Work Text:
If there is one thing that has always been natural to you it was covering your left wrist. Not because of a dark past, not because you disliked your wrists, just because there was this name. Everyone had the name of their soulmate on their left wrist and while you didn’t mind finding your soulmate you didn’t want to pressure yourself and constantly be reminded of it was definitely pressure. And the last thing you wanted in a job surrounded by people was constant reminder of them knowing someone with that name.
Most of the time you had your Fitbit, a watch or a thick bracelet over the cursive “James” on your wrist and the people around you were used to it. If they asked you explained to them that you wanted things to happen naturally. You weren’t desperate to know your soulmate. Sure, once you had him, that would be nice, but you could lead a normal life without him.
You were just about to bring your empty coffee mug to the kitchen of the compound when a blob of color flew past you. Bucky. And then there was another more colorful blob shortly after. Steve. The only way you could tell them apart when they were running past you on top speed was their taste in clothing.
Bucky had seemingly managed to get a cream pie into Steves face and you definitely needed to keep your reaction hidden. You had no fair chance of running away from the blonde giant of a man and you weren’t keen on getting cream pie onto your favorite shirt.
“James Buchanan Barnes!” you heard the serious voice and instead of letting your eyes widen at the shock you swallowed it down. Sure, it could be Bucky, but James was a common name. And Bucky quite obviously didn’t have his left arm anymore, along with tons of past memories. You wondered if he had a soulmate in the 40s. There must’ve been a lucky girl with his name on her wrist. Maybe he could remember her and missed her. You shook your head to get out of your thoughts and vanished into the kitchen.
“Can I ask you something?” your small voice got his attention. Both of you were relaxing on the roof of the building by the quinjet. The last mission had been quick and you had ordered some food.
“Sure.” a small smile formed on his face with an attentive look at you.
“Do you remember your soulmate?” your tone was cautious of potentially hurting his feelings.
His eyes weren’t in the now anymore for a while, “Never found her. She’s probably 100 or dead by now. If Hydra didn’t make me kill her.”
“Do you remember her name?” your legs were by your chest now and your head on your knees.
He nodded, “It’s burned into my mind like nothing else.”
Without more context. That was his little secret and you totally understood. You would tell him the name on your wrist if he asked, but that was only because it was also his name.
“Do you think she had your actual first name on her wrist or Bucky?” you smiled.
“Probably my actual first name. I only started getting called Bucky when I began going to school.” he smiled into the distance.
“I feel like nobody ever hears my actual name. My soulmate has it extra hard. An Avenger that doesn’t have their name on public record that much? Yeah. Sounds like a pain in the ass.” you both giggled.
“He’s definitely missing out on you scream-singing the Lion King intro multiple times per week.” he chuckled.
“And my legendary cookies.” you smiled at him.
“Y/N’s legendary cookies are an Avengers-only thing.” he looked at you with a serious face before you both broke into laughter.
“He can have ONE. C’mon.”
“I’ll steal them all before he can have one.”
“Bucky with 10 cookies in his hoodie pocket. Not suspicious at all.” you grinned.
“In those moments I appreciate that I can look scary.” a soft smile played on his lips.
A few weeks later Pepper, Nat and Steve had actually managed to push the team to go on a small vacation together. “Bonding outside of the job,” they said. As if the didn’t live together at pretty much all times.
“Who the hell picked India out of all countries?” Sam yelled.
“Shut up, birdman. It’s a multicultural place that we can appreciate and pressure Tony to spend money in.” you came back at him which earned you a smirk from the two ex-spies in the room.
“Varanasi. Never heard of that.” came from Wanda.
“It’s a very spiritual city. Holds a lot of value for Hindus. Lots of cows, lot’s of spiritual places.” Vision, the wandering human internet gave a small rundown.
“Sounds like a good place to calm down.” you shrugged.
“Not really. It’s a place where tons of people go to die actually. But I guess we should learn more about their culture.” he explained. You left the room shortly after to pack some stuff.
Busy streets, dogs, cows, dirt and a lot of praying people. That was your first impression of Varanasi. You had learned a bit more about the city on the flight there and you were definitely intrigued.
“I’m excited for all the stuff that isn’t burning people and bathing. I like how they do it, very spiritual, but my western brain can’t handle the directness of burning dead people and drinking river water. But I also can’t handle basic christian church sometimes, so what’s new?” you let your brain go.
“I hate to say it but I’m so down for the food and touristy stuff. And the cows.” Nat smirked.
“I hope you all have good shoes.” Tony yelled from the pilot seat.
“Combat boots.” the group of people yelled back.
“We’re here.” Clint now yelled.
You were greeted with masses of people and animals, quite a few of the people were asking if you wanted things and you kindly shook your head.
It didn’t take long for Nat, Wanda and you to be decked in vibrant fabrics.
“Glass Beads,” you said and the three of you looked into the direction of the shop you had just found.
“Those are prettyyy.”
“You can get them engraved with your initials. Charges them spiritually.” the old man that owned the shop explained to you.
You loved to collect all kinds of spiritual and handmade things and this was right up your ally.
“I need your full name.”
“Y/F/N Y/N Y/L/N.” you smiled and looked at Bucky’s reaction from your peripheral vision.
His mouth stood slightly open and he looked between you and the glass bead bracelet you held out to the man.
“I’ll be right back.” the man smiled with your dark blue bracelet in his hand.
You stayed in a more luxurious place a bit further away from the city. It was a bit like a resort. The team was definitely grateful for that after the culture shock they had just been faced with.
You were sitting on the porch of your little house, overlooking an insanely pretty lake. Soft steps came towards you and a tired Bucky sat down next to you on the bench.
“You look pretty in a sari,” he smiled at the beautiful silk sari you were still wearing.
“Thanks. Definitely makes me feel pretty. I mean look at it.” you went over the pretty patterns.
“Where’s the bracelet?” he asked and you held out your left arm with a proud smile.
“Why didn’t you buy one?”
“Wouldn’t wear it.” a shrug.
“I think it would look cool on your arm.” you pointed at his left wrist.
“Well, I don’t have anything to cover there.” he rubbed over the space that had his soulmates name on it once.
“Do you think you’ll be without a soulmate? Or do you think she’s alive and actually synced up to your weird life?” you smiled.
“I think she lives. I know she does.” he grinned down at the blank space.
“I didn’t see the name since I lost my arm and I can’t think of anything else that was burned into my mind like it.”
He looked up at you with a little frown, “Y/N? What name is on you wrist? I know you don’t like to talk about it, but…we talked about this so much and you never told me.”
“It’s in the top 10 of most common English names. Could be anyone.” you shrugged before pushing the glass beads down and the band of your watch up.
His name was written across your wrist in cursive and a wall of overwhelm hit him. Visibly.
“I know, it’s also your name, but…” you shrugged and looked towards the lake again.
“Y/A/N.” he stared at you cause he couldn’t keep himself from doing so.
“Hm?” you looked back into his direction.
“Y/A/N, that’s the name that I’ve have burned into my mind.” he was searching for your eyes.
“Really?” you finally met his eyes with a little frown.
“That’s the last topic I would joke about, Y/N.” he said serious.
You needed to laugh, earning a confused look from him.
“Wow, we really made this harder than it needed to be.”
A soft smile came onto his face with a nod before he took your left hand again.
“Wish you could see mine.” his finger went over his name.
“You can be damn lucky that I like your metal arm without the name on it just as much.” you smiled up at him, making him blush.
“God, I didn’t know you were capable of blushing.” you said fake shocked.
He grabbed you to shut you up but you only started giggling more.
“There’s probably a picture of you from back then, right? Why don’t you get the name tattooed onto your right wrist?” you smiled up.
“Only if you let me take you out to my favorite places in Brooklyn.” he smiled at you on his lap.
“I can get behind that, James.” you said his name extra sweet.
He stared at your lips for a second before his eyes shifted up, “Can I kiss you?”
With a short nod warm lips were landing on yours and you suddenly understood why he was such a lady killer back in the day. Not too innocent, not too intense, just sweet but loving.
“You’re gonna have to shave.” you blinked up at him and got a chuckle back.
“Fine.” he wanted to sound annoyed but that was impossible with the big happy grin on his face and his left hand caressing your face.