Rose could safely say that she had been sick a lot in her life. But this time…this time was different- and in the best way. Usually, when Rose got sick, she spent however long it took for her to get better sequestered in her apartment, living off of canned soup she kept stockpiled for just such an occasion, while she waited for her current employer to (inevitably) call her and say "sorry, you've been sick too long" and park her back in the unemployment line. It was always a long, depressing time where she slept 18 hours a day and read way more romance novels than was strictly healthy.
This time, she wasn't alone.
Her new boyfriends barely left her side the entire time. Steve used her illness as an excuse to carry her around her apartment, something that Rose was too sick to take offense to (and secretly enjoyed- though she'd sooner die than admit it). She found herself almost consistently in his lap or tucked into his arms, savoring the heat of his body and the clean cotton and mint smell of him. The only time she wasn't in his arms, was when she was in Bucky's- though that tended to happen less often than it did with Steve, and usually ended up being more for the brunet's benefit than her own. The former assassin was nearly frantic over her illness, buzzing around her apartment like if he stopped moving she'd keel over. He checked her temperature at least once an hour and had made JARVIS set up reminders for whenever her next round of medication was due. After two days, when she still wasn't any better, he dragged her in to see Dr. Cho, despite her many protests that it was just the flu.
It was not.
She had pneumonia.
More specifically, she had aspiration pneumonia- more than likely from her unplanned dip into the pool (a fact that had sent Bucky into a frothing rage and resulted in Steve basically having to sit on him in the middle of her hospital room).
She ended up spending two days in the hospital, hooked up to IV antibiotics before finally being discharged home with an entire new list of medications to take, a shiny new nebulizer, and strict orders to stay home from work for at least the next week- something which had sent no little amount of panic skittering down her spine. She loved her job, and she loved Darcy- but Darcy was also her boss.
How long would her boss let her stay away from work before she decided to just hire someone else?
It turns out she didn't have to worry.
The moment she was out of the hospital, she found the brunette parked outside of her door, brandishing the ugliest Teddy Bear that Rose had ever seen. The thing was close to four feet tall and was dyed about 16 different colors, none of which were present in nature. Rose had gaped at the hideous thing, peeking at it from her spot tucked up in Bucky's arms before shooting her scowling boss an incredulous look. The brunette's ire was entirely focused on the man currently carrying her, the bear-of-many-colors brandished like a weapon.
"There you are! I was starting to think you'd actually died." Rose frowned at her, glancing between the two brunette's currently having a starring contest. Darcy was radiating irritation, scowling at her boyfriend like he'd spit in her hair. Bucky looked completely unrepentant, cuddling the blonde further into his chest.
"Why would you think I died? I texted you and told you I was in the hospital." Darcy scoffed at her, eyes never leaving Rose's dark haired boyfriend.
"Because when I went to visit you, Caveman 1 and 2 were always guarding your room. They wouldn't let any of us by- hell, they barely let the damn nurses get by." Bucky grumbled, slowly shuffling forward like he was trying to sneak past the brunette standing sentry in front of her door.
Darcy hissed at him.
Rose ignored their posturing, too caught up in what the taller woman had just told her, shock smacking her in the face.
"You mean…people came to visit me?" At the sound of her disbelief, the two finally stopped their posturing to focus on the tiny blonde, giving her near matching looks of sympathy. Bucky spoke first, pressing a gentle kiss into the top of Rose's head.
"Baby doll, of course people came to visit you. You were just so damn tired we thought it'd be a better idea to let you rest." The scowl reappeared on the brunette's face, the bear she'd been loosely clutching suddenly turned into a weapon as she whipped it around to smack Bucky upside the head with it. The former assassin let out an indignant yelp at the assault, shifting so that he took the full brunt of the fluffy attack while shielding the blonde curled up in his arms.
"What did you think we were going to do, you asshole? Throw a party? We just wanted to make sure she was, you know, breathing." After a couple more good whacks, Darcy stopped hitting him to thrust the enormous bear into Rose's arms. Rose, laughing as hard as her congested lungs would permit, gladly took the stuffed animal and cuddled it as close to her chest as her current curled position (and the bear's ungainly size) would allow. Satisfied that the blonde had taken her gift, Darcy continued. "Now that that's settled- I came to tell you not to worry about work, Rosie-Posy. You take as long as you need to get better. Your job isn't going anywhere." Before Rose could argue, anxiety coloring her every feature, Darcy cut her off. "Seriously, Rose- you're the best assistant I've ever had. Hell, you're so damn organized that you could take a month off and still not have anything to catch up on. No one is replacing you, and I'll absolutely fight them if they try. Capiche?" Rose gave her a tiny nod, the beginnings of a beaming smile appearing on her face, periwinkle blue eyes shining with barely suppressed tears. Darcy just gave her a wink in response, shifting enough that Bucky was finally able to squeeze by, the brunet just barely dodging another hit from the feral woman. Before the door could fully close, Darcy let out one more parting comment. "We'll be seeing you later, Rosie-Posy! Seriously Barnes- I want proof of life, you selfish bastard. I saw her first." Bucky scowled, turning to comment, but found the door shut in his face, the distant sound of Darcy cackling as she ran away greeting him. Rose let out an amused snort at his irritation, reaching up to caress the side of his face.
"Come on, my valiant steed. I'm pooped." The ire melted off his face like it never existed, face softening as he leaned into the gentle pressure of her hand.
"Yes ma'am." He gave the cool digits a soft kiss, a soft smile curling his mouth as he obligingly headed towards Rose's bedroom. A couple of moments, and some rather expert maneuvering later, Rose was curled up back in her own bed, Frankenbear perched in the corner of her room like a fluffy sentinel. Once she got comfortable, Bucky slipped in next to her, curling as close to her as her sheets would allow. The blonde settled into his side, trying to wait up for Steve (who she'd finally convinced to shower), but found herself falling asleep, lulled by the comfort of her own bed and the quiet sound of Bucky breathing next to her.
There was just one thing she had to say, before she passed out and forgot about it.
"Bucky?" The brunet hummed at the sound of his name, the sound pleasantly resonating through his chest and into her own. "If you or Steve ever keep people from visiting me again, without my permission, I'm punching you both in the dick." Bucky felt a beaming grin appear on his face, the dimples on his face deepening as his eyes shined happily. He knew she was completely serious about the threat, but he found it impossible to be upset at. He'd known he and Steve were out of line, but he'd been too damn worried to give a shit. The fact that she was acknowledging their shitty behavior and threatening to kick their asses over it made him ridiculously happy- partly because she was actually telling him what had upset her (without prompting), but mostly because the fact that she was threatening to kick someone's ass meant that she was starting to feel better. Listening to her wheeze and cough, seeing her so weak that she let them just cart her around? It had been some of the hardest days of his life. It had felt like an echo of a time he'd thought he'd left behind, memories of Steve so sick that his 'Ma had called the fuckin' priest rattling around in his head, the coppery taste of bone-deep terror settling at the back of his mouth. Steve had been confident that Cho and the other doctors could help her, but Bucky couldn't find it in himself to relax, helplessness weighing him down in a way he was unfortunately familiar with. Despite the monitors she'd been on, he'd found himself constantly watching the rise and fall of her chest, some bone deep instinct convincing him that as long as he just looked at her, she'd keep breathing- like he was willing her lungs to work. Hearing her sleepily threatening his manhood? That was like music to his damned ears.
Pressing another kiss into her hair, Bucky adjusted himself until he was lying facing her, the blonde's head tucked under his chin as he placed a gentle hand on her ribs, comforting himself with the feel of her wheezing breaths. Still smiling, he nuzzled into her hair, eyes closing as he felt himself relax for the first time in days.
"Yes ma'am." Rose didn't hear the fond reply, already fast asleep, hands fisted into the soft fabric of his shirt, letting out tiny, wheezing snores as she curled into his body. Bucky found himself willingly following her, tucking her more firmly into his chest as he breathed in the soft, peach smell of her hair.
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Over the next week, Rose found herself bombarded with visitors. Darcy was only able to visit one other time, too busy with lab work to visit more often, so the other Avengers picked up the slack. Everyone came to her apartment, bringing her various gifts (none quite as ugly as Frankenbear) and spending an hour or two with her before Steve and Bucky chased them off, determined to let her "rest". Wanda visited her the most; the soft-spoken brunette spent hours just sitting with her on her sofa, reading terrible romance novels or watching bad Lifetime movies with her. Rose found that she loved having the telepath around- despite other people's hesitation about the Witch's gifts, the blonde found not having to share what she was thinking surprisingly soothing. The brunette had witnessed every terrible thing that Rose had been through and still stuck around. More than that, she could hear all of the awful things that went through her head (internal dialogue included) and just thought that the blonde was hilarious.
She played video games with Thor and Clint, played cards with the Sam's, drank (awful) tea with Bruce, watched Natasha knit, and fended off ridiculous gifts from Tony ("No, Tony, I don't need twelve dozen flowers." "Nobody needs flowers-" "Tony I'm allergic to them." "….right. How about a car?" "Tony—"). Despite how absolutely terrible she felt, she found herself almost constantly smiling.
Her whole life, Rose had one desire- something she'd buried after time and experience had told her that it was impossible. All she'd wanted, more than money or beauty or a working body, was a family. It didn't have to be conventional (lord knows she wasn't) or perfect- it just had to be hers. She wanted people who cared about how her day went, who worried about her when she was sick- people she had inside jokes with and petty squabbles that ended in laughter. She wanted people who cared about her, even when she had nothing to offer them.
Now she had it- they were a bunch of weird, broken people with extraordinary gifts and even more extraordinary hearts, and she was so completely grateful to know each of them.
They were her family- and more importantly, she felt like she was theirs.
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Rose doesn't really feel like she gets better- not really. The heaviness in her chest lets up a bit, but she finds herself almost constantly exhausted, nausea and weakness following her around like a specter. However, her fever finally stops making its unwelcome appearance, and she finally stops coughing, so she counts it as a "win" and decides to commence with her "after-sick" ritual.
Namely, cleaning her entire apartment.
Alone in her apartment for the first time in a week (after finally convincing the soldiers to go back to their apartment to do things like bathe and do laundry), Rose strapped on her standard cleaning outfit (an old tank top and leggings), put on her cleaning playlist, and got to work. Any time she got sick, she found that her apartment always felt stale afterwards, like the illness was sticking to the walls and contaminating her furniture. Wiping everything down felt like she was cleaning the sickness out of her house- at least metaphorically. She'd bop around the rooms, listening to her favorite compilation of crooners, torch singers, and musicals, occasionally doing a little shimmy as she scrubbed. If she was feeling particularly passionate about a song, she'd stop cleaning all together, singing the song under her breath while dancing with an invisible partner.
That was how Steve found her, dancing in her living room while she hummed "As Time Goes By" underneath her breath.
He'd only come to check on her, take a quick peek before heading back to his and Bucky's apartment, but found himself frozen in her doorway, watching her wiggle her way around the room. She was sweaty and covered in a thin layer of dust, her movements uncoordinated and inelegant as she danced across the room, eyes closed as she sang along to Billie Holiday, her voice warbling and pitchy- and he found himself completely breathless with how much he loved her. It was a beautiful, terrible pain, joy mixed with a desperate longing that he knew would never be fulfilled- not because he couldn't touch her, but because it would never be enough. He could spend a million years just taking in the planes of her face, a lifetime touching her skin and it would always come up short.
Watching her move, he found his mind unwillingly wandering to Peggy, bittersweet longing tainting his mind. She'd been the first woman he'd ever loved- and also his greatest regret. He wouldn't trade a second of his current life- having Bucky back and finding Rose were things he'd never hoped to have, but found he couldn't bear to part with.
He just wished he could have gotten that dance.
Watching Rose now, he found himself faced with an opportunity- one that was just too perfect to pass up. Peg had told him to live his life- had told him to move on. He'd always want that dance with her, and it genuinely pained him that he'd never get to keep that promise, but it was time to move forward.
He'd found his perfect partners, and it was time to let them know it.
Without hesitation he quietly strode into the room, coming to a stop in front of the dancing blonde. Rose had her eyes closed, hands stretched out in front of her body like she was dancing with an invisible partner, completely unaware of the man now standing in front of her. Steve watched her for another moment, taking in the relaxed lines of her face and the soft sound of her voice as she sang, absorbing the peacefulness in her expression and the gentle way she moved. A couple seconds ticked by and, when it was clear that she was trapped in her own world, he gently cleared his throat, startling Rose into nearly tripping over her own feet. Once she'd steadied herself, she saw who was standing in front of her and flushed, stammering out excuses as to what exactly she was doing while running anxious hands through her short hair. Before she could send herself into a tizzy, Steve cut her off, a small smile curling his lips as he offered his hand to her.
"Rose." The blonde blinked at his hand and the soft tone of his voice, shooting him a confused look. The grin on his mouth just widened, sky colored eyes shining happily. "Would you like to dance with me?" Rose sucked in a breath, happiness warring with her fear of embarrassing herself as she glanced between his hand and the smile on his face. Finally, her happiness won out, a matching smile appearing on her face as she gently placed her hand in his. Steve tenderly pulled her into his body, one hand holding hers while the other settled around her waist, eyes tracing her face as he started to slowly move them around the room. Rose found herself trapped by the intensity of his eyes, pink creeping up her chest and cheeks as she awkwardly followed him around. After she accidentally stepped on his feet for the third time she winced, ducking her head timidly.
"Sorry, Steve…I've never danced with anyone before." Steve chuckled warmly, placing a finger under her chin and guiding her eyes back to his.
"That's okay, baby doll." Before she could stammer out any more apologies, he used the hand on her waist to scoop her up. Rose threw her arms around his neck in shock, blinking at the sudden change in height and at suddenly being face to face with the much taller man. Steve pressed a kiss to her gaping mouth, the smile never leaving his face. "I've never danced with anyone before either. We'll just have to figure it out together." The anxiety melted off of her face, the grin reappearing as she leaned forward to press another kiss into his mouth, electricity sizzling down her spine and spreading along her nerves in a warm, familiar way. She relaxed into his body, confident in his ability to hold her as he swayed them around the room, the sounds of Billie Holiday filling the otherwise quiet space, dancing and savoring the taste of each other's mouths in the mid-morning light.
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When Rose makes it in to work the following Monday, Darcy acts as if the blonde had freshly returned from storming the beaches of Normandy. She only makes it about a foot into the door before the curvier woman is on her, yanking her into her chest and wailing dramatically.
"Rosie! Thank the sweet baby Jesus you're here!" The blonde let out a breathless wheeze, weakly struggling against her boss' grip and the crushing prison of her cleavage. "I've gone through 12 interns while you were gone. Twelve! Four of them only lasted until lunch time!" Rose slumped in her grip, quietly resigning herself to suffocation and an ignoble death. Darcy continued to shake her about, not unlike a puppy with a chew toy. "I was so lost without you! None of them understood my memes!" Dramatics complete, the brunette promptly released her, dumping Rose unceremoniously into her chair. Now able to breathe, Rose took in great gasps of air, face flushing pink as oxygen finally reached her head.
"If you missed me so much, why try and kill me?" The brunette scoffed, waving off Rose's shrill exclamation with a lackadaisical shrug, navy blue eyes shining mischievously.
"Please- don't be so dramatic. I was just showing you my looooove." The blonde gave her the finger, absently rubbing her chest as she continued to wheeze. Darcy eyed the pallid tint of her skin with growing concern, gently poking at the smaller woman half splayed across her desk. "You okay, Rosie? You look kind of crappy still. Are you sure you should be back this soon?" Now it was Rose's turn to wave her off, the blonde opening one periwinkle blue to give her a dry look.
"I'm fine, Darcy. Just deconditioned from being hauled around like a teacup dog in a purse- and I wasn't all that 'conditioned' to begin with."
Best. Week. Ever.
I hate being carried around.
Don't lie to me, Thoticus Prime- I know every sordid thing that goes on up here.
….
That's what I thought. The only way it would have been better is if they were naked.
Darcy eyed the blush slowly making its way up her cheeks with barely concealed amusement. She'd give just about anything to know what was going through Rose's head. She had two of the hottest men on the planet falling all over themselves to make her happy- if she wasn't thinking of something dirty, Darcy would go and live in a nunnery.
"If you're sure you're okay…" Rose shook her head, trying to shake off the borderline pornographic thoughts drowning her brain so she could focus on the brunette. After a moment, the words finally registered, the dial up connection in her brain kicking into gear.
"Right! Yes! I'm fine- just tired. I'll get better after I start getting up and moving more." At the blonde's affirmation, the mischief reappeared on Darcy's face. Rose felt something like dread settle in her stomach.
"Great! In that case, you should be all set for Girl's Night on Saturday." The petite woman groaned, hiding her face in her hands.
"I don't suppose 'Girl's Night' is a quiet evening in watching movies?" Darcy gave her a shark-like grin in response.
Oh boy…
I get the feeling they should just keep a hospital bed reserved for us.
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Girl's night did not, in fact, mean a "quiet evening in". Girl's night meant "spending hours getting dressed up and then going to a club".
Rose was less than enthusiastic.
Clubbing had never really been her thing. Firstly, because she hated crowds. Crowds where a bunch of sweaty strangers were grinding on her body? The idea of it made her want to peel off her skin with barbed wire. Secondly, she had zero ideas on how to dress for it, and any attempts at putting on makeup resulted in her looking like she was about to lure a small child into the sewers with a shiny, red balloon. Finally, and probably most importantly, she had zero rhythm. Swaying around her living room with Steve decidedly did not count. She was equally as likely to hurt herself as she was to hurt someone else.
Darcy, as she usually did, promptly ignored Rose's presentation (the PowerPoint was a nice touch) to force her friend out of her comfort zone. When Friday evening rolled around, Rose found herself yet again shanghaied into another one of Darcy's "fun" activities. Steve and Bucky dropped her off at Darcy's place, each giving her a gentle kiss before leaving her to get ready for their own date night- something Rose had insisted on. They'd spent the last couple of weeks focusing on her and, as much as she enjoyed it, she didn't want them to forget about themselves. There had been a Steve and Bucky before Rose came along, and there needed to be a Steve and Bucky now that she was with them as well. While less than enthusiastic about leaving her, both agreed it was a good idea- Steve in particular had been hoping to take his boyfriend dancing, something he'd never been able to do before he went into the ice.
After they'd said their goodbyes, with a promise to see her before they also went out for the night, Rose found herself sucked into what she'd always imagined a sleepover would be like. Every woman she knew (besides Pepper and Maria who'd unfortunately had to work) was crammed into Darcy and Clint's apartment, giving each other facials and doing their nails, chatting and drinking a truly exorbitant amount of wine- with the exception of Sammy (who had straight scotch) and Athena (who had a juice pouch). As soon as she appeared, it became clear to her that "Girl's Night" was really code for "Play Dress-Up with Rose Part 2: Lip-Gloss Edition". At any given point she had at least two woman attached to some part of her body, scrubbing and polishing an appendage with a terrifying amount of focus.
The only ones who didn't participate where Athena and Jane. Athena had her nose shoved into a tablet while absently eating what appeared to be a two pound bag of gummy bears. Jane was equally as focused, though her focus was on the two large pizzas she was demolishing while writing equations on the boxes.
Rose envied them.
She felt like they'd peeled off her first layer of skin.
As soon as her last coat of nail polish was done, the women broke off like there was some sort of secret signal, each going to their own corners to start working on their own hair and make-up. Before Rose could get too flustered, worried about her own abysmal beautician skills, Natasha latched on to her arm, dragging the petite blonde to the privacy of Darcy's bedroom.
"Come on, Rose. We have some serious work to do." The smaller woman gave her an indignant look, deliberately dragging her feet while trying to postpone the inevitable.
"Hey! I can do my own make-up. I'm not completely inept at being a woman." The redhead gave her a dry look, deftly maneuvering the blonde into the seat in front of Darcy's vanity.
"I'm sure you look adorable, too. We aren't going for adorable tonight." Rose huffed, but gave up on arguing. If there was anything she'd learned in the time she'd known Nat, it was that arguing with her was futile (unless you were Steve- the man could guilt trip just about anyone. It was his actual super power.). She had a way of twisting you up until you'd convinced yourself whatever idea she had was actually your own.
"Fine- but don't you have to do your own make-up? Aren't we supposed to be leaving soon?" Natasha gave her an amused look, the very corner of her full lips curling in her version of a smile.
"Rose, I could make myself camera ready in five minutes with only a box of crayons and a sharp knife. Don't worry about me." Before Rose could question her on what exactly she would be doing with the knife, Natasha interrupted her, brandishing a very tiny curling iron threateningly. "Now stop talking. I need to get this done so I can get you in the dress I bought you."
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Natasha was right- adorable was definitely not what she was going for. By the time she was done Rose didn't feel cute at all.
She felt beautiful.
She'd never win a beauty contest, but the way the assassin had contoured her face, the rose gold tones of her eye shadow and lipstick- all of it made her look downright sultry. The lacy, pink bodycon dress she'd shoved her into, while not normally to her taste, gave her the illusion of curves while sticking to her body like a second skin. While she wished she could wear heels (like everyone else was), the flats Natasha shoved her into were just as pretty as the dress, pulling the look together and making her feel sexy- something she could honestly say had never happened to her. She'd had to blink back tears, a massive grin on her face as she wiggled in front of the mirror. Natasha had taken one look at her face, and the first real smile Rose had ever seen appeared on the red head's face, turning the already stunning woman into something that was nearly ephemeral.
"No crying, Rosie- you'll ruin your mascara." Rose sniffed and, despite every bone in her body screaming "danger, danger!" whipped around to hug the woman tightly around the waist. To Rose's shock, Natasha relaxed into her, giving her a tiny squeeze before gently pushing her away. The smile still on her face, she nudged the other woman to Darcy's bedroom door, emerald green eyes sparkling with affection. "Go on now- I have to get ready too. And, as much fun as the 'crayons and knife' method is, I prefer to save it for emergencies. Besides, I get the feeling Darcy is about to knock down the door." Unable to help herself, Rose gives her another hug, whispering her thanks into her stomach before darting for the door, anxious to get her "reveal" over with.
She isn't disappointed.
As soon as she makes it through the door, Darcy starts screaming, swooning dramatically and fanning herself while panting in Rose's direction. The other women have similar reactions, whooping and wolf-whistling while Rose poses in the doorway, cheeks sore from the strength of her smile. After another moment of mayhem, everyone begins to calm down, going back to finishing up their own looks while sipping their various drinks and sharing some of the dirtiest stories Rose had ever heard (she wasn't sure she was going to be able to make eye contact with Clint tomorrow- she'd learned way more about his dick than she'd ever planned on knowing). Some 15 minutes later, everyone was clearly ready to leave, but the women were lazily lurking around Darcy's apartment- almost like they were waiting something.
That something, it turned out, was Bucky and Steve.
Rose had completely forgotten they'd said they were stopping by before they left.
Jane ushered them in, a wide, mischievous smile on her face- and then Rose felt all of her higher brain functions completely fail. Rose was painfully aware of how completely devastatingly handsome her boyfriends were. They'd both apparently decided to up their game tonight, just to see if her brain could actually melt out of her ears.
Steve was the very picture of modern meeting the classics in a pair of dark jeans, a white shirt, and a sky blue suit jacket, the sleeves rolled up to display the muscular expanse of his forearms. As usual, everything stuck to him like a second skin, the jacket in particular highlighting the broad width of his shoulders and biceps. Bucky was dressed similarly, but had foregone the suit jacket for a leather one, his dark hair pulled back in a messy bun, the inky strands framing the angular contours of his face.
She can tell the moment they see her, because the polite smiles on their faces disappear, shock and something else she can't place appearing on their faces. Heart racing in her chest, she gives them both a sheepish smile, twirling in place.
"So? What do you think?" Neither of them answer, though she can just make out Steve swallowing as he eyes her from head to toe. Bucky has his lower lip caught in between his teeth, eyes dark as they trace her body. More than a little nervous at their non-answers, Rose tugs anxiously at the short hem of her dress, fighting the urge to run an nervous hand through her freshly-curled hair. "Is it too much? Natasha said it was fine, but I was considering taking it off—" Before she can finish her anxious rambling, Bucky stalks forward, something nearly predatory appearing on his face as he dodges around the various women spectating around Darcy and Clint's apartment. She opens her mouth to question him, but finds herself cut off by the sudden, hungry pressure of his mouth. The warm, insistent pressure of his hands appears at the back of her neck and the dip of her waist as he pulls her into his body. Heat zings across her nerve endings with the intensity of a lightning strike, pleasure sparking across her body as his hands trace the gentle curve of her waist. She's momentarily stunned by the hunger of his kiss, going nearly limp in his grip before her own hunger makes its appearance, her hands clutching at whatever part of his body she can get a hold of as she kisses him back. After a long, heated moment, he pulls back a little, breathing his next words against the seam of her lips.
"Baby doll, don't you even think of taking that off- that's my damn job." The flush already on her face darkened considerably, heat settling in her lower stomach as her legs all but gave up on her, the deep, rumble of his voice and the heat in his words cutting her off at the knees. She opens her mouth to respond (though she's not quite sure what she'll say- her libido appears to have finally broken free and choked out all of her higher brain function) but finds herself suddenly in Steve's arms, the large blond eyeing the reddened tint of her kiss-smudged lips with a heat so searing, she was genuinely surprised the paint didn't start melting off the walls.
"Rosie, every day I'm always convinced you can't get any more beautiful- and every damn day you prove me wrong." He leans forward and presses a soft but scorching kiss against her tender mouth, savoring the taste of her lips and the feel of her skin against his. Despite the apparent chasteness of his kiss, the heat Bucky had ignited in her sizzles expectantly, the tension low in her stomach throbbing pleasantly while her knees shake. A small grin appears on his face, the pupils of his eyes blown wide as they take in the darkened appearance of her own eyes. "You look gorgeous, baby doll." His grin took on a mischievous edge, the sky color of his eyes shining cheerfully. "I have to agree with Bucky- you definitely shouldn't take this off." The implication that he should take it off hung heavily between them. Rose made a garbled noise, something like a cross between a moan and a groan as she swayed into him.
Holy fuck….
Please? I think my underwear just melted off of my body.
I would climb him like a tree if Darcy wasn't currently snapping pictures of us.
Do it anyways.
Before she could give into the little voice in her head, Darcy shoved her way in between them, shielding Rose with her body.
"Hey now! There are children present." The brunette waved in Athena's direction, where the dark skinned woman was tapping away on her phone, half of a gummy worm hanging out of her mouth. The pastel haired woman flipped her off, tapping aggressively for a moment before Darcy's phone suddenly buzzed ominously. Darcy pointedly ignored the vibrations, silently resigning herself to the clown porn that would no doubt be appearing in her inbox for the foreseeable future. "You guys are going to have to hold off on the sexy fun times until after Girl's Night. Girl's Night is sacred. I only let your man parts within two miles of this because I wanted to see your reaction to Rosie's sexy 'Pretty Woman' impression. And, let me tell you, I was not disappointed. Seriously. The sheer sex appeal you guys just emitted nearly burned a new hole in the ozone." Steve opened his mouth to argue, clearly planning on trying to abscond with the tiny blonde, but found himself cut off by Darcy all but bodily picking him up and shoving him into his chuckling boyfriend. Bucky let out an indignant yelp at the sudden push, shooting the brunette an offended look. Darcy ignored his irritation to continue shoving the both of them, pushing them back towards the door with all of her considerable strength. "Nope! Visitation is over. You have a date with each other and I have a date with seeing Rose attempt to dance. Buh-bye!"
After another brief tussle, Darcy finally managed to get them back through the front door, face pink with effort (though her hair was surprisingly untouched). Just before the door closed, Steve poked his head through the crack, giving Rose one last heated look.
"See you later tonight, baby doll." The door closed with a final click, leaving Rose gaping at the door as heat skittered across her skin. She's brought out of her musing by Jane letting out an impressed whistle, eyeing the newly closed door with raised brows.
"Damn, Rose- how good is your birth control? I think I got pregnant just watching that." There's a beat of stunned silence at the statuesque blonde's statement before all of the women are suddenly cackling, giving play-by-play impressions of the soldiers' "smolder" and just generally giving Rose a hard time. The petite woman does her best to soak in the levity in the room, a beaming smile on her face as she good-naturedly takes the gentle teasing being thrown her way. After another minute of bantering Sammy unsteadily gets to her feet, face red and half-way on her way to being completely trashed. Athena steadies her with an amused glance, keeping a hand pressed to the redhead's back to keep her from tipping over.
"All right ladies! Let's go!" She gives an exuberant whoop, teetering shakily in her high-heeled boots. "Girl's Night!" A matching cheer goes up around the room, the women grabbing their bags and phones and heading for the door. Rose followed them eagerly, excitement building as she talked and laughed with some of the best friend's she'd ever had.
She hadn't been looking forward to tonight, but after her impromptu makeover and impromptu make out, anticipation started to appear in place of her earlier dread. After seeing the looks on the boys' faces, feeling the desire radiating off of them, she finally felt like she might be okay with them seeing her naked.
Tonight was going to be fun.
`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-Author's Note-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-`-
Hey guys! So- this chapter actually has a one-shot that goes along with it from the Boy's POV. I'll be posting it in the next couple of days, if anyone is interested! In the meantime- I love hearing from you guys! Thoughts? Theories? Favorite Lines? Love you!