Reveries of Spring│Bucky Barnes

━ 𝟎𝟗

THE MORNING AFTER THE PARTY, Martina awoke to a sound -of which could only be compared to a cow giving birth- from down the hall. She looked over at the clock on her nightstand to see how ungodly early it was and resigned herself to get out of her comfortable bed and investigate where the annoying noise was coming from. 

She stepped out of her room, rubbing her eyes as she did, and followed the noise to the room beside Bucky's. 

She stopped briefly in front of his closed door, and the memories of the night before hit her all over again. She was blushing furiously as she recalled the way Bucky's hands had felt on her waist, the way his cool gloved fingers brushed against her exposed lower back, and the way she could feel the rapid beating of his heart with their chests pressed together. 

Those marvelous thoughts were interrupted yet again when another round of unpleasant sounds- akin to a whale call- rang through the hall. 

She moved to Artemis and Loki's open door and peeked her head in. 

"Artemis?' Martina called, daring to inch her way into the room. "Artemis, is that you?"

When she had made it far enough into the room, she looked to her left and saw Artemis on her knees in front of the toilet with a dutiful Loki holding back her hair. 

"Loki," Martina said, watching the way he barely spared her a glance as he rubbed Artemis' back. "Is she okay?"

Loki curled his lip as Artemis threw up again and finally turned to look at Marina. "It seems my fiancee can't handle her alcohol."

"Little prince," Artemis coughed, tilting her head up and wiping stray vomit away from her lips. "Don't make me throw up on you."

Martina was about to ask Artemis if she needed anything- a towel at the very least- until she heard a deep chuckle behind her. 

"Artemis," Bucky said, leaning against the door of her bathroom. "I thought I caught a whiff of shame and humility. Thor mentioned what happened at his coronation. Seems you didn't learn your lesson."

In the middle of throwing up, Artemis raised her right hand and flipped him off as Loki continued to rub her back.

Bucky brushed the crude gesture aside and looked down at Martina, gently placing his hand on her shoulder as he tipped his head. "Ready for our session today?"

Martina nodded her head as she waved a sheepish hand at Artemis, who had moved to curl herself into a ball on Loki's lap, and left the room with Bucky. 

"Let me just change," Martina said as they entered her ice-cold room, leaving Bucky to stand just at the threshold. "I'm sorry it's still so cold in here. Tony only had it installed in order to keep my powers contained- and while I don't think I really need it anymore- it doesn't bother me. but I think I have a pretty good handle on it."

Bucky shrugged his shoulders as he let out a breath and saw it dance around him. "It doesn't bother me."

Bucky, however, was lying. Sure, his physical body was enhanced and made to adapt to whatever environment he found himself in, but Martina's room was almost subarctic. 

He could only feel a tickle of chilliness, and he found it hilarious that Martina was walking around her room in a tank top and shorts. 

She was rummaging through her closet for clothes and he took that split second to admire her. It wasn't something he had been planning on doing, but almost an involuntary action. Even though she wasn't wearing the provocative dress she had on the previous night, he could still not tear his eyes away from the sight of her.