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Bucky ducked out of the way just as a hand swung out of nowhere. He didn’t even blink as he straightened and went back to listening to your story. A small smile teased at his lips as you described in vivid detail your latest dream. You didn’t usually remember your dreams and this had been an especially good one. You were excited and when you got excited, your hands started flapping. It was adorable, really, if a little violent.
Bucky leaned back as your hand sailed right through the air where his head had been only moments before. You didn’t even notice as you finished your story. “And then we rode of into the sunset. The sunset Babe. It was amazing!!!” You made this strange punching motion in front of you with both of your hands as though you were shaking someone.
Bucky’s lips twisted up even wider. “Sounds like a good dream, doll.” He said, leaning forward to press a kiss to your forehead. You jerked your head in a strange nod. You were too keyed up to do anything else. You had so much energy running through your veins, you were practically vibrating.
Bucky shook his head and chuckled. “Do you need to go for a run?” He asked, watching your movements carefully. You jerked your head in a strange nod and Bucky gestured with his chin. “You can go doll, don’t let me stop you. I’ll be here when you get back.”
You sent him a grateful smile and jerked your head again. You leaned forward abruptly and pressed a kiss to his lips. “Five minutes.” You promised.
“I’ll be waiting.”
You turned on your head and tapped into your powers, flashing away in a blur of light and motion.
Bucky turned towards the common room. Steve was sitting on one of the couches with an amused grin on his face. “You’ve got that habit of hers down to a science, Buck.” He teased.
Bucky scoffed. “You’re just mad because she managed to clock you in the face a few days ago. I warned you not to stand so close.”
Steve shook his head. “I just thought that was you being an insecure boyfriend.” He defended. “Besides, how was I supposed to see it coming?”
Bucky grinned. “Don’t you have science runnin’ through those veins? I thought you could see everything these days.”
Steve rolled his eyes so hard, Bucky was almost surprised when they didn’t get stuck. “They can’t see her. She starts movin’ that fast and if it wasn’t for the trail of lightning she leaves behind, she might as well be invisible.”
Bucky grunted but didn’t say anything else. What was there to say? He was grateful that you were the way you were. You moved so fast you’d never come close to being injured. It was a relief, really, that you could take care of yourself. He didn’t need to worry. Not like Steve and the rest of the team.
Bucky opened his mouth to ask about Steve’s girl who was currently stuck in the medbay recovering from a broken . . . everything . . . when lightning crackled and you abruptly appeared in the room again. Bucky’s head snapped up at you and his brow furrowed. You were fast . . . but you’d promised to be gone for five minutes and you were awfully early.
You stood frozen in the doorway, breathing heavy. You hardly seemed to notice when Bucky pushed to his feet and took a step towards you.
“Doll?” He asked, taking in the way you were blinking back tears with murder brewing in his heart. He took another step towards you. “Doll, are you okay?”
You blinked back more tears and cleared your throat. “Of course.” You murmured. Your hands jerked up so quickly, they were almost blurs as you rubbed at your eyes. You plastered a fake smile on your face that Bucky saw through immediately. “All good. I’m just . . . I’m gonna go take a nap.”
You flashed away before Bucky could say anything.
For a long minute, Bucky stood frozen where you’d just stood, his fists clenching at his side.
Behind him, Steve pushed to his feet. He patted Bucky’s shoulder. “You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?” He asked darkly. You might not have been his girl, but he’d defend you all the same. He didn’t like bullies . . . and he really didn’t like bullies who messed with you. You had a good heart and brought a splash of life and laughter to a team that hadn’t fully been a family until you’d come along. You’d been the missing piece, and he would defend that until the day he died. Besides, you’d brought his best friend back to life in more ways than one. He owed you.
Bucky’s own head jerked in a similar way to yours. “You gonna stop me?” He growled.
Steve shook his own head and started for the door you’d just rushing in from. “You might wanna stop me, though.” He muttered darkly.
You were sitting on your bed. Your back was to your headboard as you hugged your knees to your chest. Your cheek was lying against the tops of them as you turned to look out the floor to ceiling windows beside you. Traffic was practically gridlocked out there. What else was new? But the hustle and bustle of city life calmed you.
You knew you shouldn’t let it get to you; this wasn’t the first time it had happened, and it wouldn’t be the last. Still, everytime you heard the whispers, it broke something within you that you weren’t sure you’d ever get back. You knew your quirks seemed strange to outsiders, but you couldn’t help them. Sometimes, you just had too much energy and nowhere to expel it. You’d hoped once you’d been invited to join the Avengers that things would get better, but somehow? Somehow, things had only gotten worse.
You sighed and rolled your head until your forehead was pressed against your knees instead. “It’s fine.” You murmured to yourself. “Doesn’t matter.” It’s what you always told yourself because you knew in your head it was true. You just wished your heart would believe it.
There was a quiet knock on the door. You didn’t move.
“Doll?” Bucky’s soft voice pulled at your heartstrings and you felt an immediate sense of relief start washing through you. It was easier to ignore the whispers when he was around. Easier to remember that it didn’t matter what they thought, because Bucky’s opinion meant more.
You mumbled incoherently under your breath. You weren’t ready to talk, but you wanted him to know you’d heard him.
Bucky sighed and you heard him move towards you. After a few seconds, you felt the bed dip beside you as Bucky sat. He reached for your hands which were still wrapped around your legs and held one of them. “You’re worth all of them, doll.” He said softly, stroking the back of your hand with his thumb. “You’d sweep the floor with ‘em.”
You couldn’t help it as your lips quirked up. Of course your murder cupcake of a boyfriend would go for the violent approach. You’d be lying if you said that wasn’t one of the reasons you loved him so much.
“They wouldn’t stand a chance and they wouldn’t see it comin’.”
That brought a soft chuckle from you. Though you couldn’t see it, Bucky’s own smile crept across his face at the sound. “Come on, doll. What can I do to make you see what I see in you?”
You let out a long breath, deflating a little as you thought about the question. Bucky waited patiently, stroking your hand, as you thought. Eventually you murmured; “Nothing, Buck. Just . . . be here with me?” You lifted your head and started to open your mouth to say something, but it fell open instead. You jumped to your feet, wobbling slightly as the mattress shifted under the sudden change. Your hands flung violently through the air and you took out one of the scones on the side of your bed as you gestured at your boyfriend. “What the HELL ?”
Neither of you even looked at the broken lamp or the sparks flying from the wall. Bucky stared at you in confusion as you just stared at him in shock.
“What the hell, what?” Bucky asked, crossing his arms over his chest defensively.
You made a series of random motions in the air that looked like you wanted to strangle him. “WHY THE HELL ARE YOU COVERED IN BLOOD?” You screeched, swinging your hands around animatedly.
Bucky had the audacity to look down at his blood spattered clothes and then back up at you. “It’s not mine.” He offered.
You stared at the blood painted across his face. “THAT DOESN’T MAKE ME FEEL BETTER!!!”
You started flashing around the room in an agitated manner, your own version of pacing. When you got this upset, your mind tended to go almost as fast as your body could and it took less than a second to put everything together.
“Son of a bitch.” You came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the room and thunder crashed. You spun towards Bucky. “I know I call you my little murder cupcake, but you can’t actually murder people, babe!”
Bucky’s expression darkened. “They mess with my doll, I can do whatever I want.” He growled.
You might have melted a little, but you didn’t let it show. You shook your head instead, eyes wide in disbelief.
Bucky hardly paid your reaction any attention. Instead, he just shook his head, a devious grin spreading across his face. “Besides, it wasn’t me. This is collateral damage.” He gestured at his blood stained clothes. “If anything I saved those bastards lives. Stevie seemed to forget his own strength. I’ll be surprised if they make it out of medical within a month.”
You blinked a few times, for once struggling to keep up with someone else.
Bucky watched you carefully and he knew the second it hit you.
Your expression blanched white at the thought of your “pure of heart” best friend murdering someone in cold blood over your honor.
“STEVEN GRANT ROGERS!” You shouted, flashing into the hallway. “YOU’RE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!”
“I might be a murder cupcake, but he’s a murder donut, doll!” Bucky called after your retreating back. “Soft and sweet, but not all there!”
Bucky shook his head, leaving the justice in your hands as he headed off towards the showers.
Bucky knew what it was to be on the receiving end of whispers. Hell, people still whispered about him. But he’d be damned if they did the same to you. He’d help you learn to ignore the whispers, but until then, he’d take care of them for you. If that meant sicing Steve on the bastards? So be it.
Steve had enough violence in his heart for the three of you.
Bucky wasn’t afraid to weaponize it.
He would protect what was his and for now and for ever, that meant you.
End of story.