pancakes, sir?
I wake up with a gasp, my clothes soaked in sweat as my dreams of fire and storms and natural disasters burn their way into the back of my eyelids. I gasp, starting to hyperventilate as I feel the room’s temperature starts to drop. I can see my breath as I breathe out, the hot air meeting the cold as I continue to struggle for air, the nightmares still playing in my head.
“Jarvis?” I whisper unintentionally, my breath hoarse, my eye wide.
“Yes, (Y/N)?” Jarvis voice pierces through the images in my head, and I start to breath a little bit easier.
“What time is it”
“It’s 1:34 am. Would you like anything?”
“I just need somewhere to calm down, relax, settle my thoughts” I mumble to myself, but Jarvis overheard me.
“Well, I believe there is somewhere that may be to your satisfaction” Jarvis says with a hint of barely concealed anticipation. I hum in question as I look down at my hands and see them laced with ice.
“Down the corridor, second door to the left”
“Thank you Jarvis. Hey, I know this may be a lot to ask but cold I get an iPod to put my music on?” I ask, shaking my head to clear away the icy fog, and the room temperature returns back to normal.
“(Y/N), Mr Stark has expressly told me that anything you want, you are to get whatever you want. If you could please type any songs you would like” A screen on the wall lights up and I walk up to it, taking 10 minutes to type in any and all songs that I like to listen to. I step back when I’m finished, and the screen whirs, then deactivates. Then, two minutes later, a hatch opens up in the wall, and in the recess is a new iPhone.
“Um, Jarvis? What’s this?” I pick up the phone, and it unlocks at my touch. I peer into the hole and I see a pair of sleek black headphones.
“Anything you want, Mr Stark wants you to have better”
I shrug, a smile on my face as I plug the headphones in.
“Thanks Jarvis!” I call out as I exit my room, walking slowly and quietly down the hallway, listening to my favourite music. I stop outside the door Jarvis mentioned, and slowly, with my hand on the doorknob, I open it. None of the hinges squeak, but I do gasp at the room in front of me.
The room was full of books. I mean, they lined the walls in shoulder high bookcases and there were long, floor-to-floor bookcases that made aisles. There were lamps that emitted gentle yellow light at regular intervals along the aisles. And I could see an area up the back that had two large couches and a couple of beanbags that made a nice little reading area.
I walk up to the nearest bookcase and let my fingers trail over the spines of the books, inhaling deeply the smell of old and new books, and something different, something musky? I shrug and walk into another aisle, and I spot a book which draws my eye. My head bobs to the music as I walk over to the couch area with the book in my hand. I stand still and quickly read the book blurb, and I grin to myself.
I take out the phone and I switch off my music, then I take out the headphones, and I pause, which is when I become acutely aware of a presence behind me. I whirl around and nothing is there, but I see a shadow at the end of the aisle directly behind me, which moves when I see it. I blink in confusion and dropped the book onto a nearby couch, and I walk cautiously down the aisle towards where I saw the shadow. But when I got to the end, nothing was there.
My stomach is roiling with anxiety, and I remember what happened last time, but this time, instead of the air increasing in strength, I can feel everything’s placement in the room. And in the aisle one over, there is a heartbeat.
“Hello? I know someone’s in here” I call out, and the heartbeat quickens slightly, then goes back to normal. I walk around the corner into the next aisle, and I notice instantly that the lights are out. I cautiously walk down the aisle. I continue down the aisle, holding my breath so I can hear any sounds. I get to the end, when I hear a gentle breath behind me.
I turn around slowly, my (Y/E/C) eyes meeting brilliant ice blue ones. I breathe in a ragged breath as I try to curb my surprise and fear. The lower half of the Winter soldier’s face is covered in a leather mask, which leaves his eyes in plain view. His long dark hair frames his face, and when he takes a step back, I realise that I had been holding my breath.
“Bucky?” I ask quietly, and he nods his head, his eyes never leaving mine. I stare back, unintentionally memorizing his eyes and bare face.
“So, um, what are you doing here?” My eyebrows raise as he doesn’t answer. I fiddle with my shirt, nervously scratching the back of my neck as I continue to stare back at him. Then I smile, which makes his blank eyes flicker with confusion.
“Bucky, what do you say to an early breakfast?” I wait for answer, but when Bucky doesn’t give any indication, I shrug and walk slowly out of the room, heading out into the corridor and towards what I hope is the kitchen. I don’t turn around, trusting Bucky to follow me, and I think he is, because I can hear quiet, quick footsteps behind me.
I gasp in amazement as I arrive in the cooking area, which is roughly the size of my room, meaning that it’s amazingly big. Everything was accented with black marble and there was even a fully stocked walk in pantry.
“Wow” I murmur, and I’m certain that I hear a deep, half-hearted chuckle, but I still don’t turn around.
……………………
The girl had startled me when she walked into the library. I didn’t realise that Stark would have put her up on this floor, but I should have guessed, Stark’s men had been in and out of this floor ever since he went out for city patrol.
I had been thinking about the memories, the flashes of light and dark and fire, and a train, when she had come in. I heard her gasp. Then I had heard her walk over to the couches, and I just couldn’t help myself. I stepped out into the aisle to see her. Her hair was loose, her long (your/colour/hair) falling over her shoulders, the light from the lamp shining around her. Then she had stopped. Then turned around. Yelled out, as if she knew I was here.
I was surprised. I thought I had been stealthy. Apparently not. And then I found myself behind her. And she had turned around.
I was spellbound, her eyes glowing with wit and excitement. And something like fear.
I stepped back, afraid that I might have scared her away. But she didn’t run, didn’t move, only let out a breath.
“Bucky” Her breathing was erratic, but slowed down when I nodded. When she looked at me, I was aware of everything, the leather on my face, the hair around my face, her gaze focused on me, the feeling of nothingness as I flexed my metal arm.
I realize that I had missed what she had said, only when her eyes sparkled with mischief.
“Bucky, what do you say to an early breakfast?” I blink in surprise, but stay quiet. Which I realise is not the best move as she shrugs and walks away from me and out of the door.
Against my own judgement, I follow her, watching her walk away from me, her shoulders set as she walks to what I know is the kitchen. I smirk, and I let my footsteps get a little heavier. Her head twitches to the side, but I know she can hear me. I appreciate that she doesn’t around to check on me. I like that she trusts me. Well, seems to.
I stop at the entrance of the kitchen, one I have seen multiple times. Yet, she seems amazed by it, by the colours, and the size.
“Wow” she mutters, and I can’t help but chuckle quietly, which I cut off halfway.
I know she heard me.
…………………..
I finally turn around, and I look at him. He’s lost in his thoughts, leaning against the doorframe. His legs were crossed over the ankles, his hands resting in each other in front of him, his hair falling over his face.
“Hey”
Bucky’s head snaps up, his eyes wide as dreams and memories echo in his pupils. Then his eyes calm down, and he raises his eyes expectedly at me. I flush, and look away, turning back to the fully stocked fridge and opening the door. I eye the contents, and chuckle at all the food in it.
“Well, I don’t know what you want but there’s eggs, bacon, sausages, pancake mix –“
“Pancakes” Bucky interrupts me, and I whirl around, my eyes open is surprise. And then, even more surprisingly, he unclips his leather mask, revealing his flushed cheeks.
“Pancakes, please” his voice is shy, but soft. I can’t help but stare at his face in awe, his day-old stubble on his chiselled jaw, his flush lips. He fidgets uncharacteristically with his metal hand, running his fingers up and down over the ridges of his arm.
“Oh! Yes, of course, pancakes” I fluster as I grab everything I need from the fridge and cupboard, and get to mixing the batter on the island counter, which also has a stove top set into the marble . Gingerly, he steps forward when he thinks I’m not looking. Smiling to myself, I keep my head down, only looking up through my eyelashes when I hear the chair scraping the floor.
Grabbing a frypan when I finish the mixture, and in a couple of minutes I push a plate of pancakes over to Bucky. And since he was lost in thought, the surprise and delight on his face was almost childlike, revealing the side of Bucky that I suspected he hadn’t felt in a long time.
I secretly take a picture of him, with his almost childlike expression and sparkling eyes. Then, with a idea popping into my head, I quickly grab the things I need, then rush back over to Bucky, he was looking up at me with curiosity.
Smirking, I set margarine, honey, jam, Nutella, whipped cream, lemon juice, sugar, and an assortment of fruit in front of him, and I wave a ‘go ahead’ gesture at him.
“Well? Go on” I grab my own plate of pancakes and I spray on a heap of whipped cream and Nutella over it. I see him hesitate, so I decide to help him along.
“Bucky, are you more of a healthy person, or a sweet tooth?” Bucky opens his mouth, snaps it shut, then opens it.
“Steve said I used to like sweets” Bucky whispers, his eyes growing sad, so I quickly pull his plate towards me and flash him a kind smile.
“How bout I give you a bit of both?” I grab the jar of honey, the whipped cream and the tub of blueberries. Then I squeeze a generous amount of whipped cream onto the pile of pancakes, then I drizzle honey over the top and then place blueberries strategically in the whipped cream.
With a pleased smile on my face, I slide the plate over to Bucky, digging into my own pile as he delicately chops his up. Then, I discreetly take a series of pictures, one of his doubt as he examined the pancake, the next one of him placing the forkful of pancake into his mouth, and then the pure bliss as the taste hits his tongue.
“Wow” That’s the only thing Bucky says as he digs into the pile with eagerness.
“It’s a special recipe. Maybe I’ll tell you one day” I tease him, then the look he gave me was absolutely smutty, and totally done on purpose, his eyes darkening.
“Mm, one day” He continues to eat as if nothing had happened. I cough on my pancake, and Bucky looks up at me innocently.
“(Y/N)? Bucky?” Steve’s voice sound surprised as he walks into the kitchen, wearing a tight grey workshirt and gym shorts.
“Oh, Steve!” I jump up out of the chair as Bucky looks over his shoulder, a smirk on his face.
“Um, pancake?” Steve shakes his head with a smile as he observes the spread of breakfast food and toppings.
“No thanks (Y/N). But what are you guys doing here?” I instantly turn defensive to hide my embarrassment, which I think only Bucky noticed, as he looks at me curiously.
“Well, I could ask you the same thing”
“Oh, I just happened to wake up and I’m on the floor above you with Buck, and I thought I’d just see what you were doing” Steve’s hands flick to my hands in confusion but Bucky quickly steps up and moves in between us, facing me, his face close to mine.
Then my breath stops when he leans even closer to me, his lips brushing past my ear, and his metal fingertips brushing my arm.
“Your hands are glowing red. I know what you did with the hammer” Bucky whispers in his husky voice, shooting me a knowing look as he pulls away, a smile gracing his lips when I quickly pull my hands behind my back.
Then, without looking back at me, he walks past Steve and pulls him with him out of the kitchen.
With no audience to watch me, I gasp, leaning against the countertop as energy rushes to my hands. I stare at them, then with a finger snap, flames erupt in my palm, slowly spreading up my arms.
“Shit. Jarvis?” I call out as I sink to the middle of the kitchen floor.
“Yes miss?” Jarvis’s voice is concerned.
“Get Tony, please” I wince as the fire increases with my anxiety about the fire. With the air rolling around me, I manage to conjure a small whirlwind around myself to keep the flames from spreading.
Then a few minutes later, the last thing I see before I black out is Tony’s worried face as he rushes to me, his arms catching me before I hit the ground.