BB: Where are you, doll baby?

Chris smiled at the text message as she sipped from her Whiskey Sour. Darcy glanced at her from over her own phone.

"Message from the boyfriend?" Darcy asked playfully.

Chris nodded. "Mmm-hmm."

"We're friends now, right?" Darcy went on.

Darcy Lewis, Chris has discovered, was quite a character.

"Yeah," Chris answered.

"Help a girl win a bet," Darcy bid her. "Which one of them is your boyfriend?"

Chris was grateful she hadn't taken a drink just then. "Excuse me? A bet?"

Darcy lowered her phone. "Yeah, it's up to a few hundred dollars now."

"What exactly is the bet?" Chris wanted to establish.

"Whether you are fucking Rogers or Barnes," Darcy explained. "Sam tried to make a case for both, but I shut that shit down. I mean, come on, you'd have to be a super soldier yourself to take that on."

Not quite. Chris was laughing on the inside. "Well, thanks," Chris told her.

"So, since I've got your back, which one?" Darcy pressed.

Chris shook her head. "Not even telling you, sorry."

Darcy's sigh was exaggerated. "You'll tell me eventually. You love me."

Chris: I'm at the bar. Come have a drink with me.

Chris took another drink. "I do love you but I'm not saying anything."

"I get it," Darcy said, rising and tucking her phone into the back pocket of her jeans. "You're a super cool FBI agent. You still need friends. Remember that."

Chris nodded, laughed. "Oh, I will."

Darcy hadn't been gone five minutes when Steve and Bucky walked into the compound's bar, looking tired, but handsome and freshly showered in jeans. Steve had on one of his super snug t-shirts, Bucky had thrown on a sweatshirt that she liked to wear sometimes. Chris would have been lying if she even tried to deny that just seeing them had her horny as hell after the weeks they'd been gone.

But there was some business to attend to first.

Steve's gaze met hers and didn't move. He pulled out a chair at the table on one side of her, and she could feel it rolling off him in waves. Steve never did a lot in trying to control his emotions. It was usually one of the things she enjoyed about him. Not having to guess so much.

But right now, Steve was really pissed off.

Chris was surprised because she would have assumed that Bucky would be the one who was mad. Bucky's emotions were a mad swirl of a lot of things like concern, anger, lust, love, with more concern on top of that. He sat across from Steve on her other side, sliding his metal hand onto her knee under the table.

Oh, this is going to be good.

"Any particular reason you wanted us to meet you here?" Steve took the direct approached.

Bucky excused himself to get them beers as Chris sized up her other lover.

"Yeah, we need to talk," Chris told him just as directly.

Steve was fuming but he had it under control. For the most part. His jaw was locked and that was the only physical sign to indicate anything was wrong.

Well, she was pissed off too.

"You left the compound," Steve got right to it.

"Funny, no one told me that I wasn't allowed to leave the compound, Steve." Chris was proud of how calmly she'd gotten that out and then followed it up with a generous drink from her glass. She was going to need it. "Imagine my chagrin when I went to the front desk and had Coulson summoned to tell me that I wasn't allowed off the grounds."

"It's for your own protection," Steve coldly told her.

"I'm sure it is, but you still should have told me," Chris countered. "I had a right to know."

Steve ran a hand through his blond hair, blew out an exhale. "Maybe. Given that you'd told Buck and me that you could go weeks without going out into the world, seemed best not to upset you until we had to. And that day might not have come. There was also a chance that we would be here, and we could have told you when the need arose."

"When the need arose…" Chris stared him down, his blue-eyed gaze was unflinching.

"Ever hear of a little concept called trust, Steve?" Chris shot back earning her a scowl. "I did ask to leave the compound and had to be told by Coulson that it wasn't allowed. You weren't here. I should have heard it from you. One of you."

"She's right," Bucky admitted, handing Steve a draft beer before retaking his seat. "I'm sorry you had to find out that way, doll."

Chris turned her attention to Bucky. "Thank you. I appreciate that. I'm still pissed but I do appreciate you saying that."

Steve took a drink from his mug and placed it on the table a lot harder than he needed to, turning her attention back to him.

"Then you commandeered a car and left the compound anyway," Steve's voice was low and angry. "Do you have any idea what could have happened?"

"Up until recently, I was an FBI agent, Steve. You tell me. Could I have had any idea of what could have happened?" Chris shot back.

Now Steve was really angry. She didn't like the way his hand curled around the mug as he stared her down.

"One would think being an FBI agent that you would have realized how stupid it was to leave the grounds without anyone knowing," Steve's voice was too calm. "Do you know how easy it would have been for the right people to have stopped you? Taken you?"

There it was. It was buried beneath layers of anger and frustration, but it was there.

Fear.

What was Steve so afraid of?

"He's right, doll," Bucky said calmly. "I know the FBI trained you and you handle yourself well. But some of the sadistic assholes we deal with each mission? We just can't take that risk. Not with you."

That took a little of the wind out of her sails. Steve had lived long enough to lose many things he'd loved, many people. Considering that made her feel like a selfish bitch on the one hand. On the other, it still didn't excuse them not telling her that she couldn't leave the compound.

Steve's emotions were still strong but were settling down, just as hers were.

"Is there anything else I don't know?" Chris hit him with that question since the opportunity was there. "When I found that out, it made me wonder."

Chris looked from him to Bucky who shook his head, meeting her gaze and willing her to understand he was telling the truth. When she glanced back at Steve, his gaze was on the mug.

"No," Steve said calmly, meeting her gaze. "There's nothing else."

Chris nodded, drained her glass and enjoyed the way the liquor burned its way into her stomach.

"I need something from you," Steve told her. "I need you to promise me you won't do anything like that again."

When she didn't say anything, he went on.

"You grabbed a car and went shopping. Do you have any idea what it would have done to him and me if something had happened to you? We weren't here, Chris. You want to talk about trust? I need to be able to trust that you'll stay here and safe when we're off on missions. If I have to worry about you risking yourself for a pair of shoes…"

Well, when he put it like that… Chris could understand that it would be a distraction from the mission, a distraction that could cost them.

"You're not going to make that a justification for everything that happens between us, right?" Chris wanted to know. "While I admire and appreciate very much what you both do for all of us and our safety, what I wish I could do also only I'm not allowed, I don't want to reach a point in this relationship where I have to worry about everything I say or do being a distraction for when you're on missions."

"That's fair," Bucky muttered.

Steve shot him a glare.

"You never answered my question," Steve continued. "Why did you want us to meet you here?"

Bucky was staring at her hard now too.

"Honestly, I was afraid that you wanted to meet out in the open… you meant to… break things off," Bucky said quietly. "Glad that's not the case."

Chris felt the heat rising in her face but didn't answer.

"That's not the case, right?" Bucky asked a little less confidently.

Chris blew out an exhale. "No. I'm pissed but I not trying to end anything. I was already here having a drink with Darcy."

One of the corners of Bucky's mouth tipped up ever so slightly.

"Did you know there's a bet?" Chris asked.

Steve's shoulders relaxed as he finished his beer. "The one about which one of us you're secretly dating?"

"You knew?"

Steve nodded, grinning. "I think I'm winning actually."

"No, you're not," Bucky told him, full on grinning now at each of them in turn. "Are we all good now? Chris, you agree not to leave the compound anymore and Steve, you do hereby swear that there are no more damned secrets?"

"It's not as simple as my agreeing not to leave the compound again, Bucky," Chris meant it. "Knowing I can't go anywhere? I'm going to lose my mind."

Bucky reached for her hand on the table with his metal one. "Doll baby, I'm sorry. I know this isn't easy for you. I know it doesn't seem fair. But it won't be forever. And we can get you anything you want."

Her fingers tightened around his. The sincerity in his blue eyes had her heart clenching in her chest. Even Steve looked contrite now though he was still put out with her for scaring him.

"Buck's right," Steve told her. "It's not forever. But until we're reasonably sure it's safe for you to leave, please don't put yourself at risk. It's not just you anymore."

Steve's gaze was intense on her, waves of frustration blended with determination and… love.

Damn him.

"Now are we done here?" Bucky asked grinning.

Steve swiped at his mouth with the back of his hand and nodded.

"No more secrets. Promise." His gaze turned serious then, locking with hers. "Do you promise not to pull another stunt like that again, Chris?"

That fear was still there, still lingering on the fringes of his emotions. Steve was afraid to lose her.

"You should have told me," Chris repeated.

"I know," Steve said quietly.

Bucky finished his beer and was ready to go in seconds, and Chris tried to read him since he'd been mostly quiet the entire time. He smirked at her as they made their way to the elevators to head up to their floor.

They reached the door of her apartment first, all three of them coming to a stop.

Steve's hands were shoved into the pockets of his jeans as he stood there studying his shoes.

"I'll, ah, understand if you want to talk more tomorrow," Steve told her, his tone strained still.

Bucky's gaze locked with his, realizing things weren't resolved with Steve.

Chris knew why. She wasn't going to make a promise she couldn't keep.

"What?" Steve wanted to know.

"Not how I was expecting tonight to go," Bucky said aloud. "Either of you ever hear of make-up sex?"

They both shushed him in hissing whispers while he threw up his hands.

"Seriously?" Bucky asked them both. "You're trying to give her an out because you both got so pissy mad at each other. We haven't seen her in a month. And we've been-"

"Buck!" Steve cut him off.

In a blink, Bucky scooped up Chris and sprinted down to Steve's door, opening the door and heading for the couch. Chris could see from the glasses and plates where they'd hung out here earlier. The world spun around her as Bucky placed her in one of the stuffed chairs and Steve came in, locking the door behind him.

"Now, we can talk," Bucky announced, his face darkened in frustration.

"No, we really don't have to," Chris shot back.

Steve sank down onto the couch looking from one to the other before settling on her. "What do you want to talk about? I'd like to think Chris and I have settled our issue. Except I'm waiting on that promise."

"You might be waiting a while," Chris told him curtly. "I'm not the type to make a promise I can't keep."

"You saying you'll leave the compound again?" Steve's face began to color as his anger quickly returned.

"I'm saying I don't know, Steve," her voice rose in her frustration. "My life has fallen apart here lately. I've lost my job temporarily, my home, my freedom. I'd like to tell you that I'll sit here and knit and be good while you're both out saving the world but that feels like lying. And I don't like lying. I'm not a liar and I'm not a girl who's good at being well-behaved and lady-like. If I were that girl, I sure as shit wouldn't have become an FBI agent."

She didn't turn to look at Bucky, just heard his muttered "Jesus" in the background. No, she was staring Steve down and as she felt his frustration rise, she was becoming less confident in her decision to push him by the second.

"You're going to promise me that you won't do anything stupid like that again," Steve used his captain's voice on her and it was way too calm compared to the vibes she was getting off him.

"If you want me to lie to you," Chris taunted him.

"You're going to promise me that you will stay here and keep yourself safe," Steve said slowly as if he wasn't sure she was comprehending his words. "You work for Tony now and these are actually the wishes of him and Director Fury."

"That you just happen to one hundred percent agree with," Chris shot back.

"Yes, I do." His fist clenched and unclenched on his knee while she watched, her first warning. "You're going to promise me that you'll abide by those wishes and you're going to mean it."

"Ah, Steve," Bucky sounded concerned and that was her second warning because he knew Steve better than anyone and if he was concerned with how things were going…

Chris knew she was taking a risk.

"Or. You'll. What?" Chris said slowly, glaring at him.

Steve had been so careful with Chris to that point that it startled her just how quickly he could move. She was sent sprawling across his lap in the blink of an eye, one hand pressed firmly on her back while the other worked furiously at her jeans.

"Steve!" Chris slapped her palms on the thick trunk of his thigh and tried to push up with everything she had while he pretty much ripped her jeans down, her panties with them. It was a futile effort made that much worse by the first stinging slap across her ass cheeks.

Bucky looked torn between trying to help her and wanting to watch and it pushed her anger further. The second slap had her gasping, fighting Steve with all she had. Another slap and she winced at the sting.

"Bucky," Chris demanded, "do something with him. Do something now!"

"Buck said he would back me up," Steve informed her followed by another stinging swat, this one where her ass met her thighs.

Bucky stared at her helplessly, she could feel his conflict. She hoped that he read the heat in her face as pure anger - and it mostly was.

She had to see if she could talk Bucky into letting her up before Steve figured out just how turned on she was getting in being spanked.

"Bucky, do – Ouch! You son-of-a-bitch!" Chris yelled at Steve.

"Language," Steve growled at her as he continued on, alternating cheeks now.

"Bucky, are… you… seriously going to let him get away with this?" Chris wanted to know.

Agitated, he ran a hand through the silky locks of his dark hair. His face was schooled into a sympathetic expression, but his jeans looked so uncomfortably tight and the bulge at the front was a dead giveaway.

Traitorous bastard.

"Fine, I hate you too!" Chris growled as Steve's blows started to slow and lessen. She didn't miss the feel of his erection beneath her as she still tried unsuccessfully to get free.

"Oh, don't be like that," Steve taunted her, his hand sliding over her ass now and she hissed in slight pain. He hadn't used a fraction of the strength he had, she knew he wasn't trying to hurt her. But he'd done a damned good job nonetheless. She doubted she'd be able to sit for a week.

She didn't even want to explain that to Tony.

When his fingers slid further down, between her thighs she knew she was busted. Chris had never been spanked before, never even thought about it. But damn it was hot even though it stung like hell and she was furious with both of them now. Chris was ridiculously wet following Steve's rough treatment.

"Seems like she enjoyed that a lot, Buck," Steve said over her head.

Bucky's gaze was fixed on Steve's hand.

"Fuck you!" Chris spat.

"Is that an offer?" Steve asked, teasing.

"No, it's not." Chris tried again to push up, but Steve only held her firmly, his fingers dancing gently between her legs in a way he knew she liked. "Let me up. Now. I'm going back to my apartment."

"Is she wet?" Bucky asked, smirking.

"Fuck you too!" Chris glared at her dark-haired lover.

"Is that a promise?" Bucky smiled at her sweetly.

"Fuck, no, it's not a promise!" Chris yelled at him. "That's what got me into this mess."

"Such a dirty mouth," Steve's teasing didn't let up and no way was she going to let him win this game. Maybe she didn't have a lot of experience, but she did have an attitude.

"Are we going to put my mouth to better use?" Chris taunted him, winking at Bucky whose mouth fell open at that.

She'd play along. For now.

This time when she pushed up, Steve released her. Easing herself to her knees on one side of him, moving gingerly.

The way his blue eyes smoldered at her, she couldn't tell if it was because he was still that angry or that turned on. It was likely a mixture of the two.

"Was that a serious offer?" Steve asked, running a finger through her soaking wet folds.

That drew her attention to her jeans that were pretty much useless shreds around her ankles. She didn't even know where her panties had gone. Chris pulled off what was left of the jeans before looking Steve in the eye.

"Maybe," she whispered.

"And my promise?"

Chris moving closer to him. Angry as she was, she wanted nothing more than to throw Steve down and fuck him until he begged her for mercy. Until he forgot all about his stupid-ass promise. Just maybe if she could get him worked up enough, and she could get Bucky on board, just maybe she could give the sexy caveman a taste of his own medicine. A plan spun in her mind.

The kiss was a lusty battle of lips and tongue, Steve moaned into her mouth as he gave as good as he got. A quick glance out of the corner of her eye showed her Bucky sprawled next to them with his metal hand grabbing at his erection.

Good idea.

When her hands dove for the opening of Steve's jeans he cried out in surprise as much as arousal. She loved that he was as worked up as she was. It would just make winning the next round so much easier.