Author's Note: This is from a thing I saw on Pinterest. But, as always, I modified it just a little bit. And just to be clear, Sgt. Barnes is not actually the main character's brother. He just treats her like his little sister.

35) The Tower to Ourselves

I was doodling a very bad doodle in my small sketchbook when a weight dropped into the sofa next to me. "Will you do me a favor?" Bucky asked.

"Depends," I answered, glancing up from my drawing. One time his "favor" was making out with him while wearing a female Captain America costume on camera—apparently for the internet but he never showed me the video and every time I searched for it on YouTube it would come up as blocked no matter which computer or account I used.

He reached his normal arm into the neck of his shirt and pulled something over his head. I couldn't quite see what it was as he put it in his metal hand and passed it to me. I reached out and got a good look as he dropped it into my palm.

His dog tags.

"Keep an eye on these for me while I'm gone, that's all," he said.

I looked up curiously. "Where are you going?"

"Mission with Steve. That punk will get himself into trouble if I don't go."

I chuckled. "Good to know. I'll keep these safe. You don't mind if I wear them do you?"

"Not at all. Keep 'em warm for me."

I slid the chain over my head and pulled my hair out before tucking them down the neck of my shirt. "There. Now I won't lose them. Good luck, Bucky. Don't forget to take an extra sweater."

He kissed my cheek as he got up to leave the room. "I will. See ya soon kiddo."

"See ya."

With that he left.

Almost instantly after, another weight crashed into the sofa next to me. "Goooooood morning, princessa!" Pietro exclaimed loudly. I grumbled and planted my forehead on my sketchbook, nudging him in complaint.

"It's too early for enthusiasm," I mumbled.

Pietro dramatically laid himself across my lap. "Yes, but enthusiasm is a wonderful quality, and it is not restrained by human concepts of time!"

"Get off me or I'll punch you," I threatened.

"You, my dear, are no fun!" he decided. I shoved him off my lap, sending him crashing to the floor. He sighed, again dramatically, and got back on the couch. "Come, princessa, we finally have a minute alone without that animal of an older-brother-figure breathing down our necks!" I gave him an affronted expression and pushed him away from me.

"Don't call Bucky an animal because of what HYDRA did to him!" I snapped. "They could have done the same to you. The difference was you volunteered. He didn't have a choice. I love you but he's just as much a man as you are." I scoffed. "Though I don't know if you deserve to be called a man. Maybe a boy. Maybe a puppy." I slapped my sketchbook closed and stood from the couch. "You're going to meet me up in the party room in fifteen minutes. Then we'll discuss this further over… lemonade and cookies." I gave him a wink and a grin before departing to my bedroom to deposit my sketchbook. Discussing something over lemonade and cookies was basically our code for kiss on a sofa.

When I finally met up with him in the party room, I sat on his lap without any sort of preamble.

"I am sorry, princessa. I know how much you care for the Russian assassin. I did not mean to insult his honor in any way—or your feelings for him. I know you helped him remember who he was and rehabilitated both of us. I just… he's so protective of you that I can never seem to find a minute alone where I can express my feelings for you without him throwing me across the room with that metal arm of his." I couldn't help it—I chuckled. Those few times Bucky had chucked Pietro across the room had been hilarious even though I didn't want to see him hurt.

I gave Pietro a kiss. "It's okay. Believe it or not I understand how you feel. Sometimes I'd be okay if he laid off."

"Well… he is gone for the weekend. Other-older-brother, Cap too," Pietro remarked flirtatiously. "We practically have the whole Tower to ourselves." He gave me a kiss on the tip of my nose before leaning in for my mouth. I kissed him back, wrapping my arms around his neck tightly holding him to me. This man was my puppy and I was totally in love with him.

"I think I like having the whole Tower to ourselves."

At that moment Steve walked across the room in his stealth suit, totally not noticing exactly how wrapped up in each other Pietro and I were. "New mission!" he exclaimed excitedly, strolling leisurely across the floor.

"Have fun," my speedster and me chorused. I slipped off Pietro's lap and moved to be sitting a friendly distance away. At the same time we counted, "Five, four, three, two…"

Bucky went running after Steve. "Hey punk you need more armor! And a sweater! It's five degrees out there!" He meant it in Celsius (which was about forty-one in Fahrenheit) because he never quite got back into the customary system after rehabilitating back from Russian to American—which was fine by all means since he was such a science nerd, but at the same time meant that he hadn't quite let go of the Winter Soldier. "Steve you need a sweater!"

"One," we finished.

Bucky really was an older brother to all of us—unless he was chucking Pietro across the room.

"I'm fine, Bucky. I've done this before without you nagging me to wear more armor," Steve retorted as they both retreated from the room. Pietro gave me an amused look as Bucky started swearing at Steve in Russian. I didn't understand Russian so I had no clue what he was saying, but Pietro thought Bucky's bad mouth was hilarious.

Once they were well and truly gone, I sat back on his lap and rested my head on his shoulder.

"I wish we could do this more often," Pietro remarked.

"So do I," I murmured into his sports shirt. "And I forgive you for calling Bucky an animal." I lifted my head and gave him a kiss.

End Note: Teehee. "Steve you need a sweater!"

Thanks for reading!

~Cass

PS, how would you like to make out with Bucky Barnes in a female Captain America suit, eh?