1476 {Bucky x reader}

12

The trees outside seemed to become a blur as we moved quickly down the road in this metal shell on wheels Bucky called a 'car'. I was mesmerised by the world around me and the thing I was sitting in; Leonardo would love this. Finally, I turn to see Bucky smiling wide at my happy face. "What?" I scrunch my nose and lean back into my seat, keeping my eyes on the man next to me.

"Nothing, you just look happy." His eyes stay on the road ahead while his hands steadily hold the black wheel in front of him. "I like to see you happy." He turns his head towards me for a moment before looking back ahead. My grin fades as I become focused on his features. He was—to say the least—gorgeous. I've never caught myself feeling this type of way towards someone, nor have I been cared for and looked after by anyone other than my family. I felt pure serenity with him. Looking and thinking about him made me smile to myself in awe at the human being in front of me. "Here." He slows down the vehicle, and I look through the glass outside.

Small buildings scattered through the spaces between small, dead trees along a narrow road—cracked and sprouting weeds, contrasting the green to the grey dullness of the concrete. Swirling vines climbed the wet stained walls of the buildings, creating a ropey path to trees and other structures—perfect for small animals. "Why did you bring me here?" I ask as we step out from the car, our doors softly shutting behind us with a light thump.

"You said you wanted to run." He shoots me a smile, and I look around, paying closer attention to detail. Those small buildings were houses, their windows and doors boarded up with rotting wood. Cables limped from holes in the walls and leaves spewed from the gutters of overhanging roofs. Travelling further down the street, the houses only seemed to get bigger. I hopped on the tip of my toes, the softness of my shoes moulding to the form of my feet as they moved. My body loosened and warmed, readying myself. One nod from Bucky and I was off.

Hopping onto crumbling—yet sturdy—walls that closed in each house into its separate property, my feet scurried along from one property to another until I reached the most prominent place at the end of the street. A cracked concrete drive flanked either side of me and led up towards the steps of the house. I gawked at the tan stone monstrosity, my body halted in the middle of the road, a heavy contrast of height between the building and I. "What is this place?" I say once I hear Bucky's light footsteps freeze beside me. His size did not match how quietly he could move; it almost sent shivers down my spine.

"It's just a small town." He shrugged like it was nothing.

"What happened to it? It doesn't look that old." The houses were still intact and only consumed by the power of Mother Nature herself.

"It all happened during the blip." His voice trails off as his mind races through memories. "I wasn't around during that time between the blip," he responds to my questioning look, "so I can't tell you every detail." The lump in his throat bobs before I turn my attention back to the building.

"Can I go inside?" My body took a step forward before he could answer, then another, and then another.

"Yes," Bucky responds as he makes his way in front of me. I stare at the large form that led me towards the building entrance, my steps uneven when taking in the monstrosity before me. Though the building was empty and dirty, its entryway was open and spacious. Two curving staircases hugged the walls to our left and right, joining at the top with an overhanging balcony that protruded out with an arch, floating on nothing as open space continued through to the back of the building ahead of us. A large, untouched chandelier dangled above our heads in the middle of the room.

"Wow..." My jaw drops as I gawk at the large hallways that I knew would lead to a new room with every turn you took.

"Go explore." The smile on Bucky's face faded before he said, "just be careful." Without any other exchange between us, I made my way through the hall to my left. The roof was curved in an arch and opened up into a large room with a massive pit in the centre. I stopped at the edge and peered down at the dirty puddle gathered at the deepest end, the floor gradually sloped up to the tips of steps on the other side. I continued.

There wasn't much else to see but empty rooms and a couple of drawings on the walls. My stomach began to grumble as I watched the trees shiver in the distance, my feet dangled off the edge of the roof, my heels hitting the concrete wall I sat on.

"How was it?" Bucky's voice sounded almost nonexistent in the crisp afternoon air. It had gotten so late all of a sudden that the sun began turning orange behind the house, casting dark blue shadows on the ground below me.

"Quiet," I admit.

"Do you feel better?" It was a question I hadn't thought about, not that I thought about much since we got here.

"Somewhat." I meet his gaze as he leans against the wall beside me, fingers locked and eager to listen. "I haven't thought much, so it's done its job." A heavy breath escapes my lips, and he smiles.

"That's good." Was all he said before silence fell between us. It wasn't awkward or uncomfortable, but it was calming and sweet. It allowed me to just take in his presence; it was a nice feeling. No crazy thoughts racing through my poor mind, no tears fighting to show. It was pure comfort. "We're going to have to leave soon." A nod was my only answer.

I swing my legs around to face Bucky as he moves in front of me; holding a hand out to offer help, I rest my palms on the top of his shoulders, allowing him to grab my waist. Those big hands almost engulfing my entire waist. He lifts me off the wall with a steady heave like I weighed no more than a feather. My feet touched the ground as I braced my hands on his chest; his muscles were toned and firm under the fabric of his dark shirt.

"Thank you." I meet his crystal eyes and give him a soft smile. His fingers slowly brush along the back of my waist towards the sides, his hold began to loosen, and it somehow saddened me. Something shifted in his eyes before he let go and took a step back. My chest tightened at the realisation of how close we were, how alone we were.

"You good to go?" He didn't meet my eyes longer than a second before he led the way back to the vehicle we got here in. Stones crumbled and crunched beneath our shoes as we made our way down the street.

—

No words were spoken between us on the way back to the compound. I'd wake in and out of a daze, daring a glance at Bucky once or twice only to see his concentration on the road ahead of him. The sky was purple on the horizon when we made our way inside the large glass building.

"I'm going to go clean up." My voice cracks from the silence. When I met Bucky's eyes, he only nodded and swallowed hard, the lump bobbing in his throat.

It was a quiet shower. No noise came from outside my room or even in my head; I'd sometimes hear laughter from Wanda, but there was nothing today. It was quite chilly when I stepped into my room; a slight frost on the windows gave my room an icy glow. I dressed in warm loungewear; my pants were baggy with a soft fluff and my shirt made of the same night dark material—a matching set—I pulled the hood attached to the long-sleeved top and placed it over my cold head, my ears immediately warming.

Three knocks rang through my room and I called to whoever was at the door. Bucky's head poked through the open gap in the door before slipping his whole body into the room. "I brought dinner. I hope you like stir fry." He walks over to me holding a white container.

"I don't know what that is." I take the container and look inside. A strong smell slapped me in the face when I took a whiff of the food, its brown liquid steamed with various vegetables and pale shapes.

"It's pretty good." Bucky tucks his hands into his pockets and takes a step back. "Enjoy." A shy smile tugged on his features.

"Thank you." I watch as he heads towards my door. "You can stay if you want?" His eyes meet mine for a second before jolting to the floor. "Maybe we could play a game or—" my eyes jump to the black rectangle hanging on the wall above my desk.

"Sure." Bucky cut in before I could finish what I was going to continue saying. A curve slid onto my lips as I made my way to the head of my bed and took a seat.

"So what is that thing?" I point to the black rectangle and he makes his way towards me.

"It's a tv." He opens a drawer in a small table beside my bed, a smaller black rectangle with coloured buttons filled Bucky's large hand as he pulled it from the drawer. "You watch movies and shows on it." From the confused look on my face, he smiles and the black changes to pictures. "Eat." He nudges my elbow and I look down at the food in my hand.