Food Container
Summary: You are quirky, kind, and the main deliverer of delicious food.
Pairing: Bucky Barnes x fem!reader
Warnings: sweet reader, chubby reader, angst, distancing yourself, mentions of low self-esteem, fluff
“Oof.” You huffed while balancing three food containers filled with food at the same time. It’s a surprise for your friends.
Not really. They probably expected you to bring the food they’ll need for the little get-together Yelena and Natasha planned last minute.
Ever since you joined the little group, you became the commander of food, the one always having a snack for the hungry mob. You never let them down. You never failed them, not even once.
“Almost there,” you told yourself. If not for the surprise you planned, you’d ask one of them to help you. Walking toward the backyard, you sighed in relief. In a few moments, you could put the containers down to get the rest.
You stopped short in your tracks, hearing Thor’s loud voice boom through the air. You smirked because he was talking about your food.
“Do you think Y/N will bring food again?” The tall blonde asked. “She has the good stuff.”
“You should watch what you are eating,” his brother snapped at Thor, making you wince. “You got a little pudgy there.” He poked Thor’s belly to prove his point.
“What?” Thor huffed. “The ladies like a little cushion. They don’t mind. I can always lose weight, but you’ll always be a beanpole.”
“Guys, stop fighting before the party begins,” you heard Okoye say. She always was the one keeping the guys in line, and you admired her for her self-confidence. You chuckled because the brothers immediately stopped fighting.
“Man, I hope she doesn’t bring food. It was nice in the beginning, but she’s trying to compensate for her lack in other departments with food.” You gasped. A slap to your face would’ve been less painful. “Sometimes a man wants beer, booze, and a burger. Not a three-course meal.”
“Is anyone else annoyed about her quirkiness?” Steve was next to add another stab to your fragile heart. You always wondered why they invited you over one day and became friends with you.
“She’s always so cheerful and happy,” Clint added, making you wince. “Last time she wanted me to join her baking club only because I showed interest in eating cupcakes.”
He’s right. You’ve been very cheerful since you met them. When you moved to town and bought the little house you call your own, you didn’t have any friends. They made you so happy that you wanted to share the feeling.
Inviting Clint was your way to pay him back for helping fix your pipes. You never meant to annoy him or force him to do something he’ll hate. He told you about his girlfriend’s cravings for cupcakes during pregnancy and how he wishes to have your talent for baking.
How goes the saying? The path to hell is paved with good intentions. You should stop trying to make people happy.
“It’s the same with all the food,” Brock said. “She’s exaggerating all the damn time. Maybe it’s like with short people who are always angry. Chubby people try to be nice to buy your friendship with food and kindness.”
“That’s not fair!” Yelena muttered. Hope bloomed in your chest. At least one of your friends would come to your aid and defend you. “Not all short people are always angry.”
After that, you gave up hope. Even Yelena let you down. She didn’t talk low about you, but she didn’t defend you either. Sometimes doing nothing is worse.
You turned back around and tried to walk back to your car as fast as you could. Opening the trunk of your car, you blinked away the tears threatening to fall. It wasn’t worth crying over unwanted food and attention. You’d do what you did before—make yourself scarce to give them space.
“Y/N!” Right when you tried to enter your car and drive away, Bucky strolled toward you. He cocked his head to look inside your trunk, but you slammed it shut. “You’re early.”
“Uh—I was about to tell everyone I won’t make it this time. My boss called, asking me to help them with an urgent problem. Can you tell everyone I’m sorry?” You lied straight to his face.
Bucky watched you closely for a moment. “Are you sure? You could come around later. We will be waiting for you, Y/N.”
“No…” You cut him off, raising your hand. “I won’t make it.”
“What a bummer,” Bucky said, but you didn’t believe him. Why would you? Everyone just proved that your quirks and personality are unwanted, just like your food. “I was hoping for your infamous food.”
He rubbed his belly, but you tried your best to ignore him. Lies. Little white lies were all he told to make you feel better. You were sure about it.
“Maybe next time,” you said, giving him your best fake smile, something you mastered over the years. “I hope you all have fun…” You opened the door of your car, giving Bucky one last glance. “…without me…”
“Where’s Y/N? I thought she wanted to come around too.” Natasha looked around the garden, frowning deeply. You have never missed a get-together so far. “Has anyone seen her today?”
“I saw her when I arrived. She looked like something was bugging her.” Bucky said, confused about your behavior earlier. “Something seemed off with Y/N today. She said something about her boss calling her. I don’t know.” He shrugged.
“No food for me today,” Thor sighed deeply. He had hoped to get more of your food and maybe the recipe for the tacos you made last time. “That sucks.”
“Oh my, Y/N,” your contact from the homeless shelter was overwhelmed with joy seeing all the food you brought to them today. You’re a regular donor and always try to share with people who are in need. “This is so much, and more than you promised.”
“I made more for possible new arrivals and the volunteers. If it’s too much, you can freeze it. It’ll still taste good if you reheat it,” you murmured, ashamed that you lied to her.
“Everyone will be so happy about the food.” She wrapped you in a hug, an honest reaction to your donation. Madelyn used to be homeless in her early twenties too. She honors kindness and friendliness when facing it. “Thank you.”
“I can help today too,” you smiled through the pain your so-called friends caused. “My plans changed last minute.”
It wasn’t easy to accept that your friends didn’t like you and your quirks at all. After two weeks you decided to stop being overly excited or happy all the time.
You stayed away from them. This way, it wasn’t too hard to not be quirky around your friends or bring food to them. Not that you have been very happy since everyone talked low about you.
Today you decided to go for a little walk. You couldn’t hide from the world forever or wait for another week to shop for groceries.
Lost in your thoughts, you pushed your cart along the aisle, sighing as you ended up in front of one of your friends.
“Hey, babe! There you are!” Yelena smiled as if nothing had happened. “We have missed you. Nat told me you didn’t answer her calls.”
“I was,” you tried to come up with a lie, “very busy. My job kept me busy, and I volunteered at the homeless shelter. You know, sometimes life gets in the way.” Yelena easily bought your lie, and you excused yourself, blaming your job and saying you had to go.
Another few days later, you met Thor. He hugged you and immediately asked about your absence. He told you he’s missing you and your food. You didn’t have the heart to tell him the truth.
Thor was the only one talking highly about your food and you. He didn’t do anything wrong. “You will come this weekend. Right?”
“I don’t know yet,” you lied once again. Natasha, Yelena, and Okoye left messages asking you to join them for another get-together this weekend. “I volunteer at the homeless shelter and can’t turn them down. Maybe another time.”
You left, not looking back. It pained you to lie to Thor, but I couldn’t be helped…
Another get-together happened without you around. It didn’t matter any longer. Your friends had more fun without you—you were sure about it. None of them missed you, and no one ever will. You were just the annoying and quirky girl that they invited a few times, nothing else.
“Y/N,” you heard Steve call your name from across the street. He waved at you, but his smile faltered when you dropped your gaze and wrapped your arms around yourself. Steve crossed the street to talk to you, but you already tried to find a way to dismiss him. “How have you been? We missed you at the party last weekend.”
“I was busy,” you murmured, barely meeting his eyes. Steve frowned, seeing how nervous and uncertain you looked in his presence.
“Y/N, is something wrong?” You were about to answer when Clint joined the two of you.
“Y/N…hey!” He grinned, holding out his hand. “Good to see you. The gang has missed you.”
“I was about to tell Steve that I must go.” You slowly became better at lying. “You two have a good day.” You went away before one of them could say another word.
“What was that?” Clint asked, confused about your dismissive behavior. “That was so unlike her.”
“Yeah…odd,” Steve watched you walk away, a frown coloring his features. “Do you think she…heard what we said the other day?”
“We were just joking around…” Clint tried to defend the things he said about you. “I mean…uh…we all make fun of each other all the damn time. I call Loki "beanpole" and Thor "chubby Steve." I call Brock the rum guy because he can’t digest rum. Bucky is only the grump with an odd thumb because he once hit his thumb with a hammer. I’m a jokester.”
“Right….” Steve was not too sure about the jokes they made anymore. You’ve changed, and this must’ve had something to do with what they said. “I’m not sure Y/N likes being made fun of…”
“Okay. Let me get this straight.” Bucky cocked his head to look at the, in his opinion, guilty bastards chasing you away. “You complained about her food, happiness, and that she’s always kind?”
He looked at his friends, eyes narrowed while clenching and unclenching his fists. “Guys, she’s the nicest person ever. Y/N never judged one of you or raised her voice. She’s a hell of a cook and doesn’t have to be nice only because she has a nice ass.” He hummed, memorizing your ass.
“Bucky, you’re drooling,” Steve tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but Bucky didn’t let him.
“No, punk,” he was in Steve’s face, breathing hard. “You fucked up big time! All of you!” Bucky panted heavily. “Hopefully I can make things up to her.”
Bucky stormed off, cursing his friends under his breath…
“Hello, sweet lady,” Bucky stood in front of your door, two paper bags filled with groceries in his arms. “You offered to teach me how to cook some weeks ago. I came here unannounced because you wouldn’t call me back.”
“Bucky, I,” you sighed and averted your gaze. “I don’t think you want me to teach you how to cook. I know that I’m annoying and quirky. You don’t have to pretend any longer.”
“Doll!” He quickly put the groceries down to place his hands on your shoulders. “I would never lie to you or pretend to be your friend. I know the others fucked up big time with their big mouths and nothing in their brains.”
You giggled at that. “Bucky…”
“No, no…” He said. “Let me get this out first. They are idiots who talk shit most of the time, but they are sorry. We are used to talking trash about each other, even if some of us are not around. You didn’t know it then and believed we did not like you. We truly do and hope you’ll come back to us.”
He leaned closer to whisper in your ear. “You can like me more because I gave it to them good, doll.” Bucky grinned when you smiled back at him. “Right, you like Bucky more.”
“Fine, come in. We can cook together if you have time.” You opened the door wider, walking with it to let Bucky in.
“I knew you liked me better.” He kissed your cheek before entering your apartment. “Let me cook for you, doll, and later, I’ll kick their butts for you…”
