Bucky Barnes hates, loathes, and despised Friday nights in the compound.
Bucky Barnes however, also loves Friday nights in the compound.
It felt like he had whiplash from his own emotional back and forth.
You see, Fridays had become Team Night in the compound. Mandatory Team Night. As long as they weren’t on a mission, everyone was expected to attend. Tony had read some article about the psychology of group activities…so now everyone must suffer. He’d even started scheduling all his charity events on other nights so there would be no excuse to miss out. Asshole.
Bucky hated every minute of it. Everyone was too loud, too drunk, too happy. All he wanted to do was go back to his room and read. He knew he could always slip out unnoticed, but he didn’t. You were there.
You had come to the team nearly a year ago. You had been quiet, nervous, almost shy. No one but Tony even really knew why you were there or where you’d come from. You didn’t seem like a fighter and never mentioned any powers. But Tony had said you had no other place to go and you’d be safest with them. So no one questioned it and welcomed you with open arms.
They were all misfits after all.
The first team night after your arrival, Steve asked if there was something you would like to do in particular. Bucky could tell his best friend was trying to help you feel more comfortable. But then you said the words that doomed Bucky to this love/hate purgatory he found himself in.
“My friends and I, we used to do karaoke. It’s actually really fun.”
Tony’s eyes had lit right up, smiling at Steve almost manically, “Karaoke?! That’s fantastic. Why didn’t I think of that?”
And then the genius had practically run off, muttering to FRIDAY about sound systems and music libraries.
But, it was the first time any of them had seen you smile.
You spent the most time locked up in Tony’s lab with him, “training”, the doors locked and no one else allowed in. Outside of the lab, you tended to stick to the library, the garden, or your room. Steve said he’d seen you come out of the gym early one morning, but no one had ever seen you work out.
Bucky found himself spending a lot of time with you outside of his missions. He often found you with a book in your hands in the library, or laid out under a tree reading in the garden. You had some excellent recommendations for books and seemed to light up describing the stories to him trying to convince him to read them. One time, he swore he saw you actually glowing for a second. But then he blinked and it was gone.
He quickly became addicted to your smile, never feeling like he could get enough.
And then their inaugural Avengers Karaoke night was upon them.
Tony hopped up to the mic first, thanking you for the idea and kicking the evening off with a very exaggerated…pompous…version of Frank Sinatra’s, “My Way.” Everyone laughed and cheered him off stage. Bucky just rolled his eyes, sat as far away from the makeshift stage as possible, sipping on his beer.
“Alright, Sunshine, it was your idea. Let’s see what you’ve got.” Tony declared, grabbing hold of your hand and leading you to the mic.
You’d wrung your hands and quickly selected a song before standing behind the microphone with your shoulders hunched and your eyes closed. You were waiting for the music to start.
When it did, Bucky didn’t recognize the song, but that was no surprise to him, he had seventy years of music to get caught up on and he found he didn’t care for a lot of it. He noticed, however, that from the very first note you seemed to relax, a small smile on your lips. Then you started singing and…it wasn’t terribly bad, but no one would call it terribly good either. You were just so enthusiastic and you looked so happy.
“You’ll be back.
Time will tell.
You’ll remember that I served you well…
Oceans rise. Empires Faaalllll”
He heard Natasha whisper “Hamilton”, whatever that was, to Steve & Sam.
As you kept singing it was like you were a completely different person. You made eye contact, you smirked at them. Bucky felt himself wanted to say the word, sassy.
You were practically bouncing with energy. When you hit a note just right, or held it for long enough it was glorious. The whole team was singing with you by the end. Even Bucky had been tempted…but he was so shocked he barely remembered to breathe.
Then it was over, and you stood behind the mic, flushed and panting, a huge grin on your face. Bucky was a goner, and he knew it.
It was a few weeks later they got to do karaoke again and Clint hopped up first, asking for requests. Natasha sauntered up to the machine and plugged in a song, smirking devilishly the whole time.
When the song started, most of the team began cackling, getting the reference immediately. But Bucky and Steve sat there lost.
Clint though, simply shook his head before hamming his way through “Oo-De-Lally” from Disney’s Robin Hood.
Bucky saw you from the corner of his eye, lean over to Steve and show him a video on his phone. You both started giggling and Bucky smiled.
Most of the team left on a rough mission two days later, and when they got back Tony said they should do karaoke again to lift their spirits. Thor, who’d been called in was VERY excited about the prospect. He’d heard Darcy mention it and was thrilled to try it.
Sam started them off this week, selecting his song very carefully before getting himself ready behind the mic. However, when the music started, he just looked confused.
“Hold on, this isn’t my song.”
“Sure it is! Sing it Bird-boy!” Tony hollered at him, holding up his phone.
“Aw, come on man!” But Tony just shook his head, smiling at the former soldier. “I have not had enough drinks for this…”
And that’s how Sam Wilson found himself singing along to Bette Midler’s “Wind Beneath My Wings.”
As he got ready for the chorus, Tony hit another button and the wall behind Sam suddenly lit up with a projection of a bright blue sky full of fluffy clouds. Sam turned around, saw it, and dropped the mic.
“Nope. That’s it, I’m done. You’re a dick Stark.” He headed straight for another drink.
Thor took that opportunity to jump up to the stage. He was like a giant puppy. He took an excruciating amount of time to pick a song, but they could tell when he’d decided because his eyes had lit up like a Christmas tree.
Abruptly, Thor began a strange bellowing of “Thunder” by Imagine Dragons. The rest of the team laughed and danced in their seats as the God of Thunder made a show of it. Bucky swore he heard Tony tell FRIDAY to video it.
When it was your turn, you danced around and sang “I Love You Always Forever”. Everyone, even Bucky knew the Donna Lewis song and when you hit the first chorus everyone was up on their feet dancing. You even hopped off the stage to dance and sing with them. Bucky and Steve made eye contact, recognizing the intoxication levels of everyone. Sometimes he wished he could still get drunk.
He was quite enjoying the show, until he saw Sam take you in his arms and dip you down low. Bucky was not expecting the jealous, blind rage he felt at the sight. Before he did something stupid, he hopped up from his seat and left the room. Halfway down the hall outside, he heard footsteps behind him, quickly catching up. Steve.
“Want to talk about it?” The blonde asked as he fell into step with his oldest friend. They marched into the gym together, Bucky ignoring the question and heading for the punching bags instead.
“Buck, come on,’ Steve sighed, “Well, when you do want to talk about it. I’m here.”
Then, together they beat on the punching bags for awhile. Steve eventually went to bed, Bucky again ignoring him when he tried to get the brunette to go as well.
Once he was alone, he was free to rage as much as he liked without worrying his best friend. He just kept going, slamming his fists against the canvas until it eventually gave way under his strength. And Tony had said he’d upgraded the bags…
He was so focused on watching the sand pour out of the bag he didn’t hear anyone approach.
“Now, what did that bag ever do to you? Huh?” You stood a few feet away, in workout clothes, your arms crossed over your chest. His eyes flicked from you to the clock and realized just how long he’d been in there.
“What are you doing up?” Nice deflection, Buck, he winced to himself.
You shrugged, “Couldn’t sleep anymore, you?”
“Never went to bed.” You just nodded and moved toward the treadmills. As you walked away, he realized he’d never seen so much of your skin before. He tried to memorize every square inch of you. You were so beautiful.
But, his heart nearly stopped when he saw the scars. Up and down your back, across your chest, and along your arms and legs. Fine, thin lines following a strange pattern he couldn’t figure out. Before he even realized what he was doing, he had strode up to you, his hands out to touch.
“Doll, who did that to you?”
Your head whipped around and the look in your eyes had him jumping back a few steps. The scowl on your lips screamed anger, but your eyes…your eyes held nothing but pain. Something on Bucky’s face made you pause, then sigh.
“Let’s just say, you’re not the only person who understands what it’s like to be HYDRA’s guinea pig.” Then you turned away and started your run.
He stood there, shocked for a moment, before he turned away and went to clean up the mess he’d made. As he got ready to head out, he could hear you singing softly to yourself.
“…never do you wrong.
I’ve known it from the moment that we met.
No doubt in my mind where you belong.”
He fell asleep thinking of you and in the early hours of the morning, Bucky Barnes dreamt of his own time with HYDRA. Only, this time, he was on the outside looking in, watching the Winter Soldier going after you, over and over again. Every time, he was too late.
For the next couple of weeks, you both acted no different around the compound. You gave Bucky a few new books to read and he told you stories about Steve from the forties. The team played board games and watched a couple movies together before you asked if there could be another Karaoke Night.
As soon as it was settled, everyone began pestering him and Steve to sing. Bucky adamantly refused, but Steve gave in to the peer pressure, after you gave him the sweetest, saddest puppy dog eyes.
“Damn, Sunshine, careful with those,” Steve chuckled, “Alright, alright. Just stop with the puppy dog eyes before I say yes to anything else.”
The whole rest of the week, all Bucky could think about was you.
He ignored Tony & Rhodey with their arms around each other, singing “You’ve Got A Friend” from Toy Story and Wanda’s rendition of “I Put a Spell on You” courtesy of Hocus Pocus.
What he did see was you, mouthing the words with Wanda and cackling gleefully at Tony & Rhodey, before Nat sat down next to you and the two of you began conspiring with your heads together.
Meanwhile, Steve sat fidgeting in his seat, psyching himself up to sing. When it was his turn he stood behind the mic, rubbing sweaty palms on his jeans.
The music started and your head whipped up so fast Bucky thought you might have broken it. You were cackling loudly, bouncing in your seat, and clapping. To settle his nerves, Steve sang to you, his enthusiastic supporter. The happier you got, the more Steve seemed to get into it.
The Bee Gee’s “Stayin’ Alive” had never sounded so…ridiculous to Bucky. Tony, Sam, and even Bucky were recording this masterpiece of off key singing and awkward dancing.
“Steeeeve! Do the thing!” You shouted to him over the music. The blonde rolled his eyes, but started what Bucky could only assume was a disco dance move, his friend’s arm pointing up and down across his body. How pointing was considered a dance move, Bucky would never understand. It actually made him a little happy to have missed the days of disco…
To cap off the night, you and Nat got up to sing a duet. You were two fiery, passionate women singing “Take Me or Leave Me” from Rent.
“Lady Sunshine is quite the character is she not?” Thor had sat down next to him, who knew how long ago. Bucky had been too busy watching you to pay attention to anything else.
“She and Lady Natasha sing well together.” Thor tried again, causing Bucky to growl quietly. But the Asgardian just laughed, clapped him on the shoulder, and sauntered off.
Bucky needed to get his shit together.
The next night, Bucky headed into the gym after another nightmare, only to find you there already. You were covered in sweat, sitting in the middle of the floor, still as a statue, and again, singing quietly to yourself.
“…whole world is on your case.
I could offer you a warm embrace.
To make you feel my love…”
Not wanting to ruin your concentration he picked a spot nearby and within eyesight, and started stretching. He still didn’t recognize the song, but he knew it was now one of his favorites, just for having heard you sing it.
After a minute, the song stopped and you started muttering to yourself, “Happy thoughts…happy thoughts.”
He had no idea what you were doing. At this point, everyone knew you had some sort of “super power”, and received it against your will, only, no one but Tony knew what it was. It was the reason he’d started calling you Sunshine.
And then he saw it.
You started to glow. Your entire body, from head to toe began emitting a soft, pale light.
You were crying from the strain, but you started singing again, the same song as before. And the light started to get brighter. Eventually, he had to shield his eyes and back away a couple of feet to escape the heat coming off of you.
You peeked open one eye, then both as you took in your limbs. You started cheering to yourself, obviously proud. Sweat was pouring off of you and Bucky could see how hard it was for you to keep this up. He thought you’d never looked more beautiful. He wanted to bask in you forever.
The moment you caught sight of him everything stopped. You went so dark, pulling in light from around you Bucky swore he saw you disappear into the shadows for a moment before you “popped” back to normal. You were on your feet so fast, running from the room his head was spinning.
You avoided him for three days. He missed you. He was so hopelessly in love with you that losing out on the moments he got to spend with you each day was borderline torture for him. He felt a real, physical ache thinking that you were angry with him.
He had started to think that maybe you felt something for him too. You weren’t scared of him like so many others. You could talk to each other for hours when it was just the two of you, often sitting in the library until the sun started to come up or out in the gardens well past sunset and you could barely see your hand in front of you.
But now, you wanted nothing to do with him. Well, he thought, three days is enough.
He confronted you before bed, when he knew you were alone in your room. You answered the door in your pajamas, a fluffy robe covering as much skin as possible. He recognized the Harry Potter characters all over it only because YOU had begged him to read the books. He had not been disappointed. You had even promised to have a marathon of the films as soon as he could get a few days off in a row.
“Bucky?”
“Hiya Doll. I just, I just wanted to say I’m sorry. The other night, I should have let you know I was there. You’re private about your training, you powers and have been practicing alone. I shouldn’t have spied on you like that.”
You gaped at him, “I think that’s the most you’ve ever said at one time.”
“Yeah, well,” he chuckled self-consciously, running a hand on the back of his neck, “I miss my reading buddy. I miss our talks, even I’m mostly listening. I just don’t want you to feel uncomfortable around me. I can’t bear it.”
“Is that what you thought?’ One of your hands creeped up to your mouth in shock, ‘Damnit Bucky, I wasn’t avoiding you because I was mad, or, or uncomfortable. I’m terrified I’ll hurt you.”
He stood, confused on your doorstep.
“Look, come inside and I’ll explain.”
The two of you settled on the sofa, your legs tucked under you, hiding even more of your body from view.
“My ‘power’, if you can call it that…HYDRA gave it to me somehow. It felt more like they were ripping me apart. I don’t know how to control it, not really. It gets so bright, so hot, so fast sometimes that I could, have, blinded people, burned them, and made the air so hot it burnt their lungs from the inside. People died because of my ‘power’, Bucky. I saw you sitting there, your hand up, sweating from the heat, and I panicked. I’ve stayed away because I don’t want to hurt you. I couldn’t bear that.”
Tears were flowing freely from your eyes and Bucky felt his heart break. Instantly he was on his knees in front of you, grabbing your hands in his.
“Hey, look at me, you would never, never, hurt any of us on purpose. And you have enough control that I haven’t seen you using your powers outside of the gym right?”
“Well, no. But-.”
“No buts. Look, if I promise not to sneak up on you while you’re practicing again, you think maybe we could still be friends when you’re not?”
You smiled quickly and nodded through the tears.
“Good, now I think you’ve earned some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Definitely, thank you Bucky.” He wasn’t expecting the hug, and it was over before he could wrap his arms around you, but he held onto the memory of your body pressed against his.
Bucky noticed two things about Karaoke Night after that.
First, every Team Night became Karaoke Night, and second, all you seemed to sing now were love songs.
“Born to be Yours”, then “Happy Together”, “One and Only”, and “All of Me.” He hoped someone else noticed, he needed to talk to someone. But first, he needed more evidence.
After you had finished “All of Me”, Clint and Natasha got up to sing “Budapest” by George Ezra. The whole time they sang, he watched you, looking for some sign of what was going on in your head. Why all the love songs?
Eventually he gave up and told himself he would try to figure you out a different way.
For the rest of the week following, he tried, but you were giving nothing away.
His big break came when he heard Steve & Sam in the common room, talking about you.
“Does she really think we haven’t noticed?” asked Sam.
“She is so focused on NOT actually telling him how she feels, I doubt if she’s been paying any attention to the rest of us.”
“The two of them, I swear man…”
“I know, they’re perfect for each other.” Steve said the last laughing. Bucky hit his limit, he couldn’t take it anymore. You were singing these love songs TO someone? WHO?!? He had to know, and was just storming up to the two men to demand answers when you came bouncing in.
“Yay!’ you cried, ‘My favorite boys!”
“Hiya Doll.” Steve gave you a one armed hug.
“Sunshine!” Sam cried while leaning in to kiss your cheek. However, Bucky was just caught staring, his eyes wide like a deer in headlights. His anger and adrenaline dissipating at the sight of you.
“I need your help. What do you think I should sing tonight?” Steve’s eyebrows hit his hairline, while Sam’s jaw dropped. You never asked for suggestions, you always had a song already in mind. In their silence, Bucky saw an opening and grabbed it.
“What’s that song you’re always singing to yourself? You should do that one.”
“Really? I never thought…” You seemed surprised by his request.
“Yeah, I mean, you always look happy when you’re singing it, and you sound great.”
You perked up and grinned, “Okay! I’ll do it! Thanks Bucky!”
And then you were gone, just as quick as you’d come.
“You know, you should sing something too, Bucky. I mean, it’s only fair…she’s singing the song you like…you should sing something she would like.” Sam suggested, not subtly. Steve kicked him under the table. But, it made Bucky start to think.
He’d turned to leave and made it as far as the doorway when his thoughts were interrupted by a certain redhead.
“It’s you, idiot.” And she waited.
Bucky just stared at her for a moment, the neurons and pathways in his brain still trying to process Sam’s statement before he could process what he’d just heard. But when they did…and the pieces fell into place, his eyes grew wide and he stopped breathing.
“There it is.” She patted his arm and smirked at him before sauntering off to sit with Steve & Sam.
If Bucky Barnes walked the rest of his way to his room with a huge grin on his face, that may or may not have scared Tony & Rhodey into launching themselves into a supply closet…no one had to know why.
Bucky had a plan for Team Night. If you were singing to him, putting how you felt about him into song, then he would do the same for you. And after a couple of hours, he found the perfect song.
Nat kicked the evening off by herself with a terrifying rendition of Blondie’s “One Way or Another. There was no clapping, no cheering, just half team staring at her in shock, while the rest looked like they wanted to run far, far away. Except Clint, who simply cackled and videoed the performance for Laura.
Nat handed you the microphone and you made your way to the machine. You let out a deep breath as you hit the buttons.
As the music started you gave a quick glance at Bucky before closing your eyes.
When you started singing, Bucky forgot how to breathe.
“When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love”
When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love
I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I will never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong”
Steve leaned over to Sam, “What song is this?”
“Make You Feel My Love, I think this is the Adele version?” Sam replied, and sent a sneaky smirk Bucky’s way. He didn’t notice.
“I'd go hungry; I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love
The storms are raging on the rolling sea
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like me yet
I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the Earth for you
To make you feel my love
To make you feel my love”
As the song ended and the music faded, you opened your eyes and smiled at everyone before looking straight into Bucky’s eyes. Just for a moment before you put the mic away and bowed to everyone.
“Wonderful as always, Sunshine!” Tony cheered, “Who’s next?”
Sam looked over at Bucky pointedly. But he didn’t need to, the super soldier was already standing up.
“Manchurian Candidate? Finally! What’s it going to be? Psycho Killer? Out of My Mind? Assassin?”
“Alright, enough Tony!” Steve glared at him. Tony threw his hands up, but still turned to Rhodey, “I’ll bet you $1,000 he sings Cole Porter.”
“Oh, you’re on.” Rhodey smirked and sat back, ready to win some money.
Bucky shot daggers at them both with his eyes and simply adjusted the microphone. As the music started, Tony lost his mind. As it was, the rest of the team had gone silent with wonder as the first hypnotic notes of “My Girl” began to play.
“I've got sunshine on a cloudy day
When it's cold outside I've got the month of May
I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way?
My girl (my girl, my girl)
Talkin' 'bout my girl (my girl)
I've got so much honey the bees envy me
I've got a sweeter song than the birds in the trees”
He didn’t need the karaoke machine, he’d memorized the lyrics already. This was one of his favorite songs from the time he missed being the Winter Soldier.
He just kept his eyes on you, singing every word, directly at you.
“Well, I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way?
My girl (my girl, my girl)
Talkin' 'bout my girl (my girl)
Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey
Ooooh”
“I don't need no money, fortune or fame
I've got all the riches, baby, one man can claim
Well, I guess you'd say
What can make me feel this way?
My girl (my girl, my girl)
Talkin' 'bout my girl (my girl)”
Everything he felt for you he let bleed into the his face, his voice. He could see you start to cry, with the biggest smile on your face.
“I've got sunshine on a cloudy day
With my girl
I've even got the month of May
With my girl
Talkin' 'bout
Talkin' 'bout
Talkin' 'bout
My girl
Ooooh
My girl
As long as I can talk about my girl...”
You started to glow. All eyes turned to you, but you only had eyes for the super soldier singing his heart out to you.
Nat and Steve, who had been seated next to you got up and moved to the windows for air, trying to get away from the heat you were emitting.
As Bucky sang the last notes and the music stopped, Bucky knelt directly in front of you. He took your hands in his, even though it hurt his flesh hand to do it. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open, but he kept smiling, kept looking at you.
“Doll? We need you to turn it off now.” He saw when it registered to you and the look of surprise on your face as you looked at yourself. Instantly, you forced yourself to draw it back in, and the room was suddenly thrust into complete darkness. You had called every bit of light in the room to you.
“So, Sunshine. I think we found your happy thought, yeah?’ Tony chuckled, nervously. “Think you maybe, turn the lights back on though?”
Natasha turned on the flashlight on her phone, “I think she’s a little busy Tony.”
In the dark, you had thrown yourself into Bucky’s arms and kissed him. The bright red of your lipstick was smeared across his lips as he smiled up at you.
The next Karaoke Night, you and Bucky got up to sing together. The team was less than amused by your choice, all of them groaning and laughing simultaneously.
It was “Friday I’m In Love” by The Cure, and you were both radiating so much happiness, you couldn’t care less that the team was bound to tease you endlessly for this.
Maybe Friday’s weren’t so bad…