Why on earth is it easier to write a thousand words a night than it is to do a few hundred a week? *Shrugs* Have a chapter...
Do not own Marvel, or for that matter, DC. Just owns the fluff (but that's the bit I like the most anyway).
TapTap
Claire was absentmindedly hitting her pencil against the top of the workbench in what was increasingly her and Tony's shared workshop, rather than just his.
She was pondering a new kind of green energy system, one even Tony hadn't tried before. Sure, she was only capable of designing it because of his mentorship, but there were plenty of things he had only been able to think of because of her, too.
She had just written down a few numbers and was about to bite the pencil, when Bucky knocked on the workshop door. She was alone in there, so she thoughtlessly waved him in, adding, "Tony's not here, if it's him you're looking for. He's having a science date with Bruce."
Bucky laughed. "Platonic, I assume. He's not the Bruce around here I'd see experimenting..."
She scoffed but didn't dignify that with a response.
"Actually," Bucky said after a few moments' pause, "I came for you. Our boyfriends are fighting - wanna go watch?"
She dropped her pen in sudden alarm, looking up at him with wide eyes. "What?!"
He chuckled at her reaction. "Not like that. Sparring. He's good, actually - he knows how to fight dirty. We ended up basically drawed, to be honest, though formally, I won. And now he's taking on Steve! And I bet it'll be hot. So, you wanna come?"
Snorting, Claire tossed down her pencil, abandoned her papers, and found herself hoping her almost boyfriend would take his shirt off for this.
Bruce and Tony managed to unearth themselves from their science just in time to watch the sparring match, sitting right next to one another with tilted heads and commenting continuously to each other on the physics of different blows.
On the opposite side of Tony's private boxing ring from the science bros sat Bucky and Claire, not literally but metaphorically speaking, definitely drooling. They were leaning into one another, like really good friends do, whispering into ears and giggling almost frantically at times. Both their men managed to focus despite it, which was more surprising in Wayne's case than it was for Captain America.
The sparring match wasn't really short, but it was clear already from the start that Wayne had the upper hand. Steve stood his ground with his superior strength, but he didn't get many good hits in and he was constantly on the defence. When he finally conceded, it was with good grace and discipline, but he was visibly displeased, or perhaps more correctly stated puzzled.
"Interesting," Bruce noted to Tony, "he's almost as dity a fighter as you are. Is this a 'billionaires from the boardroom' type of side effect?"
Tony snorted, but admitted lightly, "I wish. He reminds me more of Bucky's fighting style. There's a reason I need a suit out there."
Wayne accepted a towel from Clint, who had returned and subsequently dropped by to observe, while Steve got one from his boyfriend, along with a kiss. "Since we're putting you through the ringer, care to take me on after a bit of a breather?" The archer grinned, but there was more interest than challenge there.
"Sure thing," Wayne shrugged, "I'm as curious as you are. As long as Claire doesn't mind, anyway. I am sort of here to see her, you know."
"She'll only be disappointed if you keep your shirt on for much longer," Bucky snorted. Wayne looked at him, looked over at Claire and her slight blush, took in her affirmative shrug, and promptly pulled said t-shirt over his head without further ado.
"And now I suddenly wonder if he's that submissive in the bedroom," Tony whispered to Bruce, sounding like he really didn't want to be curious about this, but also couldn't help it.
Bruce snorted, answering as softly, "I'm sure Claire would agree to tell you if you promise not to try and find out."
"I'm pretty sure he wouldn't let me 'research' it even if I tried, which is why I don't toss him out - from the top floor of the tower," Tony muttered petulantly in reply.
This match ended more quickly, by a draw Clint noted - looking rather impressed - was only due to Wayne already being kinda tired out, as he put it.
Instead of just letting the man escape, however, Claire stepped into the ring with him herself, grinning wickedly, and for good reason. For the first time, Wayne actually looked a bit uncomfortable, but he didn't try to talk her out of it. He was a genius, after all.
This playful duel, was very short. Claire proceeded to get one hit in, first thing, trip him up, and finally send her suitor into the ropes. All without giving him an opportunity to swing - clearly taking advantage of his hesitation - but also not obviously needing the advantage it gave her. As she climbed over the ropes on the side nearest to the door, she winked to Bucky, and walked out with a simple comment she addressed to Captain America. "You need to learn how to fight like a girl, man."
Needless to say, she was followed by pearls of laughter, and Wayne.
