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

29.

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱᴏɴɢ: ᴇᴠᴇʀ ꜱɪɴᴄᴇ ɴᴇᴡ ʏᴏʀᴋ -ʜᴀʀʀʏ ꜱᴛʏʟᴇꜱ

"𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐑 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞."

~

SHE WAS RIGHT THERE WHEN THEY RETURNED.

She'd swear up and down it was to survey the team, but she knew better. Everyone was mostly intact, only a few minor injuries caught her eye. She noticed each team member who came out gave her a funny look, but she ignored it due to her anticipation. She told herself to reign it in, not wanting to expose her feelings to anyone.

"Bruce and Steve are banged up pretty bad. I'll send them your way," Tony said to her as he quickly passed by.

She nodded, her eyes still on the tunnel for him. Before she saw him enter, Steve and Bruce were approaching her with their injuries. She reluctantly took them to her office, telling herself she'd see him when she was done.

"Did you have a good week?" Bruce asked.

"It was pretty uneventful,"

She treated both men for burns, wondering where the hell they were always going judging by the number of burns she treated. As she chatted with them, she instantly noticed their demeanors. Something was wrong, she could feel it.

Finally, after she treated Natasha as well, Bucky came into her office.

"Hi," She breathed.

He hugged her, taking a deep breath once he recognized that familiar lavender smell he missed. She pulled back, her eyes searching his body.

"Are you okay?"

"Just some scrapes and cuts. Nothing I can't handle," He smiled softly.

"How was the mission? Everyone seems off,"

"You know I can't discuss that," He squeezed her hand. "Not until it's debriefed,"

"It's going to be debriefed?"

He nodded.

"Oh, shit."

"I do need to tell you though," He pulled her hand as he sat on the leather chair. "Um, well, everyone knows."

She raised a brow. "Knows..?"

"They know."

"About us?" Her heart raced. "Bucky, there isn't even really an 'us'. What if I lose my--"

"You think Tony gives a shit? Half of them had money on it."

She thought of Sam. "That son of a bitch,"

"Valerie," Bucky turned her head back to him. "I don't care if they know. It's not their business, anyway. But I'm not ashamed of it,"

"Really?" She looked into his eyes, lips sliding into a smile.

"Are you kidding me? Look at you,"

She waved him off, scoffing. 

"I need to tell you something," She spoke.

"Anything,"

She walked over to her bag, pulling out a letter. She handed it to him as his brows furrowed. He quickly scanned the paper, lips parting slightly.

"When did you get this?"

"Before your mission."

"Did you write back?"

She nodded. He sighed, walking over to take her hands.

"What are you thinking?"

"I don't know," She confessed. "At first, I was angry. I mean, why now? After all this time? If he wants money, I don't have any."

He pursed his lips.

"I just know that if there's even a chance--"

"Valerie, I get it."

"You do?"

"I mean," He chuckled. "If I had even the slightest chance to have my family,"

Tears welled in her eyes. It was all she'd ever wanted. Sure, she had her grandparents. But she always watched the other kids run into the arms of two parents, despair filling her heart.

"But you need to tell the team."

"What?"

"Things are," He paused. "Not good right now. We're facing something big, and something like this gives me a bad feeling."

"A bad feeling?" She dropped his hands. "W-What could this even be? I'm just the team doctor, what do I have to do with anything?"

"We can't rule anything out," He rubbed her arms.

She quietly nodded, not wanting to argue any further. He pressed a kiss to her forehead, attempting to get a smile. She offered him a fake one, not getting past him but he decided not to press it.

For the rest of the evening, he hung out in her lab while she finished up the serums for the team. She showed him how to use a microscope, laughing at his astonishment over science. He simply watched her do what she was most passionate about, and he didn't grow bored for one second.

She seemed to lose herself in the work. Like nothing else was around when she was doing it. He realized that's what he felt when he was with her.

"Hey, you two,"

Steve's voice echoed in the quiet lab as he waltzed in.

"We're hanging in the common room, there's pizza." He spoke. "If you guys want to come,"

Valerie smiled, nodding. She put her equipment down, slipping her cardigan back on. She gestured for Bucky to follow, earning a frown.

"I hate these group activities."

"Oh, come on. You need socialization just like everyone else."

He pinched her side as they walked side by side to the common area, finding the rest of the team drinking and conversing.

"There's the happy couple," Sam gleamed.

"Oh, we're n--"

"I don't care. I won fifty bucks."

Valerie scoffed. "That's all I'm worth?"

"I wanted it to be more," Natasha walked over, handing Valerie a beer. "Now I'm glad he was too pussy to bet more."

"I resent there ever being a bet in the first place."

"I told them not to," Steve added. "They're too stubborn."

"For the record," Tony sat down. "I usually don't condone this sort of thing, but Grumpy has been more chipper recently, so I'll allow it. Normally, there are forms you'd sign, but picturing Barnes in the HR Department gives me a headache."

Bucky simply rolled his eyes, sitting next to Valerie. The team tossed jokes back and forth to each other, easing the tension she sensed earlier that day. After a couple of hours, it was starting to get late and half the team was drunk at this point.

She walked with Bucky to the elevator, finally content with the fact they had to share it to get home. Once they arrived at their floor, she noticed Bucky tense.

"You going to bed?" She broke the silence.

"Planning on it."

She smiled, holding her hand out. "You don't want any nightmares tonight, do you?"

His shoulders relaxed. "No, I don't."

"Then come on."

"Will you sleep naked?"

She laughed, rolling her eyes and tugging on his hand.

"No promises."

~

a shorter one this time arounddddd but i'm happy to write fluffy things now