Attachment Theory - Bucky BarnesxOC

Part 48: near you always

18+ WARNING MINORS DNI

AVENGERS COMPOUND, NEW YORK

The mood is tense in the compound since Bucky and Alice left for Wakanda. Steve is on edge, retreating to his room when he's not at dinner or working out with Sam. Sapphire has gotten to know enough people over the course of her life and her job to know that Steve doesn't handle tension very well. He broods. Sapphire mostly keeps to herself. When she's not spending time with Sam, she's bothering Natasha or texting Alice, but her messages haven't been going through since they left.

This morning, she's sitting in the kitchen eating a bowl of blueberries and scrolling through Instagram while Sam and Steve are at the gym. She clicks Alice's profile. There are no pictures of her and Bucky. Sapphire used to wonder why until she found out about his whole past. There is, however, a picture of the lake near the compound with the caption my whole heart is here ♥️

"Nerd," Sapphire laughs. It's been two whole days and she misses Alice like crazy. Natasha walks into the room and waves at her.

"Hey."

"Hey! How's the super hero shit going?"

Natasha laughs and grabs a bottle of juice out of the fridge, sliding onto a stool in front of Sapphire.

"Same as always. Complicated, exhausting, but..."

"Worth it?"

She smiles. Natasha looks exhausted.

"Always." She stares at Sapphire. "How are you holding up without Alice?"

It's pretty much the same as when she left Las Vegas. Sapphire just doesn't have to go to work. She told Sylvia she didn't know how long she would be gone. Sylvia was pissed, muttering something about losing her two best girls in less than a year, but Sapphire had to get out of the city for a while. There's no way she could handle going into work every fucking night and seeing Jeff there after he did what he did.

She shrugs.

"Mostly just bored. There's nobody to drink with, and nobody to watch shitty reality shows with me."

"Sam's fun to drink with. Maybe not the reality show thing, but I think after a couple of beers, he could get into some episodes of 90 Day Fiance."

Sapphire chuckles.

"Yeah, but he always has to go for a run in the morning. He never wants to sleep in and be a hungover slob. I guess that's my job in the relationship."

"Are you guys..."

Sapphire laughs and shakes her head.

"I don't know, to tell you the truth. He seems to want me around, but I don't want to push my luck, you know?"

Natasha leans forward and snatches a handful fo blueberries from Sapphire's bowl. She pops one into her mouth.

"I'll tell you a secret. Sam's a big romantic, big flirt, and a big, cuddly guy. He does the whole..." she scowls and Sapphire laughs. "Thing sometimes just to compete with Steve and Tony, but the truth is, he's a really big sweetheart, and I'm sure if you had that conversation with him, he would 100 percent ask you to stay. He really seems to like you."

Sapphire nods. She knows he does. She's basically moved into his room.

"It's just fast, you know?"

Natasha shrugs.

"Everyone moves at their own pace. Look at Bucky and Alice. Those two are attached at the hip and they haven't known each other for long."

"They're cute, though."