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The Compound’s swimming pool was a welcome respite from the summer heat.
So far, though, only Christine Palmer seemed to be enjoying it. Helen Cho was at a medical conference. The Avengers had just come back from their mission and were attending a debriefing.
Jane wanted to stay in the lab, but Darcy insisted. It was break time, damn it. Darcy had had enough science for the day.
Christine was laid out next to the pool in a practical, one-piece suit. Jane, meanwhile, was in a pair of sweat shorts and a blue tee-shirt. Because apparently, spending the time to buy a swimsuit took too much time away from her science.
A few years ago, Darcy would have felt inadequate next to Christine. Darcy had a tummy and no discernable thigh gap. She’d hid her insecurities behind layers of sass and sarcasm.
But that was all Pre-Bucky.
Pre-Bucky, Darcy would be willing to science for days on end without a break. She would have been perfectly content to have Pop-Tarts for six or seven meals in a row. Pre-Bucky, Darcy was willing to subsist on junk food and science and let her poor body suffer.
Now, Darcy slept eight hours a night, ate her veggies, and even forced Jane to have time to relax.
And oh yeah, he made sure she knew exactly how desirable she was. Thigh gap be damned.
The flicker of the television was the only light. Bucky and Darcy were stretched out on the couch, a tangle of legs and lips. Darcy tensed when Bucky’s hand drifted down to the waistband of her leggings.
“Want me to stop, Doll?”
“Fuck no,” she moaned, “Just let me scooch down a little so my tummy isn’t so pouch-y.”
Bucky let out a snort, “You speaking English?”
“Shush, you don’t get it. You have abs of steel.”
He hummed against her lips as his hand started migrating downward again, “Don’t want you to be like steel. I like you the way you are. Your skin is like silk…”
Her argument died on her tongue when his middle finger slipped between her swollen folds.
“You are shockingly tan, Palmer,” Darcy noted. “Did you have a good time in the Caribbean?”
Christine stretched like a cat and smiled, “Mmm. It was magical.”
It was Jane, shockingly that piped up, “Yeah, I can tell by all the hickeys.”
Christine was unapologetic, “Yeah, Stephen always has liked to mark his territory. The magic is new though.”
Darcy’s interest was piqued, “Wait… he uses his magic to… you know?”
“Come on, Darce, it’s not like you don’t take advantage of Bucky’s special attributes…” teased Palmer.
“Like his criminally sexy mouth and super sexy ass?” Darcy asked.
Jane offered up, “Short refractory period. Super stamina. You know about those, right?”
“Yes, I do. And admittedly, those are awesome,” Darcy found herself blushing.
“I’m talking about his left arm,” Christine matter-of-factly stated.
Darcy was genuinely perplexed.
“I’ve seen the specs. Don’t tell me you’ve never taken advantage of the fingertip suction.”
“THE WHAT?”
“To help with his grip. And the vibration function that can clear off ice… You really didn’t know?”
Darcy squeaked out, “There’s a vibrate function?”
Jane drily remarked, “I don’t think she knew about the vibrate function.”
“I did not.”
She could hear a group approaching. The debriefing must have been over, because Bucky, Sam, Wanda, and the rest of the team were headed towards the pool.
Darcy narrowed her eyes and stalked towards Bucky.
“Hey Doll…what…?”
She grabbed his hand and dragged him to the residence.
He’d growled in frustration when she wondered aloud if he’d suffocate between her ‘not exactly skinny’ thighs. Her words, not his.
A shake of his head and a frustrated, “Damn it, Darcy,” followed. In a heartbeat, he had her up out of their bed and he was dragging her by the hand into the bathroom. He placed her in front of the mirror and turned on the harsh overhead light.
He was standing far enough behind her that she couldn’t see anything in the mirror but the top of his head and her naked self.
“What do you see, Darcy?”
“Stretch marks on my boobs.”
He let out a groan of irritation and came up behind her, wrapping his right arm around her chest, covering her breasts with his forearm. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the reflection in the mirror of that protective gesture.
“You know what I see? I see the woman I love. The woman who loves me. I see all of her, not the imperfections that she imagines, but all of her. And she’s beautiful. And I want to make her feel good.” Then he whispered into her ear, “Do you see?”
Darcy dragged her eyes away from the reflection of his arm over her breasts and looked up at the reflection of his eyes. They were utterly sincere. He was utterly sincere. He had her wrapped up in his embrace and he loved her.
Tears threatened to escape her eyes and drift down her cheeks.
“I want you inside me, Bucky.”
“Here?” he asked softly.
“Yes. I want to see.”
“Doll… I… you know how I feel about touching you with…it’s a weapon,” Bucky sat on the couch with his forearms resting on his knees and his head hanging down.
She knelt on the floor in front of him and tucked one finger under his chin, persuading him to look at her with just that touch.
“Baby. I’m not ever gonna ask you to do something you’re uncomfortable with. Consent is like… super important for us. For you. I just am worried that you aren’t comfortable sharing yourself with me.”
“I am. I do. I…” he stopped with a sigh.
“Let me tell you something. You know I used to be super uncomfortable with the fact that I am not built like a supermodel.”
Bucky opened his mouth to protest.
“I know. Sweetheart, that’s the point. The way you love me. The way you tell me how beautiful and desirable I am. The way you show me….it’s… it makes me feel beautiful and desirable. Do you get what I’m saying?”
“I think so…” he paused.
Darcy took his metal hand in both of hers and kissed it all over. “This is part of you. And I love you. All of you. It’s not a weapon to me. It’s one of the arms that holds me for whatever reason I may need to be held. And I need to be held a lot. Okay?”
He swallowed hard and nodded. She climbed up into his lap and rested her head on his left shoulder.
“Don’t hide yourself from me, Bucky.”
“You want me to…?”
“I want you to hold me. With both arms. Okay?”
He tightened his arms around her waist.
“Yeah, Doll. I can do that.”
“Then if you want, you can give me tons of orgasms. And maybe a few hickeys. In whichever way you prefer.”
“Okay Doll.”
“By the way, I think Strange and Christine are into some really kinky shit.”
Bucky tightened his arms around her as he laughed.