Shorts

Party Games Part 3

Bucky pov

Bucky knew Tony was probably still on the other side of that door, counting down the minutes, but he didn't care. The seven minutes just seemed to drag on forever.

The knees of his jeans were wet with fresh tears. He sobbed mostly silently, not wanting Natasha to know how much it hurt. But as she rubbed small circles on his back he knew that of course, she was aware of what was going on in his head. She always was, with everyone. It was part of her training.

Natasha rested a hand on the crook of his arm. "What's going on in your head?" she whispered. "You can tell me, you know. We're friends now."

Bucky lifted his head, and Natasha pulled her arm back to her side. She was good at this, too good at this. He knew she had practice with Bruce, a fellow monster. He swiped at his nose with his sleeve. "Do you," he stammered, the words like poison as they came out of his mouth, "do you think anyone. . . could ever love me?" he asked, his voice more hoarse than he would have liked.

Natasha scooted on front of him and sat. Analyzing him, he figured.

"Bucky, you are one of the kindest, most gentle men I've ever met," she said quietly. "Any woman would be lucky to have you."

Bucky froze. "But how do I know if someone loves me?" he asked. The feeling of love was as foreign to him as the room he was in. He couldn't recall being loved, not in that way.

Natasha, ever a woman of few words, leaned forward. Bucky ducked his head down, afraid she was going to try and kiss him or something, but instead she simply put a hand on his knee. Bucky shuddered at the gesture.

"You'll know by how they treat you. How they kiss you. How they show you off to other people and always want to be with you," she said.

Bucky considered her statement for a moment. "Is that how you and Steve are?" he asked. There was no jealousy in his voice, only curiousity.

Natasha paused. "Steve and I aren't-"

"Oh, come on," Bucky interrupted, wiping his eyes with the heel of his right hand. "You'd have to be blind to miss that."

She sat back on her heels. "Yeah, well. Don't tell anyone," she said dryly.

"Don't worry, I won't," he said, straightening his legs in front of him. "In fact, I'll revel in the fact that I know before Sam."

Natasha laughed once, lightly.

Bucky dipped his gaze down to his hands, which were folded in his lap. "But honestly - do you really think anyone could love someone as awful as me?"

Natasha placed a hand over his. "The right girl is out there, somewhere. You just have to-"

Screaming.

Bucky jumped to his feet impossibly fast. "Did you hear that?" he whispered to Natasha.

"Yeah," she whispered. "Didn't sound good."

Bucky took no time to kick the door, blowing it off it's hinges. Tony Stark jumped back, startled.

"You're paying for that," the billionaire said.

Bucky gawked at Tony, who stared right back.

"You were seriously out here the whole time?" Bucky hissed.

"I was actually just coming to get you guys," Tony said, but Bucky could tell he was lying.

Natasha stepped forward. "Did you hear the screaming?" she asked.