SUMMARY: When the need for cuddles ends up with Bucky partaking in the readers skin care routine, fluff follows close behind.
WARNINGS: FLUUUUFFFFF! like so much fluff. Soft! Bucky, Cuddly! Bucky.
Word Count: 1253
A/N: Idk what came over me to write this, perhaps it was the new face wash I got last night but here this is! This is based off of my routine, apologies to all the beauty gurus out there.
Enjoy!! <3
Divider by Rookthorne
She trudged into the compound at the ‘ungodly hour’ of 3 am. The mission she had been on was successful but all she wanted at this point in time was to get her tac-suit off, wash the grime off of her face and curl up with her lover in bed. She smiled at the thought of the brooding super soldier waiting for her in bed and quickened her steps to reach her end goal sooner.
Finally reaching the door of their shared suite, she pushed open the door and dropped her bag on the doormat and made a beeline for the bathroom, not noticing the smiling Bucky leaning against the headboard of the bed watching her flit around with amusement coloring his features. He watched how as she crossed from one side of the room to the other she somehow slipped out of her tac-suit, into one of his Henley's, and into the bathroom.
Bucky waited for a few minutes until his patience was thin enough that he rose up from the bed and stalked over to the bathroom and pushed open the door to see her filling up the sink with warm water and pulling out various bottles and containers, placing them neatly on the counter. “What are you doin, doll?” He asked softly, but still somehow startled the female in front of the sink. She spun around and scowled at him playfully before responding, “Besides getting scared shitless by my supposed boyfriend? Just getting cleaned up for bed.” Bucky hummed as she turned back to the sink and grabbed a little silicone scrubber thing, that had a larger matching counterpart in the shower, and placed it in the water.
As she reached up to the shelf for a wash cloth, Bucky wrapped his arms around her middle and buried his face in her back. “Can’t this wait till mornin’?” He whined, causing the female to laugh as she turned around in his arms to place a kiss on his nose. “Skin care is no joke, Bucky. It won’t take me long, go back to bed. I’ll be there asap.” The man just huffed and held onto her tighter, “But you were gone for sooo looong. “He complained as she placed the washcloth in the sink, giggling. “Honey, I was gone for 2 days!” She pried his arms off as he continued to whine, “2 days too long! I missed you!” She sighed, as her heart melted, because truth be told, she missed him too. “Ok, how about this. You sit here on the counter and the second I’m done, you can sweep me off my feet, whisk me to bed, and we won't do anything but cuddle tomorrow. Deal?”
Bucky acted like he pondered her decision for a moment before hopping up onto the sink. She smiled at him and took the now wet washcloth and wiped down her face before grabbing her silicone scrubber and putting some cream thing on it and rubbing it on her face. Bucky watched on curiously before asking, “What is that?” She smiled at him and held the scrubber for him to take. “It's a moisturizing and cleansing face scrub. It smells like peaches!” Bucky took the scrubber that looked 10 times smaller in his grasp and sniffed it as she rinsed her face off.
After patting her face dry, she looked at Bucky who had grabbed the bottle of the face cleanser and was reading the back intently. She melted at the sight of the big burly man sitting on her sink when an idea struck her. “Want to try it?” Bucky looked up from the bottle and cocked his head. “Try what?” She giggled as she grabbed his hand and pulled him off the counter and positioned him to stand in front of the sink. “My skin routine, here, take this rag and dampen your face then take the scrubber and use the face scrub.” Bucky took the rag from her grasp and wiped down his face and then took the scrubber from her grasp and washed his face. He was surprised to feel little gritty things on his face as he moved the scrubber around, but it felt nice.
He placed the scrubber down, rinsed and dried his face before having a damp cotton pad shoved into his hand. “This is just microcellular water, just to make sure we got all of the soap off. They began wiping down their faces and she caught a glimpse of the intense gaze on his face in the mirror as he continued to wipe down his face. He locked eyes with her in the mirror and made a face causing more giggles to erupt from her frame which in turn, made a huge grin erupt on Bucky’s face. She handed him another pad and explained that it was a toner and to put it on in upwards strokes. The next task confused him a bit as he watched her pull out a small glass vial, two q-tips, and some funny lookin brush. She pulled a dropper out of the vial and placed a few drops on the end of a q-tip before handing it to Bucky. “Ok, this is an eye and eyelash oil, it moisturizes your eyelids and helps your eyelashes grow thicker.” She explained as she took her own prepared q-tip and rand it across both of her eyelids as close to her lashes as she could before taking the little brush and brushing the oil through her lashes and looked up to Bucky with a smile, motioning for him to do the same.
He got the oil on with no issue but he couldn’t manipulate the little brush and so with a little pouting, he got her to do it for him. It had to have been quiet the sight, a large super soldier sitting on the counter while his girlfriend stood in between his thick thighs to brush his eyelashes, but with the little giggles that kept slipping past her lips, he decided it was all worth it. She set the brush down and grabbed a little blue container and a small silicone spatula. “Ok, last thing, this is a lip mask, it’ll make your lips super soft and it tastes pretty good too.” She explained as she opened the container, scooped out a little bit and applied it to her lips.
She handed the spatula and container to Bucky who took it and promptly placed it on the counter. She cocked an eyebrow but realization flashed across her face as he cupped the back of her head, pulling her into a sweet, dizzying, kiss effectively applying the product to his lips as well. He pulled back and chuckled at the dazed look on her face as he spoke, “You’re right, it does taste good.” She shook her head playfully which caused Bucky to laugh softly. He pushed himself off of the counter and scooped her up in his arms, causing a loud squeak to leave her. “James! What are you doing!” She laughed as he threw her onto the bed and then collapsed beside her. He turned off the lights and pulled her close. “I was promised cuddles and cuddles I shall get.” He declared, smiling as she snuggled into his warm embrace. She felt herself growing sleepy, “I love you,” She whispered, placing a kiss on his collar bone. He returned the gesture, placing a kiss on top of her head, replying with a soft I love you too.
Summary: After a traumatizing event, you aren’t the friendliest or most talkative of people. Bucky understands, and in turn becomes the one person you soften your hard exterior for.
Genre: Mostly soft fluff with minimal angst
Warning: Mention of heavy topics inc. cannibalism, torture + death of reader’s mother, symptoms similar to those of eating disorders. Slightly angsty but mostly fluff.
⭐
Steve Rogers found you on death's door at a time when you were ready to die. You weren't expecting or wanting his help, but it came anyway.
It was clear for him to see that you had been tortured beyond belief in the small HYDRA facility, a foul smell of flesh and blood filling the air. Not being the talkative type, and with no motivation to live, you let him untie you and drag you onto a jet where he administered some basic first aid to the best of his ability.
You were a fighter. He saw that the minute you met his eyes. Similarly to him, you had been injected with a serum that strengthened you beyond what was naturally possible, and he didn't hold back on admitting that you would have been a valuable addition to his team.
At first, you flat out refused. "No," Was the first word you ever said to him.
But while the medical team at the compound fixed you up, you realized there was no normal life for you to go back to. It would be harder for you to adjust to living among regular people than to embrace your differences and use your skills for the good of the world. You already worked for Nick Fury, anyway, so it wouldn't be too far off from what you were used to.
That didn't mean you'd do it with a smile, though.
"Welcome to the Avengers, Y/N, I'm Nat," The redhead greeted you with a warm smile and an outstretched hand.
Unable to reciprocate her friendliness, you just gave her a nod in response and let Steve tell her your name. You were the same with the others, giving a single stoic nod in reply to their polite welcomes, and you didn't miss the offended looks on most of their faces.
Among the unoffended was Bucky Barnes.
Instead of giving you his name and a smile, he nodded, knowing when words were needed and when they were not.
You appreciated his lack of attempts to make you talk, as you sometimes noticed the others would try to sneakily gain your opinion while your mind was elsewhere as though it was a competition to see who could get Silent Girl to talk first.
The unofficial winner was Clint Barton.
"Y/N, you haven't had a single bite of food since you arrived," He complained one evening, making your blood run cold.
All the attention fell onto you, and you momentarily wished you had Wanda's magic so you could create a hole for yourself to fall into.
"Smoothies and vitamins aren't enough to sustain you," Clint continued, giving you a concerned look across the table, before an incredulous laugh left his mouth. "I mean, come on, aren't you hungry?"
He may have been the first to say it out loud, but you had noticed the lingering looks and whispers over the past three weeks. They were all thinking it, and you had reached your boiling point. With a cold gaze, you stood up, the atmosphere of the kitchen immediately dropping.
"HYDRA suspected that I was feeding Fury information so they tortured me to make me talk," You began, your voice unwavering. "When eight days passed and I still hadn't cracked, they upped the ante. They kidnapped my mother who had nothing to do with this life." Your chest ached at the memory of her. "I admitted that they were right in their suspicions but it wasn’t enough. They were pissed that I had betrayed them, so they cut her into pieces while she was still alive," You saw a few of them look down at your revelation. "And then my boss, Ansel Klein, took the pieces of her body and he cooked them, and he ate them, and he forced me to watch the whole thing. I can still smell her burning flesh with every breath I take." Your stomach churned while you spoke but you did well to keep your eyes free of any tears. "So no, Mr. Barton, I am not hungry."
The team stopped trying to get you to talk after that day. It made you wish you had said something sooner.
Things went relatively smoothly; you'd speak only when absolutely necessary (during missions and debriefs), and nobody asked for anything more. You made a mental note to yourself that Steve and Bucky were your favorites, as they were the most respectful of your personal space while simultaneously ensuring that you always felt like part of the team. You learnt through passing comments and overheard conversations that Bucky, too, had been a victim of HYDRA's torture, further establishing an unspoken connection between you.
Steve recognized your comfort around Bucky which was why he paired you for the mission that you had been waiting so long for.
"We've tracked Klein down," He told you, filling you with relief. You had spent months trying to find him with no results, and you could finally get your revenge. "He's staying at a small HYDRA facility. It should be light work for the two of you."
You and Bucky shared a nod and you were grateful that Steve knew, without you having to explicitly say it, that you wouldn't have wanted anyone else on that mission with you besides him.
"You take the West and North, I'll stick to East and South," Bucky's voice came through your earpiece.
"Got it," You replied, before making your way into the building. Steve was right; it was small, but you knew better than to underestimate HYDRA.
The guards were easy enough to take down, but as you got closer to the main lab, their weapons got more advanced. It took more effort to beat them, but your fire only burned stronger when you heard Klein's voice. Memories of his face, of your mother's flesh being chewed between his teeth, of her blood on his lips, all flashed through your mind.
In an instant, you were in kill mode. Nothing mattered except for ending the life of anyone who came into your sight. And die, they all did.
"Ah, you," Klein grinned as you stumbled into his lab, trying to ignore the pain shooting through your shin. "I should've killed you off when I had the chance."
"You should've," You agreed, slowly stalking further into the lab. Months of rage and vengeance coursed through your veins, and all you could see was red. "Because now, I am going to serve you with such pain, that you will forget what it feels like to be without it."
He smirked at your threat, before picking up a large, silver rifle which sat on the table beside him. "I gave you a lot of the things you have today, my warrior. Your strength. Your skill. Your unflinching fearlessness." He took a step closer to you, tilting his head. "But that silver tongue of yours... that was all your mother. And my, what a delicious woman she was."
Before his sentence was even complete, you had attacked him. The gun was ripped from his hands and slammed into his face, but before you could torture him to death, someone else entered behind you. Keeping Klein pinned to the wall with your hand around his throat, you turned your head to see Bucky. He was covered in blood with a concerned look on his face, making your jaw clench.
"Get out," You ordered lowly, not wanting him to see what you had planned for Klein.
"Y/N-"
"I said go!" You yelled before throwing Klein to the ground and striding over to Bucky. You raised your fist but he grabbed it before you could make contact, pissing you off even further. Kicking him back, you raised your fist again and punched him in the face, taking advantage of his shock and throwing him out of the room before slamming the door shut behind him.
"Very impressive," Klein commented smugly as you rushed over to him.
"You are scum," You spat in his face, dragging him up to his feet.
Just as you had been planning for months, you made his death as slow and painful as possible. His screams echoed around the lab as you cut and hacked and broke his skin, feeding into your need for revenge.
When he was finally dead, you left the lab and limped out to the corridor. A few dead bodies were scattered around and you found an empty hallway before the gravity of what just happened finally hit you.
You fell to your knees, unsure as to how you should have been feeling. Your goal had been achieved. You had avenged your mother.
Why, then, did you still feel so empty?
Warmth hit your cheeks and it took a while before you realized you were crying. Soft cries developed into heavy sobs, and the emotions you had spent so long silently carrying had finally fallen from your arms. Without the need for revenge, you now had nothing at all.
Arms wrapped around you and your instinct was to kill whoever they belonged to. You soon realized, with the coolness of the metal, that it was Bucky, and allowed yourself to melt into his hold.
"She's still gone," You said through sobs, your words almost incoherent. "It was my fault."
"No, it wasn't," Bucky assured you, stroking your hair. "You're okay, darlin'. I've got you."
It felt strange to be comforted, but you welcomed it anyway. You could regret it the next day when you'd probably hear him making a joke about it to the others, but for now it felt good to drop the mistrust and let him make you feel secure.
Once you were back on the Quinjet, you had calmed down and were beginning to feel some regret. "I'm sorry," You said to him halfway through the journey, making him frown from the pilot's seat.
"For what?" He asked.
"Hitting you," You answered with a small voice. "Throwing you out the lab."
Bucky gave you a small smile. "Don't worry about it. I'm a super soldier; it didn't even hurt."
"No, it was absolutely uncalled for," You insisted. "It was incredibly rude of me. You've been nothing but kind and welcoming since I arrived." Looking over at him, you managed to muster up a real smile. "You're a good man, Bucky."
It was the first time you had called him that instead of 'Sergeant Barnes' like you'd usually do, but he made sure to hide his shock and pride at the fact that you were being friendly to him. "I've never heard you say so many words."
You let out a small laugh, and his eyes widened. He swallowed thickly at the sound, hoping his cheeks hadn't betrayed him by flushing pink. If the others witnessed this lighthearted exchange between two of the most serious Avengers, they'd think they were being pranked. Bucky knew he'd keep it to himself, though. The interactions you were willing to have with him were too precious to become basic fodder for gossip.
When you landed, he realized he didn't yet want to separate from you and lose his chances of hearing your laugh again. "Y/N, hold on," He called out while you were walking away from the jet, making you turn back.
You gave him a questioning look instead of speaking; still not used to engaging in conversation with anyone.
Bucky rushed to catch up to you, before speaking with a casual tone. "Would you like to, maybe, go for a walk?"
Surprisingly, his request didn't annoy you. You weren't rolling your eyes at an attempt to melt your ice heart. Instead, you released your inhibitions. "Actually... I'm hungry. Could we get some food?"
He tried his best not to let his shock show. His heart couldn't help but swell at your words, and he immediately agreed.
You sat on a picnic table in a park while he bought some food from a truck. Your standards for solid food weren't exactly the highest after almost half a year of barely eating any.
Bucky was incredibly careful with his selection. He was mindful not to get any meat in case it triggered bad memories for you, and ended up with an armful of food when he returned to the table. Sitting next to you, he placed the food at the side, allowing you to look it over.
"Garlic bread and nachos," You said out loud, before giving him a smile. "Good choice, Bucky."
God, did he love hearing his name coming from your mouth.
You took small bites and he kept a cautious eye on you, his arm ready at any given moment to throw the food halfway across the city if you showed an inkling of discomfort. It took some getting used to, but you managed to swallow it down with minimal issues, pleasantly surprised at how good it was. He had also bought you a coke, which almost killed you with how incredible it tasted.
"Holy fuck," You whispered, your eyes wide. "I have missed coke so much." It was much sweeter and silkier than the thick smoothies you had been living off of, and it felt amazing.
Bucky chuckled, delighted to see you enjoying yourself. You didn't eat much, but the fact that you had eaten at all was more than enough for him. Making your way back to the compound, you saw Steve waiting outside for you, his arms folded across his chest.
"Hey, Steve," Bucky greeted as you both approached him.
"Evening," Steve replied, looking between you both. "I was a little concerned when I saw an empty Quinjet. Where have you been?"
"The mission, as predicted, was intense," You informed him, your tone less light than the one you had adopted with Bucky. "I needed some air and Sergeant Barnes was polite enough to accompany me, seeing as I'm not very familiar with the city."
It was bittersweet for Bucky when you resorted back to professional mode. On one hand, he missed your smile and carefree voice, but on the other, it felt like those things were especially reserved for him.
With a stoic nod, you walked past Steve and into the compound, leaving the two men standing outside in the night breeze. Steve gave him a knowing look, a smile threatening to bloom at the corner of his lips. "You gonna give me any details, Bucky?"
A part of him wanted to. He felt like bragging that you had chosen him to be yourself around, to eat food with, to laugh at. But his respect for you outweighed his desire to impress his best friend. "No, I don't think I will."
Another day of minimal exchanges with the team passed. You trained silently with Natasha, offered Steve a simplified summary of the mission, and gave Tony half-hearted nods of approval when he detailed the mods he had planned for your suit.
You didn't see much of Bucky, who was understandably resting after the HYDRA bust. You knew he had his own qualms with the institution, and you respected his need to process his own triggered memories in privacy.
That evening, there was a knock at your door. There hadn't been a knock at your door since the first few days of your moving into the compound, so you were cautious when you made your way over to the door. Opening it a crack, you saw the shiny metal of Bucky's arm and almost immediately opened the door all the way. "Hi."
He was holding two plates of food, and smiling nervously. "Hi. I brought you dinner, in case you were hungry. A- are you?"
You weren't particularly; you had made a smoothie for lunch, but you couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend some time with Bucky.
"I am," You replied before allowing him to come him.
"I hope it tastes alright," He said while watching you take a bite of the pasta.
Your eyes widened, "You made this?"
He nodded proudly. "All by myself. Well, FRIDAY directed me."
"It's amazing," You told him. It wasn't the best bowl of spaghetti you had ever tasted, but now that you knew Bucky had made it himself, it seemed to have improved in a hundred ways. Not wanting to push yourself, you ate around half of the contents before sighing with content. "Thank you, Bucky."
"No problem," He replied truthfully. It made him incredibly happy to be watching you eat and smile and enjoy yourself, and it was worth the effort to make that happen.
With a smile, he took the bowls and left your room, leaving both your stomach and heart full.
You and Bucky fell into something of a routine after that night.
During the days, you'd hardly even look at one another, and you were still Silent Girl with a heart of ice to the others. If you really needed to speak to him in front of anyone else, it was 'Sergeant Barnes', and your face and tone remained emotionless. He was the same, which you both appreciated and were surprised at. Bucky had told nobody about the dinners you'd share and made no references to your conversations in public, and respected your wish to be nothing more than formal acquaintances in the presence of others. Even when he desperately wanted to point something out to you which linked to a topic you had spoken about the night before, he kept it to himself until you were alone.
One evening, he was a little earlier than usual. Fresh out the shower, you were standing in nothing but a towel when the familiar knock sounded out. You could tell he had used his metal hand.
"Hey, Bucky," You greeted him with a smile, missing the way his eyes scanned you up and down in surprise while your own gaze landed on the plate. "Fried chicken, huh?"
"Yep," He replied with a strained voice before averting his stare to the ground.
"Come in," You told him casually, leaving the door open while walking away.
Hesitantly, he did so, swallowing thickly as he sat on your bed as usual.
"I just need to get dressed, and then I'll join you," You told him, to which he nodded.
He was still staring at the ground when he heard the thud of your towel hitting the floor. He could have sworn his heart skipped a beat. When he realized you were stark naked just meters away, he had to clench his fists, trying to think of anything but your body.
You didn't think much of it. You saw that he was looking away in the reflection of the mirror, but you wouldn't have minded even if he did glance up at you. Having been part of a largely male team back when you were working undercover at HYDRA, you were used to getting dressed in front of men without there being any sexual context. If anything, you trusted Bucky more than you trusted any of those men, so it felt even less weird to be exposed to him.
Bucky, of course, felt the complete opposite. He was raised during a time when even a glance at a woman's calf was scandalous, and while he was aware that the times had changed, he refused to take something as precious as your privacy lightly.
Once you were dressed, you joined him on the bed. Meat was still a sensitive spot for you, but you made the effort for him. He made you want to improve, to be healthy. So you took a deep breath, reminded yourself that you could trust him and that food wasn't your enemy, and ate.
Halfway through, you smiled widely at him. It was the biggest smile he had seen on your face, and it made his heartbeat quicken. "What is it?" He asked with a whisper, as though he was afraid speaking any louder would break your grin.
"I like the way you eat," You admitted softly, taking him by surprise.
"You do?" Bucky asked, tilting his head.
Nodding, you put down the half-eating wing in your hand. "You close your eyes while taking a bite, and keep your eyes on your food while you chew. It's nice."
"Nice?" He repeated, making you sigh as you tried to find the right word.
"It's... it's pure?" You added, making him chuckle. Then, the word finally came to you. "Wholesome! It's wholesome."
"Right," He said with a drawl, unable to control the pink tinge on his cheeks. He was tempted to compliment the way you ate too, but was conscious of making things awkward or uncomfortable, so he kept his comments to himself.
And, like always, once you had both had your fill, he stood up and said goodnight before leaving with the plate. This time, though, he placed a quick kiss to your forehead. It left a warm spot when he pulled away, and you felt your heart jolt at his action.
He himself wasn't expecting it, either. It just felt natural, and he had the need to display his affection for you.
You couldn't sleep after that. How could you? Instead, you snuck down to the kitchen. You remembered a conversation between Bucky and Steve that you had eavesdropped on, during which Bucky spoke of his love for milkshakes.
Knock, knock, knock.
He opened his bedroom door and looked surprise to see you. "Y/N. Hi. Is everything alright?"
"I have a problem," You told him quietly, his face immediately filling with concern before you lifted up your hands in which two glasses sat. "I was making myself an ice cream milkshake, and I accidentally made two. I don't want the second one to go to waste, so... would you like one?"
"You accidentally made two," Bucky repeated curiously, a smirk pulling at his lips. "I would love a milkshake. But hey, you should come in so we can drink them together. Then I can tell you my opinion on it."
"That is very true," You said, playing along. He stepped aside, allowing you to walk into his bedroom before he closed the door. It was your first time in his room, but it felt so much like him that it wasn't unfamiliar at all.
"This is amazing," He told you with closed eyes as you both sipped the shakes on his bed.
"I missed ice cream so much," You admitted, letting out a sigh of content before you grabbed his arm. "Next time, I'll make chocolate ones."
Bucky smiled shyly, "Sounds good." He was trying to hide how excited he was at the prospect of there being a next time.
Without the other one knowing, you were each trying to make your milkshakes last as long as possible. When the inevitable happened and you both finished, you slowly got to your feet and prepared to take the empty glasses back to the kitchen.
"Wait," He called out just as you turned to the door. When you turned back, he was standing too, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's late; it might be unsafe."
You tilted your head, utterly confused. "Huh?"
"It's late," Bucky repeated, swallowing nervously. "You shouldn't be walking around the compound late at night... during crime's busiest hour."
Holding back your laughs, you narrowed your eyes. "I mean, this is a pretty secure building and I am a highly trained, super assassin-"
"But the ghosts, though," He added with raised eyebrows, holding up his hands. "There ain't nothing no serum can do against a ghost."
"Right. You're right," You said, biting the inside of your cheek to stop your smile from breaking out. "So, I should just..."
"Stay here," He finished your sentence quickly, an expectant look on his face.
"Stay here," You repeated with no emotion.
"Yeah, if you want to," Bucky confirmed, before shrugging. "Or, if you want, I could walk you to your room- but then I'd have to walk back alone, with the ghosts, and that would be terrifying."
"That would be pretty selfish of me," You said to him, putting the milkshake glasses onto his bedside table. "I'll stay."
"You'll stay?" He asked, almost surprised that you had agreed.
"Yeah," You settled, trying to ignore how fast your heart was beating.
That night, you both slept on your backs, terrified that you'd overstep some boundary by moving onto each other's side of the bed. But when you woke, your face was pressed to Bucky's chest, your arm resting on his torso, his wrapped around you in a tight hold. You pretended to be asleep when he woke up so that he didn't think you were weird for staying in that position for so long.
"You up?" He whispered, to which you stretched and yawned, as if you had only just opened your eyes.
"I am now," You told him with a smile, before moving out of his embrace. Neither of you addressed the fact that, at some point in the night, your bodies had tangled themselves together. "Thank you for letting me stay."
"You're welcome to, whenever you want," He promised, filling you with warmth.
With the excuse of needing a shower, you rushed out of his room, hoping he wasn't just putting on a friendly front because he pitied you.
At breakfast, you silently drank tea while the others conversed between themselves. Bucky hadn't yet arrived, and you were admittedly on edge because of his absence. Steve noticed that you seemed a little more off than usual and, realizing it was due to the lack of Bucky, he smiled to himself. Even though you treated Bucky like everybody else in public, there was an unspoken air between you that was undeniable. He'd sit a little closer than anyone else dared to. He offered you drinks at random points of the day. You'd say "No, thank you," instead of just shaking your head like you'd do to anyone else who bothered asking.
Sam had noticed it, too. More than once, Bucky had accidentally spoken about you as though he knew you.
" Oh yeah; that's that movie Y/N was talking about," Bucky mumbled to himself one day without even thinking. He was terrified once he realized what he had said, but Sam acted nonchalant despite his surprise.
"Y/N likes chocolate. I'll save the rest for her, " He said another time, causing Sam and Steve to share a knowing smirk.
You were better at hiding your blossoming friendship. It was almost scary how unemotional you could be right to Bucky's face in front of the others, but it only made him appreciate the secret nights even more. Despite how tall and seemingly impossible to climb your walls were, he had managed to tunnel through, and you happily let him.
When he did finally enter the kitchen, your shoulders visibly relaxed, which Steve had to hold back his grin at. Bucky was holding the two milkshake glasses you had left in his room, making you inwardly curse yourself for forgetting them there.
"Two glasses?" Natasha asked Bucky with a raised eyebrow, a sly smirk on her lips. "You have company last night, Barnes?"
Your heart raced beneath your chest. Fisting the hem of your shirt, you prayed he wouldn't expose you to the team. For some reason, you liked that Bucky was the only one who saw the softer side to you. He was the only one you trusted with it.
"Actually, Romanoff, I was extra thirsty so I made myself two milkshakes," Bucky countered with a pointed look, rinsing the glasses before putting them in the dishwasher. He then came around the breakfast bar to stand between you and Steve, making sure he was closer to Steve than he was to you.
You could tell that the others didn't believe him, but as long as they were imagining he spent the night with someone else who was definitely not you, it was fine.
"Y/N, Snowman," Tony began, once again stressing you out as he placed you and Bucky in the same sentence as though he knew you were in the same bed just hours before. "As you both weren't here earlier, you didn't hear about my birthday party- it's this Friday, so make sure you clean up nice and prepare to get drunk."
You nodded, as did Bucky, and Tony rolled his eyes at each of your lack of enthusiasm. Before he could, though, Steve had absentmindedly stretched his arm out on the counter and knocked over your half-cup of tea. Bucky immediately pulled your stool back to prevent the hot liquid from spilling on you, before he glared up at Steve who had an apologetic look in his wide doe eyes.
"Captain Steve America," You began with a stern tone, before giving him a smile to relax him. "You should watch where you rest those big arms of yours."
The others were utterly baffled at your words. Never before had more than three words left your mouth at a time, let alone fourteen of them with a smile, a joking tone and even a hint of flirtation.
"Wait," Bucky began, turning to you with narrow eyes. "What?"
"Did you say 'Steve America'?" Sam asked you, tilting his head.
You looked at the others who were equally shocked and humored, making your eyes widen. "What?"
Steve snorted and you immediately felt self- conscious. This was why you didn't speak. It lessened your chances of being mocked.
"Do you think Steve's last name is... America?" Natasha asked you, a wickedly wide smile on her lips.
"I," You swallowed nervously, feeling hot under their stares. "Captain America... I just thought..."
Bucky almost placed his hand on the small of your back, but decided against it and instead just smiled down at you. "That's just his fancy stage-name."
Steve grinned at you and held his hand out. "My name is Steve Rogers. Pleasure to meet you."
You couldn't help but laugh at your own mistake, the sound filling the kitchen. Everyone besides Bucky was taken aback at the sight, wondering where this new lighthearted side of yours had come from. "Oh, my God," You said with a sigh. "I'm so dumb. Hi, Mr. Rogers." You shook Steve's outstretched hand anyway, still giggling at the situation. Bucky almost fainted.
Though you let yourself open up that morning, you were still closed off most of the time. It felt safer to be quiet, listening and observing while staying in your bubble.
He did well to hide it, but you could tell it was getting harder on Bucky to be 'Sergeant Barnes' who you hardly even looked at. You felt bad, and guilty for being one person in private and another in public.
So you decided to change that. At least a little. After the 'Steve America' fiasco, you realized it wasn't so scary to be part of conversations after all, and even in your silliest moments, nobody was ever that hard on you.
The day of Tony's party, you decided to put in some effort for once. You were used to skipping lunch, and everyone was used to your absence while they ate - which was why there was a slight silence when you strolled into the kitchen.
"Hey, Y/N," Sam was the first to acknowledge you, and you gave him a small smile in response. He was happy; it was the best reaction he had ever gotten from you.
Your stomach churned with nerves but you talked yourself up in your head. You can do this. You are literally trained in the art of sweet-talking and persuasion; you can have a casual conversation with your colleagues.
"Hey, Bucky?"
The team froze at your use of his nickname. Even he was shocked to hear it, having only ever heard it at night in your rooms.
He turned to face you, his eyes wide. "Yeah, Y/N?"
You took in a deep breath, fiddling with your fingers. "Could you tell me how to make those pancakes? The ones you made me on the weekend?"
Everyone was baffled, at both the way you were speaking so freely to Bucky and the notion that he had made actual food for you which you had actually eaten and actually enjoyed.
"Of course, darlin'," He replied smoothly, getting up from his seat and walking over to you. "How about I make them for you, and you can watch me?"
You gave him a shy smile and nodded. "Okay."
Natasha was digging her nails into Bruce's arm, her eyes as wide as saucers. Sam and Tony watched with dropped jaws, Wanda and Vision were shocked into silence, Clint was trying to quieten his chokes while Steve just had a smug smile on his face.
You didn't care, though. You were too enthralled by Bucky fluttering around the kitchen, asking you to pass him things while talking you through his perfect recipe for chocolate pancakes. He was showing off when he flipped them into the air, making you laugh when he winked at you. The team felt as though they were hallucinating as they observed the two of you giggling and poking fun at each other while making fucking pancakes.
A bit of batter dripped onto his metal forearm, so you used your finger to scoop it up and put it in your mouth. Bucky scrunched up his nose, feigning disgust. "Incredibly unhygienic, darlin'."
You stuck out your tongue at him. "I incredibly do not care, B.B."
He grinned at the nickname but stared down at the pancake he was currently making, not wanting the others to see the toothy smile you had forced him to let out. Then, as though the sight of you two laughing and cooking wasn't mind-boggling enough, Bucky broke off a piece of a cooked pancake and held it to your lips. You happily let him place it on your tongue before chewing it and telling him how good it tasted.
Natasha raised a finger and parted her lips in preparation to say something, but Steve placed his hand on her arm and shook his head, prompting her to close her mouth.
It felt good to be yourself around everyone. No longer did you have to silently yearn to link your arm in Bucky's; you just could. And nobody commented on it, knowing they'd face Bucky's wrath if they said or did anything that would spoil your mood.
The party was in full swing long before you arrived. You were late because you were debating whether or not to go, but then decided you couldn't miss out on seeing Bucky all dressed up. It took a while for you to muster up the courage to ask Natasha if you could borrow a dress, and even longer to ask Wanda if she'd use her magic to make some alterations where the dress didn't perfectly fit. They were both incredibly kind about it, and Nat had even made a comment under her breath about how Bucky might have fainted when he saw you - but you pretended like you didn't hear it while hiding a coy smile.
Bucky choked on his drink when he laid eyes on you.
Steve had to roughly pat his back to help him breathe properly again. Once he had gotten over his initial shock, Bucky immediately strode over to you before anyone else had the chance to get your attention. "You look incredible," He told you, making your heart skip a beat.
"So do you," You said, nudging his arm playfully.
"Would you like a drink?" He asked you, holding out his arm. You linked yours with his, before your ears perked up.
"Actually, I really like this song," You said, not realizing that Tony had purposely asked the DJ to 'play something romantic' when he saw you and Bucky talking. "Care to dance with me, Mr. Barnes?"
Bucky smiled, his cheeks pink. "I haven't danced in a long time."
"Me neither," You replied, looking up at him expectantly.
Who was he kidding? He could never refuse you, no matter what it was you were asking of him. Without another word, he took a hold of your hand and gently led you to the middle of the dancefloor. There weren't many other couples dancing, but neither of you minded much. All that mattered was that you were with each other, and nothing could be embarrassing about that. You were well aware that the Avengers all had their eyes on you and Bucky slow dancing, but for the first time, you didn't care.
"You know, darlin', you really are gorgeous," Bucky mumbled, his hand stroking your back.
Pulling back so that you could look up at him, a smile grew on your lips. "You're just sweet-talking me so I make you another one of my milkshakes."
He threw his head back before chuckling and looking back down at you. "You caught me. You make damn good milkshakes."
"The secret is," You began, lowering your voice and leaning closer to him so that he could hear you, "You have to be making them for someone you really like."
Bucky raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his face. "Is that right?"
You nodded, "And you're lucky I really like you, B.B."
"What a coincidence," He whispered, his forehead close to touching yours. "Because I really like you, too."
It made all the sense in the world for your lips to lean up and meet his in a sweet, tender kiss, gentler than any touch you had ever known. You felt tingles of excitement, and as though you and him were floating through space together. His hands rested on your hips, keeping your body close to his, and yours tightly held onto his shoulders. With that one kiss, you had each revived something in the other that you both assumed had become extinct long ago. It tasted like hope, smelt like forever, and looked like a bright light refusing to dull.
Over at the bar, Thor raised his glass, inwardly gleaming for the two of you. He met you right before leaving Earth, and returned only for Tony's birthday, meaning he had missed all the heavy subtext during the months you and Bucky spent becoming closer. "Silent Girl and the Winter Soldier; who saw that coming?"
Next to him, Steve Rogers was nursing his drink with a bright spark in his eyes and a glowing warmth in his heart. "I did."
