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steverogrers · 1 year ago

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Freefall | Bucky Barnes x Reader | Ch. 1

The streets of New York City were incredibly unwelcoming today. The sidewalks were a bit difficult to pass through, and to make matters worse, the sky above was beginning to grow angry. Deep and dark clouds began to hover over the city, and everyone was preparing for a rather tumultuous thunderstorm. Great.

Making a sharp turn, Bucky shoved his hands further into the pockets of his jacket and dipped his head just a bit lower, attempting not to bring much attention. He was hoping the overdue haircut would further minimize the chances of anyone looking at him and recognizing him. It wasn't the civilians he was worried about, but was still trying to play it safe. With every step he took, he would scan every corner and alleyway. He was keeping a studious eye out for anyone strange, figures cloaked in black clothing, or people looking like they were obviously undercover.

His destination was no more than a block or two away, and he'd already outlined to himself how he would enter the brick building in mind. Truthfully, he could knock on the front door, but he was afraid of a few things. First, he didn't want to be tracked to that unit specifically, for fear of putting the tenant in trouble, and he didn't want to be turned away by said tenant. So, his best bet was to sneak down the alleyway and crawl his way up the fire escape ladder.

Once he reached the building, he turned into a murky alleyway. There were garbage bins and black trashbags lining the sides, and odd liquids splashed against his boots as he made his way to a particular window. He had to tilt his head all the way back to catch sight of the ladder. It was far up.

With a quiet grunt and a calculated leap, Bucky gained enough momentum to allow him to catch the bottom of the ladder with a steely grip. He held on for a second before looking over his shoulder for a mere beat to ensure that no one was nearby, and then he pulled his body weight up with little to no effort. Landing at the top without any noise, he fidgeted slightly with the outside of the small window in front of him and scoffed to himself. Good ol' New York apartments and their shitty windows. The window slid up immediately after the use of brute force, and he looked over his shoulder once more.

No one was nearby, and the angry skies above had darkened the alleyway enough that he was sure nobody would've seen his dark silhouette breaking in.

Bucky pulled his body through the small window, careful not to make a noise as he landed in what seemed to be the bedroom. He'd been here once, but it was quite long ago. The last time he was here, Steve was still alive, and Natasha, and...

Bucky shut the window behind him, trapping the cool rain outside, and turned to inspect the bedroom he'd landed in.

The bedroom was small and it smelled of vanilla and lavender, and it appeared well-loved and well-decorated. There was a full-sized bed tucked against the corner to his right, the plush duvet was folded perfectly and the sheets were tucked tightly under the corners of the bed. Of course, she would do that. He did remember her being a bit of a type-A maniac. What caught his attention was the teddy bear that was seated cutely above the bed between the mountain of pillows. It looked familiar. Next to the bed was a wooden nightstand and a quoizel lamp, which illuminated a small framed image of two women. Wanda and -

Bucky came to an abrupt mental stopping point when he heard a bit of a ruckus outside the bedroom. Taking cautious and silent steps away from the window, he passed an antique dresser and a bookcase as he approached the door of the bedroom. It was propped open just enough that he could wrap a metallic hand around the knob and pull it open, all without making a single sound. He was surprised, really, that the woman hadn't heard a thing. She's out of practice.

As Bucky entered the dimly lit hallway, the smell of food swirled through the air surrounding him, and the sound of music met his ears. No, not just music...singing...loud, terrible singing. Bucky reached the end of the hallway, and it gave him the perfect view of a small room of mismatched furniture and a rather cute kitchenette behind a velvet sofa. In it resided a woman, who donned a ripped-up oversized t-shirt and baggy pajama pants. In her hand was a glass of wine, quite obviously filled to the very brim. She moved about the kitchen area, singing at the very top of her lungs. Edith Piaf. She has good taste.

Bucky finally walked past the archway of the hallway and entered the living room, now entirely shocked that the woman hadn't felt herself being watched. Choosing not to step into the kitchen area just yet, he crossed his arms as he watched her in absolute amusement.

You had a plethora of things going on in front of you, and there were plenty of sounds to keep you occupied at all times. One pan was sizzling loudly as you browned some beef, and in one large pot pasta was boiling. Above the noises, you'd been playing some music from the television in the living room. The bottle of wine next to the sink was emptied in the last hour, and your fingers were a bit numb. Yup, definitely a good night. Truthfully, this was peace.

And, with just enough wine in your system, your body naturally turned to singing. Of course, it did. It always did.

Et dès que je l'aperçois Alors je sens en moi Mon cœur qui bat

You didn't know jack shit about French, but you'd learned a bit of it through your time with a special group of superhumans.

Just as you were about to switch the song, you turned slightly to glance at a clock in the living room behind you and then turned your attention back to your pots and pans. Then...fear. Did you just see something? You were tipsy, sure, but there was no way you were drunk enough to be seeing shit, especially not shit that looked like ghosts. Or, an entire, large human. A very large human. An intruder. You were so out of practice.

After steeling your nerves, you turned your head once more, ready to use your wine glass to defend yourself.

But the man watching you wasn't a ghost, nor was he a threatening intruder. Still, that didn't make this discovery of invasion of privacy any more pleasurable.

"Bucky," You hissed, "What the fuck are you doing here? How did you get in? How long have you been standing there? Did...Did you hear me singing?"

The man seemed to fully relax once you'd clocked his presence in your home. He strode into the kitchen this time, his boots heavy beneath him, and entered into the light. This allowed you a better view of him. You'd seen his face several times in the past and had worked with him a few times, too. But, it'd been a while. His hair was short now, a bit scruffy, but short. He looked...healthier, stronger. It wasn't the short hair or different aura that caught you by surprise though.

He had a small gash running down his bottom lip, and a colorful bruise forming under his eye.

"Which question do you want me to answer first?" He offered, and you could sense that he sounded a bit guilty...no, he sounded embarrassed.

"Bucky," You started again, this time reaching for your phone to lower the volume of the music, and you situated your glass of wine on the counter, "What's happening?"

The home was engulfed in quietness, and Bucky watched you carefully. He remained silent for just a second before he spoke, "I need somewhere to stay. Took the fire escape, opened your window...which, you should figure out some security for that. And...I've been standing here long enough to know that you sing terribly."

You both stared at each other, and you squinted at him in scrutiny, "Okay, let me try again. Why did you just break into my home?"

At this, Bucky released a sigh and ran a hand through his hair before running it down his face. He leaned two hands onto the edge of the kitchen island and then grabbed your glass of wine as if he desperately needed a drink. In less than a second, the wine was chugged and gone, leaving you in bewilderment. "That was my wine."

"You don't need any more of it, and I need a drink," He sighed after the drink was gone, and he eyed you, "Hydra's after me."

Silence. Utter silence. You turned the music off completely.

Hydra...you'd thought Hydra had been taken down long ago. You were there for it. In fact, the man standing before you had broken a finger of yours the day Hydra was taken down. So, how could it be?

Bucky watched as you went through several moments of mental gymnastics, and grew serious, "If I'm being honest, I'm confused too. I was out this morning...and was cornered. I was able to get away. But...if this is Hydra, and I'm sure it is, I don't know that I can take them on by myself. I'm tired of running...I just finished my therapy sessions and got a hold of my life. And now, they're back."

You felt bad, truly. Bucky appeared a bit distressed as he spoke, a bit angry and sad. Bucky was strong and fully capable of taking down an army of men, but if Hydra really wanted to capture him and bring him back to their control...and if the Avengers were gone, Bucky had only himself, you, and Sam, who was out in Louisiana. You could tell Bucky was desperate for shelter...and, peace.

Shelter and refuge were something you could give him, though you weren't too sure about that either. But...fighting against Hydra...there was no way you could. Those days were long gone for you. Shit, Bucky snuck into your home and you didn't even know. You were incredibly out of practice.

"Bucky...I don't know if I'm fit for this life anymore."

"I know," Bucky spoke, "I just...need a place to lay low. They've already checked this place out this morning after they lost me, so I doubt they'll come looking here again."

Bucky could sense the growing confusion as you watched him, your mouth slightly open, "What do you mean they checked this place out?"

"They've looked everywhere, probably covering their bases all over the city before expanding their search. I can't go back to my place, they're surrounding it like hawks."

"Shit..." That was really all you could say.

"I've been watching this place from afar the last few hours. They won't be coming around here again...I doubt it. I could stay holed up here for a few days until they're out of the city."

You stared at Bucky, hard. And, he stared back. You could see the cogs working in his brain, and you were sure he could see yours. Technically speaking, he could stay holed up on your couch for a few days, and that wouldn't really interfere with your day-to-day schedule. Plus, having him here might be helpful should Hydra choose to revisit the premises. Knowing them, that wasn't so far-fetched of an idea.

But, offering Bucky refuge would most definitely bring you into the fight, whether you liked it or not.

"You have a staring problem," Bucky grumbled, squinting his silvery eyes at you.

"You have a staring problem," You responded, shaking your head and throwing your head back with a dramatic sigh, "Fine...you can stay. Just...try not to make a mess, please? Last time I lived with a man it was horrendous."

At this, Bucky couldn't help the small smile that crawled onto his face. It was apologetic, but it was one of relief too.

"Thank you," Bucky started, leaning forward on the counter on his elbows, dropping his head into his hands, "I'll be outta your hair in a few days. Tops."

Bucky was what you considered a co-worker, and now a co-worker who you were housing. He was always kind, though a bit stand-offish, but you could tell that he'd grown in character. He was obviously more confident when speaking to you, and was more confident in himself. But, that didn't change the fact that now, just by him standing in your kitchen, you were in imminent danger. But, Steve trusted him, and so did you.

"If they come around here," You spoke up in the silence, crossing your arms over your chest and observing him as he looked up at you, "You know that means I'll have to-"

"I won't let it happen," Bucky shook his head and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, "No one knows I'm here, and unless someone gets wind that I might be here, you are completely safe...So, let's keep this quiet."

You watched him carefully, watching for an inch of doubt in his eyes. There was nothing. He was sure and absolute. So, you nodded and spoke softly, "If you're gonna stay, you should go shower. I can smell you from here."

Bucky shot you a short glare and nodded. He was quiet for a second, observing you as you went back to the meal you were preparing, albeit a bit frazzled now, and then he spoke up again, "Do you have another one of those?"

You looked over at him and noticed he was nodding to the t-shirt you were wearing. It was large on you, so it would fit him well.

"My drawer, pull whatever you need. I might actually have some sweats somewhere in there from my dad."

Bucky nodded and shot you a quick thank you before pushing away from the kitchen island and heading back to your bedroom. Now more relaxed that he didn't have to be silent and undetected, he opened the bedroom door and walked towards your dresser. It was a bit odd, going through a woman's dresser, but Bucky wasn't one to overthink formalities. He needed a shower and clothing. And, food.

He opened the first drawer.

Bras, underwear, socks.

He closed it quickly.

The second drawer was filled with books, notebooks, pencils, knickknacks, and...was that a -

He closed it faster than the first one, and his jaw tightened in slight embarrassment at what he'd seen. This is why he should've just asked you to fish the clothing for him.

Moving on.

He opened the final drawer and was relieved to find a plentiful amount of clothing, all folded neatly. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh!" He heard a shriek from the kitchen, and could hear your feet trample over the wooden floors of your apartment as you made a sprinted bee-line to your bedroom, "Don't open the seco-"

"Too late," He glared at you, watching as your face grew shameful, "I don't wanna talk about it."

"Oops."

(This is also posted on AO3. https://archiveofourown.org/works/48446233/chapters/122198179)

#bucky barnes #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x reader #fanfic #i haven't used tumblr since like 2018 so I'm lost I'm sorry lol

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