Photos from Sebastian’s interview with Cultura LA: Sebastian Stan in București, finding out he received an Oscar nomination during rehearsals for Fjord/ photo: Alexandra Tînjală
Pairing: Janitor!Bucky Barnes x Teacher!Female Reader
Summary: Bucky reflects in the quiet of his home and debates if he should text you or not.
Word Count: Over 2k
Warnings: Insecurities, longing, loneliness, overanalyzing, implied PTSD, service dog, term of endearment (sweetheart), Bucky's POV, Bucky Barnes (he's a warning, okay?)
Previous Part of Beneath the Surface: After the Bell
A/N: More Beneath the Surface with our soft-spoken janitor! ❤️ Beta read by the wonderful @mumbles411, but any and all mistakes are my own. Divider by the talented @saradika-graphics. Please follow @navybrat817-sideblog new fics and notifications. Comments, reblogs, feedback are loved and appreciated!
It was quiet when Bucky got home, the kind he was used to and normally looked forward to. But tonight felt too quiet. There was no laughter, no one there to greet him since he lived alone. His chest tightened as the silence surrounded him. It was nights like this when he remembered how lonely he was.
Then he thought of your smile and the knot in his chest loosened.
He set his keys in the bowl as Bear padded in behind him, his nails clicking gently along the floor. He shrugged out of his coat a little slower than usual, almost like he was lost in thought. Maybe he was since your phone number was in his pocket and he still couldn’t believe you had given it to him.
“I’m really glad you stopped by my classroom tonight.”
Bucky smiled to himself. He was used to most of the teachers and staff not paying much attention to him since he began working at the school. They weren’t rude by any means. They just… overlooked him.
He didn’t mind it most days. It didn’t stop him from taking his job seriously and doing it well. The kids were nice to him and they adored his gentle giant of a dog. It made the days a little easier. Not perfect, but not bad either.
Then you showed up with your warm smile, making a point to acknowledge him. He was certain he stared at you like an idiot because he hadn’t known how to respond to your kindness. It didn’t fade after that initial meeting. You kept smiling and always greeted him, making him feel a little less invisible. It made him believe he was something special in your eyes.
But why would he be?
A weary sigh escaped before he could stop it. He wouldn’t say he had a low opinion of himself. He was conventionally attractive by some standards and didn’t have a bad personality. But he didn’t have the same charm he possessed when he was younger.
Things happened.
He changed.
Everything changed.
He wondered what you would’ve thought of him if you knew him then.
Bear brushed against his leg when he stood there longer than necessary, making him blink. “Sorry,” he muttered.
He bent down, his hands moving on autopilot to remove his boots and give Bear an extra pet. He was a steady and patient companion, always staying close. He really was great with the kids, a calm presence in the chaos. It shouldn’t have come to a surprise to him that his dog liked you, too.
Bucky moved to the couch and sat down, his eyes sweeping across the room. His place was functional and comfortable, but without bursts of color or brightness. Even the blanket draped over the cushion beside him was dark.
His home felt bigger at night. Emptier. He shook the thought away, reminding himself that he had a lot to be thankful for, like his health. Regular exercise kept him in shape. He had a roof over his head and food in his stomach, which was more than a lot of people had. He had good friends in his life and Bear. And now he had you.
At least, he hoped he did.
He took the post-it note out of his pocket slowly, like it might disintegrate if he wasn’t careful. He traced the curve of one of the numbers with his thumb. Your phone number. You really gave it to him.
And you wrote it down with one of the pens he left for you.
He almost didn’t stop by your classroom today. Not because he didn’t want to see you, but because he didn’t want to intrude. Not only did you welcome him into your space, you seemed to enjoy him being there. Your company both soothed and excited him.
Bear climbed on the couch and stared at Bucky.
“She said I could call,” he said, tracing the number again. “Didn’t say I should tonight.”
Bear tilted his head.
“It’s too soon,” he whispered. “I don’t wanna look desperate.”
His dog huffed softly.
“Don’t huff at me like that. I haven’t done this in a while, and I don’t wanna mess it up.” He swallowed hard. “Not with her.”
He hadn’t let himself want anything in so long. It was easier that way. It was less of a risk of being too much or not enough for someone. He really didn’t want to ruin something good before it even started.
His eyes shut. You deserved someone uncomplicated. Not a man who woke up in the middle of the night covered in sweat with his heart pounding. Not someone who needed a dog to remind him to breathe when he was triggered.
But he wanted to try.
Bear shifted close and rested his head on Bucky’s knee, whining as if he sensed the inner struggle.
“She smiled when she gave me her number and she looks forward to me stopping by,” he said quietly, sinking his fingers into the dog’s fur. “So, maybe a text tonight wouldn’t be a bad thing.”
His heart skipped a beat at the thought of you checking your phone, waiting to hear from him.
He could already imagine reactions from Steve and Sam if they knew he was mentally stressing over sending a text message. Steve, his best friend since childhood, would encourage him with a gentle smile to reach out. Sam, a friend he made later in life through Steve, would bust his balls in the “friendliest” of manners until he sent the text. Both of them want him to be happy.
He wanted the same for his best friends.
Bucky exhaled and reached for his phone, the device feeling heavier than normal in his hand. His thumb hovered over the screen until Bear nudged his hand. “Okay, okay,” he muttered.
He typed in your phone number and checked it twice to make sure he entered it correctly. He swallowed, carefully typing a short message. It was just a text. There was no reason to feel so nervous.
“Hey. It’s Bucky.”
He stared at the message. It was direct. It would let you know it was him. But it felt a little bland.
He deleted it and started over.
“Hi. It’s Bucky. Just wanted to say hi. Did you get home okay?”
That was better. Considerate. But asking a question implied that you’d have to answer, which might seem a little overbearing and he didn’t want you to feel obligated to reply. And he said “hi” twice.
He deleted that message, too.
“Hey. It’s Bucky. Thanks for letting me hang out with you after school.”
His face scrunched up. Hang out after school? It made it sound like you were kids instead of adults.
“Why is this so difficult?” he muttered, running a hand through his hair.
There was nothing wrong with any of his texts. He needed to stop overanalyzing and just send something. Anything.
“Hey. It’s Bucky. Thanks for today. Talking with me and letting me walk you to your car. I hope you made it home safely. And I’m really glad I stopped by.”
His heart raced as he read the message to Bear. “Is that too much?”
His tail thumped, which he took as his cue that it was just fine.
“Okay.” He took a deep breath. “I’m hitting send.”
The sound of the message being sent sounded loud in the quiet space.
Bucky immediately tossed the phone on the coffee table. “That’s it,” he said, his knee bobbing. “I’m not looking at it.”
He leaned his head back and looked at the ceiling, his knee continuing to bob impatiently. He did that for about five seconds before he grabbed his phone again. Disappointment filled him when the screen stayed dark before he scoffed.
“Idiot. It’s been five seconds,” he mumbled.
He once went through hell that many didn’t know about, but waiting for a text response was a special kind of torture.
Jesus, if Steve and Sam could only see him right now, gripping his phone like a lifeline.
“She has a life,” he reminded himself when the screen continued not to light up. “She could be making dinner or grading more papers…”
He sat up straighter, remembering the snow globes on your desk while you graded papers. His attention had been on you when you shook one, your smile making his heart flutter. It was so beautiful. Everything about you was.
He tapped the screen, not to check for a text this time. He opened a browser and typed in “gift shops near me”. Supporting local businesses was important to him, and you did say it was okay if he gave you a snow globe. Maybe he could take a look over the weekend.
“What am I doing? I haven’t even asked her on a date yet,” he muttered, the corner of his mouth lifting when his dog nudged his thigh. “I don’t want to get her something she already has.”
He couldn’t get you just any snow globe. It had to be something special. Something… well, like you.
Just the thought of you smiling at something he chose for you, your eyes soft and warm and-
The phone buzzed in his hand.
He almost dropped it, his heart leaping to his throat when he saw your number pop up. You messaged him. You messaged him back.
Bear lifted his head and stared at it, too, understanding that it was important.
“Here goes nothing,” he whispered, heart continuing to race when he opened the message, eagerly reading every word.
“Hey, Bucky! I was hoping to hear from you. Yes, I made it home safely. Thanks again for today, too. I hope your night’s going well so far!”
He was still absorbing your words when another message popped up.
“I still have a little bit more work to do, but texting you is more fun.”
A slow, disbelieving smile crossed his face before he softly chuckled. You hoped to hear from him. You wanted to text him. It helped melt his nerves away.
“She wanted to hear from me,” he told Bear, who nudged his hand in response.
He felt much lighter as he replied.
“Night’s not too bad so far. Quiet. I hope the rest of your work goes by fast. Always happy to text or provide a distraction.”
He snapped a quick photo of Bear and sent it.
“He’s happy to distract you, too.”
Bucky chuckled again. Steve and Sam would be proud of him for using his dog to flirt a little. Hell, he was proud of himself for taking a step to put himself out there.
He barely set the phone down when it buzzed again. It surprised him how quickly you messaged him, but he saw it as a good sign. Maybe you were like him, looking at the phone and waiting.
“Oh, my goodness! Hi, Bear! What a wonderful distraction. Please, give him a pet for me.”
He pet the dog’s head and ran his fingers through his fur. “This pet is from her. You’re a wonderful distraction.”
His tail thumped hard enough to shake the cushion.
“Bear appreciates the pet and praise.” He hesitated before adding another line. “I’ll let you get back to work, but I’m here if you need anything, sweetheart.”
Bucky’s heart sank when he hit send. He didn’t want to take up your time if you had other things to do. Maybe he shouldn’t have added “sweetheart” to that. He still couldn’t believe he said that earlier. It was too much.
“I appreciate that, Bucky. I’m here if you need anything, too.”
He reread the message three times, a kind of warmth settling over him that he hadn’t felt in a long time.
He leaned back against the cushion. He’d have to get up eventually to feed himself and Bear, but he was taking in the quiet again. It didn’t feel lonely anymore. It felt hopeful.
You did that.
And he was going to find you the perfect snow globe.
✧.* fluff ⋆ | ˚꩜｡ series | ⚠︎ angst | ✪ g's star reads | 18+ below the cut
@marvelstoriesepic
✧.* Creamy or Crunchy?
Bucky joins you grocery shopping to everyone’s surprise.
✧. Weakenss ✪
You use Bucky’s only weakness to your advantage until it bites you in the ass.
✧. Change your mind ✪
Natasha drags you to an NYU baseball game. And despite yourself, one player catches your attention.
⚠︎ One Inch Deeper ✪
You can’t stand to watch him get hurt. He can’t stand to watch you risk your life for him. In the end, both of you are right - and both of you are bleeding for it.
Like he means it ✪
You can’t take another night of hearing Bucky fuck a girl who isn’t you.
⚠︎ Powdered Sugar
Your friend group is having a night out at the local carnival. Bucky is his charming self and you are tired of pretending it doesn’t affect you.
⚠︎ A Thousand Times Before
Bucky travels to an alternate universe for the sake of a mission. But he doesn’t expect to come face to face with a version of you that loves him, completely and openly. Back in his own world, he is left with a truth he can’t keep to himself anymore.
⚠︎ Mad for You
You are a simple maid who cleans the mansion of the Bucky Barnes, always staying in the background. But when one of his men sees you as a target for assault, and manipulates you into taking the blame for something you didn’t do, you are pushed directly into Bucky’s focus.
⚠︎ One Inch Deeper
You can’t stand to watch him get hurt. He can’t stand to watch you risk your life for him. In the end, both of you are right - and both of you are bleeding for it.
⚠︎ Halfway to Saying it
You agree to a date with another guy to forget about the boy you’ve loved forever, only to acknowledge that your heart keeps finding its way back to him.
⚠︎ Rulebook and the Rebel
You are always careful. Always in control. But one slip is all that it takes for one of your girls to vanish into the woods. And someone won't let you forget it.
⚠︎ Downtime ✪
After a hilariously avoidable gym accident, you try to hide the fact that even Avengers get hurt off-duty. But unfortunately for you, Bucky isn’t easily fooled.
@aquaticmercy
✧. Jackass ✪
Everyone is horrified that Bucky is flirting with a married woman, but then they realize there's a reason why.
✧. Patron of Saint Nightmares ✪
Bucky needs to go on a mission, so he asks the rest of the team to take care of his girl.
✧. More to Love ✪
Bucky marries you, someone who shows love through food. When his body changes, you show him he’s cared for no matter what.
✧. Smitten
Sam finally meets Bucky’s girlfriend, though you’re not who he thinks you are.
✧. Patron of Saint Nightmares ✪
Bucky needs to go on a mission, so he asks the rest of the team to take care of his girl.
✧. Breathe
Bucky tries to quit smoking for your sake.
✧. Lipstick Stains
You leave lipstick marks on Bucky’s face.
✧. Time after time
Your son has a nightmare, and it reminds Bucky of his own bad dreams.
⚠︎ Small Circles
Bucky Barnes is still getting used to modern dating… and hates that you have to work with your exes.
⚠︎ Walls
You never ask for help, even when your boyfriend wants to help you.
✧. Trust Fund, Baby! ✪
Bucky Barnes’s secret girlfriend has a secret of her own.
✧. Loose Ends
Your husband, Bucky Barnes, finally meets your multiversal best friend, Wade Wilson.
✧. Interstate Love Song
Bucky tells the team he saw his Hydra days in The Void. You are the only one who knows him well enough to know he is lying.
@flowersforbucky
✧. let it happen ✪
"So that's all it takes, then? I kiss you one time and you get all possessive over me?"
✧. all we know of heaven, all we need of hell
you fell in love with the man who trained you in the red room. he helped you escape - and made you promise to never look back. years later, when an old friend asks for your help, you find yourself working with a group of anti-heroes. including him.
✧. starry eyed
reader gets a special gift from her secret santa
@marvelwitchergilmore
✧. Dog Tags | @marvelwitchergilmore ✪
Bucky is looking for his Dog Tags, and you just so happen to have them.
✧. State of Denial | @marvelwitchergilmore
When Bucky gets sick, you take care of him.
@ilovolderman
✧. Friday Night ✪
You end up sitting next to Bucky in a casual team dinner.
✧. The Match
While secretly dating You, Bucky gets roped into a dating app by Sam.
✧. You Said What? ✪
You accidentally call Bucky babe during a mission briefing in front of the whole team.
@mcrdvcks
✧. he was chaos, he was revelry ✪
Bucky tells you to go out and have a day at the mall and get whatever you want. When you only buy a $20 Squishmallow, he has to intervene.
✧. my angel of life ✪
Bucky tries to get your daughter to say 'mama' for the first time.
✧. electric touch
You technically aren't a member of the New Avengers, but you live at the Watchtower and help the team out during missions. The most interesting part? Bucky seems to have a crush on you, the quiet, brooding, mysterious woman.
✧. sweet nothin'
You're a simple Brooklyn florist when Bucky Barnes enters your shop and changes your life forever.
@orellazalonia
✧. Soft Shopping Spree | @orellazalonia ✪
Bucky notices you never spend his money or let yourself want anything, so he plans a full day of spoiling you determined to show you what you deserve.
⚠︎ Darling of the Devil | @orellazalonia
You accompany Bucky Barnes to a high-stakes party, where your presence turns heads, raises questions, and quietly shifts power dynamics just by existing at his side
⚠︎ His to Guard | @orellazalonia
After hiding your pregnancy from your husband for a while, Bucky, fiercely territorial and quietly devoted, turns every moment into proof that you and the baby are his entire world.
@imtaashu
✧. your name, my dog tags ✪
It starts with a missing hoodie. Then a vanishing water bottle. Then your name shows up on Bucky’s dog tags. Everyone else sees what’s happening except you two. Until Bucky finally decides... maybe it’s time to make it official.
@ama3003
✧. Everything's Just Perfect
You're Bucky's ex-wife and you always seem to be there whenever he needs you.
@starktonyx
✧. Alone in this shitty world
After Yelena’s sudden outburst, the group scatters around the streets of New York. And, as if this wasn’t already the weirdest day of your life, you find yourself reaching to comfort the last person you ever thought you'd feel sorry for, John Walker. And Bucky is as confused as you are.
@munsonify
✧. drunk call
when you’re in need of a safe way home from the bar, the first person you think of in your drunken haze is bucky, who comes to get you in an instant
@brnesblogposts
✧.* His sweet girl
bucky taking care of his best girl! (drabble)
@cosmicbucky
✧.* wallpaper
bucky finds out how to change the wallpaper on your phone, and takes every opportunity he can to do so. until one day he doesn't have the heart to
@pellucid-constellations
✧.* Hold My Girl
Bucky comes home from a mission and needs time to hold his girl.
⚠︎ If We Talked
After overhearing some choice words between Bucky and his best friend, you make the difficult decision to avoid him. For a week. Bucky loses his mind in the process.
@eclipsedechoesofmywords
✧. Of All Things ✪
When Bucky gets a new haircut, you find yourself struggling to keep your composure—and your thoughts—under control.
@magical-reid
✧.* Yours, Whether You Know it or Not
You’ve been running missions with Sam and Bucky for a while now, and everything was fine—until John Walker started showing up and taking an interest in you. Bucky isn’t having it. Not because he’s jealous. Definitely not because he’s jealous. He just doesn’t trust Walker. Right?
@byhuenii
⚠︎ From the Start ✪
They were best friends. She loved him quietly — from the start. But timing was never on her side. Now, between unspoken words, missed chances, and a love that lingers too long, she learns what it means to let go without ever truly doing so.
⚠︎ All American-Bitch
She’s the Avengers’ perfect little Barbie: glowing, charming, untouchable. The media loves her. The tabloids fetishize her. And she smiles, nods, and answers dumb questions like a pro… She takes it all. And then she punches lockers, screams into towels, and rants in the quiet—safe only because Bucky is there to watch, listen, and maybe even join in.
@buckybabble
⚠︎ The Void
Bucky Barnes rescues you from the Void after you are sucked into your worst traumas.
@daxisyzz
⚠︎ Only safe with you
Bucky Barnes finds himself the sole anchor for a traumatized Y/n after being kidnapped and psychologically tortured by Hydra.
@fru1t4fr0gs
⚠︎ You Drive Me Crazy
The Thunderbolts are used to you and Bucky’s harmless teasing and bickering, but in all of the time the two of you have been together they’ve never seen you fight. However, when an argument breaks out after a mission, they realize that your relationship is a lot more passionate (and entertaining) than they previously thought.
@solaceinruin
⚠︎ THE RING
A fight leaves you and Bucky cold, silent, and avoiding each other. But nightmares don't care about pride.
@daddyjackfrost
⚠︎ Oh, my love, side to side
After a successful yet traumatizing mission, you dream of losing Bucky for the first time in years. In a fit of panic, you call him. He answers. Not the phone, but the call your heart makes to his.
@salem-s
⚠︎ NO ROSTER, JUST YOU
you've been friends-with-benefits with bucky barnes for what feels like forever. it's fine. great, even. but when you slowly notice he's open to being with other people, you pull away before he has the chance to let you down easy. besides, you're too busy to waste your time thinking about him, ego too high to let him beat you to breaking it off. yet suddenly, when you take your foot off the gas, he notices. astronomically so.
@mrs-elsie-barnes
✧.* 5 Times You Are Not Dating Bucky Barnes (and the one time you are)
You're sick of saying it, Bucky is not your boyfriend, you are not dating you're just friends. Until...
@buckytakethewheel
✧.* move your feet with mine
An attempt to maintain a professional façade at the History department Christmas party collapses when your (lover) professor, James Barnes asks you to dance.
@daystarpoet
✧.* after hours
Your husband works incredibly hard, often times staying way past reasonable hours. Instead of returning home after your shift, you decide to join him in his office and remind him he is not alone.
✧.* a soldiers solace
Bucky has kept his marriage secret for three years now. He always intended to keep it that way. That was until a mission went sideways, and he found himself having to resort to the one person he swore to protect.
@cheriecoke
✧.* GIRLS NIGHT OUT
you go out for a girls night with yelena and ava, drink more than you can handle, and remember how much love you have in your life.
@metal-armed-muse
✧.* drunk on you ✪
You are drunk from alcohol and he’s drunk on you (you drink for the first time, and your boyfriend is there for you at every turn)
@cheekybarnes
⚠︎ blood upon the snow
You’re bleeding out alone in the snow and your brain does the only mercy it has left: runs every version of Bucky Barnes you’ve ever known in hopes that the real one makes it in time.
@superbassbuck
⚠︎ table for two one.
One arranged marriage, one homemade dinner, two cold plates... and a husband who showed up three hours late, drunk, and heartless.
@brnssldr
✧.* SNICKERDOODLES
you bake bucky his favorite cookies even though you're allergic to the cinnamon in them. when he finds out, he's not letting it slide.
@navybrat817
✧.* Don't Look or Touch
Bucky isn't having a good day and John suffers the consequences.
@fireinmoonshot
⚠︎ drawing the line
Bucky Barnes has messed up big time ... he just doesn't know it until he sees you and realises he really should've checked his texts.
@fawniswriting
🔞 the quiet side of thunder
When a visit to his office leaves you shaken, Bucky is determined to take care of you.
@barnes-babydoll
🔞 You're the Glue
After a mission goes horribly wrong, the team ends up stewing in their own anger on the car ride home. You try to lighten the mood, but instead it makes everyone angrier. When you're down, Bucky’s there to comfort you.
@aquaticmercy
🔞 Don't Touch the Tech Girl
Sam told Bucky that you, his new tech engineer, was off-limits. But that just makes Bucky want you more.
@daddyjackfrost
🔞 Wanna Be Yours
Bucky’s been in love with you for longer than he’ll admit. But when a moment of clarity after a misunderstanding on his part cracks the tension between you wide open, he finally gets to show you just how much.
@shortnspidey
🔞 Juno
Everyone’s drawn to you, it’s part of what makes you so special, and one of the first things Bucky fell in love with. He admires the way you light up every room, the way people naturally gravitate toward you. But it also means he's constantly sharing you with the world. So one weekend, he decides to take you away from it all, just you, him, and the time he's been craving.
@buckysleftbicep
🔞 in too deep
you told bucky it was your ovulation week and he took that as a challenge. you really, really, should’ve kept your mouth shut.
@marvelwitchergilmore
🔞 Knowing you
Bucky knows you better than you know yourself. So, what happened when he starts to notice something is wrong?
@flowersforbucky
🔞 acquainted
(undercover stripper!reader x undercover bodyguard!bucky)
🔞 down bad
couldn't stop thinking about bucky being able to use his metal hand as a vibrator and therefore this was born.
🔞 love language
snapshots of your relationship with bucky told through the five love languages.
🔞 cowboys and angels
{kinktober prompt: thigh riding}
@cheekybarnes
🔞 half-light
You and Bucky have been together long enough to know each other inside out, but one night in the shower you end up using your safeword for the first time.
@crybabycabin
🔞 touch and go
he's the Winter Soldier, and you're just you. but when your skin touches his, he becomes bucky barnes again.
@phoenix-in-writing
🔞 Respect the Cold
Bucky Barnes always taught you to respect the cold. But now, stranded together after a mission gone wrong, you learn exactly what happens when you don't heed his warnings.
@brunchable
🔞 Rough day, baby?
You get pampered by Bucky after a long stressful day, He takes care of your every need, just so you can unwind.
@blowingbarnes
🔞 Substance F52.8
How many times has Steve told you not to touch weird shit in old labs?
@superbassbuck
🔞 two tickets to iron maiden
You're the picture-perfect popular pretty girl—all style, smiles, and social status. Bucky is the typical campus dirtbag—loud music, attitude, and bad decisions. You can't stand him, and he fucking hates your guts. That is, until one house party changes everything.
@rosesaints
🔞 most wanted man
you’re living at the watchtower, allegedly saving the world, definitely dodging yelena's increasingly nosy questions about your whereabouts, your skincare glow, and why bucky keeps “accidentally” leaving behind shirts in your shared apartment. she hasn’t cracked it yet, but she’s circling—muttering in russian, offering suspiciously specific threats, and watching you like you’re the main character in a rom-com that she didn’t agree to binge.
@murdock-slvt
🔞 NO BRAINER!
you hate being patronized. you hate feeling dumb, and you especially hate it when a man does it… but when bucky does it balls deep inside you? you can’t help but love it… and bucky loves to suit your needs.
andulkaphoto
stormborns
yousharknotpass
janainaart
izzy806
prguitarman
turnnoffyourmind
