Rose stretched sleepily, relishing the feel of the sheets on her naked skin.
Last night had been exceedingly productive- and informative.
-_-_-_-Page-Break-_-_-_-
14 hours earlier
After she'd managed to make it down from the tree (which had been much harder than getting up the tree and resulted in the deaths of several tree limbs), Bucky had brought her back to his and Steve's apartment in the Compound. He'd given her a kiss and a towel and directed her to their bathroom, his smile teasing but his eyes unbearably soft.
"Go get cleaned up, baby doll. I'm goin' to work on making us dinner." He winked at her, rubbing some dried plaster off of her cheek. "And maybe don't destroy our bathroom? I really like that tub." She'd snorted in response, smacking him with the towel before doing as he'd said (thankfully leaving the porcelain unharmed). She'd taken her time, doing her best the get the splinters and stray leaves out of her hair. Once she'd finished she'd realized that she didn't have anything to clean to change into. Embarrassed that her clumsiness had essentially rendered her naked, she'd wandered out into the living room, hair a damp mass hanging down her back, her modesty only protected by the towel Bucky had handed to her. She had gone with the intention of asking to borrow some more clothes- at least until she could be dragged out for another shopping trip.
She catches sight of Bucky, and all thoughts of getting dressed flee her mind.
The brunet had apparently taken it upon himself to cook them both dinner and, from the looks of things, was doing a terrible job. He'd been standing in front of the stove, hair in a haphazard bun on the top of his head while he anxiously poked at something smoking in the skillet. Darcy, she thinks, would say that he'd looked patently ridiculous- shirtless, with his ratty Captain America sweatpants on, while rocking his old man slippers- but Rose finds herself unexpectedly breathless.
He'd looked so domestic.
Despite his apparent irritation (if the colorful Russian curses were anything to go by), his shoulders had been relaxed, something like contentment radiating from him. He'd scuttled back and forth, playing with the stovetop knobs before dejectedly poking at the smoking lump of "food" with a neon green spatula (no doubt a gift from Darcy). She must have made some sort of noise because he'd finally turned to face her, a sheepish smile on his face as he nervously rubbed the back of his head. She'd been hit with a sudden vision of the future they could have- a moment just like this one, only, instead of facing her it had been children coming to bother him, tugging at his pants and making a nuisance of themselves. Instead of getting irritated, she knows he'd smile at them- maybe pull them up on the counter and have them "help" him cook. As soon as the vision (dream?) comes, it's gone, leaving her standing in the middle of the kitchen, her heart throbbing with the weight of her love for him. Oblivious, he'd embarrassedly gestured to the smoking pile of bread next to him, nose wrinkling at the charred smell.
"Sorry, Rosie- it looks like dinner is going to have to wait a little while." Feeling more than a little entranced, the blonde hummed, slowly stepping towards him. Focused on his failed culinary attempt, Bucky continued. "We don't really have much to cook right now, so I thought I'd make grilled cheese. Turns out I can make a damn soufflé, but toastin' fuckin' bread is outside of my expertise." Rose hummed again, heart pounding in her chest as she continued to move forward. Agitated by his failure, Bucky turned around and quickly flicked off the stove, lest he accidentally set his apartment on fire. "I don't know what the hell I'm missin', but for the life of me I just can't do it. No matter what I do the bread keeps burning before the damn cheese even melts." There was a mechanical noise, not unlike a throat being gently cleared, before JARVIS spoke up.
"If I may, Sergeant Barnes, it would probably behoove you to put butter on the bread before attempting to cook it." Bucky scowled, arms crossed as he glared at the ceiling. Rose used his distraction to creep even closer, her new godhood allowing her to move more quietly than any normal human was capable of.
"You couldn't have told me this before I went through half of a damned loaf?!" The AI responded, sounding terribly amused.
"In my defense, Sergeant, it was rather entertaining. I also thought it might be a valuable learning experience for you." Bucky spluttered, hand tightening around the spatula, like he was stopping himself from stabbing the AI's nonexistent body.
"Entertaining? A learning experience? Do you and Steve happen to live under the same damn bridge-" The former assassin jumped, only just stopping himself from attacking the petite blonde now plastered to the front of his body. He's all set to tear into her, admonishing her about what a fucking stupid idea it is to sneak up on a super solider with PTSD, when he catches sight of the look on her face.
She looked so soft.
Her eyes stood out like blue beacons on her face, her skin warm and pink from her shower. The long, damp mass of her hair hung heavy over her back and shoulders, the occasional droplet breaking free and tracing a shining path down the contours of her body. Her hand was pressed gently against his chest, lips barely parted as she scanned his face, her other hand weakly holding the towel to her bare skin. The scent of Steve's body wash hung heavy around her body, but underneath it he could smell the warm, peachy scent of her- the scent get stronger with every second that went by, no doubt from the arousal he could also see so blatantly on her face.
He was pretty sure that he must have set a land speed record for quickest hard-on.
Silently telling his dick to chill the fuck out, he grasped her hand in his flesh one, tenderly caressing the digits as he assessed her. Despite his best efforts, his voice was noticeably deeper when he spoke, the tone closer to a growl than a question.
"Did you need something, Rosie?" Rather than answer him verbally, the blonde gave in to the urging of her libido and hopped up, nimbly climbing up his body until her legs were wrapped around his waist before throwing her arms around his neck. A little startled by the sudden movement, Bucky reflexively hooked his arms underneath her thighs to keep her from falling, his eyebrows raising in amusement at his girlfriend's spider monkey impersonation. "That's not really an answer, baby doll." She just smiled in response, surging forward to press a scorching kiss against his mouth.
The towel slipped off and landed in a pile on the kitchen floor.
The brunet let the kiss continue for a moment before pulling back, hair mused from where Rose had been tugging at it, his eyes bright and voice deep with hunger. "Are you sure about this, doll? It's been a long day-" Rose cut him off with another kiss, the very corner of her lips curling as she fought back a smile. Once she was convinced he was sufficiently quiet she pulled back, placing a teasing nip on his bottom lip.
"You're very sweet- but I'm fine." She teasing rolled her hips against him, drawing his attention to her naked body. Bucky swallowed drily, eyes shooting between her body and her face like he wasn't quite sure where to look next. Satisfied that her point had been made she continued, her voice nearly a purr. "What I want now, is for you to make love to me- preferably right now." She leaned forward and nipped at his chin, rolling her hips again, the warmth of her breath sending goosebumps down his spine as she whispered into his ear. "Now, now, soldier." Finally convinced, Bucky's lips curled up in a positively sinful smile, silver eyes sparkling as he spun around to deposit Rose on the kitchen counter. He then promptly dropped to his knees, mismatched hands crawling up her calves before the hooked underneath her knees and pulled her closer to the edge. He nuzzled at her thigh, pressing a kiss against the soft skin as he savored the peachy smell of her, lips just barely brushing against her as he inhaled. Rose shuddered, liquid heat pulsing beneath his skin and gathering at her core, heart pounding as she watched him, almost entranced. Listening to the thundering of her heart he shot her a cheeky wink, voice a bass rumble as he responded to her command.
"Dinner first."
-_-_-_-Page-Break-_-_-_-
Present
They had thoroughly despoiled the kitchen. And the dining room. And the couch. They had eventually made it back to the bedroom, but not before the "informative" part of the evening had come about. Namely, what had happened when Steve came home. They hadn't gotten around to number 25 (Bucky was right- that was a whole evening. And they'd need a lot of lube.), but Rose had learned something new about the blond.
Steve really liked to watch.
Rose, it turns out, liked to be watched- at least by Steve.
She'd been a little nervous at first, anxious about being observed so intimately, but had found that she didn't actually feel awkward. Watching him watch her? Seeing the hunger so blatantly on his face? She'd felt like the goddess everyone was insisting she was. He hadn't watched for very long (patience wasn't one of Steve's virtues), but when he'd finally joined them Rose had honestly been worried that their reinforced bed frame would break.
Feeling deliciously sore and perfectly content to stay in bed for the next century, Rose stretched out again, curling up against the soft body pressed against her side with a content hum.
Rose frowned, freezing in place before absently squeezing the soft thing in her hand.
What the fuck…?
Yeah, I don't think any part of Steve and Bucky is soft- at least not for me.
Hopefully not. That still doesn't answer the question of what's in my- their bed.
Or who.
Nose crinkling, Rose squeezed the soft thing again, mind sleepily trying to figure out what exactly was resting in her palm. Her internal speculations are cut off by a dry, feminine chuckle, before a terrifyingly familiar voice spoke up.
"Well, if I knew you'd thought of me like that I might have stolen you." Eyes shooting wide, Rose let out a high-pitched shriek, releasing the soft thing in her hand (a boob! Natasha's boob!) before scuttling madly backwards. She only made it a couple of feet before she reached the end of the mattress, pitching off the end of the bed in a pile of flailing limbs and sheets. Heart racing over the fact that she'd inadvertently groped the Black Widow, Rose scrambled to her feet, wrapping the sheet around her body like a makeshift toga as she began to stammer out apologies.
"Nat! I'm so sorry- I didn't mean to-" She gestured helplessly, free hand grasping the air in a pantomime of the actions that had gotten her into trouble in the first place. The red head just grinned at her, emerald eyes sparkling as she lounged carelessly in the bed, hands resting sedately in her lap. After watching Rose struggle for several minutes she finally decided to take pity on her, voice laden with mischief when she responded.
"Slide into second base?" Rose sputtered, face and chest a brilliant pink as she continued to make embarrassed noises. Natasha shrugged, the amused smile on her face dimming back down to her usual half-smile, her tone drier than the Sahara as she continued. "Its fine, Rosie. I'm pretty sure what little virtue I have will survive a half-hearted grope." The blonde made a strangled noise, still half-dead from embarrassment, but managed to stop herself from continuing her apologies when she realized the red head's position.
"Hey, Nat? Not that I'm not excited to see you, but why are you here? More importantly, why were you in bed with me?" Natasha shrugged, the mischief appearing on her face again.
"For the most part, it was for dramatic effect." Rose squinted at her suspiciously.
"And the other part?" The assassin grinned at her again, shrugging as she gracefully got out of the bed and back on her feet.
"I just like scaring the crap out of you. It's almost like startling a kitten- you get all fluffy and growly." Decidedly not fluffy and growly, Rose crossed her arms self-consciously, absently adjusting the sheet tucked underneath her armpits while she grumbled to herself.
Shouldn't we be more concerned over the fact that we're naked?
Why? She's seen me naked before.
...You're not wrong.
Deciding that arguing with the red head was a moot point (she was not a kitten damn it!), Rose reiterated her initial inquiry- namely, why she was there in the first place. Stretching lazily, Natasha answered her.
"A little frosty birdie told Darcy that you needed to go shopping." She winked at the blonde, lips quirked with her signature half-smile. "I'm just here to make sure you don't escape." Rose let out a loud groan, dramatically collapsing in a pile of blankets and curly hair.
That cyborg bastard betrayed me.
I mean, we DO need to go shopping.
That doesn't mean I want to though.
You could always run?
Yeah, I'm pretty sure Nat would catch me and then devise some way to kneecap me.
...Yeah, probably. I guess it's suffering time!
-_-_-_-Page-Break-_-_-_-
Rose anxiously tugged at the tight t-shirt she had been shoved into. She was grateful that Natasha had been able to lend her some clothes (they were apparently almost the same size, though Nat was a little more gifted in the chest department), but it was decidedly not her style. Not only were the V-neck and jeggings extremely snug, but the dark colors were also not something she would have picked for herself.
She was just thankful she'd been able to argue her way out of wearing heels.
She was pretty sure she could probably wear them now, but she wasn't too keen to test the hypothesis while out shopping for several hours. The flats she'd managed to dig out of Nat's closet were much more comfortable (if a little dusty).
Hours later, and she's positive she'd made the right choice.
Her need for clothes that fit had turned into an impromptu "Girl's Day"- this time with all of the girls. Admittedly, Pepper and Maria were only meeting them for lunch (running a multi-billion dollar company and managing the most elite fighting force on the planet were more than full time jobs), but everyone else had been dragged along too.
To say that it was an interesting outing would be an understatement.
Her friends were an eclectic bunch of personalities, all with tastes so varied that they rarely ever agreed on anything (at least as far as style went). Jane lived almost exclusively in jeans and flannel, with the odd science pun shirt thrown into it. After the initial excitement of being out and about wore off, the massive blonde quickly lost interest in the style of clothes that Rose herself was interested in. Any advice she gave was limited to "that looks itchy". Other than that she'd dragged along some ancient bag and spent the majority of their excursion pulling out snacks, most of which she ate- though she did give the occasional bag of sour gummies to Athena.
Said goddess of wisdom tried to help out, but Rose found her sense of fashion a little extra. She'd occasionally try and slip in some neon colored monstrosity into the pile of things the petite blonde was trying on- which looked great on the dark-skinned woman, but made Rose look like she was trying to lure small children into a sewer with a brightly colored balloon. Other than that, Athena tended to stay glued to the phone she'd brought with her. Rose thought she was probably texting Sammy, given that the red head kept flushing and glaring in the pastel-haired woman's direction. She was almost positive it was about Dr. Banner- the woman simply didn't blush for anything else.
Sammy was also supremely unhelpful- mostly because it looked like her EBay auction was finally drawing to a close (and partly because she and Bruce had started dating- they were texting history puns to each other like a bunch of fucking nerds). The new Head of Security of R&D was all but glued to the device, frantically tapping away to maintain her lead in the auction. Rose wasn't sure how much the thing cost at this point, but given that Sammy made at least six figures, it was probably more money than the blonde would see in her whole life.
Darcy and Natasha were both having the time of their lives playing dress up with her- which she was actually kind of thankful for. It turns out that shopping when you have a size range outside of "the smallest thing you have" is extremely complicated. Depending on the store, she was anything from a size 4 to a size 8. It was also a relief that the two actually knew what kind of clothes she liked this time- though it didn't stop them from trying to shove her into things outside of her comfort zone.
Like they were now.
Rose glanced incredulously at the lingerie currently dangling from Natasha's hands. Objectively speaking, the red and black lace bra and thong were pretty. The garter belt that went with it almost made it pretty classy too (if lingerie could ever really be classified as "classy").
It just wasn't really her…style
She knew she was making a face when the red head rolled her eyes, placing an exasperated hand on her hip as she waggled the scraps of cloth in her face.
"Okay, what's with the face? I know you like this." Rose shrugged, absently rubbing her head sheepishly.
"I don't know. It's just…." She pursed her lips, struggling to find the correct word. Natasha seemingly read her mind and continued for her.
"Too sexy?" Rose nodded. The spy squinted, eyes scanning the blonde as she went over her options. She finally appeared to come to a decision, her eyes lighting up as a mischievous smile appeared on her face. "That's the point, Rosie. Look, this isn't underwear you wear- this is underwear you take off." When it looked like Rose wasn't quite getting it, she decided that being blunt was probably the best way to go. "Do you want to get laid, Rose?" Her libido perked up like a bloodhound on a scent, taking over control over her nervous system to nod her head. Natasha wagged the lingerie in her direction again, watching in amusement as the blonde's eyes zeroed in on the cloth with laser focus. "You wear this with the red dress I got you and I guarantee you'll get number 25 off of your list."
….How does she know about number 25?
Who cares? She's promising to get us in the middle of super soldier dick sandwich!
That's cru-
Before she could continue to admonish her inner voice, her libido seized control of her body and snatched the red and black lace from Nat's hands, hissing with glee and chanting "dickdickdickdick" like a horny Gollum in her head. Natasha grinned gleefully in response, eyes sparkling with satisfaction as she dragged Rose further into the store.
"Come on, Rosie- I've got a lot to teach you."
-_-_-_-Page-Break-_-_-_-
Rose squinted at the silverware in front of her, silently trying to figure out which fork she was supposed to use. She wasn't sure why she would need four different forks, but apparently they all had different uses.
To say she felt out of place would be an understatement.
Pepper and Maria had been put in charge of picking their lunch spot- and they'd picked someplace fancy. The kind of fancy that had superfluous silverware and waiters that were better dressed than she could ever hope to be. The CEO and Director, of course, fit in perfectly. Both were dressed in pant suits that Rose was pretty sure were designed with the sole intention of making grown men cry. Natasha and Athena both appeared like they owned the damn restaurant, relaxed and confident in a way that made Rose undeniably jealous. Sammy and Darcy simply didn't give a shit…ever.
Jane was just hungry.
Like really hungry.
The statuesque blonde was grumbling angrily at the small portion sizes, her hair puffing up ominously with static electricity (or actual electricity- Rose wasn't quite sure). She'd already eaten two of the loaves of bread they'd brought to the table and looked to be arguing the merits of stealing food from other people's plates.
If someone doesn't get her a cheeseburger she's going to eat someone.
Or stab someone.
Either way, someone is definitely going to die.
She's brought out of her morbid musings by the sound of Darcy angrily stabbing at her plate, the porcelain giving a resounding 'crack' underneath the force of her rage. Rose gave her a startled look, silently forcing herself to actually pay attention to what everyone was talking about. The brunette was angrily chewing some sort of fish, eyes resolutely glaring at the table.
"The little asshole won't leave. It used to be that he couldn't get away quick enough, but now he just won't fucking go. I don't know what the hell happened!" Before Rose could ask who exactly they were talking about, Athena snorted contemptuously, golden eyes dark with her own rage.
"I know why Damian won't leave- he's not allowed to." There was a resounding silence around the table as everyone processed what the pastel haired woman had said. Looking deeply concerned (or as concerned as she ever was- which was not very) Maria spoke up.
"What do you mean 'not allowed to'? I've met Damian Lewis and I'm pretty sure the man has never actually listened to the word 'no' in his whole life." Darcy huffed in agreement, giving Athena the gimlet eye.
"Damn right. I mean, before he became a surly drunken prick, he used to just charm his way into getting what he wanted. Now he just doesn't hear it- he has selective hearing loss. He thinks because he can shoot fire out of his asshole he can do whatever the hell he wants!" Her hands waved around wildly, eyes taking on a manic edge as she continued ranting. "He keeps giving Pedro cheese! He's lactose intolerant! His gas is getting so bad it's like something fucking died! Do you know how terrible dog farts are when you have an enhanced sense of smell?!" Pointedly ignoring the part about Pedro's atomic dog farts, Athena continued with her earlier thought.
"Damian is powerful- but he's not one of the Big Four. More than that, he's been deliberately undertrained. All of you have." Natasha perked up, eyebrows narrowed as she processed what the Goddess of Wisdom had revealed.
"You're saying that Hades is keeping him here- and keeping all of you weak. Why?" Rose had to agree with the both of them. So far the King of the Underworld had only told her that she was a goddess and that they were to keep this fact from Dr. Wolfe- he hadn't trained them at all. But, why keep them weak? They were supposed to be defending the planet.
"You're assuming that Hades cares about the planet. He doesn't. He only cares about two things and the fate of mortals is not one of them." To Rose's surprise, Dr. Foster spoke up, pale eyes sharp as she scanned Athena's face.
"You're saying this is about Lydia." Athena sneered, something dark and bitter appearing on her usually stoic face.
"Everything is about her. He's a chess master- and all of us are pawns. He's been moving pieces since before all of you were born, all with one goal in mind." Something clicked in Rose's head. She may not understand Athena's talk of "pawns", but she did understand this.
"He wants to protect her…he loves her." Athena sneered again.
"He loves Persephone- more than that, he's obsessed with her. Lydia is basically her clone…and she's helpless." Natasha raised a brow, silently cataloguing the bitterness on the other woman's face and resolving to look into it later. For now though, she would continue what Athena was trying to point out.
"You're saying that he's using them as bodyguards- keeping the Pantheon close to protect her. But if they're supposed to be bodyguards, wouldn't it make sense to train them?" Rage exhausted, Athena slumped in her chair, golden eyes flat with remembered sadness.
"If any of you knew how to use your powers, would you be content to stay at home while the people you love fight?" There was only silence in response, the gods present unable to argue with the pastel-haired woman's rhetorical question. "I'm saying that our lives don't matter to him. We're meat shields. Damian was allowed to leave once. Hades won't let him leave again."
-_-_-_-Page-Break-_-_-_-
The rest of their lunch was pretty quiet- everyone doing their best to process the information that Athena had given to them. Rose, in particular, found herself struggling with it. On the one hand, she could understand wanting to protect the person you love. She could vividly recall the helplessness she'd felt when Steve and Bucky had gone to face Hera. She would have been worse than useless had she gone, but it didn't stop her urge to protect them.
On the other hand, she understood wanting to protect the people you love.
That he was deliberately keeping them grounded? Keeping them weak? She wanted to punch him in the fucking throat.
She was so locked in her homicidal raging that she almost didn't notice the whistling.
Almost.
A portly construction worker, clearly on his break if the mustard on his chin was anything to go by, was whistling wildly in their direction, a massive, lecherous grin on his portly face.
"Hey baby! Give us a smile!" When Rose froze, glancing around wildly for the woman he was talking about, he continued, focusing his attention on her. "Hey blondie! Sugar! Nice legs! Why don't you walk on over and give us a kiss, huh?" The other women with her froze as well, eyeing the now twitching woman with growing concern.
Is he….is he talking to me?
…..I think he is.
Well that's weird.
Pretty sure he just said he "wants to see what that mouth does."
The crude question finally snaps Rose out of her confused stupor, face turning a bright pink as embarrassed rage overcame her.
"That mouth? HOW ABOUT THESE FUCKING HANDS DICKWAD?" All but frothing at the mouth, Rose whipped around and began to stalk towards him, hands curling and uncurling as she charged at the cat-caller. She was cut off by Darcy latching on to her shirt collar, keep her stuck in place like an unruly puppy on a leash. The brunette looked both angry and pained, clearly struggling with her decision to keep the blonde from sucker punching the portly man into the sun.
"I know he's an asshole, Rosie, but you need to calm down." When Rose snarled in her direction, Darcy rolled her eyes. "You have super strength, Rosie-Posy. You could put him in the hospital-" She was cut off by the construction worker (who clearly had zero sense of self-preservation).
"Hey! Sugar tits! Don't be like that! Your friend with the great rack can come too!" Darcy blinked, starring incredulously in the man's direction, like she was having trouble processing the amount of stupid that just came out of his mouth. Once she'd finally computed everything, a scowl appeared on her face, her hand loosening its hold on Rose's clothes. "Never mind. Just don't kill him." Rose immediately started her charge again, eyes unconsciously flashing rose-gold as she stalked towards him.
-_-_-_-Page-Break-_-_-_-
Rose was pretty proud that she didn't kill him or put him in the hospital. Rose was a very organized and neat person- so she decided to put him where he obviously belonged.
She put him head first into a trash can instead.
-_-_-_-Page-Break-_-_-_-
Feeling pretty content with herself, Rose made her way back home to Steve and Bucky's apartment, arms laden with several hundred dollars' worth of clothes and lingerie.
She very pointedly decided against getting any jewelry. Her last attempt at buying anything sparkly had been less than ideal.
I wonder what happened to the bracelet Steve and Bucky bought me?
It probably got eaten by the ocean. Like we did.
It must have…It's a shame. I may have argued, but I really liked that bracelet.
Her musings were cut off by the men she was thinking about- both locked in a very serious argument.
"Listen, Julie Andrews is okay- but have you heard Barbara's range?" Rose silently placed her bags in the doorway, watching in amusement as Steve gestured vehemently with the knife in his hand, clearly in the middle of attempting to make dinner (and she did mean "attempting"- the man could burn microwaveable soup). Bucky scoffed, lounging like a big cat on their sofa.
"Please, Steven. I'll give you that her range is pretty fantastic, but Julie is a lady." Steve froze, knife suspended as he slowly turned to face the other man, something slightly unhinged appearing on his face.
"Are you saying Barbra Streisand isn't a lady?" Rose fought valiantly not to laugh, content to watch the two argue like the old married couple they so clearly were. She'd tell them about what Athena had said later. For now…..for now she'd just enjoy being home.
She just hoped their argument would go as far as it had last time.
I'm pretty sure Tony isn't going to replace anymore walls.
Or tables.
Or frying pans.
….On second thought, maybe I should introduce them to Bette Midler.
Good idea.