Only Shadows (Bucky Barnes x OC)

Beneath it all

I tapped my my stick against the ground listening carefully. Feeling the vibrations bounce off the walls of the corridor around me and realised someone was standing there in the middle.

"Hey there turtle dove,"

I smiled "Good morning Tony, how are you this morning?"

"I am very well, how are you holding up? You finding everything ok?" He asked.

I nodded "Yes it's all a learning curve but that's to be expected with my condition,"

"I'm glad to hear it, so listen I wanted to give you a little shopping trip to get you somethings that make you more comfortable here, I was going to take you but I have some exciting meetings that I rather not attend but I can't dodge them forever so I'm sending the cyborg with my card to help you,"

I adjusted the spectacles on my face "Oh Mr Stark you don't have to go to such trouble on my behalf and who is this cyborg you speak of?"

"No I don't want to hear it you're a guest here and I meant Barnes, you've met him right?" I could hear the smirk as he spoke Bucky's name.

I mentally took a deep breath in an effort to keep my cheeks from giving it away "Indeed, he is a nice gentleman,"

Tony hummed with less glee than what he had seconds ago "Well anyway he's gonna meet you by the main door in ten minutes, can you find your way by yourself?"

I nodded "Yes thank you Tony,"

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I made way to the entrance hoping today I wouldn't fully collide with someone.

"Over here,"

I headed towards the source of Bucky's voice and reached out and felt a gloved hand take mine.

"I didn't think it was a good idea to scare you again by remaining quiet," he breathed out a quick laugh.

I smiled at the first positive tone I heard in his voice since meeting him he always seemed kind but also a little serious in his tone. I realised I was still holding his hand and slowly let go and moved a piece of hair behind my ear "So where are we going?"

Bucky cleared his throat "Well Tony gave me a list of suggestions in the city so I guess we will see where the road takes us,"

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Bucky was very kind and considerate with my disadvantages, he didn't get frustrated with me or get overly worried or panicked how I would approach everything.

Normally this would be how most people would act when they first meet me because they don't understand. But Bucky seemed to understand without me saying it that I just wanted no fuss and to pretend for a moment I was sighted just like everyone else.

I felt as my cane transitioned from the city path to a smooth glossy surface I kept my hand firm on Bucky's arm worried my cane would slip and lose control.

I felt his other hand touch mine reassuringly "I'll be honest this seems extremely fancy this store and I'm honestly not sure where to begin did you know what you were after?"

I furrowed my brow thinking about it "I'm not sure what clothing is like in this realm, it all feels so foreign and quite tight if I'm honest," I murmured.

Bucky let out a short breath which I almost considered to be a laugh "Well what did you wear at home?"

"Mainly dresses they weren't as restrictive otherwise I do feel extremely trapped in the dark, I felt a little more freedom I suppose,"

Bucky hummed "Ok let's go this way,"

I felt Bucky move carefully into the store and the smells were rather luxurious that danced through the air. I reminded me of the court in the palace where all the noble women seemed to drown themselves in the most extravagant forms of perfumes. Those smells always felt like you would not smell in everyday life unless you possessed a pretty coin to buy it. Me personally I preferred simpler smells like patchouli or Lavender.

I smelled the sandalwood radiating off Bucky that seemed to cut through the luxurious ambience. It felt as if a pressure came off my shoulders I didn't have to keep my head held high as Odin's ward, I could metaphorically let my hair down for once.

"Ok we are at the dresses, here let me help you,"

I felt Bucky move my hand into the fabrics and I furrowed my eyebrows as I tried to identify each individual dress.

"You cannot see colour can you?" I said trying to help myself make a decision.

"No I can't they do label them though to help out, just say which one you like the feel of and I'll read the colour,"

I felt at the dress I currently was holding it was lightweight and had lace on the bodice and and had what I assumed was a cotton skirt. I found the label and frowned and let out a small laugh "It be very beneficial if the labels had Braille on them, would you mind?"

I felt Bucky's hand graze against mine as he looked at the label in my hand and felt the spark of his heartbreaking emotions rush through me.

"This ones sky blue, is that ok for you?" He asked.

I beamed "Oh that's wonderful, I am told pastel colours suit me best so that's perfect, does it suit me aesthetically do you think?" I asked holding it up against me.

There was a long pause and Bucky let out a breath "Yeah you'd look really nice in it,"

Bucky helped work out my size since normally I had my clothes measured and custom made I never knew what size I would be. We gathered multiple dresses in a variety of pastel colours and Bucky persuaded me to get more variety of clothing incase the occasion called for it. We had some tops, cardigans, skirts, jeans and shoes.

When the total was called out on the checkout I heard Bucky let out a long breath "Thank god it's Stark's money," he murmured.

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We entered one last store and I asked Bucky to guide me to where the makeup was and I was overwhelmed by the amount of products I could feel in front of me and nothing felt familiar.

"Can I ask a question?" Bucky asked.

I turned towards him "Of course,"

"Sorry if this sounds rude but why do you want makeup, firstly from what I can see from you that's not covered by those shades you are a pretty girl and I don't think you need it so why do you do it?" He asked.

I paused feeling my cheeks flush slightly "It's not rude at all, it's just with me I don't actually know what I look like, or I don't really have a clear image of what a persons face looks like, from what I understand I have fair skin that's freckled, my eyes are grey, my hair is long and brown, but in the end those details don't make much sense to me so I guess it's two things one I just like having something I can do for myself to an extent and also I just guess it's me painting a picture of myself daily to fully understand what I am,"

There was a silence in the air and I felt Bucky shift next to me and clear his throat "Ok then so what do we need?" He asked.

I smiled and he helped me gather all the things I needed and he guided me outside and we waited for the car to come collect us.

"So are you a god like Thor?" Bucky asked.

I paused scraping my cane against the ground and gave a small laugh "Not necessarily well the Asgardians have dubbed me the Goddess of Forbidden Loves, I help get couples united who otherwise would have been forbidden to join in marriage, my judgement can not be overruled,"

Bucky hummed "So a matchmaker then?"

I laughed "Not necessarily, all I do is meet with them and if I sense their hearts are true then I gift them my blessing to be united,"

There was a small pause which Bucky broke "So what about you then? Have you overruled everyone to let yourself be with who you love,"

I pushed my glasses closer to my face "No, not yet, I have yet to feel anything, it's not like I can see the world paint itself if I look into someone's eyes can I, one day it'll happen, one day,"