Bucky's eyes fluttered open to the sound of raised voices outside his door. He felt the warmth of Lily's body against his chest and gently shifted her to the side. As he sat up, he heard the sounds of a heated argument and quickly got out of bed to investigate.
He padded over to the door, his bare feet making soft thuds on the wooden floorboards. As he opened the door, the imposing figures of Thor and Loki stood face to face with Steve. The tension in the air was palpable, and Bucky could see the stern look on his friend's face.
He stood a few feet away, frustration evident on their faces. "Rogers, Lady Rainlily is not in her room. She cannot be left alone. We need to know where she is right now."
"She's staying with me," Bucky said, preventing potential trouble for his friend. Loki tried to rush into his room, but Bucky stopped him.
"She's resting," he said shortly. Loki, unamused, glared at the former Winter Soldier.
"You will move, or I will force you," Loki threatened, but Bucky remained unimpressed.
"I will call if she needs you, but she's with me now. I'll be with her."
Loki asked, "Do you like her, or is it out of pity?" with a mischievous smirk. "You must have missed her badly to have her all to yourself."
"Watch what you say." Bucky warned him, but Loki was only encouraged.
"Ooh, so it's because you pity her? Is it because you relate to Venom's predicament? Or maybe she has no one..."
"Loki," Thor warned him. He saw the anger on Bucky's face as Steve approached his friend. Loki spoke, "Is it guilt for leaving her all alone? You have nothing to worry about. I will gladly take care of her."
Bucky grabbed the man by his collar and lifted him against the wall. Thor and Steve tried to pull them apart, but it was too late. Bucky warned, "If you ever lay a hand on her again, I'll make you regret ever stepping in this place."
"Hit a nerve, Soldier?" Loki teased before hearing a gasp.
"Stop it right now!"
Lily had heard a commotion outside the room and came to investigate when Venom separated them quickly, "They seem to be fighting over you. I suggest the metal arm."
"Venom, not now, please..." she whined as the men finally divided. "Although Loki seems to be growing on us. They both make you happy; can you have them both?"
"What is going on here?" Lily asked. "We were worried about you, Rainlily," Thor spoke, "Remember, Mother didn't want you to be alone from now on after your last incident."
"I'm sorry to worry you guys, but Bucky took care of me." Lily assured him, resting a hand on his arm. "It's her decision; we should respect that." Steve expressed his support for his friend, indicating his attachment to her.
"Now that you're awake, though, we must begin training." Thor spoke.
"Wait, I'm sorry, what?"
"You and Venom are assisting me on a mission. And we are going to train. Right now." Thor told her, but she was unamused.
"I'd rather go back to bed."
"We can if you want to, doll." Lily smirked when he leaned against the wall, flashing her a playful smirk. Thor saw the look they gave each other, looking to Loki, but he remained stoic. He was analyzing them, but he didn't show what he was feeling.
"You should go with them; Venom must be feeling restless." Steve encouraged her. She sighed, but she nodded, "Yeah, you're right."
"Outstanding," Thor said, clasping his hands together in excitement, "why don't we go there now."
Loki smiled mischievously at Bucky when she slowly walked out, placing a hand on her shoulder blade, "This way..." Bucky gave him a hard stare but said nothing, watching her walk away. Steve noticed this and smirked; his friend was in trouble.
Venom and Thor sparred against one another, learning reasonably quickly that she had no chance against him. Loki merely watched before joining in on the spar, making her judge her strength. After the spar was over, she had showered in her dorm.
Lily froze when she saw Natasha leaning back against the wall, Bruce standing beside her. A small smile on her face was evident, her arms crossed. She wore tight black pants with a red v-neck shirt and a dark brown jacket to compliment her.
Bruce stood in a white buttoned shirt and dirt brown slacks, but his face had a worried look on his face. "Hey, how was your training?"
Lily pouted, braiding her hair, "Annoying, but Venom enjoyed it."
"That's good. Is now a good time to talk?"
"Yeah, of course." Lily came to sit on her bed, Nat sitting beside her as she looked over her with Bruce standing before them. "I thought you should know: they allowed you to stay with us. But they don't want you alone when you leave the compound."
"This is just for now until they learn to trust you enough; don't worry too much about it." Nat added, noticing the frown on Lily's face. "Thanks for telling me. Honestly, I'd like to get out of here soon. Even if it's just a food run." she admitted.
Nat smirked, "Do you want to go into town and grab a bite to eat right now? Get you a nice jacket. We can make it a girl's day." Nat suggested.
"Can we?" Lily asked.
"You should. You deserve it after everything that's been going on." Bruce suggested. "Good, I'll be outside when you're ready, okay?" Nat asked, receiving an excited nod from her. She winked at the healer as she left the room, leaving Bruce alone.
"Stay close to her while you're out there for me...are you sure you're ready to go out there?" Bruce asked her.
"I am, truly." She said with a smile as she stood up. "Okay, just...have fun, okay? Tell Venom to behave." Bruce attempted to joke, leaving her alone.
"I promise to try."
"That's all I can ask from you, big guy."
Walking outside, she saw Nat standing outside by the black convertible with Wanda waiting, "So, you're finally allowed to leave the compound- with supervision." Wanda stated.
"That's right! I can't wait to return to the city, even if it's just a day." Lily said with a small smile. "That's good to hear. Is it alright if I come?" Wanda asked, looking over to Nat as well.
"It's not a girl's day without you. Come on, jump in, you two." Nat said with a wink, climbing into the driver's side. Wanda climbed into the front seat; Lily went into the backseat.
With the radio turned on, Lily jammed to the music, singing to the tunes. Nat smiled in amusement while Wanda looked annoyed for a moment.
Once they arrived at a small diner, the ladies ordered their food before they were finally left alone, and Nat wasted no time speaking as they climbed into a booth, "I'm glad there's finally more women at the compound. I was starting to feel outnumbered."
"I'm glad to be part of the team. We didn't start on the right foot when we first met." Wanda admitted. Clint had saved her brother from a close encounter with death, and despite their attempts to kill them, the siblings joined the team with open arms.
"That's alright, but I'd love to ask," Nat asked, "What's the deal with you and Vision?"
"Deal?"
"I've noticed the late-night rendezvous together lately. I'm happy you've grown close, but I was curious." She explained.
Wanda was silent for a moment as the waitress came back with their drinks, Lily sipping on her cookies and cream milkshake in amusement.
"We simply enjoy each other's company. There is no harm in that." Wanda spoke defensively, but Lily was now feeling courageous.
"It's good that you do, though, Wanda. I know it can be hard sometimes." she defended her.
Nat looked at her with the same smirk, "And what of you, Miss Popularity?"
"What of me?" Lily asked, looking confused.
"I heard this morning that Loki and Bucky were fighting over you. What's going on there?" Nat asked.
"Nothing. Bucky just wanted me to rest without anyone disturbing me."
"Loki has always to annoy others," Wanda said, "but this was new for him. Did you two grow close on Asgard?"
"We did, I suppose-"
"I told you they were fighting over you! Why not just give in? Who knows, one of them can keep you happy."
"Seems like Venom is on the same page with us." Wanda said with a smirk of her own. "We all see it, you know." Nat added.
"Listen, I appreciate this, but I don't think any guy wants to be with a girl with Venom inside me." Lily told them, but Nat leaned forward.
"If you had to pick, though, who would you choose?" Nat asked.
Venom's head came out slowly, catching the girl in surprise, "I've told her she should have them both."
"Venom! You can't be doing that in public." Lily said, noticing people looking at her in fear.
"Fine, but we crave chocolate."
Venom quickly disappeared, making her sigh as she waved the waiter over, "Sorry. They're very opinionated."
"What of you, Natasha? What's your relation with Banner?" Wanda asked, finally giving the Widow her moment in the limelight.
"We are together. Officially. We don't want the others to know right away. Bruce was hesitant, but he said he was finally ready to try. We're taking it slow." Nat told her.
"I'm happy for you both," Lily said genuinely, "take care of him for me, will you?"
"I will."
Coming back after a few hours of being out, the ladies had come back to the compound, and Lily had the time of her life. Wanda chuckled as she made a joke, something she felt was not an easy feat.
Nat had treated her kindly, throwing her aback, but was glad to get along with her. She felt somewhat normal in that moment and was elated. Dropping herself onto the bed, she was unsurprised when Loki was sitting near her head, reading a book silently.
"Enjoy yourself?"
"I did, though Venom was more into it than I was." Lily stated, remembering when Venom came out to "give his input" on everything worn, done and discussed.
"As long as your...co-host allowed you that moment. No chaos, I suppose, is good, considering all things." Loki said, glancing over to see her looking at him, "What?"
"Can you read to me this time?" Lily asked curiously.
"Love my voice that much, darling?" Loki teased, making her chuckle. "You have a lovely voice. Can you blame me?" she confessed.
Loki thought of something and closed the book briefly before looking back down at her, "Tell me: you enjoy reading, but what made you become an avid reader?"
"My father. He loved reading and books. We had what felt like a small library in our home. He would let me pick a book and read it at bedtime." Lily spoke softly, smiling as she thought of that fond memory.
Loki realized she shared something intimate and private, making him smile. "I don't have many memories of my parents, but my father, he was my everything," she spoke, wiping her eyes as she felt their water, "it must be silly to you."
Her eyes widened when he leaned over her. One of his hands raised, curling her hair behind her ear delicately, making her gulp.
"Oh shit!"
"No, it's endearing. Thank you for sharing that with me," Loki stated, noticing the tint of pink in her cheeks before his eyes glanced to her lips, "Tell me: are you and the Winter Soldier with one another?"
"Say no, say no! Be honest."
Loki smiled when she shook her head, noticing she was at a loss for words. Ever so carefully, he closed the gap between them slowly, searching her eyes, "Something for you to consider, darling."
Closing the gap, he pressed his lips against hers. Lily's eyes widened for a moment before slowly closing her eyes. Feeling ignited by this sudden action, she brought a hand to his chest, slowly sliding up to cup his cheek.
"You're enjoying this! Can't wait to see how the other one is."
...
"Seriously, can't you just have them both?"
With their lips sensually locking, Loki slid his hand down to her hip, pulling her closer to him before slowly pulling away. Missing her lips already, he gave her a chaste kiss when he looked down at her, "You temptress. Do you know that you have a very outspoken companion inside you?"
Lily's eyes widened in horror, "Oh my God, you heard him?"
Loki looked at her, amused, when she noticed Venom's head appear beside him. "Damn it, Venom. Are you kidding me?"
"We share the same body! I have as much as a vote here!"
"I swear to God, you really will be the death of me..." Lily muttered, hiding her face in shame, but Loki chuckled, kissing one of the hands covering her.
"I'm not against it, pet. It's the soldier I worry won't agree." Loki stated just as the door swung open.
Bucky had entered the kitchen when he saw Banner sipping on coffee, "Hey, Dr. Banner."
"Hey, Barnes. How goes it?"
"It's going..." Bucky said softly, looking around, "Have you seen Lily? I haven't seen her all day."
"She just came back. She went out with Natasha and Wanda for a girl's trip into town." he answered. Whispering a small thanks, he went towards the door when he could hear Venom but could not understand what he was saying.
He knocked without a response and turned the doorknob to realize the door was left unlocked, opening the door. His eyes widened when he saw Loki over her. Her face blushed, and he moved without thinking.
"Get off her!" Bucky shouted as he swung at him. Loki allowed the mortal to hit him, striking him back as they tumbled onto the wall.
"Stop it! Both of you!"
Venom quickly separated them, but Loki continued, amused, "Jealous, are you? I wouldn't worry so much." Bucky stepped towards him, but Lily grabbed his arms as she cut him off, "Bucky, please."
"I'll leave you two to talk. Consider my words, won't you, darling?" Loki suggested, looking at the duo before leaving the room. He closed the door, but Bucky slowly approached the door. She half expected him to go when she heard the lock click.
She suddenly became nervous when Bucky turned to look at her. His lips slightly parted, panting softly, his adrenaline pumping through him, no doubt. She stepped back, but his eyes became hungry as he approached.
Lily let out a soft gasp when her back hit the wall, trapping her against him as he leaned over her. "Tell me what happened."
She gulped. "Loki, uh, wanted me to know he was interested." she said vaguely, but Bucky knew she was lying.
"Don't hide from me, doll."
"H-He kissed me," Lily said, looking down in shame, "Venom may have voiced his view on the issue."
"Issue?"
Venom came over her shoulder, the soldier looking to the symbiote in annoyance, "Rainlily likes you both. I merely told her your ideas of dating are ridiculous. This need to have just one mate is dumb."
Bucky looked at her in confusion, her blush coming back. "I tried to tell him that's not it works here." she defended herself.
Lily looked up when he finger tilted her head, his eyes searching hers. He came close, his lips brushing against hers, and her breath quickened.
"If it meant having you..." he said softly before crashing his lips against hers. Lily's eyes widened for a moment before closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around his neck.
Bucky's hands slid around her waist before he pulled her against him, lifting her off her feet as she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. Holding her up with his metal arm, his other slid into her hair, grabbing a fist full of her hair as he brought her over to the bed.
Moaning against his lips, he pulled away and was drawn into the scene of her. Parted lips, panting heavily, hair sprawled under her; she was more alluring then.
He pressed his lips against hers, pulling her into a sitting position as she sat on his lap. He dived his tongue into her mouth, fighting for dominance when they felt the bed dip.
Lily felt her lips against her neck, and her eyes shot open; she looked over to see Loki. Bucky was angry he invaded, but he wasn't against him joining. He wasn't sure how they got here or why he would agree...but this didn't bother him.
"Keep your hands away from me."
"Very well." Loki said before pulling Lily into a kiss. As Lily succumbed to the God of Mischief's attention, Bucky wasted no time removing her clothing, taking off his own before kissing her ankle.
Lily felt a tingle up her body, feeling herself grow more excited as he mapped her body with lips and tongue, driving her all the more wild. Loki teased her nipples, the other trailing all over her body.
She didn't know it could feel this good.
Walking out from the subway and into the city, he took in the vast skylines but he adjusted his leather jacket, clutching onto his camera bag as he saw the building he was looking for.
Walking into the lobby of the Avenger's Tower, he approached the receptionist, her bright smile welcoming him.
"Hi, do you have an appointment?"
"I don't, but I'd like to make one with Tony Stark."
The woman frowned but quickly returned a tiny smile, "I'm sorry, but Mr. Stark is busy for the next few weeks. Can I ask the reason for the appointment?"
"Tell him it's Life Foundation related. My name is Eddie Brock; he'll want to see me."
