What Did I Do?

Bucky/Jane

AstroSoldier, probably, but Buckster or Fosky or indeed Focky all sound quite amusing…

Theme song:

Powderfinger – Burn Your Name

For Pinkpandoracorn, who wrote a cute smutty Bucky/Jane mini-fic that made me realise I could totally ship them. As with anything I write shipping Jane with anyone else, she and Thor are just good friends, mmkay?

Jane barely noticed when the Tower gained another new inhabitant. She was so close to a breakthrough on the Einstein-Rosen Bridge, she could almost taste it.

Since the whole disaster with Ultron, Tony and Bruce were no longer allowed to Science! together unsupervised. Darcy had been re-assigned to keep an eye on them – and report to Vision or Pepper if she thought they were getting out of hand – but since they regularly went on long Science!benders together, Jane rarely saw Darcy anymore. So there was no-one to notice that she was running on coffee and occasional Snickers bars.

Bucky had been living in Avengers Tower for an entire week before he realised that it actually had one more resident that he hadn't actually met (read: been enthusiastically introduced to by Steve).

"Who's the wraithlike brunette?" he asked Steve one afternoon.

"Hmm?" Steve looked up from the book he was reading.

"Tiny, long dark hair, looks like a breath of wind could blow her away? I thought she was just one of Stark's tech people but then I saw her going into the elevator to the accommodation floors last night, an' you already impressed on me that only people who live here can use that."

Steve had to think about it for a moment. "You must mean Dr. Foster."

"She's a doctor?" Bucky blinked curiously.

"Of astrophysics, no less. She's Thor's friend, the one who's been studying the Bifrost and how to re-create it from our end. Darcy used to be her intern." Steve looked slightly misty when talking about Darcy. Bucky rolled his eyes. Punk needed to get his act together and ask the girl out already.

"And Dr. Foster actually lives here?" he pressed.

"Sure, she moved in a few months ago."

"What does she eat?"

"What?" Steve blinked, bemused by the apparent non sequitur.

"Because Stark's got this fancy chef on hand who makes all our meals, we just have to go to the common floor to eat them. But I ain't seen Dr. Foster there yet. And with how much you an' I both eat, we're there at all hours."

"I – can't say I'd really thought about it," Steve admitted. "I don't know. Um. Maybe she orders food to her apartment?" He was buried in his book again within a couple of minutes and Bucky sighed, looking at his best friend fondly. Well. He'd just have to do his own investigative work, then. Leaving Steve alone, he headed down to Dr. Foster's labs. She was there, he saw through the glass panelled walls, her back to him – face down on her desk?

He knocked firmly on the glass. Dr. Foster didn't stir.

"JARVIS! I need access to this lab, right now!"

"Access denied, Sergeant Barnes," JARVIS replied politely.

"Dr. Foster isn't well, I need to get in!"

"Dr. Foster's biometrics indicate that she is asleep, Sergeant Barnes. There is no cause for concern. I am afraid I am unable to grant you access as this is not an emergency situation."

Bucky glared through the glass. "JARVIS. Is Dr. Foster's weight within normal parameters? And while you're checking that, what has she been eating and when?"

JARVIS was silent for a second or so. And then he said "Dr. Foster does appear to be below a healthy weight. She has lost seven pounds, three ounces since Miss Lewis was reassigned to Mr. Stark and Dr. Banner's laboratory. And her last balanced meal was – eleven days ago."

"Let me into that lab right the fuck now or we will find out if Stark's fancy rocket-proof glass can stand up to this arm." It was a fierce growl.

The lab door slid silently open.

The tiny doctor was a feather in Bucky's arms as he lifted her carefully. She let out a little sigh and nestled against his chest, her cheek resting against his metal shoulder as he carried her towards the elevator.

"The medical centre, please, JARVIS," he requested, "and ask Dr. Banner to meet me there, please?"

Bruce was already waiting for him as Bucky walked in. "Over here. JARVIS filled me in. I knew Jane wasn't much for taking care of herself but this is ridiculous," he muttered, bending over the sleeping woman as Bucky carefully laid her on the hospital bed.

Jane, Bucky thought. What a plain name for such a beautiful woman. Because she was beautiful, even too thin with her skin drawn tight over her cheekbones. He stood by as Bruce checked her over.

"Heart and lungs all right, but her body weight really is too low. I'd like to draw blood, see if she's anaemic, maybe put her on a saline drip because she's possibly a bit dehydrated too." Bruce shook Jane's shoulder gently. "Jane? Jane, can you wake up? It's Bruce."

"Umm," Jane mumbled sleepily, "jussa bi' longer…" but Bruce shook her again, and she sighed grumpily and opened her eyes. To see the Winter Soldier looming over her, arms folded, glowering disapprovingly. She shrieked with fright, jackknifing upright, accidentally head-butting Bruce in the face. He stumbled back, clutching at his nose.

"Oh shit oh shit, don't turn green!" she pleaded in panic.

"S'okay," Bruce mumbled after a few uneasy moments, "I'm okay." He lowered his hand, revealing just a couple of drops of blood on his nose and upper lip. "Just gonna go clean up." He backed out of the room, opening the door with his elbow to avoid getting blood on it.

"Lie down, you little idiot," Bucky said disapprovingly, putting his hand on Jane's shoulder and pushing. She resisted, surprisingly strong for such a frail-looking woman, glaring at him.

"What am I doing here, anyway?"

He blinked.

She blinked.

"What did you say?" they both said, at the same time.

Bucky cast his eyes up to the ceiling. "What did I do?" he said plaintively, "was Steve not impossible enough to look after, God? Now you've sent me a female version without even the sense to feed herself."

"Hey, I resemble that remark!" but Jane was grinning. Her soulmate was hot, even when he was all scowly, and she could see a little smile just tugging at the corners of his luscious mouth. "Maybe that's why you're my soulmate," she offered, "all that time spent looking after Steve before he got the serum was just practice…"

"I'll give you practice," he growled, bending over her. "Practice laying down on that bed quietly until Bruce gets back, and then practice at eating a healthy meal, or I'll put you over my knee."

Jane's eyes were very wide and dark as she stared up at him. "Does it have to be either or?" she whispered. "Because I quite like the sound of both options."

Bruce pushed open the door a couple of minutes later, cotton wool balls stuffed ungracefully up both nostrils, and stopped dead at the sight of Bucky and Jane, tangled in each other's arms on the bed, passionately kissing, Jane's nails squeaking on Bucky's metal shoulder as she clawed frantically, trying to get even closer to him, even though from what Bruce could see they were as close as two people could possibly get with their clothes still on.

"Am I interrupting something?" Bruce said loudly.

"Yes," Bucky lifted his head just long enough to say.

Bruce sighed and shook his head. "I guess I'll come back later." Heading out the door, he muttered, "With food."

Poor Bruce. Better make sure he knocks when he gets back with that food…