Hey Everyone, thanks for still following my story! In this one Brooke gets confused as to what she wants from some of the men in her life.

Enjoy!


Bucky wakes up to an unusual noise coming from the living area of the suit.

He glances at the clock on the bedside; it shows 3:41am.

He grumbles to himself as he gets up and walks out of the bedroom in his boxers.

"I swear to god, if you came here for a snack again…" he mumbles.

Blue's collar allows anyone in the building to stop the cat from entering their private rooms, but Bucky never considered it, even though it happens a lot that he wakes up to noises the cat makes.

"I hid a box of cookies here a week ago. Do you mind?" Steve asks back. His voice is exhausted but Bucky hears amusement in it too.

He stares at his boyfriend. "You're back."

Steve is still in the Captain suit, his hair is messy and his stubble gives him allure that makes Bucky swallow.

"Yeah," Steve nods.

"And you came to see me."

"Of course I did." Steve says it with a careless shrug, but Bucky knows better: he is nervous.

Bucky frowns. It is just sad that Steve stands in his room after a mission and the air between them is still so awkward.

"Did you get hurt?" He asks for lack of anything better to say.

"Yeah. But it wasn't a big deal," Steve responds. "You still have the arm on."

"Fury barged in and stopped the operation."

"Was he mad?"

Bucky chuckled humourlessly. "Well, he wasn't happy for sure. But at least he came to see me."

That was probably a low blow, he figures. Steve's face falls and Bucky averts his eyes.

"I had a job to do," he finally replies. "I came to see you but then I received the news about Japan and I had to leave."

Bucky raises his eyebrow and steps closer. "You did?"

"Of course I did," Steve nods. "I didn't want you to go through it alone."

Bucky was not alone, he had Brooke and Monna with him, but he still feels touched by the sentiment.

They stare at each other for a long while before Steve risks a smile. It is exactly the same smile he used to present when he was that little boy who drew all the time and who always chose to take more work and more responsibility and to push himself too hard.

Bucky used to be overprotective of Steve, he knows that now. He still feels the same way, it's just that now Steve is a super soldier who doesn't really get hurt.

He is still reckless though and he still tries to bribe Bucky with smiles when he knows he Is in the wrong.

Bucky wonders how much of an idiot he must be that he still falls for it every time.

He doesn't protest when Steve kisses him and nor does he protest when his boyfriend ends up spending the night.

They don't really discuss the whole fight and that is alright because they are both terrible at conflict handling, clearly. It is way easier to agree silently to put it past them.


But something is different.

Steve can feel it. And he is pretty sure Bucky feels it too.

During the next two days he doesn't really have time to analyse his feelings. He has to complete an inhumane amount of reports on the Japan mission, he has to calm down Pietro when Wanda gets in the med bay and he wants to run all the way to Japan to wreak vengeance on whoever did it to her. He has to explain to the boy that those he could wreak vengeance on are not dead yet, but they wish they were.

But the third day after he got back he sees Brooke in the library and he can't hold back.

The library takes up a whole floor (46th) and everyone can use it. Most SI workers do because Tony has an extensive collection of academic literature, and a similarly huge one of entertaining reads.

Brooke sits in a comfortable armchair reading a book with the title Captain America's role in WWII - was his importance exaggerated? which stings him but he decides he has more important matters to discuss.

"Why didn't you tell Bucky that I was going to see him?" He asks.

Brooke slowly lowers the book and glances at Steve. Suddenly he feels like he is frozen in ice again.

"Excuse me?" She asks.

"You deliberately had him believe that I wasn't going to see him before the mission."

"Well, you weren't," Brooke points out. "You were in your room watching Netflix while he was getting the arm off. I didn't think it was fair to make him believe you care."

Steve presses his lips together tightly. "I will have you know that I care for my boyfriend."

"Does he know that too? Because if he really knew that, you wouldn't need to bother me in my free time about this, right?" Brooke asks.

"I am not here to do therapy with you."

"Right. Why are you here then, exactly? To pick a fight with me over your pettiness?"

Steve tries to come up with a reply that could shatter Brooke Marlow's irritating fake righteousness.

"Bucky is important to me."

"Good for you," Brooke nods.

"I've known him all my life."

"Yeah, I've seen the Captain America exhibition too," Brooke responds, rather coldly in Steve's opinion.

"All I want to say is that if you think you can just show up and ruin it all—"

Brooke frowns. "I am not here to ruin your relationship. I am here to do a job."

Steve bites his lip. He is not sure what he should answer to that. "Then why don't you just stick to that?" He finally says and turns around to stomp out of the room, leaving Brooke alone.


The movie night is Tony's idea.

It makes sense; some of the team returned from a mission. Some of the team stayed behind worried sick. Steve and Bucky made up, kind of. And the Plan B team still needs to get closer to the Avengers and each other.

It is easy to choose a movie; they go with a classic that everyone has seen a million times except for Steve and Bucky.

Die Hard wins. The two super soldiers watch it with awe while the others mostly have hushed chats and munch on the snacks.

They are on the 43rd floor where there is a huge screen on the wall, cabinets full of snacks, a little kitchen, and, of course, a lot of comfortable couches, armchairs, mattresses and even two hammocks.

Clint and Natasha clearly have their own couch reserved, Brooke notices. Clint sits on the sturdy back so he is above everyone else and has a better view. Natasha sits on the couch between his legs and taps her fingers on his foot distractedly.

They seem much cosier than Steve and Bucky who sit next to each other on the couch leaving enough space so their legs don't touch and stare at the screen.

But Brooke decides - once again - that what Bucky does and who he does with was none of her business.

Plus, Bucky has made up with Steve who knows Brooke didn't tell him about his half assed attempt at comforting his boyfriend at the arm operation. Therefore, things are bound to be a little tense with grandpa for a while, Brooke figures.

Not that she cares.

Not that Bucky cares, actually, because if he did he would make an attempt to discover the other side of the story.

But it is better this way. Simpler too.

Brooke lies in one of the hammocks with Blue purring on her lap.

She likes the movie and she is in the perfect position to watch it, as the others' whispers do not reach to her.

But she feels restless and frustrated.

Because there is one sound she can hear clearly: that of Hazel's giggle.

She keeps her gaze on John McClane to distract herself from the fact that she knows all too well what is behind those giggles.

It's Sam goddamn Wilson.

Not that it irks Brooke. Obviously not.

They agreed to be friends after all.

It is better this way. Simpler too.

It's just that if Wilson still does not want anything serious, he should not flirt with his colleagues. His life could depend on the members of the B01 project.

On the other hand if he wants serious now why would he choose Hazel of all the available girls?

He already has a history with Brooke and they are kind of buddies now. So it would make sense to ask Brooke out first, right?

Now, Brooke wouldn't say yes. She isn't looking for anything serious right now.

But it would make sense this way. That's all.


After an hour Brooke gives up. Hazel and Sam are now rubbing their feet together in a mock kicking match. It is absolutely childish and it annoys Brooke to no end.

Upset with her own reaction, she stands up and shrugs when Blue gets offended and walks over to Bucky, rubbing against his shin. He picks the cat up without as much as glancing down and places her in his lap. Blue gives a content purr before curling up on his thighs.

Brooke heads to the kitchen and starts opening drawers and cupboards to occupy her hands and mind.

"You are the least tactful girl I've ever seen."

"You've said that already," Brooke snaps. She doesn't turn around because she is not in the mood to see Wilson's all-knowing smirk.

"Because I find it very impressive," Sam responds. "Remarkable, really."

Brooke huffs and stays with her back to him as she pretends to search for something in the cupboard.

She is surprised, indignant and relieved at the same time when she feels two arms come around her waist from behind.

"Are you trying to say something or did Hazel change her mind about getting in your bed?" She asks aiming for a nonchalant tone.

The deep chuckle echoes against her back.

"Are you trying to say something? About to break your resolution and get in my bed again?"

Brooke bites her lip not to burst out in laughter. It is really not fair that Wilson can make her smile so easily.

"I never stick to resolutions," she remarks.

Sam's hand squeezes her hip and his other starts to slide up on her side.

"…so I think it's time I started to. Keeping resolutions must build character, right?"

She can feel Wilson tense behind her. It stretches her lips into an amused smile.

But Sam either doesn't want to play anymore or he just got started. He turns her around by her waist so she gets stuck between him and the cupboard.

Brooke doesn't like to feel trapped. She is pretty sure Wilson knows that.

Still, for some reason, in the next moment his mouth is on hers and for some reason she doesn't push him away.

The kisses turn more heated and before Brooke knows it her hands are on his chest. It feels warm and hard and so right that it makes her shiver slightly.

Sam pulls back and looks at her with a raised eyebrow. "You okay?"

Brooke uses her chance to give a light shove at Sam's chest and when he steps back she gets farther from him.

"Are you on a mission to collect as many sex partners from this tower as you can?" She asks.

Wilson seems confused.

"Is this still about Oakley?" He asks.

Brooke shrugs. "You seem awfully comfortable with her. And she has a crush on you."

"She has a crush on every Avenger. Your darling grandad included."

"Your point?"

Sam sighs and rubs his nape. "it wasn't even real flirting. But it doesn't matter anyway, right? You told everyone that night wasn't anything special and you told me you would never sleep with me again. So what's the fuss about it?"

Brooke frowns and crosses her arms in front of her chest. "Why did you kiss me then?"

"You're hot and you were flirting with me."

Brooke feels her cheeks heat up. "Is that all you need to make out with someone?"

Sam realises it is a trap a little too late. But he is certainly aware of it now. He gives Brooke a wide - although strained - smile and when she doesn't return it he clears his throat.

"Marlow," he starts carefully; Brooke notes he didn't call her Barnes this time.

"Hey, it's okay," Brooke replies with a shrug. She even manages to smile. "We've been over this, Wilson; we agreed it was a one time thing. We should rather work on being friends."

Sam smiles and steps closer. "I don't really like putting hard work into something that should go so smoothly," he explains as he keeps walking towards Brooke.

"Well, it is not my fault now, is it?" Brooke growls.

Sam rolls his eyes. "Can you just shut up for a moment?"

Brooke obviously cannot shut up when she is in the middle of an argument like that. She opens her mouth to retort but by that time Sam is close to her, too close actually, and then he is kissing her.

But this time Brooke doesn't make him stop.

They only pull back when Natasha appears in the kitchen and starts opening drawers. The spy doesn't really care about them but Brooke doesn't like the thought of Natasha having more leverage on her and on top they are good friends with Bucky. Brooke has not figured out the relationship between Sam and Bucky completely yet, but she needs more time before Bucky starts asking her uncomfortable questions.

So she murmurs something about wanting to get back to the movie and leaves the kitchen.


"This is a bad idea," Bucky says as he looks over the Plan B members. "But apparently Romanoff is not available right now and you reached the chapter What to learn from an assassin brain washed by Russians, so—"

"Buck," Steve interjects. He stands by the wall and he is not impressed by Bucky's remarks.

But at least Bucky's sarcasm makes the trainees chuckle. Even Brooke.

"I told them already, we are here," Steve says motioning towards the other Avengers who sit on the benches or stand nearby. "It's absolutely safe."

"Nat should do it," Bucky grumbles.

"Yes, but Nat is having some days off because she was working too hard," Steve replies.

What Steve refers to is the incident when Natasha was asked to help with an interrogation and the suspect ended up with a broken wrist. Natasha was sent on a vacation, effective immediately and Clint asked for a couple of days off too.

Bucky is about to retort but a couple of seconds of silent conversation between the two men clearly ends with Steve's win.

It is not an easy session but Bucky Barnes does have some interesting tricks up his sleeve.

He shows them some of those and then has them practice in pairs.

Brooke stays alone which makes Bucky clearly uncomfortable.

Brooke steps in front of him. "It's alright," she says. "I trust you." She is pretty sure she won't get into the med bay this time. "If something does happen at least Blue will get a new friend," she adds with a smile.

"Maybe your grandfather should stop bringing pets to my tower," Tony remarks from a bench.

Brooke rolls her eyes. "Come on, Barnes. Make me sweat."

Bucky chuckles. "You know I could crush your windpipe in a moment, Brooke."

"Yeah. Patrick could too," Brooke shrugs motioning towards his threatening looking teammate. "Come on."

Brooke ends up on the mat face down two times but she manages to kick Bucky in the chest and it even makes him step back. It is a small win but a win nonetheless and Brooke is proud.


"It was a good one," Bucky remarks that evening.

They are in the kitchen of the 50th floor. Brooke came for a snack for herself and one for Blue and Bucky popped in to collect the remains of his belongings and to take them back to the 76th floor.

Brooke pours chocolate milk into two glasses and points at the kitchen bar. Bucky sits on a stool.

"You are avoiding me."

Bucky frowns. "Weren't you the one telling me you didn't care about our family bond?"

Brooke nods. "But you didn't care about my words back then."

"Of course I did."

"Bucky. Could you stop bullshitting your only offspring for a second?"

Bucky rolls his eyes.

"Steve—" he starts but when Brooke narrows her eyes, he shrugs defensively. "Steve came to see me, didn't he? Before he had to leave. You didn't tell me that."

Brooke sips deliberately slowly on the chocolate milk because she needs more time to reply.

Bucky, proving their kinship once again, scoffs. "Brooke? What is it?"

Her grandfather is just as impatient and stubborn as she is.

She shrugs. "He was going to see you. Right after I went up all the way to your floor and dragged him down."

Bucky stays silent way too long.

"I am not saying he doesn't care for you. He surely does. But there must have been a big fight between you two because you were ready to get your— sorry, the arm off and he was still sulking."

Bucky presses his lips together. "I know you don't like him."

"That is irrelevant. I haven't made up my mind about him as a person just yet. But I don't like the way he treats you."

Bucky sighs. "I haven't been too nice to him recently."

Brooke holds her hand up. "Bucky, it is not my business at all. I am here—"

"—to do your job, I know," Bucky nods solemnly.

Brooke chuckles.

When Bucky opens his mouth she cuts him off. "One question about Sam Wilson and I'll throw chocolate milk at you."

Her job, Brooke muses as Bucky chooses not to speak and sips on his drink instead, is definitely getting complicated.