"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Steve asks, squeezing Bucky's hand. Bucky scoffed.
"Yes, Stevie. In fact it's a great idea. Plus If I can handle going to a store, then I can handle going to a party."
The blond sent her a glare as his jaw stiffened. "You had a panic attack when we went to the store," Steve reminded Bucky, his stern expression never faltering. Bucky rolled her eyes in a fashion that was way too similar to how Tony does after he'd blown something up.
"That was over a month ago, plus you're the one who keeps pushing me to do this new future shit. I'm ready to experience a twenty-first century party-and even if I'm not-I'm willing to bet you'll stay glued to my side the entire fucking time."
Before Steve could argue anymore, Natasha appeared out of no where and started talking. "Tony's taking the guys to go get new suits, leaving us girls to go with Pepper for dresses. We have to go pick everyone up first, so Happy and Pepper are in the car waiting," Natasha informed with a blank expression. Then-without skipping a beat-grabbed Bucky's right arm and guided her out of the room.
Steve stood there dumbfounded, shocked to realize that Natasha dragging Bucky to the store to find a dress for a party wasn't the freakiest thing that occurred that week. Still, Steve still found himself muttering, "Is that what just happened?"
About five hours later, Tony, Thor, Bruce, Clint, and Steve were in the lobby of Avengers Tower waiting for the girls to meet them there. Who at the moment were gussying-up upstairs.
The social event they were attending was some typical donation event, although most of the team had been to some before, this was the first time they were all going.
Almost everyone had a date. The couples consisted of: Pepper and Tony, Clint and Natasha, Thor and Jane, and Steve and Bucky. Bruce and Darcy were the only others, but everyone was pretty sure they had something going on behind the scenes.
"Jesus! I thought it was a stereotypical joke that girls take so long to get ready," Tony complained with a groan of annoyance, his phone apparently not enough entertainment for him.
Steve rolled his eyes, "What is this event even for again?" He asked evenly. Tony mashed a few buttons on his cell frustratingly before answering, "It's either a fundraiser we need to attend so people donate, or a ball we need to be at for good publicity." Steve sighed as his gaze sung to the floor out of boredom.
"Okay, this is ridicu-" Tony started to say, stopping abruptly when the elevator dinged open and revealed a box full of beautiful women in dresses. Blood rushed to all the guys' cheeks as the women started to exit the elevator-save Clint-who learned a long while ago how to prevent that reflex.
Pepper leads the group in a turquoise a-line sweetheart sleeveless chiffon cross back dress with ruffles, carrying a matching hand casket. Her glossy, red lips forming a smirk as she walked a bit sassier when her eyes lock with Tony's. Her hair is still in a ponytail, but combined with the dress adds a formal flare to it that was only something Pepper could pull-off. When Pepper finally reaches Tony, she swears she spots a tiny bit of drool exiting the left corner of Tony's mouth.
Jane was having trouble with her shoes at that moment, slightly staggering behind. She couldn't bring herself to look at Thor, and she felt blood rushing to her face as she tried to cover herself up a bit. Jane was sporting a pink column strapped sleeveless floor-length chiffon dress with golden trimmings. Matching gold jewelry decorated the rest of her figure, but no matter what she was wearing, she suddenly felt incredibly exposed and her self-esteem diminished the longer she stood in front of her boyfriend.
Darcy strutted beside Pepper with the same smirk and confidence as said red-head. She's wearing a pink and black strapless dress of course, featuring a fitted bodice with dropped waistline and a three dimensional flower design with black piping. Her hair is pulled up into a fancy disheveled bun style, some of the curls hang freely while others are clamped down by various bobby pins. She even sprayed a little glitter in her hair for the hell of it.
Natasha is wrapped in a grape-colored princess asymmetrical chiffon evening dress, complete with heels and a plain black purse, looking like she wishes to be anywhere but here. But her eyes soften as they connect with Clint's, and she instantly rushes to his side with a trace of happiness in her expression that only Clint would ever notice. The two ex-assassins smile dumbly at each other.
Jamie is admittedly trailing behind, having the same issue as Jane. She might of dared to call herself beautiful if she didn't have this damn left arm. It's not that it doesn't match-because it does, she made sure of that-it's because it's harmed so many, including the people she loves. It's reminder of all the pain and suffering, and it sticks out like a sore thumb-earning her glances of curiosity and barely-hidden stares. Bucky hates her left arm.
The brunette is covered in a 1920's inspired flapper dress made out the softest material Bucky had ever worn. It was the same red shade of the star on her metal arm, and since the dress had thin straps, it revealed the hideous part of her shoulder where machine met flesh. She's even put on one of those old-fashioned beaded headbands that positioned three red feathers to project off of her head. Bucky didn't really have her hair styled at all, likewise to Jane, but it was naturally curly and bunched up at all the right places.
The world seemed to stop for Steven when Bucky stumbled out of the elevator, a mix of nostalgia and arousal arise from her appearance. Don't get him wrong, it wasn't like he wanted to jump her here or anything, but Bucky was the picture of complete perfection to the blond. When he snapped back to reality, he thought it was Bucky's voice tearing him back to the present, but it was actually Pepper's.
"Everyone ready?"
Bucky's prediction did come true. Steven was practically glued to her side the entire fucking time.
It didn't annoy her, the evening was wonderful and she was starting to think she was getting the hang of this whole socializing thing. Grant that she would need at least a day of isolation to recover from all of this, but what could you really expect?
The night quickly came and the air filled with laughter and conversation, the smell of chocolate swirling around with it. Steve noticed Jamie's subtle movements. Leaning closer to his side, crossing her arms, making herself look as small as possible. It truly did trouble Steve really, Bucky had been through so much, she shouldn't have to deal with this as well.
Steve almost punched a few people even. He never did however, not wanting to cause a fuss. But oh, the awful looks some people were giving Bucky just put him on edge. The others seemed to notice this just in time, directing Steve's-or even the person making a soar face at Bucky's exposed arm-by changing the subject or talking louder.
It wasn't a secret Jamie disliked her metal arm, it was so obvious she not only hated it, but the memories it was attached to. The super soldier really couldn't blame her, but he felt obligated to make her feel better about it. If, by some miracle he managed to keep his fists down long enough for the crowd to thin.
When the sea of people lessened, the songs started to waver slowly, much different to the classic upbeat it was producing moments prior. Steven and Bucky were both sitting at a table in the corner of the ballroom. Not making conversation I mind you, simply enjoying the soft melody and murmurs of other attendants.
Steve was looking at the side of Jamie's face, thoughts swimming around in his head.
"They're wrong you know," Steve muttered, half-knowingly, half-unconsciously. Bucky hummed a sound of acknowledgement, egging Steve on to continue. "They say that it's simply a weapon, but it's not."
Bucky turned to Steven with a roll of her eyes and scoffed, "Oh? Then what else is it?" Steve tilted his head slightly and looked at the ground, breaking his eye contact with Bucky. "It's a part of you, it's no more dangerous than the body it's connected to," Steve answered softly, a blush creeping to his face.
"I love every part of you, Buck. I just wanted you to know that."
A beat passed before Bucky shifted in her seat, a pondering expression plastered on her face. The next time Steve looked up to meet Bucky's gaze, he found that she was staring at him intently. "You still don't know how to dance," She stated with a ruffled brow. Tilting her head towards the dance floor she asked, "Do you?"
The blond didn't really know how this conversation changed so drastically, but he learned a long time ago to just go with the flow when it came to Bucky. Steve shook his head before smiling sheepishly.
That was the moment Jamie formed what could only be described as a Loki-smile, all teeth with mischief. This worried him for a split second, but it fizzled into confusion as Bucky yanked him and started to pull him to the dance floor. He noticed how gentle yet forceful she was being with her left arm on his wrist.
"Bucky, w-"
"I'm going to teach you how, punk. Assuming that now I'm the 'right partner', yes?" Bucky explained jokingly, leading Steven to the middle of the dance floor. The two brushed pass various couples side-stepping slowly, swaying to the tune.
A wave of red blooms on Steve's face as Bucky continues to drag him into the crowd. When she spots an open area-big enough for two-she settles over it with the blond and smugly looks up at him.
Their eyes connect and Steve blushes even more when Jamie breaks the optical contact and stares down at her left hand, slowly intertwining the metal with the super soldier's flesh-and-blood fingers. Her smug expression is gone when she looks up at Steven, forming a small, tight smile. The blond mirrors back and suddenly Bucky's right arm is hanging just under his shoulder and his left is grasping the ex-assassin's waist.
When he lets himself focus on the movement of the air around him, and the warmth of Bucky, he follows her gracefully and manages to avoid stepping on her feet. Bucky follows suit, and rests her head on Steve's chest lazily-listening to his heartbeat.
He doesn't know how long they stay like that-linked together by touch and swaying slowly to the music-but by the time they finish, they both realize that music has stopped playing. They unlink as soon as this dawns on them, and laugh it off in a way that was a little bit too friend-like for Steve and Bucky's liking.
To make up for this, Bucky suddenly grabs Steve's face with balanced carefulness and neediness. When they pull away, the brunette lingers close to his face and whispered against Steven's lips with a smirk, "I guess we're even now."
The blond cocked a brow in confusion. Jamie rolled her eyes before stating, "You taught me that someone can accept me for me. So I taught you how to dance." Steve stood still for a moment before pulling Bucky closer in a passionate kiss.
Fin.