"So this is what a sleepover's like," Denise mused thoughtfully as she surveyed the atmosphere.

Ouran High School Host Club was playing on the TV, but none of the girls were paying attention. Denise was sitting in a chair facing the tv while Wanda straightened her hair. Natasha was sprawled out on Wanda's bed, and snacks and soda were littered on just about every available surface. They had been chatting away and laughing for hours.

"What? They didn't do sleepover's in your time," Natasha asked.

"Of course they did," Denise defended slightly offended at the insinuation of her age, "I just was never invited to one."

"What? Why," Wanda asked.

"Well...I couldn't do what the other girls could. I was a daddy's girl and I learned a lot of boy things. By the time I was 12 I could change a tire, check the oil on a car, repair small things around the house, I knew tools' names and functions and how to use them... So I got along better with boys, and I developed a very undeserved reputation," she explained bitterly.

"Well, three things I know for sure: (1) those bitches didn't know what they were missing and (2) some things never change - there are still stuck up women like that and (3) this is our first sleepover too. Growing up how we did don't leave room for things like this," Natasha assured her.

"Don't worry, we'll keep you - and do more sleepovers," Wanda confirmed, "and as far as your reputation well we know where your heart lies."

"...and where your body wants to lie," Natasha suppressed a giggle as she wiggled her eyebrows seductively, "right under our very own Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes."

Denise chucked a pillow at her while they all burst out laughing.

"Yeah maybe someday I'll find myself there," Denise sighed while wiping tears from her eyes.

"What do you think is going on his head? Do you want me to find out," Wanda offered.

"No! No, it's okay. If I know him as well as I think I do, he wants everything to be perfect. You know, music playing, candles lit, the whole thing," Denise smiled warmly at the thought.

"So," Natasha grinned as an idea popped into her head, "what kind of music would you want playing when you do the deed?"

"Any of the music I introduced," Wanda asked curiously, "then again I'm not sure how many songs from Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, and Panic! At the Disco are good for lovemaking."

Denise chuckled, "It doesn't matter, he wouldn't go for it anyway."

"What," both girls asked eagerly.

"Probably 'When Sleepy Stars Begin to Fall,' by Frank Sinatra...don't get me wrong I've enjoyed the music you've shown me so far, but for my first time I'd like something at least reminiscent of my time," she glowed.

"What's wrong with that," Wanda inquired.

"James hates Sinatra," Denise said plainly as she popped some Pringles in her mouth, "man oh man have the snacks gotten better!"

"Hey, it's midnight no more snacks or drinks, knowing Bruce he'll want to take blood work. On another note, what on earth does James have against Sinatra," Natasha asked incredulously, "did he hit on you or something?"

"No, no," Denise laughed, "although that would've been a sight to see. You see Frank was a new star, and then the war broke out. He couldn't fight because he had a punctured ear drum. James says that's a bunch of bilge, he could go fight so he refused to listen to him. Not that any of this matters, I don't care about perfection. I just want him."

"But Sinatra though..." Natasha laughed.

"The attention can't all be on me," Denise blushed, "what about you Wanda are you sweet on anyone or are you rationed?"

"Rationed," they both asked.

"Sorry, in my time guys would say, 'hey sugar, are you rationed,' as a way to ask if you were going steady with someone," she explained.

"And they say romance is dead," Natasha laughed.

"So...," Denise implored.

"I ummm uh...I don't get out much," Wanda admitted.

"With all these muscle filled men that are here, you're telling me you don't at least ogle one," Denise asked.

"One certainly ogles her," Natasha laughed as she brought a Mt. Dew can to her lips.

"Who? Who?"

"Natasha, I don't know what you mean," Wanda said through gritted teeth.

"So Vision doesn't just float through the walls to your room randomly," Natasha asked.

"I...uh...Natasha what about you and Bruce," she deflected desperately.

"We're a nice, slow burn so the big guy doesn't come out to play," she responded easily, "What? I've got nothing to hide."

Denise and Natasha watched as Wanda turned deep red from her neck up, and began to laugh until Wanda finally joined them. All three were too tired to sleep so they giggled and gossiped into the wee hours of the morning.

Despite being so tired she felt dizzy in the head, she made sure she was on time to the lab to meet Bruce. As she entered the first half of the lab she was met with a driving beat and a chorus of guitars. She saw Tony sitting at a desk pointing and clicking up a storm as he bobbed his head to the music.

"What is this," she asked in wonder.

Tony looked up and smiled, "This, my dear, would be 'Highway to Hell,' by a little band called AC/DC."

She gasped, "The language people get away with in music and tv this generation -"

"Oh boy, you're just like capsicle aren't you? All -"

"I really kind of like it," she smiled guiltily.

Tony sat there stunned for a few moments, then he shot up and gave her a hug, "I have so much to show you, young grasshopper."

"Grasshopper? Is that this generations 'doll?'"

"Note to self: also show Tinman's Frustration Kung fu films," he laughed, "Bruce is just through those double glass doors. He prefers a quieter work space."

"Yes I was explained the situation," she nodded, "I'll catch up with you afterwards."

"Good morning, Denise," Bruce smiled warmly, "how did you sleep?"

Denise laughed, "Who slept? I definitely didn't. It was worth it though. So what do you have planned for today?"

"Today is very easy, I don't want to overwhelm you, I'm just going to take some blood work. I've already gotten samples of Steve and Bucky's to compare, but I want to take a little more from you so I can check some other things. I trust you didn't eat past midnight, I'm sorry I didn't warn you beforehand. If you did we can reschedule for tomorrow," he said as he went to grab all the things he needed.

Denise chuckled, "Nat knows you well enough to warn me. We are good to proceed good doctor."

She inhaled and exhaled deeply several times as she saw the amount of vials Bruce had laid out. "You really meant a little more huh," she chuckles nervously.

"I'll try and make this as painless as possible," he said as he wrapped a band around her right arm, "Nervous?"

"I'm not partial to needles," she said staring straight ahead.

"Here let me put on some music, maybe that will help calm your nerves," he said as he turned on a stereo.

All the music Denise had been introduced to was hard in some way or another, so she was quiet surprised to hear sounds she couldn't even describe. "What is this," she breathed out in wonder, "it's so...ethereal."

Bruce laughed quietly, "It's called electronica."

"I really like it," she sighed.

5 days later...

"I thought you were taking these two weeks off Buck," Steve said in surprise as he found Bucky in the training room currently raining hellfire onto a punching bag.

"Yea...well...Denise doesn't want to spend time with me," he grunted as he started holding less and less back from his punches, "Nope. She wants to have sleepovers and watch anime with Wanda; and watch kung fu movies and learn about technology with Stark; and learn to fight and listen to rap music with Natasha; and watch YouTube and play video games with Clint; and run tests with Bruce; and listen to Thor's stories; and go running with Sam; and cook and bake with Vision."

At that last sentence he punched a giant hole in the punching bag causing sand to explode everywhere. "Has she been hanging out with you," he yelled accusingly.

"No, Buck, I haven't seen her except around the compound," Steve promised, "maybe she's afraid you don't want her. I mean you had the perfect opportunity and -"

"I know," he screamed running his hands through his hair, "I'm sick of everyone bringing it up. I want to make it perfect, and I don't want to just do it to do it -"

"But you love her and she loves you," Steve pointed out.

"What I mean is," Bucky sighed the rage out of his voice, "because we love each other and she's so special to me, I want to make it special for us."

Steve smiled widely, "And here no one thinks you're a romantic."

"I've actually had a plan since the second day she was here, but..."

"But what," Steve asked.

Bucky walked over to the nearest wall and threw his back against it. He slid down until he was seated and put his head in his hands. "But I need help."

"So ask for it, you know I'm always here for you," Steve smiled down at his friend.

Bucky lifted his head up and looked at his best friend despondently, "I know that...you're not the only one I need to ask for help."

"You avoiding me kid," Steve said as he came into the common living room.

Denise was sitting on the couch with a stack of books next to her. She was reading a book series that Natasha recommended to her.

"Of course not Steve," she jumped up and hugged him tightly, "I've been avoiding James."

Steve sighed, sat on the couch, and motioned for her to sit with him, "Harry Potter, nice! What book are you on?"

"Goblet of Fire," she said sheepishly, "I can't put them down."

Steve laughed, "I understand that. Now what's going on?"

Denise sighed, "This is awkward..."

"How long have we been friends? How many times have you come to me about Bucky?"

"Not about sex though," she exclaimed through gritted teeth.

Steve blushed and cleared his throat, "No well um no not about that but um yeah I can do this. Hit me with it."

Denise laughed. Hard. She threw her head back and tears streamed down her face. Steve was turning redder by the second. "Hey it's not that funny."

"I'm. I'm. I'm sorry Steve," she breathed, "okay, okay I'm good now. Look, I know him, you know him. He's going to want to make everything picture perfect. At this point I'm no better than a horny teenager on prom night, and I just don't want to be tempted. Because I will attack him, and in this kind of fight I will win...and I don't want to take that away from him. Basically, I'm trying to calm down my raging hormones before I start being around him for long periods of time."

"Wow that was a lot of words I never thought I would hear you say," Steve said, "you are acclimating a lot quicker than I and Bucky have."

"Yea well I've been watching a lot of tv and movies," Denise reminded him.

"Well now that I understand - that's still no excuse to avoid me," he said and as she went to speak he put a hand up and continued, "so tomorrow after your work with Bruce is done you are to report to my apartment where I'm going to show you an amazing cinematic saga called, Star Wars."

"Yes, sir," she saluted.

Tony was hard at work in his lab while jamming out to some Black Sabbath. He didn't notice that someone had walked in. Completely in his own world, he began to air guitar and air drum. He turned around mid solo and was startled to see a very angry and resolute man in front of him.

"I need your help," Bucky said through gritted teeth.