’t know the Winter Soldier ran on Hallmark movie logic now.”
“You’ve changed, Barnes,” Tony said, mock disappointed. “Next thing you know, you’ll be writing poetry and rubbing her feet.”
You raised your eyebrows at Bucky. “You write poetry?”
“No,” he said quickly.
“He totally does,” Sam muttered.
Bucky ignored them, turning back to you. “You hungry?”
“Kind of,” you said, adjusting your blanket. “I was thinking of hobbling over in a minute.”
“No need,” he said. “I’ll put your vote in. What do you want?”
“Hmmm…tacos sound good.”
Bucky turned and looked to the kitchen. “Two votes for tacos,” he yelled.
“Okay, tacos it is,” Tony said, disappearing from the doorway.
“Man, you can’t even vote for yourself,” Sam said, shaking his head. “You really are whipped.”
You just laughed and nudged Bucky with your elbow as he leaned his head back again and grinned.
--
After the tacos were devoured and the group slowly started drifting off to their rooms to prep for their evening departure, you and Bucky found your way back to the couch.
You shifted and nudged his shoulder. “I’m bored.”
He glanced at you. “You’re injured.”
“I’m bored and injured. That’s, like, double the reason to entertain me.”
He snorted. “What, you want me to sing and dance?”
You gave him a faux innocent smile. “Only if you also juggle.”
That earned you a laugh – and then, as his gaze flicked around the room, it landed on the closet in the corner, full of countless random things, including board games.
You followed his gaze, then pointed. “Monopoly?”
Bucky raised a brow. “That game ruins friendships.”
You grinned. “Good thing we’re not friends.”
He gave you a look. “Wow.”
“Kidding,” you sing-songed. “Come on. I’ll go easy on you.”
“Oh, it’s on,” he said, already standing and pulling the game out of the closet.
--
About an hour later, you were both sitting on the floor, completely surrounded by a war zone of fake money, scattered cards, and plastic hotels. You were leaning on the couch while Bucky sat across from you.
“You can’t do that!” you cried.
“I can do that,” Bucky said, smugly sliding one of your properties toward himself. “You didn’t pay the hotel fee.”
“I offered you a Get Out of Jail Free card and two railroads!”
“I don’t need charity.”
You let out an exaggerated gasp and threw a wad of Monopoly cash at his face.
He retaliated instantly, lunging forward and trying to block the money with one hand while using the other to snatch the card pile from you.
You shrieked with laughter, trying to twist away, but he caught your wrist with his metal hand while you pushed at his shoulder to keep him back.
“Let go! That’s my Chance card!” you giggled.
“You cheated!”
“I negotiated creatively!”
That’s when a familiar voice called out from the hallway.
“Do I even want to know what’s going on in here?” Sam asked, followed immediately by footsteps.
The chaos came to a screeching halt as you and Bucky froze mid-wrestle – your hand clutching a card over your head, his fingers wrapped gently around your wrist, the two of you way too close and clearly in a state of Monopoly-induced madness.
“Oh my god,” Sam said, walking fully into the room. “What am I even looking at?”
Wanda peeked around him and immediately burst into laughter. “Is this…flirty Monopoly wrestling?”
Tony arrived last, taking in the scene and slowly raising his phone to take a picture. “You know, I had a bet with Nat that the next time I walked in on you two, someone would be on top of the other. Technically, I win.”
“Not helping!” you yelled, yanking your hand away from Bucky’s and scrambling backward over the Monopoly board.
Bucky sat back, rubbing the back of his neck but clearly biting back a smile. “She started it.”
Sam just stared. “This is hands down the weirdest rom-com arc I’ve ever seen.”
You buried your face in your hands. “Please leave. I’m going to die of secondhand embarrassment.”
“Nope,” Sam said, smirking. “I’m staying until someone throws a hotel piece.”
Wanda crossed her arms, still grinning. “You two are ridiculous.”
Bucky rolled his eyes and stood, offering you a hand. “C’mon, princess. Let’s call a truce before they start live-tweeting.”
You took it, letting him pull you to your feet – and immediately winced as your ankle reminded you why you weren’t hopping around.
He steadied you, one arm slipping around your waist like it was automatic, and you didn’t miss the way everyone noticed.
Tony whistled. “That’s it. I’m changing the group chat name to ‘Pass Go, Collect Feelings.’”
You flipped him off as you leaned into Bucky’s side.
“Alright, alright,” Bucky said dryly, clearly done with the peanut gallery.
“Don’t fall asleep on him again!” Sam called.
You just rolled your eyes and let Bucky help you back to the couch.
--
Ten minutes later, the Monopoly war was packed up, the blanket was back over your legs, and a movie was playing on the screen in front of you.
Bucky sat next to you, stretched out comfortably, one arm resting on the back of the couch behind your shoulders. You’d shifted closer again, too tired to care anymore about appearances.
It was warm. Quiet. Easy.
You didn’t even make it past the thirty-minute mark.
Your head gently dropped against Bucky’s chest, your breathing slow and even. He didn’t say anything and didn’t dare move.
When the rest of the team came back through the common room, gear in hand and ready to head out for the mission, they saw you instantly.
You, fast asleep on Bucky’s chest.
And Bucky, completely unfazed.
Nat held a hand to her heart. “Okay, this is starting to get dangerously cute.”
“Three for three,” Sam said. “She’s officially turned the Winter Soldier into a weighted blanket.”
Tony snapped a picture.
Wanda gently pulled the others away. “Let them be. This is...weirdly wholesome.”
When the room cleared out again, Bucky finally looked down at you, peaceful and tucked into his side.
He shook his head with a soft smile, adjusting the blanket just a little higher over your shoulder.
And he didn’t move for a long time.
--
You woke up slowly, not entirely sure what time it was or how long you’d been asleep.
The room was dimmer now. The movie had long since ended, and the blanket still covered you, tucked in just a little neater than you remembered.
But Bucky was gone.
You blinked, sitting up slowly and rubbing at your eyes, your ankle aching beneath you. As you looked toward the kitchen, you saw several duffel bags now lined up near the front door. The low hum of muffled voices echoed down the hallway.
You pushed yourself off the couch, grabbing your crutches, and made your way down the hallway to the elevator, then down the hall, stopping at Bucky’s room.
The door was wide open, and there he was inside, crouched beside his bed, slipping something into the side of his bag.
He looked up the second you appeared. “Morning, Sleeping Beauty.”
You scoffed, crutching your way inside. “How long was I out?”
“Couple hours,” he said, glancing up again as you crossed the room. “I didn’t wanna wake you.”
You shrugged. “The couch is surprisingly comfortable once I stop feeling like my ankle’s gonna fall off.”
He zipped a compartment shut and set the bag down beside him. “Figured you could use the rest.”
You smiled a little as you reached the edge of his bed and dramatically flopped down onto it, dropping your crutches to the floor beside you. “And this is even comfier.”
He rolled his eyes but didn’t fight it. “Make yourself at home, why don’t you?”
“I am,” you said, stretching your arms above your head with a grin. “This is your punishment for leaving me mid-nap.”
Bucky was halfway through folding one last shirt when a knock hit the open doorframe.
“Hey, Buck” Steve stopped mid-step.
His eyebrows lifted in amused surprise as he glanced from Bucky, packing like it was business as usual, to you, sprawled out across his bed like it was yours.
“Am I interrupting something?” he asked, one brow clearly raised for dramatic effect.
Bucky didn’t even look fazed. “Nope. She broke in.”
You propped your head up on one hand. “Untrue. The door was open. I just wandered in like a stray cat.”
Steve chuckled. “This what you do on your days off? Nap in each other’s beds?”
“Technically, she was already napping in the common room,” Bucky offered.
“And now I’ve upgraded,” you added cheerfully, kicking your good leg over the side of the bed.
Before Steve could reply, another voice called down the hallway.
“Did someone say nap buddies?” Sam appeared behind him a second later, spotting you instantly. “Oh my god.”
You groaned, flopping your head back onto the pillows. “Nope. Nope nope nope.”
Wanda and Clint followed close behind, clearly drawn by the scent of juicy gossip.
“Wow,” Clint said, peeking over Steve’s shoulder. “This is escalating fast.”
“She’s literally just laying down,” Bucky deadpanned.
“In your bed,” Wanda said, hands on her hips and a knowing look on her face. “That’s a big step.”
Tony was next, of course, practically materializing out of thin air with his phone out. “This is rich. The team’s not even wheels up and Barnes is already shacking up.”
“Nothing’s happening!” you said, face half-buried in one of Bucky’s pillows.
Sam leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed smugly. “Nothing’s happening yet.”
“You’re all insufferable,” Bucky muttered, sliding his last knife into a holster and shutting his bag.
You just grinned and patted the spot next to you. “You brought this on yourself, Sergeant Softie.”
Another chorus of oohs echoed from the hallway.
Tony actually applauded. “And there it is.”
Steve clapped Bucky on the back. “Wrap it up, Sergeant Softie. Jet leaves in ten.”
The group finally drifted away, still snickering, while Bucky walked over to the bed and looked down at you.
“You’re the worst,” he said, but his smile gave him away.
“I’m adorable,” you countered.
He grabbed your crutches and set them upright next to the bed. “So, you gonna help me with my bags or what?”
You just scoffed, then smiled up at him. “I’m gonna have to go with or what,” you said, pulling yourself up off the bed.
He just grinned at you, holding out your crutches, then reaching out to steady you as you stood up. He walked over and grabbed his bags as you crutched your way to the door.
You made it to the kitchen where everyone else was milling around, checking all their bags to make sure they had everything and grabbing some last-minute necessities.
“Well, well, well,” Sam said the moment he spotted you guys walking in. “Would you look at that. Barnes is finally here. Did you two say your goodbyes yet, or are we waiting for a tearful airport-style sendoff?”
“We’re not leaving until he lets go of her hand,” Clint added, appearing behind Sam with a water bottle in one hand and a smirk on his face.
“We’re not even holding hands,” Bucky said flatly.
“Uh-huh,” Natasha said, raising an eyebrow. “You’ve been saying goodbye for twenty minutes. You sure you're finally ready to leave, Barnes? Or should we give you another hour?”
“Do we need to play you a sad montage?” Sam asked. “We can all hum some dramatic music while you walk to the jet.”
“I hate all of you,” Bucky muttered, grabbing the strap of his bag and slinging it over his shoulder.
“I’m just saying,” Tony chimed in from the doorway, coffee in hand, “how are the two of you gonna survive without each other for a whole week? Tragic.”
“Oh please,” Wanda said, leaning against the counter with her arms crossed. “Sleeping Beauty’s not gonna be able to fall asleep without her emotional support Soldier.”
You covered your face with one hand. “I hate all of you more.”
“They’re right though,” Sam said, shaking his head dramatically. “This man’s gonna be staring at his comms the whole flight. ‘Did she text?’ ‘Is she okay?’ ‘Do you think she had coffee this morning?’”
“Okay, time to leave,” Steve called, clearly trying not to laugh as he herded the group toward the door.
Tony saluted you dramatically. “Don’t burn the place down, sweetheart.”
As they finally started to head out, Bucky looked down at you, his expression softening just a little.
“You sure you’ll be alright?”
You nodded, giving him a crooked smile. “Yeah, I’ll survive.”
He chuckled under his breath, eyes lingering on you for a second longer. Then, he took a step toward you and wrapped you up in a hug, resting his chin on your head.
You let out a little laugh, wrapping your arms around his waist. “Are you gonna be alright?” you asked, face buried in his chest.
Then, you felt the faintest press of his lips on the top of your head. So quick, you weren’t even sure if it actually happened.
He took a step back, arms still on your shoulders, and smiled down at you. “Yeah,” he said quietly, eyes not leaving yours. “I’ve got something to look forward to when I get back.”
Before you could say anything else, a voice rang out from the hallway.
“Barnes!” Sam called, exasperated. “We’re leaving, not planning a wedding!”
The sound of boots and duffel bags shuffled behind him, and a few more heads peeked back into the room.
Nat leaned against the doorway with a knowing smirk. “You about ready?”
“She’s not gonna disappear while we’re gone,” Clint added. “Let’s go, Romeo.”
Bucky sighed but didn’t take his hands off your shoulders just yet. He looked at you for one more second – just long enough to make your heart skip.
Then he gave your arms a final squeeze, let go, and turned to grab his bag from the floor.
As he started walking away, you stared after him, still unsure if that kiss had really happened or if you’d just imagined the warm brush of his lips on your hair.
He reached the doorway, nearly disappearing with the rest of the team – but just before stepping out, he paused.
He turned, caught your eyes across the room, and smiled – small, soft, just for you.
“Bye,” he said.
Then he was gone.
--
Part 6 | Masterlist
So excited to write the next part for you guys!! (and btw, I'm sure you all knew, but Bucky definitely kissed her😉🤭)
