Sebastian Stan Short Stories

Bucky Barnes [25]

"Awkward Entanglements"

Requested by Wife_of_SexySeaBass

Definitely not canon compliant, but who really wants to live a world where Bucky got dusted?

*

"Do you think you could move your hand?" I asked. "Like just enough so that I'm not sitting on it?"

I felt Bucky huff out a breath onto the top of my head, a sudden warmth against the cool air that surrounded us. The offending hand didn't move though.

"I wouldn't say you're sitting on it per se," he said. I could hear the tense bit of humor in his voice, the laugh that wasn't quite all there.

"What would you call it then?"

He was silent, just like I expected.

It had been a training exercise; it was always a training exercise. Bucky had done a fair bit of exploring within Wakanda and found a number of steep cliff faces and shallow river beds. Deep down, he was still a city kid after all, with an intense interest in all things wild and untamed. And in a clever move to get permission, he presented his idea to go hiking and abseiling as a training exercise. I was the only volunteer to go with him.

The hike was uneventful. Humid tropical air and thick jungle foliage at our feet and high above our heads. It genuinely felt nice to carry a heavy pack and sweat a little. Bucky and I gave up on conversation until we reached the cliff he had chosen to repel down. At that point, I dug a snack out of my backpack while he began to untangle ropes and harnesses. Then we tied off our vibranium-woven lines, stepped into our harnesses, and double-checked each other.

If hiking had felt nice, dropping over a cliff face was exhilarating. It helped that Bucky had chosen a cliff that jutted out to start and then disappeared out from under your feet after ten meters or so. We swung from our lines, enjoying the scenery and comradery.

Then the wind picked up. The cliff was over a river valley, a natural made wind tunnel that threatened to slam us against the rocks after thoroughly entangling our lines. While I had experience repelling in inclement weather, Bucky had quicker reflexes and more brute strength. He grabbed both of our lines and me, and we waited until the wind died down. To top it all off, the platform we were supposed to land on in the river had come untethered and floated down the river.

And we waited, with Bucky's metal hand awkwardly placed between my left thigh and his to keep us from dropping any further and with his right arm around my body.

"If you really want me to move my hand, I can," Bucky offered. Before I could answer, he slackened his grip on the line and we dropped suddenly. I grabbed at his arm around my body and pulled my legs in to my chest while I gave a squeal. Bucky only chuckled behind me and resettled the both of us.

"As awkward as it is to have your hand under my ass, if the alternative is falling into a river I'd rather just wait it out," I told him. I relaxed my legs again, and Bucky adjusted his hold again. "Do you want me to try repositioning? Would that make it any easier on you?"

"It might. Wouldn't hurt to try," he said, and I looked up at the tangled ropes above us. "No one's expecting us back at the base for another hour or so, and they won't come looking until after that. Might as well get comfortable."

"Comfortable is a bit optimistic, don't you think?" I joked. Bucky laughed, and I felt him tilt his head back. "I think I can turn around and face you. Get my legs around your waist or something."

"Knock yourself out. I'll hold us steady," Bucky promised. I started to plan my movements and quickly realized there was no easy way to turn myself around without forcing both to repeatedly compensate for changes in balance. Add in the wind that was still ebbing and flowing, and I was regretting my offer. "Now or never, kid."

"I'm physiologically older than you," I reminded him. I pulled in my left leg to get my foot around our lines, and then crossed it over my body. Bucky leaned away from me to give me extra room, but he kept his grip on the rope firm and steady.

"Is that why you're moving so slow?" he taunted. I glared at him and continued to wiggle slowly but surely into a new position.

"Just don't drop me, old man," I retorted. Leaving my left leg sticking straight out like a counterbalance, I pulled in my right leg and went to place it on Bucky's shoulder. Unfortunately my leg wasn't enough to keep me balanced, and I tipped backwards. In a split second, Bucky released his hold on our lines and somehow managed to loop the ropes around one of his boots before we dropped too far, all while grabbing frantically at my both of my legs. He managed to hug one of them to his chest, but I was still tilted upside down and dangling. "Okay, I'm really serious about not dropping me now."

"I can only do so much without risking losing my grip on these ropes," Bucky reminded me. "Try to get your other leg back up here." I couldn't exactly aim, but I did my best to kick my leg in what seemed like the right direction. Bucky grunted, and I felt a hand wrap around my ankle. "Preferably without kicking me in the head."

"All I can see is the seat of your pants and the soles of your boots," I said. "Just put my leg wherever it needs to go."

Bucky laughed again, but sure enough he moved my ankle to his shoulder. I made a blind grab for our ropes and began to haul myself upright. Eventually I was straddling his thighs with my leg still on his shoulder.

"Are you stuck?" Bucky asked with a smirk. I dropped my leg off his shoulder clumsily.

"Thankfully no, but I'll probably feel that tomorrow," I said. Bucky reached under his legs to grab our ropes again and untangle his foot.

"We're both going to feel this tomorrow," he agreed. "We'll probably never live this down either."

He was right about that one. The entire base was found of speculating whether or not we were in some sort of relationship. Every time we walked through the halls side by side, people would pass and grin. The Wakandans, who outnumbered us a thousand to one, would even switch back into their native language when they saw us, but it was easy to guess the topic of their discussions based solely on the accompanying giggles. It always got worse after training exercises, like when Bucky helped me brush up on my hand-to-hand combat and we ended up in a similarly awkward stalemate on the mats.

"Pray tell what you mean?" I laughed. "I'm hanging off you like curtains. The only way it could get more compromising is if we were wearing less clothing." For the second time, Bucky smirked me. I took advantage of my new position and kicked him in the ass. "Don't get any idea, Barnes."

*

Hoped you enjoyed it Wife_of_SexySeaBass ! Feel free to send in more requests, either through the comments or messages! I love getting requests, as sometimes my mind just goes completely blank of all inspiration and need the help.