Title: Gold Rush

Pairing: CaptainAmerica-WinterSoldier-FemaleOC (poly)

First language isn't English, so please point out spelling or grammer mistakes. Be specific when pointing them out so I can correct them.

Thanks to KevlarKitten for pointing out the mistake in the previous chapter.

Your thoughts on the story are always welcomed.

I'll leave you guy's on a high note since the Witcher is coming out tomorrow, so I won't be updating for awhile again.


Sarah complained loudly as we made our way back to the loser bench, utterly disappointed that my plan to get even with Natasha hadn't worked. Nate called me and we loudly discussed pranks he could pull off on the red head. I put the kid on speaker and sure enough that lured Natasha out of her hiding spot. But unlike the Sergeant, she didn't let her guard down and from the moment Sarah opened fire on her, she shot me and ran off. She moved so elegantly between the trees it looked like some kind of dance. Sarah cursed as the red head retreated and ran after her, giving Natasha ample opportunity to shoot the woman.

"I'm writing Nate a letter to give him more prank ideas to get back at her," I said feeling tired from the game. I was relieved it was over. That had been enough excitement for one day, not to mention enough bruises. All the running around and the adrenaline from trying to outrun a bunch of super heroes was taking its toll on me. I was pleased to see that Sarah seemed equally exhausted. My hand was still shaking and I had to hold it up with my other hand to keep the pressure away from it. I hope I can find some ice around here to numb the pain. There was already a very prominent dark blue bruise forming on my hand.

"Christmas is coming up in two months. You can pretend the letter came from Santa," Sarah joked as we walked up the hill to the loser bench for the last time. The Captain, Sergeant, Sam, Clint, AJ and Cass were all sitting there. Sam was handing out drinks. My throat was parched from all the running and I nodded my thanks as he handed me a water bottle.

"I'm guessing our little plan didn't work?" Clint asked us and we let our heads hang low in defeat: "No, she wasn't as easily fooled as the Sergeant. And Sarah's luck seemed to have run out, so while she did shoot a lot of trees, she didn't hit Natasha."

The dark-skinned woman shoved me playfully and rolled her eyes, stating that if I could have done a better job, then I should have taken her place.

"Then who was going to be the decoy? I got Natasha to show herself. I did my part, you messed it up," I shot back at the woman, who opened her bottle and threw some water my way. I luckily dodged it and took of the protective gear. As I pulled of the vest, I noticed the October wind had picked up and it was rather chilly.

"Well Sarah, I've got to say, I'm impressed," Sam complimented his sister, who grinned at the Sergeant. The man ignored the duo and gently took my uninjured hand in his and pulled me between him and the Captain on the bench. My jacket, that I had left in the registration office, found its way around my shoulders, while the Sergeant gently laid an icepack against my injured hand. It wasn't comfortable but that was to be expected. I smiled at him gratefully.

"Next time, Sam! I'll get you next time," Sarah threatened her brother playfully and pointed her weapon at the man, who quickly ducked behind his nephews. The boys were very impressed by their mother managing to take down the Sergeant and she told them how it happened. Her sons looked at her with huge eyes, believing every word she said even though she was lying her ass of. But no one corrected her.

"Any other places you got injured?" the Sergeant asked me as the Captain inspected my hand, his fingertips gently touching mine, sending a slight pain up my arm as he did, but I didn't stop him. I liked the comforting feeling of his warm hands touching my cold one's.

"No, I managed to make it out in one piece," I said and leaned into the Captain's side as he slides his arm around my back. I could really get used to this. I felt his lips move against my head as he lowered his voice and asked if I was alright. I looked up at him while I felt the Sergeant's hand slide into my other hand beneath the table. I met the Captain's eyes and smiled at him: "I am now."

We listened to the Wilson family talk amicably about the game and Clint told us he was planning on playing it with his eldest kids. His daughter was learning the bow and arrow and he seemed very proud of that fact. After fifteen minutes we saw Wanda and Natasha walk out of the woods. The youngest of the two had the biggest grin on her face, while the other was covered from head to toe in paint. There was even pink paint in her hair. Everyone laughed as the two women joined us, Clint asking what for an explanation.

"Well, I thought it was unfair that everyone got shot but Nat would walk away clean, so I cornered her," the younger woman explained nonchalantly, getting a very stern glare from the older woman, who growled under her breath that she would make Wanda pay. The witch wasn't impressed by her threat: "I emptied my register on her."

"You cheated and you know it," Natasha growled at her again while taking of the protective gear, while we Sam and Clint asked for details.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. You got no proof," Wanda shot back and stuck her tongue out at the woman. When we finished our drinks, we returned the guns and protective gear to the owner, who assured us we could play whenever we wanted to. He also told me to keep the bag of ice and I thanked him for that. The cold was finally starting to numb the pain and my hand wasn't shaking anymore.

"Not to sound like I want to milk the situation, but maybe you shouldn't ride with Steve with an injured hand," the Sergeant mentioned while we walked to the carpark. He looked a little to chipper while suggesting I could ride with him, but I remembered I wanted to check up on Wanda. I should ride with her. Maybe we could go to the town and I could take her mind of things.

"Wipe that grin of your face Sergeant, I'm riding with Wanda," I said and grabbed the woman's arm as she started walking next to me. She stuck her tongue out to the Sergeant, who looked a little surprised at me. I turned to Wanda and grinned at her: "Think you can get rid of Natasha, so we can ditch this group?"

"I think I can manage that," the witch said with a playful smile and went to the other woman, who apparently wasn't planning on driving with Wanda anyway after her little stunt. Turns out I'm not the only sour loser in the group.

"Why do I feel like you are ditching me?" the Sergeant asked me, an unsure look in his eyes. When we stood up earlier, he let go of my hand and kept an appropriate distance between us since we were among the others. The Captain pulled me with him, while the Sergeant carried most of my gear.

"I'm afraid that I can't waist all my time with you Sergeant. I did come here with Wanda," I said trying to assure him that I wasn't ditching him. I just wanted to talk with Wanda and I'm sure she would appreciate it if I kept the conversation private. I wanted to go after the witch, but the Sergeant grabbed my elbow, but let it go just as quickly again. I turned to him, but he adverted his eyes, which I didn't like. This is the Sergeant, he's bold and confident, not shy and unsure. I looked at the others, who were up ahead, not paying attention to us and stepped closer to him. I pushed my head against his and made him look at me: "What is it?"

"You would tell me if I overstepped, right?" he asked me and I looked flabbergasted at him. Does he really think I minded his words earlier? I chuckled, making him look even more confused at me. Before he could say anything, I stood on my toes and kissed his cheek: "Come on Sergeant, you can think of a lot more inappropriate things to say to me this evening while I'm of with Wanda."

"I'm not so sure Steve would like that," he said as I slide my arm around his and pulled him with me. He was probably right, judging by the Captains response earlier. I don't think he's a prude, because he has said some things that practically set me on fire. That gave me an idea and I looked with mischief at the Sergeant: "Ever turned your charm on him?"

That made the Sergeant laugh and shake his head, stating that the Captain wasn't that forward thinking. He seemed rather sure of that fact, but I didn't believe him. They seemed affectionate with one and other, in their own way. I turned to the man and couldn't stop myself from asking: "But you are?"

He didn't respond to that, but that told me enough.

The Wilson family was going to do some extra shopping, since we were eating their cupboards empty apparently. The Captain smiled nervously at Sarah, while scratching his head, offering to come along and pay, but Sarah assured him that Sam would take care of that. Her brother wasn't thrilled about that, but Sarah simple grabbed his ear, twisted it and pulled him with her: "Come along now Sam!"

The others would head back to the house to start a BBQ for tonight. Apparently the two super soldiers had offered to chop wood for Sarah. As I got in Wanda's rental car, I met the Captain's eyes who seemed to be surprised that I wasn't riding with him, but Natasha distracted him so I couldn't wave him my injured hand as an explanation.

"So, where to?" Wanda asked me as she started driving and I pulled out my phone to look for a bar or something similar to go to. I'm guessing drinks would be in order to have a serious conversation: "You tell me? Where would you rather talk?"

Wanda turned to me surprised and immediately seemed to understand why I joined her as I sent her a knowing look. She opened her mouth, I'm guessing to protest, but then closed it again and stayed quiet.

"A bar it is then," I said and guided her downtown with the help of my phone. We stayed quite during the whole ride and I turned up the music to get rid of the awkward silence. We drove through the same streets I passed earlier with the Captain. Remembering the feeling of my arms around his broad frame made me smile and Wanda noticed it: "Someone had fun today."

"Oh, shut up, I'm not here to talk about that," I said but she quickly pointed out that if I wanted her to talk, I would have to give her something too. I simply rolled my eyes and helped her look for a parking spot and tried to get rid of the stupid grin on my face.

"So how many drinks do I have to buy you before you will tell me what's on your mind?" I asked as we took of our jackets and sat down at the bar. It was too early to be out drinking, so it was quite in here for which I was grateful. It was an old-fashioned bar with a big wooden bar and vintage taps. There were multiple corners with booths for guests to relax. And the walls were decorated with posters of bands no one had ever heard of.

"What is there to say? She was right, I should be more careful around others," Wanda sighed and laid her head on the bar, while I ordered us two glasses of wine: "And?"

"And…I guess I sometimes get so…comfortable around these guy's that I sometimes forget that…" Wanda tried to explain, her face giving away how uncomfortable she was with the whole situation: "Maybe I shouldn't come around anymore. Sarah's right, I am dangerous…"

"Let me stop you right there, that's not what Sarah said. She told you to be cautious when you are around her sons and to not use your powers. She never said you were dangerous, in fact I recall her saying you are a good woman," I interrupted the witch, who smiled weakly at me. She stayed silent, so I took that as my cue to continued: "You are the strongest person on the planet, if I am to believe my boss, so you can't blame Sarah for being protective of her boy's."

"Sometime I wish I wasn't the strongest," Wanda admitted and paid the barman for our drinks as he placed them in front of us. If he recognized Wanda, he didn't let it show. I laid my hand on the woman's shoulder: "It can't be easy to be you."

She starred into her glass, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. I gave her a few minutes to collect her thoughts before softly bumping my shoulder against her. She looked up at me and seemed a lot older for some reason: "We're in a bar drinking at a very inappropriate hour, so you're supposed to spill your gut's."

"It's just…it used to be easier…to relax and be among people," she admitted and her whole body sagged. I wonder what her life looked like before Thanos, before she even joined the Avengers. I had seen pictures of her brother, who had been quite handsome. What was their relationship like? How did they live? How did they survive?

"Because you had someone to relax with?" I asked after another minute. I wasn't sure she wanted to talk about the Vision and I didn't want to push her. I knew from experience that talking about a loved one is difficult. The woman nodded and drank from her glass before explaining: "When Vis was with me, I could do whatever I wanted because no matter what happened, I knew he would look after me. After the Accords, we traveled the world. We could forget who we really were. We were just two normal people in love and wasting our days together. We were safe because we had each other and there was always an underlying understanding that we could take each other in case one of us slipped up. Well, mostly when I slipped up."

"And now…" I asked not really sure it sounded like a healthy relationship, but that's none of my business. Everyone should be allowed to make up their own rules. Maybe it does make sense if you are that powerful, you would want a partner who is of an equal power level. It's like a sort of guarantee that he could protect himself if you lost control.

"No one that could really take me on. Doctor Strange and Thor could hold their own I think and Captain Marvel is very powerful too, but she barely comes to earth," Wanda summed up, not realizing how she was sounding. I took a big sip from my drink and turned to her and eyed her seriously: "Do you realize you sound like the co-dependent one in the relationship?"

"Eum…well yeah? But only to keep me in line whenever…" she started, but stopped when I blinked at her when she used the phrase 'keep me in line'. The thought that she needed people to keep her in line made me very uneasy.

"That's absolutely ridiculous. I get that the saying goes 'with great power comes great responsibility', but honey, you don't need other people to keep you in line. You need to learn to do that yourself," I pointed out and she simply blinked at me before saying I didn't know what I was talking about. That egged me a little bit and she noticed, but let me continue none the less: "I might not be a witch with endless power, but I do know what it's like to lose control. I've had my share of shit in my life and I've learned to deal with that. Granted, there are day's and sometimes even weeks I feel like shit, but I never want to depend on others to make me happy again or snap me out of it."

She looked at me with a calculating look, before pointing out I really was a product of the system. It pissed me of because I did not want to be defined by my life and experiences growing up in foster care. I did the work and I grew above that: "I learned to live with that shit and get past that and I know what to do when it gets to me."

"The difference is that when you lose it, you might punch someone or break something. When I lose it, I can destroy entire buildings and the people within it," Wanda tried to point out the difference. I fell quite for a minute, remembering my darkest night after losing everything. My friends took turns with staying over in my previous house and that night it was Brooklyn's turns. He was running late, stuck in traffic. He arrived in time to stop me from overdosing on the anxiety medication the doctor had prescribed me to coop with the situation. He made me move out of that house the next day, saying it wasn't healthy for me to stay there.

"Then you have to learn to cope with things that trigger you. You've gone through quite a lot these last ten years. Ever thought about talking to someone about that?" I asked, not feeling like sharing all my experiences. Wanda seemed to be offended by me mentioning talking to a psychiatrist, but I've learned to ignore it when people act all high and mighty about the subject: "I don't mean to insult you, I've seen my fair share of them when I needed it and they helped me."

Wanda kept starring in front of her, not responding to what I said. I was clearly overstepping, but as long as she didn't tell me to drop the matter, I was going to continue. I remember when Brooklyn and Tessa sat me down and talked me into seeking professional help. I was, like most people, opposite to it at first, but they eventually talked me into going and after a lot of session I started to see the benefit of it. I took another big sip from my wine and continued: "My life has gotten very chaotic a couple of times and they have helped me get through it. If you keep bottling things up, they will only come out in an explosion."

"You sound like you have some experience in that department," Wanda sighed and I was relieved she didn't tell me to drop the matter, stalk of or get angry at me: "I do, so I know…You've grown up in foster care, you know what a hell that is and what scares that leaves behind."

"How did you come out of that so well adjusted?" Wanda asked me and I rolled my eyes because I did not, but I wasn't going to dwell into those matters right now: "Because I saw a psychiatrist. And I was fortunate enough to eventually end up in a good home. But I saw my share of horrible families before that."

"Whenever a family came to take us, Pietro and I made sure that they wanted to get rid of us after a week. We preferred to stay in the group home," Wanda confessed and I could imagine what kind of things they had done. I did my share of illegal activities as a kid to get sent back: "The group home where I stayed in wasn't all that great, so basically everywhere sucked at the time."

"But you made it out alright," Wanda pointed out and I snickered. It still amazes me how lucky I was in the end. After five years and seven horrible homes, I found a good one, a stable one that offered me everything I needed to grow up. And I didn't make it easy for them. My parent were the most patient people I have ever met. And the most forgiving: "We both made it out alright."

We fell in a comfortable silence, both remembering our childhood. I remember the day the Taylors came to visit me in the group home like it was yesterday. I remember the smell of cookies in the air and the horrible itchy blue dress they made me wear to present myself. I remember them looking at me and me trying my best to send them the darkest glare I could, trying to scare them of. By then I had learned to be weary of adults. I remember my father's doubting eyes as he looked from me to his wife and then back to me. I remember my mother's smile as she turned to her husband and them communicating without words they would commit to raising me. When I was nineteen, my mother told me how it came to be that we met. Apparently, they were a last hope to find me a good family. The Taylors normally took in older kids to help them sort out their lives and get it back on track, so they were hesitant when asked to take me in. A ten-year-old is a much bigger commitment then a sixteen-year-old. I never cried in front of them, but I did when they asked to adopt me and I legally took their name.

"Can I ask you something and I hope you don't think I was prying," Wanda broke my bittersweet memories and I looked at her wearily. It's never good when people start a question like that.

"I swear I wasn't prying, but sometimes people show me things accidently and I noticed something yesterday and earlier…" Wanda started babbling incoherently, making me more confused and nervous. She seemed to catch on and stopped. She sipped from her wine and started over, talking slower: "During the second game you got shot in the back and you panicked for a second. I…heard you panic. I also heard a gunshot and yesterday I noticed a prominent scar on your shoulder…If you don't want to talk about it, that's absolutely fine, but…I guess….no foul in asking, right?"

I didn't say anything and starred at her for a minute, letting her words sink in. The hit had brought back a memory I try to avoid at all costs. But when that paint bullet hit me there, it brought me right back. I could practically feel the pain again, hear the screaming, the crying, blood everywhere…

"Let's drop it, I shouldn't have asked," Wanda offered me a way out, but I shook my head and laid my hand on her arm signaling her it was alright. She stopped fidgeting and waited for me to continue. Since she opened up about herself earlier and allowed me to give her some tough love, I decided to return the favor. I took a deep breath and felt my insides anxiously squirm together because I didn't talk about this subject a lot: "I was shot on my wedding day."

I'm sure Wanda had expected a lot of things, but getting shot at my wedding day was clearly not one of them. Her mouth fell open and her eyes practically fell out of her head. She didn't say anything, obviously lost for words, so I continued while my insides kept squirming together: "I have never said that sentence out loud before...I have said it in my head…but never out loud."

"You were married?" Wanda asked slowly, the shock of my revelation starting to sink in. Minutes seemed to tick away and I didn't know what else to say. I never open up about what happened, not used to simply telling the story. Tessa, Brooklyn and Michael know about it, but they knew Kai. Hillary doesn't know, or maybe Tessa told her, but she never asked. When we go camping every year it's never mentioned, but it always hangs in the air. Wanda slowly turned back to the bar and surprised me by emptying her glass before saying: "Vis and I were married too."

"What," I asked, not expecting that. I was shocked and the nervous feeling in my stomach went away for a second. She nodded and then started giggling like some schoolgirl as I looked stunned at her: "I'm sorry. You were telling me something so serious and you said that you never told anyone and I just had to say it too. No one knows about that."

"Don't apologize for that, I can't believe you and Vision were married," I said, utterly flabbergasted by her confession. I did not see that coming at all. I drank from my wine while Wanda spoke: "I can't believe we were both married."

"I can't believe we're both widows," I pointed out and called the bartender to bring us two shots of Gin to deal with this revelation. As I met Wanda's eyes, we both started giggling for some reason. It probably wasn't a healthy reaction, but I figured it was better than crying my eyes out. I laughed so hard my stomach hurt and I accidently hit the bar with my injured hand, making Wanda nearly fall of her chair. The nervous feeling in my stomach didn't go away, but I did feel lighter as we tried to get it together.

"I can't believe we are laughing about this," Wanda said and noticed tears were running down her cheeks. She looked surprised and embarrassed as she wiped the tears away, but they just kept coming: "Oh fuck, now I can't stop crying."

"That's why I ordered the Gin," I said and took the shots from the bartender, who notice Wanda turn away from him. He went to the back and returned with a pack of tissues that he handed to me. I wordlessly thanked him and handed the crying witch her shot: "Come on Wanda, this will help you calm down."

We drank at the same time and I squeezed my eyes shut as the strong liquid went down my throat, all the while making funny faces. Wanda started coughing next to me and we both needed a minute to let the drink sink in.

"Wow, of all the things I expected you to say, 'shot on my wedding day' was not one of them," Wanda admitted when she found her voice again, her cheeks free from tears: "So I'm guessing from you calling us both widows, that your husband didn't make it?"

"No, he did not. Technically we aren't even married," I said and pulled out my wallet to pay for the shots. I needed some fresh air after all this confessing: "It happened while I was saying my vows."

"Oh shit, I'm so sorry for bringing that up," Wanda immediately started to apologize, but I waved it of as I paid the bartender: "Don't be, it's alright. It was about time I said that out loud to someone."

"I won't tell anyone about this…" Wanda said as we both pulled on our coats.

"And I won't tell anyone about you and Vision," I finished her sentence and pulled her with me. The air inside the bar was starting to suffocate me, but I didn't want Wanda to notice my discomfort. The cold October air felt good and I focused on my breathing to get rid of the anxiety that had been brought up by the subject of marriage.

"If you are feeling up to it, how about we grab some hotdogs from that street vendor up ahead and go to the beach and talk about it?" Wanda suggested and I nodded. We found a spot on the beach, far away from other people, who were enjoying the October sun. We talked for hours about what our day's had looked like, how the men had proposed, how Kai and I met, what our dresses looked like etc. Wanda showed pictures of where they were at the time and I realized I had never seen the Visions human face before. Whenever they showed him on the news or something he always looked…different. There was a familiarity to his face, like he looked like someone I used to know. Wanda's dress was a simple crème-colored knee length dress, covered in lace. She starred dreamingly at the pictures and told me so many little details. I didn't show her any pictures because I only had one, in my wallet and it was of our whole family and I wasn't ready to share that with Wanda. She didn't ask about what happened after the shooting or anything about the investigation and I was grateful for that. This was a happy moment, where we talked about the happy and good times of our relationship, engagement and marriage.

Sam called us after a few hours, wondering when we would be back since they wanted to start dinner. We heard Sarah shouting something that sounded like 'hands of the food, Barnes', but I could have been mistaken. As Wanda drove us back to the house, I tried to get rid of any tearstains on my face.

"So, I guess you're glad you accepted my invitation after all," Wanda pointed out as we drove up Sarah's street. I rolled my eyes at her, what made her chuckle: "Oh come on, admit it. I don't blame you for ditching me though. I would ditch you in a heartbeat if Steve looked at me the way he looks at you."

"I'm sure I have no idea…" I tried to avoid the subject, but I could feel my cheeks heat up as her words sunk in. I couldn't hide the grin on my face, what made Wanda roll her eyes at me: "Oh dear God, you're actually smitten, aren't you? So, it's not a matter of if you will get together but when."

"Oh, shut up Wanda," I playfully shoved the woman before she turned in Sarah's driveway. The porch light was of, giving the house a creepy vibe. Sam told us to come around back since everyone would be at the beach.

"I'm just saying, don't be surprised if people start making bets on it," Wanda informed me and I let my head hang low. It was to be expected I guess: "People might want to hurry."

"Really?" Wanda asked me with utter glee in her eyes as she parked the car. I rolled my eyes again and got out. I slide my arm around hers as we made our way to the back, she constantly making spooky sounds and me telling her to stop.

I let out a long breath, which I hadn't been aware I was holding, when I saw the duo walk around the house and towards the beach where the others were sitting around a campfire. Sam was standing at the grill, saying that the man of the house should be the one to cook the meat. Cass was quick to point out that technically he was the man of the house, because Sam didn't live with them. Sam threatened the boy by saying he needed to watch his big mouth. While I had been chopping wood for Sarah, Bucky and Clint had brought the lounge chairs and a table to the beach and Natasha helped Sarah in the kitchen. We played football with the boy's while we waited for dinner, but my mind kept straying to what she was up to. It had taken me by complete surprise when I felt her get injured earlier. It had confused me and even unsettled me, but I eventually figured out that it was the same feeling I felt when Bucky told me he was leaving for Europe all those years ago.

I wanted to walk outside, but saw Alex pull away from Wanda and walk up to the house. That nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach wouldn't go away and I hated it when that happened. I ran my hand threw my hair as she opened the door and walked in, the corners of her lips turning up immediately as she noticed me: "Captain, fancy running into you here."

"Had a nice afternoon? What took you girl's so long?" I asked trying not to sound nervous, but it still managed to slip through. I was grateful she didn't point it out and simple shrugged her shoulders: "Oh you know, women stuff."

I had no clue what 'women stuff' implied but I understood it meant she didn't want to specify, what I tried to respect, but didn't like. I have never been good with people withholding information from me, Stark being the biggest cause of that. Not knowing leads to nasty surprises.

"So, explain something to me, how did I end up with Natasha behind me and not you?" I asked and noticed her shiver. She probably came inside to grab a sweater to sit at the campfire. She opened a cupboard to grab herself a glass, while she explained it didn't seem wise with her injured hand. I pulled my sweater over my head as I listened to her, knowing I wouldn't be all that affected by the weather, when I caught her staring at me. I didn't understand what she was staring at but then it downed on me my shirt had crawled up. At first, I thought she was staring at the mark, but that was luckily covered up: "What are you…"

"Nothing," she quickly stuttered and turned to walk away, but then it clicked in my head and I stopped her in time by grabbing her uninjured arm and pulled her against me. A very noticeable red color covering her cheeks, that made me chuckle: "Then why are you blushing ma'am?"

"I must be getting sick from my morning dive," she was quick to reply and tried to advert her eyes but I lifted her chin and made her look into my eyes: "I think I know a cure for that?"

"I bet you do captain, but I was given an order and I plan on listening to that," she said, while pulling my hands of her cheeks, her hands feeling cold.

"Liar," I whispered and leaned in knowing she would pull away and kissed the side of her head. Feeling empowered by her sweet giggles and those damn red cheeks, I slid my arms around her body and pushed her up against mine. She gasped and her arms automatically slide around my neck. I walked us into the adjoining den, where it was dark. The curtains were closed, so no one could see us. I leaned my forehead against hers and whispered: "Besides, he's in no position to give any orders."

"Really? Did he take advantage of my none existing knowledge of the military?" she asked as I sat her down on Sarah's dining table.

"I'm afraid so ma'am. I'll have to rectify that before you make a fool out of yourself," I whispered against her lips. Her hot breath was hitting my skin in a most enticing way, while her hands slide from my neck to my cheeks: "Does that mean I should fight the Sergeant of from now on?"

I wanted to say yes, but the idea of him holding her and kissing her was sending a hot flash threw my body that I was not used to feeling. We never talked about sharing a soul mark and since we found her, our focus was mostly aimed at her. Well, my focus mainly was. I knew Bucky felt a lot more comfortable talking about sensitive subjects then I was, but he didn't push the matter. I lowered my head against hers and closed my eyes and admitted that I didn't want that.

"So, you won't mind it then when he makes inappropriate comments…," she whispered and I was wondering why I wasn't kissing her yet, but her words sounded so enticing as she talked about Bucky making a move on her. I couldn't stop her: "…and him touching me and trying to…"

"If you don't stop talking ma'am, I'm afraid I'm going to need a cold dip, but I'm taking you with me then," I grunted, my face probably stark red from all her insinuations. She reminded me of Bucky in that regard, confident and forward.

"So…both of you?" she asked, her voice sounding serious as she looked into my eyes. Even in the dark, I could see the dark green of her iris. I caressed her cheek, noticing how warm it felt: "Would that be a problem?"

"I'm just making sure I know exactly what it is I'm getting myself into," she confessed and tilted her head back as I slide my other hand to the back of her neck. My eyes lower to her lips, watching them part as she's breathing just as heavy as I am. My heart was pounding in my chest and it was difficult to keep my voice even when I spoke: "So I repeat my question: would that be a problem, ma'am?"

Her eyes didn't flicker as she looked into mine. Her lips moved slowly, mesmerizing me as she whispered: "No, I don't think that would be a problem, Captain."

"It's Steve," I told her and cupped her cheeks, leaning closer as she whispered my name.

The backdoor opened and the voice of Wanda interrupted us, calling out to Alex and wondering what was taking her so long. We both looked startled at each other before I pulled back and she jumped of the table and we quickly parted from one and other. She pulled open a random cabinet with Sarah's fancy glasses, while I disappeared into the hallway leading to the front door, trying to stop my racing thoughts and calm down.

"I'm looking Wanda, but I seem to be looking in the wrong cabin," Alex lied slowly. It made me grin to hear her scratching her throat to sound casual and trying to gather her bearings as well. I could barely hear her voice over my own thumping heart.

"Maybe put on some lights, you idiot," Wanda suggested and turned on the lights to the den. I walked to the front of the house and waited for them to leave, before following them. As I sat down next to her at the campfire, I noticed she was wearing my sweater.

I drank my wine in one go to calm my fluttering heart when I left the kitchen with Wanda. Damn her and her horrible timing. So many enticing things ran through my head as I kept hearing the Captain say 'would that be a problem'. Oh my God, they are really serious about this. The drink didn't help me calm down at all, especially when the Sergeant eyed the sweater I was wearing knowingly. I was glad the cover of nightfall was hiding my very red cheeks. I didn't think when I grabbed the sweater, I just grabbed it. I wanted to get outside as quickly as possible because I needed fresh air but also remembered why I came inside in the first place. the smell of the Captain lingered in the sweater and it didn't help my nervous one bit.

We ate around the campfire, while Sam managed the grill. It felt very comfortable even though I was sitting on the sand and I could feel it get in my shoes. Natasha and Sarah were laying in the lounge chairs, while Clint was leaning against Natasha's chair. The Sergeant was sitting across from us, a mischievous glint in his eyes whenever our eyes met, like he somehow knew what had almost happened in Sarah's dining room.

I was astonished by the amount of food the duo could eat. They refilled their plates four times, every time bringing something back for me as well: a piece of bread, a beer or a new glass of wine. The others talked about their childhood and AJ and Cass would gasp at all the differences with their own childhood experiences, especially whenever the Captain and Sergeant told about theirs. I stayed quiet, pretending to be eating, simply to try and keep the flame that was burning inside my body at bay. When we were done with eating, the Captain placed his arm behind me, allowing me to lean into him, which I gladly accepted. The Sergeant kept his distance, but he did send me, I mean us, seductive smirks every now and then. And fuck that turned me on!

"How are the two of you even friends?" Clint laughed when the Sergeant told another embarrassing childhood story about the Captain. The duo had ended up in a pissing contest and kept on sharing embarrassing stories about one and other. I could feel the laughter coming from the man's chest when he finished talking about the Sergeant's first date that ended up with him puking in an alley.

"What do you mean?" the Sergeant asked when he got himself back together and Natasha pointed out that they seemed to be a rather unlikely pair of friends: "I can't really see the two of you hanging around in school."

"Yeah, I can picture Barnes smocking behind the dumpsters and Steve as head of the chess club, but how to those two people get together?" Sam asked and the others laughed, while I sent the Sergeant a knowing look. It sounded enticing when Sam used the words 'get together' when talking about the duo.

"Yeah, he'd like for you to believe that he was that nerdy," the Sergeant said and the Captain gave him a look that we all saw. He other man just starred back with a devilish grin, that was so damn sexy and I felt the Captain tense up because of it. The others started questioning the Sergeant, who was practically grinning from ear to ear because of the little scoop he was about share with us about the Captain.

"Are you saying the good Captain isn't as smart as he makes us all believe," Natasha asked and eyed the man, who was still trying to get his friend to stay quiet.

"He is now, but once upon a time…" the Sergeant teased us, a very amused glint in his eyes. He was enjoying this, making us all wait on the edge of our seat for him to continue.

"Shut up Bucky…" the Captain growled and immediately got told of by his friends, what made AJ and Cass laugh. The man simply rolled his eyes and rested his head against my shoulder, waiting in suspense for his friend to continue. I leaned my head against his, far more interested in taking him in, then hearing what the Sergeant was about to say. His scent was flooding my nervous system and his breath tickled my collarbone as he sighed noticeably

"I took a few of his final exams in high school," the Sergeant confessed and the others looked shocked and amused at the blond man, asking if it was true. Judging by him cursing the others name, we took it as a true story.

"Was I supposed to keep that a secret Stevie? My bad," the Sergeant joked and the Captain looked back up and glared at him, not impressing the other at all, who's grin only grew. They way he said Stevie sounded so teasingly and promising.

"How is it possible that Captain America cheated on his final exams?" I asked and the man in question sighed: "I was preoccupied by trying to live through the night the day before those exams."

"Don't make it sound like you wanted to take that test. You barely studied for it and you know it. You might have been sick, but you weren't that sick," the Sergeant called him out. The Captain tried to hide his guilty smile, but it leaked out none the less. Everyone had a laugh at his expanse and he simply accepted it in defeat.

"Well, well Captain, what scandalous things am I hearing about you," I teased the man, who's hand snuck into my side and tickled me while whispering in my ear, making me feel hot all over again: "I take it back, fight him off."

"I'm afraid there's no changing your proposition Captain," I told him with a grin. He stopped tickling me and simply pulled me closer against him, while sending the Sergeant a look, that amused the Sergeant greatly.

"As much fun as this has been guy's, it's time for bed," Sarah sighed and stood up, her sons complaining that they didn't want to go to bed yet, but she wasn't having any of it: "It's eleven-thirty and on Monday you have school again. Not to mention, you said you would help uncle Sam tomorrow morning selling the fish at the docks you caught this today."

"Eum, does uncle Sam have a saying in this?" Sam asked rhetorically and wasn't surprised when Sarah said no.

"Isn't it your business? Since when do I work for you?" Sam asked as he stood up and helped Clint throw sand on the fire, his nephews also helping.

"Since you like to spend your free weekends at my place without even asking," Sarah pointed out and pushed her boys in front of her, while ordering them to go to bed. We chuckled as the boy's complained about going to bed and Sam complained about having to get up early again. Wanda and Clint helped Sarah carry the used trays to the kitchen, while Natasha yelled after the boy's she would race them back to the house. The boys' grinned as they stormed of, trying to outrun the grown woman. I was disappointed to see the Sergeant retreat to the house with them, but it was to be expected.

"Are you heading up too?" the Captain asked me as we sat up, looking at the others retreating backs. His voice sounded low and full of promise, it made my heart skip a beat. There was not one hair on my body that was thinking about turning in for the night. Wanda can watch Veronica Mars on her own. I looked longingly into his eyes and spoke with a soft voice: "I was hoping there would be a reason for me to stay here."

His arm snuck around my waist and a storm of butterflies exploded in my stomach as he pulled me in his lap so that I was facing him. I looked down, trying to hide my blushing cheeks, but his hand touched my chin and made me look into his eyes. Those beautiful clear blue eyes, with little specks of green in them. He didn't grin or smirk, just smiled sweetly, making me blush that much harder. I bit my lip as my eyes looked at his lips and my head leaned against his.

"I'm going to kiss you now," he whispered and I could hardly hear his voice over the drumming of my heart. I closed my eyes and seconds felt like hours as he leaned closer and I felt a soft pressure against my lips. The touch was so faint, cautiously asking permission, making me lean in. A calm tranquility came over me and since a very long time I felt lighter, like all my problems and demons from the past were not important anymore. All that mattered were his soft lips and gently touches that made my body burn with desire. A desire that wouldn't be satisfied tonight, but hopefully soon in the future. My uninjured hand slid into his soft hair as the kiss started picking up speed and grew in intensity as the seconds passed. He pushed my chest up against his, making me arch my back. One of hands slide upwards and rested between my shoulder blades, as the other slide into my hair. When we pulled away to catch our breath, we were both panting. I cupped his face and smiled as I felt his cheeks were very warm, even though it was a cold October night. His heart was beating just as fast as mine was.

"Finally caught a break," the handsome man whispered against my lips, making me chuckle and wonder what I ever did right to find myself in this position: "Yes, it seems you did Captain."

"It's Steve," he told me with a serious look in his eyes and I let go of my playful use of his title and nodded: "Steve."

"I like hearing you say my name," he admitted, one hand caressing my cheek.

"Steve," I purred and he shivered beneath my soft touches: "Steve."

"Does this mean I can call you mine?" he whispered and I looked surprised at his choice of words. There was something thrilling and dominant about him asking me that question. I couldn't stop myself and pushed my lips back against his. He chuckled from surprise and we picked up right where we left off. We practically melted together as the lights of the house behind us started going out one by one and surrounded us in darkness. The silence was only interrupted by the ocean waves hitting the beach and our moans as the kiss deepened. I was utterly lost in desire and pleasure as he seemed to know exactly what I liked. But then he broke the kiss abruptly and even in the dark I could see him grin at me: "Tell me you're mine."

"Don't you mean ours?" I asked, trying to kiss him again, but he held me back easily.

"Same thing to me," he said, teasing me into trying to kiss him again, but he pulled back whenever I tried. I tightened my grip in his hair and pulled his head back, my lips teasingly caressing his neck before whispering hotly into his ear: "Stop teasing me."

"Then say you're mine," he repeated his request and made me look in his eyes. There was something very dominant about his words and the way he could easily hold me back. He was so strong and big and…

"Tell me you're mine, like I'm yours," he whispered again and I was sure his voice alone could make me fall apart and come undone. I shivered because of his words, making him chuckle and wait for my reply. I leaned closer and purred his name against his lips. A moan escaped his lips.

"I'm yours," I whispered against his lips and there felt something so right about saying those words. It didn't feel like any other relationship I had ever had before. It didn't make sense I would feel this strongly about a man that I haven't known that long and yet I did. I could feel him tremble beneath me, feel his breath hitch in his body whenever I moved against him, our current position and movement stimulating other areas.

A screeching noise interrupted the silence of the night and made us both look up. His arms quickly came around my waist in a protective manor as we turned to the house. A small light came from the porch and it took me a few seconds to realize it was a flashlight.

"It's Bucky," the Captain's body relaxed beneath me and I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding: "I guess you'll have to share already."

"Doesn't matter to me," the Captain pushed his head against mine. He kissed me, but it didn't last long before he broke the kiss and lifted me up to sit sideways in his lap. I leaned my head against his chest and listened to his beating heart as we waited for the Sergeant. My insides were practically bursting apart with every passing second, knowing the Sergeant was on his way to join us. My heart skipped a beat as I heard his combat boats walk through the sand and the light of his flashlight, that came from his phone, came into view. He stopped next to the Captain and I saw his hand slide slowly into the other man's hair with affection. The Captain tensed up beneath me, but didn't push the hand away. I tried to meet his eyes, but he kept starring in front of him. Since the Captain was clearly unsure on how to react to the Sergeants affectionate touch, I took the man's other hand and pulled him down next to us. He complied slowly and leaned into my chest as I laid my arm around his shoulders, while snuggling into the Captain's chest. A metal hand slide into my hand while a different cologne hit my nose. They both smelled so enticing and I was sure I was never going to give the Captain his sweater back.

"Tell me a childhood memory," the Captain asked me after what felt like hours of comfortable sitting together, enjoying each other's company, featherlike touches and silence, that was only interrupted by the Sergeants mechanical arm making a clicking sound whenever he moved it.

"Hmm what kind of childhood memory," I asked and started stroking the Sergeants hair, who let out a very satisfied sigh as my fingers slide over his scalp.

"Preferably an embarrassing one, but I won't be picky," the Captain admitted, making the Sergeant chuckle. I thought about my time in high school and tried to remember a good one. I knew the Captain felt embarrassed when the Sergeant outed his finals scam, so I wanted to tell him one that would make him feel less embarrassed. One came to mind and as I remembered the whole scene, I went stark red. Luckily, they didn't notice: "I flashed one of my teachers once in high school."

I got the desired response, for both men started laughing before asking how that came to be. The Sergeant was quick to ask for a preview with utter mischief in his voice. I felt the Captain lift his hand from stroking my hair and go in the direction of the Sergeant, probably to tell him of. I intercepted it and stopped him from doing something unnecessary. I didn't say anything about it and neither did he. I just leaned closer to the man and said: "You should only be so lucky Sergeant."

"It's Bucky." Even in the darkness and moonless sky I could see the man grinning at me as he turned around and leaned closer to me. I felt my heart skip a beat as I wondered if he was going to kiss me, but he stopped when the Captain asked me why I flashed my teacher, his voice giving away he was uncomfortable with the notion of my actions.

"To get my boyfriend out of detention," I explained casually and smiled at the memory. Kai had a habit of ending up in detention a lot, as did I, but for once he wasn't involved with the fight that had erupted in the cafeteria. He even tried to break it up, but the teacher hadn't believed him.

"And why would you resort to such an action to get him out? Didn't he disserve to be in detention?" the Captain asked as his hand slid back into my hair and I went back to stroking the Sergeants hair: "Usually yes and I wouldn't bail him out, but this time he had nothing to do with what happened. He had just been around and because of his reputation they assumed he was the culprit, so I decided to try and bail him out."

"And flashing a teacher seemed like a good idea?" the Sergeant asked and I remembered why I got that idea in the first place. We watched the movie Ten things I hate about you a week earlier that week with our friends. I tried to distracted the teacher and get him to leave the room, so Kai could climb out the window, but he wasn't buying my story: "I can't help it that television sometimes teaches kid's bad things. My sweet talking wasn't working so I tried to engage in sports tactics. The other kids in detention caught on to what I was doing and they started placing bets behind the teachers back to see if I would go threw with it."

"What did your teacher do?" the Captain asked and we all heard a noise coming from over the ocean. As I looked more closely the sky lit up in the distance. A storm must be heading our way. The Sergeant laughed as I looked up at the Captain and asked what could the man have done in that situation: "He closed his eyes and waited for it to be over."

"That sounds like the worst advice ever or something Romanov would do," the Sergeant muttered and I could imagine the red head using whatever means she had at her disposal to get the job done. I wonder what her life has been like: "Your turn Captain."

"I'm guessing you want an embarrassing one too?" he asked, his breath tickling my ear making me shiver. As I watched the lighting above the ocean come closer, I pointed out it didn't have to be an embarrassing one: "Tell me one about you and the Sergeant."

"An embarrassing one about the Sergeant it is," the Captain said and the Sergeant tried to smack the Captain in his head, while I chuckled: "Sounds good."

"He never liked swimming as a child so he was shamefully old when he learned," the Captain told me and the Sergeant sat up and muttered under his breath, something about this being payback for earlier. I felt cold as the man didn't lay back down. The Captain asked me to try and guess the age he learned to swim and the Sergeant grunted and laid his head on the man's shoulder, who didn't tense up this time from the contact.

"Ten?"

"Older," the Captain was practically bursting from being able to get back at his friend. The other tried to shut him up and I felt the duo struggle, making me stand up quickly before I ended up between their little tussle, what now that I think about it sounded very promising: "Twelve?"

"Even older," the Captain stuttered out as the Sergeant seemed to have him in a headlock, but he managed to free himself quickly and got behind me, using me as protection. There was a clear twinkle in his eyes and a smile that made you forget for a second what a rough life he has had.

"Thirteen?" I asked shocked and the Sergeant pulled me out of the way and tackled the Captain to the ground, who went down with a very distinguished grunt, while continuing his story: "Thirteen and he only learned because he got thrown in a lake by some thugs while he was on a date. I had to save him for once."

"And he is so proud of that moment, that he's still boasting about it a hundred-ish years later," the Sergeant teased the man beneath him, who tried to fight him of. I jumped on the Sergeants back to throw him of balance, but somehow he managed to pull me to his chest, with my legs around his waist. My breath got stuck in my throat but he didn't seem fazed by our close contact: "But he's not going to tell you that he got sick from that dive and was stuck in bed for week and I had to take care of him."

"You did learn quickly after that," the Captain snickered and got back up, sand falling from his clothes.

"Wipe that smirk of your face Captain," I told the man, whose hands pulled me from the Sergeants arms, my feet touching the ground again.

"I'm afraid I can't do that ma'am," he said and his smile only grew as he stepped closer to me. I backed up, but the Sergeant was quick to get in my way, so I found myself trapped between the duo.

"You are a little bit of a punk, you know that?" I pointed out and felt the Sergeant's chest rumble as he laughed, his metal arm sliding around my waist, pulling me against him in a very intimate manner. I looked up at the Captain, who was standing toe to toe with me, his breath on my skin becoming a far too familiar feeling.

"Yeah, I have been told before," the Captain admitted and leaned down, his forehead touching mine. I looked into his eyes, while the Sergeants free hand slide into his hair again. A slight panic entered his eyes and before he could pull away or say something about it, I made sure his attention was on me: "Some jerk tell you that?"

That made him smile slightly and I lifted my hands to caress his cheeks that felt very warm. I love how easily this man blushes. He nodded to me and the Sergeant asked if I had a problem with that, his breath tickling my skin. I turned my head to him: "You being a jerk or him being a punk?"

"Both," the Sergeant whispered and I felt the Captain's lips kiss the spot behind my ear that made me shiver as I spoke: "I can handle a punk and a jerk."

"Good," the Captain whispered and caught my lips in a very commanding way that took my breath away. I was pushed up against the Sergeant, who didn't move and kept me in my place. His lips found the same spot that the Captain had been moments before and made me shiver, as the other deepened the kiss. They both seemed to know exactly how to make my knees go weak.

"As much as I am enjoying the sight before me, I have to point out that we should go inside," the man behind me pointed out after a few minutes. My body felt on fire and I was amazed I hadn't jumped either one of them yet. The Captain's lips moved to my other ear and both men made me shiver between their bodies: "Oh…God."

"He has nothing to do with it, but rain is heading our way and I doubt that you want to get soaked twice in one day," the Sergeant said and the Captain turned his head towards the ocean, allowing me to catch my breath. Can they hear it coming? I shivered at the idea of ending up in the rain, sounding too much like a horrible cliché from some teenage drama. The Captain agreed and we made our way back to the house. As we tried to make our way upstairs as quietly as possible, we heard the rain hit the house and a flash of lighting lit up the hallway. I couldn't help but jump a little at the sudden loud noise, making the Sergeant chuckle behind me. When I reached the room Wanda and I were sharing, I hesitated. I didn't want to move to quickly, but sleeping alone in that cold bed seemed of putting. A rough hand slide into mine and gently pulled me towards the room that had been occupied by the Captain. The grip on my hand was very lose, allowing me pull away if I wanted to. The Captain noticed what the Sergeant was doing and tried to slow his friend down, but the other man told him to relax, all the while keeping his gaze fixed on me: "Don't overthink it, Stevie."

There was something bossy and yet affectionate in the way he called the other man. I had a feeling he had more experience in this field then his friend. He seemed like a man who knew what he wanted and didn't waist much time getting it and yet he minded his friends more reserved nature. He put his mind at ease and tried not to overstep as much as I'm sure he would have done had it just been him. He seemed to have quite the slick tongue, not that I'm complaining.

"I'm sure Wanda is already asleep, so it would be rude to wake her," the Sergeant pointed out, his tone slick like velvet. I didn't mind him pulling me with him, guiding me to bed, whispering assurances he only meant to sleep together. His words, although saying he didn't mean for anything to happen, turned me on. I swallowed hard to keep myself from jumping the man, who was well aware of what he was doing. As the Captain closed the door behind him, I kicked my shoes of and the Sergeant picked me up and laid me down in bed and crawled behind me. The Captain got in on the other side and I snuggled up against him, using his arm as a pillow. He caressed my cheek before leaning in and kissing me just as gently as when he kissed me the first time. The Sergeant didn't comment on it and snuggled up against my back, his arm sliding around my waist. He kissed the back of my neck before sighing: "Go to sleep you horney teenagers."