For the ever wonderful gottalovethemtrekkies over on Tumblr who messaged me with the prompt:
OMFG,OMFG! Steve and Bucky being simultaneously confused by Bubble Tea! Sweet Jesus, I tried this stuff today and I have never been so baffled in my life. What is this sorcery?

I laughed for ages because I feel the same. Sorry the fill is so late, lovely!


Bucky blinks.

He curls his tongue around the strange...well he's not actually sure what it is.

He blinks again. Looks at Steve who blinks back, equally confused.

"Nat?" Bucky asks. "What the hell is this?"

"Bubble tea. It's just sweetened frozen milk tea," she says with a grin. "Why? Don't like it."

"No, no!" Steve rushes to assure her. "It's not the tea exactly…"

"It's this freaky stuff at the bottom," Bucky says, sticking his tongue out to show her the marble in question. "Wha' ish dish?"

Natasha valiantly suppresses the snicker that wants to escape as the two supersoldiers continue to exchange baffled looks. "It's tapioca," she answers.

She receives blank looks in return.

"It's a starch extracted from the root of the cassava plant," Bruce explains while adding more spice to the noodle dish he's working on.

Bucky's brow furrows in that way that always has Tony saying he's too cute to be a globally renowned super assassin. (He usually gets the patented Rogers glare of all-American disapproval in response.)

"But why is it so…"

"Chewy?" Bruce finishes helpfully. He shrugs. "It's just the cooking process. If you really wanna know I could—"

"Nah," Bucky interrupts. "Think I'll just stick with regular tea and smoothies and such."

"Told ya they wouldn't like it!" Clint calls from his spot on the couch, effortlessly knocking out Sam's kart with a green koopa shell.

"Hey, I think it's good!" Steve protests. He takes another sip, chewing on a pearl for a bit before adding, "Slimy, yet satisfying."

"Ha! Lion King," Bucky yells triumphantly. "I got that one."

Nat rolls her eyes as they high-five.