Of Love and Mischief (MCUxReader)

Eighteen

"How did you-" Tony looked over at you in awe.

"I just really wanted to beat him. It was almost like I knew what he was going to do, before he did it." You explained.

"Even so, you're not just avoiding here." He pointed to the screen as the video continued. "You are fully countering. These moves take months to learn, let alone master."

"Look at her eyes." Bruce zoomed in to focus on your face. The whites of your eyes were beginning to fill with shadowy blue wisps.

The fighting ended just as you remembered. You sat in your chair blushing at the compromising position Bucky had you pinned in. Tony looked over at you from the corners of his eyes.

"There!" Bruce exclaimed, drawing your and Tony's attention back to the video.

Your recording was now on the other side of the mat, looking terrified.

"What? Back it up, I missed it." Tony asked.

Bruce rewound and you watched as one moment you were smiling, enjoying Bucky's taunting. The next your eyes turned neon blue, the shadows completely taking over. You watched as Bucky tried to regain your attention, growing anxious over your prone form. When the shadows began to recede, your expression changed from blank, to horrified. You pushed at Bucky's chest, smokey blue tendrils poured out of your hands lifting him in the air and throwing him in a heap a few feet away while you scurried backwards.

"Freaky." Tony whispered.

"We need to call him up here. He should be checked out." Bruce suggested.

"FRIDAY, send for Barnes. It's urgent." Tony called out to the A.I.

Tony and Bruce continued to rewatch the tape as you sat there picking at the edge of your bandage.

The sound of the door whooshing open had you looking up. Bucky stopped walking when he saw you sitting there. After a moment he rushed over.

"Barnes, we need to show you-" Bruce started.

"Are you okay?" Bucky reached out to take your hands. At the contact your left hand stung, you whimpered and pulled away.

"Stop!" Tony yelled, coming over to inspect your hand. The tips of your fingers were now a bright red. Tony glared up at him.

"You can't touch her." He growled.

"I did that?" Barnes looked at you apologetically. "How?"

"That's what we need to figure out." Bruce led Bucky over to a chair on the other side of the room. Bucky didn't take his eyes off you.

"Alright kid, let's get some cool water on this. It doesn't look as bad as your arm." Tony took you over to a sink and held your hand under the running water.

Bruce was working with Bucky, showing him the playback of the video. He kept glancing your way through the screen, noticing the little shivers racking your body. When they were finished, Bucky got a clean bill of health. No abnormalities showing on any of his scans either. He made his way over to you and silently took off his sweatshirt, pushing the bundle into your arms.

"Alright." Tony clapped his hands together. "So basically we don't know much."

"Anything, we don't know anything." Bruce corrected.

You pulled the sweatshirt over your sports bra, thankful for the slight warmth it provided.

"Wrong." Tony pointed at you and Bucky. "We know that these two cannot come into contact without causing severe burns to Olivia's skin."

"We don't know why though." Bruce added.

"Correct. So I have decided that until we do know why, the two of you are to remain separated."

"What? Tony come on that's not-" You started to argue.

"It's already been decided. My tower, my rules." He looked at you sternly.

"We literally live across the hall from each other. You expect us to never leave our rooms?" You asked.

You knew you were being bratty, but Bucky was your closest friend here beside Tony who was more like a father figure.

"Olivia." Bucky got your attention. You looked over at him confused. He never used your full name. "It's fine. Tony's right, I can't hurt you again. Until we know what this is, it's for the best."

"Bucky, no." You argued.

"I do have one question though." He continued. "Last night in the library, did I hurt you then?"

Instead of answering you looked down at your still red fingertips, biting your lip.

"That's what I thought. Goodbye, Olivia. See you around." He walked out of the lab.

"Night in the library?" Tony asked.

"Don't ask, Tony." You mumbled.

"I can always just find it in the system's footage." He hedged.

"You have cameras everywhere?" You looked at him, shocked.

"Not everywhere. Your rooms are private." He rolled his eyes.

"Oh, okay. Well definitely don't look up last night. It's not anything you're gonna want to see."

"Gag."

It was your turn to roll your eyes. "Still not a kid, Tony. Anyways, yes he did hurt me. I didn't tell him because I thought it was just a side effect of that Asgardian stuff Thor brought. It wasn't as severe as today, just an overall heat throughout my body that slowly increased to a fever pitch. But I was able to cool off without any lasting marks. This-" You gestured to your bandaged arm. "This was an instant, scorching burn."

"So it's progressed. That's helpful information. See, we do know some things." Tony half smiled.

"With the serum in his veins, his core temperature does run hot. And apparently yours runs cool. Maybe that could have something to do with it." Bruce's voice trailed off as he opened a book, deep in thought.

"I think I'm gonna go shower. I'm kinda sweaty, in all the wrong ways." You got up and headed for the door.

"I mean it kid, stay away from Barnes. It's for your own good." Tony called after you.