Two Sides of The Same Coin: Grumpy x Sunshine

I'm Only Me When I'm With You

"You're overwatering that plant," you interrupt from the threshold of Bucky's room. After your conversation the other day, you were worried that you'd inadvertently made things weird between the two of you. So, after several hours of overthinking and steeling your nerves, you were going to try to talk to him again.

Bucky slightly jolts at the sound of your voice, once again completely unaware that you were there. "You've really got to tell me how you do that."

"A magician never reveals their secrets," you wryly reply, walking into his room.

"So it is magic?" he smirks.

You playfully narrow your eyes. "I will not confirm or deny anything."

"You're talking like a true SHIELD asset now," Bucky quips, putting down the glass of water. He'd missed you, missed when things were effortless between you two. He was fully prepared to punch Tony and Steve in the face for getting in his head. "Anyway, how can you tell?"

You tap two of your fingers to your temple. "I can sense it."

"Really?"

"No," you chuckle. "You can tell by the leaves. They're starting to wilt."

"Oh," Bucky frowns, lifting the plant up to examine it. And you're right the leaves are starting to wilt.

"It's alright," you assure him, moving to stand in front of him. You look at the plant, lightly stroking the leaves. "Keep it by the window. It'll bounce back with some sunlight."

"Right," Bucky states, moving the plant to the windowsill.

"I didn't realize you were a plant person," you comment, watching as Bucky sets the plant down and sighs.

"I'm not," Bucky grunts. "Steve got it for me. I've just been trying to keep the damn thing alive."

You gently pat Bucky's hand, shifting the ceramic pot so it's in full sunlight. "It's still alive- just needs to recover a little bit."

"Recover from its owner unknowingly drowning it. Got it."

"Right," you definitely nod, a playful smile tugging on your lips. "Anyway, I just came to check on you. I feel like I haven't seen you in a while."

"I just saw you yesterday," Bucky chortles.

"Yeah, but it's different now, right? I guess I just wanted to make sure we were okay."

"Of course we are. I just figured you'd want some space to get to know everyone else," Bucky admits, specifically thinking about how close you and Steve looked yesterday. It drove him absolutely mad, wondering if you'd replaced him with, in his opinion, the better super soldier.

"Yeah," you quietly mutter. "I mean- I know it's not the same anymore, since we moved onto the compound. It's not just the three of us and I guess...I just miss how it used to be, how it was before...I miss you."

"You miss me?" he repeats dumbly.

"You know, I think you underestimate your role in my life. I'm only really myself when I'm with you. Plus," you add, purposefully lightening your tone. "It's only fair that I see your room considering you saw mine."

He smiles warmly as he gestures to his completely bare, obscenely minimalist room. "Sure. Fair's fair."

"I immediately notice that your room is almost the same as mine. Right up to the lack of a real bed," you audibly point out.

He huffs in amusement, feeling better now that the two of you were alone and could interact without outside interference. "Yeah, pretty much," Bucky agrees.