The Grumpy Sunshine Series

The Secret Apartment

Originally Posted: 01/06/2022

It's only been an hour since Bucky found out that technically you didn't live at the compound, well you didn't exclusively live at the compound. It shocked him to find out that you had your own place away from the Avengers, it was even more shocking that no one else knew anything about it.

"Why do you even care?" Steve asked with a knowing smirk on his face.

"I don't care. It's just-" Bucky trails off, not really knowing why he cares so much.

"You care about her," Steve offers.

"I-" He tries to tell Steve that he couldn't care less. That it's not like that and he just thinks its suspicious- though he's not quite sure anyone would believe there's anything suspicious about you. The words taste bitter in his mouth, it's such a bold-faced lie that he can't choke out the words anymore. He keeps picturing your face hearing the lie and even worse the face you'd make if you actually believed the lie. If you believed that he doesn't care about you.

Steve smirks at him. "Told you. You got it bad."

"Shut up, Steve."

"I don't think she meant to keep it a secret. Why don't you just ask her about it?"

For days he stews, he even considers following you like some kind of stalker, but you don't leave the compound at the end of the day. For days, he waits for the perfect opportunity and it never comes. Eventually his curiosity and inexplicable urge to know more about you wins out. So he swallows his pride, walks up to you and asks you about it. Of course, he asked you about it and you just shrugged not really understanding what the big deal was.

And just like that, you offered to show it to him. It leaves him wishing he'd listened to Steve's advice days ago.

He, of course, jumped at the offer, wanting to check the place out for himself. The rational part of him knew that you could take care of yourself- that it wasn't that big of a deal. Most adults lived on their own, and you were an adult.

Done.

It wasn't any of his business.

But for reasons he couldn't even admit to himself, he felt so protective over you.

So the two of you took the subway to an old run-down neighborhood and he watched as you smiled and waved at every single person that spared the two of you a glance. All the while he grimaced and glared at every single man that looked at you.

When the two of you finally make it to your apartment, you turn on the lights and the two of you walk in. You have a singular coat rack in the corner and some scattered furniture. The walls are completely bare- still that off white color that landlords paint everything. There's a small couch and a table with 2 mismatched chairs. Bucky takes your coat and hangs it on the coat rack. You don't miss the shock on his face when he sees your bare bones apartment. "It's...not what I expected?"

You laugh, completely understanding what he's saying. "It's a work in progress. You're actually the first person who's ever seen it."

"You haven't had this place long?"

"No, I have. I just didn't have much when I joined the team. There was never really time after that."

"Being an Avenger does seem to take up a lot of time," he agrees.

You chuckle again. "It's a work in progress, collecting things. I don't have a lot of stuff." You see the confused look on Bucky's face and decide to fill in the gaps for him. "I wasn't allowed possessions, to have anything really- before, I mean. When SHEILD found me it was me and the clothes off my back."