***Author's Note*** (Please Read)
This is just a quick one shot based on this imagine from tumblr: imagine making a cup of coffee/tea one night, only to find the winter soldier standing in the kitchen corner and droping you cup/mug in surprise. As for what is the reader's connection to the Avengers in this story, one of the Avengers is her parent or her guardian, somewhere along those lines.
Also this is post Captain America: Winter Solider and has nothing to do with the Avengers: Age of Ultron plot. Just to put that out there.
Disclaimer: I do not own Marvel, therefore I do not own the characters mentioned or any other character from Marvel for that matter. Nor do I own the Marvel world. So no trouble, please. I also do not own the imagine and sadly can not find the link to in on tumblr. If any of you readers find the actual imagine please message me the link so I can put it up. Thank you.
Enjoy!
You weren't sure what time it was, but you did know it was pretty late. Past midnight most likely, way past.
You were working in Tony's lab, usually it would be on an invention, but actually it was on that assignment for your government class that was due in one day. You just started this afternoon and Tony's computer was a big help. If anyone knew you were late on an assignment you wouldn't here the end of it. Well at least from Steve, Nat and Pepper, especially Pepper. You wanted no scorn nor punishment with spring break around the corner. Thankfully, most of the Avengers were on a mission and won't be back until tomorrow. Tony and Pepper were on a business trip. Any Avenger that stayed were sound asleep, so no problem there. However, you trying to stay awake was a problem.
It was funny how you can stay awake late hours when helping Tony in the lab, but when it came to an assignment you'd be passed out in two hours. Then again this assignment was about politics. But you had to stay awake and quietly, so getting your hourly cup of tea proved a hassle. Tony always recommended coffee but you disliked the taste, so tea was a much better choice. Speaking of your tea, as you tried to take a sip while scrolling through definitions of court cases, you realized your cup was empty.
You gave a sigh as you crept silently from the lab to the kitchen. Every time you passed an Avenger's room your heart would beat wildly, unsure if they went on the mission or not. Slowly making your way to the kitchen you put Jarvis on sleep mode. You didn't want to get caught by a voice going, "Do you need anything Miss (Y/N)?"
Finally near the stove, you poured some water from the kettle, still warm from the last time you refilled you cup. You made your tension relaxing tea with just the right amount of honey and milk. Taking a quick sip you felt your body relax with ease. That hit the spot.
"Back to the assignment," you said to yourself quietly as you put back the supplies, making sure not to leave any evidence.
"What assignment?"
You spun around quickly to see a figure standing in the corner. You were so surprised that you let your cup slip from your hand. Realizing what you had done you let out a gasp of terror; the entire tower would surely hear a cup crack in the middle of the night. You waited for the smashing sound, the rushing of footsteps, for the lights to go on and the calling of your name. Except there was silence and the figure who was in the corner now stood inches away. Your cup within his metal hand and not a drop of tea hit the ground.
"Darn it Bucky!" You hissed. "You scared the crap out me!" You took the cup of tea from his hand in aggravation as he looked at you with his absent ice-blue eyes. "What are you doing up at this hour anyways?"
"I can ask you the same," he said with his faceless expression.
"Just getting tea. I'm working on an invention," you lied not looking him in the eyes. You began to go around him nonchalantly, only to spill some tea on your robe as you bumped into him. He was blocking your way.
"What is the assignment for?"
"Assignment? I didn't say assignment."
"Yes you did, (Y/N)."
"Invention, assignment, they're both the same thing. Now please, if you'll excuse me," but he stood in your way again. This time he was bending down making you feel shorter than ever, his face inches away from your's and his eyes turning cold. There were times you had every right to be afraid of Bucky and this was one of them.
"What assignment?" He said slowly in a low voice.
You looked into his eyes, then quickly averted your's to the tea cup.
"My government assignment," you mumbled in slight fear.
"When is it due?"
Still looking down at your tea, you cleared your throat only to have a squeak come out.
"Um, in a day or so."
Bucky stood strait and took a slight step back, your eyes moved up only too see a look of disappointment.
"You said you finished all of them."
"I said I finished most," you said in a slightly sassy tone only for it to be shot down by a glare. "Besides," you said in a quite voice, "this is for AP Government which is really hard and so I left it for later." You paused before adding, "I'm almost finished."
Bucky simply stared.
"Please don't tell," you begged as a last resort.
Bucky sighed and moved to let you through.
"Thank you," you said in relief with a smile and quickly rushed back to finish the assignment. You heard Bucky say something in Russian, but didn't understand what it was. Oh, well.
You worked long and hard for the next few hours. Finally after thirty-five definitions, eight "short" responses and an extra credit question, you finished. You printed it and placed it neatly in a folder, stuffing it all in your backpack. You gave a long sigh of relief, finally you can get some sleep, even if it was for an hour or so. You walked into the kitchen to place your mug in sink, the sun was rising and gave off some light through the windows. As you filled your cup with water you heard a voice in the corner.
"Good morning."
"Ah!" You dropped your cup…again. Thankfully it fell a mere few inches and landed in the sink. You turned around. It was Steve!
"S-Steve what are you doing here?"
"It's 5am, I'm out for my jog," he took a sip from his orange juice. 5 AM!
"But your mission…what?" you said confused. "You said you wouldn't be due in a day or so. I-I mean back." You innerly cursed yourself. "Back in a day or so." You hoped he didn't notice anything. You prayed he didn't notice.
"Thankfully it wasn't as serious as we thought and it was handled pretty quickly. We would have been back sooner, but you know how it is with clean up. Everyone else is bed, but I felt like going for a jog to take out some stress," He took another sip of orange juice. You just nodded in response.
"The question is," he said looking at you with a puzzled look, "what are you doing up at this hour?" De ja vu…
"I'm…putting away…my mug," you said slowly, clearing your voice afterwords.
Steve just nodded, his left eyebrow was slightly raised. "Why?"
"Because…um…I forgot it my room," you could feel yourself sweat a little. Don't panic, you thought, be calm.
"You slept in your room?"
"Um…yeah. Where else?"
"Funny because your bed wasn't slept in when I checked," he took another sip from his cup. Frick! Frick, frick, frick! Abort mission! He knows, he so knows! FRICK!
"Oh," you said in a quite voice, that's all you could say. At that moment someone came in sluggishly through the door. It was Bucky. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he stopped when he saw you two standing in front of him, then mumbled something that sounded like "morning."
"Morning Bucky," said Steve then he turned back to you. "So, (Y/N) what were you doing that you didn't sleep in your own bed. Tony and Pepper aren't back yet, so you couldn't be working on an invention."
You kept opening and closing your mouth. "Um…I was…ah…um…"
"I had a nightmare, after everyone was asleep," Bucky said suddenly. "She helped me through it and stayed with me. She spent the night sleeping on the small couch in my room."
You stared at him, then back at Steve.
"Yes," you said with at bit too much force, "yeah, that's what happened. I just didn't want to say it for Bucky's...privacy…yep."
Steve just nodded his head slowly finishing his orange juice. But he eyed you suspiciously, and then went back to his room saying he forgot a sweat towel.
"Thank you," you whispered to Bucky when Steve left the room. You weren't sure but as Bucky nodded his head to you, you thought he gave a smile. He walked past you and put on the T.V. to watch the news.
There was no point in sleeping now, even if you tried you new you wouldn't fall asleep at this hour. Thank goodness it was only Sunday. Still, you got dressed not wanting to spend the whole day in pajamas. You changed into a plain T-shirt, gym shorts and put your (h/c) hair up. You looked in the mirror and thought of one word: comfort. You headed back into the kitchen for breakfast, apparently Steve was still there.
"You're dressed, good," he said looking at your attire. "Put on your sneakers we're going for a jog."
"A jog why!?" you said in shock. Even Bucky looked away from the T.V. in confusion.
"Punishment," said Steve handing you your sneakers, a bottle of water and a piece of paper. It was the rubric for the assignment with today's date and the due date. FRICK!
"I found this in the lab's printer, still warm," said Steve giving you a disapproved glare. "Next time you make sure to finish all your assignments before watching an entire season of Orange is the New Black. And Bucky," he turned to the Winter Solider, "don't cover for her." Bucky gave a small nod as he looked back and forth between the two of you.
"Come on," said Steve grabbing a water bottle.
"But Steve!"
"Either you jog or wait here to tell Pepper when she comes," he said heading out the door.
"Uhg! How many laps?"
"As many as I say."
"Steve! I'm really sorry, it was just this one time!" you said using your arms for expression.
"We start with the stairs."
"SteveeEeve!"
As the door shut behind you, the Winter Soldier turned his head back to the T.V. screen. Suddenly someone came into the kitchen.
"Hey, Bucky can you turn down the T.V. please, some of us had a long night, you know," mumbled Clint as he went back to bed.
Bucky turned down the volume a bit. Though there was nothing funny on the screen, he couldn't help but smile.
"Some longer than others," he mumbled to himself.
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