Work Text:
"I'm just saying. Who hasn't had gay thoughts about Captain America?"
The silence that followed Tony Stark's outburst was so palpable you could almost taste the half-hearted denial in the air. The urge to laugh started to boil in your chest and even though looking around you were not the only one stifling a chuckle you didn't want to be the one to break in what was supposed to be a very formal meeting. You covered your mouth with your hand, attempting to look like you were rubbing a bit of something from the corner of your lip, when you caught the eye of the one person you shouldn't be sharing a moment with in a meeting like this. He didn't seem to hold the same levity in the situation and gave you a cheeky half smile and a wink, nodding his head to the blushing blond next to him as if asking if you agree with Tony.
Your challenging brow asked him the same thing before turning pointedly away.
"Thank you Tony for that, uh, insight" Maria said, staring studiously at the digital pad in her palm. "But I meant physical relationships need to be disclosed. Not...thoughts you might have about another member of the team."
Behind Maria Hill, Nick Fury rolled his eye and turned toward the large windows, his back the only thing anyone would probably see for the rest of the meeting.
"But, what is the purpose?" Vision countered, genuinely curious.
"Is the disclosure of our relationships necessary to do our duty?"
Despite the obviously budding romance between Vision and Wanda both seemed pretty adverse to admitting it out loud in front of the whole team. Not that you were one to talk, you hoped you could leave this room with some secrets still intact.
"It is necessary," Fury's tired voice easily called everyone's attention. He didn't turn around, but you could see his fingers tighten around his wrist where they were clasped behind his back. "In case romantic relationships compromise a mission or, a relationship brings about unwanted media attention."
"Fury, I'm sure everyone has been very careful."
Steve, still red at the crests of his cheeks, couldn't help but speak for the team. It was noble of him, but you knew it wouldn't help. Fury and Hill wouldn't be satisfied until they uncovered all they think needs to be disclosed.
You dared another look in Bucky's direction, but his head was tilted to give Steve his attention, nodding along in agreement. You absently mirrored his nod.
"All relationships? Even a one night stand?"
The intensity with which you turned your head resulted in an audible pop in your neck. Sam's gaze was steadfast on Hill despite the curious glances coming his way. His hands were intertwined on top of the long table, thumbs swiping through the air restless with nerves. As the silence stretched half a second too long the curious glances became pointed and accusatory to the other onlookers and it's then that you realized one pair of eyes was steadfast in its staring contest with the control panel just to the right of the door.
Natasha's expression was cool disinterest, but the stiffness of her bottom lip revealed that control was on the cusp of wavering.
A lump the size of a peach pit formed just below your voice box putting pressure on the secret you were hoping to keep inside. You were a team right? And a team has to look out for each other right? You knew Natasha's life was a closed book and her love life even further buried under lock and key and six feet of concrete. You caught the blink-and-you'll-miss-it shift in Sam's attention, recognized the shine of fresh tears rimming Nat's blank stare and that peach pit in your throat grew larger and larger until you couldn't keep the words in anymore.
"Bucky and I slept together."
There was no dramatic gasps or fainting, but a groan resound from one side of the table.
"Twice."
You practically lunged across the table to smack Bucky in the temple for his comment, your face growing hot. He allowed your palm to make contact, only offering up puppy dog eyes and an over exaggerated pout.
"Pay up Tony. I told you." Rhodey chuckled with his palm open next to Tony's head which was now cradled in his palms.
"FRIDAY, send the funds to the smug bug over here."
"Of course, sir. Congratulations Mr. Rhodes." FRIDAY replied seconds later and if it was possible for the AI to sound smug it absolutely did.
Maria and Fury shared a quick glance before Fury turned back to the window. With a slight frown Maria began tapping into the pad now clenched within a white knuckled grip.
You didn't know who to glare at; Tony and Rhodey for their bet or Bucky for digging your shame hole a little bit deeper. Convinced looking anywhere near Bucky's direction would somehow aggravate things further you directed your anger at the former pair.
"You bet on us?"
Rhodey gave a quick what-can-I-say shrug before continuing to rib Tony who apparently would not catch a break today, but it seems neither would you.
"And will this...arrangement continue?"
Arrangement. What a nice way for Maria to ask if you were going to continue fucking each other's brains out. It's not like you could help it. After the first time you had told Bucky this was a one time thing, a fluke, though you hesitated to call it a mistake. The second time just somehow happened and realized your one time fling could rapidly develop into a habit. Still, you knew the right thing to do was tell them what they wanted to hear.
"No."
"Probably."
Now you were mirroring Tony's posture, heels of your palms pressed to your forehead with your face pointed toward the table top. You didn't understand why Bucky was sabotaging you. All you wanted at this point was to leave the meeting with your dignity intact.
"Well which is it? No or probably?" Fury asked, his voice edged with frustration.
"No!"
"Probably."
"What the fuck Bucky?" You practically shouted, your voice pitched with a slight hysteria.
It wasn't until Bucky got to his feet that you realized you had stood. He met your eye, his own stern yet vulnerable as he searched your face. The muscle in his jaw tensed for a moment before he cycled a deep breath through his nose.
"I was going to ask you out, after this meeting. Hell, I've been wanting to-"
He cuts himself short, his lips twitching into a smile stifled by tugging teeth. You had seen this before, this adorable way he terribly tries to hide his grin. It had been only minutes after you had hastily donned your clothes and insisted what just happened would never happen again. Looking back you make a heart stuttering realization. Bucky was probably going to ask you out like a proper gentleman after you did the not so proper naked horizontal thing, but instead you rushed out of there like an idiot. He had done the same tug to his lips when he approached you last night too, but you hadn't even let him get a word in before your mouths were fused together and hands began to grab at clothing.
Well you may have fucked up his opportunities before but like hell you would let another chance pass either of you by.
"Maria."
Your voice was the only sound in the pin-drop silent room. All eyes were on you, but your attention was solely on Bucky and the way his teeth were loosening on his lower lip and allowing his gorgeous smile to spread wide.
"I'd like to disclose my current relationship with Bucky Barnes."
You stood there, a pair of grinning idiots, before Bucky leaped straight up and over the table, scrambling to place his backside on the edge and nestle you between his legs with his hands on your hips.
"You mean it?"
You nodded, already leaning in to kiss him so your forehead ended up rubbing up and down his once or twice. There were wolf whistles and jeers and laughter and if you weren't so damn happy you would have felt the embarrassment more pertinent to the situation at hand.
"Stand down soldier." Steve joked, reaching across the table to pull at Bucky's shoulder and separate your lips. Bucky laughed but listened to his captain, sliding off the table and walking back around to his seat.
"Okay but seriously none of you have thought about this ass?" Tony exclaimed in disbelief as he pointed to Steve's tush which was now at his eye level with Steve's change in position. Fury finally turned around to face the team, looking tired and sounding just as much.
"Agent Hill just put Tony's...thoughts down in the file. I have a feeling we'll need media cleanup at some point."