Wanted

Bucky made his way down the corridor quickly, cursing at himself as he glanced at the clock above the conference room door as he half-jogged past it.
His phone vibrated in the pocket of his dark jeans, Bucky pulling it out to glance at the screen,

Steve, 8.32am
I'm here, just grabbing a few things from my room, meet me here in 5 minutes.

Bucky, 8.32am
You got it

He'd woken up that morning on Anna's sofa after carrying her to bed when the movie was finished. Part of him had wanted to slide under the covers with her, but the sensible part told him to keep his distance until they'd talked - that and they'd spent a considerable amount of time together in the last 24 hours... A few of those hours laying together in each others' arms...

Steve had called him just after 6.30am, saying he was on his way back to the base and he needed a hand with something, the urgency in his tone catching Bucky's attention.
He'd checked on Anna before he'd left, a small smile crossing his lips to see she was still peacefully curled up on her side where he'd left her the night before. He quietly pulled his boots on and scribbled a note to her, explaining that he'd be back later, which he left on the kitchen counter.
He snuck out, making his way back to his own room where he had time to shower, change, gather up what he needed, and have something to eat.




Her door came into sight, Bucky digging her spare key card from his pocket which he'd taken with him that morning, and breaking in a jog to get there as quickly as he could. He swiped the card, pushing the door open the second he heard it beep and unlatch, only to be greeted by a very wide eyed Anna, with a frightened squeal and her hands over her mouth.

"It's just me!" he said, putting his hands up, Anna moving her hands on her chest as she gathered herself up again.
"Holy shit..." she said breathlessly, "the door just missed me..."
"Oh my god, I'm so sorry" he said, genuinely feeling bad.

"You break her nose Sarge, you can explain to Ryan Seacrest why we're late - okay!?" Came the sassy, flamboyant voice of Lyle Scott - the man responsible for all her 'fame-related' goings on.

Bucky raised a brow, looking over her shoulder to see the room abuzz, before looking back at her.
"What's going on?" he asked, stepping back to look her up and down, "you're all dolled up..."
"Yeah... Apparently I'm going on air this morning to give an interview"
"You didn't mention that yesterday?"
"I barely remember them telling me that..." she said, still a bit spacey, "and I don't even know where my phone is - I got dragged out of bed, shoved into the shower, pulled out, sat in a chair, and I had three people working on me at once"
"Do they know you're sick?"
"Yeah - nothing a double shot of espresso won't fix, they tell me" she said with an eye-roll, nodding towards the team of people hurrying behind her, "I'll be okay, I feel heaps better than last night" she said, reading the worry in his face.
"Where is it?" he asked
"Buffalo"
"God damn it..." he said, pushing the loose hair back from his face, frustrated. Anna frowned, not following him, "Who's going with you?" he added.

"...These guys, an SUV full of security, and my Dad's meeting me there..." she said, a little confused by his reaction, "he's gonna 'Iron Man' it there from NYC apparently"

Bucky let out a breath, gesturing for her to step out into the hallway where they could have a few seconds of privacy to talk, Anna nodding, concerned now.

"What's with the face?" she asked, following him out and closing the door almost all the way behind her.
"...Steve needs my help bringing someone in, I don't know the full story, but I'll be out of town for a few hours" he explained quietly.
"Oh my god" she breathed, Bucky finding it endearing how worried she looked.
"It's no big deal, and something we've done a hundred times before" he explained, "Steve's waiting, so I just wanted to get down here so you knew I wasn't leaving the country on you" he joked, Anna giving him a smirk.
"Obviously it's dangerous if they're asking for you guys, and not just sending a team out?" She asked, "someone super powered or something?" she added, Bucky pausing while he chose his words carefully.
"We're not supposed to talk about it, and the walls have ears" he said with a subtle nod followed by a wink, Anna looking more worried than ever as she clued on.

Bucky cleared his throat, straightening up as the team of stylists and beauticians stepped out of the room, Lyle waving his hands in the air as if the world was about to end.
"Lets go sweetheart!" he called out to Anna, among the orders he was barking at everyone else.
"Couple of seconds, Lyle" she said, lifting two fingers as she stepped towards Bucky to avoid the deluge of human traffic pouring into the hallway.
"Pierce we're on a schedule here, honey!" he scolded, sending his team out to the waiting car as he stood glaring at her with his hands on his hips.
"Two seconds. Please..." she asked, glancing back at Bucky.
"We don't have two seconds, we have to be in Buffalo in less than an hour!" he said, "sorry, Sarge" he added, reaching over to grab her by the arm.

Bucky snapped, blocking his hand and batting it away, stepping towards him and giving him his version of a lightning fast, but 'gentle' shove against the wall. Lyle and Anna both let out a gasp - just as shocked as each other.
"It's 'Bucky' -not Sarge, and don't you ever touch her again, or next time I put you through the wall. Got it?" he said keeping his voice low and aggressive, his expression intimidating and deadly serious...
"G.. Got it..." Lyle nodded, holding eye contact with Bucky as he crouched to pick up everything he'd dropped, Anna crouching to help him.
"I'm right behind you" she said, Lyle nodding as he backed off quickly and disappeared down the corridor.

Anna turned to Bucky, worry evident on her face, Bucky standing his ground.
"Jesus Christ you're scary..." she muttered, crossing her arms.
"I'm not apologizing for that" he said flatly, "he's lucky I didn't give him a real push" he added, letting out a breath as he pushed his hair back again.

"...Send me a message when you get there" he said after a pause, as though he was giving her life or death instructions, "and another when you're on your way home... Even if I can't get back to you, I'll check my phone when I can and I'll know you're alright"
"Buck it's just a radio show - you're the one going on a mission..."
"My mission's a walk in the park - you're gonna be in another city without any decent protection"

Anna cocked a brow, trying to stifle a smirk.
"You worried about me, Barnes?"
"I think you know the answer to that question..." he said, giving her a knowing look which made her smile.

They were interrupted when Anna's phone beeped, showing a very polite, but also very urgent message from Lyle.

"...I've really gotta go" she said regretfully as she tucked her phone in her back pocket, standing on her tiptoes to put her arms around his neck.
"Please PLEASE be careful" she whispered in his ear before leaving a kiss on his cheek, Bucky's arms tightening around her.
"Always" he whispered back, "You too, and don't forget to message me"
"I won't, I promise"

They pulled apart enough to look each other in the eye, Anna's hand dropping to his chest, and Bucky's hand finding her cheek... Anna's phone started vibrating in her pocket again, both of them letting out a frustrated breath.
"You'd better go" he said, Anna nodding.
"Sorry"
"It's fine" he chuckled, kissing her forehead before he let her go, "if they give you any trouble, just let me know" he said, making her laugh as she stepped away from him to torn to leave, Bucky catching her around the wrist to stop her.
"What?" she giggled
"Doing anything tonight?" he asked suddenly
"Not that I know of?"
"Can we get together and talk?" he asked nervously
"Depends - is it a good talk or a bad talk?"
"Good talk - and my treat for pizza?"
"Pizza, huh?" she asked with a smile, "yeah okay, count me in"

"I'll call you later" he grinned, letting her go as Anna's phone went off again, "you'd better run, stay safe okay - and message me"
"You too, Buck, I'll see you later"




The ride was fairly uneventful, not much traffic, and fairly quick compared to what she'd thought it'd be. They arrived at the studio, coming around the corner to an unexpected crowd of fans, and security putting up steel barriers to keep them all back.
Anna sat up in her seat as the car came to a halt, looking around in vain for Tony who was nowhere to be seen...

Jesus, Tony... Where the hell are you, and why is there a god-damned crowd here for ME!?

She quickly pulled out her phone and sent Bucky a text like she'd promised, leaving out the part about Tony not being there so he wouldn't worry... A man in a black suit and sunglasses opened the door, putting his hand out to help her which she took, Anna holding her breath as she stepped out of the car to a roar of cheering and applause. She gave the crowd a wave as she stepped into sight, putting on her best 'confident smile' as she turned to face the flashing cameras, giving them all the chance to get a photo of her.

Stand still and smile, two, three, four... Find another lens, two, three four, straight face, two, three four...

A sound above her caught her attention, Anna stepping back as the Tony came in to land in one of his suits. There was a series of robotic clicks and whirrs before it opened, Tony stepping out dressed in a suit and tie, the crowd going nuts all over again.

Thank Christ - he can have the spotlight now...

"Sorry I'm late honey" he said quietly as he stepped over to kiss her cheek and put his arm around her, both of them smiling and waving to the crowd still.
"I thought I was going it alone" she chuckled
"No, I wouldn't do that - a promise is a promise... Shall we go in?"
"Please"



The interview went well, Anna finding Ryan charismatic and easy to talk to, the both of them getting along better than she thought they would. He'd obviously been worded up and knew what to ask - and what not to, and Anna found the whole segment to be quite a lot of fun. They'd taken calls, and Anna had been able to speak to fans and answer any questions they'd had - everything from a marriage proposal, to what it was like living with superheroes, being Tony Stark's daughter, and then all the funny, random questions like what her standard Starbucks order was...

"I've never been to Starbucks, actually!"

Cue everyone's minds blowing...



Tony and Anna left the interview feeling light hearted, having enjoyed a really good laugh. They stepped outside to see the crowd had doubled, the show's producers asking if they minded doing an impromptu autograph and photo greeting session.
"You okay with that?" Tony had asked her discretely
"What's it involve?"
"pose for a few selfies, sign a few things, and we'll leave in ten minutes?"
"yeah, no problem at all" she smiled, putting her hand out to take a marker from one of the many suited guards.

She followed Tony's lead, a heap of fans wanting pictures with them both, Anna taking the time to sign as many things as she could. She followed the calls of her name away from Tony, still smiling and being as warm and polite as possible to everyone she'd met.
The Iron Man suit stood nearby, obviously running on some sort of autopilot, watching them both, assessing danger, and seemed to be ready to spring into action - something Anna wasn't so sure if she was comforted by, or completely intimidated by...

"Annabelle!" came a voice behind her, "Annabelle, please! Please notice me!"

She turned around, seeing a rather tall, heavy guy looking quite distressed... She felt a pang of sympathy for him, making her way over with her pen, his face lighting up.
"Could you sign my picture please?" he asked with an air of desperation, "it'd mean the world to me!"
"Of course I can!" she smiled, taking it from him, remembering the photo from her Vanity fair shoot, "Oh I loved this dress" she mused aloud, "although they wouldn't let me have anything from the service table before they squeezed me into it!"

The people around her all laughed, Anna handing him the signed picture back with a smile.
"Could we get a photo please?"
"Yeah, sure!"

She stepped over to him as he handed his phone to a friend to take the shot. She smiled into the lens as he put his arm around her, holding her a little tighter than was comfortable, making her heart rate pick up.

"Thanks, so nice to meet you" she smiled when the shot was taken, turning to step away, the fan gripping her arm above the elbow, not letting her go,
"I've gotta go" she said as politely as she could, trying to pull away,
"No, stay here with me" he begged, Anna's eyes widening as his grip suddenly tightened, hurting her...

She winced against his grip, letting out a gasp as she looked around for help. The crowd behind him got loud, a few people starting to yell as they tried to yank his hand away, Anna getting pulled forcefully into the steel barrier. Robotic noise behind her caught her attention, the Iron Man suit raising a lit up palm threateningly as it stomped over. Anna tried to cry out, looking over to see Tony running toward them, and the security team beating him there in time for the man to be ripped off her. She was pulled away, stumbling back into the arms of one of the suited guards where she stood shocked, while Tony ordered the suit to power down.

The fan was dragged over the fence by three of the security staff and cuffed, the show's producer and Tony trying to put on a brave face for the cameras, even managing a laugh.

"Smile honey, laugh, smile, be relieved... No big deal, just a crazy fan..." came a voice in her ringing ear, Anna turning to see it was Tony.
"My arm..." she mumbled, rubbing it with her free hand.
"Trust me, just smile and laugh it off for the camera..." She forced a smile as quickly as she could, following them in the 'it's no big deal' act, which seemed to bring the crowd's intensity down a few notches.

"Thanks for having us, guys!" Tony called, putting an arm around Anna's shoulders while waving with the other.

In seconds, she was ushered into an SUV, Tony saying something to her which she nodded to, but didn't take in. She was pushed into the middle seat, security getting in either side of her before the doors were closed and the car sped off.

The guard sitting on her left handed her a bottle of water which she took but didn't drink, her mind racing at a million miles per hour as she tried to come to grips with what had just happened.
Their car took the next right, accelerating harder than was probably necessary, Anna trying to clear her brain-fog and pay attention to what was going on... The guard to her right looked over his shoulder, before pulling out his phone and sending a massage, the guard in the front seat receiving it.
They weaved in and out of the traffic, their driver peering in the rear-view mirror as he drove up onto the curb to get around someone before accelerating away again.

"What's going on?" Anna asked, suddenly not being able to stand the secrecy anymore, "Are we being followed?"

There was no answer from any of them, Anna now feeling angry as well as nervous as she pulled her phone out to send Bucky a text. It was snatched away from her almost instantly, and handed to the man in the front passenger seat, who locked it in the glove compartment.

"Hey - wait! Give that ba-"
"-Quiet!!" he snapped aggressively, making her jump and sit back...

The driver peered over his shoulder again as he weaved in and out of the traffic and ran a red light,  the car making a u-turn before speeding off. Anna stayed silent as they made their way out of the city and pulled into the highway, the Iron Man suit coming into view in front of them, seemingly escorting them back to the base.




"Here, honey" Tony said gently as he helped her out of the car, Anna backing away from them all as soon as her feet hit the pavement.
"What the HELL just happened!?" she demanded, ordering herself not to cry, "They took my phone... It's in the glove compartment"

One of the guards was by her side in seconds, handing her the phone which had been switched off. Anna held the button down, the first thing she noticed when it came to life were that there were missed calls from Bucky...

Just fucking GREAT!

"We were followed - I worked that much out, who was it?" she asked, straight out.
"Papparazzi to start with, and there were two cars with fans" Tony answered, looking her right in the eye.
"Wait a second, three cars all up?"
"Yeah" Tony nodded, thanking and dismissing the guards, Anna echoing his gratitude despite her annoyance.

"This kinda thing is gonna happen a lot, okay" Tony said, gesturing towards the door, Anna following him in.
"Why couldn't they just tell me what was going on? Last car chase I was in almost cost me my life - I think it's understandable that I got a little worried..." she asked, still following him as he stepped into the elevator.
"Yeah, I guess they should have - but first of all, the driver needs to concentrate, and secondly, they've only ever worked for me, so they were just being professional and following orders"

Anna nodded, pulling her phone out and sending a message.

Anna, 3.34pm
Bucky I'm so sorry I couldn't answer before... We had a bit of drama and long story short I was separated from my phone... I'm home safe back at the compound, hopefully the mission went well and you're okay. Thinking of you, Anna xoxo

She realized Tony was watching her when she looked up, Anna frowning a little as she gave a shrug.
"I promised I'd let him know when I was leaving..." she said, Tony raising a brow.
"Barnes?"
"Yeah... He worries"

Tony let out a breath and nodded, deciding to ignore his inner voice and opting not to lecture her...
"...Sorry today went the way it did" he said as the elevator stopped and doors opened, "there are always going to be 'over-the-top' fans, paparazzi, and people that are just plain creepy..." he added, Anna nodding.

"I guess you pulled all three short straws" he said regretfully, "and that was my fault for not staying by your side... I got complacent, and I'm so, so sorry..."

Anna let out a breath, feeling a little bad for him.
"It's not your fault... You couldn't have seen it coming any more than I could..." she said as she stepped over to give him a hug, Tony giving her a gentle squeeze.
"It's easy for me to I forget I grew up with all this..." he said as she let him go, "I had money, and a famous Dad... There were always tabloids, fans, cameras, reporters - the damn government..." he said, gesturing dramatically, making Anna laugh as she followed him out of the elevator towards the rec room, "I couldn't drive down the street without being followed, and I guess I learned to phase it out... It does get easier - but for someone who's been hiding most of her life, I bet it's a little overwhelming... Right?"
"You could say that" she chuckled with a shrug.

"The more we get out, the better it'll get. The paparazzi aren't so aggressive when you're out all the time, either are the fans. It's when you hide away and make the odd appearance they lose their minds"
"That actually makes a lot of sense" she agreed.
"Of course it does" he said in his usual smug way, both of them cracking a smile, "it's kinda like standing up to a bully, too. Especially when rumours break, or something bad happens - you just have to suit up, and show up the next day like it doesn't bother you one bit.
"Water off a duck's back..."
"Exactly!" he grinned.
"Okay, well you just let me know when we're suiting up again, and I'll be there..." she said with a brave smile.
"You're actually amazing, you know that?" he asked, Anna blushing and looking away.

"Lets keep it simple - quinjet into NYC tomorrow morning, park at the tower, jump in the R8, and go grab a coffee?" he suggested.
"That's simple?"
"Yeah"
"Stupid question..." she muttered to herself, shaking her head, "Okay deal - what time?"
"I'll be here to get you at ten"
"See you then" she smiled, Tony giving her a kiss on the cheek before hurrying off.

No rest for the wicked...

Anna had barely swiped her card and stepped into her room when her phone vibrated in her pocket, a smile crossing her lips as she fished it out and swiped at the screen.

"Hey Buck" she said, answering the call.
"Hey, are you alright?"
"Yeah I'm fine, what about you after your mission?"
"Yeah I'm ok, I just got outta the shower and saw your text... Sounds like you had some trouble, so I thought I'd better call"
"That's so sweet of you..." she smiled
"What happened?"
"Just a bit of chaos with some of Tony's fans, no big deal just a bit weird I guess..." she said dismissively, hearing him answer with an unconvinced 'hmmm' on the other end before changing the subject.

"Did you still want to come up, I was gonna order pizza... Or I can come to you, or we can make it another time? Whatever you feel like..." he said casually.
"Yeah, actually that'd be really nice... That's if you still wanna hang out?"
"Definitely" he said with a smile in his voice
"Okay cool, well you just let me know what time, and I'll be there"
"Any time from right now onward" he said, "I'm ready whenever you are"
"In that case, I'm on my way" she said with a definite nod, not feeling much like being alone for a second longer than she had to.




Bucky opened the door with a huge grin which Anna returned, as she held up a plastic container containing a delicious looking caramel mud cake.
"I swiped this from the rec room fridge - quick, let me in, they're probably coming for me" she said, feigning panic
"I'll protect you, my fair lady" he said gallantly, puffing his chest out, both of them laughing.

He stepped back, Anna making a beeline to the kitchen where she set the cake down before yanking the fridge door open. She cleared a shelf, crouching down to slide the cake box in carefully, Bucky helping her to her feet.
"How was your mission?" she asked, pushing the door shut and stepping over to give him a big hug which he eagerly returned.
"Piece of cake" he said, smugly, "we got our guy, and nobody got killed - definitely a success"
"And now you get 'actual' cake" Anna giggled, Bucky cracking a smile as he let her go.
"Successful mission, dessert, and good company" he beamed, Anna rolling her eyes, "must be my lucky day"
"Oh my god, Barnes..." she tutted, Bucky still quite amused.
"bourbon?"
"Yes please!" she said enthusiastically, stepping out of his way as he picked up two glasses and opened a fresh bottle of Jack Daniels.

Anna backed up to the corner of the bench, lifting herself onto it as she watched Bucky pour the drinks, a smile crossing his face.
"Make yourself at home" he teased.
"Don't mind if I do..." she sassed back, making him laugh again.

He handed her a bourbon and coke in a tall glass, raising his to 'cheers' with her, both of them taking a drink before letting out a satisfied sigh.
"I so needed that" she smiled, "thank you"
"Most welcome" he smiled, leaning against the bench beside her as he took another sip, "So what happened with the weird fan today?" he asked, Anna sitting up and clearing her throat, taken a little surprise by his question.

Bucky raised a brow, picking up on her body language that she was uncomfortable, despite her efforts now to look like it was no big deal.
"Spill" he prompted, Anna setting her drink down and letting out a breath as she tucked her loose strands behind her ear.
"You're only going to see it on TMZ anyway I guess..." she said reluctantly, Bucky straightening up, "don't freak out" she added, watching his expression go from light-hearted to quite serious, making her nervous...

She slid off the bench, so she could stand, leaning against it, feeling more confident on her feet.
"So..." she started, "they asked us to sign autographs after the show today - which went really well, by the way" she said, Bucky's expression not changing as he waited for her to continue.
"So we did, and everyone was great, we took some selfies with the fans, and it was actually a lot of fun..."
"Until?..." he asked, waiting for it.
"Until a fan decided he wasn't gonna let me go" she said quietly, Bucky clenching his jaw and letting out a breath.

She slid her jacket off, rolling up the long sleeve of her backless black bodysuit to show him the bruise around her arm above her elbow, Bucky fuming as he held her arm, examining it.
"What the hell happened?" he said angrily, Anna rolling her sleeve back down.
"He asked for a photo and put his arm around me, and then when I went to leave he latched on..." she said, "the crowd went nuts, some of them tried to separate us, which I think is why that happened" she said, nodding toward her arm.
"Where was Stark while all this was going on!?"
"A little further up the line, signing for fans" she clarified, Bucky shaking his head, "then the 'Iron suit' saw, and came charging over, lights on and palms up... I froze like an idiot, while everyone else just scattered... Security dragged the guy over the barriers and cuffed him, Tony was there in seconds, and I was pretty much shoved straight into a car" she said, suddenly feeling a little flustered as she relived it.

Bucky shook his head again, pulling her over to him and putting his arms around her protectively.
"I should have been there..." he muttered, angry at himself.
"Well, it's probably lucky you weren't" she said, knowing full well what would have happened.
"Lucky for him"
"Yeah, that's what I meant" she said with a shrug, resting her head on his chest, "...And there's one more thing..." she added hesitantly after a pause, pulling away enough that she could see his face.

"On the way back... Our car was followed..."
"What!?" he snapped, letting her go gently, before backing away completely blindsided and angry.

Anna crossed her arms in front of herself shyly, watching as he turned away, pacing as he pushed his hair back from his face.

"They were just paps and fans apparently, we managed to lose them before the freeway"
"-Managed to lose them - so you were chased?"
"Yeah, kinda..."
"Papparazzi and fans in the same car?"
"No, there were three cars apparently..." She said, trying not to look scared or upset, which Bucky saw straight through.

He let out another breath, gathering himself up as he walked back over and stopped in front of her, resting one hand on the counter top as he paused to pick his words.
"...You shoulda called..." he said, a pained expression on his face which broke her heart a little, "I would have turned the jet around, and come and got you outta there"
"Bucky-"
"-No" he stopped her, "Don't 'Bucky' me. I don't care where I am, you call me and I'll come and get you. I'll drop what I'm doing - even if it's saving the goddamned world - to come and pick you up"

Anna swallowed hard, looking down as she nodded, suddenly feeling like she was about to cry.

"I mean it Anna" he said gently, stepping towards her again.

Anna looked up at him, barely able to take that worried, protective expression on his face for another minute longer... Without thinking she stepped towards him and took his face quickly but gently in her hands, closed her eyes and kissed him tenderly on the lips, lingering there for as long as she had the courage to...

Oh shit... That just happened...

Her heart took off at a million miles per hour as she let go of his face and went to step back, Bucky's hands having already wrapped around her waist. Trembling, she opened her eyes and looked up into his which were surprised, but not bothered like she thought they may be. She opened her mouth to apologize, still frozen in shock that she'd taken the plunge and kissed him, Bucky biting his lip for a moment as though he was deciding what to do next.

He hesitated for a moment before tilted his head in an 'eh, fuck it' kinda way, and lifted her chin with a metal finger before his lips met hers again. He pulled her body firmly against his, Anna feeling herself surrender to him as she parted her lips and let him deepen the kiss. Her hands ran up his chest, Bucky reciprocating by tightening his grip on her waist as his mouth explored hers...
Anna let him take the lead and back her up against the fridge door as things got more intense. She wrapped an arm around his neck to steady herself, the other hand gripping his shoulder where the metal and the flesh met, Bucky flinching and letting out a chuckle.

"Sensitive" he said casually as he pulled back.
"Sorry"
"Don't worry about it" he said gently, keeping his voice low, "...you're shaking" he added in a whisper, Anna suddenly feeling a little embarrassed.
"...I'm terrified" she admitted, letting out a shy giggle "but it's okay"
"You sure?" he smiled, fixated on her plump lips again as she closed the gap between them.
"Definitely..."

Bucky kissed her again, tenderly and slowly this time letting his flesh hand run down the bare skin of her back, feeling her shiver at his touch. He respectfully stopped above the waistband of her jeans above her ass, Anna's lips smiling against his. She pulled back enough to look him in the eye, letting out a giggle at his hilarious attempt to look innocent.

She raised herself up to her tiptoes and arched her back, pressing herself against him, his hand inadvertently ending up on her ass. Anna grinned at him, Bucky giving her ass a squeeze for good measure, setting both of them off laughing.

"I've been dying to do that for ages" he confessed in between laughs and Anna kissing him again,
"Really? I hadn't noticed" she said sarcastically, a giggle escaping her.

Both of them let out a sigh, still in each other's arms, Anna amused that she'd ended up pinned between a super soldier, and an equally large refrigerator.
"Got a thing for walls?" she asked casually, Bucky's lips casually finding her collarbone, Anna closing her eyes and letting out a breath as she focused on not letting her legs give way.

"Got a thing for you..." he mumbled against her skin, his lips finding their way back to hers briefly.
"That's lucky, I've got a thing for you, too" she said quietly when they parted, Bucky giving her a smile.
"Walls are fun" he added with a shrug, Anna letting an amused giggle, "There's a lot you can do up against a wall... I might show you one day"
"You might, huh?"
"Yeah, if you play your cards right" he said smugly.

Both of them laughed again, Anna giving him a playful shove, Bucky pressing her back into the fridge door and kissing her slowly again...

"So I guess that means the brakes are off?" he said when they parted.
"Yeah, I guess they are..." she agreed, both loving the grin on his face, but dying to shit-stir him back for the 'cards' remark at the same time.

"Well they were..." she said with a shrug, gently removing his hands from around her, Bucky looking a little confused, "But now I have to flee the country" she added with a shrug, Bucky seeing right through her vain attempt to not lose it laughing.
"Is that right?"
"Yep" she nodded, backing away, Bucky shadowing her, ready to pounce, "You can keep the cake though, thanks again for the drink!" she added, turning to leave.

Bucky snapped into action, grabbing her and tossing her over his shoulder, Anna letting out a playful squeal followed by fits of laughter. He strode over to the couch, dropping her onto it on her back and attacked her ribs with his fingertips. Anna let out another squeal as she curled herself into a ball and tried to fight him off, both of them absolutely dying laughing.
"Oh..." He grinned, "OH! - Miss Annabelle Pierce is ticklish" he announced, looking quite proud of himself.
"No I'm not!" she managed to get out in between laughs.
"You sure?" he challenged, lowering himself down so he was hovering over her, Anna helplessly looking up at him.
"Don't you dare" she scolded him, her hand locking around his free wrist, Bucky glancing down at her feeble attempt of restraining him with amusement.
"Or what?" he challenged
"Or I'll get you back when you least expect it" she said, trying to look as intimidating as possible as she let him go.
"Well then" he chuckled biting his lip, breaking character for a moment, "best I mind my manners then" he said, leaning down to kiss her again, Anna smiling against his lips.

He backed off, sitting up and putting a hand out to Anna and helping her upright again, both of them letting out a shy chuckle at the sudden awkwardness that had filled the gap in their 'make out fest'.
"We should do this more often" he joked, Anna letting out a giggle as she nodded.
"You know what? I think I'd like that" she agreed with a smile, Bucky smiling back.

"That's actually kinda what I wanted to talk to you about..." he started nervously after a pause, turning to face her while still sitting as casually as he could.

Aw, he's trying to play it cool...

"Oh?" she asked as she took her boots off one by one before pulling her knees up onto the couch cushion.
"Yeah..." he said with a shrug, "I guess the whole conversation's pretty pointless now, but the whole 'pumping the brakes' and 'friend' talk was kinda throwing me a little with how close things were starting to feel..." he explained, Anna nodding.
"It was getting pretty cosy, huh..."
"Yeah"
"But just for the record, I really enjoyed our 'friend cuddles'" she said, keeping her tone serious, "and our 'friend makeout' just now was really nice too, I thought" she added, Bucky letting out an amused snort.

Anna gave him a gentle smile, resting one arm on the backrest of the couch as she turned to face him.
"Well, what do you say to ditching the 'friend' title in favour of something a bit more intimate?" he suggested, confidently holding eye contact with her.
"What, like friends with benefits?" she asked, Bucky rolling his lip between his teeth for a moment as he nodded.
"Hmm, while I really like the sound of benefits..." he started, cocking his head and giving her a flirty smile, "I was thinking something maybe a little more... 'Official'..."
"Official, huh?" she asked, trying to hold a grin back, "I think I could deal with that..."
"You could, huh?"
"Yeah" she nodded, Bucky leaning towards her,

"So what do you say? Will you be my girl?"

Anna gave him a big smile, nodding as she leaned over to kiss him, feeling Bucky smile against her lips.
"Pretty sure I've been your girl for a while..." she pointed out before Bucky's lips found hers again.
"I think you have, too" he agreed, pulling back to look into her eyes, "I've been your guy" he added with a shrug, Anna giving him smile, feeling completely sentimental...


"Hey can I ask something?" she said, sitting up again, a slightly worried look sweeping over her, "can I be the one to tell Tony?"
"Yeah, absolutely..." Bucky said kindly, completely on the same wavelength.
"I know things have been weird with you guys, and I don't want there to be any drama, but I think it'd be best coming from me rather than him hearing it from someone else..."
"Yeah I agree, good call" he said honestly, pausing for a moment before he continued on,

"While we're on the subject... You can take as long as you need telling anyone, Anna..." he said, his expression compassionate and understanding, "I know life's complicated enough at the moment for both of us, and I don't want things between you and I to complicate it any further..." he added, Anna smiling as her heart swelled, "If anything, I thought it'd make things easier knowing where we stood, maybe even give us both a sense of 'home' knowing we had each other..."

"Absolutely - on all accounts" she agreed, "and thanks for being so understanding..."
"Don't mention it... That's what I'm here for" he smiled, "that and making good on my promises to provide pizza" he added, Anna letting out a giggle as he stood up, leaning down to kiss her quickly before he made his way to the kitchen to fetch their drinks.

He opened the bottom draw and pulled out a paper menu, bringing it with him and handing it to her before setting the drinks down.

"I suppose we've got a lot to talk about tonight, then" he said as he plonked himself down, pulling out his smartphone to put some music on over the apartment speakers for them.
"How'd you do that?" she asked, peering at his handset, fascinated.
"There's an app" he smiled, "I'll set it up for you next time I'm at yours"
"That'd be great, thank you"
"Welcome" he smiled back.

"Thank god you're into rock" she smiled gratefully, nodding appreciatively at his song choice.
"We haven't had the music talk yet, have we..." he mused, "actually we haven't had a lot of talks - pineapple on pizza or not?"
"I love pineapple on pizza"
"Girl after my own heart!" he chuckled, "Coffee or cola?"
"Coffee" she answered quickly
"Fries or salad?"
"Fries"
"Night or day?"
"Night"
"Music or movies?"
"Music - aaall the way" she said, putting her hands up, making him laugh, "but movies with the right company are nice"

"Looks like we're gonna get along just fine" he said, the grin still on his face, "anything weird I should know about?"
"Yeah, I'm dating a super-soldier!"

Both of them burst into laughter again, Anna covering her face, the pair of them taking some time to compose themselves...

"Oh my god..." he sighed, the odd chuckle still escaping, "We've got a lot of catching up to do"
"Definitely" she agreed, wiping a stray tear from her eye.
"Okay - pick your pizza, and I'll ring the order through." he said with a nod
"Vegetarian with pineapple" she said quickly, Bucky giving her a nod.
"Done" he smiled, pulling out his phone.

"I'll pour us another drink?" she offered, picking up their empty glasses as she stood up.
"Yes please"



"Okay, pizzas will be here in an hour" he smiled, tucking his phone into his back pocket, Anna smiling as she made her way over to him.

She rose up on her tiptoes, putting her arms around his neck, Bucky's arms wrapping around her as she kissed him again. His hands found the bare skin on her back again, his fingers playfully running down the edge of her top.
"This whole backless thing..." he started, Anna raising her brows as she listened, amused at his expression, "...Definitely doing it for me"

"-And don't even start me on those boots..." he added, shaking his head, looking a little blown away.
"You like thigh highs?" she asked, letting out a giggle as he nodded, "Maybe I'll wear them again for you then?"
"Promise?" he chuckled
"I'm gonna have to - you freaking giant"

Bucky laughed, picking her up by her ass and sitting her down on the kitchen counter in front of him, taking her completely by surprise.
"Is that better?" he asked smugly, standing between her knees with his hands still on her hips, Anna speechless. She nodded, Bucky giving her a cocky smile, his lips inches away from hers...

"Are you flirting with me, Barnes?" she asked,
"Absolutely..."