Avengers Imagines

Ch. 28~Care and Comfort-Bucky Fluff

I settle onto the couch just beside Bucky, finally sitting down after being on my feet for so long. A long, satisfied hum leaves my lips as my eyes shut. "While I love baking, I forgot how much I'm on my feet." I tell him quietly. A soft chuckle leaves his lips and I open my eyes to see it. His laughter is still something rare in this place. Little crinkles beside his eyes make an appearance and my tiredness is suddenly the last thing on my mind.

"Liked seein you in there. Hummin' and dancin' round. Very homey." He tells me and I instinctively take his hand in mine, cold in warm.

"This is your home now, Bucky." I tell him firmly and those crinkles make another appearance.

"Thanks doll." His fingers return my pressure and pet my own gently. This is a familiar scene nowadays. When he first arrived, he stayed within two feet of Steve at all times. Never touched anyone, never smiled, never laughed. It took a week before he was seen without Steve. I did my best to treat him like everyone else and apparently, that's what he wanted. I'm a touchy-feely person, much to Natasha's chagrin, so I just dealt with him like everybody else. When I needed him to move, I'd bump his hip, if I needed to slip by, I'd drag a hand along his back as I went, and if there was no room on the couch, I'd always slip in next to him. He's so touch starved that he let me. Even stepped it up a bit. Moved on to hand holding, putting feet in each other's laps, and when he has bad days he just holds me. I think he just needs to remind himself that he can hold life and not destroy it sometimes. It's a big deal to me, but no one else knows. Just figured it's a private thing between us.

"You gonna be my taster?" I poke his stomach and he catches my hand with a smirk, deciding to keep both within his. His other arm slides over the couch and tugs me even closer to him.

"Whatcha make anyways?"

"Apple pie."

"Mm. Might just take the whole thing."

"You'll do no such thing." I object and that cute little smirk grows.

"You gonna stop me, doll?" He asks and now I'm the one who smirks.

"You wouldn't do anything I didn't want you to. Darling." I add the endearment just to tease, but his eyes soften at the name and words.

"Yeah. You know that's true, don't ya doll?" I move away from him a little bit to better see his face.

"Course I do, Bucky." My response is quiet and sincere. "Is everything alright?" He nods and breaks his eyes away from mine for a moment.

"Just wanna make sure I'm not takin advantage of you."

"What?" I breathe, shocked and unsure where this is coming from. Bucky looks back at me with steel in his eyes.

"You're amazing. Beautiful, smart, caring, a real dame. I know you've gotta have better things to do than to babysit a wounded soldier." Fierceness is in his voice, but there's fear there too. My hands tighten on his. "Don't want you to waste your time on...damaged goods."

"Bucky." I scold. "No, that isn't what I think at all. I-" Suddenly Steve walks in and our conversation comes to a stop.

"Team's back. All heading in to see what that smell is. You make something?" He looks at me hopefully and I'm forced to leave Bucky and I's conversation for later.

"Apple pie is baking in the oven. Should be done in a little while." I tell him and sigh when Bucky gets up and pats Steve's shoulder, then just walks out before anyone else can get here. Dammit. Steve notes this and raises his eyebrows at me. My head shakes just as Tony and Natasha come in.

"Please god, tell me that's something for us." Tony groans and peeks into the oven. I hop up and slap his hand away.

"If you're good." I waggle my finger at him before giving hugs to the team. Bucky will have to wait for now.