From the time Lauren was a little girl, being a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent had been the dream. Her father, after 10 years in the Army Special Forces, had been recruited to S.H.I.E.L.D. and had never looked back. So it came as no surprise to Harry Baker when his daughter, after 5 years in the Army herself, joined the ranks. She was hard working, intelligent, and quick on her feet.

All qualities that made Director Nick Fury take notice.

Some in the agency made grumbles about nepotism and the like, especially when, less than a year after joining S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury assigned Lauren to a very elite task force:

The Avengers.

It didn't take long before those whispers went away.

Her combat skills, her marksmanship particularly, impressed several members of the team, and her eye for detail came in handy when it came to the technical side of missions.

She soon fit in well with the team- especially those with similar military background. It was not out of the ordinary to find her training with Sam, Steve and Bucky, and she held her own pretty well, even against the two super soldiers.

But if she was being honest, it was the bond she had with the latter of the two that she enjoyed the most.

Sure, she got along great with everyone. The Avengers had become a second family to her. But they all too notice when James Buchanan Barnes, notorious for being mostly closed off, opened his mouth and carried on a conversation with her.

Slowly, bit by bit, it became common to see them together, whether in training, on missions, or in their downtime at the compound. They talked about anything and everything. She tiptoed around the Winter Soldier subject, knowing all too well that some things were just too painful to bring up. Eventually though, he opened up to her about it, and she listened without judgment or pity.

It became an easy friendship for both of them. So easy, in fact, that a close observer could hear the subtle flirtation when they spoke to each other, or see the way one of them looked at the other when they thought no one was watching.

"How long do you think it will take them?" Natasha whispered to Steve.

Steve sighed. "No idea. Buck hasn't really been interested in anyone since...you know. Time will tell, I guess."

Natasha nodded and smirked. "Let's just hope it's beforeshe's100."

The forecast had called for a massive thunderstorm in the late evening hours the night before. However, when the storm was still raging by morning, all Avengers had been grounded until the storm passed.

Metal suits and guns didn't mix well with water.

So, they all took advantage of some much needed downtime.

Lauren was in the kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee. She dressed for comfort, in a pair of her favorite black skinny jeans and a deep purple v-neck t-shirt, wrapped up in a long cardigan. Her dark hair, contrasting with her pale skin, was wavy and damp from her shower, coming just past her shoulders. She hummed a tune as the hot liquid poured into her cup. Placing the coffeepot back on the hot plate, she moved to the fridge, getting out her favorite creamer. The humming quickly turned to soft singing as she added the cream and a little sugar, doctoring her coffee just the way she liked it. She brought the coffee cup up to her lips, taking a sip and sighing in content at the taste.

"Pretty sure that's your third cup today, doll."

She smiled and turned to see the owner of the voice, standing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. He had pulled half of his hair up away from his face, so she could see his deep blue eyes, and the lopsided grin she liked so much. He was wearing a long-sleeve blue shirt that showed off his muscular frame perfectly, and blue jeans.

And that beard...she had caught herself a few times daydreaming of running her fingers through it.

Lauren smirked and put a hand on her hip, a sassy tone in her voice. "Bucky Barnes, are you judging me?"

He shook his head, grinning. "No ma'am, just an observation."

She smiled and sipped her coffee. "Any other observations you would like to share?"

He inclined his head towards the window. "It's raining."

She looked at the weather outside, then back to him. "You don't say."

He took a step toward her. "You have a beautiful singing voice."

She felt her cheeks turn pink. "That's not an observation, that's an opinion." She took a sip of her coffee again, hiding her face.

He chuckled. "I'm serious doll. What was that you were singing?"

She looked up from her coffee cup to meet his curious gaze. "It's called 'Raining On Sunday'."

Bucky smirked. "Well it sure sounded nice the way you were singing it." He leaned a hip against the counter.

Lauren chuckled. "Thanks, but the original sounds way better."

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh yeah? I'm gonna need proof on that." The teasing tone in his voice was like a challenge to her.

Lauren grinned and looked up to the ceiling. "F.R.I.D.A.Y.?"

The AI responded. "Yes, Miss Baker."

Lauren locked eyes with Bucky as she spoke. "Play 'Raining on Sunday' by Keith Urban, please."

The soft guitar intro began playing on the surround system, and Bucky's eyes widened slightly at the sound.

Lauren watched his reaction, sipping her coffee as the song played.

It ticks just like a Timex, it never lets up on you…

Bucky looked up to the ceiling, listening to the words. "It's….calming in a way."

Lauren closed her eyes, listening to the song as she sipped her coffee, the soft rain adding a nice ambient background.

"Doll…"

She opened her eyes, turning her head to see Bucky standing there, with his human hand outstretched towards her. She looked up into his eyes, a question in them, but also a certainty of the answer.

"Dance with me?" he asked.

Surprise registered on her face at his request. She looked at him for a moment before quietly answering. "Sure." She slipped her hand into his, a soft smile on her face that mirrored his own, and they walked into an open space in the lounge area, the cloudy sky outside and the rain running down the glass a beautiful backdrop for the music playing.

Their hands stayed intertwined on one side, and Bucky's vibranium hand came around her waist, and she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Her heart fluttered in her chest, being this close to him. They had been in close proximity before- hiding in tight spaces on missions, sharing a bowl of popcorn on movie night- but in this intimate setting, it was new.

.

Bucky led her in a soft, swaying dance as the chorus played.

Pray that it's raining on Sunday, storming like crazy, we'll hide under the covers all afternoon…

Lauren smiled up at Bucky. "I didn't peg you for much of a dancer."

Bucky smiled. "I'm a little rusty, I'll admit. But it's like riding a bike. You never forget it."

She chuckled. "Well I think you're doing just fine."

He gave her that signature grin. "Maybe we should kick it up a notch."

She gave him a questioning look. "What did you have in mind?"

He grinned at her and lifted their joined hands above her head and spun her around once. He took a step back, and inclined his head, signaling her to do the same. Their joined hands, like a bungee cord, stretched out between their bodies, before she spun back into his arms again, colliding softly with his muscular body. He then turned to the side, supporting her as he dipped her backwards, then brought her back up. She clutched onto his shoulders, absently admiring the warm strength of his body. In the back of her mind, she noticed that his arms were wrapped around her, the smile on his face one of pure unadulterated joy.

"Well, you certainly know how to sweep a girl off her feet!" she remarked between laughs.

The grin on his face was something she wished would stay forever, a glimpse of the man he was before HYDRA turned him into a weapon.

BOOM!

A sudden, loud crash of thunder outside shook the windows slightly, and Bucky reacted instinctively by turning his body away from the window, his arms wrapping tighter around Lauren. She buried her face in his chest, her body instantly reacting as if it was a bomb going off. It took both of them a moment to realize it was just thunder outside, and Lauren looked up as Bucky loosened his grip around her.

Bucky searched her face, concerned. "You ok, doll?"

Lauren nodded. "Yeah. Jesus, that was loud."

He smiled, that crooked grin back.

Neither of them moved for a long moment, the music they had been dancing to seemed far away as they looked at each other. Bucky's blue eyes seemed to be slightly darker as he slowly inched closer, leaning forward. Lauren could feel her heart beating faster in her chest as his lips connected with hers, feather light and soft. They stayed like that for a moment, motionless, until Bucky slowly pulled away, a fraction of an inch separating them.

His voice was barely above a whisper. "Doll…"

The term of endearment was like a switch that needed to be flipped. Lauren closed the gap, catching Bucky by surprise as she kissed him.

It took him seconds to react by wrapping his arms tighter around her as her hands laid flat on his chest. The kiss deepened, her mouth opening to allow him access, their tongues dancing together in the oldest dance of creation.

She pulled away from him this time, her eyes opening to see his eyes were a dark, stormy color, and the way he was looking at her, with longing and desire, was one she had only dreamed of.

His voice was low, gravelly as he spoke.

"My room or yours?"

Elsewhere in the compound, Natasha wore a smug look as she watched the entire thing on the camera feed. Thor confidently walked up behind her.

"So? Did it work?" he asked.

Natasha quirked a brow in his direction. "You went a little overboard, don't you think?"

Thor chuckled. "What's that Midgardian saying? 'Go big or go home'?"

They high-fived each other, and Natasha shook her head, smiling as Steve walked in.

She swiveled around in the chair to face Steve. "I strongly suggest sleeping somewhere other than your room tonight."

Steve was confused for a moment, then he looked at the monitor, and smiled. "I can live with that."