Chapter Text
You sat there, screwdriver in hand, adjusting away at another toy Tony had made for one of the team. You thought reverse engineering German machinery was bad, Tony’s was a close second. Your workshop had a slight chill due to the laminar hood in the corner, it didn’t help to only wear exercise shorts and sports bra. You couldn’t complain however, you were lucky to have a workshop at all.
Adjusting to life with the avengers was nothing less than weird, between Thor causing a thunderstorm just by showing up, Redwing flying in randomly needing a fix, or having a piece of Tony’s tech fly through your workshop’s glass wall. However between the pay and the friends made throughout the year and half you’d been there the complaints seem to fade as fast as they were made.
Snap
The hatch on the back of the tinker toy came down with a clat, synching the tip of your fingers inside. With a yelp coming from your lips, ripping your fingers out in record time and subsequently dropping the piece of machine on the table. Within an instant placing the fingers on the tip of your tongue, almost mocking your own maturity.
“Goddamn that hurts more than I remember” you said taking the fingers out of your mouth and shaking them in the air next to you. Holding your fingers in the opposite hand applying pressure to ease the pain you look at the time on the analog clock above you. 2:17 AM, you could’ve sworn it was only a few past 7 when you started, then again with the amount of projects you’d completed that night alone it wasn’t a surprise to you to have lost the track of time.
Fingers beginning to bruise you release them and look at the small machine, making sure all the parts were still in place. Looking at the work before you and seeing a productive day you slip off the barstool you had perched yourself on, glide yourself back into your slippers and walk out, letting the motion controlled lights take care of themselves.
Slowly dripping yourself down the hall you can’t help but hear a grunt or two echo off the grey concrete walls. You track yourself out and over to its origin, beginning to hear the swift smack of a punching bag, a breathe of relief passed your lips now knowing its just a late night exercise and not…otherwise. To further relieve your fear you peak through the windows only to confirm exactly what you had thought.
You turn to leave after your small investigation, and enter the kitchen, opening the door facing the hallway and grabbing a bottle of water that was within the door. As your hand wrapped around the bottle you noticed the pounding of the punching bag had stopped. Finally retired from the night, you thought.
You closed the door to the fridge, and turned to make way your provided apartment only to meet two very blue eyes behind a sweep of messy hair in the doorway. A rush of nothing but pure fear runs through you, the bottle drops, you tense your shoulders, and automatically prepare to scream, but nothing is able to leave your throat before a metal hand comes to cover your lips and the other on the back of your neck cradling you’re head.
You’re forced to take another step and half back, as he, himself, steps forward, a bit farther into the light. Bucky with a look of concern and an apology that’s already unsaid but implied masking his face.
With the air from your lungs expelled and a sense of calm washed over you, he lets go, knowing the threat of waking anyone in the compound is no longer a possibility.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, I saw you in the mirror in the gym while practicing, and thought you might’ve needed me.” He lied, he wasn’t good at it, but he tried his best, and his best seemed to fool those around him. He didn’t see her in the mirror, he was too focused on the bag, he stopped because he was tired on his way back from the gym with all his gear in hand he saw your long legs on their tip toes peaking at the top shelf. This was just an excuse to talk to you, albeit a weird one, but a path to you nonetheless.
“Oh, no, I finally realized the time and decided to go to bed, but on my way I heard a pounding.” you looked down at your hands, beginning to regret your choice of words. You leaned your hip against the marble counter fiddling with the cap of the bottle you had picked back up off the floor. Bucky begins to mimic you by crossing his arms against bare chest and leaning against the door frame, only now did you realize how low the sweatpants were on his hips.
“And then I heard the smack of the bag and I wanted to see who was doing it.” You said looking away, “didn’t mean to bother you, I’m sorry.”
“Dont be, please, it’s always nice to see you sweets, it seems that your workshop is taking all your time however.” He sounded disappointed, you didn’t like the way the tone came from his lips.
“Well it is the one place I can focus for, apparently, hours on end, without interruption. Maybe it would help to be interrupted.” You look up to meet his eyes. “I think I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow, if my sleep schedule got any worse you may never see me at all.”
You moved to slip past him placing a hand on his shoulder, the black and gold having a fairly beautiful sheen in the moonlight that’s barely present.
“Sleep well, Buck.” you padded down the hall, and made you’ve way to your given room.
“You too.” a quiet whisper back. He placed a hand on that same shoulder, despite having no feeling it felt singed, he liked that feeling.