RACHE
Bucky was exhausted. And kind of grateful – but mainly exhausted. So what if all those hugs had made him feel a little less like a monster? So what if they reminded him that after so much hurt and violence and ice, there were physical actions that didn't hurt people? That there was friendship and kindness and warmth? So what. He lived with The Avengers. He was the newbie. All those things were true – but the Avengers had also done it to convey that they were not to be messed with. Bucky Barnes had some face to save.
Steve seemed like a pretty safe place to start. He was too grateful that he'd gotten his friend back to get too angry at Bucky. Or at least something close to his friend is back, Bucky Barnes died when he fell off a train. Bucky tried to keep his daily identity crisis for later and listened to the growing mayhem outside the airing cupboard door. Bucky liked the warm after so long in the ice – but it heated up his arm and Steve's shield so much that he just wanted his best friend to realize it was missing already.
When Steve did realize his shield was gone. All the Avengers helped find it. When they realized Bucky was the only one who wasn't there – the question as to whether they should get the metal detectors out was answered.
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding.
Bucky was grateful Steve was the one to open the door. He jumped out at him, dropping the shield, and taking him into a hug. For a moment Steve shook his head – annoyed that he'd had to worry about his shield for this. It wasn't long before he broke into laughter.
It was Clint who suggested they play Twister.
Half the team called him an idiot.
Half the team thought it was a great idea.
Nobody expected Bucky to fall into the latter group. In the end, Clint sulked over being landed with the job of spinning the arrow because he looked at arrows all day.
"Barnes. Left hand yellow," He demanded. "And you can't detach it this time."
"Fine." Bucky feigned reluctance, but stretched his arm over The Vision to place it next to Wanda's hand on another yellow circle.
"Oh good god I'm falling down!" Bucky's voice was flat. He crumpled over Wanda and the Vision, wrapping his arms around them when they'd fallen down. He didn't let them out of the hug straight away. He was too busy laughing. "I always knew you two would fall for each other."
Thor was surprisingly easy. He was big. Like huge. That was definitely enough to put most people off - but Bucky had been able to figure out his weakness pretty quickly. Skills the Winter Soldier let him have. To get to the Norse God you had to know the way to the Norse God's heart. The Norse God's heart turned out to be a big box of pop tarts.
He liked to watch the toaster while he waited. He would not be bested by the spry metal food bringer - no matter how funny it was to watch him jump at the sugary treats when they were done. There were enough pop tarts in the big box Bucky had given him to ensure he'd be there when the toaster bested Thor again.
Tring.
Thor jumped. Bucky dived forwards. Thor settled down to confusion as the super soldier hugged him.
"Shh" Bucky soothed. "We're all here for you."
Most of the Avengers were gathered around the table in the kitchen, coming and going for breakfast in the morning. Nat was frying eggs and bacon. Bucky stared at her over his cup of coffee. The Avengers knew better than to mess with Black Widow in the morning – but Bucky needed a good plan to get her hug in. She had pinned him to the floor when she'd targeted him in the first round of this hug war. This needed to be good.
She knew what he'd been doing. She knew he'd come for her soon.
"What are you staring at?" She didn't even look at him to ask the question, but she knew he'd been looking at her. Bucky sighed.
"Natasha, I'm in love with you."
Every single Avenger in the room stopped what they were doing to stare at them. Tony made and ooooh noise. Steve's eyes went wide. Sam sat back and beamed.
"He did not." Clint sounded like he wanted to add a snap of his fingers to the end of his sentence. The one with the least reaction was Natasha. Who turned to him with the same expression. Even so, Bucky could tell he'd stopped her short.
"What?"
Bucky smiled and took her in a hug. He lifted her off her feet and the frying pan clanged. Nat realized what had happened and grunted as he span her around.
"You can't tell me you saw this hug coming in that moment."
"Shut up, Barnes."
Bucky chuckled.
"I win."
Tick Tock. Tick Tock.
Clint Barton was a snorer. Clint Barton was a master assassin who was trained to notice everything in his surroundings. Even in his subconscious. Bucky knew this was a risk – but he was the Winter Soldier. He stood in the shadows. Hidden. Unblinking. Silent – even if he didn't need to be. Clint's hearing aids were out even if he hadn't bothered to change from his gear before falling asleep.
Clint grunted and rolled over. He fell back to snoring. Bucky rolled his eyes and threw a roll of socks at him. Clint shot up, rolling towards his bow and arrow Bucky kicked them away. Clint was ready to attack. Bucky took a few blows until he could trap Clint's arms under his own. Making do with a hug from behind. It still counted. Clint slouched. Bucky patted his shoulder.
"Is that today's paper?"
Bucky had his hands in his back pocket as he approached Sam, who leaned against the kitchen counter. Sam lifted his head slowly, looking at Bucky like he was an idiot.
"No. It's from 1943. Is this ugly guy you?"
Bucky just rolled his eyes.
"You're funny. Can I read it after you?"
Sam smiled like it was Christmas. Again, it grew slowly, but when it was there he flourished his arms out as he threw the newspaper out of the open window. Bucky smiled back. Sam didn't have time to wonder why Bucky was enjoying being on the wrong end of their pettiness war this time, he was too busy being smothered by his flesh and metal arms. He realized what had happened. He slumped. Defeated. He'd lost this round. It was over. He shook his head to grumble out his response.
"I hate you."
Scott was having a relatively normal day. He'd forgotten what they were like…boring – apparently. He'd been walking aimlessly around the shopping market for what felt like eternity and had already forgotten what he'd come in for. He didn't realize he was walking past the plums when Bucky Barnes appeared through the crowd like the ghost he'd once been. Scott was clutched in a hug. He should have known better. He was still stumped.
"Err…"
Bucky said nothing. The silence stretched on. Scott thought he'd spent eternity shopping. He was wrong. That hug was eternity. Bucky eventually pulled away and clapped him on the side of the head with a small smile. He left without a word.
Bucky was apprehensive in targeting Tony.
Stark was gradually warming up to Bucky, sure. Sometimes he went a whole day without reminding him that he'd killed his parents. Even so, there were still boundaries there - and Bucky was seriously thinking about breaking these boundaries big time.
That was the sort of thing he contemplated in the three hours he lay under Tony's mess. Stacks of papers and books and tools and empty bags of chips in his lab. Tony had only gone up for coffee. From what Bucky heard from above he'd gotten into a spat with Steve about something. Maybe about coffee grains. Maybe about patriotism. It was always a mixed bag with those two.
When Tony came back to his studio he was mumbling about Steve's stupid arrogance and shinning blue eyes. He only stopped when he noted the metal arm amongst his pile of trash. That hadn't been there before.
"Huh - ?" Tony barely got his confusion out before Bucky pushed himself from the table. The papers and screwdrivers and soda cans scattered the floor as Bucky flung his limbs around the infamous Iron Man. Tony staggered back. The man who always had something to say was speechless as Bucky dropped his legs from his body. He smiled sheepishly when he let go completely. Slowly, Tony turned red. Within a second Bucky was being chased up the stairs by an angry man with a drill.
Maybe Bucky did this to save face in Avengers tower. Maybe he did it because he much preferred the magical hug legacy to the Winter Soldier one.