(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)

Chapter 2 - 2nd May 2015

"What is it with Stark and parties?"

Natasha smiled at the question James called to her from the bathroom, settling back into the couch cushions to wait for him. As if he really required an answer. They all knew exactly what it was with Tony and parties - he loved them. He was a playboy millionaire long before he was an Avenger. Parties were his life back then, and so, any chance to throw one, even now, he took it. Not that Natasha objected all that much, and she was sure James wouldn't either, when he was actually there. He just wasn't much for the prospect of the social side sometimes.

"The way Steve talks about the good old days, I'm pretty sure you used to be a party guy," she said loudly, leaning over to check she had properly fastened the buckles on her shoes. "Lots of dates and dancing, right?"

"Yes, but in those days, we didn't have the kinds of parties that Tony throws," he replied, stepping out into the living room at last.

Natasha looked up and tried not to audibly gasp. He was always attractive, but when he got all dressed up for a party, he really did have the ability to take her breath away. Those old-fashioned good looks really were something else. Not that she really thought she was going to let him down at all and was certain he agreed when she stood up and his eyes moved quickly down her body and up again.

"Wow," he said, holding out his hand to her, smiling as she completed a perfect twirl and then landed up neatly in his arms. "You look good, doll."

"I know," she told him smartly. "You're not so bad yourself, soldier," she said, leaning in for a kiss.

Their lips had barely made contact when there was a sharp knock on the door that Natasha recognised all too easily, sure as she was that it would be followed by the door being opened, without any courteous wait for an invitation.

"Please, tell me you're not naked!" Yelena yelled from the entryway.

James sighed, his head dropping to Natasha's shoulder. "Seriously, I like your sister, I honestly do, but-"

"I know," she sympathised, planting a kiss on his neck before slipping out of his embrace and greeting Yelena. "We really have to talk about your inability to wait for invitations to come into people's homes."

"What's to talk about?" Yelena shrugged, shoving her hands in her pockets. "So, we're going to the party, yes?"

"Sure, I guess we are," James agreed, though the way he was looking at her suggested he wasn't convinced.

Natasha knew exactly what he meant, though she was reluctant to say anything about it. In the end, she knew she was going to have to when Yelena caught them both staring and asked what was wrong.

"You don't like my vest now?" she asked of her favourite piece of clothing. "You said that you did. I told you how great it is, with all the pockets..."

"It's a great vest, Yelena," Bucky assured her. "Nobody's denying the greatness of the vest, it's just not..."

"Partywear," Natasha finished for him.

"Excuse me for not bringing all my best Cinderella dresses from home," said Yelena flatly, her eyes even colder than her tone.

Home was a sore subject, Natasha knew that better than anyone. Seven months in and her little sister had adjusted pretty well to life with the Avengers, but it was a lot, especially after everything she had been through. There were occasions when Natasha was sure she resented her just a little bit for helping her out, as crazy as that ought to sound. This was one of the moments when it was very clear.

"Come on, I can lend you something a little less... utilitarian," she said diplomatically, leading the way to her apartment.

"So, I should just, what? Wait here?" asked James, shaking his head.

"We'll be fast!" Natasha called back, turning to tip him a wink on her way out of the door. "And it'll be worth the wait."

The smile on his face proved he understood what that meant and Natasha hurried Yelena down the hall into her own apartment to find her more suitable clothes. She really did mean it when she said they would be fast, but for all her initial protest about being forced into a fancy outfit, Yelena got very handsy in the dresses section of Natasha's closet when given half the chance. There must have been at least a ten-minute debate over the blue or the red, before they finally settled on the green anyway.

"Just so long as Banner does not take this as some kind of... signal," she said pointedly, even as she smoothed out the skirt of the dress to her knees.

"I really don't think he looks at you that way." Natasha shook his head. "Bruce doesn't really look at anybody that way, which is a shame. He would make some lucky woman a decent boyfriend," she considered, closing up the closet doors. "When he's not big and green, obviously," she clarified, off Yelena's confused expression.

"Well, there is not exactly a lot of choices for dancing partners in your superhero club," she considered, rolling her eyes when Natasha encouraged her to sit down on the edge of the bed, a hairbrush in one hand and a container of pins in the other. "Stark has his Pepper Potts, which is the craziest name, by the way. The Thunder God can never keep from talking about his lab rat girlfriend either. Barton is married and your Winter Soldier only has eyes for you," she said, tilting her head and smirking up at Natasha.

"You're a little too proud of that name you came up with," she told her with a look, but didn't argue at all, as she put Yelena's head straight again and continued to work on a suitable up-do. "You know, if you get lonely tonight, you can always talk to Steve. He's sweet and non-threatening."

Yelena snorted. "Then where is the fun?" she asked, as Natasha ought to have known she would. "Honestly, I talk to him and he is... friendly, personable," she said, laughing right after. "I swear, if he was any nicer, he would be a cartoon character by Disney."

"Nice isn't so bad."

Natasha hadn't meant for that part to come out so quiet or so serious. She did understand what Yelena meant, that there was something exciting and fun and enticing about a guy that was unpredictable and a little bit bad. At the same time, being around the Avengers for a while had taught her a lot about the advantages to the good guys. Being with James, and also so close to Steve, taught her even more that manners and decency and kindness were real assets in any kind of person, just as much as strength and bravery and such.

"Ow," Yelena complained as she received a pin to the head.

Apologising for her mistake, Natasha shook off her thoughts and came back to the present moment, finishing off with her sister's hair and moving around in front to see how it looked.

"Perfect." She smiled.

"I'll bet." Yelena rolled her eyes. "I probably look like a Barbie doll."

"People love those things." Natasha shrugged, completely straight-faced, moving away to put the hairpins and brush back where they belonged. "Come on, we left James, and everybody else, waiting long enough."

"James? Hey, over here!"

It was only when Natasha started clicking her fingers in his face that Bucky snapped his attention back to her at last. She must have been saying his name for a while, but he honestly hadn't heard. His attention was completely taken by Yelena, a fact not lost on Natasha apparently.

"You're staring very hard at my little sister," she said with a look.

"Not like that," he insisted, sure she must know it already. "I just... When you said you were going to let her borrow a dress, I didn't really think..."

At that, Natasha smirked. "She cleans up nicely," she said of Yelena, looking over at where she was standing with Stark, Rhodey, and Sam Wilson, presumably sharing war stories.

"She does," Bucky agreed easily. "I mean, she'll never outshine her sister," he said, smiling at Natasha, "but she does look different. Nice, even."

"I'll tell her you said so" she told him smartly.

"God, please, don't," he urged her, reaching behind himself to the bar to retrieve his drink and take a sip. "Don't get me wrong, we get along, but she's taken to calling me bratok sometimes. Jokingly, I know, but I'm way more comfortable with her seeing me that way than anything else."

Natasha's smile proved she was more comfortable with that too, with Yelena seeing a big brother when she looked at Bucky, rather than a potential conquest. Not that he really thought of her as a person looking to score with the guys. The kind of life all the Black Widow assassins had in the Red Room and all, it didn't exactly make for well-rounded, even-minded people who could just date like anybody else. Of course, the kind of company kept at Avengers Tower wasn't all that 'normal' anyway. Maybe that meant Yelena should fit in just perfectly.

A clatter of bottles behind the bar made Bucky turn again and Natasha did the same. They caught Steve rifling around for a drink, looking sheepish when he realised he had an audience.

"Jonesing for a fix, Cap?" Natasha teased him.

"Just wondering if Tony actually has anything that really makes a difference, but I doubt I'm going to get that lucky."

"Funny you should say that..." said Bucky, hopping down from his stool. "Pour two scotches, I'll be right back."

He said nothing about the strange look on Steve's face, after all, he had expected nothing less. Crossing over to where some of the others were talking, he tapped Thor on the shoulder.

"Barnes, we were only just now saying what a beautiful sight the youngling makes in her fine dress," he said, slapping Bucky on the back as he gestured at Yelena.

"A real belle of the ball," he agreed without really looking at her, "but listen, I was wondering if you brought that, uh, party flask with you tonight?" he asked with a significant look.

"Of course, of course!"

The God of Thunder was not exactly concerned about handing it over and wishing Bucky the best of luck, though he did remind even him to take a care.

"I know what I'm doing," he promised his team-mate, taking the flask back to the bar and wasting no time in adding a good shot of the liquid from within to both glasses of scotch that Steve had poured. "Trust me?" he asked, shoving one closer to his buddy's hand.

"You have to ask?" Steve countered, picking up his drink and clinking it against Bucky's own glass at the first opportunity. "Cheers."

"Cheers," he replied in kind, the two of them drinking.

Of course, Bucky was ready for the kick that came with the Asgardian liquor, but Steve wasn't. His expression was a picture, comical enough to get a giggle out of Natasha. The way Steve coughed and blinked rapidly definitely was funny, even though it probably shouldn't have been.

"Damn!"

"Oh, Steve, language! Natasha admonished playfully, making them all laugh some more.

"What is that?" he asked Bucky curiously.

"More important, can I have some?" asked a new voice, as Yelena appeared at Bucky's elbow, peering at the flask still on the bar before him.

He made a grab at it but, as usual, Yelena was faster. "Too slow, old man," she teased him, adding a small amount of Thor's special brew to her Martini glass that was already half-empty anyway.

"Yelena, ostorozhen," Natasha warned her to be careful, which seemed ultimately foolish.

Yelena seemed to love to do whatever she was told not to, as if she were trying to be the unruly child she should have been once upon a time, but never really got the chance, thanks to the Red Room and its inhumane rules and practices. It was why it was so hard to be mad at her for behaving the way she did. After everything, why shouldn't she cut loose and go crazy for fun, if she wanted to? Bucky could certainly understand her need to, sometimes, and he knew that Natasha could too.

"Oof! That is good" said Yelena when she had swallowed down her drink in full. "Strong, very strong," she admitted, slightly breathless, "but very, very good."

When she started to pour some more into her glass, Natasha whipped the flask from her hand and kept it away. The look on her face was enough to stop Yelena from arguing with her, Bucky knew.

"Wow, look who just became the biggest party pooper in the world," she told her older sister, in the kind of tone that made Bucky think she might just resort to sticking out her tongue at any moment, though it never actually happened. "Well, if I can't drink, then I will dance, if I can find a willing partner. Steve Rogers," she said, looking at him appraisingly. "Do you dance?"

He swallowed hard as he looked back at her. "Not exactly. I mean, I haven't had a lot of practice or anything, especially with a partner."

"Me either," she admitted, holding out her hand nonetheless, "but I want to try, and I have seen you fight. A man with moves like that can dance, I'm sure," she insisted, more forcefully pushing her hand in his direction, less of an offer, more of a demand.

Natasha opened her mouth, presumably to tell Yelena not to be so pushy, or perhaps even to tell Steve that he shouldn't feel he had to do it, just to be nice. Before she got out one word, Steve's hand was in Yelena's own and he was smiling at her and nodding his head.

"Okay, let's see what happens."

"Yes, let's see what happens" Yelena echoed, a self-satisfied smirk on her lips, as she turned around, pulling Steve's arm over her shoulder and walking him to the dancefloor, like a puppy dog on a leash.

"Oh, that is... I'm not sure how I feel about this," said Bucky, really struggling with what might potentially become of his brother and Natasha's sister getting any kind of close.

"You know, it could be the making of the both of them," Natasha suggested, her arms suddenly around Bucky's neck from behind, her chin on his shoulder as they watched Yelena and Steve trying to figure out how to hold onto each other before beginning to dance together. "Besides, American super soldiers and former Russian assassins make really great lovers," she said, voice dropping to a whisper as she kissed his cheek and his ear.

In the circumstances, there was absolutely nothing about that sentence that Bucky could argue with.

To Be Continued...