the team doctor || bucky barnes

48.

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱᴏɴɢ: ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇ ᴀꜱ ꜱᴛʀᴀɴɢᴇʀꜱ - 5 ꜱᴇᴄᴏɴᴅꜱ ᴏꜰ ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴇʀ

~

VALERIE STARED AT HER CLOSET. 

Why did she have so many damn cardigans? 

It was a question she had been asked before, by others she didn't feel like thinking about, but never a question she asked herself. But here she was, standing in front of an army of hangers, trying to find one clean layer that didn't have buttons. 

She'd trained herself not to glance at her door where a familiar green sweatshirt hung on a hook untouched for a week. Looking at it was almost as bad as wearing it. She knew she had another sweatshirt somewhere, but she couldn't remember where she left it. Settling on a long-sleeved black shirt, she slipped it on over her cold skin. Why did Tony keep this tower so cold? Another question she wanted to know the answer to. 

The black skirt she wore fell to her mid-thigh. With the black loafers, she started to realize she looked like she was attending a funeral. Or the costume party she went to in college where she slapped on cat ears and called it a day. 

Without her cardigans, she didn't own a lot of color. She wasn't even sure why she cared, she was just going to grab breakfast before heading to her office. She groaned. She did care. Her makeup clacked against each other as she rummaged through her drawer of products, fishing around until she found her lipstick. 

Before she realized it, she had lined her lips with the red color. Today, however, she felt pretty. The past few days were filled with holing up in her office avoiding the inevitable awkward encounters that lay ahead of her. But not today, no, she had started the day by taking a long shower accompanied by her favorite playlist. She would not let this situation get to her. 

She left her apartment quickly, as she had for the last few days, opting for the stairs instead of the elevator. She could use the exercise, anyway. She could smell the pancakes wafting from the kitchen, causing her to almost levitate through the doors. 

"Morning, Doc!" Sam cheerfully greeted her from his spot at the buffet. He was loading his plate with eggs and sausage. "You look nice," 

"I know I can count on you to be my little morning cheerleader," 

It was true. Sam had made a valiant effort to cheer her up every day, and she couldn't be any more grateful for his friendship. She sat with Natasha and Wanda as she ate, catching up with them on their training progress. Once Sam joined them, the conversation took a happier turn. Valerie was laughing so hard she almost didn't notice who walked into the common area. 

Almost. 

His presence would never cease to shake her. His strides were always confident like he had never walked into a room unsure of what he was doing. His head was always high despite his guarded nature. She tried not to look directly at him, but it was like her body had a natural reaction to him when he was around. She was a compass, pointing to wherever he was. 

Her breath hitched when he briefly looked her way. His eyes left hers almost as quickly as they found them, causing her heart to sink. She knew better than to let disappointment set in, but she was human after all. 

"Peter will be arriving soon," She told her table. "I'll catch you guys--"

"Doc, can you come over here for a sec?" She heard Bruce call from his spot on the couch. 

"Bye, ladies," She smiled warmly. 

As she walked over to Bruce, she missed it. She missed the subtle glance he stole as she turned her body. Missed the way his eyes fell her to bare legs in the black pleated skirt. His instinct made him glance before he even registered he was looking. When he realized, he blinked furiously, glancing away. Thankfully, she was too busy chatting with Bruce to notice.