Call me Sergeant
Avery really didn’t want to get up when the alarm went off at 7 a.m., but she set it to get into a routine before Monday.
It was a Saturday morning, and she hoped that nobody would be up early—that maybe the Avengers slept in on the weekends. Until she saw Sam and Steve run past her window and wave.
Through the kitchen she went; she was in the mood for toast. Sam and Steve came in not long after.
"I heard you were giving the only assassin in the building sass the other day," Sam said, talking to Avery like they were already friends. No introduction needed. His smile beamed at her like he was impressed.
"It wasn't sass, it was nervousness. I panicked," Avery explained. At that moment, Wanda walked in and jumped into the conversation.
"Nervous because you're new, or because he's your type?" Wanda wiggled her eyebrows, and Steve looked scandalized.
"What would you know about my type? You thought me and Peter were a thing," Avery laughed it off, hoping the topic would change.
Sam leaned in, clearly interested. "What's her type then, Maximoff?"
Wanda grinned, enjoying the teasing. "She likes older guys, and you can’t get any older than our soldiers." Avery's face turned beetroot red.
"You jailbait, new girl?" Sam questioned, still grinning.
"Oh, I’m 25. Hardly jailbait, Sam," Avery said defensively. What else could she do? Sam was questioning her, Wanda was jumping to conclusions, and Steve?
Steve was standing there, looking like he was planning something. She could practically see the cogs turning in his head. "Oh no, what are you thinking about, Captain?"
"I was thinking you called me Captain. What did you address Bucky as when you first met him?" Steve’s question caught her off guard. Why did it matter what she called him? Nervously, Avery replied.
"Sergeant James Barnes." She looked at the three of them. Shit eating grins, every one of them. What did she do? Was it bad? Did he prefer Bucky? Or Winter Soldier? Maybe just James?
"Interesting," Steve said, like he already knew the answer before Avery even spoke. Sam was already laughing.
"Girl, you're a flirt. Did Wanda tell you to call him that?" Sam laughed even harder.
"I didn’t tell her anything," Wanda said, still grinning. "I would have assumed she was just trying to be polite." She winked at Avery, making it clear that’s not what she thought at all.
"Could someone please explain why me calling him ‘Sergeant’ is flirting?" Avery was getting scared. What had she said? Her face felt like it was on fire.
Steve looked at her directly in the eyes and said, "You might as well have called him daddy."
And with that, Avery felt like she was going to explode. She had accidentally called Bucky the thing he liked to be called in bed.
"You soldiers and your ranks... Wanda, why didn’t you warn me?" Avery nearly screamed.
"To be fair, I assumed he would ignore you until Monday. I was wrong," Wanda said, still grinning. "When did you meet him?"
"A bit after you left me in the kitchen. Why?"
"You hadn’t changed clothes yet?" Wanda asked casually, still grinning.
Avery’s stomach twisted. "No...?" What was wrong with her clothes? What was Wanda getting at?
"You even had your legs out," Wanda said, turning to Steve. "Are you sure you weren’t trying to seduce our Bucky?"
Avery froze as she remembered she was wearing shorts. Shorts in front of a guy from the 40s. Oh no.
"This conversation is ridiculous. I’m going to my room," Avery said, turning to leave.
But as she turned, she ran face-first into a wall. She was pretty sure there wasn’t a wall there before, though.