Work Text:
Snowed In With You
For @itsjanetsnakehole from @marvelfanuniverse (Marvelfan35 on AO3)
Hope you enjoy it and have a Merry Christmas!
Bucky Barnes was a survivor, that’s without question. He’d managed to make it through the fall from the train and being captured and used by Hydra.
But now, sitting in the passenger seat across from Darcy Lewis, he didn’t think he was going to be the death of him.
Thanks to a massive snow storm that suddenly decided to strike the US, the two of them found themselves scrambling to find a place to hold up until it passed. Of course, the fact that it was almost a week before Christmas, every hotel they’d drove by was all booked up. And while they had a few hours to go until the weather turned nasty, it started to look like they would need a Christmas miracle.
“Mother Nature needs to quit fucking PMSing and take some Midol!,” she growled as she searched the parking lot of their latest attempt to find somewhere, “Hell, I’ll get the bottle I have outta my purse and hand it to her myself!”
Bucky snorted before shaking his head and replied, “Not gonna argue with ya there.”
“Do you see a parking space? Any space at all?,” she asked him as she circled the lot for what seemed to best the millionth time. With it being past 5 in the evening, it was getting darker and harder to see.
Suddenly, Bucky moved forward in his seat, pointing to the one vacant space all the way at the very end of the lot .One that was very really hidden behind the the other cars. It would be a tight squeeze, but, they could make it.
“There! At the very end of the lot! Gun it Lewis, before that other car sees it!,” he exclaimed, before getting whiplash as Darcy floored the gas pedal. She and the other car were neck to neck by this point, and for a second, it looked like they weren’t going to get it. Until someone from one of the rooms inside came out to get more of their luggage. The other car had to slam on its brakes, the driver repeatedly honking their horn and making frantic hand gestures.
Darcy managed to turn into the space and putting the car in park just as the other car could start moving again. After some more honking, the angry driver peeled out of the lot, the brakes sounding like nails on a chalkboard.
Darcy and Bucky fell back against their seats, celebrating their victory.
“Nice going there, Barnes.” Darcy praised, smiling as she took the keys out of the ignition.
Bucky grinned back at her, unclipping his seat belt. “Thanks. Though, that was only half the battle. Now, we gotta go inside and ask if there’s a room.”
“Oh ye of little faith,” Darcy quipped as she came up to Bucky behind the car. He only shook his head as they headed towards the entrance.
All of his training as the Winter Soldier couldn’t help but kick in suddenly, scanning the lot and any surrounding areas for potential threats. It only increased once they got inside, seeing numerous people coming and going in all directions.
Darcy walked up to the front desk, tapping the tiny silver bell left to let someone needed help. The sound made Bucky flinch, stiffening his posture and making him crouch forward. “Sorry,” Darcy mouthed as turned to face him, concerned across her face. He shrugged it off just as an elderly man appeared from the back office.
“Good evening, and how may I help you?,” he asked, putting his glasses back on over his eyes from where they dangled around his neck.
Leaning more over the counter, Darcy said, “Well, we were hoping you had any rooms left available.” She added a bright smile, hoping to charm him. And dear God, she seriously didn’t want to have to use her boobs as a last resort.
The old man headed over the computer behind said counter. After a few minutes of typing, he looked back up at the pair, smiling himself.
“You’re in luck. Someone called earlier and had to cancel their reservation because of the weather, so it’s vacant,” he leaned forward some more, pushing his glasses closer to his eyes, “There is a catch though.”
‘Uh oh’, both Darcy and Bucky thought at the same time, sharing a look.
“It doesn’t matter what type of catch it is, we’ll take it,” Darcy told him, shifting from one foot to the other. Her feet felt like they were pulsating inside her boots.
“Are you sure? I don’t want there to be any kind of issues,” The old man answered.
“They won’t be,” Bucky lowly stated, getting a nod from Darcy.
Heavily sighing, the old man took his glasses off and began to clean them. “Well alright,” he said as he put them back on, “Just need to get your info and payment, and, the room’s yours.”
A short time later, Darcy slid the keycard the old man had given her into the designated slot of their room. After the little light above it flashed green, she pulled the handle down and walked inside, Bucky right behind her. He was carrying most of the bags, so, he just put them on the nearby couch or on the floor next to it.
The room was nice enough, if not a bit less small for two people; kitchen and living room areas, a bathroom, and…
And, there was the issue the old man had mentioned.
Not a queen size bed with a pullout sofa bed.
Not two individual beds next to each other.
Just a king size bed.
“Uh,” Darcy began, turning to Bucky, “So, how do you wanna-” she started to ask.
“I can sleep on the couch,” he replied, picking up her things and taking them into the bedroom.
“Are you sure?” Darcy hesitated, still standing the center of the small living room.
Turning back to face her, Bucky saw the hesitation in her eyes. “Yeah. It’s honestly a lot better than some of the places I’ve slept in and the things I’ve slept on. Back in Bucharest, had only a mattress on the floor of my apartment. Consider it an upgrade.”
Moving a strand of hair from in front of her eyes, Darcy mumbled, “Okay, I guess. I’m cool with it, as long as you’re sure you are,” she said, not entirely sure why she was giving him so many chances. But, at his firm nod, there wasn’t anything else she could say or do. “Alright.”
Perhaps it was fate or extremely bad timing for Bucky to suddenly start having nightmares again later that night. Nearly waking himself up screaming, he sat up, willing his breathing to calm down enough for him to function. He had a death grip on the side of the couch so he wouldn’t fall off.
The opening of the bathroom door made him sharply turn his head, only for him to squint his eyes shut as the lights were still on.
“Bucky, are you okay?”
He felt her presence next to him, knowing she was right next to him. Opening his eyes again, he saw that it was dark. And Darcy Lewis looking down at him. One look at his faraway stare, his sweat drenched clothes, and messy bedhead, and she instantly knew what had happened.
“Come on.”
Bucky glanced up to her, holding out her hand for him to take.
“I’m not gonna take no for an answer, Barnes, and, I seriously do not want to be standing here in all night,” she flashed a smirk admitting, “Besides, you should know by now that I am so not a morning person.”
He let out a small laugh at that. “Not till you’ve had your coffee anyway.”
Snickering, she remarked back, “Please, sometimes I’m like that even with my coffee.”
Their chuckling lasted for a few good minutes, Darcy moving to allow him to get up. Taking her outstretched hand, Bucky allowed her to guide him to the bedroom. He motioned towards the right side of the bed, while she got in on the left.
It only took them moments to fall back to sleep.
By the time it was morning, Darcy was warm. Which was normally a good thing.
But right now, it felt like she was next to a freaking furnace!
She tried to move around to get out of bed, but, the furnace wouldn’t let her go.
And, as she blinked her eyes to adjust to the light coming from outside, she knew why.
Bucky’s human arm was draped around her waist, his metal one dangling off his side of the bed.
Somehow, in the middle of the night, this was how they’d ended up. She couldn’t fight the urge to lift her hand and brush a strand of brown hair that had fallen over his eyes. Though the touch was light as a feather, he still made a face and mumbled in his sleep before he relaxed again. She smiled softly before letting her features relax, just staring at him. It was supposed to be creepy, watching someone sleep, but, how could she not? Seeing how peaceful and beautiful he looked?
And she would’ve stared forever (Lord knows a part of her wanted to), but the sudden urge to go to the bathroom caused her to start struggling to out of the bed.
Which, unfortunately, only made Bucky’s grip tighten around her at the constant wiggling.
Finally opening his own eyes, Bucky blinked them repeatedly before they set on Darcy. The smile that lit up his face made her momentarily forget the call of nature.
“Had a really amazing dream last night. A sweet, gorgeous, and kickass dame was sleeping next to me,” he said, voice low and deep with sleep, “Guess I’m still either dreaming or it really did happen.”
“It did happen,” Darcy started to say, but she suddenly was reminded she had to go the bathroom. “Be right back, bathroom!!” He’d loosened his arm enough to where she could get away this time, unaware of his laughing as the door shut behind her.
He was drifting off to sleep again when he heard the bathroom door. Opening one eye, he saw Darcy, in her plaid pajama pants and plan shirt. He himself was wearing sweatpants and a tank top.
“You make it?,” he teased, smirking when she scowled back at him.
“Barely, thanks to you and your python like grip,” she huffed, walking slowly towards the bed, getting back under the covers he had flipped up for her.
“Sorry,” he apologized, a small bit of red coloring his cheeks.
“It’s okay, you’re forgiven,” Darcy said, getting herself situated in the bed before putting her head back on his chest, “Just remember to thank Thor and Mew-Mew that you don’t owe me any new clothes.” She smiled as his body shook with laughter.