Work Text:
"Don’t flirt with him, though," Natasha looks at you more seriously than she did seconds ago.
Intrigued, you sit up slightly on the sofa. There are only the two of you in one of Star Tower’s living rooms.
"What do you mean? Why would I…"
"You would," she grins smugly, taking a sip of her soda.
"And we’re trying to keep things professional here."
Oh, now she's taunting you. You still can’t really tell if she's serious or not, though. To say that she's not the easiest to read is a gross understatement.
You straighten your shoulders before responding, "First: I dare you to look me in the eyes and tell me that you and Bruce are keeping it professional. Second: I’m not 18; I can perfectly draw a line if I want to. Third: Tony flirts all day every day with everyone, and no one says a word."
She smiles and shrugs, leaning back.
"It just feels right to warn you."
"You know, the more you act that way, the more I actually am looking forward to meeting him. See what the fuss is about."
"That’s very 18-year-old of you."
You laugh, leaning back on the cushions. You are even more eager to meet Steve’s friend now. Whatever plan she has, it's either a success or a catastrophic failure. You see her shift slightly, apparently a bit uneasy.
“Honestly, though, try not to, at least for a little while. Bucky’s…uh…not in the best place right now. I don’t want you getting dragged into a fucked-up mess.”
She seems to be genuinely looking out for you. You gently grab her knee and smile at her.
“Fine, mom. I’ll behave.”
You hear the elevator doors on your right and turn your head. Steve and Bucky are talking to each other, not yet looking in your direction.
Shit. He really is gorgeous. You've seen some footage before, of course, but in person, it's definitely something else. His warm smile, his face, his arms… It’s insane to be this cute and this rugged at the same time. You look him up and down, taking in the mistake you suddenly really want to make.
“I get it now,” you whisper to Nat’ before you both stand up. She shrugs a silent "I told you so." You clench your fists hard, nails digging into your palm. You need to be flatly polite, nothing more, nothing less.
Steve smiles at both you and Natasha, beaming. It's adorable how delighted he is to finally have his best friend around. You mirror him affectionately and carefully avoid looking in Bucky’s direction. He's smiling too, and you don’t want that to ruin the wall you're still reluctantly building up inside.
“Bucky, you already met Nat.”
“Yeah. Nice to see you again without a gun to each other’s head,” he says, half-jokingly. You feel his gaze on you.
“Twice in a row,” she replies. “Maybe we did overcome that phase of our relationship.”
Steve laughs and gestures towards you.
“And this is (Y/N); she joined us almost a year ago.”
You finally look straight at Bucky and grin more widely than you planned to. Damn it. His eyes. You shake the hand he extends to you and let go as mechanically as you can.
“Nice to meet you, Bucky. I’ve heard quite a lot about you. All good, of course.”
“Steve told me a lot about you too. It’s amazing what you managed to do in Paris last month. I was looking forward to meeting you.”
You let out a faint giggle. Oh, he's not helping you at all with his charming smile, is he? You wish you could look at Natasha and see her face right now to anchor you. She seems purposely fascinated by the sunset outside.
“I’m guessing you’ll be staying on this floor?”
“Yeah, I have my room here.”
“Lucky you! It’s the coziest. Steve put up a whole library just there; it’s the best place to unwind. I come down here all the time.” You excitedly point at the corner of the giant living room: messy shelves with tons of books stacked up to the ceiling, a few old armchairs next to a fireplace, a lot of sketchbooks... It really is the best place to stay when you're off duty. You usually are on your phone, but still, once in a while, you do pick up a book or doodle something.
You suddenly realize that, unlike Steve, he does not know you for almost a year and might mind having you lounging in here.
You quickly add, “I won’t impose, of course. I’m sure you’ll need some space for your first days. I’ll hang out elsewhere for a while.”
He chuckles and smirks at you. “As if your presence could bother me, love." His eyes widen slightly, as if the last part slipped up. He doesn't take it back, though. "Please, don’t change anything for me.”
You shrug, agreeing silently. You feel very proud of yourself for staying silent and not quipping back with a flirty response to him, tempting as it is. Clearly, he didn’t get the same memo you got.
“Well, we’ll let you guys settle in here,” Natasha quickly says as she grabs your wrist. “See you later at the party.” She adds, already tugging on your arm.
You take a few steps back, following her lead, and wave at both men. “See you later.”
You reach the elevator, the door closing behind you. As it begins its descent, you let out an exasperated sigh.
"I hate that you know me so well," you grumble.
Natasha grins knowingly. "You're an open book, love."
You glare playfully at her. "I can't promise anything, but I'll try. I don't want to mess up his arrival on the team."
Natasha nods. "Just keep it professional and friendly. No need for complications."
As you reach the ground floor, the bustling of the employees all around slowly overrides the conflict rising in your mind.
Natasha gives you an encouraging pat on the shoulder before stepping outside.
You chuckle. You’re in trouble.