Come As You Are

They reached the street in time to see her enter the luxury hotel with a quick look over her shoulder. The kept themselves at a safe distance making sure not to get caught as they noted the elevator floor number it had stopped on before going up the stairs to the 4th floor. Looking up and down the corridor Bucky was about to suggest they take a side each, however, he heard her voice clear as day as the door closed. They both made their way to 8th door to the left, their stealth training coming in usefulness as they stood either side of the door.
“Here.” They heard Nina say with a firm voice. “I said the last time I helped you that that would be it now look what you got me into!” Her voice raised a little as her anger came out. “I’m practically in a relationship with a bloody HYDRA terrorist.” She laughed at the unbelievable situation she was in. “I was happy plodding along with life taking things and playing games with those who deserved it, but, this is just ridiculous!” She shouted as the two agents heard what sounded like chair scraping back as Nina sat on it. “You just gonna stand there in silence? Nothing? Nada?” She asked with a deep sigh. “You know if he finds out about this I’m dead. You saw what they did to Rodgers” she paused before adding “what he helped do to Barnes! Fuck I’m just a puny human in comparison to them.” Bucky once again heard the panic in her voice as she mentioned his name, his gaze falling on Natasha who shrugged.
“Rodgers what’s he said about him? Is Steve safe?” The familiar voice rang out in the room, Natasha instantly recognised it.
“I’ve said I’ll deal with Rodgers, that he’d had two cracks and failed. At some point you’re going to have to get me access to him.” She told Captain America’s friend.
“That’s fine. I’ll get you on the next Stark Foundations party and take it from there.”
“Yeah that’s not going to work. Valliant’s Auction I kinda met Bucky Barnes.” She blushed her next statement coming out before her acquaintance could say anything else. “And then I met him on a personal level before. He kinda saw I had a meeting with Rumlow, he and Natasha rocked up to café. So he probably thinks I’m a terrorist’s girlfriend as well so don’t think me meeting Steve whilst his bestie is there is going to work.” She bit her lip. “Besides I would hate him to think I’d played him in any way, or, that I’m a bigger slut than he probably already thinks.” She added her hands twisting in her lap.
“Oh my god you like him!” The voice shouted out before laughing. “Don’t worry when we have Rumlow I’ll come clean to Frosty, try and play matchmaker.” He laughed more before they heard a thud and an ouch before the chair scraped again.
“Oh the waitress at Coffee Barn will be thanking you soon for your kind donation of your car.” She smiled over at the billionaire before swinging the door open to see the two members of the Avengers team staring guiltily back at her.

“Stark.” Natasha spoke out.
“Romanoff.” Tony spoke the same time as Natasha did. Nina and Bucky doing the same as they all stared at each other. The uncomfortable silence filled the little space between the four of them as each couple was waiting for the other to explain.
“Well looks like you have a big meeting planned so I’ll leave you all to it.” Nina laughed out side stepping past Bucky whose hand grabbed her bicep stopping her as she rolled her eyes. She turned her head to look at him with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. “Yes Sergeant?” Her smirk growing because she knew what effect calling him that had on his body.
“I’ll take you home.” He gave her that demanding tone that she was so helpless to defy. She stared at him for a moment longer before giving him a ‘as you wish’ and starting off down the corridor, Bucky’s arm wrapped around her waist preventing her from going anywhere he didn’t want her too.
“You have a lot of explaining to do Stark. Secret missions? Remember last time you created a murder robot?” She eyed him knowing Steve was going to freak out.
“I know, want to come in and I’ll confess to everything?” He asked as Natasha nodded entering the room behind him. “Rumlow popped back up on the radar and knowing how his death affected Steve I’m taking care of it so he doesn’t need to know.” Tony told her truthfully. “I met Nina at one of my parties and she made me a wager. Said she could steal the Iron Man helmet without getting caught. Me being the arrogant guy I once was accepted her bet. Well she did, sent it back to me two days later along with a return address for her money. Since then she’s been a helpful asset when I’ve needed something doing. She’s unknown and the reason I didn’t share I knew her because we all know Mr Moral High ground himself wouldn’t have been happy. She’s harmless, I promise. She has a way to captivate anyone and she’s believable when doing it. Sound familiar?” Tony asked as Natasha glared at him.
“She hurts our newly reconciled team and I will kill her.” Natasha warned him as he nodded.

Bucky flagged down a cab as Nina stood there in silence wanting nothing more than to crawl into her bed and sleep the rest of the night away. She couldn’t believe how much had happened in one day and she was sure there was more to come. Opening the taxi door Bucky nudged her from her thoughts to indicate to get in, climbing in she slid across to allow Bucky space to get in. She told the driver her address before sitting back and looking out of the window, much like Bucky had done back in the car with Natasha. Something felt weird for Bucky; gone was the flirty girl from this morning instead a quiet and troubled one sat in her place. “I’m sorry.” He broke the silence once the driver had closed the screen. Her head tilted to the side to look at him with a questioning eyebrow. “For pinning you to the wall back at the motel.” He whispered, “Did I hurt you?” He didn’t want to know the answer, he would hate himself if he had.
“No.” She told him truthfully, “Besides I’ve had worse.” She smiled a plain smile at him turning her attention back to the window for a split second until he put his hand on her knee. She caught his gaze and realised there was nothing sexual in the touch; just reassurance.
“So Tony is your employer?” He asked as she shook her head no.
“Employers pay, he doesn’t.” She laughed and there was the Nina he’d known for the short space of time. “I do it because he’s a friend. I wasn’t lying when I said Rumlow and I go way back; I knew him before I knew he was HYDRA.” She whispered. “He was my brothers friend.” Bucky nodded biting his lip.
“Your brother” he started, but she stopped him with one simple sentence.
“Yeah he was.” She looked down at her lap as she felt the tears rise to her eyes from his betrayal.
“Hey.” Bucky whispered to get her attention, when words failed he took her cheeks in is hands carefully turning her to face him, her eyes watery as she glanced into his blue orbs; he pulled her to him giving her a soft innocent kiss.
“19.40 please.” The cab driver spoke out as causing them to pull away, Nina searching her pocket for some money – Bucky already taking care of it.
“Are you going to invite me in?” He asked with a smile as she laughed shaking her head.
“That might not be the best idea.” She looked up at him about to explain why when the door opened and out came a kid about 10.
“Your home.” He ran to her causing her to nod and hug him tightly, even though Nina was older Bucky noticed how the kid was almost as tall as her as he too held her tightly in his arms. He saw the older one slip something into the jacket pocket of the boy’s pocket as she nodded. “You know I can feel when you do that now right?” He asked as she chuckled. “You’ve brought a friend? Does he work with you?” The guy asked looking over her shoulder at Bucky, his eyes going wide and his jaw even wider. “That’s Bucky Barnes.” The awe-struck kid spoke in disbelief and for the first-time Bucky blushed.

Notes