Serenity

            The quickly fading, logical side of my brain briefly tried to process how I’d ended up here, in Dublin, in a sex club, with Bucky’s hand down the front of my pants and rapidly traveling toward my incredibly sensitive bundle of nerves.

            One minute, we were planning the mission from the compound; Bruce and Nat were going to infiltrate the club, Serenity. Apparently, a chemical engineer discovered a mineral within vibranium that, when properly synthesized, created a powerfully mind altering drug; maybe the best mood elevating painkiller the planet has ever known.

            Of course, none of this was new to the people of Wakanda. They have been using the drug for decades to treat illnesses and injuries; they just never had a problem with abuse and misuse. Once the drug was synthesized on the streets away from home, however, abuse was rampant and T’Challa raged that once again something from Wakanda had been taken and twisted, distorted into a dark substance that, when mixed with other drugs, created a powerful psychological and physical addiction.

            As it turned out, Serenity was ground zero for this new drug. The problem was the club was also a very private members only type deal. And it’s a sex club.

            Yeah.

            Which is why Nat and Bruce were going in. I mean, Nat is basically a walking bombshell, and Bruce…well, he pairs nicely with Nat in an unexpectedly handsome, submissive-yet-volatile sort of way.

            Everything was going swimmingly until Nat got shot and Bruce hulked out while gathering reconnaissance earlier in the week. The mission itself was still salvageable since the ambush didn’t happen inside the club, but those two were definitely compromised.

            Vision and Wanda were out of commission too, though for a very different reason. They were celebrating their honeymoon in a remote location offered by Fury himself. No one wanted to disrupt the honeymoon. Heaven knows we all needed personal time when and where we could get it, and when your teammates get married, well, that personal time is double sacred.

            That left me, the only available female agent on the team, as the only double “x” chromosome holder…which also happened to be a requirement for club membership. Single, attractive females were virtually guaranteed membership. Attractive couples were also considered a draw, and could find their way on the roster if there was room for admission. Single men…well, they had better be incredibly handsome and exceedingly wealthy. Single men, no matter how good looking, were going to pay to play.

            Once I’d come to terms with being thrust in this position, I looked around the table wondering who would be my partner on this assignment. My partner and I would need to indulge in some serious PDA while undercover. There’s no way it could be Barton. That dude was very married. Tony might as well be. Steve, well, he would blend in at a sex club almost as well as a candle in a coal mine. Which left Sam or Bucky.

            Sam and I were good friends; our rooms were across from each other in a shared hallway. We joked, we laughed, we fought, and we laughed some more…we could pull this off. But it would be like making out with your brother.

            Ew.

            Bucky and I on the other hand, well, while we didn’t have the same type of relationship Sam and I had, we did get along just fine. We worked well together; we even goofed off together in our down time. Though, I’m the first to admit I harbored a wicked crush on Bucky. But he could be intense and reserved sometimes, so I took that as my cue to give Bucky his space when he needed it.

            So, imagine my shock when Bucky immediately stated he was going to be my partner on this mission.

            He didn’t ask. He just…claimed it and that was that.

            My neck snapped to him when he’d made his proclamation, though he never looked at me. His eyes remained glued to Steve. They seemed to silently communicate something to each other. I glanced toward Sam, who was looking between the two super soldiers, probably wondering if they were having some wordless conversation too, before looking to me with wide eyes.

            I gave a very slight, one shoulder shrug and Sam copied my move.

            Steve turned to me, garnering my attention. “Z,” he said softly, using my nickname, “you okay with this so far?”

            I nodded mutely. “Sure.”

            And it was true. Mostly. I mean I was okay with it. I was more than okay with it. The only problem I had with it was my stupid, girly, ridiculous, groupie-style crush. I imagined squashing that crush into a tiny ball, then shoving it deep inside a tiny box I kept inside my chest. There, crush problem resolved.

            Well, it was resolved until I glanced back toward Bucky who was watching me intently. His blue eyes met mine and just like that, the stupid squashed ball I’d just tamped down blossomed and nearly choked me to death.

            Freaking girly crush.

            Steve spoke at greater length, though I could barely hear him over the sound of my own blood rushing through my ears. We started to clear the table in the boardroom when Steve herded Bucky and I to the side.

            “You guys should—“ he struggled to find his words, causing both Bucky and I to glance at each other before focusing on Steve again, “get better…acquainted. So it isn’t so awkward at the club,” he amended.

            I quirked a brow, a trait I’d learned from both Wanda and Nat. I glanced at Bucky who was stifling his own smile as he glanced at me.  

            I turned to fully face Bucky, extending my hand as if to shake his. “Well, hello James, it’s me, Elizabeth. Your roommate and teammate for the last year and a half,” I said poignantly in Steve’s direction, emphasizing that Bucky and I were already pretty damn well acquainted. “It’s come to my attention we need to get to know each other better even though we live and work together,” I laughed out loud, causing Bucky to laugh with me. “I like cereal and Saturday morning cartoons—“

            Steve rolled his eyes, though he did smile. “Ha, ha, very funny you two. I mean you need to get comfortable with each other. You’re infiltrating a sex club, not a USO dance so you can Lindy Hop.”

            “So we can…what the what?” I asked softly, though Bucky and Steve ignored me.

            “We need eyes in this place, and especially in those back rooms, that’s where Garner and his men operate, and those rooms are invitation only, exclusive to even the members of the club.” Steve eyed us both, waiting for the words to sink in.

            I nodded my understanding, and he and Bucky did that wordless communication thing again.

            “Nat and Bruce have been working this for weeks. You guys have two days; tops, if we can even get your memberships pushed through at all on such short notice. Z, I suggest you talk to Nat, and Bucky, you talk to Bruce. Find out what works, what doesn’t, and go from there.”

            I glanced up at the clock; it was just after two in the afternoon.

            “Want to meet back here before dinner?” Bucky asked. “We can go over everything then eat.”

            I nodded.

            “Don’t forget, Nat’s picking the movie for tonight and she’s still on pain meds,” Steve warned.

            Bucky and I cringed. Nat’s movie choices were spotty at best, but medicated, well, that was a different beast entirely. She gravitated toward artsy pieces that were almost guaranteed to knock me out cold.

            Four hours later I found myself wandering back into the kitchen. It was time for dinner and someone had blessedly picked up a mountain of Chinese food. I stared at the boxes, nearly jumping out of my skin when Bucky’s hand landed on the small of my back.

            “You gonna eat, or are you hoping to get your energy through osmosis?” He smirked as he handed me a plate.

            I took it and smiled, licking my too dry lips as my breath stuttered in my lungs.

            See, I’d learned some things from Nat. Things she and Bruce did inside that club to virtually guarantee an invite to the back. I realized I hadn’t thought this through entirely, and I was waiting for Bucky to call the whole thing off after his presumably equally enlightening conversation with Bruce.

            Long story short, Nat and Bruce had sex in Serenity. Like, actual sex. In-front-of-people type sex. Did I mention there was sex?

            When I didn’t move from my spot, Bucky gave one curt nod and put both our plates back down. “Right. We should talk.” He guided me toward the empty office and closed the door.

            I sat in the middle of the sofa opposite the window. Bucky sat beside me, close enough that my cushion collapsed a bit under his weight, causing me to roll toward him a little. I absently wondered how much he weighed, and how much of his body weight was from his metal arm.

            The things you think about when you’re trying to not think about other things.

            Like sex.

            Sex with Bucky.

            Public sex with Bucky.

            “I take it Natasha told you…everything.”

            I nodded, though I kept my eyes trained staring out the window.

            Bucky was silent for a bit, but I could feel his gaze on me. “Do you want to call this off, Z? It’s up to you; everyone will understand.”

            I dropped my head then, sighing. I turned to face Bucky, and he ducked his head a bit so he could look into my eyes. We were very close, close enough that I could feel his breath and smell a scent that is uniquely him. My heartbeat sped up as I looked into his eyes. It took a maximum effort to keep my eyes fixed on his face. I always fought the urge to devour Bucky visually. I found him very attractive, to say the least. Even more so with that damn beard.

            I shook my head. “No, I don’t want to call it off,” I said softly, and took note of the way Bucky seemed relieved at my admission. “I guess I just didn’t think it through all the way…you know?”

            I shrugged before continuing. “I want to take this guy down. Now. Before he gets a real foothold in the market. He’s a heartbeat away from going global.” I nodded to myself more than anything. “I can do this, Bucky.”

            I mean, it isn’t like he and I had to have actual sex. We just needed to be a sexy couple. Maybe some petting.

            And if I’m being honest I wouldn’t mind that at all.

            Bucky nodded. “Would it be easier if I asked Steve or Sam to step in instead of—“

            “No!” I said quickly as I grabbed his knee. I chuckled when he placed both hands in the air in a placating gesture, though he smiled at my quick reaction. “No. That would be…weird. Like, making-out-with-your-brother weird.”

            “I don’t want things to be weird with us,” Bucky said as he put his hand over mine.

            “They won’t be,” I assured him. I certainly didn’t think of Bucky with any semblance of brotherly love.

            It won’t be weird, I thought to myself. Unless you think it’s weird that I have a huge crush on you and I’ve thought about you naked every day since I first met you.

            That’s not weird, right?

            He nodded. “Did Natasha tell you about the rules?”

            This time I nodded. Natasha had been very explicit.

            “So you know they will grill us on consent, understanding limits…things like that.”

            I nodded again.

            “You’ll need a safe word,” Bucky said softly. “Or we can use the colors…red for stop, green for….”

            “Won’t you need a safe word?”

            Bucky’s slow, sultry smile did funny things to my insides.

            “I don’t need a safe word, sweetheart.” Bucky’s voice was deep and low.

            I returned his smile, my breath getting more and more shallow. I deduced exactly why Bucky didn’t need a safe word, and I suddenly felt very naive for even suggesting it. Bucky was very likely going to lead this show. “No, I don’t suppose you do,” I replied softly as I tucked an errant hair behind my ear and looked away. “Colors are fine.”

            Bucky squeezed my hand in his. “What Natasha and Bruce did—“

            My face flamed as I recalled exactly what Nat had told me.

            “That’s not—“ Bucky trailed off, his eyes finally darting away from me. “According to Bruce, most people in the club are just there to watch. We can blend in…but it would be helpful if they thought we might—“ he stopped again, looking back to me, lifting his brows and dipping his chin, urging me to understand his unfinished thought.

            “Of course.”

            Bucky shifted again, this time scooting even closer. He kept both my hands in one of his, while his metal arm slipped behind me to settle on my lower back. “I think we should try to, maybe…” he shrugged, looking chagrined and embarrassed as a light blush pinked his cheeks, “get more comfortable with each other for the next couple of days. So we don’t look awkward inside the club.”

            I stifled a smile as I turned to better face him. Since he’d scooted closer, our faces were now only inches apart, his left leg touched mine from hip to calf. My face heated at the thought of my unasked question. “Are you suggesting we…make out?”

            He ducked his head before returning his gaze back to me. “Um, yeah. I am. We need to at some point…better to get comfortable now before the club.”

            And holy hell his voice was deep, and gravelly, and sensual. I’d been given a flash of sexy, confident, 1940’s Bucky behind those tortured eyes. Molten lust pooled in my abdomen, and I felt my own warm wetness collect in my panties. Bucky’s jaws clenched and unclenched, and for a fleeting moment I wondered if he could scent my arousal.

            We stared into each other’s eyes for a heartbeat and I had no doubt he absolutely could scent me.

            Bucky stood quickly, startling me when he yanked me up with him. “We’re going to do this,” he said in a hushed tone as he pulled me against him, though I wasn’t sure if this referred to the mission, making out, or both.

            “What’s your color?” He whispered in my ear, his warm breath cascading down my neck.

            He drew his nose along my neckline toward my jaw, making a production of scenting me. “Tell me, sweetheart, I need to hear you.”

            “G-green,” I stuttered. “I’m green.” So fucking green.

            Bucky chuckled darkly in my ear, “Good girl.” He took my face in his hands, one cool, one warm. “I’m going to kiss you now.” He trailed the flesh of his thumb across my bottom lip, drawing my eyes to his face. “If I do anything you don’t like, stop me. If I cross a line, stop me. If I make you uncomfortable, stop me. I’m in charge, but you have all the power here. Remember your colors?”

            I nodded as I bit my lip. My panties were officially ruined. Between his pet names and his dominant tone, I was a goner.

            Bucky pressed his lips to mine softly at first, then his kiss grew more heated. I felt him tentatively swipe his tongue across my bottom lip and I eagerly opened for him. The small invitation seemed to break Bucky. He pressed my body to his, wedging one of his legs between mine until the hottest part of me, the wettest part of me, rested against his thigh.

            I hissed at the contact. It was too much and not enough, all at the same time.

            Bucky fisted his flesh hand through my hair, pulling me back gently but firmly so he could look into my eyes. “Color?” He asked again, arching a brow.

            “Green,” I answered quickly, desperate to feel his mouth on me again.

            “Green,” he repeated in a whisper. “My new favorite color. Good girl, you respond so well.”

            He settled us both back on the sofa, though he positioned me so I still straddled his thigh. He pressed me against him, dragging my core against his thick muscle. I shamelessly curled my hips toward him, battling his tongue for dominance as our hands roamed across each other for what felt like an eternity. Bucky slid me back down his thigh, bouncing his knee and eliciting a cry from me.

            “Mmm, you gonna come for me kitten,” he asked moments before he bit down on my neck. It wasn’t a hard bite, but it was enough to hurt in the best way possible.

            I turned my head, granting him even better access to my neck. “I might if you keep doing that.”

            Bucky kissed my neck for several torturous and erotic moments before dragging my core back up and down his thigh several times. I could feel the huge bulge in his pants, and I made sure to put friction on it with every stroke he delivered.

            Bucky pushed my hips down against his thigh roughly as he clenched his thigh muscle, causing me to cry out. He immediately caught my call, his mouth and tongue quickly drowning my moans.

            “Bucky,” I panted, pulling away slightly so I could look at him. “I’m gonna…oh God, I’m gonna—“

            Bucky shook his head. “No. No you’re not, kitten. Not until I say so.”

            He was watching me, gauging me, though I knew he was on the verge of coming too. A small smile curled at the corners of my mouth as I leaned my thigh against the bulge in his pants to gain better friction with every pass.

            “Fuck,” Bucky whispered, and I wasn’t sure if it was directed at me or just some random expletive he uttered in the throes of passion. I had a feeling Bucky would be divine when it came to talking dirty.

            “What’s your color?” Bucky gritted out as he pressed me roughly against his thigh.

            I was barely holding it together, shaking with my building orgasm. “Green!”

            Bucky pulled me down fully against him. “That’s my good girl,” he purred. “Tell me, kitten, what would your color be if I ripped off your fucking jeans, threw you on your back, and filled that tight, wet pussy with my come?”

            I gasped as my body trembled; the mental picture he’d just painted nearly undoing me. “Oh God, Bucky. I’m gonna…I’m gonna come Bucky!” I was helpless to stop it; I felt my orgasm uncurling at the base of my spine.

            “No!” He growled. “Tell me what color—“

            “Green! So fucking green!” I called out.

            Bucky pulled me back roughly, “My girl is so fucking perfect. Come for me, kitten,” he said through clenched teeth before crashing his lips to mine, stifling our moans.

            We both shook as we came against each other, a fine sheen of perspiration coating us. I wiped Bucky’s hair away from his face as he moved mine away from my neck.

            I really did hate it when my hair stuck to my neck.

            “That was—“ I started to speak.

            “Yeah,” Bucky whispered. “I think we’re gonna be—“

            A booming knock made us both jump.

            “Hey, if I gotta watch this damn foreign film, all y’all gotta watch it,” Sam’s voice carried through the thick wooden door. “Get your asses out here; movie starts in fifteen minutes.”

            Bucky glanced toward the door, his face changing to a mask of darkness. “I’m gonna murder him in his sleep one day,” he promised as he stood, bringing me upright with him so that I could stand too.

            “If you don’t, I will,” I said as I adjusted my clothes.

            Bucky looked back to me, smiling at my empty threat. He looked embarrassed though, and I realized why after he spoke. “I need to—um, change my pants before the movie,” he chuckled darkly.

            I stepped back, suddenly embarrassed myself. “Yeah…me too,” I shrugged.

            “I’ll meet you in the living room in five minutes,” he said quickly as he kissed my forehead, smiling again. “I’ll save you a seat. I’ll be the one with egg rolls, so you have to sit next to me.”

            I snickered. “Well, of course. How could I refuse that?”

            “Five minutes,” he repeated, his hand already on the doorknob.

            I nodded, smiling like a nincompoop.

            “We’re good?”

            I nodded again, still smiling. “We’re good.” I was freaking better than good. I was still blissed out from that intense orgasm, and all we’d done was some dry humping and a bit of dirty talk.

            Bucky’s smile grew wider. “We are gonna knock this mission out of the park, doll,” he said, winking as he opened the door to sneak off to his room.

            His words were like a cold shower. The mission. Of course. How could I forget? Everything we had just done was mission related. It was nothing more than a training exercise, not unlike sparring or target practice. It held all the passion of a day shooting with Clint or an afternoon practicing holds with Natasha. Nothing more.

            Nothing more for Bucky anyway. For one, brief, shining moment it was more for me.

            Bucky looked left and right then urged me out of the office toward my bedroom.

            “See you in five,” he said, his hands still on my shoulders before we went in opposite directions at the split in the hallway.

            I nodded, walking mindlessly to my room as I cleaned up a bit and put on a pair of soft, comfy leggings and long sleeve t-shirt. I pulled my hair up in a ponytail, needing it off my neck, then padded back toward the living room in my SpongeBob socks with a fake smile plastered on my face.

            I snagged a bottle of water on my way, then dragged my favorite blanket with me to the sofa as I took my saved seat beside Bucky.

            “How are you feeling, Nat?” I asked the convalescing redhead, gently pinching her toe as I passed her.

            “Better,” she said as she cuddled against Bruce. “It’s not the first time I’ve been shot,” she quipped, staring poignantly at Bucky.

            “Sorry,” he mouthed, making a mopey face.

            I shook my head at the two assassins in our group. Sometimes it was hard for me to remember Bucky had been through so much. It really was remarkable that he was able to do his job now. Not just succeed at it, but also exceed in so many ways.

            I made up my mind right then and there. If Bucky could do this, I could do this. If he could take all of his experiences and deal with his lot in life, then surely I could too.

            So I had a crush on Bucky. So this next mission involved me getting very up close and down right intimate with said crush. In the grand scheme of things, it was no big deal. Bucky, Nat, and heck…the rest of the team in general had dealt with far more difficult things than what I was facing in this mission. In fact, I decided to look at this mission as one part treat and one part actual work taking down an up and coming kingpin.

            I decided we were definitely going to rock this mission, and we most certainly would knock it out of the park.

            But deep down I also knew I would pay a price for it later; I could have my breakdown after mission debriefing. It happened sometimes. I’d just request a couple of weeks off to decompress. I’d be okay.

            Eventually.

            I leaned back, taking the veggie roll Bucky offered since we’d missed dinner, and settled in for Natasha’s movie night.

            An hour later, I came to the conclusion that Nat did this crap on purpose. She chose these God-awful foreign language French existentialist films that were guaranteed to put the entire team to sleep in record time so we could all get some rest.

            It was her version of a sleeping pill. It had to be.

            Sam was already snoring quietly; even Steve was out like a light in the recliner. Bruce lolled with Nat in his arms, and I could see that even she was fighting sleep. My eyes were burning with the need to rest, and I stretched my legs out across the ottoman in front of us, my feet peeking out from under my blanket.

            Bucky scooted closer, lifting my blanket slightly so he could slide under it too. It was an unusual move, and certainly not something he’d ever done before given that he and Steve ran much warmer than the rest of us and never really got cold.

            Bucky hooked his foot under my leg so he could briefly hold my own foot in the air. “What’s this?” He whispered, no doubt making fun of my SpongeBob socks.

            “It’s SpongeBob,” I whispered back.

            Bucky’s expression was clear. He had no idea what I was talking about.

            “He lives in a pineapple under the sea,” I said, knowing it would have no meaning to him.

            His confused look caused me to snicker softly.

            “I think I’m going to make everyone watch it when it’s my turn to have movie night.”

            Bucky leaned even closer, his mouth mere centimeters from my ear. “It’ll be better than this,” he said softly.

            “Are you kidding?” I quipped. “This is the best sleeping pill on the market,” I whispered conspiratorially as I gestured around the room. Everyone was unconscious now.

            I yawned as my own tiredness grew.

            “Go to sleep,” Bucky ordered as he pulled my head down against his chest and shoulder.

            He was so warm I snuggled against him, turning on my side. Who was I to disobey an order?

            “Yes sir, Sergeant Barnes,” I said softly as I curled into him, already half asleep.

            Bucky groaned softly at my words, his body stiffening briefly as his breath caught in his chest. He quickly recouped, but even in my barely awake state I’d felt his reaction.

            I smiled against his chest before slipping into blissful unconsciousness myself. I wasn’t the only one who was going to be tortured during this mission. Bucky might need to decompress himself after this was all said and done.