Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Fem!Reader
Word Count: ~4,300
Warnings: Slow-burn jealousy, possessiveness, mild angst, flirting, teasing, emotionally charged dialogue, subtle pining, mutual tension, light humor
Summary: After Tony’s party, things between Bucky and Y/N feel different. Not quite friends. Not quite more. When flirtations start happening on both sides, it’s clear — neither of them is ready to admit how much they actually care. But that doesn’t stop the tension from building.
The morning sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows of Avengers Tower’s 23rd floor, painting everything gold and warm, but the air between you and Bucky was anything but warm.
Tony’s party was over, and while everyone else had moved on, the aftermath lingered. Subtle looks, half-smiles, awkward silences — things neither of you wanted to address but couldn’t ignore.
You sat on the edge of the sofa, absently flipping through a magazine, though your eyes were mostly on Bucky, who stood by the window, arms crossed, watching the city wake up.
“Why are you staring?” you finally asked, breaking the silence.
He turned slowly, the hint of a smirk tugging at his lips. “Not staring,” he corrected. “Just… observing.”
You raised an eyebrow, setting the magazine aside. “Observing who?”
His gaze dipped to the floor before meeting yours, steady and unreadable. “You.”
You felt a familiar heat rise in your cheeks. “I’m not exactly hard to watch.”
“No,” he said, stepping closer, “but you’re hard to forget.”
You chuckled, though it was brittle. “Stop.”
Bucky’s smirk deepened, but then his eyes narrowed slightly. “You were talking to him a other night. The guy with the laugh.”
You blinked, caught off guard. “Wait, you noticed?”
“Noticed? I practically saw sparks.”
You scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. “He was just being friendly.”
“Friendly?” Bucky repeated, voice low. “You say that like it’s harmless.”
You crossed your arms, matching his tone. “I could say the same about you and that woman who kept asking questions all night.”
He smirked, obviously enjoying this little game. “Her name was Maria. And she wasn’t asking questions — she was flirting.”
You bit your lip, pretending to be unaffected, but your heart skipped.
“So, what?” you said, standing now, pacing the length of the room. “We’re keeping score now?”
Noticing how tight your jaw got, how your eyes flickered when he mentioned Maria. Noticing the way his own breath hitched slightly when you recalled your conversation with the guy at the party.
It was jealousy — raw, unspoken, undeniable.
You stopped pacing and looked at him, eyes searching. “Are you jealous, Barnes?”
He chuckled — a deep, rumbling sound that filled the room. “Am I?”
You bit back a smile. “You don’t have to pretend.”
He reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair behind your ear. “Neither do you.”
The day dragged on, filled with stolen glances and half-hearted attempts to act normal. You found yourself watching Bucky from the kitchen doorway as he worked on some old tech Tony had left behind. The way his brow furrowed in concentration. The slight twitch of his mouth when he smiled at the device behaving as expected.
Your phone buzzed — a message from Wanda: “We should all grab dinner later. And Y/N, bring Bucky.”
You bit your lip, reading it again. Bring Bucky. Not “you both come.” Just... bring.
You glanced at Bucky, who was now standing near the balcony, looking out over the city with that stoic expression. You typed a quick reply to Wanda and slipped your phone into your pocket.
When Bucky caught your eye, you shrugged. “Dinner. With the team.”
He nodded. “Sounds good.”
But you could see it — the faint tightening at the corner of his mouth. The way his shoulders squared.
The subtle game of “I care more than I let on” was still playing.
That evening, the group dinner was lively as usual — jokes flying, music in the background, a little too much wine. You and Bucky managed to sit near each other, though neither of you said much at first.
Midway through the meal, you noticed Natasha lean over to Bucky and whisper something with a sly grin. Bucky’s eyes flicked to you, sharp and unreadable.
You caught Natasha’s gaze, and she winked.
Later, when you asked Bucky about it quietly as you refilled your glass, he just smirked and said, “Natasha thinks you’re trouble.”
You felt your cheeks flush. “She might be right.”
Bucky leaned closer. “Trouble is my specialty.”
After dinner, you and Bucky found yourselves alone on the rooftop terrace, the city lights twinkling below like a thousand stars. The cool night air wrapped around you, but you didn’t move away from the warmth of Bucky’s side.
“Why do you care so much?” you asked quietly.
He shrugged, though the slight curve of his lips betrayed him. “Because I don’t like the idea of someone else seeing what I see.”
You laughed softly. “You’re ridiculous.”
He grinned. “Maybe. But I’m also yours.”
Your heart caught.
“Yours?” you echoed.
His hand brushed yours — light, tentative.
“Only if you’ll have me,” he added.
You didn’t hesitate.
The tension that had been simmering all day finally broke in the soft glow of the rooftop lights. Bucky pulled you close, lips finding yours in a kiss that was slow, deep, and full of everything you’d been holding back.
No words were needed. Just the quiet understanding that neither of you wanted to share this — this feeling, this closeness — with anyone else.
Chongyun and noelle encountering and befriending each other because they're both hardworking claymore users with hearts too big for their own good and xingqiu just watches chongyun pay attention to this pretty little maid from mondstadt like " ah, I'm nowhere near jealous. I'm quite glad yun'er is being social. No qualms whatsoever " while simultaneously gripping the table hes sitting at so hard it cracks
YELLING the comedic timing of this ask………. 10/10
consider: xingqiu and albedo meet and chongyun is sitting there jealously realising how Dumb he is while the two prattle on and on about intellectual things
