Irrational

Chapter 18 - Mystery Man

You’ve been sat on your bed, looking down at your hands in your lap, whilst Pietro and Tony pace back and forth, literally past one another.

Lecturing you.

It’s not the first time and it won’t be the last time, they both give you a lecture, but you loved that they cared that passionately about you.

You of all people, it was a novelty for you.

After being alone for so long, in and out of grief so quick it made your head spin.

You were semi listening to them rant on, it was always the same thing “you need to talk to us, we’re here for you. We’re not going anywhere, I don’t understand why you can’t just talk to us” as you can probably guess, that’s Pietro.

“You’re better than whatever you are letting eat away at you, you’re fierce, strong, ruthless and kind. You’re the killer combination, nothing and no one should ever make you feel less than that or even to the point where you do THAT to the compound… again” Tony.

Tony always bigged you up, he was essentially your father figure, he never ever let you doubt yourself, but he did always get pissed about destroying the compound.

This wasn’t your first time, literally, exploding like that.

Just this time, Tony’s training room upgrade, saved the compound from a 4th remodel.

“Can you two just. STOP!” You belt out, as you stand and push your arms from your chest to your sides.

You look up and see them both rooted to the spot they were stood in at the time you shouted.

Looking dumbfounded at your outburst, to them.

The outburst wasn’t the shock, it’s that you did it to them.

“Don’t look at me like that, stop lecturing me. Neither of you have actually asked what’s wrong” you say with a shaken voice, you hated yelling at them two.

They did everything and more for you.

You point your finger “And before you say “we know what is wrong” you don’t. So zip, sit and listen” you order as you are pointing at Tony.

They oblige.

“Okay I don’t want any smart remarks, no innuendos or anything, you hear me? BOTH of you” you aggressively turn your head from side to side to look at them both to ensure they have understood.

They nod in unison.

You take a breathe, “It was about Bucky and Strange” you cover your face with your hands and collapse back on your bed.

“Pay it up Stark, I told you” Pietro says with a cocky tone and smug smile, settling back into his chair.

“Eurgh, fine” you hear tony rustling with some notes and hear him bang it down into Pietro’s hand.

You sit up and look at them, absolutely confused. “Erm care to explain?” even more confused the more you try and figure it out.

“What? Which part has you confused, that we knew about Bucky or that we’re not surprised you’re struggling who you want more?” Tony asks, with a lot of hand movements, showing he was overly confident about his assessment.

Making him unbearably arrogant.

You roll your eyes “How did you know about Bucky?” you quiz.

That being your primary concern, you weren’t stupid, you knew Bucky told Steve and Sam.

“Wanda. She overheard the boys talking about it. She told Pietro and Pietro told me when I asked what was with you two, when you were flirting but pretending you weren’t flirting, you know like you two always do.. this was a few years back” Tony explains cooly.

“WANDA KNOWS?! Wait, you knew and never said anything to me?” you dart your eyes and glare at Pietro.

He stands, getting face to face with you, mirroring your expression “neither. Did. You.” He states it as a matter of fact and sits back down.

Then you all hear it *knock. Knock. Knock”.

You stiffen, not knowing who is on the other side of the door, what they want or even what to expect.

“What’s behind door number 1 kids. Lets find out your star prize this evening” Tony says in his best game show host voice, to be funny. When he wasn’t, despite Pietro’s fits of laughter.

He’s blocking the view of the who’s outside, but turns to you and gives you an unreadable look.

He looks down at Pietro, gesturing his head towards the door, so he can get the hint for him to get up and ready to leave the room.

Confirming it was Bucky or Strange.

Tony was being extra dramatic and dragging things on, knowing full well you would be dying inside. He just got more enjoyment out of it, the more you squirmed, the longer he’d drag it out.

Infuriating man.

But you loved him whole heartedly.

Pietro peeked through the door, past Tony and also gave an unreadable look.

He came over, gave you a hug and whispered “go for it” and winked as he stepped away from you.

He walked out and Tony looked back at you and mouthed “behave yourself”.

As he swung the door wider, you caught glimpses of black clothing, nothing distinctive.

No closer to knowing who it was, you couldn’t remember what either of were wearing today anyway.

Tony walked out and left the door to start closing alone.

It was the hand that stopped it, which told you who it was.

The large, muscular and slightly veiny hand stopped the door effortlessly.

Then he was stood in your doorway.

Bucky.

Looking more mysterious, dark and moody than normal, yet you couldn’t resist but stare.

“Y/N, can we talk please?” Bucky uttered out in basically a whisper, looking over his shoulder as if checking for someone.

You didn’t know it, but he was checking to see if he had beaten Strange, he didn’t believe that he beat the wizard. But he was no where to be seen and Bucky felt way too proud of that.

“Ye-yeah sure Bucky, come in” you gesture your hand for him to come in and as he steps through the door, he sees him.

Bucky catches the eye of Strange as Strange rounds the corner for your hallway, they lock eyes for the briefest of moments but that’s all they needed for it to speak volumes. Bucky steps inside your room and sits on the edge of your bed, next to you.

Not too close to be too intense, but not too far to not have accidental touches and grazes.

You were already shaking, feeling something in the pit of your stomach, you couldn’t place what it was, you knew it was there.

But you just couldn’t figure out what it was.