The D in Apartment 23

"You ready to lose guys?" Natasha smirked as the girls filled into their side of the two lanes they had booked.
"You know Romanoff your cocky attitude is gonna bite you in your ass when your scrubbing my boots with a toothbrush." Sam smirked as Natasha scoffed.
"This isn't gonna be a pretty night, no offence but I hate you right now, you are my enemy." Bucky told Harry truthfully with a playful grin on his face as they stood at the back whilst their names were input on the screen. "How good are you at it?" He asked wiggling his eyebrows like he'd just suggested they slip off. It was at this point that Harry thought she would have some fun, he'd never seen her competitive side and although she was anxious that he'd be scared off, seeing the rest of the team she knew she'd fit right in.
"Oh I've not played since I moved from England. I just hope I don't let the girls down." She bit her lip to hide her smirk, instead looking nervous as he nudged her with a smile.
"How about we make in interesting between us both? A little side bet?" He asked as she raised her eyebrows to indicate she was listening.
"Bet you 10 I get the first strike." He smirked as she took a moment to think. "Okay deal." She held her hand out for him to shake which he did quickly, secretly thinking he had this in the bag.
"Okay you two break it up! Team talk!" Tony shouted as Bucky gave her a wink before walking off to join the guy huddle.
"Okay just pretend we are talking tactics." Sharon started off. "Welcome to the team Harry." She looked over at the newbie at the side of her causing the young doctor to blush. "Okay they're moving out. Lets burst some balls ladies. Hands in." Sharon finished when she saw the guys move out. All the girls put their hands in and chanted the playground chant of 'girls rule, boys drool' as the guys just scoffed.

Up first was Pepper and Tony, Pepper was focused as ever even when Tony was questioning her strategy, squealing with delight when she knocked down an extra pin then him. Up next was Natasha and Bruce and true to their evaluation Bruce was good only missing one pin compared to the spy's three pins. "Gotta let them keep some of their dignity." She shrugged returning back to the group as Harry saw it was her turn against the Winter Soldier himself as she stepped up to pick up the ball, carefully leaning over so her face was close to his.
"Good luck Sergeant." She whispered in his ear before standing up and walking over to the lane, throwing her ball she held her breath turning round not wanting to see what her score was, she saw the girls faces as they cheered, turning round she noticed all the pins sprawled out along the shiny floor, compared to Bucky's one lonely pin. Turning back to him she allowed herself to smirk as he glared at her.
"I thought you said you was bad at this." His glare never leaving his face as he reached into his pockets pulling out the 10 he owed her, handing it over to her as she smirked wider.
"Beginners luck I guess." She shrugged as he scoffed.
"Double or nothing?" He asked surprising her. Oh this was going to be so easy, like taking candy from a baby she thought.
"Your on." She smirked shaking his hand again before returning to the girls to a round of high five's.
"What the hell frosty! You should have had that one in the bag! You better not be getting distracted!" Sam shouted at him as he scoffed. Sharon, Wanda and Maria all took their turns against Steve, Peter and Sam concluding the first round with one point in front the girls were losing. "It's like you wanna clean my boots." Sam smirked at Natasha who offered him a steely glare in response. Pepper and Natasha went again, this time both of them scoring higher then their male counterparts as they seemed to get back on track.
"Come on Harry, same as last time." Wanda told her as she rubbed her shoulders. Laughing she stepped up grabbing the same ball as last time, this time completely ignoring Bucky and throwing just like she did before. Once again she got a strike whilst Bucky had two pins remaining. Hiding in her laugh as she saw his fists clench when he noticed he'd lost to her again.
"You're getting worse man!" Steve shouted as Harry laughed.
"Forgot to mention I was a champion bowler back in England." She laughed as he slide her winnings into her back pocket of her tight jeans. "Maybe the stake isn't high enough for you." She shrugged walking back to the girls, her hips wiggling a little more than normal for his benefit. They finished the second round before Natasha announced that she needed another drink. "I'll go I mean after all I have just made some extra cash." She smirked directing a wink in Bucky's direction who just rolled his eyes.
"I'll help." He spoke out following Harry out of the booth and to the bar.

They reached the bar and quickly read out the order of what everyone was drinking. "You look good by the way. I meant to tell you that when I first saw you, but, everyone is watching us." He laughed a nervous laugh as she blushed.
"It's okay Bucky, but thank you. You don't look so bad yourself. Navy really is your colour." She laughed with a quick bit of her lip.
"I thought it might have distracted you enough for us too win but obviously not. I never thought you would be this competitive." He laughed as she blushed even more.
"I always have been." She shrugged nudging him.
"I think you were right. The stakes aren't high enough for me to win. How about we up them?" He suggested with that cheeky smirk Harry was getting so used to seeing now. Bucky choose his moment carefully, waiting until the barmaid was placing the drinks down on the tray in front of Harry when he leaned into whisper into her ear his stakes. He saw her cheeks flare up impossibly red as his confidence grew with his suggestion, her grip on the bar got tighter and she was biting her lip to the point he was sure it was about to bleed. He made sure to drags his soft lips against her ear for added effect.
"Oh you are so going to lose. I mean I'm going to destroy you." She told him staring up at him with her big blue eyes. Just as he hoped her took her competitive streak a notch higher as she held her hand out for a third time for him to shake as he smirked down at her having no intention of losing this time around. He paid the barmaid who had finished setting all the drinks down on to two trays, picking up the heavier one he started to walk off but not before giving Harry a quick kiss away from the group.

The rest of the game went painfully slow for Harry, who was nowhere near enjoying it as much as she did before their stupid bet. Throw after throw Bucky was matching or even beating her as her game slipped. "What happened when you went to the bar?" Wanda asked whilst Peter was throwing his ball. All night the two youngest members of the group had spent talking about teenage stuff only stopping when it was their turn for their team.
"Nothing, I've got this I promise." Harry shook her head ignoring Natasha's suspicious glance.
"You made another bet didn't you?" She asked as Harry shook her head.
"Honestly, I've got this. How many between him and me?" She asked taking a mouthful of drink as Maria told her there was three points between them. "Okay I got this." Harry spoke out stretching her arms as she made her way to the line of balls, picking her usual one up and taking a steady breath.
"Whatever you did Barnes it worked." Sam told him as Bucky smirked watching the girl he loved trying to calm her nervous enough to throw the ball. He quickly stepped up grabbing the green ball he used and took his place at the end of his lane, looking over at Harry and winking. She let out a little growl that was supposed to be intimidating, but, just made Bucky chuckle. He threw his ball just before she did and he was certain this was going to be a strike, so certain in fact that he'd turned round with a smirk in her direction getting ready to cheer, only turning back around when he heard the familiar crash of pins. It was at that point when he noticed that it wasn't his pins that had caused the crash, but, the innocent looking doctor's who looked equally as stunned as him.
"You did it doc!" Screamed Natasha as all the girls ran over to her surrounding her in a big hug, jumping up and down. "They can get three strikes in a row and can't beat us!" Natasha shouted out, the excitement taking over as all the girls set off laughing, all the other lanes looking in the direction of all the commotion. The guys sat down with their heads held low as they knew whatever forfeit they had to endure would be terrible. They all stayed a little longer, sitting in the bar area, the guys having to endure the girls throwing equally horrible ideas about how they could make them suffer. A few drinks later and they were all sorting out who was going where; Steve, Sharon, Sam, Natasha and Bruce had said they were going back to the tower, whilst Tony and Pepper were going back to their house. Bucky said he was going back to his apartment with Harry, however, the biggest surprise of the night was Wanda quietly saying she was going to go back to Peter's for a while.
"Listen here Parker, you better get her back in one piece by ten tomorrow morning understood?" Sam warned him with a playful smirk.
"Uh yeah.. yeah of course." He nodded nervously as Wanda punched Sam's arm with all her strength.
"He's showing me work you ass." She commented as Sam nodded knowingly, quickly indicating to Peter he was watching him as they walked off towards the direction of Peter's.
"Night guys." Harry spoke when they were all leaving giving everyone a quick hug whilst Bucky promised to be back at the tower in time for their meeting in the morning.

It was the morning after bowling and Harry woke up to an empty bed. Looking at the flashing red lights of the alarm clock she noticed it was 09:30, biting her lip she felt the side of the bed she was sure Bucky fell asleep on last night noticing it was still slightly warm. Frowning she quickly grabbed a shirt that she found laying over her desk chair, sliding it over her head she noticed it was the one that Bucky had given her when she had broke her ribs. Smiling slightly she walked into the kitchen expecting to find a note or something off Bucky telling her he had to leave for the meeting he talked about the night before, but, that wasn't the case. Instead she heard the familiar sound of Foo Fighters filling her kitchen and a very naked Bucky moving around near the cooker as she held in her laugh. "Um morning." She let out softly along with a chuckle as he turned round, flour on his cheeks and forehead and a black bow tie round his neck were the only things he wore.
"Thought I'd pay up on that bet. Nicely played Doctor." He told her walking over and placing the plate of pancakes and syrup down in front her. He put the can of whipped cream next to the plate.
"Just note, you just started a war." He whispered over the breakfast counter as she chuckled, squealing when she felt the cold cream on her nose.

Notes