Bucky was only supposed to be gone for a few months. He was supposed to fight, then come back home. Home to me. He didnât. But fate has a funny way of working out, and seventy years later, nothing makes sense anymore. The only thing that does is that Bucky is still my home.
Pairings: Bucky x Fem!OC
General Tags: BuckyxOC, Lovers to Strangers to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, No use of y/n, POV First Person, Bucky Barnes uses Doll as a Pet Name
Words: 1.8k
Chapter 2 on AO3
ONE â TWO
Chapter 2: Enemies
Bucky's POV
I silently watch Violet stumble over her words as she attempts to make an excuse to leave. The three of us look confused by her abrupt departure, the sudden panic in her voice. I thought it was going fine, we were sitting with a drink, talking, in each other's company, and-
âAlright, Barnes, what did you do?â Tony interrupts my train of thought, glaring at me as he takes a sip of his drink.
I glare back at Tony, slightly offended by his words. âAnd what makes you think I did anything, Stark?â
âHmm, letâs think⊠maybe the fact that Violet, usually one of the most composed people in this compound, just rapidly left the room whilst not being able to get a sentence out. And I know that she has never acted like that around me. So, call me a conspiracy theorist, but I think that has something to do with you. Care to elaborate?â
I run a hand over my face, quietly sighing into my palm. Heâs right. I know he is. And, God, do I hate it when heâs right. âI didnât do anything, Stark,â I grumble, taking a sip of my drinkâcompletely useless. Damned super soldier serum. âOr nothing of significance at leastâŠâ
âSo there is something,â Tony points out, that stupid cocky smirk returning to his face. My jaw clenches as I hear the amusement in his voice, and I know heâs enjoying the thought of having more drama in the compound.
âCome on, Buck. Give us something to work with,â Steve, the peacemaker he is, stops us from getting off topic before we can.
I stay silent for a moment, placing my drink back onto the countertop, trying to process what happened moments ago. âI donât know what happened. We were fine before you two turned up. Well, civil enough. We were talking, sharing a drink together. I didnât do anything that couldâve made her react like thatâŠâ I slowly trail off, remembering the way Violet's side lightly grazed mine when we were forced to sit closer together, the way my heart rate accelerated as I felt her warmth against me for the first time in seventy years. That canât be the reason; sheâs too composed and closed off for something that small to bother her.
Tony, for once, doesnât push for more. âYou donât want to tell us the whole story, or what happened before we returned? Fine. But maybe one of us should go and check on Violet. You know, check she isnât destroying my lab.â
Tony and Steve look at each other, almost as if having a silent conversation with just their eyes. I look between them, trying to understand what they are saying to each other. I donât like the idea of Violet leaving so abruptly and having to be alone like that. âYeah, I suppose someone should go and check on her, make sure sheâs alright, you knowâŠâ
Steve looks at me like he wants to slap the back of my head. I donât understand why, I thought theyâd want me to agreeâ âChrist, Bucky, Stark means you. You should be the one to go and check on her.â
I scoff at his words, giving him a look that says âYou canât be serious right nowâ. âMe?! Oh, come on, Steve, what good am I going to do? If Iâm the one who caused her to run like that, I doubt sheâd be happy seeing me in her space in the lab. I never go into the lab, and everyone knows that. She wouldnât want me there.â
"Well, if sheâs upset with you, maybe it's best for you to talk it through with her.â
Tony nods in agreement at Steveâs words. âYeah, and if that doesnât work, at least there will be some drama to keep the rest of the team entertained for a while. Because we all know you two are the epitome of miscommunication,â he mutters the last bit under his breath, but he wasnât trying to hide what he said, because I understood clearly.
I glare at Tony, ready to argue with him, but the look Steve gives me makes me pause. I take a deep breath. I know heâs right. If Violetâs upset with me, I should at least go, find out why, and see if I can fix it. And it gives me a good excuse to leave and not have to listen to Tonyâs sarcasm anymore. âAlright, Iâll go and see if sheâs okay. Purely for the fact that I donât need you or anyone else gossiping more than you already do.â
To no one's surprise, Tony almost looks disappointed. âWell, I guess I should be happy that he wants to talk it out with Violet.â
I notice Steve rolling his eyes at Tony, and Iâm glad I'm not the only one annoyed with his sarcasm.  âAnd Buck, maybe sheâs not mad at you. Have you even considered that yet? Maybe you just caught her off guard when you said something or did something, as incomprehensible as that sounds, but considering your ârelationshipâ back in the â40s, I wouldnât be surprised,â Steve mumbles towards the end.
My best friendâs comment makes me pause. I think about earlier and what I couldâve done to make Violet react like that. But what catches me off guard is the mention of the â40s. Thereâs been a silent understanding between us to never talk about what existed between Violet and me back then. Well, until now that is. âWhat exactly do you mean by that, Steve?â
âThis is a form of torture,â Tony grumbles as he reaches for the bottle of alcohol, filling his glass to the brim. Reassuring. âDo we have to spell everything out for you?â
Steve gives Tony a warning look, silently telling him to watch his sarcasm. âAll Iâm saying is that, back in the â40s, you two were smitten with each other. So much so that almost everyone in town knew you were dating. Maybe sheâs just scared of getting her hopes up that things could return to what they were like between you two, considering how much youâve changed since then, after what the war and Hydra put you through.â Steve looks nervous whilst saying this, almost as if heâs struggling to word the situation properly.
âYou canât be serious, Steve. Violet? Scared of her feelings for me? She ran out panicking because of me? Thatâs bullshit, and you know it. She doesnât care what people think of her. She says whatâs on her mind. She doesnât panic over feelings.â I shake my head in disbelief, almost laughing at the absurdity of Steveâs suggestion. I look between Steve and Tony, feeling more and more frustrated and⊠something else I canât quite place.
I notice the panicked look Steve exchanges with Tony, and it only serves to piss me off more. Itâs almost like they think Iâm going to snap at them⊠or thereâs more that they arenât telling me. âSteve⊠you better start talking, or so help meâŠâ
âOkay, look, Iâm not supposed to tell anyone this. Most especially, you,â he says to me, nervously rubbing the back of his neck. âSo, weâre going to keep this between us three because if Violet finds out I told you⊠Well, I donât want to find out what she would do. Understood?â
He waits for both Tony and me to agree before continuing, âRight, well, after what happened back in the war, what Hydra did to her, and what she did for Hydra, sheâs terrified of what your perception of her is. So, yes, I think that sheâs scared of what you think about her because she doesnât even know what you think about her. You both have zero communication skills left, apparently, and neither of you know how to express yourselves to each other.â He downs the rest of his drink, placing the empty glass back onto the kitchen island before standing up and pacing around the kitchen.
I have to physically stop my jaw from dropping at this revelation. But once the initial shock wears off, Iâm pissed. I stand up, stepping up to Steve, stopping his pacing. My jaw's clenched, and it takes a lot for me not to yell at him. âWhy the hell didnât you tell me any of this before, Steve?â I ask through clenched teeth, my body tense, my hands curled into tight fists.
Tony immediately stands up, stepping between Steve and me, arms stretched out, keeping us apart. âOkay, before one of you gets punched.â He looks at Steve, clearly meaning him. Which is ridiculous, because I wouldnât punch Steve⊠I donât think. âHow about we just move away from each other, just a little bit?â
Steve hesitantly takes a step back from me, audibly sighing and runs a hand over his face. âListen, Buck, it's not that I wanted to keep this from you, it's just⊠You were going through a lot yourself, so I didnât see the point in burdening you further. Besides, youâre barely talking to Violet anyway. And she made me promise not to tell you, and in that moment, I didnât want to know what she would do to me if I told you. She can be⊠intimidating to say the least.â
I donât bother to hide my anger now; a muscle in my jaw ticks. âYouâre telling me that you didnât tell me about Violet because you didnât want to burden me? Thatâs bullshit, Steve.â
Steveâs frustration begins to grow. Itâs evident in the way his arms cross over his chest, and he takes another step back, increasing the distance between us. âWell, what would you have done, Buck? You had your own issues, and so did Violet. You know how hard it is to get her to say anything about how sheâs feeling, the way she bottles it up and keeps it to herself so she doesnât âinconvenienceâ anyone.â His voice begins to rise, and I hate the tone he uses when talking to me. âIâm surprised she even told me this. And itâs not like youâve been straightforward with her. You wouldnât even have a full conversation, expecting her to do all the talking. So, tell me what I was supposed to do?â
My temper flares at his words, my own voice rises to match his. âI donât care, Steve! You shouldâve told me. You know I still care, I wouldâve appreciated knowing so I could deal with her problems. So I could deal with her!â
Only when I finish snapping at him do I realise that Steve isnât listening to me, and Tony is staring at the doorway. My heart hammers against my chest, and my stomach drops. My anger immediately dissipates, and itâs replaced with an overwhelming amount of guilt when I see what theyâre looking at. Violet.
Bucky was only supposed to be gone for a few months. He was supposed to fight, then come back home. Home to me. He didnât. But fate has a funny way of working out, and seventy years later, nothing makes sense anymore. The only thing that does is that Bucky is still my home.
Pairings: Bucky x Fem!OC
General Tags: BuckyxOC, Lovers to Strangers to Lovers, Idiots in Love, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Found Family, No use of y/n, POV First Person, Bucky Barnes uses Doll as a Pet Name
Words: 1.4k
Chapter 1 on AO3
ONE â TWO
Chapter 1: Never Not
Violet's POV
Finally, the Avengers complex to myself. With the team out on a mission, I was finally able to enjoy a bit of time to myself without their eyes constantly tracking my every move. Well, as free as I can be with JARVIS still keeping tabs on me.
Thereâs a bit of time before they return, so I rush down the stairs, humming to myself, with one destination in mindâthe kitchen. I've been craving a sweet treat all day, and Iâve been thinking about making brownies for weeks, but I've never had a moment when the kitchen would be empty.
Just as I turn the corner, I see him. Grumpy as ever, glaring as usual.
âOh, umm- heyâŠâ I stutter, my excitement of having an empty kitchen gone, a heavy atmosphere falling over us. And all I get from him is a single eyebrow raise. I donât need anything else to know heâs asking me what Iâm doing here, and that heâs evidently annoyed.
âSorry, I didnât think there was anyone still here. I thought youâwell, everyone, reallyâwas out. Doesnât matter. Iâll leave you toâŠâ I never really know what Bucky does. He tends to just⊠be there, âcarry on with whatever it is you are doing.â
As Iâm turning to leave, my mind already working to make new plans on what I can do today, he interrupts my thoughts.
âWait, Violet,â his voice, low and gruff, making me turn back to face him. Something so familiar, but feels so foreign at the same time.
Before I can do anything, he gestures to the empty chairs at the kitchen island next to where he is sitting.
I should say no. I should make up any excuse. Tell him my fish just died and I need to hold a very elaborate funeral and mourn the loss of Sir Goldie the Third- Yeah, no, who am I kidding? I donât have a fish, and he knows that.
I bite the inside of my cheek as I head closer to the kitchen island, taking a seat furthest from him, which, considering how big the kitchen is, isnât very far and only allows one seat between us.
His gaze lingers on me for a moment, giving me a quick look up and down, and his eyebrow raises. Instinctively, that makes me look down at myself. Now, whether he gave me that eyebrow raise because of my mismatched pyjama top and shorts or because of my choice of seat, Iâll never know. But either way⊠rude, much?
He reaches out for the whiskey bottle sitting in front of him, finishing the remaining liquid in a single large chug.
âCouldâve saved some for me,â I murmur sarcastically. Iâm not really expecting a response from him, maybe a glare or a gruntâthatâs all he seems to be giving me these days. But when I see the faint smirk pulling on his lips, Iâm almost proud of myself.
Bucky sets the empty bottle back down onto the table, his eyes never leaving mine. âMaybe if you asked nicely, I wouldâve shared it with you.â
I raise a brow at his words. âNiceâ? Seriously? Heâs telling me I should be nice. âOh, really? And why would I have done that for an almost empty bottle of whiskey?â
The corner of his mouth twitches up, clearly not expecting a sassy comment from me, but heâs amused nonetheless. âYou know, I remember you being a lot sweeter.â
âWell,â I sigh, standing up from my seat, walking around the kitchen island to a cupboard where Tony keeps his alcohol. âClearly, things have changed, and you donât know me as well as you think you do.â I grab two glasses from another cupboard and pour us each a glass, sliding one over to him.
I notice the way Buckyâs smirk falters slightly, but I choose to ignore it and pretend that I didnât notice.
Buckyâs fingers wrap around the glass, bringing it up to his lips. âBeing a brat isnât going to get you very far,â he mumbles into the glass before taking a sip.
âWell, itâs gotten me this far, and Iâd like to see how far itâll get me.â I walk back around the kitchen island. But instead of sitting back in the seat I was in earlier, I take the one directly next to him, significantly closer than I was before. Why I chose to sit that close to him, I donât know. Should I sit this close to him? Absolutely not. But itâs Bucky, and he always makes me do irrational things, hence why Iâve been avoiding him for months, ever since Iâve been brought to the compound.
His eyes follow my every movement. His smirk returns, and he turns to face me full on. I am painfully aware that our knees are almost brushing against each other, but his words catch me off guard. âBe careful what you wish for, Violet. Your words might come back to bite you one day.â
Before I get a chance to respond, thereâs a commotion in the hallway outside the kitchen. It doesnât take a genius to know that the rest of the Avengers have returned from whatever mission they were assigned.
There goes my free time.
I shuffle my stool back from Bucky, creating more space between us, just before Steve and Tony walk in. âHey, Steve. How did your mission go?â
âNot bad. It was just a quick job. Probably wouldâve been quicker if Tony wasnât adamant about making a show of everything,â he grumbles, giving Tony a pointed look.
Tony gives an unamused scoff in response to Steveâs words. âI do not 'make a show of everything'. I just make sure we look cooler and keep everything more exciting. Wouldnât want Barton falling asleep halfway through the mission, now, would we?â
Steve rolls his eyes at Tonyâs sarcasm, clearly losing his patience after being stuck with him all day.
âAnd what are you two up to?â Tony asks, completely ignoring Steveâs eye roll, looking between me and Bucky instead. âI wasnât aware you two knew how to communicate with one another.â
I can feel my cheeks heating at Tonyâs words, and quickly get up from my seat to grab two more glasses. âJust having a drink. Care to join?â
Steve raises an eyebrow, unamused and knowing that there must be something more to it than âjust a drinkâ. âAt eleven in the morning?â Steve asks, whilst Tony responds at the same time with an enthusiastic, âabsolutely.â
As I pour Tony and Steve a glass each, Tony brings the empty stools closer together into a circle. I donât doubt that it was intentional because the chair they left for me is closest to Bucky. So close that my side presses against his. My posture is stiff, and from what I can tell, Buckyâs also uncomfortable. But then again, he always seems to be somewhat uncomfortable with me. So much so that he usually makes excuses to never be in the same room as me. Today seems to be the exception.
The three of them talk amongst themselves, but I zone out almost immediately. I take small sips of my drink despite knowing it wonât do anything to me, and sit silently as they talk. My mind is a whirlwind of emotions and thoughts. This is the first time Iâve touched Bucky since we were last together. Properly. First time since the 1940s, before everything went to shit. Back when it was âBucky and Violet.â Back when it was simply us. Back when we were perfect for each other and we werenât broken.
I feel overwhelmed. This is too much: being around Bucky, pretending that there wasnât a history, pretending that there isnât something. I abruptly stand up, placing my drink down onto the kitchen island with more force than necessary, causing all eyes to turn to me.
âYou alright, Katniss?â My focus snaps to Tony as he calls me by that nickname. He gave it to me, saying something about my aim and my personality being âpricklyâ. I still donât know who âKatnissâ is to this day.
âYes, perfectly fine.â The words rapidly stumble out of my mouth, and I hate that Bucky is the cause of that. âJust had an- umm⊠idea for a- uhh⊠project. Iâm just going to⊠head down to the lab.â I quickly turn, leaving the kitchen to hurry down to the lab, needing as much space from themâBucky, more specificallyâas possible.
CHAPTER TWO
End Notes:
I have never written before, and I have no idea what Iâm doing. English and creative writing have never been a strong point of mine, but I've had so many ideas in my head, and I really want to learn and improve my writing.