Catch Me

Day 4

"I can't believe the AC broke down."

"I can't believe that you managed to blow up the AC," you counter. Tony flips you off and you respond by swimming over to him and splashing water in his face.

"I did not install a pool in this tower to be treated this way." You chuckle and splash him again much to his exasperation and everyone else's amusement. Before he can retaliate, you float over to the edge of the pool and climb out. "Come back in this pool and face me like a man!"

"I think you mean like a woman," Natasha corrects from her position on a large floaty. "By taking the coward's way out and getting out of the pool, she's already acting like a man." Raucous complaints come from all the men in the pool, but Natasha is too busy relaxing to pay them any mind.

You grab one of the many folded towels that are resting poolside and wrap it around yourself. The plush material feels good against your wet body. You think about sitting out in the sun and tanning for a little while, up until your eyes land on Bucky. He had opted out of getting into the pool and had taken up residence under an oversized umbrella. Despite the heat that is clinging to the city, he is wearing a burgundy henley and dark wash jeans. Just looking at him makes you want to jump back into the pool to cool off.

"Hey." Bucky doesn't respond and, because of the sunglasses he is wearing, you can't tell if he's sleeping. "Are you awake?" You whisper softly.

"Yes Y/N."

"Then why didn't you respond when I said hi?"

He perches his sunglasses atop his head but doesn't bother to look at you. "We hate each other, remember? People who hate each other don't strike up a conversation just because."

As Bucky gets up to grab a water bottle, you try to make sense of his sudden mood swing. Yesterday, the two of you were joking around and having fun. Now, he can't even be bothered to look at you.

A small voice at the back of your head tells you that Bucky is right. If the two of you ever had the misfortune of being alone, the last thing either of you did was talk to each other. In fact, you got so good at ignoring him that you rarely ever realized you were doing it. Which begs the question - why was your first instinct upon seeing Bucky alone to join him this time?

Abiding by what you believe to be Bucky's wishes, you get up and take refuge in a seat right under the sun. The bright rays feel good against your cool skin and you let your eyes slip closed. This is what paradise must feel like - sitting poolside without a care in the world.

You are right on the verge of falling asleep when a shadow passes over you. Expecting that it'll pass in no time, you settle further into your seat and sigh contently. The respite from the blaring sun is fully welcomed.

What isn't welcomed though, is the small stream of cold water that gets poured onto your leg. You sit up with a start, only to find that it is not the clouds covering the sun but Bucky's tall, imposing figure. "What?"

"You moved."

"So that gives you permission to pour your ice cold water on me?"

His lips are set in a straight line and his eyes are unreadable. "Why did you move?"

"Are you serious?" When all he does is stare at you, you continue. "I went over to you, said hi and got ignored. Why would I stay?"

Believing that that is the end of the conversation, you drape an arm over your eyes. Unfortunately, the relaxation that you were enjoying only moments ago is nowhere to be found. Bucky and his rude interruption stole it right out from under you.

"Hey." You don't respond. "Y/N." You turn onto your side. "I don't hate you."

That captures your attention and gets you to acknowledge Bucky again. "You don't?"