The Darkling (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

three

As you stepped out of the elevator, you tried to keep your head high after your embarrassing encounter with the Winter Soldier.

"Y/N?" A voice snapped you out of your thoughts. You looked up and saw a woman with vibrant red hair, you recognised her as the Black Widow. She offered you a small smile. You tried your best to compose yourself as she approached.

"That's me." You said casually. "You're the black widow." She laughed slightly.

"Call me Nat. Black Widow is a bit formal for Stark Tower."

You immediately cringed again, what was happening today? You couldn't stop embarrassing yourself.

"Sorry," you offered. You followed her down the hall to a room with a dark door.

"Steve said that Bruce is running some tests for you?" She looked over at you as she opened the door.

"Yeah," you said stepping into the room, which was larger than you could've imagined. A king sized bed was pressed to one wall and a simple cabinet and coffee table are all that decorated the room. You could see an ensuite that's door was half closed.

"You might be here for a while, so Steve asked me to set you up in a room. My room is just 2 more doors down on the right, if you need anything." She smiled at you slightly.

You weren't sure what to do so you just mimicked her smile.

"I know its probably seems pretty nerve wracking being here but I promise everything will be okay. From what I've heard you've got some pretty impressive skills. I mean saving a super soldier? Not many people can claim to have done that." She started to make her way out of the room.

"Have a warm shower, then come and find me, and we can go and get something to eat. I'll be in my room. I'm sure you're starving." She glanced at you once more before closing the door.

You took in a shaky breath. What the heck was happening? This was so ridiculous being in Stark Towers. There was no way that you were the one who saved Steve. There has to be a different explanation. You looked at your hands once more, your fingers looked how they always did. Maybe Steve imagined something today, and when Bruce finishes running his tests they will let you go, and realise it was all a silly mistake.

You found some towels on the sink in the bathroom and ran the water hot, as you undressed the shower offered you some much needed comfort. You closed your eyes and spent the next 20 minutes just letting the water hit you. Tony Stark was a billionaire, he could afford the water bill, you thought to make yourself feel better.

When you finished in the shower you realised that you didn't have any clothes. Shit.

You looked in all the drawers and then looked at your hoodie and jeans laying on the floor. You didn't really want to put your dirty clothes back on over the top of freshly cleaned body. Nat did say she was only two doors down from your room.

You opened the door slowly peaking your head out down the hall looking at how far you had to walk and if anyone was around. The coast seemed clear, so you clutched the towel tightly to your body as you made your way to Nats' room.

One. Two. You counted the doors as you went down the hallway. You raised your hand to knock on the second door. Wait, did she say to the left? Or the right? You tried to replay the conversation in your head. Definitely right... maybe it was left. You looked between the two doors, you were beginning to panic being exposed in only a towel. What was I thinking coming out into a hallway with only a towel?

Left it is. You knocked on the door. No response. She said she was going to be in her room. You furrowed your eyebrows as you knocked again. The faint ding of the elevator arriving to the floor rang through your ears. Your eyes snapped open. Shit, shit, shit. Open the door, you begged Nat in your head. You started to knock on the door faster.

The elevator dinged. Oh God, please kill me now.

"What are you doing?" The person from the elevator said. You had no option but to turn and face the person, and you immediately wished you hadn't. You froze in horror. Oh please I will give anything to drop dead right now.

It was the Winter Soldier looking at you with a stern expression.

"I need Nat. She won't open the door. She said she would be in her room." You started rambling. You tried your best to make the towel longer than it was. Pulling it up and down. Your cheeks were red once again. This day honestly couldn't get worse.

He was stalking towards you now and at the last second turned to the door opposite you, and knocked.

"That would be because that's my room." he pointed at the door that you were basically pressed against.

The door he knocked on opened to reveal Nat. It was two doors to the right. You slowly retracted yourself from the Winter Soldiers door and nearly died of embarrassment when you looked to Nat.

"I don't have any fresh clothes." You stated simply shuffling closer to her now opened door. You could hear a soft chuckle from the Winter Soldier as he unlocked his door and closed it behind him. You closed your eyes and let out a breath you didn't know you were holding as his door clicked shut.

Nat covered her mouth, to hide her laughter at your defeated and reddened face. She moved to the side so that you could come into her room. The room was the same as the one you had been given, just with a few more personal items scattered everywhere.

"I thought you said to the left." You said defeated as Nat went into her drawers to grab out some clothes. Offering any excuse for what had just occurred in the hallway.

"Don't stress, at least you know where I am now. Here." She handed you some clothes. You took them gratefully. You looked at her door, with worry. She laughed again.

"Get changed in my bathroom, I'm not going to make you go back out there like that. I think you've had enough embarrassment for one day." She giggled.