Wanted

This is absolutely ridiculous, Anna... You look fine, don't be an idiot...

She shook her head, glaring at herself in the mirror before she glanced down at her watch again for the sixth or seventh time. Quarter past six...

Do I wanna get there early or late? Or on time? If I get there early, I can gather myself up and pour a drink... Or make a cocktail... No, I'll need hard liquor I think... Pretty sure I saw a few bottles of Jack on that glass shelf-

Jesus CHRIST why is my head all crazy!?

She looked at herself in the mirror again as though she was giving her reflection a pep talk, and let out a breath.

"He's not your boyfriend. He isn't interested - Tony said he'll bang anything on legs, and he hasn't made a move on you - what's that saying? You've physically been in bed with him and there was nothing. You're not his type, and if you're honest, he's not your type." She said, nodding at her own words as she rationalized her thoughts aloud.

"He put a gun to your head. He kidnapped you. He made you feel uncomfortable on several occasions... He crashed a car that you were in -on purpose- without thinking twice about it... He's causing troubles for your Dad. He killed your grandparents. He almost killed you..."

She nodded again, feeling like she was now well equipped with all the mental ammo she needed, even though she didn't believe half of what had just come out of her mouth...
Standing back, she was happy with how she looked. She'd gone over her hair a few times with a hot iron - not enough that it was perfectly straight, but enough that it shiny, long and sleek, and looked nice. She wore skinny jeans, ankle boots, and a cute strappy top which she planned on throwing a cropped jacket over...

Another glance at her watch told her it was time to leave, Anna taking a deep breath as she picked up her phone and shoved her key-card into her pocket on her way out.
The walk to the rec room was quick, and despite having only been there the once, she found it easy to remember the way. Much to her relief, Tony was already there, behind the bar no less.

She gave a chuckle to herself as she made her way over, recognizing Sam Wilson who was perched on a bar stool, mid mouthful of what looked like a glass of scotch.
"Lil' Stark!" He fondly addressed her, a huge welcoming grin on his face.
"Sam, right?" she teased, Sam letting out a hearty laugh in response.
"Oh don't pretend you don't know me" He scolded her.

"Anna" Tony corrected, coming to her rescue while giving Sam a knowing look.

"My bad" he chuckled, hands up, "It's nice to see you again, Anna"
"Nice to see you too" She smiled.

"Drink?" Tony offered, gesturing at his impressive wall of booze.
"Yes please!" She said with a smile, watching as he opened the cabinet where the glasses were kept, "what a beautiful bar" She added admiringly, her fingers tracing the wood grain on the counter top...
"Oh I forgot this was kinda... Your jam" He chuckled, standing back as he gestured for her to help herself.
"What'll it be, then?" She asked with a confident, almost sassy tone.
"Whatever you're having"
"Double Jack, on the rocks it is..."

She gave him a grin as she pulled two thick glasses out, spinning them before quickly placing them on the bar, Sam looking on, impressed. She scooped ice into each before reaching for the whiskey bottle, tossing it behind her back and catching in with her free hand. She poured a double shot into each before tossing the bottle back into her other hand and placing it neatly onto the shelf, Sam applauding wildly. Anna smiled at him, blushing like crazy as she offered a little courtesy, a shy giggle escaping her.

"She shoots she scores!" he called out, Anna laughing.
"I was just showing off..." She assured him, "I don't usually do that" She added sheepishly.

"Your drink, sir" She smiled at Tony as she passed his glass over to him.
"Why thank you" He politely smiled, as he nodded for her to take the other one. They clinked glasses before taking a sip, the three of them laughing among themselves, Sam joking about the next ones being lit on fine.
"No, no... Anna's a guest, and she won't be pouring any more drinks" Tony smiled, "I've got a guy coming to run it for me tonight, He'll be here soon."

Anna let a breath out, feeling much more relaxed as she took another sip of her drink until she looked up and locked eyes with a certain metal-armed super soldier across the room.

Aaaand he's brought a date...

She gave him a smile and a nod, Bucky smiling back somewhat apologetically as he made his way over to her, the blonde girl they'd seen in the hallway the other day on his arm. Anna groaned inwardly, knowing that Bucky hadn't been interested in her - well, so he'd said - but here she was, by his side and absolutely loving it.
Anna shook her head, feeling like an idiot for doubting Tony's story earlier... The thought of Bucky sleeping his way around the building sounded so far from the truth after how he'd been with her the past week. He'd been so respectful and kind, and if she hadn't have known any better, she suspected he may have even had a soft spot for her... There wasn't too many guys who would drop off chocolates and magazines to a girl they'd known for only a couple of weeks, and then sit there and have those long 'deep and meaningful' conversations all night... Well, not without expecting something in return?

Am I that much of a cynic? Maybe he's just a really nice guy, maybe Tony has him all wrong and he's just been unlucky in love? Surely all those girls knew he wasn't in his right mind back then, and used him as a pawn to hit Tony up for compensation?

...Or maybe he was playing the 'nice guy' card to try and get in my pants, and things weren't progressing as fast as he'd like so he's hit Blondie up?

All those flirty comments and jokes over the past week, all those sweet gestures, and him being as fiercely protective as he'd been had obviously given her the wrong idea...

Maybe he just wanted to be friends? Or maybe I just completely mis-read the situation... Ugh, I'm a world class IDIOT.

The body language between him and the blonde girl seemed to suggest they were really into each other, Bucky laughing at whatever she'd said as she pressed herself against him. His hand tightened around her waist as he shot her a glance, blondie biting a shiny red lip mischievously in response.

...Or maybe not... And going by how cosy they are, it's pretty obvious they've 'known each other' for a while, which is disgusting, because not only did he lie to me about her, he flat out ignored the poor girl in the hall the other day...

"Hey" Anna said, smiling at both of them when they got to the bar, despite herself.

Bucky looked back and forth between the two girls and cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Uh, Anna, this is Dana... Dana, this is Anna" He introduced them, gesturing at each as he spoke. Anna reached forward, shaking the blonde girls hand.
"So nice to meet you Dana" She said with a friendly smile.
"Likewise! ...So you're Tony Stark's daughter, huh?"
"I see news travels fast..." Anna said politely, shooting Bucky an accusatory sideways glance before clearing her throat.
"Oh no, everyone knows... We had to sign a non-disclosure agreement" She said, matter-of-factly.
"...Awesome" Anna smiled, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she looked over her shoulder to see if Tony was nearby.

Uh crap, he's wandered off...

She finished her drink and reached for the whiskey bottle to pour herself another, topping it up a bit higher for good measure.

"So who did you come with?" Dana asked, looking around the room, "Bucky said you were bringing a date?"
"He did, did he?" She asked, her eyes darting up to Bucky's for a moment, that apologetic expression still on his face.
"Uh huh..."
"Well..." Anna started, "Apparently I'm going to be introduced to a few people tonight, so you never know!"

Bucky shifted his weight awkwardly, quick to wipe the look off his face when Dana turned to him, Anna rolling her eyes.
"Okay, well it was nice to meet you..." She said, looking for an 'out'.
"You too"

"Dana, why don't you go and see what the girls are up to while I catch up with Anna, real quick?" Bucky suggested, as Anna turned to leave, "I'll be over soon"
"Would you order me a vodk-"
"-Sure"

Anna had been quick to make an exit, taking her drink with her and hurrying over to the open end of the bar. She put her hand on the brass handrail to her right, ready to take the single step down when she was suddenly cut off by the very person she was now hoping to avoid...

"Anna..."
"Bucky" She smiled, swallowing hard, not sure what to say, "...We meet again"

Holy crap this is so awkward...

"Dana's just a friend..."
"And she seems lovely" She said, keeping her tone friendly and nonchalant as she tried to step around him, Bucky blocking her again, "Would you let me past, please?"
"Don't be like that"
"I have no idea what you're talking about"

Anna looked away and let out a breath, noticing that Tony was watching them like a hawk... Anna gave him a smile and a wave to signal that everything was fine before turning back to Bucky.
"Everything's cool... I just want to go enjoy myself" She assured him, Bucky's expression guarded and uncertain.

He stepped back without saying anything, Anna necking the rest of her drink before setting the glass down on the bar, Bucky watching her disapprovingly.
"You should take it easy on the drink, you never know-" He began, Anna unsure if he was being protective or domineering... Or maybe a bit of both.
"-Thanks, I can take care of myself" She cut him off, keeping her tone sharp and to the point, but still friendly.

 She gave him another smile, quickly taking the opportunity to step around him without a moment to lose.
"Enjoy your date" She muttered, pretending not to notice him rolling his eyes as she walked away.

She made a beeline for Tony, who was waiting with an arm outstretched. She smiled as she stepped in beside him, noticing the change in demeanour as he put his arm around her and proudly introduced 'his daughter' to the group he was with.
"Everything okay?" He discreetly asked between his teeth, maintaining his beaming smile for the crowd.
"Yeah, Barnes is just... Being himself" She explained, Tony chuckling.

It occurred to her that the arm around her was a protective one, the tension between Bucky and Tony rising with the two of them shooting each other sideways glances which Anna ignored.
The conversation flowed easily between the group, Anna feeling comfortable to hold her own as Tony left for a few minutes to go meet the bartender.

"Hey, I'm Jack" Came a voice to her left, blindsiding her a little, "Jack Clarkson"

Anna smiled, noticing immediately that he was cute and tall - dark blonde hair, brown eyes and a very 'Steve Rogers' looking smile. She looked down at his outstretched hand, taking it to shake as she answered him.

"Anna Pierce" She smiled.
"I know" He chuckled, letting go of her hand, "and you're just as gorgeous as everyone's described... If I may say so?" He added, his eyes twinkling as he grinned. Anna blushed, looking away completely embarrassed as she covered her face with one hand.
"Sorry... I don't have a great brain-mouth filter, sometimes my thoughts just come straight out like that" He chuckled.

Anna caught Bucky glaring at her from the other side of the room, the only guy standing in a circle of giggling girls, Dana all over him still.

No sympathy from me... It was his choice to ask her...

"No, it's fine" She smiled back, shaking her shyness off.
"Can I buy you a drink?" He asked, Anna's eyes darting over to Bucky quickly before giving Jack a nod.
"You do know Tony's already paid for them?"
"Of course - but it'd sound a little odd asking 'can I go get you a spritzer that your Dad already paid for'... Wouldn't it?" He laughed, Anna joining in with him.
"I suppose"
"Shall we, then?" he asked, pointing his elbow out for Anna to loop her arm through.
"We shall" She agreed.

She stayed close to Jack, part of her absolutely loving how much it was annoying Bucky, the other part feeling a little guilty... She pushed him out of her mind for the moment, leaning on the bar when they got there, Jack politely asking what she'd like.
"Double Jack please, straight up"
"Impressive" He beamed, brows raised, "Better make that two"

They clinked glasses before drinking, Jack giving her a huge grin when they finished before ordering them another round.
"Honestly, I thought you'd be a 'chick drink' girl..." He said with a shrug, both of them chuckling as they took their drinks.
"I figures as much by the 'spritzer' comment... That's exactly why you should never judge a book by its cover" She said with a wink.
"Sorry about that"
"No problem" She smiled.

The bartender in her started counting back the drinks she'd had in her head when she started to feel a little wobbly, taking into account that they'd all been doubles, and one of them had been topped up.

Slow down or you'll make an idiot of yourself...

"You okay?" Came Jack's concerned face as he ducked his head to make eye contact with her.
"Yeah..." She started, shaking it off, "Was just lost in thought for a moment..."
"Wanna go sit down?" he offered, nodding at the couches in the far corner of the room, "Pizza's will be here soon"
"Yeah that sounds really good actually" She said, thinking logically again...

Jack asked the bartender for two bottles of water, handing Anna one which she thanked him for. He took her hand, Anna pulling away from him, surprised. He was quick to apologize, Anna catching Bucky straightening up in the corner of her eye, seemingly ready to pounce.
"Sorry... That was forward" Jack said, apologizing again.
"Yeah, it was..."
"My bad - I forget my manners sometimes... If you don't want to come sit with me anymore, I totally understand..."

Anna let out a breath, feeling uneasy, but at the same time not wanting to cause a scene... She especially didn't want to give Bucky a reason to, either, now that she'd spotted him watching them.

"It's fine, sorry... It's me, really..." She said apologetically.
"Don't apologize, it's completely my fault - I shouldn't have been so presumptuous" he said with a genuine look on his face, Anna feeling somewhat guilty now.

She offered him a smile which he returned, Jack gesturing towards the big L shaped couch in the corner of the room which she followed him over to.

"So..." She started, chuckling awkwardly, Jack joining in, "Sorry, I'm so crap at this..."
"Thank god - so am I!"
"That's a relief!" She said, both of them laughing again as they loosened up, "I suppose I should ask you to tell me about yourself... Since everyone here already knows all about me..."

"Well" Jack started, "I've just finished a masters in engineering, IT and robotics, and I'm here working - well, learning - from Mr Stark... It's an awesome opportunity, and he's a great teacher"
"Oh wow, that's impressive!"
"Thank you... Not too impressive - as I said, I'm only learning, but really enjoying it and hoping for a job with Stark Industries at the end of my internship."
"So how'd you end up here at Avengers HQ? I thought all this was supposed to be all top secret"

Jack nodded in agreement, his expression still full of gratitude and sincerity.
"Oh it is - we're locked into an iron-clad contract. What we see and do here is to never leave the building"
"So I've heard..."
"I got extremely lucky... A couple of us were chosen to come here when Mr Stark moved." He explained, "Literally two out of a couple of hundred interns, I still hardly believe it... We're here to maintain and repair the machinery as required, update systems, make repairs and stuff like that. We're on call 24/7 and it's hard work, but I'm really enjoying it"
"That's awesome, Jack... Tony didn't tell me he had interns"
"He's very supportive of all the local universities, and giving young people opportunities in the field... I don't think I'll ever get to see one of the suits up close, but just being here in incredible in itself" He beamed, "So tell me about yourself"

"There's literally nothing interesting about me that everyone already doesn't know" Anna chuckled, looking down.
"I'm sure that's not true" He smiled, leaning towards her again, Anna swallowing hard as she scooted away from him a little, Jack letting out a sigh.

"So what's the story with you and Barnes?" He asked, sounding somewhat annoyed as his eyes flicked between Anna in front of him, and Bucky across the room.
"Excuse me?" Anna asked, completely mortified and taken aback.
"No rudeness intended... It's just that he's watching you like a scorned ex, and you're constantly checking to see if he's watching" He said, both of them looking up at Bucky who was leaning against the bar alone, unashamedly staring directly at them.

Anna let out a breath, looking up at Jack apologetically, feeling like she'd been busted...
"I'm sorry..." She started, relieved when he gave her a shrug.
"It's fine, I didn't meant to come off abrupt and it's none of my business... But I was a little offended that you weren't exactly 'present' in the conversation... Especially when it took a bit of courage to come and talk to you in the first place" He said with a shrug.
"I'm really sorry Jack... There's nothing going on between Barnes and I" She assured him, "I'm not looking for anything with anyone for starters, and he's here with a date, anyway"
"Who he's paying zero attention to, while watching you instead"

Anna paused, gathering her thoughts as she contemplated whether it was worth arguing with Jack, or simply getting up and walking off... His last point swirled in her head, Anna doing her best to stop it manifesting into anything.

This is ridiculous... End the conversation and leave. Simple.

"Sorry, just calling it as I see it" Jack said, interrupting her train of thought, "I don't want to upset ya, and I work with your Dad, so the last thing I want is any bad blood there... I was just saying that since I walked over and introduced myself - he hasn't taken his eyes off you... He's like a dog with a bone"
"Well I have no idea why he's like that - I hardly even... You know what, it doesn't even matter" She cut herself off.
"He's like that because he's into you"
"He's not"
"He is and I can prove it"
"This is ridiculous..."

Anna let out a gasp when Jack put his arm around her shoulder, quickly pushing it off and standing up to get away from him. She glanced up to see Bucky striding across the room in their direction, obviously having seen enough.

Oh shit...

"Okay, nice to meet you Jack" She said quickly as she backed away, and intercepted Bucky before he made it over to the couch.
"Bye Anna... Talk to you later" Jack called out, waving to her with a smug look on his face.

"Hey Buck, buy you a drink?" She said quickly, catching him around the arm. He let a breath out as he stopped, looking down at Anna who was quite desperately trying to distract him...
"Sure... It looked like you were done with that conversation, anyway..."
"Well... Thank goodness you were there to come bail me out"
"Thought you said you could take care of yourself"
"I lied."
"Hmm..." He frowned, not buying any of it for a second... He shot Jack a look of warning before glancing down at Anna's hand looped under his arm which she quickly removed.
"Sorry" She muttered, embarrassed now.
"It's fine, really..." He assured her, softening now as he put his elbow back out, inviting her to take it again, "Pizza's here, let's go grab a slice"
"Okay..."

The two of them made their way over to the bar where several boxes had been laid out, Bucky taking a paper plate from the stack and handing it to Anna.
"Looks like we've got supreme, ham and pineapple, pepperoni..." He started, opening each box as he went along.
"You sure know your pizza's" Anna chuckled, feeling a little more relaxed now.
"I could live off the stuff" He said, a grin spreading over his face despite the tension just moments earlier.

Anna took a slice of ham and pineapple, Dana coming into view as she walked up behind Bucky. She gave Anna a smile as she stopped to hug him from behind, Bucky lifting his arm to look back at her.

"Hey there" She purred, Bucky trying to look like he was pleased to see her, Anna now realizing what Jack was trying to say earlier.
"Hey..."
"I thought I'd lost you"

Anna suppressed a giggle, picking up on the fact that Bucky clearly wasn't invested in his date, much to her amusement... She excused herself as she spotted Tony beckoning to her from across the room.
The night wore on, and despite initially counting the minutes till she could leave, Anna stuck around for another few drinks and made the effort to speak to as many people as she could. She was introduced to a few of Tony's 'apprentices' and the few junior agents that had been invited, and by the time she was ready to go, she was on a first name basis with most of them.



Anna sipped the last dribble from her glass before putting it on the bar, asking the bartender if he needed a hand washing up which he found endearing and hilarious. Tony stepped over, arms open and gave her a huge hug, holding her while Bucky wandered over.
"Date go well, Barnes?" Tony asked smugly when he realised Dana was nowhere to be found. He pursed his lips and cocked a brow, unamused, but kept his mouth shut.
Anna turned around, Tony's hands still resting on her shoulders somewhat possessively which she seemed to be oblivious to.
"Looks like she fled the building-" He chuckled.
"-It wasn't a date" Bucky corrected him.
"Oh so all that canoodling-"

"Oooookay, okay" Anna interrupted, raising her hands into a 'timeout' gesture as she stepped back, "It's been such a great night...Let's not ruin it"
"You're right" Tony smiled, "So you had fun?"
"I did, maybe a little too much!" She chuckled, nodding over to the bourbon bottles on the shelf behind the bar.
"I'll have a hot breakfast sent to your room when you wake up" He said with a big smile, Anna thanking him again sincerely for the pizza, drinks and putting the whole night together. She gave him another hug, Tony pressing a kiss to her temple, his eyes locked onto Bucky who cleared his throat and looked away.
"Night, guys" She said, smiling at each of them as she backed away.
"Need me to walk you?" Tony asked.
"No, I'm fine - I know the way" She assured him, "I'm sure I won't run into trouble in a building full of superheroes"
"Night, honey" Tony smiled, Bucky offering a quick 'night' followed by a smile and a wave.

Bucky watched her as she walked out the glass door and headed towards her room, Steve wandering over right on cue to ask Bucky if he was ready to leave.
"Yep... Thanks for Dinner Tony" Bucky said politely, swallowing his pride.

Tony smiled at him as though it was physically painful to do so, and gave him a nod, muttering a 'you're welcome' in response. Steve did what he always did and asked if any help was needed clearing up.
"All taken care of" He smiled, grateful for the offer.

Steve thanked him, giving Tony a friendly light pat on the back before he left, Bucky already making a beeline for the door.

"In a hurry to leave?" Steve asked as the two of them made their way down the dark corridor.
"You know I'm not into small talk... Especially with Stark"
"Point taken"

Bucky slowed to a stop, turning to face Steve with a warm smile after checking they were alone.
"I gotta go take care of something, see you tomorrow morning in the gym?" He asked, a disapproving look crossing Steve's face...
"Something or someone?"
"Steve..."
"Just... Be careful... You know what I'm talking about..." Steve warned
"-Hey... I'm just making sure she gets back safe, okay?" He cut him off.
"You sure?"

Bucky rolled his eyes and let out a breath.

"Okay, okay..." Steve started, putting his hands up defensively, "See you tomorrow. 7am"
"7am" Bucky confirmed with a smile and a nod.

Steve pulled Bucky in for a 'bro hug', before stepping into the elevator and giving a wave as the doors closed. Bucky turned and jogged ahead down the dark corridor, quickly catching up with Anna who looked visibly lost.

"Hey" he said, sneaking up on her without meaning to as he slowed to a walk - Anna letting out a frightened gasp. Bucky laughed and held his hands up in surrender, Anna swatting at him playfully.
"You just love scaring the hell out of me, don't you!?" She scolded, unsuccessfully stifling a grin.
"A guy's gotta have a hobby, Right?" He joked, Anna rolling her eyes, "...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you"
"Sure, sure..." She sassed.
"Hey, I came to make sure you got back to your room safely"
"That's nice of you"
"Well, I'm a nice guy"
"Apparently your date didn't seem to think so?" She quipped, loving his shocked reaction.
"Ouch!"

She snorted as she tried to suppress a laugh, Bucky shaking his head in disbelief that she'd 'gone there'.

"Sorry - couldn't help myself" She said, still barely able to contain herself.
"Well just for that - you can walk yourself..." He pouted with a shrug.
"That's fine by me" She shrugged right back, turning to continue on down the hallway.

"Anna!" Bucky called, Anna ignoring him... "Anna! You DO realise you walked right past the elevator, don't you?"
"Shit..."
"See that green button all lit up on the wall?"

She blew out a breath as she stopped in her tracks and turned around, Bucky watching her carefully as she made her way back, and stopped in front of him.
"I'd better walk you... God knows where you'd end up otherwise..." He said, Anna nodding, gesturing for him to lead on.

She followed him along the corridor until they came to a stop in front of the stainless steel doors, Bucky reaching in front of her to press the button. The two of them stood in silence until there was a ding and the door opened, flooding the hallway with light. They stepped into the elevator, Bucky's hand on the small of her back, guiding her in protectively. He pressed the floor number they needed, both of them leaning against the hand rail as they descended.

"It wasn't a date" Bucky said, breaking the silence unexpectedly, "Dana and I... There's, uh... There nothing there with us..."
"You don't have to explain yourself to me, Bucky... Who you hang out with or date or whatever is none of my business " She assured him with a smile, leading the way out to the corridor and fishing her key card from her pocket.

The rest of the walk to her room was quiet and awkward, even more so when they stopped in front of her door.
"Sorry for making it weird" He said with a self-deprecating chuckle, Anna suddenly softening a little as she slid her card into the reader, the door opening in front of them.
"Make you a coffee?" She asked, coming to the rescue.
"You sure?"
"Yeah, come on in"

He pulled the door shut behind them and followed her into the kitchen, Anna getting right to work preparing their drinks.

"Here's your coffee" She smiled, carefully handing him his mug which he thanked her for before taking a sip.

"So..." She started, intentionally acting awkward to make them both laugh.
"So? ..." He repeated as though he was asking a question.
"So I'm sorry for ripping on you about Dana" she said, Bucky clenching his jaw and nodding.
"You're forgiven" He said, cocking his head... "As I said, we're old 'acquaintances'... Nothing more"
"No judgement from me"

Anna frowned a little, staring into his eyes as she tried to figure out what was going on with him...

"Buck?" She started, "Why are you so concerned about what I think... As far as girls go I mean?"

He let out a breath, shaking his head.
"I don't know... I guess I didn't want you to get the wrong idea..." He said, sipping at his coffee as though he was in a hurry to finish it.

"The wrong idea?" she started, pulling out the barstool beside him and perching herself on it as she turned to face him, "the only ideas or opinions I have about you, are the kind that I've formed in my own head for myself. We all have a past - myself included - so who am I to judge you for that?"

"That could be the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me..." He mused, a small smile crossing over his face.

"Well, I'm a nice person"
"I dunno about that..." He teased, making her chuckle.

"In all seriousness though... Thanks so much for everything... You've had my back through so much over the past couple of weeks, and it's made this whole transition so much easier having a friend around" She smiled, Bucky frowning a little as though he wasn't quite sure how to take what he'd just heard, "and the whole saving my life all those times was kinda decent of you, too I guess..."

Instead of saying anything more he put his mug down and put his arms out to her, Anna nervously sliding off her stool and stepping in front of him. He gave her a huge grin and pulled her into a tight hug, taking her a little by surprise. Anna had to admit she was completely touched by his sudden show of affection, resting her head on his chest as her arms found their way around him. She closed her eyes and let a breath out, relaxing in his arms where she stayed for a while, feeling completely safe and content.

When his grip loosened, Anna went to pull away from him, Bucky's hands still firmly on her waist. Confused for a moment, she locked eyes with him and stayed where he held her, one of his hands reaching up to tuck the loose hair from her face.

Oh god...

Bucky gave her a nervous smile, sensing her tension as time seemed to slow down, his hand still cupping her cheek. He let out a low chuckle, shaking his head almost as if he was scolding himself, Anna's heart still racing. He leaned in, reaching up to kiss her forehead before letting her go - taking her by surprise again.

-What the fu-

Bucky stood up and thanked her for the coffee, Anna still standing a little bewildered at the counter as he rinsed his mug in the sink before placing it in the drainer. He wished her a good night, making some excuse about being tired and having an early start in the morning, Anna nodding, still speechless.
He made a beeline for the door, giving her a wave and wishing her goodnight a second time as he turned and backed out slowly. Anna waved back awkwardly, a very confused frown still on her face despite trying to appear warm and friendly.

When the door closed she sank down on the nearest stool, her hand on her forehead as she let out a breath, trying to make sense of what the hell had just happened...

Was he going to kiss me and changed his mind?
What was he shaking his head at?
Did I smell like a distillery or something?



Bucky hurried down the hallway, ignoring anyone he passed along the way, making a beeline straight for his apartment. He swiped his card, yanked the door open and rushed in. He closed the door quickly, turning his back to it and leaning on it as he ran his fingers through his hair, stressed.

You idiot...

He blew out a breath, gathering himself up again, his thoughts continuing to plague him...

It's Stark's daughter - the girl you kidnapped at gunpoint and held captive for a week... The girl you almost killed while killing her Mom, the girl who's father HATES you... You can't go getting feelings for her - this is sick... It's SICK... What the hell are you doing!?!?

He pushed away from the door, pacing back and forth before he found himself in the kitchen, running himself a glass of water before drinking it quickly.

Like her or not, you need to shut this down, like NOW.

"Christ... Why her of all people..." He muttered, shaking his head as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

Bucky, 11.57pm
Hey, sorry if I weirded you out before... It's been a while since I had something to drink, you know how people can get... I feel like an idiot, so yeah, sorry again!

He cleared his throat, waiting around for a reply that never came, Bucky feeling stressed out all over again. He pulled his shirt off over his head as he made his way into the bathroom, reaching into the shower to turn the hot water on.

"...You idiot..." he scolded his reflection in the mirror as he set his phone down to undress.

Anna, 12.06am
Hey, oh no it's totally fine, I had a lot to drink as well... No harm done.

He stood and wrote out a reply, only to delete it and write another, shaking his head at the phone screen...

Just leave it. It's cool... Don't look desperate...

Bucky cleared his throat, locking his phone without replying to her message, setting it down on the bathroom counter before stepping under the shower stream. He closed his eyes, letting the water run over his hair and face before shaking his head at himself again.

Of all people, you went and got feelings for Stark's fucking daughter... What were you thinking!? You saw how she looked at you when you pulled away, ugh... How the hell am I going to face her - I told her I was seeing her tomorrow... If I call it off, she'll know it got weird...

How the hell am I going face her tomorrow and pretend I don't care? Seeing her with anyone else is like a knife in my chest, and the thought of her being hurt, or sad, or scared is just too much to take... What if I snap? What if I knock some poor guy's block off?

You're just gonna have to suck it up. Play it cool, and pretend like none of this ever happened... She said she considered you a friend. Be a fucking friend.

Bucky nodded, satisfied with his plan as he turned and began to shampoo his hair, letting the heat of the water relax his muscles. He blew out a breath and let out a single, sarcastic chuckle as he thought about the day looming ahead and how he was going to deal with it...

Of all people... Tony Stark's daughter...