Roommates

We need to talk

Over the next several weeks things had taken a notable shift between her and Bucky. Not understanding why all of a sudden he was avoiding her, Jamie gave him the space he clearly needed. She assumed that this was a combination of what his hectic life as an Avenger and what trying to fit into this new world was like for him. But still, she felt cut off from him ever since their bestie movie night. It got her thinking that maybe she had put him in the middle far more than she realized that night. That killed her because that was exactly what Jamie had been trying to avoid doing. He was her friend and Steve's and he shouldn't have to walk around on eggshells because of them. Their apartment was his home just the same as hers and he should be comfortable there. Not have to tiptoe or worry about inviting his best friend over because it might upset her.

So she kept her distance and focused on her work. While he was out on missions she took care of Alpine and when she couldn't because she also had to go out of town for a job she would drop the fluffy feline off at the Tower for one of the team to watch after. The thing was she wouldn't be available to watch Ally for the next week or two. After talking to Thor about coming for a visit Jamie hadn't booked any new jobs and now she would be taking off to Norway to take a much needed vacation. But she had to talk to Bucky today and in person. She needed to tell him about her plans and she refused to do it over text or a phone call which had become Bucky's new way of communicating. Since the movie night three weeks ago Jamie could count on one hand the times that she'd seen him in person. Enough was enough they needed a face to face chat. She would apologize for the thing with Steve and then she would tell him that she was going out of town.

On her way out of their building she shot Natasha a text to see if Bucky was at the Tower and to ask without telling him she was asking. The subtle avoidance had become straight up blatant in the last two weeks and she was over it. She was over leaving post-it's on the fridge or talking through text messages when she wanted to communicate because he wouldn't answer her phone calls. She was definitely over his not coming home until it was the middle of the night when he knew she'd be asleep and leaving before she got up. Her feelings were hurt. Jamie had thought they'd at the very least had become friends who could talk to each other. Whatever this was was worse than just being roommates because he'd all but cut her completely out of his life.

She was almost to the Tower when Natasha let her know Buck was on the training floor with Steve and her. Her favorite Russian also let her know she'd keep him there until she got there for her. Thanking her, Jamie increased her pace as she dug out her ID badge to flash as she passed the front desk. Clipping it on her purse strap she pressed the button for the floor she needed, moving back out of the other elevator occupants' way as the doors closed. Jamie's mind raced with how she would approach Buck. She didn't want to come across as whiney or overly emotional, but she wasn't leaving until he heard her out. If she had to do it in front of Steve, Natasha and whoever else was on the training floor she would. He wasn't going to run away this time. She wouldn't let him.

Excusing herself she made her way out of the crowded elevator. Steeling her spine Jamie walked down the hall to the training room Nat had told her they were in. They were apparently working on agility and gymnastics. When she had first started being trained by Natasha, Jamie had been surprised by how much those two things had factored into the training regimen that had been setup for her. At most she thought she'd take some basic hand to hand lessons and how to spot creeps but Nat had trained her like she was a new SHIELD recruit. Relentlessly. At the time she'd done whatever any of them wanted her to do after her attempted suicide because it had given her something else to focus on. Because if she was focused on that then she wasn't focused on who she'd lost and what she'd almost done.

Peeking through the window of the door she needed Jamie saw that Natasha and Steve were standing off to the side watching Bucky work his way through the agility course they'd set up. Chin up she walked inside and slipped off her outside shoes so as to not dirty up the mats. Setting them and her purse in one of the cubby's by the door she made her way over to her friends. Nat had clocked her entrance but hadn't said anything, just gone back to watching Buck after giving her a nod of hello. Jamie eyed Steve who was looking much more relaxed than the night at her and Bucky's apartment. Granted she hadn't seen him much, she had seen much more of Steve than she'd seen of Buck over the last three weeks.