Darkness: Collection of Short Stories and Companion to Shadows and Secrets

Short Story 4: Safe

AN: This chapter of Darkness is the story of how Bucky and Marjorie first realized they liked each other—but didn't realize the other knew their feelings and kept it a secret! It takes place about a week after Short Story 2.

Bucky's POV

   "Did you finish it already?" she asked, surprised.

    Bucky nodded, giving Marjorie her book back.

    The first day he was here, she had let him borrow her copy of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He had finished all of them that night instead of sleeping in the strange, new environment of his room in the tower, and he had given them back to her the next morning. Somehow, he had ended up borrowing another book from her.

    Bucky read and returned that book, she recommended another, and the cycle continued.

    Reading was not only enjoyable, but also a good way for him to avoid the others in the tower. And Bucky didn't hate talking to Marjorie about the books; she didn't act like he was made of broken glass and was actually kind of... cute?

    Bucky frowned. Where had that thought come from? What did it matter if she was cute?

    "Did you like it more or less than Shadow and Bone?"

    "More." He had just finished the first book of Six of Crows. "The narrators are much more interesting than Alina." Sharing his opinion still felt unnatural... Having an opinion felt unnatural.

    But he was trying to get used to being able to have his own thoughts, and she was... safe. Bucky felt like he could practice sharing opinions with her; he felt almost comfortable around Marjorie—more than anyone else in the tower, that is. Of course, she didn't know his ulterior motive for borrowing books was this, though.

    Marjorie nodded. "Ugh, definitely. And there's less Mal."

    Bucky's mouth curved upwards slightly at her unreasonably strong hatred for the fictional character. Apparently, Mal was "too boring."

    "And they don't butcher umbrakinesis," added Marjorie. "It doesn't work like that at all."

    "You can't make a Shadow Fold?" he asked dryly.

    "No," she said with an air of superiority. "That would be a scientific impossibility."

    "Like teleportation," suggested Bucky innocently.

    Marjorie narrowed her eyes. "Or staying a teenager for seventy years."

    Bucky shrugged off the barbed comment, concealing a smirk. She was adorable when—

    Okay, seriously. Why did he keep thinking about how cute she was? He frowned.

    "Did you want the sequel?"

    "Yeah." He accepted the paperback titled Crooked Kingdom.

    "Do you have a favorite crow?" asked Marjorie as an afterthought.

    "Matthias."

    She bit her lip, poorly hiding a frown. "Hmmm..."

    Bucky stared quizzically at her but her reaction remained a mystery.

~

    "Why would you let me read that?" demanded Bucky.

    Marjorie did not startle at his exclamation despite him trying to sneak up on her. Bucky had yet to sneak up on her, though she had on him several times. (Bucky had actually screamed and fell on the floor the first time he saw her teleport. Sam had laughed at him for 10 whole minutes.)