A/N: If anything in here is cringey (which I'm sure it will be), I'm so sorry! [insert sheepish smile]

B? B?! B as in Bucky?

My heart is totally beating in my ears and my eyes have shifted focus. Is this because of the way he was looking at me when he caught me? Did Steve say something to him? He did offer to. Maybe he did. Oh my god, oh my god. What do I do?

Meet him, you idiot. Ball's in your court.

I scramble over to my bedside table to check the time on my phone- it's 8:45. Okay, now the impatience is killing me. How am I supposed to pass the time until then? What do-

"Hey- oh sorry!"

"Wanda, it's alright. Come back!" I yell.

She turns around and comes into my room, shutting the door behind herself. "Why are you not dressed?"

I make a face. "There's no hurry. I like lounging around in this when I'm done showering. So, what's up?"

"What's this?" She picks up James' note from next to my hand. Her eyes widen slightly. "Are you going to see him?"

I groan and fall back onto my pillows, hands covering my face. "I guess!"

"That's good! Then you can finally talk about what happened. And I'll try to make sure nobody interrupts. Even though… we all have an idea about what's going to happen," she grins innocently at me.

Narrowing my eyes at her, I say, "Of course you do. I've been getting funny looks from everyone all day. And you, with your little vision- not helping."

"Aw," Wanda leans forward and gives me a hug. "It will be okay, really. I've heard his thoughts as well, so trust me there is nothing to be worried about. And if he hurts you," she pulls away, "you tell me and I will break him," she promises solemnly. "But I don't think I will have to do that. The poor man is already quite broken. I think you will be good for him."

Not knowing what to say, I smile at her. "Thanks, Wanda."

She hugs me again and drops the note on my lap, leaving my room with a smile on her face. I squirm, thinking about James. I check my phone again- 9:00. Ugh.

Well, I'd better get dressed at least. Not trying too hard. In fact, I'll look about as sloppy as usual. Maybe even his level of sloppy. I can't grow a beard, though, but the clothes I can get down.

It's somehow 9:50 and I can't take it anymore. Gingerly opening my door, I peek my head out to assess the situation outside. I frown as I realise how no one except Wanda has checked on me the whole day. They didn't even ask if I was hungry or not. Which I discover only now, that I am. Opportune moment for my body to fail me. It better not rumble while I'm talking to James. I'll look even more like a kid since I haven't had a snack all day.

I slip through my door, shutting it quietly behind me. In a moment of panic, I feel my pocket to make sure the note is in there. As proof that I didn't come bugging him for no reason.

It's surprisingly quiet out here; somewhere I can hear Thor's voice booming and Clint calling him out on whatever he's said now. Must mean everyone's busy. Except James apparently. I am now just in time for our little rendezvous.

Standing in front of James' door, palms sweaty, heartbeat insanely fast. Do I knock? Or just go in? What if he's forgotten? What if he isn't in there? What if it's a trick by the others to get us to talk? Before I can decide what to do next, the door swings open and my stomach scrunches itself into a knot.

"Uh, what are you doing here?"

My mind has gone completely blank, so I pull the note out from my pocket and show it to him, cursing myself for having shaky hands and careful to not get it too close in case he snatches it away.

"Is this you?"

He squints at the note momentarily, then gives me an annoyed look. "Are you forgetting there's another B in the Tower?"

It takes me a second to process, before I roll my eyes and sarcastically ask, "Why would Dr. Banner want me to meet him secretly in his room at 10?"

"Why would I want you to meet me secretly in my room at 10?" he counters my quip.

Just as I'm about to say touché, I blurt out, "Oh I don't know… maybe to confess your undying love for me again. Like you did last night in front of everyone, remember?"

He looks about as shocked as if I'd just slapped him. Well, can't say I blame him; I've never been that in-your-face before. His mouth opens and closes quickly, like a fish. A very cute fish… with a really cute mouth.

I stare at him resolutely and cock my head. "I'm just sad I don't have proof. But I'm sure if I ask around, someone will have filmed it. Who doesn't like filming drunk people making fools of themselves? Especially when they're declaring their love for someone they actually hate?"

He sighs. "Look, I…"

Someone's laughing somewhere, and we both try to follow the sound with our eyes. When I turn back around, he's staring at me.

"Alright come in," he holds his door open.

I tentatively step in. In the dim lamplight, I re-confirm that this is indeed the bed we were making out on. I swallow, furious at myself for blushing. James shuts the door behind us. Wait a minute-

"Um, how'd you know I was outside? I didn't knock or anything. And if you didn't write the note, then who did?"

He turns to pull something out from between the pages of a book on his bedside table. It looks like my note. He holds it up in front of me. It is a note, exactly like mine.

"I wanted to see what you wanted," he shrugs. "And why you'd picked such a childish way to get my attention.

"I gasp. "I did not write that! Although…" I take it from his hand and squint at it. "Why the hell does it look like my handwriting?"

"Show me yours," he holds out his hand for my note. I drop it in his hand and he stares at it. "Stark's got something to do with this, that's for sure."

My head snaps up. "No way… they forged notes from us to each other?"

James chuckles at my indignant expression. I've never heard him remotely close to laughing before. It's a sound I want to hear every day from now on.

I blink. Stop it.

"They wanted us to talk to each other. Well…" he shuffles his feet awkwardly.

"Why do you hate me?" Do you have no control over your mouth?

He looks straight into my eyes, then swallows before speaking. "I don't."

I glance at his neck, covered in stubble, but quickly switch back to intense and bordering-on-creepy eye contact instead. After a pause, he continues, "But I'm not going to insult your intelligence by asking why you think that. I've seen a video of my behaviour last night. And I will repeat, that I have been an asshole to you. But also that it's not because I'm an asshole. Well, I'm not," he hesitates, "not an asshole either. But what I meant was, the reason I was behaving that way towards you isn't because of my personality. It's because…"

"You love me?" I venture. "Yeah, I've heard."

I think he can hear my heartbeat. Neither of us has ever been in the company of the other for this long, without sparring at least.

"Well, now you'll see," he says in a low voice, as he takes a step forward, closing the distance between us and kissing me.