the team doctor || bucky barnes (EDITING IN PROGRESS)

6.

Edited 8/26/25

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱᴏɴɢ: ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅꜱ - ᴄʜᴀꜱᴇ ᴀᴛʟᴀɴᴛɪᴄ

"𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐧𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧'𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫."
~

She sat next to Steve, the rest of the team scattered around them, talking animatedly about their latest mission. She had asked if she should leave for the debrief, but Natasha had waved her off—this was another pseudo, no need for secrecy.

Seeing she couldn't contribute much to the mission talk, Steve leaned closer. "What about movies? Seen anything good lately?"

Her face brightened, a rare spark of excitement. "Casablanca was one of my favorites when I was little," she mused. "I would watch it on repeat until my grandma couldn't take it anymore."

Steve chuckled as she launched into a ramble about everything from noir to sci-fi, the room falling into a hum of background chatter. Yet her words faltered when her eyes drifted to the other side of the room.

There he was—Bucky. Sitting rigidly beside Wanda, his gaze locking onto her like a blade. She felt herself shrink under the intensity of it. Every word, every laugh felt smaller, almost meaningless under the weight of his piercing, annoyed stare.

The moment their eyes met, he quickly looked away, turning his attention to whatever Sam was rambling about.

Valerie felt the warmth drain from her cheeks. Her words stumbled mid-sentence, confidence wilting like a flower under a shadow. She forced a small smile, trying to regain her composure, but the knot in her stomach only tightened.

"I have been trying to watch the classics that I missed," Steve replied.

She snapped out of it. "Start with the Godfather,"

Conversations dwindled as the clock edged toward midnight. Eventually, the team began dispersing, each retreating to their respective doors just a few yards away. Valerie found herself in an awkward predicament.

Two floors down, so did Bucky.

Their footsteps fell in sync as they approached the elevator. She pressed the call button first, and to her relief, the doors slid open immediately. He paused at the threshold, seemingly weighing his options.

"There's no reason we can't share an elevator," she said, a mix of exasperation and humor in her tone.

He considered her words for a beat, then stepped inside. The slight whir and click of the doors seemed almost louder as his muscular frame shifted, the elevator tilting ever so slightly under his weight. Valerie exhaled a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and pressed the button for their floor.

The confined space suddenly felt smaller, charged, and impossibly intimate.

Valerie kept her head straight, maintaining her composure like a practiced professional.

Bucky, however, couldn't help but notice. Trained to read even the smallest cues, he picked up on the details: the way she tugged at the sleeves of her cardigan when discomfort flickered across her features, the subtle rocking of her heels on the elevator floor. Every small movement told him more than words ever could.

He let himself be content with the idea that she didn't like him. If she truly disliked him, she wouldn't bother trying to engage, wouldn't attempt to know him in any capacity. And yet... he couldn't quite stop himself from noticing.

"I won't pain you with conversation," her dainty voice filled the small space of the elevator. "But... I just wanted to say you're welcome to Sleepytime tea if you need it."