Bucky Barnes x Reader - Mild angst, tooth-rotting fluff.
Summary: Reader has been struggling with stress at work and Bucky finds a way to cheer her up.
Warnings: Neck biting/kissing, emotional exhaustion, burnout, skipping meals due to stress, mentions of spiders.
A/N: This is my first fic being posted on this page! I had the idea pop into my head when eating some Sour Patch Kids the other night and decided to make a fluffy one shot. Enjoy!
(Do not repost my work on any other platforms. I’m only on Tumblr.)
Bucky was a very observant person. After fighting in the war and having to use his senses to get him out of a lot of dangerous situations, he was often found scanning the room as he walked in. It wasn’t always for threats, though the paralyzing fear of danger was still ever-present in his heart. Sometimes his excellent sense of sight was used for good. There were multiple times when he caught a falling dish, or when he saw a rogue spider in the corner of the room, which Bruce always insisted on saving. But these days his eyes were scanning for something, or rather someone.
Ever since you had permanently moved into the Avenger’s compound a few months back, Bucky Barnes has yet to peel his eyes away. He had to admit, you made the quiet soldier with a tough-guy attitude very nervous. An unmistakable heat always shot up to his cheeks when you waved at him, and the dormant butterflies in his stomach came to life in a dizzying swarm. It took him a while to admit to the feelings he was having, and after some encouragement from Sam, he decided to ask you out.
The task was one of the hardest things he ever did, nearly tripping over every word he spoke as he invited you to the coffee shop across the street for a latte and muffins. It was also one of the most rewarding things he ever did. The date was so successful, you both instantly clicked, and after a few weeks of dating, Bucky became your boyfriend.
The hundred and four-year-old man found himself enamored by you on the daily; from the way you always woke him up with a kiss on his forehead before you slipped out of bed to go on a run with Steve and Sam, or the way you paid attention to all his quirks. You knew how he liked the bed made, with the extra pillow behind his to keep his sore neck propped up from the weight of his arm and the occasional hand touches when he was getting lost in his head. He was amazed by your perceptiveness, always seeming to pick up on the shifts in his mood or when he needed some extra TLC. He tried to reciprocate as much as he could, paying attention to your daily routine so he could make it easier for you, and getting your favorite takeout on Monday nights when work was the most stressful. His efforts never ceased to make you smile.
There was something off about the past few days though. Bucky had noticed the way your mind was elsewhere, and the extra tension held in your shoulders as you replied to your boss’s incessant texts. Your work as the media manager for the team was great, it rewarded you with phenomenal pay, a place to live, and incredible benefits, but the ever amounting stress was draining. Having to take care of the image of the world’s greatest heroes was a lot, much more than one person could handle, and your assistant had just quit. The new tasks at hand were sucking the life out of you, and Bucky was well aware.
There wasn’t much he could do about your work problems, being an Avenger kept him busy most days, not to mention the hours of therapy he had to attend. You always tried to find time to be together, especially on weekends, but for the past two of them, you had to cancel plans to catch up on work.
Bucky tried to understand, to offer to help you or coerce you to put the laptop down and go get a drink to relax, but he was always met with I can’t tonight, babe. Maybe next week? He was worried for you, and he didn’t know how he could help.
This morning was the same as all the rest, you getting out of bed early to get ready for work, leaving him with a quiet kiss on the cheek before you disappeared into the bathroom to apply your makeup and get dressed. He let out an exasperated sigh, pushing his heavy body off the satin sheets to walk to the dresser. He threw on one of his simple black shirts and headed to the kitchen to make some coffee for you. It was the least he could do. He leaned against the counter and watched the sunrise in the sky outside the large kitchen window as the coffee brewed, almost falling asleep standing up before he heard the crash in the bathroom. His eyes shot open, the blood-pumping organ in his chest clenching in fear before he ran to go see what it was.
“Y/N, you okay?” He frantically asked. He didn’t wait for you to answer before he pushed the door open. When he saw you sat on the floor with tears welling in your freshly lined eyes, his face fell. “Doll, what happened? Are you hurt?” He sank to his knees beside you, cupping your face as he scanned over your body for injuries. As he searched, he noticed the broken container of face powder that had busted all over your black skirt, coating you in shimmer.
“I got dizzy and fell on my ass, but I broke the fall with my expensive powder.” Your voice broke, choking back a sob as you looked down at your ruined pencil skirt in defeat.
“Oh, doll…” He sighed, taking the broken plastic container from your hand and setting it on the counter before he pulled you into a hug, his flesh hand running up and down your back. “When’s the last time you ate?”
He had left dinner out for you last night after you texted him you’d be late, but you never touched the plate, opting to go to sleep instead. “Yesterday morning,” You shyly admitted, wiping your nose as you sniffled.
He pulled back, resting his metal hand on your cheek, turning your face to look at him. He saw the sunken look of your teary, bloodshot eyes and it shattered his heart. “I made you some coffee, and I’ll make you some breakfast, okay? Let’s get you a new skirt.” He helped you up, unzipping the ruined garment around your waist.
“Thank you, Bucky. Sorry I scared you.” A tired breath left you as he helped you step out of the material, walking to the closet to grab the burgundy skirt that hung on the door handle you’d left there from creating an outfit this morning.
“I’m worried about you, Y/N. I know you’ve been swamped at work but they are running you ragged.” He handed you the garment, looking into your eyes as you slid it on, holding his shoulder to steady yourself.
“I know. Hopefully, by the end of this week, I should have a new assistant. For now, I just have to keep going.” You placed your hands on his broad chest, resting your forehead on his as he zipped the skirt for you, his cool metal fingers brushing over the skin of your waist.
“If you don’t get one by next week, I’ll be your assistant.” He sighed, squeezing your hips gently.
A soft chuckle left you as he smiled. “Bucky, you can barely FaceTime me. I don’t think you could handle being a Media Manager’s assistant.”
He huffed, reaching down to grab the backs of your thighs to lift you, wrapping your legs around his waist. “As long as I can spend time with you, I’ll do anything you want. I miss my doll.”
You couldn’t help but smile at his affection. Truth be told, guilt had been clouding over you from the lack of intimacy you two had recently, and you wanted nothing more than to drop everything and spend the day in bed, but you didn’t want to get fired.
“Now, sit here and I’ll make you something quick.” He set you on the counter, kissing you softly before he walked to the cabinet to grab some bread to put in the toaster.
“Yes, sergeant.” You giggled, buttoning your blouse as he grabbed two plates. “I should be home around five tonight, hopefully.”
He nodded, spreading some peanut butter on the toast before handing it to you. “I’ll be here. I’ll get us takeout from the Chinese place, okay?” He stood between your legs, resting his hands on your thighs as you ate.
“That sounds amazing, thank you.” You smiled.
After you left, Bucky went to his therapy appointment, and kept his promise, walking to the Chinese place a few blocks away. He stopped in a few stores along the way to kill time, grabbing a few new pairs of jeans to replace his ripped ones. He glanced at his watch, excitement blossoming in his chest when he saw the time, four-thirty. Half an hour more and he’d see you again.
On his way into the restaurant, he heard the familiar chime of your text tone. He pulled the phone from his back pocket to read.
‘Hi, honey. I’m so sorry, there was an emergency with Dr. Strange, and I have to release a statement. I’ll be home later than I thought :(‘
The text pulled a dramatic sigh out of his lungs, his heart weighing heavy with disappointment, but most of all he was worried. After this morning, he knew you were reaching close to burnout if you hadn’t already surpassed it. He walked into the restaurant and ordered your usual takeout choice.
On the way back home, he passed by the corner drugstore, and a certain color caught his eye. A bright display next to the refreshments in the window of Sour Patch Kids. A smile spread on his face at the green bag. When you first started dating, he always found you somewhere in the compounds’ movie room, snuck off by yourself to watch a cheesy horror movie while eating nothing else but the sour candy.
He had never been a fan of sour things, especially not as sickly sweet as those, but he quickly grew to love them. Especially when you’d eat all the red, blue, and green, explaining to him how they were the best flavors in the whole bag. When you had sufficiently eaten all of your favorite flavors, he would gingerly take the bag from your hand and eat the yellow and orange candies, which became his favorite. The mutual agreement of sharing a bag became a tradition between you two.
One day, after a particularly rough mission, he snuck off to the movie theater to cry in the dark, taking your hiding space in the back row of seats when he thought you were at work. When your soft footsteps interrupted his quiet sobs, his teary blue eyes blinking away the tears to look up at you, he’d always remember the laugh that rumbled through his achy chest when you handed him the brand new bag of Sour Patch Kids you’d just bought for yourself. You talked for hours that day, and it was the moment he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with you.
The sight brought back the emotions, the feelings, and most of all, the reminder of how much you meant to him. He quickly pushed open the glass door and walked to the display, grabbing the largest bag.
When you pushed the door to your shared room open at the late hour of midnight, Bucky heard your keys and purse drop onto the marble table. He heard the heavy thud of your heels hitting the floor, but what caught his attention most was the quiet sniffles you were trying to hide.
He walked out of the bedroom, flicking on the light. “Doll?” His face fell when he saw the running mascara and your slumped form.
“Hey.” You forced a smile, wiping the tears off your face. He rushed over to you, wrapping his arms around your waist in an instant. “I’m sorry it’s so late.” You let yourself crumble in his hold, crying into his light blue cotton shirt.
“Don’t worry about that.” He rested his chin on your head, rubbing your back as you let your emotions go “Please tell me you found an assistant.” When you tilted your head to look at him, his hands instantly found your cheeks, the pads of his thumbs wiping away the falling tears as his sympathetic sapphire irises flicked between yours.
“I did.” A tired smile formed on your lips when he let out a sigh of relief, shutting his eyes before he crashed his lips onto yours. A surprised squeak left you before you melted into the kiss, surely smearing lipstick all over his mouth as he pulled your chest flush to his, his tongue gliding against yours in desperate hunger. When you pulled back again to catch your breath, his lust-blown pupils met yours. “And I have a week off.” You smirked.
His eyebrows shot up towards his hairline, “Are you serious?” Your nod made him smile before he crouched down and grabbed your middle, throwing you over his shoulder as you fell into a fit of giggles. “Never letting you leave again.” He nearly growled, biting the exposed skin of your upper thigh as he smacked your ass.
“Bucky put me down!” You laughed, blushing as he set you down on the couch, knowing damn well he wasn’t going to leave you alone for the next seven days.
“I got you something, hang on.” He pecked your lips, ignoring your laughs when you saw the cherry red pigment on his mouth. He ran to the bedroom and returned with a small brown paper bag, sitting next to you. “Here.”
“What’s this?” You smiled, taking the bag from him as he excitedly waited for you to open it. You slid your hand inside, pulling out the plastic candy bag and looking at the neon-colored packaging. “Oh, Bucky…” It was such a simple thing, something so easy to find that would be meaningless to others, but the sight brought an ear-to-ear grin to your lips, along with tears that fell freely down your cheeks. You looked up at him through the glassy tears, “Thank you.”
“I saw them in the pharmacy and thought about that day in the theater when I was upset.” He smiled, wrapping his arm around your shoulders, “That day I knew I wanted to be with you for the rest of my life, rain or shine, any ups and downs. I’ve been feeling down without you, but it’s not your fault. I am here for you doll, just as you have been for me. I love you, and I’m proud of you for pushing through even though you’ve been stressed. I admire you so much.”
His words went straight to your chest, pulling at your heart before you wrapped your arms around him, hugging him tightly and nuzzling your nose into the crook of his neck, inhaling his cologne. “I love you too. I promise I’ll always be here for you, no matter what. Thank you for supporting me. And thank you for the candy, it’s been so long since I’ve had them.” You chuckled, sniffling as you kissed his neck.
“Does that mean maybe this time I can have a few blue ones?” He smirked, sighing as your lips danced across his skin.
“Listen, I said I loved you, but that seems a bit extreme.” You laughed, the sound music to his ears.
“Not even a red one?” He teasingly pleaded, squeezing you gently.
“We’ll see.”
(Bonus)
Later that night, after eating the reheated Chinese food, you decided to watch Bucky’s favorite movie, The Hobbit. He was laid between your legs, his back against your stomach and his head on your chest. His hands lazily massaged your thighs as you ate your candy, occasionally handing him a yellow one. When he reached his hand up for you to give him another, you bit your lip, setting a blue candy in his palm. He didn’t even look before popping it into his mouth. You waited before he noticed, and when he did his reaction made you burst into laughter. He turned around, resting his chin between your breasts.
“So that’s what they taste like.” He scrunched his nose when you giggled, his hands grabbing your hips and pinning you down before he kissed your neck. “You’ve been keeping these from me for a reason, you little shit.” He bit your neck, smiling as you laughed under him.
You knew from that point on you’d be sharing them, especially if it made him do that every night.
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