A few weeks later after Bucky had come to take care of me while I was sick, work resumed its very busy schedule. Either someone was sick or they couldn't be bothered to come in and I was called in multiple times and unfortunately wasn't able to spend any extra time with my new friends. They had also hired a new girl whom it seemed I had to repeatedly train. My attitude had shifted from its usual calmness to a mildly irritated temper and I feared for the person that got on my bad side for the moment.
This day was like no other; frustrating and tiring, plus it was unbearably hot and I was in no mood for interaction. The slightest thing could set me off and I was in the mindset for a break of some kind. Leaving work after a long day of vacuuming, I left to go home for some much needed relaxation, perhaps in the form of a long, hot bath and some alcohol, followed by some late night reading. Plans changed, however, when turning to walk to my car, I spotted two women casually leaning up against a sleek, black car that had one of those fronts that looked mean and intimidating.
Walking closer, I recognized them as Natasha and Wanda form the other night at the tower and they immediately brought a smile to my face, my irritation slowly fading away.
"Hey, Abigail. You look like you could use a drink. Long day?" Natasha greeted me first, pushing herself off of the car and embracing me once I got close enough to her.
"Or several. Yes, it's been a long day indeed. I should really say a long couple of weeks," I responded, a laugh on my lips. They laughed at my comment and Wanda hugged me before offering up a suggestion.
"What do you say we go get one then? Our treat. Let's celebrate getting through it. Maybe go dancing. Let's do something to get your mind of off it," Wanda suggested.
"Definitely. I know the perfect place too. My apartment," I accepted, to which they both nodded.
"Should we invite the guys or do a girls night?" Natasha asked, before we got into our cars. It had been too long since I had seen Bucky but I wanted to spend time with Natasha and Wanda more, given that I wasn't really in the mood to put up with Tony's antics and get into another bad mood.
"How about a girls night? It'll give us a chance to get to know each other better plus we could watch rom-coms and possibly dance around in our underwear, nobody to watch, not giving a damn in the world what anyone else thinks," I answered, a grin spreading out on my lips as they both laughed. We got in our cars and took off to my apartment to dance the night away.
A few drinks in and a lot of laughs later, we were all sitting on my couch, a movie as background noise, discussing interests and who was the hottest of our friends. Wanda had a mild crush on Vision while Natasha was interested in Steve and suddenly their attention was on me.
"While we are on the subject, do you like Bucky? I mean, since you've met him you two seem like you hit it off. I'm asking mainly because the other night he was here, taking care of you. Don't tell me there's nothing between you two because I think there is. There's some definite chemistry between you and him, I've seen it," Natasha asked me, extremely blunt with her question.
"I…I'm not sure I should-" I began but Wanda cut me off.
"Oh, come on. It's just us and you can be honest about it. We won't tell. Besides, he's very comfortable around you. We noticed that the night he introduced you to the team. He trusts you completely and usually he's closed off from everyone except Nat and Steve," Wanda commented. They leaned in closer eager to hear my answer and I released a sigh, heat radiating off my skin at the blush forming on my cheeks.
"I guess. Scratch that, yes, I do like him, very much. He makes me feel…I don't know. Whenever Bucky's around, I just feel like I can be myself, like…"
"Oh my god. You're in love with him aren't you? He makes you feel complete doesn't he? You should tell him how you feel. Tell him because I'm sure he feels the same way, because he needs you; you're his anchor,"
"I've seen the way he lights up every time we mention your name, every time his phone lights up with a message from you. Abigail, you're his whole world. You bring him comfort when he feels that no one else can," Natasha remarked, a giant grin plastered on his face. Heat warmed my face as embarrassment flooded through my insides. I did love him. I had figured that out the night he took care of me, but I didn't want to be a distraction for him on missions; I didn't want him to get hurt because of me.
"I don't think I can. Nat, I don't want to be that distraction. What if he gets hurt because he's thinking about me or if-" I began, fear setting in.
"You won't be. If anything, you'll be something that'll make him fight more; someone that he can come to and escape for a while. You'll be someone that has such an effect on him that can be his calm in the storm," Wanda interjected, placing her hand on my shoulder, giving me comfort.
I couldn't have asked for better friends. They had supported me in this decision and I was glad for it and we resumed our night, switching off the movie and putting music on. Pushing the couch and the chair beside it back as well as moving the coffee table so we wouldn't run into it, we danced and danced, throwing our worries away.
We danced and sang to our hearts content, no surprises thrown our way. Well, that was until a knock sounded at my door, catching us off guard. This surprise was a pleasant one as when I opened the door and Bucky was standing outside in the hallway.
Bucky's POV
"Buck, would you stop pacing and sit down," Steve stated, gesturing to one of the couches in the living room of the Avengers compound. I managed to do so for about five minutes before I got back and resumed my pacing.
"Okay, dude, what's gotten into you? Something's got you amped up. Should it be something I need to be worried about?" Steve questioned, his expression filled with concern. I debated filling him in on my thoughts; afraid someone else was around to judge me. Taking a quick look around to find the giant living room was empty save for the two of us, I decided to tell him about my plans.
"I like her. No, no, I love her," I replied, receiving a confused look from my best friend. I meant Abigail of course and I had realized these feelings of mine about her ever since the night she was sick. We had shared a moment, even cuddled on the couch before I had left to meet my friends that night.
"By her, I assumed you meant Abigail. All right, what are you planning to do about it? Are you going to tell her how you feel?" Steve asked, leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees. Thinking about it, I wasn't sure if I should. There was a possibility she didn't feel the same way and then friendship could be ruined. I didn't want that; I didn't want to lose her.
"I want to. You don't realize how much I want to, but what it she doesn't feel the same way. I don't want to lose that friendship, to lose her. I can't. She's…"
"Important to you. I know. I see that every time she texts you, every time you mention her name. But, Bucky, I'm fairly certain she feels the same way. When I brought her here that night, there was something there and I don't think you could ever lose her because of that connection, that spark that the two of you share," Steve told me before he continued talking.
"There is some magical connection between you two. She calms you and you protect her. It's almost like there's something that fits in the relationship that you two have, regardless of if it's friendship or not. Tell her or don't. Ask her out or don't. What you choose to do is ultimately your choice, but you'll never know until you try," he stated. I nodded and stopped pacing, looking towards the front door. I strode past him, grabbed my keys to my motorcycle and headed to the one place I needed to be at this very moment. I made the most important decision of my entire life.
Abigail's POV
"Bucky, what you doing here? Is there something wrong?" I greeted him, wondering if he needed my help with something.
"No, nothing's wrong. Can I come in? I wanted to tell you something," he answered, relief washing over me that is until I realized what he said.
"Sure. Natasha and Wanda are here too. We were having a bit of a girls night but you're welcome to hang out with us for little while," I replied, opening the door all the way so that he could step inside. I was nervous about what he wanted to tell me, but also nervous because I wanted to confess my feelings about him and I wasn't sure how he would take it.
"Oh…I wouldn't want o impose or interrupt your night. Um…can you come out in the hallway for a moment? It's kind of a private matter," he commented. I nodded, my nerves on full power and followed him out in the hallway.
"So what's up? I have something I want to tell you too," I remarked, fidgeting with my hands. He chuckled and took my hands in his.
"The thing that I wanted to tell you is that I have feelings for you. I really like you Abigail and I think that I might be falling in love with you. I don't want to be friends any longer because I want something more than that. I want to take your face in my hands and kiss you. I want to wake up beside you one day, holding you in my arms. If you don't feel the same, I can accept that and I'll cherish your friendship forever but I wanted…needed to let you know how I truly feel about you," he told me, surprising me.
"Bucky, I like you too. Like you, I too think that I'm falling in love with you. I was afraid to tell you because I wasn't sure if you might have feelings for me, but I also thought that if we were together that I might be too much of a distraction for you and I don't want to see you get hurt. It would hurt too much, but I want you because you're my everything," I told him, receiving a smile from him.
"Abigail, you could never be a distraction for me. You're the first one I think about when I wake up and you make me want to fight harder and you're the first one I want to see when I come back from missions. I know I have Steve and Natasha and that they're my best friends but I don't know what I would do if I couldn't see you anymore," he reassured, pulling me in a hug and pressing a kiss on the top of my head. I loved his body pressed against mine and I couldn't imagine my life without him in it.
"I was wondering if you might want to go on a date with me. Something small, like maybe we could grab a coffee and just talk about anything. It doesn't matter as long as I get to spend time with you," he commented, those words snagging my full attention. I lifted my head up to look at him, smiling.
"How about Friday night at seven?" I asked, receiving a smile from him in return.
"It's a date," he replied, before releasing me and letting me return to the girls night. I smiled to myself, opening the door to reveal Natasha and Wanda standing at the entrance, hands on their hips.
"We told you that he liked you. So did he ask you out?" Wanda stated, raising an eyebrow. I nodded and they both squealed in delight as we returned to the living room to discuss details about what I should wear on my first date with him. For the first time in my life I felt complete, but being with him was going to have its consequences. In fact, being friends with the Avengers was going to have grave consequences indeed.
