A/N: Kate is the only name I could think of that wasn't too random (Sharon Carter's alias from TWS). MC = Manchurian Candidate, because duh. The explosion/protection idea was from an episode of Bones :)
"Barnes, there are other people on the team too, you know. You can't just be looking out for one person."
Bucky scowls. "What d'you mean? I'm watching everybody."
Nat, Clint and Steve all exchange knowing looks. Wanda tries to hide a smile behind her hand. I squirm and internally berate myself for blushing. They all turn towards me, then back towards Bucky.
"Yeah, sure you are," Clint snorts. "This is just a PSA for future reference," he announces, clearing his throat. "If you happen to be anywhere near Barnes and Katie here, and at any point in time a danger presents itself, you can bet your ass will be left to die while Kate will have herself a human shield in the form of one Mr. James Buchanan Barnes."
"Hear hear," Nat agrees. Steve chuckles, shaking his head and unable to defend his best friend. I continue to blush furiously, not knowing where to look but avoiding Bucky's gaze at all costs. I don't need to give them more ammo to use against us.
"Fine," Bucky snaps. "The next time we are in imminent danger, I will leave Kate to fend for herself."
Nat shakes her head, and she and Clint overlap in their attempt to call Bucky out further.
"But see the thing is, we get if you made a point to always be near her so you'd be able to throw her out of harm's way-"
"But you're not always near her, so it's as if you'll make it a point to instead put yourself in danger and cross an ocean to get to her-"
"-ignoring everyone else's safety in the process-"
"-just to make sure nothing happens to her. Are you still going to try and convince us there's nothing going on between you two?" They ask simultaneously.
Regrettably, there isn't. I don't say this out loud, though, opting instead to just shake my head and smile sheepishly. "Yes, because there isn't. We're just fr-"
"Co-workers. Teammates," Bucky interrupts.
My head whips around to look at him. Clint starts to laugh.
"That's a lot of effort to go through to make sure your co-worker," he stretches the term, "doesn't get hurt."
Bucky shrugs, refusing to back down. "I do what I can." His eyes flit over to me momentarily and I accidentally make contact with them.
I don't know why my palms are so sweaty or my heartbeat so erratic.
Okay, okay. I do know. I have a massive crush on Bucky, though I doubt he even notices.
Does he really give me special treatment out in the field? I make a mental note to observe next time we're on a mission, and to let him know that I'm completely capable of handling myself and he could try looking out for someone else for a change-
Something explodes, breaking my chain of thought. I throw myself off the couch instinctively, squeezing my eyes shut. Suddenly, a huge weight is on top of me.
"Accidental explosion in Mr. Stark's laboratory. Implementing safety measures," F.R.I.D.A.Y's voice echoes throughout the tower.
I gingerly open my eyes and find myself staring into Bucky's. He's hovering over me, holding himself up by placing both his hands on the floor, either side of my head. As the alarm over the speaker dies down, we're left in this compromising position, panting heavily in the wake of the commotion.
"You okay?" Bucky practically whispers, barely moving his mouth. I nod just enough for him to understand, my eyebrows immediately becoming knitted when I remember that Bucky was closer to Steve and Wanda than me when the explosion took place.
"Well, well, well," Clint drawls, his voice wavering to keep from laughing out loud, reminding me and Bucky that we were not alone.
Bucky leaps off me, grabbing my hand and yanking me up with him, then dropping it as soon as I'm on my feet.
"I don't remember you being anywhere in Katie's vicinity, so I guess you just proved our point." Clint and Nat grin triumphantly at each other. Steve smiles apologetically at Bucky while Wanda wiggles her eyebrows at me.
"Hey, uh, sorry about that little snafu there. It's been taken care of," Tony's voice flows through the speakers. "MC, I saw the whole thing and I gotta agree with Legolas on this one. The evidence strongly indicates you do seem to have, pardon my French, the hots for, a certain Ms. Katherine in the room."
I sigh and turn to look directly at the camera in the corner of the living room I always seem to forget about. Bucky glances at me, the corners of his mouth turning up ever so slightly as we both make our way to the basement to (kill/) yell at Tony.