Flirt or fight (Bucky Barnes)
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avengers!Reader
Warnings: Some fighting, mentions of a daddy kink (no smut tho)
Word count: 2560
Summary: You and Bucky have a rather weird way of flirting with each other, and some friends might want him to finally admit his feelings.
This is set in a universe were Civil War never happened and everyone lives happily together in the Avengers Tower.
A/N: This is my piece for @propertyofpoeandbucky‘s mysterious writing challenge! (The prompt is bolded) I wrote this a while ago in the middle of the night and honestly completely forgot about it until now. Some of these parts are based on my self defense class (the daddy thing actually) and it was so hilarious I had to write it down. Hope you enjoy my sleepy ass writing style;) ~Liz
Clint had a smirk plastered on his face when he joined Natasha and Tony in the living room, with a coffee in one hand and making sure his precious drink didn’t spill on the ground, a bagel in the other. He had considered making popcorn, but he didn’t want to risk missing anything.
“So tell me. What are they fighting about today?”
You swung your leg in the air, and if Bucky hadn’t had such damn fast reflexes, he would’ve been hit in the head. Lucky for him, he was quick to take a step back, grabbing your foot in one swift movement and pulling it hard to bring you out of balance. But you wouldn’t have been the great fighter you were if you hadn’t found a way to take him down with you.
Nat sighed as she watched both of you continue your fight on the ground, but her friend knew her well enough to know that she secretly enjoyed the entertainment you and Bucky brought to the Tower. “Honestly, I don’t even know. Something ‘bout Bucky finishing Y/N’s leftovers.” Never taking her eyes off the fight, she reached for Clint’s bagel and took a bite. “That, or Y/N stole Bucky’s shirts again.”
Tony chimed in. “I bet it’s the latter. Or he’s just fighting shirtless because he knows that’ll turn her on.”
“Nah, he’s too clueless for that.” The archer was practically beaming with excitement. Sometimes life started getting a little boring at the Avengers Tower, but luckily you and Bucky never let it come that far. And if your fights had been really hostile, no one would’ve let you two be in each other’s presence anymore without being chaperoned, because you both were skilled enough to kill one another and not even flinch about it. But everyone knew you were practically best friends. And everyone, except for clueless Bucky and you, knew that you were head over heels in love with each other. And that fighting was basically your way of flirting, since you were both pretty much cowards when you weren’t on the field and thus didn’t really talk feelings with each other.
“By the way, shouldn’t Cap be here to try to keep them apart?”
A chuckle escaped Nat’s mouth. “Steve gave up two fights ago, where were you?” With raised eyebrows, she turned to Clint. “He left immediately when they started again today. Something about ‘little children who needed to learn how to flirt like normal human beings’.”
“Well, can’t argue with that.” Clint shrugged, returning his attention to the fight. “Hey Stark, wanna bet on who wins today?”
Bucky was a lot stronger than you, and you both knew it. But you wouldn’t have been world’s best assassin if you couldn’t take him on. You knew exactlyhow to make his weaknesses play in your advantage.
The thing was, Bucky was a great fighter too. He relied too much on his strength though, whereas you were a more tactical player, and touched your opponents where they least expected.
But since you and Bucky fought all the time with each other, your attacks weren’t as surprising as they used to be. Bucky knew you better than anyone, and you were certain that he only had to look at you to know which move you would pull on him next. That’s what made you such an amazing team on the battlefield, but it also meant that you had to find new tricks every time you guys fought.
Now at the moment, thinking was a little hard. You’d managed to get up to try and take the upper hand in the quarrel, but the Winter Soldier was quicker and took you down with one swift move of his leg. You would’ve fallen straight on your back if you hadn’t learned how to turn your body in that way that you would not only land safe, but also be immediately ready to attack or defend yourself.
Bucky was faster though, and he knew what you were gonna do before you knew it yourself. As soon as your body touched the ground, he hit you right in your waist to keep you from doing the move you wanted. With strong hands, he held your hands tight pressed against the ground above your head and quickly moved to straddle your hips, preventing you from moving any further.
His body weight pressed you down, and though you knew his strength had the upper hand in this situation, it didn’t stop you from trying and wiggling as hard as you could to escape his forceful grip.
Bucky watched you with a smirk, loving to see you struggle underneath him. “Guess you were too slow this time, doll!”
You grunted again, then decided to give up and let your head rest against the soft carpet – God thanks for the carpet, at least you were trapped in a comfortable pose this time. Last time he’d managed to get you, it’d been on the roof where it’d just stopped raining and puddles were spread all over the surface. Your clothes had been soaked, but in all fairness, Bucky’s were too and you couldn’t say you didn’t enjoy the view of his wet shirt clinging to his chest.
Especially when he was hovering over you with that sexy smirk of his.
You threw him a sassy wink before he would notice how turned on you were. “Please, Buck, I’m never too slow. It’s all part of the plan.”
Bucky simply raised an eyebrow at you. You knew he thought you were bluffing, but he still asked. “What plan?”
“This one.” As hard as you could, you threw yourself forwards, using his surprise to your advantage. But Bucky really was strong, and he was holding you too tight for you to move enough to do any harm. The only thing you could move was your head, but Bucky quickly took both your wrists in his metal hand, while his flesh hand pressed down on your throat to keep you from head bumping him.
He chuckled at your poor attempt to get yourself free, and you felt him add a little more pressure on your throat. “So what, that was your plan?”
Bucky should’ve known you better. Something dark clouded your eyes and your lips fell into a flirty smirk as you let out a moan. “Mm, choke me, daddy.”
His eyes widened noticeably at your words, and almost imperceptible his grip on your hands loosened a little. Something you had counted on, because as soon as you felt it you yanked your hands free and in a swift but powerful motion, you pushed his arm on your throat away. You took advantage of his loss of balance to firmly grab his flesh arm and push his shoulder with your other hand, bucking your hips to your side to throw him off you.
As soon as his back hit the floor, you moved to sit on top of him. You pressed your forearm against his throat before you leaned closer to him and whispered in his ear. “No, this was my plan.”
Natasha was roaring with laughter in the distance.
Bucky’s eyes were still wide as he stared at you. You looked back, panting a little from the fight. Bucky, who was now laying under you, was breathing just as hard, you could feel it. Your eyes travelled down his face to his heavily rising chest, sweaty enough to make your breath hitch in your throat. You’d forgotten he was wearing no shirt.
“Like what you see, doll?”
Your eyes snapped back up to his, amusement shining in them. You didn’t even miss a beat.
“I like to see me beating you, so yeah.”
He tipped his head back and laughed, and your heart skipped a beat when you felt the rumbling under you.
“I guess you win this one, doll.”
“That’s what I thought.” You rolled off him and stood up, smoothing your – or rather Bucky’s – shirt and extending your hand to help him up. Then you walked up to Clint, who held out two bottles of water, and threw one his way. “Daddy.”
With another wink, you walked out the door. You didn’t see how Bucky again froze at that last word and how the water bottle you threw at him hit his head.
Clint and Tony were arguing in the background while Natasha joined Bucky on the couch. The Soldier was quiet and kept glancing at the door through where you’d just disappeared.
“Hey, wanna tell what that was all about?” Nat nudged him gently, and a soft smile appeared on his face.
“Nat?”
“Buck?”
He chuckled, because he was pretty sure that what he was gonna say was gonna sound stupid. But Nat had seen him in more embarrassing times, and he trusted her. “Is it possible to get a boner ‘cause you’re so in love with someone? Like a boner, but for your heart?”
Nat stared at him for a moment, but then she grinned widely.
“Oh you’ve got it bad, loverboy!”
The next time you had Bucky pinned under you was only two days later, and this time it was for training purposes. Of course it helped that you fought all the time already, but that didn’t stop you from feeling victorious whenever you won. But to your surprise, this time Bucky didn’t struggle to get free.
“You’re smiling. Why are you smiling?” You were still a little breathless from the fight as a frown took over the triumph on your face. Instead of the usual wrestling, Bucky was just laying there, defeated but with a small smile on his face as he looked up at you. The smile felt endearing, almost loving, but that didn’t make any sense.
He shrugged as best as he could, with you hindering even his littlest movements. “I don’t know. You always have that fire in your eyes when you win, and I never really noticed that before.” He shrugged again, as if he was just stating facts. As if his words didn’t make blood rush to your cheeks. It was almost embarrassing how easy it was for him to make you blush.
Which was why it occurred to you that it probably was just another way to make you feel stunned, to make you weaken your grip on him so he could still overpower you. Like you did with him a few days ago. You grounded yourself by making your grip on his forearms even stronger than it already was.
But Bucky didn’t seem to notice. The smile playing on his lips was nothing but gentle, no glint that showed that he was up to something. “It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.”
You scoffed. “I’m sweating and in my sports clothes. I doubt that’s anything of a beauty norm around here.”
“Guess I must really like you then.”
More abrupt than you would’ve liked to admit, your eyes rose to meet his, and you were surprised to see him staring back - more sincere than you’d ever seen him before. Though the words felt real, you couldn’t help but look for the lie in his features. “You … what?”
“You heard me.” He chuckled at your perplexed expression. How could you not know how amazing you are? “I have for a while now, in fact. I mean, what’s not to like about you? You’re kind, but you also stand up for what you believe in, and you’re so strong. And I don’t mean only physical, although you really are very strong.”
He threw you wink, which made you break out in a disarming smile. “Since when are you this good with words? You could’ve told me this much earlier, you know?”
“I’ve got some help.” Bucky flinched when he thought back at the awkward conversation he had a few days before. “Nat encouraged me a little. No, actually she said she would kill me if she had to watch the apparently thick tension between us for one more day, and she’s terrifying sometimes!”
You broke into a fit of giggles when you imagined the much smaller Nat lecturing Bucky about talking emotions. But you knew first-hand how terrifying she could be, so you completely understood what he meant.
Then you realized he had just told you he liked you, and you had yet to say something back. You’d never been one to talk about your feelings either, but with Bucky’s expectant blue eyes looking up at you, you knew what you had to say.
“I like you too.” Also for a while now, but you never dared to say anything because you didn’t want to mess up your friendship. And you were pretty scared of being rejected, even if you had regularly the gut feeling he felt the same towards you – a feeling that was apparently right.
Bucky grinned at your confession, as if you just made his entire day. “So –“ He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and you almost laughed out loud because it was a pretty comical sight, seeing him completely defeated under you but still acting all cocky and confident. “Can I kiss you now?”
Your eyes flickered down to his lips and back to his eyes, and you nodded in anticipation. “I’d say go for it.”
He kept looking at you. Your eyebrows raised in question when he didn’t move, which made him chuckle. “You’ve trapped me, remember? I can’t move if you don’t let me go.”
“Oh.” Right. You immediately loosened your grip on his forearms, and as if he’d waited for that, he instinctively grabbed your shoulders and rolled you over, so he was now on top.
Your back hit the ground hard, but you didn’t feel it when you saw him hovering over you, that goofy smirk you had fallen for plastered on his face. Eyes widened when you realized that he was now in complete control, that you were the one trapped now, but somehow that realization only made the anticipation in your stomach grow. Maybe it wasn’t so bad to have him holding you down for once.
When he kissed you, it was with the same tension you and him fought with, but the passion in the touch was a whole new feeling. This was a battle you could both win. Bucky smirked against your lips. “Gotcha.”
“I told you I could get him to confess.” Natasha grinned up at Steve, who did his very best not to look at the security footage of two of his best friends making out with each other. One kiss he was okay with, but he really didn’t need to see how the two of you kept rolling each other over to take control and deepen the kiss.
“Who confessed to whom?” Tony walked in on them, his eyes curiously looking from Steve to Nat and back.
Steve just motioned to the images. “Bucky did. Now they’re busy making the gym unsafe.”
Clint walked in at the moment Steve shut the videos down. “Hey, no, I wanted to see that!” He pouted like a young boy who just was told he couldn’t have candy anymore.
“Gross.” Tony shook his head, then grinned widely. “Hey Clint, I still get 50 bucks from you!”
“What now, Bucky confessed?” The archer groaned and took out his wallet in defeat. “Come on, Y/N! I counted on you!”
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