pov- imagines

ANNOYING NEIGHBORS AND FAKE BOYFRIENDS- B. BARNES

pairings: bucky barnes x reader, oc x reader
warnings: nosy neighbors, mutual pining, fake dating
about: "You stayed over at my place one night but my nosy, annoying neighbour saw you leave. They always get on my case about being single so I told them that we're dating to show them"
a/n: you have no idea how much fun it was to write this. if you want a part two... i wil one hundred thousand percent give it to you. now. a confession, i wrote this and finished it like two days after you requested but got caught up with a bunch of requests and didn't get the chance to edit. i hope you enjoy!!

the keys in your grasp jingle and clink against each other when you move to quickly lock your door, even through your attempts to keep the noise down. you cringe when the bronze key, settled between two others on both sides, clangs loudly against the metal of your doorknob. quickly wrapping your fingers around all of the keys while your other hand is pressed against the wood of your door, you hold your breath and shut your eyes as if it mutes the noise.

when you hear nothing, you sigh softly, letting the shoulders you hadn't even realized had tensed drop down, clicking your lock closed. you move to pick up your bag, sure you're safe when the door across from you suddenly opens, light spilling out along with the woman living in the apartment, nestled in a deep purple robe that she tugs against her form, hair parted as if she was in the middle of doing it.

"y/n!" she exclaims, eyebrows raising in surprise as she crosses her arms over each other, "where are you sneaking off to so early in the morning?"

you give her a tight smile, grip tightening around the straps of your bag. "i-"

miss sellack gasps before you can continue, a dramatic hand coming up to her lips, "have you finally gotten a boyfriend? i told gertie upstairs you could do it. she's always saying how lonely you are and i can't say i disagree, but i knew you could do it. no matter what anyone says."

you force a dry laugh from your throat, nodding stiffly at her words, clearly dipped in condescension from the little smirk playing on her lips and the other quips she'd thrown at you when she saw you around the building. annoying little sad smiles when she'd spy you alone—which was most, if not all of the time—while she was always with her partner. sad pats on the shoulder and patronizing whispers of "it'll be okay" or "there's someone out there for you, too." basically a pathetically thinly-veiled "you're alone and will probably die alone, and i will never stop reminding you of it."

"not exactly," you tell her, "but thanks, i guess."

she pauses and pouts for you, solemnly shaking her head, "you'll find him," she says, "someday."

you hum tensely, "right. have a nice day."

-

"i don't know why you don't just ignore her or move out. you know you have a room here at the compound, and stark is all too happy to get you a better apartment in a better neighborhood with nicer neighbors," natasha replies in response to the recount of your morning, stirring her tea with a short green stick.

"she makes good cookies!" you defend, your words the complete truth; sellack made amazing cookies, and you'd take her deprecating actions for the large can of the cookies she gave you every few months—however, it didn't mean you had to like it. "and bad neighbors are everywhere," you point out. "besides, i like not depending on tony that much. i feel like he'd kick me out or something if i made him mad enough, it's just like i'd have to pay a debt if i lived on him. it makes me feel a little more... normal, too."

"like you're not an ex-assassin newly reformed avenger?" natasha asks.

"like i'm not an ex-assassin newly reformed avenger," you confirm. "just someone with no special skills and an annoying neighbor that won't shut up about the fact that i'm single and pointing it out a little bit snobbier each time."