It’s All Part of the Game:
After a tough battle with COVID, which rendered me unable to write for a little while, I’ve finally returned with another fic!! To the kind anon who requested the Bucky x reader that long while ago, I’m sorry it took so long, but here it is!! I hope you all enjoy this as much as I have! 💜
Word count: 2,072
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“Babeeee, I’m still bored, your recommendation for that stupid walk didn’t do a single thing to help me.”
While the rest of the team was on a mission, you and Bucky were put on an involuntary break from missions for the next month. On a recent mission, you were sent to Cuba to find the leader of an imitation group trying to replicate H.Y.D.R.A. and take his plans using a chip that would connect to his phone. In the process, you ended up with a bad injury to your ribcage, with major amounts of internal bleeding, which made for a very painful trip home.
“But it helped that injury, I bet,” He replied from his position on the couch.
In the time that you had been back, your healing abilities kicked in and you, along with the help of Tony and Bruce’s medical tech, were able to get yourself back to full strength. But, in Fury’s opinion, you still needed to lay off on missions, and he assigned Bucky to be by your side while you were on mission suspension. And Bucky didn’t mind the extra time with you at all.
“Very funny mister. You weren’t the one who ended up with 5 broken ribs and what seemed like the smallest chip in the world to save the world from destruction. But sure, the walk did help my injury,” You shot back with sass and a smile. While being injured wasn’t enjoyable for you, the enjoyment came from knowing that you did something to help save the world, and even possibly the universe.
“Oh I know, but you also know it’s my job as your boyfriend to annoy you.” Wrapping his arms around your waist, Bucky pulled you down to where he was sitting, a small squeak of surprise erupting from your lips as you landed next to him, the slight beginnings of a scruff on his face tickling your neck.
“Buhuhucky what ahare you doing?”
“Doing my job of being annoying.”
“But you’re supposed to entertain me,” You mentioned as he removed his head from the crook of your neck. “So do your job.”
“Okay, want to watch something on Netflix?”
“Nope, that’s boring.”
“Um, play a video game?”
“Nope, still too boring.”
“But I didn’t even mention one!” He jokingly exclaimed, taking a mental note of your stubbornness.
“I don’t care, they’re all boring.”
“What if I told you that you were being boring?”
While Bucky was gaining amusement from this little debate that he decided to continue, you were quickly growing annoyed. Being cramped away from the normal activity of missions and traveling to defeat those causing harm to the world wasn’t your style in the slightest, and Bucky knew that better than anyone.
“Bucky, I’ve been stuck here for the past, well, I don’t even know how long, just because some idiot in Cuba decided it would be a good idea to fracture a good fraction of my ribs and give me more internal bleeding than what I could control. You saw the scars from the surgery, I didn’t heal all of this on my own. And even though they think I’m not ready to go back to the action, I am more than ready to get back to saving the world.”
“I know you are Y/N, and I see that in you more than ever. But it’s also important to know when to take a break, and this is a good time to do that. If you want, we can go down to the pool and sit in there for a little bit, cure a little bit of that boredom that you have.”
“Fine, I guess that isn’t as boring. But you better think of something else we can do,” You responded with a hint of sass, laughing as Bucky picked you up in his arms.
“I think I’ll figure something out, doll.”
After what seemed like forever, but was only 3 hours, you and Bucky had finished splashing around in the indoor pool. He tried to keep you entertained with timing your laps, holding mini contests to see who could finish a certain amount of laps the fastest, and anything else he could think of to keep your boredom from taking over. Luckily, he was able to occupy you for a solid 3 hours, but the worst part now was that your curse of boredom had returned, and came back with a vengeance.
“Buckyyyyy, I can’t do this anymore, it’s getting boring.”
“Good lord, you’re impossible,” He joked, watching the slight frown grace your features. “Babe, I’m only joking. We’ll find something else to do.”
“How about we make something? I could really go for some brownies,” You mentioned, laughing at the look of confusion on his face. “Have you never made brownies before or something?”
“No, it’s not that, I’m just shocked that of all things to satisfy your boredom, you want to make brownies.”
“What’s wrong with brownies?”
“Nothing, come on.” Picking you up off the ground, a small squeal escaped your lips followed by laughter as he carried you up to the kitchen.
“You lead the way doll, this is your little project here.”
Knowing that the brownies would be done quickly, more plans were brewing in Bucky’s head to keep you occupied once you lost interest in the brownie mission.
“Hey, are you good over there? You look zoned out over there Buck.”
“Yeah, I’m just thinking.”
“Thinking about what, might I ask?” You mentioned, pulling the brownies out of the oven as soon as they were done.
“About ways to cure your boredom trip and get you to relax, and I think I finally came up with one.”
“Alright, lay it on me.”
“Okay. How about we play hide and seek?”
With a look of curiosity plastered on your face, you were about to question Bucky, but he immediately began talking again. “Before you question this, there’s a twist to it, okay? Just hear me out.”
“I’m listening.”
“Okay, so it’s hide and seek, obviously, but if you get found, then you get tickled and you have to accept it for, hm, let’s go with 3 minutes.”
“Wait, hold on, that’s not hide and seek Bucky,” You retaliated, backing away from him towards the door.
“Well, it’ll cure your boredom. Now go hide, one, two, three-”
“Bucky, this isn’t fair, I-”
“Seven, eight, I’m gonna keep counting, eleven…”
Despite your protests, your first instinct was to run. He knew so many different places that you could hide, but luckily, you thought of one that you knew he would get confused trying to find you in, especially because you never intentionally go there.
As you quickly, yet quietly, snuck your way into Tony’s lab, you shot him a message to let him know that you were hiding in one of his suits, just to ensure that he wouldn’t have it join him on their mission.
Responding in a matter of minutes, you could tell he found your situation amusing, but he promised to make sure the suit stayed there for you to hide in. But, during those few minutes in which you were waiting for his response, you were anxiously waiting for the inevitable to happen. However, you didn’t exactly hate the idea of being tickled if you got found, you just didn’t want Bucky to catch onto the fact that you enjoyed it.
Beginning to grow tired of simply waiting, you tried to close your eyes for just a moment, but the second they began to flutter shut, you heard Bucky’s footsteps approaching the lab doors, which heightened your senses immediately.
“Oh Y/N…” Bucky’s voice sing-songingly called as the doors automatically opened. “I know you’re here somewhere, doll.”
By simply hearing his voice, your stomach began to twist into knots, as you didn’t want him to find you just yet, despite your wish to be tickled. Once you heard his footsteps on the lab floor, your breathing went silent as you continued to wait in anticipation.
“You can come out any time you want to, I’ll find you soon enough.”
Your view was limited from being in the suit, but once he was across the room and in your line of sight, the breath that was attempting to make its way through your lungs hitched, causing you to become completely silent and still, just like you had learned in your various training sessions.
“Gotcha!” He yelled, opening a random lower cabinet that you considered hiding in, but decided against. However, his abrupt yell caused you to release a nearly silent squeal, but you prayed that he didn’t hear it. Little did you know, it entirely changed the game for him.
After watching Bucky open multiple other cabinets, you heard his footsteps fade away, but you never heard the door open. You thought nothing of it, especially because your heart was beating so fast that you believed that the entire team could hear it from wherever they were on their mission.
Giving it a few minutes more, you finally decided to go with your gut and try to leave the lab, knowing that he wouldn’t come back and try to search there again.
“GOTCHA!!”
As you felt Bucky’s arms wrap around your waist and lift you off of the ground, you let out a loud shriek, followed by even louder laughter.
“BUHUCKY PUT MEHEHEHE DOHOHOWN”
“But I found you, now it’s punishment time, doll.”
As he dropped you on the couch back in the lounge, you immediately tried to jump up and run away, but he was able to pin you back down in a way that kept you from moving.
“Mmm, let’s see here, where should I start? Maybe your…stomach?” Fluttering his fingers right above your stomach, you began to let out light giggles, not realizing that you were ticklish without needing the physical sensations. “Wow, you’re even air ticklish, doll. This will be much more fun than I thought.”
“Buhuhucky”
“You know the rules, you have to stay here and endure my tickling.”
“Nohohoho this isn’t fahAIR NOHOHOHO”
As Bucky finally made contact with the sensitive skin along your ribs, your giggles turned into squeals, and transitioned into boisterous laughter that erupted from your lips.
“Did I find a tickle spot, doll?”
“STOHOHOP TEHEASIHING”
Gliding his hands up towards your underarms, his metal hand brought about a major temperature difference, causing your laughter to increase once again.
“NAHAHAHAHA BUHUHUCK”
“You’re doing so good so far, but you need to stop squirming.”
“IHIHIHI CAHAHAHANT”
Noticing how you kept trying to cross your feet over each other, Bucky took a quick turnaround to lock your ankles in one of his arms. “Want to tell me something before it’s too late?”
“Nohohoho but don’t touch me thehEHERE NAHAHAHA”
Scribbling his fingers across both of your soles, your laughter turned into squeaky, high-pitched giggles, and your squirming quickly turned into thrashing around on the couch, trying to remove yourself from his grasp.
“IHITS BEHEHEN THREE MIHINUTES”
“Not yet hon, just one more minute.”
For what seemed like hours, Bucky continued his assault, making sure to cover all of your worst spots, especially along the sides of your hips. But, there was one last thing that he wanted to do before he let you go.
“Okay, it’s been a minute, but there’s one last thing I have to do before I let you up, okay?”
“Nohohoho, you’ve done enough.”
“Just trust me, okay?” As your giggles began to subside, he began to lean down towards your face, which made your eyes flutter shut. At the last minute, you felt him change his position, which brought about a smidge of panic.
“Bucky, BuHUHUCKY”
Blowing raspberry after raspberry into your stomach, your nerves were sent into overdrive as his stubble brushed across your skin.
“AHAHAHA NOHOHO PLEHEHEASE”
“Okay, okay, I’m done,” Bucky said with a laugh, noticing how blushed your face was.
“You, you are so mean,” You responded with a large grin that you couldn’t get rid of.
“Are you sure? Because I think that smile says otherwise.”
“Buck, I’m tired.” As a yawn swept through your body, you knew that his method of curing your boredom had worked.
“Wanna sleep here tonight?” Bucky asked, grabbing a blanket off of a recliner from across the room.
“As long as you stay with me.”
“I think I can make that happen.”
