Stray (Steve Rogers XReader XBucky Barnes)

Stray Pt.III

Y/N stood in the doorway and watched as Bucky pounded on a training dummy. It was a good thing Stark had thought to reinforce them with his own tech because anything less would most likely be in tatters by now. As impressive as his form was it was his eyes she was watching. Looking for any indication of that blank stare that he was so famous for but it never came. Much to the contrary, his eyes were full of pain, regret, and anger. So much so that she had to swallow back tears of her own. He must have known she was there, watching him, but he didn't relent until she pushed off the wall and started to approach him.

When he turned to her his face was calm, and although he tried to hide it, it took a little longer to clear the storm in his eyes. His mouth split into a wide grin as he took in her new outfit. It was similar to what most of the women wore but she had topped it off with a cropped sweatshirt, the hood pulled over her head enough to shadow her features.

"It's a comfort thing ok?" she offered with a shrug as she walked past him to come to a stop in the middle of the sparing mat.

"I dont think thats such a good idea, doll." He said gently, surprised to see a fire ignite behind her eyes.

"I dont really care what you think." She smirked at him.

"Alright, if thats how your going to be." He shrugged his shoulders before matching her smirk with his own. "Show me what you can do."

"You may regret that statement." She laughed as she launched herself at him.

She was quick, dodging him at every turn. When she landed a kick to the side of his head causing him to see stars for a moment he stopped holding back.

He wouldn't have been able to tell you how long they had danced around each other but she was making him work for it every second. It was amazing to him how she managed to aviod the prosthetic better than any of his god given limbs. He wondered breifly if she had been studying him but that was his mistake. She took hos second of distraction to wrap both her hands around the bun he had thrown his hair into, using it as leverage to kick his feet out from under him.

He laid in the mat for a moment bewildered. First by the fact that she had one uped him second...

"Did you oull me hair?" He asked as he pulled himself back up to his feet. She shrugged before bursting out in laughter. At any other time he would have found the sound endearing but in this moment it pissed him off.

"Again!" He yelled through gritted teeth as he charged at her once more.

She met him with a smile on her face and they continued at the punishing pace they had set before. If he was honest, he was quite impressed with Y/N's skills even if they were making him doubt his own. So imoressed in fact that when he finally caught her in the chin with his metal fist he was possibly more shocked than she was. She dropped like a rock and he rushed over already spewing apologies. When she didn't move his heart sank as fast as he did to his knees. Using his right hand to flip over her motionless body he was relieved when she opened her eyes and slowly focused on him.

She looked so vulnerable, laying on the floor and he felt that desire creep back up on him. When she attempted to smile, his breath quickened and before he realized what he was doing he was leaning into her with full intent to kiss her. She didn't move, not even breaking eye contact.

His lips were a hairs breath away from hers when he jumped back. For the second time that night, or early morning he supposed, he felt as if he had been douced in ice water. The sensation was not pleasent as this time left it him gasping for air. When he caught his breath back he turned to Y/N to see if she had been affected by whatever was happeneing to him.

She was sat up now, her chin resting on her knees, looking at him with a mix of mischief and trepidation.

"Thats what I can do." She said in a small voice.

"That was you?" He asked softly sitting back on his heels.

She nodded.

"And upstairs?"

She nodded again, curling into herself more.

"How?"

She opened her mouth to answer, although she wasn't sure how to explain. However, she was cut off by the last voice she wanted to hear at that moment.

"Yes, YN, inquiring minds are dying to know."

She gave one last pleading look at Bucky but he had already turned to the man in the doorway. She followed his eyeline to find Steve looking horribly guilty behind a furious Stark.

"My office. NOW."