🧸

your little bear <3 20, she/her

[secretly-a-teddybear]

hi pretties <3

-this is a reblog/roleplay account

-i am 20 yrs old, she/her

-I REPEAT I AM 20, 18+ ONLY, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT OR ELSE I WILL EXPLODE.

-i will not tolerate hateful behavior of any kind. if you dont like something, its as easy as scrolling away from my account and forgetting about it <3

-don’t be afraid to ask me questions!

i look forward to meeting all you pretties <3

[feelingdozy]

FOOL FOR YOU - Bucky Barnes

Summary: Cooking dinner for the team involves you against knives- and it so happens that you end up giving yourself a cut because bucky, being the handsome man he is, walks in the kitchen as you pick one up. Hidden feelings and worried bucky don't clash very well, especially when it's a reoccurring issue.

Warnings: 18+ friends to lovers, love confessions, fluff and crack, oblivious feelings, requited crush, public events, accidents, description of blood, reader cuts her finger, medbay visits, knives/cutlery, multiple injuries, hitting her head, drink spills etc, forceful/aggresive man (not bucky), team shenanigans, porn with a good amount of plot, p in v, fingering, oral (f!rec), heavy makeout, size kink, praise kink, creampie, unprotected sex, cursing, rough-ish sex, marking, light bondage

req: I need Bucky with the prompt "let me patch you up", the trope "friends to lovers" and please do nsfw... read full

w/c: 6,2k ･ a03 ･ prompt list ･

You had been fine. Had was the keyword there. Until he walked in. Strands neatly over his face, unintentional framing that led your eyes straight to his, the rough stubble that led down his jaw and made his face even more jaw-dropping.

You were cutting vegetables. You were doing it neatly, too. The team had requested all different kinds of foods this time for lunch, so you piled them up to lead into a vote, that led into another, and another- eventually you had given up with an exhausted sigh, announcing you'd combine them all.

Yelena gave you a wide grin, Bob a shy smile. Ava's shoulders perked up, Bucky silent as ways just huffed out, and Alexei boomed with laughter.

So that had you here, cutting up a salad, preparing spaghetti with a special 'surprise' sauce as Alexei had added, along with mac and cheese as if one pasta wasn't enough to satisfy.

It wasn't annoying per-say- just frustrating, clumsily dropped the butter, spilling a drop of milk when it lingered away from the pot, dropping a batch of noodles.

Now you were here, finally on the salad. The last piece of the holy trinity of disaster foods they'd set you up to make, almost like they were plotting to find you dead by the time it was ready.

Starting with cucumbers, peeling, then cutting and adding them neatly to the big bowl with the dust of your hands and a boast at how good you did so far.

The next was some tomato's, cut them- somewhat.. nicely, juice everywhere but still got in the bowl.

Lettuce before the sauce since you had a picky group of people who hated the thought of more leaves in food than necessary.

You thought you had finally cleared it. Past the point of horrible mistakes and no returns.

But then Bucky Barnes walked it.

Graced with a compression shirt that said post-training hunger and sweatpants that gave much more imprint than you wanted to tease yourself with. You tried not to.

Not to look down. Not to look at him at all.

But your heart raced. So did the tips of your fingers, and your cheeks flushed at the sight of him so casual and laid back around you, you swore he was humming a tune-

"Shit!" You exclaimed as you looked down to find a good amount of pain from below- oh fuck, oh fuck you were ridiculous!- you cut your finger cutting lettuce thinking about your teammate and friend undressing you!

"Are you okay, y/n- oh my god-" he, too, had the same reaction looking down at the mildly nauseating pool of blood there on the cutting board, and it might've tripped your gag reflex to have you heaving dry.

"Bucky-" you attempted to get out, "I've got you, stay calm okay? 'gonna get some paper towel real quick then take you down to medbay."

He was surprisingly...calm. But you quickly realized he wasn't- he was keeping it together for you. His shoulders were tensed, and he was hastily opening and closing cabinets like he was searching for a lost key to a very important diary, or top secret files.

He was mumbling under his breath, weren't you ever the annoying one-

"Found it. Give me your finger, sweetheart" blood loss and nicknames combined almost made you faint on the spot. "Let me patch you up."

You looked away as he dealt with the overwhelming view in front of him, a silly, stupid mistake.

"How'd you do this, hm?" There was no mocking tone to his voice, only a pinch of genuine worry.

You sighed in embarrassment, "Cutting lettuce 'nd got distracted from you opening the fridge.. need to cut back on those brownies mister"

He chuckled lightly at that, one of his palms landing on the plain of your back as he led you to the elevator.

"Do you feel lightheaded?" He asked.

"A little," you admitted, "The blood- blood isn't an easy sight either. Not my best moment."

He started to rub your back soothingly, trying to distract with light conversation-

What had you done today so far?

Plans for the week?

Did Valentina give you any new missions yet or just complain and it went in one ear and came out the other?

It became easy.. until the elevator dinged an unpleasant chime at your predicament, and you found yourself treacherously on a bed getting looked at.

Now you really felt sick- the pain amplified, whimpering while they checked it out.

Then suddenly, you were being wrapped in arms. Warm arms. Big arms. His arms.

"Shh, don't look, you don't gotta look." He cooed, rubbing the back of your head gently.

Your brain was running miles per hour and it definitely wasn't from your finger. What was this? What was this man doing. Bucky Barnes?

Silent lady killer, gruffs and groans, stubble and amazing hair after sleepless nights- was cradling you in his arms? Oh my god, oh my god, oh my-

"That was quick, wasn't it?" Pulled away from his chest, you almost sobbed to see the bright lights reminiscing of a doctor's office and the smell of disinfectant flood your senses instead of his cologne that drove you crazy. Inside and out sort of crazy.

"Y-yeah, very quick" you commented with the way of your finger, now looking at the bandage securely wrapped around it better than the paper towel substitute. But.. you sort of wanted it back. Because Bucky had done it for you-

You were insane.

Over the next few days, Yelena could tell you were acting.. weird. Too clumsy, too jumpy, and constantly on edge.

"I can't tell if you're very pent up or mentally unstable" she announced when she found you crouched in the kitchen, trying to find the garbage bags someone had stuffed way too deep in there for comfort.

"Mm, maybe both" you replied back, trying to have a sense of humor, yet she wasn't wrong.

Since that incident, you had gotten either Alexei or John to stir something together, but they always came out in disastrous mixtures and disappointing flavours that never combined exactly right.

Luckily, since then there hasn't been a screw-up so damaging to your reputation.

That was until he walked in again.

Perfectly timed, handsomely dressed, and strikingly distracting for someone with their head under a cabinet.

"Whatcha looking for?" Gravelly, and definitely curious, he witnessed you bang your head in an attempt to look up at him.

"F-fuck!" You'd done it again, except more embarrassing with two people watching, and a second time with Bucky watching.

He was immediately on alert, Yelena watching in interest as his body moved almost instinctively to your lowered form that was, in her case, very funny to watch struggle out from the small space that didn't allow any good amount of room.

You rubbed the spot that ached and throbbed at the hard whack it had taken to the bottom of the sink, Bucky kneeling down to carefully execute removing you from down below.

Huffing and nodding her head in I told you so, "Jesus! How the hell did you do that-" Yelena nearly yelled, very concerned, and very scared for your well-being at this point.

"Are you okay? Is it hurting?" Bucky asked as he parted your hair for any sign of a bad bump, or bleeding- anything that said otherwise of good.

Yelena watched in silent contemplation as you and him made small talk, almost familiar in a way that set off red flags from the get-go

She started to ponder.

She remembered the story from the last time, that suddenly, when Bucky walked in you had lost your concentration and ended up slipping up on your hold.

And now- he was back, and you were losing it again.

She had her eureka moment. And she was not going to let it go.

"Here, let me help," Bucky asked while holding out his hand for you to take, with you hissing out a strained okay.

"Let me take you to the infirmary again." He left no room for argument, yet you still tried to pester.

"Bucky it's really okay-"

"Let him take you!" Yelena barged in, weirdly boisterous and cheerful.

"I mean, if you really don't want to take her, I can, but-"

"I've got her." Matter-of-factly, He was already leading you there at this point, and you were stuck in his reaffirming hold. Though suffering through the pain and kissing your teeth while holding back grunts- you still had a hard time not becoming a flustered mess with his hand safely plastered around your waist.

It was gentle, yet firm, his cologne close and airy. It was both personal- whatever soap he used and something cedar or woodsy, filling your nostrils in the best way ever. Maybe that alone would do the job of making you feel better.

"How's it going there, two-timer?"

"Hah hah. Funny" he laughed a deep chuckle at that, taking in your shrunken, injured form again.

"How d'you keep getting into this situations?" He questioned, nothing mean nor rotten. He was questioning your very valuable ability to make yourself an embarrassment in front of him.

"I- uh-" but before you could even scrape up an answer, you had showed up at the medbay.

"Guess this is our stop for a second time. C'mon, I'll come with you again"

"oh, bucky, you really don't have to-"

"I want to. Promise"

"You're joking"

"Bob. See. You saw right? That was real?"

"that was very real, Yelena" they both whispered from the corner, eyes peeled to bucky escorting you in while promising to 'keep you very, very safe'. At least that's how Yelena put it.

"How long has this-"

"She's done this before. Every. time. he. walks. in."

"Every time?"

"Every time Bob." She was deadpanned, and deathly serious.

And when the two of you came back out, laughing, Yelena held her chest like a heart attack would strike her next- maybe it would with the view she was witnessing in front of her.

"Oh my god" Bob mumbled, more to himself than Yelena when he caught the little whispers of conversation here and there when he focused enough.

"Yeah, can't believe a second time..."

"very clumsy, always there to help..."

"Are they flirting?" She asked, eager.

"Worse."

"Worse? What could be any worse than that!"

"They don't know that they're doing it" She dramatically sighed while rubbing her temples, debating on just going up there and really putting it into the two of you.

"And it's just simple conversation- like neither of them know they're totally down bad-"

"NO!"

"Did you hear that?" You squinted when you scanned the area, bucky still accompanying you to your bedroom.

"Hear what?"He replied, feigning innocence

"I swear I heard a scream.. kinda sounded like Yelena."

He shrugged, "the usual Yelena type of activities" He hid the corner of his lips perking up well, as he knew for a fact it was her.

Well, he knew it was her and Bob- and heard everything they had whispered. Not yet. He convinced himself, not yet.

What he didn't know, was that the moment would come sooner than he thought- very soon.

When a gala came around, and that required you proper, cleaned up, and etiquette that has people's mouths down, flabbergasted.

But that wasn't going to be simple. In fact, it was going to be near impossible while James Buchanan Barnes was strutting around in a fancy suit, slicked back hair-

You were already salivating just thinking about the sight.

You tried to be as normal as you could within the time before it was set to happen. The few hours earlier had been spent away from him, in fact, solely with Yelena and Bob chatting away in your room about nonsense.

You and Yelena had swapped makeup, both doing different styles while also multitasking each other's while Bob sat and watched curiously or scrolled on his phone.

By the time you three were finished, it had already rolled around to the evening- your room was blasting music as you finally scooped the dress that had been laying on your bed all day to put it on, Yelena whistling when you came out the bathroom.

"Yeah?" You asked with an embarrassed little tremble to your lip as you grinned at their shared reaction.

"Yes." They said in unison, Bob patting some areas down while Yelena circled for the zipper on the back to do it up all the way.

The dress you picked had not-so-coincidentally matched the blue of Bucky's deep colored eyes, leaning toward a dark powerful blue that definitely spoke out. Doing your hair the way you liked it, you picked some of Yelena's accessories to spice up the lower cut that revealed a bit of your chest, leaving most to the imagination.

Both their eyes sparkled when you twirled, finished and gleaming within the dimly lit room that held two bundles of absolute excitement and enthusiasm.

"You girls ready? Bob asked while tightening his tie in the mirror while running a hand habitually through his half-slicked locks that ran a little frayed at the front, one sliver very apparent and giving him a gentle formal look.

"Ready!" You exclaimed as Yelena fixed her strays, Bob helping her put the outer coat of her suit on in practised precision.

"Ready m'lady's" she answered following behind your trail, finally exiting the stuffy warmth, evidence of your hour long hangout to the fresh conditioned air of the tower.

You all took a deep breath, both of nerves and the newly felt breeze before going to the elevator and heading down to where Val had planned it.

The first reaction to the area dressed and decorated left you all a little stunned before stepping out, the crowd apparent, and looking very royally scary and rich.

Rich in a literal sense that was- in a way that both your friends had gotten swiped by your side in no time by investors and top payers that they had no choice but to step aside with because Val had made it very clear that if you didn't- you didn't want to know what the consequences would be.

So you were left on the floor with a bunch of middle aged heafty men, and wealthy men all alone. So what does someone do in this situation? Very obvious.

"What can I getcha?"

The bar. Luckily most seats were unoccupied, and you ordered your usual that had you sipping every so often while people watching with a bored expression. Nothing alcoholic. Just something to pass the time.

It was nice, for the most part. Squeaky tiles and overdone little details that meant Val had it down very precisely to whoever was in charge of decorating.

You observed the different groups of people, mostly white-haired and delicately sewn and tailored on the arms that read off as prestigious, almost scarily so. Until you saw him

Like you knew, brown hair slicked back dangerously, stubble not shaved but grown preciously, with an edge that made him look even hotte-

Gentlemanly. Yes. And not very, very, hard to resist pouncing on. His jaw flexed as he spoke, and you could only imagine the gruff tone mixed with the softness of his speech. His muscles fit the suit perfectly.

Like it was sin, they stretched the fabric over every delicate line and bicep and that you clenching the glass in your hand tightly. It was nicely spanning for the expanses of his chest too, built torso and all were very exposed, very obvious to anyone who looked at the way it listened to his command and made him broad and delicious.

Somehow, someway, like he could sense the catch of your breath and the spike of lust and adrenaline flowing newly through you, he met your eyes.

His gaze softened, and his lips curled in tune. A smile reserved solely for you, and you gave one back. Like everything around you had zoned out, you were only focused on the man making his way toward you.

And with that came disaster.

It followed you everywhere. Especially towards the ones that definitely shouldn't have had to go through the misery of your heart and your weary hands.

Because when you raised from your chair to meet him halfway, you were met not with the crinkle in his eyes nor the lingering of his scent.

You were met with the big chest of an investor who got in your path, and suffered consequences when your drink had split all down the freshly dry-cleaned and ironed white shirt that now was stained, colored and ruined.

Eyes widening immediately, you went into shock as he started to curse off at you, muttering countless apologies as he went on.

The anger in his eyes never dulled, instead worsened when he gripped your arm with more strength then needed, unnecessary and outright scary when he started to shake you and explain dumbly like you were a toddler in need of a lesson.

That's when Bucky stepped in. A hand firmly rested on his shoulder, making the older man stop in his tracks and turn back to be met with the darkened gaze of the winter soldier targeted towards him.

You wouldn't say it was scary, no, that's not the right word. He was heavily intimidating. One of the men that you don't want to get on his nerves because you know for a fact he's not going to let it slide no matter what.

And with that, the man let go of you and led himself off somewhere stumbling like he was the one nursing a drink.

"Sweetheart? You alright?" You watched the scene dazed, and coming back when he made it to your side.

Some people heard the commotion and stopped to stare, most resuming their talks and looking away instinctually when seeing Bucky at the scene of the crime.

It didn't make him feel ideal, but in this situation he was glad that there were no eyes on you to make it a huge deal that you'd have to poorly clean up after with sullen apologies and Val's frustrating lectures.

You nodded, not trusting yourself to speak up at the moment.

"Let's go back to your room alright? Get you cleaned up some." When he said that, you finally looked down to see some residual of the liquid splattered on your hand where it once was, like evidence it all happened.

You let him blindly lead you, now listening to the hum of the elevator in comfortable silence.

"Did you.. uh-" he started, almost seeming hesitant to end.

"Wear that dress for a particular reason? Looks familiar."

You huffed a laugh, and nodded lightly.

"Yeah. I did"

"You did?" As he replied, you looked up at him, and he was of course already looking.

"I think you know."

"I-" he almost gulped. "I think I do."

The tension was palpable, but struck down when you took his collar in your fist and pulled him down.

He met your lips with no resistance, and whether it was hunger or devotion, both felt the same at the moment.

The moment you merged with his, everything about him was heavenly- your senses flooded with the way his tongue slid over your bottom lip, nipping to get it in your mouth, reining dominance as he explored you.

Your hands found his waist where they could, chest to chest now, heads slotted perfectly as the movements got sloppier. Fueled, he cradled your jaw and pulled you even closer. While his thumb absentmindedly traces you, you're fumbling with a crooked brow when he's still deepening it, slow and reverent.

His steady hands ground you to earth while he devours you, he's lightheaded when you both pull back and your breathing ragged.

A little breathy, he laughs when he presses your forehead to his, just taking in the contact and the resolved heap of unsolved feelings out in the open.

"I think you like me, Barnes."

"You sure?" He mumbles with a smirk, lost in the way you're still holding onto him like you never want to let go. Newsflash, you don't.

Still a little dazed, you have no motion to hold your words back now. "Unless it was just the dress?"

You question with a raised brow, and he chuckles loudly.

"Mm.. dunno- but it's definitely helping." His eyes scan down your figure, leaving nothing to be hidden as he takes it all in.

Whether the kiss or the view, he doesn't know, he's already half-hard.

"Did y'pick it just to tease me, sweetheart?" He asks as if he's not blown away and hiding his boner in the confines of tight dress pants

"Bucky, for the love of god, please take me to my room right now" As much as he tries to hide it, he's sinister grin throws the work away.

The request makes stutter for a second internally, mind running faster than he can process.

He takes one of your legs and lifts it up against his waist before pressing another kiss onto your lips, finding himself perfectly close to your ear to whisper,

"Jump" And so you do.

He holds your weight up effortlessly, no struggle nor tug of the arm as he leads you to your room with practised precision and with the speed of a man on a mission.

Legs curled around his beefy hips, you can pretty much feel every flaunt of his imprint against the open area of your underwear, heat infectious and utterly undoing when you accidentally grind into him chasing for the unknown friction and he grunts back with a twitch in his slacks.

When he finally makes it to your room, he's opening it hastily and plopping you softly down on the plush of your bed, taking in the image of you a little flushed, hair straying, makeup wiped off some and stained preferably to his lips.

"You're truly a vision, sweetheart." He's mumbling before reaching for you again, kissing you harder, messier, no attention to the way teeth may clatter and tongues might tangle. He's searching for that.

The ruin. The undone. And he hasn't even started.

His hands find their way down your figure, feeling every curve and inch of skin hiding underneath the masterpiece that's your outfit you picked that had his attention away from those old men and glittery women.

"Can I take this off you?" You nod, watching the fabric slip down when he reaches behind you to unzip it, raising your hips so he can fully pull it off before placing it with care on your chair.

"Fuck" he's licking his lips when you're below him, bra only and underwear soaked when he presses down right where you need him, arching into his touch.

He's kneading the padding of your breasts before kissing down your collarbone, biting and licking the skin to hopefully have purplish spots bloom later on to remind him how he tasted every inch of you.

"Bucky, need you s'bad" your reaching out to tug on his tie, and he listens.

"You gonna be a good girl for me?" The way he says it is intoxicating, gruff and dark. He knows exactly what it does to you.

"Yes, yes please-" In the midst of your pleas, he's settling down on the bed to perch himself between the plush and empty space of your thighs.

They were lonely until his breath fanned inside, teasing you devilishly with a couple kitten licks before his teeth dip in to the sensitive area, eliciting an unexpected yelp while you squirm, though it doesn't do anything except food for thought because his grip is firm-

You couldn't close your legs no matter how much you'd had liked to, when his muscles tense so nicely to keep you from hiding anything from him.

He works his way up, leaving the damp spot to grow, almost enveloping the whole piece. And when he finally, finally rubs small circles on your clit, you're immediately whining out for more.

"Bucky, god- I need more, please"

"You need s'more sweets?" Before you can respond, a finger is already tugging the underwear down your leg to find your glistening cunt in front of him, leaving nothing to the imagination now.

And suddenly, he's hungry- his fingers work as fast as his brain processes it, slipping past your entrance easily as your back lifts to chase the friction.

And when his tongue doubles down, you're almost screaming his name for the compound to hear.

"Fuck, you taste so fucking good sweatheart."

"Thank you, thank you" your babbling out when his fingers deliciously curling up like he's already memorized the spot that has you keening, lips latching onto your sensitive bud as he sucks first gently, then harshly when the force of the finger picks up to have you fleeing around.

The sight makes him delirious- his dick is fully hard, rubbing almost pathetically against the softness of your mattress and groaning into your taste mostly because eating you out is helping him get there. He could likely come undone without you even needing to lay a hand on him.

Though it helps when your hands find his hair, not caring about the style and how the gel's firmly in place. No, your latching onto what you can, clawing while holding on for dear life and bringing him closer, both riding him out and backing away.

"Soak my face, you're not getting away from me til you cum." Pussy-drunk and with no regrets, he's urging another one of his fingers into you, and two together are utterly huge. You're wondering just how much he has to stretch you open, the image of the cock hiding behind zipped up pants has you questioning how your sanity's going to be after this.

With how wet you are, it doesn't feel like a challenge to have them both moving in tandem, but the low, buildup in the pit of your stomach isn't showing any mercy when slow stripes and teasing blows of air to your clit turn into the most leg-trembling head you've ever recieved when he finds your clit and never lets it go.

He knows you're close, knuckles never letting up on his hair, and the way you're grinding yourself into him as him moaning- the vibration echoes back, making your rhythm stutter. A cry erupts from your throat, and your toes are curling almost numb.

Clit overstimulated and that spongy spot within you being targeted has the world fading, literally at his fingertips when he curls perfectly and as you soundlessly cumming to his command.

"Doing so perfect for me, sweetheart, christ." He's climbing up you, shaky but recovering when he collides with you again, tasting yourself and seeing the mess you had made when you feel it all over and integrated into his stubble like an oil he had put in.

"How the fuck are you so good at that?" Your voice is strained in a way that makes him huff out a laugh, and not to admit he's flattered that you find him so daringly good.

"Just.. passionate?" He replies while you're laughing back.

And then you feel something. Undeniably huge and aching up against you, the collar of his suit a little soaked with remnants of the night and his tie crumpled, beard glistening.

"you-"

"I think I might've came my pants already" he says it so casually, it almost sounds wrong.

"I want you, Bucky" because you can tell what's going through his head. the contemplation. The aftermath. But you want him on you.

Literally.

"r'you sure, sweetheart?" It's smitten almost, nervously so.

"Yes Buck, and if you don't unzip those pants I'm going to start humping you through them" he's making quick work now, watching him undress while you unstrap your bra as you laugh.

Except your face drops and your eyes widen when he's shirtless, and even moreso when his pants disappear.

You find yourself led downward, landing on every surface of a scar, scrape and bruise. To you, he's beautifully open to you right now and that means more than anything.

On the other hand, you're drooling because of how good he looks, all that's been hidden underneath those tight shirts and multiple layers. And you look down to be met with the most enticing sight of all.

"God Bucky, you're damn built- and holy fuck you're huge.. is that even going to fit.." you're mumbling the last part to yourself, but he grins because he hears it anyways.

"I'll go slowly, sweetheart, don't worry. You tell me if anything's wrong, alright?" Your heart thumps loudly when you realize how real it's becoming, and everything is swimming inside you with anticipation.

He pumped himself once, then twice as he was already red and aggravated- he was weirdly sensitive, too, the tip madly dripping pre-cum while his eyelids were dusted, looking back at yours to find the same lust-evident look.

Glassy and divine, he had lined up against your cunt, rubbing the tip to collect your juices and catching on your clit as you hissed.

"Please, Buck. I can take it, be your good girl." You whined, inching closer and closer desperately that was nothing short of lewd.

"Yeah? You can?" He growled, starting to push himself in.

"Mhm, yes- yeessss" the stretch was genuinely mouth-watering and almost borderline painful with his length and your pussy trying to accommodate it.

"You're doing so well, sweets- fuck you're squeezing me so tight" his breathes were deep and focused, thrusting almost to the hilt. His hands splayed themselves on your hips, almost bruising in a way that had you lightheaded with delight.

The sensation of his dick reaching every crevice and corner of you, so much so that when he laid a hand on your lower stomach, he'd pride you-

"Can feel myself all the way in, you're doing s'good, shit" the pressure was amazing, almost overbearing when he began a steady rhythm that had you doubling down on his name, a mantra that sang like music to his ears.

"s'pretty like this, below me with my cock deep in you-" when you had gotten used to the sheer size and girth the man had inside you, he bent down to take your nipple into his mouth, nursing it like he would a cup of his favorite coffee.

Nipping, your moans got louder when he bit it cheekily and thrusted upwards like he knew where to aim, hips flush against you and sweat beading down both your foreheads as sex and slaps of skin filled the room steadily.

He hasn't displayed his size properly- not yet, so when he runs his hands down the lengths of your arms to obtain your wrists with one palm while holding them together, everything kicks into overdrive.

Suddenly the way he's sucking on your breasts makes you squirm even harder. The way he holds onto your hands, firmly and you can see the outstretched outlines of his built veins that curve along his forearms.

Suddenly you're aware of his beefy girth, the one that's digging into you while he huffs affirmations in your ear. His free hand is bringing you back to him every time, you can feel his tuffs of pubs while your ass hits just right. He can't see it, but he doesn't need to. The view below him is just where he wants to be.

You can feel your orgasm building in the pit of your stomach, gasping when he decides to fully bottom out, your breath is punched out of you and your pleading while your hands reach out to anything they can, familiarly in his hair again.

"Gonna cum, gonna cum deep in this sweet pussy. That okay, sweetheart?" You don't know how he's even forming coherent sentences, but somehow, someway, you're nodding back in agreement.

You hear his groans raise in volume as he bites down on your neck to save some dignity. You can feel the twitch of him present and every vein scraping the inside of your gummy walls- carving it out for his shape to be forever stained in paradise.

"Buck- m'cumming, oh my ffffuck cumming, don't stop" the noises that feel the room are downright dirty and obscene, and his hips are jerking mindlessly into yours, flush against you with force.

"never dreamt of it"

tears are stinging the corner of your eyes when you swear he's rearranged your insides, clenching down on him tightly as you feel your impending release. When it snaps, your absolutely spent, juices coating his cock as he pressed firmly into you.

Pulsing, he didn't let up, letting your climax hit with the pressure. In fact, it spurred him on. Panting, he was close too, hitting his almost at the same time.

mushroom tip filling you to the brim with rope after rope of his cum, legs twitching erratically and pussy utterly tender, and swollen. You could feel his seed everywhere, already probably dripping down your thighs.

He grazes your nipple accidentally, sore and sensitive when the overstimulation from anything and everything hits.

"Careful Buck" you sigh out, smiling crookedly at the bliss of the aftermath.

"You okay? Was it okay?"

"mhm- s'good buck. Real good"

He chuckled dreamily and mumbled, "let me get you cleaned up," retreating to the bathroom to find a cloth hung up to wipe you down, his cum that had spilled out and ran down the inside of your thighs that had him resisting the blood flow down to his dick again.

Your eyes stayed closed before you felt the weight of the bed dip down, his presence known and back by your side where you wanted it. He pressed a peck to your check, nose and then mouth before running a hand through your hair.

"Little sweaty there"

"Mm- don't care. Gonna take care f'you anyways"

You hummed while he did so, admiring your wrecked form. Nothing short of wonders in his mind, he was content while he put a hand over your waist- almost like a claim.

Protective, and saying something words hadn't yet. He broke the silence first.

"Tomorrow- let me take you out. Real dinner. Real date and everything." His voice was a little used, but the way he rubbed soft strokes on your waist told you everything.

"Not going to let me cut myself again, Barnes? What a gentleman" he snorted at that, planting playful kisses in the corners of your neck.

"Can't let my girl get injured again. Wouldn't be proper." Your cheeks flushed at his words, and your hands stilled where they hung over his neck.

"Y-your girl?"

"I knew from the start but.. whenever I saw you get cut like that- I was worried and i- it just made me think of everything else I could've been patching you up for and not just a cut finger. How I wanted to be there if it happened again"

Leaving him with no room to ramble, "Of course, buck"

"Yeah?" He asked with a boyish smile.

"Yeah." You said, stealing a kiss from him.

You slapped his chest when he went in for another, pouting when you wouldn't let him reach you.

"That scream was Yelena, just so you know"

"I knew it! Damn you-" you faked an angry face before asking, "What was she screaming about anyways?"

"I- uh... nothing important, trust me."

THE MORNING AFTER...

The two of you woke up, soaked in each other's embrace and yawning in tandem, legs tangled and pillows thrown to different edges and corners of the bed. You didn't want to leave- warmth radiated off of him, his hand spanning safely to encase you, and tightening every time you threatened to move

"Buuuck- gotta let me get up- needa pee" you rubbed your eyes, and when you opened them he was right next to you.

"mmmff- sweetheart.."

"Don't you dare say five more minutes" he sighed, rolling himself over dramatically to face the wall.

"Hey- you said ten minutes an hour ago! Don't get all fussy!"

When you wrestled yourself out of bed, the two of you eventually made it to the kitchen, unintentionally in his worn, huge t-shirt that you had stolen when you transferred to his room to access a toothbrush. He wore a hoodie and shorts combo- something you definitely wouldn't see on him unless it was a great day.

Yelena was sat on the counter and Bob doing the dishes, both chatting and laying down banter. Until you walked in.

"Did a shark get to you while sleeping?" She commented, whether amused or concerned you couldn't tell.

"What?" You said sleepily, eyes dreary and still half closed.

Bob tripped over his own feet at the sight while putting a dish away, "Jesus!"

You finally realized when you looked down and saw the sea of bite marks. Some purple, some lightly faded already and some skimming yellowish tints.

"Shit" you muttered, hearing their snickers in the back "Hey- you guys! Shut it!"

"Guess you're not pent up anymore!" Jumping off the counter, she ran with a speed never seen before as you chased her around the living room, loudly yelling her name with fire in your eyes.

Bucky was around the corner, watching the situation unfold with a tiny smirk on his face. He hoped to add more love bites to the collection soon.

thank you for reading :) requests are open! || Marvel Masterlist

[fckmebarnes]

when i start working from home, im buying a vibrator. i can’t do this anymore i need to have an orgasm jesus christ

[secretly-a-teddybear]

this asf.

[barnesdreamcatcher]

Terrified you’ll bite the hand that needs you – and right now I need you

pairing: ex!bucky barnes x f!reader cw: angst, argument, mutual pining (“but we can’t”), codependency + commitment issues, toxic relationship dynamics, smut (mdni, 18+), p in v, creampie, crying, bucky king of consent barnes, emotional sex, these two really need to talk and they need to do it while they’re not having sex wc: 2.7k now playing: crying during sex – Ethel Cain

The rain mingled with your tears as you stood opposite Bucky. It was embarrassing – really. Your mascara was running across your cheeks while your chest heaved, struggling to give your lungs the oxygen it needed.

“Baby, please, just go home,” he pleaded, “You know we can’t get back together.”

Oh, you did know. It shattered your heart every time you thought about how toxic you two were, but the idea of letting go hurt even more. 

You had broken up a little over a month ago, after a terrible fight that had involved you throwing a picture frame at the wall behind him and Bucky punching the exact same wall so hard the building shook. 

Keeping your distance was hard – it crumbled you. It felt like you were losing your mind, unable to eat or sleep more than a few hours per night. You found no rest without him next to you, without his arms tightly wrapped around you.

Four weeks, or to be more precise 29 days, you had managed to go without him. Then Sam had called you out of the blue to ask you where Bucky was and you realized that he hadn’t told anyone. To you, that was your chance, your one chance to get him back. 

Your plan had been to be all collected and rational. That had gone out the door the second he stepped out of his apartment building before you could even ring the doorbell. He hadn’t been surprised to see you, so he must have caught sight of you when you had walked up. 

He had already started protesting, attempting to usher you home. Which led to this.

“Why?” You sobbed out. “Why can’t I stay here?”

He rubbed his jaw, eyes half lidded with desperation and worry.  “You… you just can’t. Go home, please. You’re gonna get sick out here.”

“I don’t wanna go home.” You started to sound like a petulant child, seconds away from throwing a temper tantrum. Your lower lip wobbled and he saw it. His fingers twitched, like he had to hold himself back from reaching out. For a second, you could almost feel the memory of his fingers, resting at your chin, thumb swiping over your skin. Then the spell broke.

“I mean it, sweetheart, go home.”

His voice wasn’t cold but definite. Absolute. It was his no-nonsense-voice, the one he used to use to tell you off when you were awake past midnight, working too long or drinking too much. The words snapped you right back into the presence as anger boiled in you.

“Fuck you, Bucky, you don’t get to tell me anything,” you snarled, covering the hurt with rage. “You’re not my fucking boss.”

The vein on his temple twitched ever so slightly. Composure – something he had worked so hard on to regain after years of chaos and torture – and you made him lose it with just a few words. You saw how his chest stretched under his black fitted shirt, the way the ribs expanded as he took a deep breath. His eyes darkened as he took a step toward you but you didn’t back down. 

“Go. Home,” he growled, clearly still holding himself back. 

You mirrored him, advancing forward as well until you shared the same oxygen. “No.”

Neither one of you backed down, staring, calculating, assessing the other. Silence stretched – not even the drumming of the rain registering anymore as you held eye contact. But then your gaze dipped just for a second – a traitorous, long stretching second as you caught a glimpse of these perfect pink lips, plump and warm, wet with raindrops and his hot breath. 

He saw it, and something changed in his eyes. Anger turned to hunger. Irritation became cockiness. And his discipline, his collectedness – it crumbled. You watched it break down, slow at first, then picking up speed, like an avalanche. 

And then his own eyes dropped down. They raked over your face, inching across every stretch of skin, your nose, your mouth, your jaw. Then lower. Your chest was heaving with emotion and Bucky – the goddamn idiot – smirked as his stare stuck to the hem of your shirt. 

“Goddamnit,” he muttered. And then he pulled you in by your hips. His hands raked across the fabric separating you two, dipping below it as he pushed himself against you as if he was trying to merge the two of you into one being.

His lips were as soft as you remembered, and you felt his heartbeat – or maybe your own.

A soft moan tumbled from your lips as his tongue met yours, heated, demanding and relentless.

His hands lingered on your waist, under your shirt, kneading you like he wanted to shape you into whatever worked for him. His thumbs drew circles across your hips, then ghosted across your stomach while his mouth moved against yours feverishly. 

He pulled away for a second, not able to keep himself from making some snarky remark. 

“You’re gonna kill me, baby.”

It didn’t come out the way he planned – not cocky, not teasing. It sounded wrecked, broken, genuine.

Then his lips were on yours again and he manhandled you against his front door. One hand let go of your waist and instead cradled the back of your head to protect you from the impact as he shoved you against the wood, his hips following yours. You were sandwiched between him, feeling every part of him, heated, begging for you.

His other hand came free as well and fumbled with the door knob, missing it a few times as he didn’t look up once, just kept kissing you like nothing else mattered. Then the door finally gave in and you stumbled into his apartment building. He caught you, stabilized you by your hips, then almost brought you to fall again as he ushered you up the stairs at neck breaking speed. 

The door to his apartment unit was open, like he had left in a daze, forgetting to close it behind him. He guided you through it, a hand on the small of your back, then kicked it shut the second he slipped in after you.  You turned to face him, to speak but he swallowed every word burning on your tongue with another kiss. 

He shushed you softly while he buried his tongue down your throat, his hands wandering over your curves, squeezing, palming, massaging. He pulled his shirt off, dropped it carelessly on the floor of the entryway and pushed you further into his apartment. You would have found the way to his room blindfolded, two legs broken and gagged, that’s how often you had spent the night here. 

The smell of the bedsheets hit your senses like a slap across your face. Bucky was everywhere. Leather, rain, pine and whatever made him your Bucky – it buried itself in your nose as he pressed you into the comforter, already pulling at your shirt. 

The scent was so overwhelming that you clutched at the fabric of your top and pulled away from Bucky to look at him. He stopped immediately and caught your eyes. 

“What’s wrong?” He asked and sat back on his heels. 

What wasn’t wrong? What were you doing? You came here to talk and now he was half naked and you weren’t from far from joining him.

“I…,” you stammered, “I-“

He watched you with an almost pained expression and you knew. You knew that he knew. 

“I know,” he mumbled, “I swear I know. But I don’t have the answer you want.”

“Do you love me?” The words came out before you could stop yourself.

“You know I do,” he replied. He didn’t look away, his blue eyes burying themselves into yours. 

“Then why?”

“Because I hate how much I love you.”

The words hurt. The way he emphasized it, no questioning tone behind it, just clear and utter acceptance.

“That is all I can give you,” he whispered, “That and… this.” He took your hand and rested it against his bare chest, allowing you to feel the pounding of his heart. “I want you. I love you. But I can’t be with you. Not how you want me to. I can only give you this – if that’s what you want.”

He grabbed your chin and kept you from looking away. 

“I’m sorry,” he muttered. You shook your head, neither of you knew what it meant.  But if this was all what you were going to get, you would take it.

You sniffled softly and grabbed the hem of your shirt, then pulled it over your head. His gaze didn’t drop immediately, he kept his focus on your face. 

“Is that what you want?” He asked, not touching, not looking yet.

You nodded.

“That’s not gonna do, baby. Use your words. You say it, or you don’t mean it.”

“I want it,” you rasped. There was a big, ugly obstruction in your throat, and it hurt to swallow. It hurt to breathe. 

Bucky cradled your face between his hands. You felt the callouses, the roughness of his skin, contrasting with your soft cheeks. 

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yes.”

Clothes littered the room, tossed around like an afterthought – if that.  His lips were on yours again, his bare skin pressed against yours.

Because I hate how much I love you.

One of his hands dipped between the two of you and hiked your thigh up as he slotted himself between your legs. 

Because I hate how much I love you.

He looked at you as he pushed the tip of his cock in. You sucked in a shaky breath, fingers digging into his shoulder as he slowly filled you up. A dark groan built in his chest but a contrastingly soft kiss landed on the inside your knee as he inched forward. The stretch burned so good it had your eyes rolling back, the fullness overwhelming, fighting off the loneliness you had felt without him.

Because I hate how much I love you.

He muffled his moan by pressing his mouth into the crook of your neck as he buried himself to the hilt in your tight, warm wetness.  “Fuck,” he murmured, “You feel so good. Always feel so damn good.”

Because I hate how much I love you.

Your fingers travelled from the base of his neck to his hair, raking through the brown curls softly, keeping him pressed against your skin while he slowly pulled his hips back. He couldn’t see the first tear that slid down your cheek.

Because I hate how much I love you.

Nothing hurt – nothing physical at least. In fact, every thrust, every glide of his fingers made you see stars, made you want more, made you clench around him tighter to keep him there. When his fingers danced over your clit, you arched into his touch, a pleading gasp of his name spilling from your lips.

Because I hate how much I love you.

He looked at you as you called out his name – and froze.  The sight of tears, the redness in your eyes, it was too much. Every single muscle went taut with restriction, with holding back. “Doll, what’s wrong?” He mumbled frantically, a hand hovering next to your cheek like he wanted to cup it, wanted to brush away the tears but didn’t dare to.

Because I hate how much I love you.

“Nothin’.” The word came out like a whimper and he sucked in a sharp breath.  “Please don’t lie, baby. Am I hurting you? Are you in pain?”

Because I hate how much I love you.

“No,” you mumbled and shook your head. “I’m just… I… I want this, believe me, I do.”

Because I hate how much I love you.

“But?” He asked quietly, still sheathed in your heat.

Because I hate how much I love you.

“What you said… earlier… it hurt my feelings.” That was probably the most honest, raw sentence he ever heard from you. No matter how many fights, how much pleading, how often you had begged him, you had never said something this true and from your heart to him. And it him like a ton of bricks.  “You hate how much you love me,” You echoed his words.

His hand finally came to rest on your cheek, swiping away the tears.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, “That… that came out wrong. What I meant is that I hate myself for how much I love you. And for how I’m not… not able to fix this for us.”

He pulled back slightly, but you shook your head and wrapped your free leg around him.  His eyebrows scrunched up and he looked at you.  “Don’t you wanna stop?”

You shook your head. “No, please, I… Keep going.”

He looked at you doubtfully. 

“I don’t wanna keep going if you’re crying. It’s not right.”

“I want you to. I… I need you to. Please.”

A few seconds passed as he weighed his options. His eyes never left you, assessing, gaging and evaluating. “Are you sure?” 

You nodded again and pulled him close. 

“Please.”

This time, he kept looking at you as he pulled back slightly and then pushed back in. Not one change in your expression went unnoticed by him, like he had to make sure there was not an ounce of doubt. And there wasn’t.

Yes, this wasn’t ideal. But if this was the only way to have him, you would take it.

He started to pull little moans from you again, soft breathy sounds that grew louder with every thrust. His fingers returned to your bundle of nerves, dragging across it, smearing your wetness that was seeping out of you over your button while his hips met yours again and again. 

“Don’t stop, please,” you whispered breathlessly, pulling him in closer and closer. His hand gripped your thigh like he was trying to anchor himself.

“Never,” he replied quietly. It sounded like a vow.

His thrusts became more frantic, more needy. “God-fucking-dammit, you feel so good. So warm and- oh fuck- god.” He buried himself deeper with every roll of his hips, hitting that one spot within you. By now you were sure you were molded to the exact shape of his cock, your walls shaped to every vein and indent of his. You clenched around him and he groaned heavenly.

No matter how much he talked you through it, how much he controlled the speed and strength of his thrusts, how cockdrunk you got on him – he always fell victim to the feel of you.

“Fuckin’ Christ,” he growled and sped up even more, seeking to ground himself in that control. He drew tighter, faster circles on your clit, speeding up and applying more pressure. But his hips stuttered and his fingers faltered when you tightened around him again. 

“Doll, god- you’re gonna kill me,” he whimpered and a victorious grin grew on your face. “I’m tryna make you feel good here and you’re- oh, fuck,” he complained, cut off by your squeezing again. 

It was like a game, who could make the other cum first. You chased his orgasm more than your own, clamping down on him like a vice but he was the supersoldier. In the end, he won, bringing you over the edge, but followed you right over. Liquid heat pooled from your core as your legs spasmed and you threw your head back against the pillow as the warmth of pleasure overwhelmed you. His name fell from your lips while he buried himself to the hilt and spilled deep within in you, twitching and pulsing hot.

Neither one of you moved for a long time. He stayed in you until he went soft, and then some. Breaking the connection, facing each other was out of the question. His head rested on your breasts, his bare cheek squished into your soft flesh. Your fingers wandered through his hair, soothing to both him and you. 

“I swear,” he murmured after a while, “I’ll die in your arms and I won’t complain.”

❤︎ just a quick reminder that the best way to support authors on here is to comment and reblog ❤︎ ☆ find my masterlist here ☆

[saltyjoy]

Whose Cat Is It Anyway?

Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Summary: For the longest time, you thought the cat roaming the tower wasn’t owned by anybody. Then you eventually realize that the “Tower Cat” does, in fact, have a name, and is owned by none other than Bucky Barnes himself, the one team member you aren’t exactly best friends with. After Bucky finds out that Alpine has become fond of you, he starts giving you odd looks and passive-aggressive comments. This leads you to the conclusion that he is jealous of you for taking his cat. However, as time goes on, you come to the realization that it might be the other way around.

Word Count: 9.6k

Warnings/Tags: Bucky is so bad at feelings, Reader is an unreliable narrator, Reader is very oblivious (it’s bad)

A/N: Is it realistic for somebody to get jealous over a cat? Probably not (keyword being probably), but I thought it was funny, so here you guys go! First post on this account :) Enjoy!

Cats.

You, like many people, adore the creatures.

They can be affectionate and cuddly on good days, purring and rubbing up against you as if nothing else exists. However, they can also be mischievous little demons.

Either way, you’ve always loved cats.

Recently, you had been planning on getting a cat, but after moving in with the rest of the team, the plan had been put on hold.

It was a tragedy. You were really looking forward to adopting one for yourself. You weren’t exactly sure if pets were allowed in the Watchtower. Technically, you didn’t see any rules against it, but you didn’t want to adopt a pet immediately after getting new roommates.

That being said, you did ask Valentina, but that didn’t really go well.

-

You shuffled anxiously, hearing the phone ring before it eventually picked up. “Hey, so—”

“Is this an emergency? You do know this number is for emergencies only, correct?” She said, and you could practically see the eye roll.

“Welllll, not exactly, but you haven’t exactly been around for us to ask any questions. You also don’t respond to my texts…” You trailed off, mumbling the last line. It’s not as if you wanted her around, but it would have solved this issue ages ago.

She remained silent for a moment, and you heard her sigh, exasperated. “Well, what is it?” She asked.

“The policy for pets?”

She sputtered for a moment, “I’m sorry, what?”

“Pets,” you said slowly as if talking to a child, “can we have them?”

She huffed, and sharp laughter rang in your ears. “Oh, absolutely not.”

You exhaled, “Damn…” You mutter to yourself, thinking she wouldn’t catch it.

“I do not want to see a pet there. I don’t care if it’s a dog, cat, guinea pig, snake, or turtle. No pets. Now, please, save this number for emergencies only. Goodbye.” She hung up the phone before you got a word in.

You soon realized after that incident that either people didn’t know about the policy, or didn’t care (likely the latter).

You didn’t immediately notice the animals. You weren’t even sure if they were always there or a new addition. The story of how you found out is actually pretty anticlimactic.

Yelena walked in with a guinea pig in hand.

That's really about it.

You watched as she sat down on the couch, petting the animal without a care in the world. You raised an eyebrow. You weren’t sure if this was a deliberate act of rebellion or if Yelena just didn’t know. Either way, you didn’t mind. You just needed to know where everybody stood, you know, for… reasons.

“Did Valentina ever mention the policy for pets?” You asked casually, walking over to sit next to Yelena. The guinea pig crawls over her lap into yours. You smile as you pet them gently.

Yelena pauses, “You know what? I don’t know.” She looks down at the guinea pig on your lap, “I also don’t really care. I don’t think Valentina knows I have her anyway.”

You nod, chuckling. “Fair enough. Would you care if she told you otherwise?”

Yelena laughs before her smile falls, “Not one bit.”

Frankly, you find it hard to believe Valentina did not notice the guinea pig. She seems like the type to have cameras everywhere and have constant monitoring. However, you let that slide, after all, it wasn’t exactly an animal that freely roams the tower.

What truly surprised you was the cat, or “Tower Cat” as you began to call her. She just appeared one day. Nobody said anything, no “hey guys we’re going to have a cat around, hope you don’t mind!” You wouldn’t have minded, but it's the principle that matters.

You had just finished up a solo mission. It was nothing too difficult, but you were exhausted nonetheless. You walked into the empty common area, blinking in confusion. Normally, there’s always one person here. You cautiously entered the space, looking around for any signs of life.

“Uhh, anybody home?” You asked, your voice echoing slightly in the empty space.

You walk over to the couch to try to catch a breather for a moment before you see her.

A cat. A fluffy white cat.

How’d she get in? You aren't sure, but you weren’t going to complain. You look around one more time to make sure nobody is nearby.

“Hello there!” You slowly moved to the cat loafed up on the couch. You tried to extend a hand to her, but she immediately moved away as if offended by your attempt to pet her. “Not the cuddly type, huh? That’s okay.” You now had a new goal: befriend the cat.

Over the next few weeks, you had taken to various methods of befriending Tower Cat. You had bought some toys and treats for her. While she was initially very hesitant, and you mean very hesitant, she slowly started to warm up to you. She would now walk up to you to eat the treats you offered her. You considered that progress since the first time you tried to feed her treats, she hissed at you.

The first time she approached you was a moment to be written down in history. You were hanging out in the kitchen, making yourself a quick snack, when suddenly you noticed something fluffy next to you.

You immediately paused whatever you were doing, looking down at Tower Cat. You didn’t want to scare her away, so you slowly started to turn your attention away from her. As you cooked, you noticed that she didn't leave the area. She didn't try to engage with you, but she watched you cook, never straying very far.

Eventually, when you finished, you went back to your room to grab the cat treats. To your surprise, she actually followed and made herself comfortable on your desk.

“Oh, so you just own my space now?” You asked her, grabbing a treat out of the bag. You hesitantly offered her a treat from your hand. You hadn’t tried this since the initial scratch incident. She stared at you for a moment before eventually deciding to approach you and take the treat. You withheld your gasp, allowing her to lick your hand before she became disinterested and claimed your desk as her own once more.

“You’re cool there?” You asked her.

She watched you silently.

“Okay, have fun, I guess.” You smiled, leaving the door to your room ajar in case she wanted to leave.

You weren’t sure if the rest of the team noticed the new addition, but you can’t imagine they didn’t notice. With how many former assassins and super soldiers you live with? No way they didn't notice. The first time you heard anything about it was when you were talking with Bob and Yelena.

“Oh, damn it.” Yelena sighed, groaning in frustration. You and Bob, being the only ones in the room, turned towards her. She was looking into her room, looking less than pleased.

“What happened?” You ask.

“Damn cat got into my room again. Knocked over all my stuff.” Yelena responded, walking into her room, leaving the door wide open. You watched as Tower Cat came out from her room looking innocent.

You blink, “The cat? Didn’t realize anybody knew she was here.” You looked between Yelena and Bob.

“She’s not exactly hard to miss,” Yelena said, walking out of her room, closing the door behind her. She looks down at Tower Cat before shaking her head and walking back over to you and Bob.

“It’s just that nobody talks about her. I just assumed it was one of those things that everybody sees, but never speaks about.” You leaned against the armrest of the sofa. “So I’m assuming she isn’t any of your guys’ cat?” You raised an eyebrow, looking between Yelena and Bob.

Yelena shook her head, “Nope.”

Bob similarly shook his head, “Not mine either.”

“Huh, do we know whose cat she is?” You asked.

Yelena shrugged, “I thought she just wandered in one day, and everybody let her stay. Haven’t really asked though.”

You hummed, “That’s funny. I was actually considering getting one too. Maybe it’s fate.” You joke, smiling.

Yelena laughs, “Please, take her. The first, and only, time I tried to pet her, she hissed and tried to scratch me.” You nodded in sympathy.

“Yeah, she did that to me the first time, too. She eventually warmed up to me, kinda. She actually came into my room the other day just to relax.” You said, looking over to the cat in question, who is walking through a hallway. Bob and Yelena followed your gaze, watching as the feline slowly walked over to your door before waltzing in like it was her own. “Oh, hey there she goes, what timing.” You laugh at their stunned faces.

“Does she have a name?” Bob asked.

“Well, I was gonna name her, but her original title of ‘Tower Cat’ just kinda stuck.” You explained.

“How’d you get her to like you?” He asked, looking at you with genuine curiosity.

“Treats and patience. Wanna see if we can try and get her to warm up to you a bit?” You asked, grinning.

Bob smiled, nodding silently. Yelena laughs sharply before bidding her goodbyes for the night. She did not want to deal with that cat any more than she already did that day.

That’s how you started your “Cat Time” with Bob. You grew close over your similar love of cats. However, there’d be times where Tower Cat wouldn’t be anywhere in the Watchtower, betraying her name entirely. You and Bob would walk around, checking around, but there’d be nothing. She always showed up the next day or two after, so you assumed somebody would just let her into their room, but you didn’t know who.

Eventually, after weeks of exposure, she warmed up to both you and Bob considerably. She’d hang out with you two while you watch TV or talk. Everything was going well. You finally got the cat you wanted.

Then you found she wasn’t your cat to claim.

-

If there was one person on the team where you weren’t sure where you stood, it was Bucky Barnes.

To be clear, you had tried to establish friendly relations, seeing as you were living together, but after multiple attempts being met with nothing, you eventually gave up.

When you first moved in, you wanted to make a good impression on everyone, and for all intents and purposes, you were successful.

Alexei was not very difficult. You just engage in conversation with him often and laugh. He could actually be pretty funny sometimes, much to Yelena’s embarrassment.

Ava was a bit more difficult, but she eventually warmed up to you. Sometimes when you baked, you’d offer her some cookies, and you two would talk. Yelena would join in too occasionally. Those nights were always fun.

John was John, meaning he was kinda an asshole. You eventually got somewhere with him... kinda. You both would banter back and forth, but initially it was not banter. The insults over time turned less aggressive and more along the lines of “you annoy me, but you’re alright, I guess.” In your defense, you did try to be nice to him at first, but he made that very difficult with the way he treated other people, especially in the beginning. You eventually figured it out, though.

Yelena was the easiest next to Bob. She immediately became one of your best friends. She was one of the people on the team you really looked up to. You two would often end up hanging out with each other. This was how you were introduced to Bob.

Initially, it was kind of awkward with Bob. Both of you were friends by association, meaning you both liked Yelena, but didn’t really know each other. Eventually, once Tower Cat came into the picture, you both would hang out. You realized how funny he was once you actually got to know him. This led to a lot of late nights with you, Yelena, Bob, and Tower Cat. Sometimes Yelena would insist that Tower Cat must go, but for the most part, that was your little group.

So overall, you thought you did a good job establishing a positive relationship with the team. If you try to forget about Bucky, that is. You almost feel embarrassed thinking about it. By the end, you had gotten pretty desperate and had tried bringing him coffee in the mornings, or checking in to see if he was injured after missions. If you two were friends and your efforts had succeeded, you wouldn’t be embarrassed. However, they failed, and failed miserably.

The coffee incident? You wince even thinking about it.

“Oh, hey, I left some coffee on the counter for you. Not sure how you like it, so I left the sugar to the side.” You smiled as you watched Bucky walk in. He looked like he had just woken up, hair disheveled, rubbing his eyes.

He looked over to you before glancing at the mug you left for him, filled with coffee. He nodded slowly, walking over to it hesitantly. He stared at it for a bit before clearing his throat, “I was actually going to go to the gym.”

You tried not to sigh and look over at him. “No worries. I’ll just, uh, clean it up.”

He nods, looking at you, muttering a small “Thanks anyway.”

As he walks away, you immediately feel embarrassed. Well, that was pathetic.

Of course, that wasn’t the only embarrassing incident.

Bucky had been returning from a mission with John. However, you only saw Bucky exit the elevator and head toward his room. You noticed that his face had a deep cut on it.

“Hey, you need help with that?” You asked, walking over to him. He paused before looking at you.

He smiled reassuringly, but you can see in his eyes he’d rather be anywhere else than talking with you. “I’m good, thanks.”

You blinked, watching as blood dripped down his face from the wound. “You sure? I don’t mind-”

“I am fine.” He cut you off. “I will be fine, thanks.” He told you, not even looking you in the eye. His words sounded so final that you didn’t even try to follow him. He closed the door behind him, leaving you staring at it.

That was when you realized that the “good impression” mission you had was a failure.

You had tried, and maybe it was because of your personality, you aren’t sure. He just did not like you. After that incident, you backed off of him, not offering aid or doing small gestures for him. His previous interactions sent you a clear message, and you received it.

Were you hurt by it? A little. You did put effort into trying to make him at least think you were an okay person. You couldn't help but admire him from a distance. Anyway, you tried not to take it too personally, after all, he’s been through a lot. He probably just isn’t comfortable with you, which you get, but it still hurts putting in effort for such blatant disregard.

So you can imagine your surprise when he approaches you on a random day.

-

“. . . and I was so confused, like how did you come to that conclusion?” You raise your hands, gesturing confusedly. Bob chuckles at your outrage.

You sigh, putting your hands down, petting Tower Cat on your lap softly. “I dunno, I was just so over it. I eventually confronted her, and she had the AUDACITY to act confused.” You continue to rant, neither you nor Bob noticing the elevator opening.

“And I’m assuming you weren’t going to let that slide?” Bob asks with a soft, amused smile on his face. You grin back at him.

“Not a chance. So—”

“Is that Alpine?”

You and Bob immediately turn toward Bucky. You blink. “When’d you get here?” You ask.

“Just now,” he pauses, “since when did Alpine start hanging out with you two?” Bucky furrowed his eyebrows.

“‘Alpine?’” You repeat the foreign name back at him. You and Bob look at Tower Cat, or apparently “Alpine.”

You look up at Bucky, “She’s your cat?” You feel your mouth drop in surprise.

“Whose cat did you think she was?” He asks, looking at you in disbelief.

“I thought she was like the communal tower cat or something.” You say, your voice quiet as if that will quell Bucky’s growing bewilderment.

“The ‘communal tower cat?’” He repeats incredulously.

“Okay, sorry, sorry.” You apologize profusely, hoping that he won’t murder you for taking his cat. Bucky seems to stare at you for what feels like forever. You shift uncomfortably under his stare.

“Uh, you can have her back, if you want.” You eventually say, mumbling the last part. Bucky just continues to stare at Alpine in your lap. You look toward Bob to see if he is feeling the same awkward tension you are. He quickly glances at you, then Bucky, then back at you before shifting awkwardly.

You try to pick up Alpine without disturbing her. The moment you try, her eyes snap open. “Oh, I’m sorry, sweetheart.” You coo softly to the cat. You offhandedly notice Bucky shifts stiffly.

“Bucky’s back, though. Wanna go with him?” You speak softly to her. In response, she pushes herself closer to you, purring against your collarbone. “Aw, I’m sorry, I wanna cuddle with you more too.” You frown at her before gently handing her to Bucky. Your hands brush his as you try to give her to Bucky without disturbing her too much.

She meows softly, and you feel your heart break. “Didn’t realize you liked cats,” Bucky says.

Bob laughs, and you both turn to him before he covers it with a cough and low “Sorry.” He knows you love cats.

“Love them.” You respond with a strained smile. He looks at you for a moment longer. Eventually, you clear your throat and look away from his gaze, “Sorry, Bucky.”

Bucky seems to stare at you for a moment longer before leaving. Not a word said, he just leaves.

“Well, at least we know why Tower Cat or ‘Alpine’  disappears some nights,” you comment, Bob shaking his head, amused, “but damn, he hates me.” You whisper as if Bucky will hear you, and knowing him, you can’t be too sure.

“I doubt that. He just has…” Bob pauses for a moment, trying to find the word for it, “struggles.”

You huff, “Yeah, that’s one way to say it. I don’t even know what I did to him. It’s not my fault your cat likes me.” Actually, it is your fault, but Bucky doesn’t need to know the details.

In your defense, Alpine did just waltz around the entire place like she owned it. There was no indication she was owned, let alone owned by Bucky of all people.

“He do that often?” Bob asks. You raise an eyebrow at him to elaborate. “The staring.”

You scoff, “Only in days that end in ‘y.’” You shift on the couch so that you’re lying down instead of sitting. “I assumed it’s one of his weird quirks. I thought it was just a former assassin thing where he just stares at you as if assessing if you’re a threat,” you hold your hand up to emphasize your next point, “which I am not.”

“Maybe he thinks you’re pretty?” Bob suggests, and you laugh loudly, making him raise his eyebrows at you in slight concern.

You smile at Bob, “That’s so sweet,” you put your hand on his shoulder gently, “but so very wrong.”

Bob shakes his head but smiles, “You never know.”

You shake your head confidently. “No, I do. He’s probably planning different ways to kill me if needed. The stare of ‘I’m planning your murder because you took my cat.’” You stick your hands up into the air, doing jazz hands, still staring up at the ceiling.

“Is that a thing?” Bob asks, doubtful.

You look at him, contemplative. “I don’t know, but if it was, he definitely invented it.” You respond.

Bob frowns, but he nods, agreeing with the sentiment anyway.

-

You initially thought Bucky was jealous of you.

After all, Alpine decided that you were now her favorite person, and Alpine was his cat. Therefore, it’d make sense if he were a little upset over how Alpine clung to you.

You’d be lying if you said you weren’t a little smug.

“Hey, whatcha guys doing?” You walk into the common area, watching as the team stands surrounding the center coffee table.

“Don’t fuck this up—”

“Shut up, John. I’m trying to concentrate.” Yelena cuts him off.

You eventually walk over and see the situation.

“What are you doing?! Don’t pick that one!” John points at the Jenga tower in front of him. Yelena leans over it, slowly tugging at a piece that’s halfway out.

Yelena stops, turning toward John, “John, I swear if you don’t be quiet, I will knock over this tower on purpose.” She points a finger at him, and he mutters a quick “Okay,” his hands held up in mock surrender.

You notice that on the couch sits Bucky Barnes himself, which immediately strikes you as odd. Bucky, while not explicitly against these little bonding activities, didn’t ever seem to care for participating in them. He’d support them, but from his own room. Seeing him actively engaging with these activities is definitely new. You also notice that Alpine is curled up on his lap.

Everybody else is standing, eagerly watching the game of Jenga. It appears that Yelena and John are on a team, which is a concerning team-up on its own, and Ava and Alexei are on a team. Bob seems content watching the game.

“GOT IT!” Yelena raises the Jenga piece into the air in victory.

Ava groans, looking at the tower, and you feel her pain. There were seemingly no good moves. You decide to walk up to Yelena and John to see how they’re doing.

“Oh, finally decided to join us?” Yelena pats you on the shoulder as you walk up to her.

“Didn’t realize you guys would be out here still.” You admit, you’d come back from a walk around the city.

John shrugs, nodding his head slightly, “Yeah, I didn’t think we’d still be here either.” He mutters.

You raise an eyebrow, “How long have you guys been at it?”

“Eh, not that long.” Yelena waves a hand casually.

”Two hours.” John deadpans at the same time.

You chuckle, deciding to sit down. “For one game?”

“We’re determined.” Yelena joins you on the couch.

You smile, nodding, “Say, since when did he start joining?” You quickly glance at Bucky, sitting on the other couch.

Yelena shrugs, “I don’t know, why?”

“Well, I mean, he just doesn’t ever show up to these. Was wondering how you guys got him to actually sit through a game.” You whisper, hoping he can’t hear you. However, you suddenly get the feeling that he’s watching you. You try to discreetly look at him, but when you do, he’s still staring at the game in front of him.

“What happened?” John asks, hovering over you and Yelena sat over on the couch.

“None of your business.” Yelena rolls her eyes.

“Well, if you are talking about B—”

“Oh, so now you’re eavesdropping.” You click your tongue, disappointed in him.

“You guys aren’t quiet.” He looks unimpressed.

“That’s not fair. We are quiet by normal people’s standards.” You turn to face him. You’re so focused on proving John wrong that you don’t even register Ava yelling “Alpine! No! Get off the table!”

“Well, I thought to inform you that perhaps the person you’re discussing can hear you, seeing as he wouldn’t fall into ‘normal people standards.’” John does air quotes.

You slowly turn to see if Bucky is watching you three have your not-so-quiet discussion. To your surprise, he is looking at you. Also, to your surprise, everybody is looking at you.

You feel yourself shrinking under their scrutiny. Did they all hear your conversation? “What?”

“The kitty cat likes you! I did not think she liked anybody.” Alexei laughs, and you furrow your brows, confused. You eventually sit up to find Alpine looking up at you, sitting right at your feet.

“Oh.”

She meows before hopping onto your lap. Yelena immediately shifts away from you, and John similarly moves away.

“Keep her there, please? She almost knocked over the tower.” Ava sounds exhausted.

“Uh, yeah sure.” You respond, still processing everything that just happened. No wonder Bucky was looking at you.

You glance up at him to find him no longer sitting laxly, but instead leaning forward, staring directly at you.

You grimace, trying to mouth an apology to him, but his expression stays the same. By this point, everybody else is sucked into the game again, except you two. You think that maybe he’ll just resolve to stare at you for the rest of the game, but no, he stands up.

Alpine purrs on your lap, but not even that can ease your growing stress levels as you see Bucky maneuver his way to your couch. You expected him to talk to you, perhaps ask for his precious cat back, but he does none of that.

Instead, he sits on the couch with you, saying nothing. He makes himself comfortable as if this is a normal occurrence. He decided to sit on the other side of the couch, pretty much the furthest he can sit from you while still being on the cushions. You can’t help but glance at him a few times, as if that would elicit an explanation.

Alpine looks up at you as you stare at the game in front of you, rigidly. You don’t dare to move or say anything. After minutes of silence from you two, you eventually turn toward him.

“Did you want Alpine back?” Your voice is barely louder than a whisper, as if afraid that any louder would garner the team’s attention once more.

He turns toward you, and for the first time, you are struck by how blue his eyes are.

“It’s fine.” He matches your volume, glancing toward Alpine on your lap. If you weren’t looking for any sort of reaction, you wouldn’t have caught the way his eyes narrowed as he gazed upon Alpine in your lap.

You feel obligated to give Alpine back, even if every bone in your body is telling you to keep her. He even said, “It’s fine,” meaning it is definitely not fine. That, combined with the narrowed look towards his cat, probably means that he wants his cat back right now.

“No, really,” you start to shift, Alpine’s purring ceasing, “it’s okay. Sorry about that.” Just as you’re about to pick her up to give her to Bucky, he reaches over and gestures for you to stop, putting a hand on your shoulder.

He says your name, making you pause as your hands freeze under Alpine, ready to pick her up. “Seriously, don’t worry about it. If she likes you, she can stay with you.” You nod, very aware that his hand is still on your shoulder.

“If you’re sure…” You trail off hesitantly.

“I am.” He looks at you smiling, but can’t help but think it looks forced.

The rest of the night continued without a hitch. The game of Jenga eventually ended, with Ava and Alexei winning. John swore that he saw Ava cheat and phase her hand through the tower in order to grab a piece at just the right angle, but he couldn’t prove it. He grumbled about it for the rest of the night, taking snips at them, but he eventually let it go.

Throughout the entire night, you sat there with Alpine. Bucky did not ask for her. However, you did notice that every now and then, he’d turn to look at you, or more accurately, look at Alpine. You thought that maybe he did want to say something, but didn’t want to cause a huge scene. You would’ve assumed it’d be to ask for his cat back, but he seemed insistent that you keep her.

So you sat, watching as the team started slowly turning in for the night. As one by one went, you waited for Bucky to say something, anything, yet he sat there.

By the time almost everybody left, it was just you two. You had pulled out your phone by this point in order to look as if you were busy. Feeling a weight lift itself from your lap, you look and see Alpine get off of you, slowly walking across the couch to make her way to Bucky. You decide that this is your cue to leave.

You stand up, brushing off loose cat fur left on you. Just as you are about to leave, you sneak a glance toward Bucky, only to find he is already staring at you.

“Sorry about that.” You break the silence, casually pointing at his cat, as if his whole behavior hasn’t put you on edge all night.

He seems surprised that you spoke to him, looking from you down to Alpine. “It’s alright. She seemed to like being close to you.” You thought you could detect a hint of bitterness in his tone.

“Yeah,” you chuckle, unsure how to respond.

Silence permeates the room once again. “Well, I’m gonna head out.” You slowly start walking towards your room. “Good night,” You bid him before turning around and heading out, not expecting a response.

“Night,” he returns softly.

You pause in your retreat, turning around, to see him looking down at Alpine. You offer him a small smile before heading back into your room.

-

So yeah, you thought that between the constant looks, bitterness, and not-so-subtle glares, he was jealous.

Not wanting to fuel his anger, you tried to avoid being in the room at the same time Alpine would be with Bucky. Alpine could be cuddled next to you, but the moment Bucky walked in, you’d vanish.

He gave you weird looks, as if he were trying to figure out what your deal was. You just continued to give him a polite smile every time.

Cooking in the kitchen was always an invitation for Alpine to join. She liked it when you cooked because she’d just watch you, and Alpine decided watching you cook was the most fascinating thing. You didn’t mind, so you let her.

You wash the final dish before going to consume the results of your Alpine-monitored cooking session. Just as you’re about to eat, Bucky comes walking in. You make direct eye contact with him, before glancing to Alpine perched on the counter next to you.

“What are you doing?” He asks, approaching you two.

“Eating,” you look down at your plate of food, “I was going to go eat in my room anyway. Alpine is all yours.” You did not plan on eating in your room, but you did that night.

Incidents like this didn’t stop as you had hoped.

Whenever you folded your laundry, Alpine would magically find her way onto your clean clothes. She liked the warmth, and so she’d make herself cozy. You pretended to be upset, but you enjoyed her company.

Then you hear a knock at your door, which was already open, so you turn around to see Bucky.

You can’t mask your surprise before he makes a comment. He clears his throat, “Sorry, I was just wondering if Alpine was in here.” You shift to the side, allowing him to see the very asleep feline on your bed in a pile of clothes. You immediately put down any hangers in your hand.

“I am so sorry. Here, sorry.” You gently pick up Alpine, apologizing to both her and Bucky. She meows softly, annoyed at being disturbed from her rest. You would be upset too if you were suddenly woken up and removed from warmth. “Sorry, she just likes sitting on the warm clothes. Here, take her back.” You give Bucky the fluffy cat, and he looks hesitant to accept her, but does so anyway.

“I’m sorry about that, won't happen again.” You smile, embarrassed. Bucky stares at you as you slowly shut the door on him and cover your face in embarrassment.

What made all of these incidents worse is that instead of becoming less frequent over time, they seemed to almost increase in frequency as time went on. You’d always see Bucky or Alpine. You couldn’t walk around the tower without seeing one of the two. Even worse, once one shows up, it wouldn’t take long before the other magically appeared.

You would be sitting with the team, Alpine on your lap, when the sound of the elevator would ring out. Most of the time, it wouldn’t be an issue, but since you had Alpine on your lap, it had to be Bucky because the universe hates you.

“Do you still want to try that new cafe you were talking about earlier?” Ava crosses her legs as she leans back in one of the chairs.

You grin, “Oh yeah! I heard their pastries were amazing.” You pet Alpine as you pick her up to walk around with. She wouldn’t let anybody else hold her, even Bob, but she would allow you to hold her. Actually, now that you think about it, she’d probably let Bucky hold her too, but you haven’t asked him (and you don’t plan to).

“Did you wanna try and go today? I don’t know when exactly they’re busy, but we can always check.” You walk around the coffee table already thinking about what you might order once you get there.

Then the elevator rang out.

Unconcerned, you turned around to welcome the newcomer. That is, until the doors open to reveal Bucky.

Feet frozen in place, you look down at Alpine in your arms. Bucky walks out of the elevator and immediately meets your eyes before he looks at your arms.

You don’t break eye contact with him as you slowly put Alpine down on the ground. Immediately, she heads over to Bucky and rubs up against him.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper, despite not being very apologetic. If given the chance, you'd absolutely pick her up again. To make things worse, you completely forgot that Bucky can definitely hear you. Feeling his focus shift from Alpine onto you, you internally wince.

Forgetting Ava is witnessing this interaction, you hear her call your name out, and you turn to face her. “Sorry, what?”

“Do you wanna head out now?” She looks between you and Bucky, raising an eyebrow.

“Absolutely, let’s go.” You nod enthusiastically, ignoring the piercing eyes on your back.

“Where are you two going?” Bucky asks, grabbing Alpine for himself and holding her in the same position you were sporting not even a minute before. Hoping Ava won’t say anything, you look dead into her eyes, pleading.

“New cafe,” she ignores your plea, “wanna come with us?” Feeling your stomach drop, you decide to confront the problem yourself by doing the one thing he does best: staring directly into his eyes.

He matches your stare, unsurprisingly, and then looks towards Ava. “You sure?” He asks hesitantly.

“Yeah, it’s all good. We were planning on asking Yelena to come with us anyway.” Ava dismisses casually, as if this isn’t gonna be a miserable trip.

Continuing your staring contest, he breaks the silence with one dreadful word: “Sure.” He ends whatever trance you two were in, turning to smile at Ava before returning his gaze to you.

“Alright,” Ava gives you two an odd look, “well, I’m gonna go grab Lena, I’ll be back in a minute.” She starts to walk away, and you feel your soul leave with her.

“You sure this is okay?” Bucky questions, startling you.

You nod, turning to face him, “Yeah, she said it was all good.” You smile at him.

He nods slowly, “Yeah, ‘she said,’” he quotes, “I was asking if you are okay with me coming along.”

You nod, “Yep, no issue with it.” You lie.

He nods, watching you and definitely not believing you, “Alright, if you say so.” He walks over to the couches where you’re standing by. “Didn’t realize she liked you that much that she let you carry her.” He comments casually.

You immediately understand the hidden meaning. He may seem all innocent there, standing with a fluffy cat in his arms purring up against his chest, but you know it isn’t that simple. He is challenging you right now. He is asking you how you managed to win her affections over and is silently reminding you that she is not yours. Talk about being passive-aggressive.

You keep your smile, “Yeah, it’s actually pretty crazy. She doesn’t even let Bob hold her. To be honest, I’m surprised she let me carry her around.”

Bucky smiles, it’s softer than you expected. “Perhaps she feels as if you’re a safe person to be around.

You nod, humming in acknowledgment.

“Alright, are we ready? Come on, I want to get some coffee.” Yelena walks out, Ava at her side.

“It’s almost nine at night.” Ava comments in disbelief.

“Yeah?” Yelena pauses, “Well, I like coffee. Let’s go.” She enters the elevator, waiting for you all to join her.

The elevator ride wasn’t as awkward as you thought. Yelena and Ava managed to ease the tension for the most part. Whether or not they were even aware of it is a discussion of its own, but knowing them, they probably knew.

The walk to the coffee shop wasn’t very eventful either, for the most part. About halfway through, you realize that Ava and Yelena are heavily engrossed in their own conversation. Earlier, you couldn’t stop talking, but as the topics changed, you started to say less and less as they transitioned to your less knowledgeable topics. By this point, you didn’t even know what they were talking about. This led to you walking ahead of them.

To your surprise, somebody else decided to join you in what you thought was your brief solo walking moment.

“They seem to be passionate.” Bucky comments, and you both look behind you to see Ava nodding her head with a drawn-out “Yes!” All of this occurs while Yelena gestures wildly, seemingly approving of Ava’s agreement.

“Huh, yeah, I guess so.” You add on, amused. You two walk in silence for a moment before you eventually just decide to ask the question bugging your mind. “So, uh,” you pause as Bucky immediately gives you his full attention, “why exactly did you want to come?” You look at him.

He seems slightly taken aback by your question, but smiles anyway. “I like coffee, you guys said the cafe was good.”

You nod along, finding yourself questioning previous incidents. You had offered him coffee before, and he had decidedly not accepted it. So either he was lying, or he just really wanted to embarrass you that one time. You can’t tell which one is worse.

“You do? Really?” You ask, unconvinced.

“Yeah.” You laugh at his answer, “What?” He asks, matching the smirk on your face. “You don’t believe me?” He asks, acting as if he’s offended.

You continue to laugh, and he once again stares at you, resolute. “No, no, I believe you.” You smile at him.

He looks at you, nodding as if accepting that to be the end of that discussion. You eventually stop at the door of the cafe. The moment you’re about to open it, Bucky puts his hand in front of you, halting your action. You pause. What is he about to do?

Dazed for a moment, you watch as he opens the door for you. You smile at how unabashedly old-fashioned he is.

“Thank you.” You tell him, walking in. He smiles at the gratitude, garnering Yelena and Ava’s attention.

“What is it you are doing?” Yelena asks him as she walks inside. Bucky follows in behind her and Ava.

“Holding the door?” Bucky raises an eyebrow.

“No shit. I meant the” she gestures to her own face then to Bucky, “smile.”

“Am I not allowed to smile?” Bucky asks, disbelief written all over his face.

“I mean, you can,” Ava asks, but even she seems doubtful of her statement, “you just… don’t.”

“Oh, so you want me to have a restriction on being happy now?” Bucky asks, shaking his head in a disapproving manner. The three of them join you in line.

“I mean, I thought you already did.” Yelena blatantly admits. You all turn to her, “What?”

“Next up!” You roll your eyes at their discussion before going to the counter and telling the barista your order. Yelena and Ava peep over your shoulder and tell her their order as well. However, Bucky stands behind you three silently.

“What do you want?” You ask him.

He pauses, “Uh, black coffee.”

“‘Black coffee?’” You repeat, and he nods in confirmation. It was the exact same coffee he had rejected months ago.

“Okay, black coffee for him.” You turn back towards the barista, telling her your name before pulling out your card to pay.

Just as you’re about to tap the card, Bucky pulls you back, “Hey—” He taps his card.

“Oh, thanks, Bucky.” Yelena nods at him. Ava also gives him a quick “Thanks.”

You look up at him, suddenly feeling unsure about everything. “You didn’t have to do that.”

He shrugs, “I wanted to.”

“Thanks.” You tell him, and he accepts your gratitude with a nod before you all find a table to sit at.

This whole situation is odd. You genuinely thought he hated you. Well, hate is extreme, but he decidedly went out of his way to avoid your previous attempts at friendship.

Tagging along to a cafe with you, walking with you, and generally acting like a gentleman was not exactly what you expected this trip to be. You expected more backhanded compliments like before. If this was some sort of way to get to you, he was really playing the long game.

He hasn’t mentioned Alpine once during this whole excursion. It makes you wonder if you’ll have to be the one to confront him about that. That’s not exactly something you want to do, but you feel like it’s coming anyway.

You take a look at him to see how he’s faring here. He’s in a deep conversation with Yelena and Ava, all leaning away from you. You can’t hear what they’re discussing, but Yelena and Ava both make eye contact with you throughout their little talk. You aren’t even sure if you want to know what they’re talking about.

Hearing the barista call your name, you grab the drinks and pastries for the group, and you thank them before heading back to the table.

“So,” Ava starts cautiously at your return, glancing at Bucky for a split second before looking back at you, “when did you two… start?” She gestures between you and Bucky.

You take a slow sip of your drink. “I’m sorry, what?”

“You know this whole,” Yelena interjects, “thing you two have going on. It’s painful.” She takes a sip of her coffee.

Suddenly, the room feels hot, and it doesn’t help that your drink is also hot. You turn to Bucky, but he just looks at Yelena and Ava, bored. You take another sip, hoping he will say something, anything.

After a period of silence, you accept the fact that he will not be denying anything, so you eventually speak up. “No idea what you’re talking about.” You shrug.

What makes it worse is that you truly don’t know. Your excuse is terrible, and so they will think you’re lying when you genuinely have no idea.

Ava nods her head, “Mhm, okay.” She says, looking between you two.

You turn towards Bucky, who has not taken a sip of his coffee once. “Thought it was your favorite.” His attention snaps to you.

”I never said that.” He shakes his head.

“Then why’d you order it?” You raise an eyebrow, amused.

He looks at you before taking a long, slow sip of his coffee. You can’t tell what he’s thinking, but he doesn’t break eye contact. “Happy?” He asks.

You smile, “Thrilled.”

Walking home is not exactly silent, after all, you’re in New York, but it’s definitely quieter. Once again, Bucky decides to walk next to you. He makes a big deal about you being on the outside of the sidewalk, you roll your eyes, but let him have his moment.

You turn around every now and then to check and make sure Ava and Yelena are behind you. However, every time you turn around, they are already looking at you. Ava gives you a nod with a small smirk, and Yelena gives you a thumbs up. You give them a horrified look the first time it happens. However, by the third time you turn around and they repeat their same shenanigans, you give up, shaking your head, trusting that they will stay behind you and Bucky for the rest of the walk.

When you get back to the tower, you all enter the elevator. The ride up is relatively quiet, but then the door opens. You walk out, Bucky on your left, and John walks by, turning to see who came back, only to look at you two with an appalled expression.

“Did you two go on a date?” John looks at Bucky as if doubting what he’s seeing.

Ava and Yelena step out right after John’s question. “No, they just walked side by side together, and got coffee while teasing each other across our table.” Yelena walks over.

Alpine makes her presence known and walks over to you, rubbing herself against you. “You wanna take her for the night?” Bucky leans toward you, whispering to your ear. You feel your heart rate increase.

“Oh God, they’re sharing custody over the damn cat.” You hear John remark, exasperated. You both ignore him.

You frown at him. For somebody who is so protective of his cat, you would never have expected an offer as gracious as this one. “Are… are you sure?” You ask him hesitantly.

He smirks, amused, “Yes, I’m sure.”

You nod slowly, “And you won’t be upset?”

He tilts his head slightly, “Why would I?”

You look at him, his eyes on you with a fondness that sends your stomach whirling. You feel instantly conflicted. Why is he acting like this? What happened to being upset about you stealing Alpine’s affection? Were you wrong? There’s no way you were wrong. He was definitely upset when he commented about how much she liked you.

“We should go.” Ava looks towards the remaining team members who are watching you and Bucky. “Give them some privacy.”

John scoffs, “‘Privacy?’ There is no privacy here.”

“Just because you ruined your love life doesn’t mean you have to be bitter over other people’s, John.” Yelena snaps, disapprovingly.

His eyebrows raise, “Jesus, okay. Let’s give them some privacy.” He walks away from them, not even checking to see if Yelena and Ava follow behind him.

As that whole discussion went down, Bucky continued to look at you, confused.

“I just thought you might be upset?” You eventually respond to his question, unsure whether you're stating something or asking.

“Over you sleeping with my cat next to you?” He asks, sounding progressively more perplexed.

You open your mouth to say yes, but the look he gives you leaves you speechless. You try to say something, but everything that your brain comes up with sounds unreasonable. How do you tell somebody that yes, you thought they’d be upset that you were snuggling with their cat?

He huffs, his voice softening, “Why would I be upset about that?” You briefly wonder if he can read minds, but shove that thought away.

You eventually muster enough brain power to speak, “It’s stupid.”

He looks at you, shaking his head, “I doubt that.”

“No, it’s really fucking stupid. You’re going to think I’m insane after this.” You reiterate.

“I promise I won’t think you’re insane.” He chuckles, picking up Alpine, who was demanding attention.

You remain silent for a moment, staring at him, holding Alpine in his arms. Both Bucky and Alpine stare at you as if awaiting your response. You look around, as if checking to make sure nobody is going to hear what you’re about to say.

“I thought you were jealous…” you look up at him, finding him patiently waiting for you to explain, “of me taking Alpine all the time.” You look away from him.

He doesn’t say anything for a moment, and you look at him once more. He isn’t reacting at all. You shift on your feet, unnerved. Suddenly, he cracks a small smile, exhaling amused. However, your dismayed reaction causes his smile to fall.

“How on Earth did you come to that conclusion?” He desperately tries to keep the amusement out of his voice, but you can hear it as clear as day, much to your chagrin.

You open your mouth to explain, but hesitate for a brief moment. “So you’re not jealous of me taking Alpine… I just wanna confirm.” You mutter.

He shakes his head, amusement lighting up his eyes, but he humors you, “No. I am not jealous of you taking Alpine.”

You walk over to the couch and sit down, leaning over and placing your palms against your eyes. “So you weren’t making passive-aggressive comments about me taking her?”

“No, promise.” He confirms, joining you on the couch.

“Okay, well,” you look towards Bucky, who nods for you to continue, “I thought you hated me cause in the past every time I tried to talk to you, you’d just ignore me. So eventually I just kinda assumed that you did not like me. Then you saw me with Alpine, and started acting weird, so I was like ‘oh no, he’s going to be upset that I took his cat.’” You ramble, watching Bucky’s eyes get wider as you progress.

“You thought I hated you?” He asks, as if the concept were absurd.

“Yeah, I mean, there was that time I made coffee for you and you just rejected it. Then I also tried to help out with an injury you got during a mission, and you said no and sounded upset at me, so I just figured you didn’t like me around you.” You explain sheepishly.

Bucky exhales harshly, “I never disliked you. I thought it was sweet when you did all that.”

You blink, “You did?”

He laughs, Alpine moving off his lap onto yours. “Yes, I did.”

You frown, “But you always rejected my offers.”

Now he avoids eye contact, “Well,” he locks eyes with Alpine, “I didn’t know how to approach you. I didn’t know how to talk to you without messing everything up, so I didn’t. I was scared.”

“‘Scared?’ Scared of what? Me?” You repeat.

He laughs softly, “Terrified.”

“I am like the least scary person on the team. Why the hell would you be scared?” You laugh at the idea.

“Because,” he looks at you, his eyes flickering down to your lips briefly before going back up to your eyes. You look at him, anxiously awaiting his response.

“You said you thought I was jealous of you,” he shifts the topic, “because you won Alpine’s affection.” He shook his head at the thought. “I was never jealous of you.” He reiterates, moving closer to you. You remain in your spot, watching as he grabs your hand. “I was jealous of her.” He looks down, smiling at the ridiculous notion.

“Of… Alpine?” You repeat dubiously.

“Because,” he looks up to meet your eyes, “she was able to get close to you. She was able to just insert herself into your life like she always belonged.” He looks down at Alpine purring on your lap. “Something I wasn’t able to do.”

You take a deep breath, “I thought you disliked me…”

He shakes his head, “I could never. I was stupid, but I have never once disliked you. I never wanted to hurt you, but I guess I did that anyway.” He exhales with a soft huff of laughter, but there’s no humor.

“This whole time?” You ask softly. “This whole time you’ve…” You glance down at his hands, clasped in your own.

He nods slowly, “All this time.” He confirms softly.

You gape at him, not saying a word. You can tell he’s waiting for you to say something. Instead, you say nothing, shifting closer to him on the couch, closing what little space is between you two. Alpine doesn’t even move from your lap despite the disturbance. You look at him, and his lips part open. Your eyes flicker between his eyes and lips, but he doesn’t take his eyes off of you. Slowly, you inch closer, giving him time to back out. You feel his breathing quicken before you close the gap.

It wasn’t a long kiss, but a soft one. You barely linger, removing yourself from him, before he can react. His mouth is slightly open out of pure awe. He looks at you, as if ready to lean in again, pupils dilated. You put your hand on his chest, causing him to raise his eyebrows in surprise.

“At least take me out on a date first, Barnes.” You smirk, chuckling breathlessly despite the short-lived kiss.

He grins, looking awestruck, eyes lighting up with that same amusement from earlier, “I did.” He squeezes your hand tighter, trying to move you closer once again.

You shake your head, “No. You tagged along to my cafe quest with two other team members.”

He chuckles, looking down in disbelief that this is even happening. “I would take you out on a date every single day if you asked me,” he rubs his thumbs along your hands. “But all I want right now, all I need right now, is you.” He slowly raises his arm up to hold your face, his hand cradling you gently.

You feel your face heat up at his words, “You drive a hard bargain…” You pretend to think about it. Eventually, you shift yourself so that you're leaning against him. Alpine looks up at you two, annoyed. “Aw, did we disturb you?” You ask her. She meows before climbing to rest on both you and Bucky. You laugh, feeling her purring resume and leaning just a little closer to him.

-

“Oh my God.” You blink away the sleepiness from your eyes. Oh, right, you’re still on the couch from last night. Alpine is on top of Bucky’s chest, peacefully asleep. You are cuddled up next to Bucky’s side.

“What the fuck, we sit there.” John sounds affronted, loosely gesturing to you and Bucky on the couch. “You could’ve gone to your room to do that.”

Bucky, now also awake, raises an eyebrow at him. “Sleep?”

“You know what you did.” John narrows his eyes at you two. You stand up, stretching as the rest of the team walks in.

“What happened?” Yelena asks, walking in.

“Nothing, we just fell asleep on the couch last night. Nothing crazy.” You shrug, giving a pointed look to John.

“Oh, so you two figured it out, great.” Yelena walks over to make herself coffee.

“You knew?” You walk over to her, not entirely surprised. You notice in your peripherals that Bucky, still lying down, is now being scrutinized by the rest of the team, John standing over him disapprovingly.

Yelena pauses, giving you a look. “Yes, I knew… Everybody knew. You even asked me about him.”

“Yeah! He stares at you like you hung stars.” Alexei adds on, pointing to the ceiling.

“You mean the moon?” You raise an eyebrow.

“Eh, moon and stars.” He adds on.

You roll your eyes, looking over at Bucky. He’s sitting on the couch, the rest of the team asking him various questions, presumably about you two. Seeing him now, he looks so stoic. Then, almost as if he can feel you watching, he turns towards you, and you physically see his eyes soften.

“Oh wow, he’s bad,” Yelena comments next to you, watching him. You laugh at her, but continue to admire just how soft he looks. The image is something you could not have imagined merely weeks ago, but now you have the pleasure of experiencing it.

“I’m glad it worked out, it was getting difficult to watch,” Yelena adds.

You give a small smile, “Thank the cat.” You look down at the feline rubbing up against your legs.

I hope you guys enjoyed that! This is my first Marvel fic so it might take a moment for me to find my footing. I really don't want to make characters too ooc, so feel free to leave any feedback. Thank you for reading if you made it all the way through :D

[askbuckybarnes]

hiya there jamie, can i call you jamie? been wondering how youre doing, hoping we could talk some :)

<3 @secretly-a-teddybear

Only if I can call you cute names too, pumpkin. *I smile.* Talk to me about anything you want.

[secretly-a-teddybear]

you can call me whatever you want to jamie *i smiled softly as i looked up at you with soft eyes* you ever miss slow dancing? i’ve making a little playlist with songs i’ve been dyin’ to dance to with someone..

[askbuckybarnes]

I miss it a lot, doll. I'm afraid I'm rusty though, I haven't danced since 1943, but if you're askin' me to dance I'll give it a shot.

[secretly-a-teddybear]

well don’t you worry hun, my friends tell me i have two left feet. but i’ll try if you try :)

[askbuckybarnes]

C'mere, baby. *I pull you flush against me, my hand on your waist.*

[secretly-a-teddybear]

*my hands instinctively found their way onto your shoulders, gently securing myself in your hold*

i’m not all that good at this kind of thing.. might accidentally step on your toes *i giggled lightly*

[askbuckybarnes]

I won't let you fall, baby. *I begin to sway with you in my arms, humming softly.*

[secretly-a-teddybear]

*i stumble forward a bit, falling into him. as i steadied myself, a light airy laugh escaping my lips* sorry- didn’t mean to crash into you.. *i leaned my head on his chest* this is nice, even though i’ve got the stability of a baby deer.

[secretly-a-teddybear]

oh no, i hope a big strong man doesn’t come pick me up and sweep me off my feet !

(i want to be picked up and swept off my feet)

@brooklynbornhero @itscaptaintoyou

[brooklynbornhero]

“Oh no,” Steve drawled, voice laced with mock concern. “The horror of someone actually doing that—picking you up, holding you close, maybe even spinning you around a little…”

His arm slipped around your waist without warning, and in one seamless motion, he lifted you into his arms, effortless and steady—like you belonged there.

[secretly-a-teddybear]

i giggle as he carries me, my arms instinctively wrapping around his neck to support myself. my coffee eyes bored into his baby blues, watching him closely.

“you do this to all the dames you come across,” i raised my brow playfully at him “or am i just special?”

[askbuckybarnes]

hiya there jamie, can i call you jamie? been wondering how youre doing, hoping we could talk some :)

<3 @secretly-a-teddybear

Only if I can call you cute names too, pumpkin. *I smile.* Talk to me about anything you want.

[secretly-a-teddybear]

you can call me whatever you want to jamie *i smiled softly as i looked up at you with soft eyes* you ever miss slow dancing? i’ve making a little playlist with songs i’ve been dyin’ to dance to with someone..

[askbuckybarnes]

I miss it a lot, doll. I'm afraid I'm rusty though, I haven't danced since 1943, but if you're askin' me to dance I'll give it a shot.

[secretly-a-teddybear]

well don’t you worry hun, my friends tell me i have two left feet. but i’ll try if you try :)

[askbuckybarnes]

C'mere, baby. *I pull you flush against me, my hand on your waist.*

[secretly-a-teddybear]

*my hands instinctively found their way onto your shoulders, gently securing myself in your hold*

i’m not all that good at this kind of thing.. might accidentally step on your toes *i giggled lightly*

[askbuckybarnes]

hiya there jamie, can i call you jamie? been wondering how youre doing, hoping we could talk some :)

<3 @secretly-a-teddybear

Only if I can call you cute names too, pumpkin. *I smile.* Talk to me about anything you want.

[secretly-a-teddybear]

you can call me whatever you want to jamie *i smiled softly as i looked up at you with soft eyes* you ever miss slow dancing? i’ve making a little playlist with songs i’ve been dyin’ to dance to with someone..

[askbuckybarnes]

I miss it a lot, doll. I'm afraid I'm rusty though, I haven't danced since 1943, but if you're askin' me to dance I'll give it a shot.

[secretly-a-teddybear]

well don’t you worry hun, my friends tell me i have two left feet. but i’ll try if you try :)

[askbuckybarnes]

hiya there jamie, can i call you jamie? been wondering how youre doing, hoping we could talk some :)

<3 @secretly-a-teddybear

Only if I can call you cute names too, pumpkin. *I smile.* Talk to me about anything you want.

[secretly-a-teddybear]

you can call me whatever you want to jamie *i smiled softly as i looked up at you with soft eyes* you ever miss slow dancing? i’ve making a little playlist with songs i’ve been dyin’ to dance to with someone..

[secretly-a-teddybear]

oh no, i hope a big strong man doesn’t come pick me up and sweep me off my feet !

(i want to be picked up and swept off my feet)

@brooklynbornhero @itscaptaintoyou