bathroom malfunction- bob reynolds
summary: bob’s bathroom on his floor stops working, so you let him use yours while his gets fixed
warnings: insinuating sexual thoughts, fluff
pairing: bob reynolds x reader (no use of y/n)
this was cross-posted on my ao3!! @bestiemads
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“Yep, my assumptions were correct,” Walker puts down the flashlight and screwdriver he had been using to inspect the shower’s drainage pipe. The rest of the Thunderbolts and I had been hovering around John in the bathroom like a swarm of flies to see what was up with Bob’s bathroom. If you couldn’t tell, life in the tower was truly eventful.
“What’s wrong?” The impatient tone in Bucky’s voice was obvious as he stood at the back of the group.
“There’s something wrong with the pipes in the sink, making it not run correctly. I can almost guarantee it’s the same in the toilet and shower, too. I’m not a plumber, obviously, so I can’t diagnose anything. But, if I had to guess, I think it’s an overall pipe problem on this floor.” Walker got up from the bathroom, dusting off the grime that clung to his pants from the restroom floor.
“So, I can’t use anything in this bathroom at all?” Bob hesitantly asked, hoping for a much better answer than the one he was about to get.
“No, Reynolds. You’re gonna have to share a bathroom with a willing teammate, and that willing teammate is definitely not me!” Walker dramatically flung his arms in the air, making it known he wouldn’t share his bathroom with the Sentry. Bob looked around the rest of the team, a hopeful glint in his eyes that at least someone would share the bathroom with him.
Bucky and Alexei averted their eyes towards the ground. Yelena looked at a spot on the wall that- all of a sudden- seemed to catch her attention. He didn’t even have to look at Ava, because he knew her answer would be a strict “no.”
“You can share with me, Bob,” I piped up. “My bathroom is one of the few with a double sink, and you’re only a floor below me. It wouldn’t be a big deal.”
“You sure?” Bob questioned, his overthinking nature constantly taking over him.
“Yes, of course. It’s just a toilet, sink, and shower. It’s not a big deal at all,” I made sure I made my point clear, so he wouldn’t feel as guilty as I know he feels now.
“Thank you, I really appreciate it.”
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I splash cold water onto my face, scrubbing the face wash off my face. I was in my bathroom, getting ready for bed. The faint hum of the bathroom fan rang above me as I continued my nightly routine. Then, three light knocks on my door interrupted the pattern. These knocks weren’t unexpected, though; they were Bob.
I opened the door to find Bob standing hesitantly at its frame, as if he were intruding. His shoulders hung low as his arms wrapped around the green travel caddy, in which he brought his toiletries.
“I’ve been expecting you,” I joked, gesturing into my bedroom. “The bathroom’s that door to your right with the light on.” I shut the bedroom door and followed him into my bathroom.
“You can put your stuff on the sink furthest from the door. I usually use the left one, so the right one can be yours for however long!” Bob put his bag down on the edge of the sink, trying to take up as little space as possible.
“I’ll wait till you’re done getting ready before I start,” Bob said, heading into my adjacent bedroom to sit on the corner of my bed.
“You sure, Bob? There are two sinks for a reason, you know.” I didn’t care at all if Bob was in there while I got ready. Knowing Bob’s shy nature and how awkward he currently felt, though, I didn’t want to push it. When he makes up his mind, it’s pretty hard to get him to change it, especially in social situations like this.
“Yeah, I am.” I finished getting ready in only a handful of minutes, making small talk with Bob as I did so.
“Alright, I’m done.” My voice was muffled as I patted my face dry for the final time with a towel. Bob and I switched positions so he could do his thing in the restroom. He didn’t shower that night out of his own awkwardness. He did his skincare and brushed his teeth, that’s all. He definitely rushed the routine.
Once he finished, he met me in my bedroom. I was sitting in my bed, scrolling aimlessly on my phone. My head perked up when I saw him, caddy in hand, heading towards my door.
“Goodnight. See you in the morning,” Bob said, waving his hand timidly as he began to exit my room.
“See you in the morning!” My reply was quick as he softly shut the door behind him.
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Bob came to my bathroom many more times after that, and he became more comfortable with each visit. His routine became longer and more precise because he was becoming more comfortable with his sheer presence in my space. His twice-a-day visits became something I looked forward to. Being able to talk with him- just him- with no interruptions, was something I cherished.
It also helped that I had begun to develop this intense crush on Bob. I had always thought he was cute, no doubt. I thought he was attractive ever since I first saw him stumble out of that container in the vault. His floppy brown curls that matched his equally floppy smile made my heart burst. His unfaltering gentleness in every ounce of his being added to his charm as well. He always asked for permission, even when he didn’t need it. All of his other loving traits branched from his soul of gentleness, which is something that made me fall for him even harder.
That sleeper build he hid under baggy clothes was a positive, too.
I knew he was ripped after Valentina’s guards shot off half of his shirt. The peak of the lower half of his abdomen made my breath hitch in my chest. I began to think some unwanted thoughts about a guy I had just met. Those thoughts were quickly erased when his body shot into the sky.
Those undesired thoughts didn’t come back until a few days ago.
I was lying in my bed, watching 13 Going on 30 on my TV. I had never seen the movie, but John raved about it. He said his ex-wife and him watched it while they were dating, and it's still one of his favorites. I told him I had never watched it, which seemed to Walker like the end of the world.
“That movie’s a cinematic masterpiece. You need to watch it.”
So, I decided to watch it tonight. So far, I was genuinely enjoying the movie. The love story was adorable, and the main character, Jenna, was easily lovable.
The leading man and love interest, Matt, looked quite familiar, though.
“Bob, don’t you think the guy in this movie looks like Bruce Banner?” Bob had been in the bathroom with the door shut as he took a shower. The water wasn’t running anymore, so I assumed he was done.
“Who?” Bob replied. He had opened the bathroom door, but I didn’t notice him exit the steamy restroom. My eyes were glued to the TV, entranced by the movie on the screen.
“Bruce Banner. The Hulk. Doesn’t he look like him?” I gesture my right hand towards the screen, where the Bruce-look-alike danced to the song “Thriller” with Jenna. As I said this, my eyes averted towards Bob, who I now realized finally emerged from the bathroom. Once my eyes landed on the Sentry, though, my breath caught in my throat.
Bob was fresh out of the shower with only a towel wrapped low around his waist. His muscular, wet-skinned glistened in the TV screen’s light. His hands gripped his hips, right around his built abdomen. His brown curls now hung on his head heavy due to the weight of the water and the minimal gel product he raked through it. He smelled good, too- like insanely good. It was so uniquely Bob, making this whole ordeal even more attractive. I knew Bob was built, but seeing his full form right now brought out some thoughts inside me I thought flew away when the Sentry did outside the vault.
“Oh my God, he does. How’d you figure that out?” I barely registered that Bob was talking to me. Luckily, he was too focused on the screen to catch me staring at him. I snapped out of it, my cheeks growing pink in embarrassment.
“Hmm?” I asked, taking an almost obnoxious gulp of my own saliva. Bob looked over at me, that dopey smile stretching across his face as if his pure being wasn’t sending me into a spiral at that exact moment.
“How’d you figure out that he looked like the Hulk?” he asked, in the sweetest voice that almost made me melt into my bed.
“Oh, uh, j-just luck, I guess.” The response truly made no sense, or maybe it did; I don’t know. All that was on my mind now were thoughts that would send a priest into a heart attack.
Bob laughed- his adorable laugh- and walked back into the bathroom. He said something along the lines of “I’m gonna finish up” before shutting the door behind him again.
I took a deep sigh, flopping my back onto the bed. I had completely embarrassed myself, which hopefully Bob didn’t catch on to. In that moment, I realized I was truly knee-deep in my infatuation with Bob, and I wasn’t getting out anytime soon.
Ever since that moment, I was never truly normal around Bob. Once I accepted my liking for him, its like I turned into a lovesick teenager again. The only difference this time was that I was not a teenager. I think team members began to pick up on this, especially Yelena. She kept teasing me about it, even when I told her I didn’t have feelings for him. Finally, after constant nagging, I finally told her. She insisted that he felt the same way towards me, but I didn’t believe her.
“Oh. My. God. The lovey-dovey eyes he gives you across the table at breakfast are cartoon-like. I’m surprised his irises don’t turn into two obnoxiously sized red hearts when he does it.” Yelena seemed annoyed at my obliviousness, but truly, at dinner, I tried to avoid eye contact with him. If I did, I truly don’t know what my body would do in the moment (and I didn’t want to know).
“He does not!” I reply, rolling my eyes at the assassin. We were sitting on the floor of the training room, catching our breath after our training session.
“Oh, but he does. And he sits next to you every movie night. And he always makes you your complicated coffee order in the morning, without you having to ask. And he’s always the first one to perk up when you ask if anyone wants to come run errands with you around town. Need I say more, ‘cause I can keep going.”
“I think you made your point.” Yelena’s list made you think, really think. He did do all that for you, but was that out of Bob's kindness or attraction?
“I’m just saying, if you shot your shot, I don’t think you’d miss.” Yelena shrugged her shoulders, extending them just so to nudge me with her elbow.
“You’re spending too much time on your phone,” I laugh, playfully throwing the Gatorade water bottle I had been cradling in my hands at her outstretched legs.
“I’m connecting with the youth!” Yelena also laughs, copying my actions of throwing her Gatorade water bottle towards me.
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The sun peered through the blinds, hitting me right in the face. The bright rays hitting my face so fresh out of sleep made my face contort in discomfort. I stretched my arms out wide, knowing I had to get the day started. I got into the bathroom, knowing it was a hair-washing day.
I walked into my bathroom, stripped off my pajamas, and entered the shower. The steam of the hot water enveloped me, making me sigh in relief. As I enjoyed my time in the shower, though, I didn’t hear Bob’s signature three knocks on my door. But I did hear his voice calling through my bedroom, looking for me.
“I’m in the bathroom, showering!” I called back.
“Ok! I’ll wait for you to finish up,” he replied. Another unwelcome thought popped into my head that I immediately ushered away.
I finished up my shower in a timely manner, wanting to talk to Bob (and see him) as fast as possible. I still had to do my hair routine, but I could do it while Bob was in here. I wrapped my robe around my body, then called for Bob to come in.
Bob opened the door, steam rolling out the top door towards my cooler bedroom. Bob had seen me in a robe many times before, and every time, a tinge of pink tinted his face when he saw me in it. I loved it.
“Sorry, I gotta finish up my hair routine,” I say, squirting a dollop of product into my hands. I flipped my hair down towards the ground and began raking the product into my hair, imagining how much easier life would be if I had straight hair.
“It’s alright, I get it,” he replies, gesturing to his own mess of curls on the top of his head. We continue to get ready in comfortable silence, like we did some mornings. Some mornings, we were as quiet as mice; the only sound heard was the occasional “excuse me” whispered from one of us. Other mornings were full of endless chatter. Those were my favorites.
“You know,” Bob broke the silence, usually a task set to me, “my bathroom’s gonna be fixed here really soon. Like this week type of soon.” My heart dropped at his words. In this moment, I realized how much I had really been enjoying his company. Mornings and evenings were going to be dull without his presence in my room.
“Oh. Well, that’s great!” I said, flipping my hair back upwards, squirting another product into my hands. There was an awkward silence for a moment, a type of silence that never enveloped the two of us.
“But, if I’m gonna be honest,” I hesitantly said, scrunching the product into my damp curls, “I’m gonna miss this. You and I, getting ready in the morning. Just the two of us.” I felt my face become pink at the confession, hoping it would land well with the Sentry.
“I’m gonna miss this, too. I’ve really, really liked getting to know you better.” The sweetness of his reply made my heart swell. This was his usual, sweet nature, and, yet, I knew he meant every word of it.
“Me too. Like how you can only eat pickles when they're cut horizontally,” I reply, trying my best the entire sentence to suppress the laugh threatening to escape my lips.
“And that’s the only way to eat them!” he exclaimed, which opened the door for that laugh to escape my lips.
“Ok, if you want to play that game,” Bob replied in a sassy tone, “I really loved learning how when you went to California with your family, you accidentally brought Walker’s way too big Crocs and had to wear them all around South Beach for a week.” Your mouth dropped in betrayal, a laugh coming from your throat again.
“Oh, you loved learning that?” I asked, playfully.
“Yes, I did, because I love you!” The words came out of the man’s lips naturally, but like a confession he didn’t mean to confess. The bathroom was now silent, tension hanging in the air so thick a knife couldn’t even cut it.
“Do you mean that?” I asked, looking at Bob. His head was turned away from me, but I could tell his face was beet red. My question made him turn his head to face me. His eyes were unsure, not knowing if his accidental love confession was going to ruin our friendship or not.
“I- I mean, yeah. I do. I do love yo-” I cut off what I knew was going to be a long Bob ramble (which, granted, I love but not in this moment), by grabbing his face and placing a kiss onto them. He was at first shocked by the unexpected kiss, but he eventually leaned into it. His hands found their home on my own cheeks as the kiss continued to deepen. I pulled away from the Sentry, feeling him try to pull me back into the kiss when I did so.
“I love you too, Bob. I just didn’t know how to tell you,” I pulled him back for another kiss. He was more passionate with this one, knowing his feelings were shared by me. We both mutually pulled away again, but were still close to one another.
“Glad you took the hard part into your own hands,” I giggled as Bob’s face took a deep shade of red. It was so easy to make him nervous.
“Being upfront isn’t usually my forte, but if it leads to results like this,” he pulls me flush against his body, “I think I’m going to have to do it more often.” He places a quick peck upon my lips that we both smile into.
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“Hey, Bob!” Yelena calls from across the hallway. Bob was heading towards my bedroom again, trying to be as sneaky as possible, but obviously not sneaky enough.
“Y- yeah?” Bob hesitantly replies, scared that Yelena was going to catch him in the act of sneaking into his secret girlfriend’s room.
“That doesn’t seem like your bedroom your heading towards. You’re usually in bed by this time,” Yelena accuses, trying to get Bob to confess something (which is something generally not that hard to do).
“Oh, well, I- I know. I was getting ready for bed and then realized I had left my… toothpaste in her bathroom from when we shared it.” He was lying through his teeth, and it was painfully obvious.
“So how have you been brushing your teeth for the past three weeks then?” Yelena asked, crossing her arms in a mom-like fashion.
“With soap?” Bob hesitantly said, slightly shrugging as he did so.
“Yuck. Ok, Reynolds, go get your toothpaste. Good night,” Yelena left the hallway, heading towards her own room. Bob approached my door, knocking his signature three knocks on my door. I open it, immediately pulling him into my room. We both sit down on my bed against my headboard, my arms immediately wrapping around his bigger torso.
“Heard you talking to ‘Lena out in the hallway,” I raked my hands through his hair, massaging his scalp. “What did she want?”
“She wanted to know why I was coming over here. I told her that I left my toothpaste in here from when we shared the bathroom.” I laughed, placing a kiss on his right cheek.
“She totally knew you were lying. But, whatever, she already knows about my little crush on you anyways,” I said, moving myself so that I’m now sitting on his lap. Bob’s face turns a hint of pink as he places his hands on my face. He was obviously confused but chose not to question me at this time.
“All that matters now is that you’re here. With me,” I say, pulling him into a kiss. The kiss immediately turns deep as my hands tangle in his hair and his finds its place on my waist. We didn’t even hear the many knocks on my bedroom door that eventually turned into the door being opened by Bucky Barnes.
“I knew it!” Bob and I immediately broke apart, seeing the entire New Avengers team standing out my doorway. Alexei was the culprit of the cheering, sticking out his hands towards John and Ava.
“You two owe me 20 bucks. Each! Oh, you two are also so cute, by the way,” Alexei followed Ava and Walker to the kitchen, where they gave him his total of 40 dollars.
“Sorry to interrupt. We’ll let the two of you get back to… whatever the two of you were doing,” Bucky said. Yelena and Bucky were left at the door, a smug smirk engulfing Yelena’s face.
“Traitor,” I muttered, which Yelena heard. Her smug look grew even more smug at the comment.
“Bye-bye, lovebirds,” she said, closing the door behind him and the Winter Soldier. Bob’s embarrassed face fell into my chest, eyes shutting due to the awkward interaction.
“Well, at least we don’t have to sneak around anymore,” I shrug, placing a soft kiss into Bob’s brown curls.