After the drama from the last tenant, Steve was happy to hear that he would have a new neighbour move in down the hall. What he was not prepared for however was him to be so ridiculously hot.

He was on the phone negotiating with Natasha when he first encountered the knee-weakening stranger. "Yeah it's on Wednesday Nat, can't Clint go some other time?" He pressed the button to call the elevator down and settled in for a speech from Nat he knew would convince him to reschedule the large gathering he had planned for the following week.

"No Steve you know he's a major dork with these things and the carnivals only in town for the one night. He's already bought the tickets and everything!" Steve's lack of response at first assured Natasha that she had won however when he continued to fail to reply she grew worried. What she couldn't see was the tall brunette awaiting Steve on the elevator; he was standing against the right wall talking quickly into a phone in what Steve assumed to be Russian, having heard Nat speak it a couple of times.

"Holy crap Nat I'm in love" Steve blurted, not worried about the stranger overhearing as he seemed really into his conversation. "What? You're not making any sense." But that was all Steve could say as he quickly pressed his floor button and positioned himself in the corner of the elevator.

"Steve! Hello!" brought Steve out of his silent marvelling of the attractive stranger.

"Sorry Nat there's a guy on here that is ridiculously hot."

"Wow wait to be upfront to someone you just met, you realise he probably heard that?"

"Nah, he's talking is some different language, Russian, I think. I'm safe." Or rather Steve prayed he was as the unnamed hottie was throwing a smirk in his direction. 'Jesus Steve, look away, look away!' His voice screamed. "Anyway, I doubt I'll see him again, no one's that lucky, eh?"

"Steve did you say Russian? Hold the mic towards them" Steve was at first perplexed but did as instructed and angled the phone horizontally facing him, trying to be as discreet as possible as he was still throwing amused looks his way.

Nat worked at the foreign affairs department of Stark industries, doesn't sound that exciting but she could curse you out in about eight different languages in one breath. The owner of the company, Tony Stark, was good friends with both of them and trusted Nat explicitly to be his right hand on all international contracts. She had fit in immediately, not needing to go back to Tony to discuss terms for settling tough deals and knew how to handle herself in the business world. He drew the phone back however when he heard a laugh from the receiver.

"Nat? What's wrong? What are they saying?"

"Nothing, just talking about the weather and wondering why some weirdo is staring at him."

"Oh my god no please tell me you're kidding."

"Of course I am Steve, they're talking about some work plans."

"Why do you do this to me, you know I can't tell when your joking when you go all serious-impending-doom."

"Because you're the most gullible person I know"

"Hey!"

"Don't like the answers, don't ask the questions."

"Alright this is my stop, I'll tell everyone we'll do it Thursday instead."

"Yay thanks Steve, Clint is gonna love you for this."

"Yeah yeah just make sure everyone's okay for Thursday"

"Aye aye Cap, I'm on it."

As Steve emerged from the elevator he was startled to find the unknown cutie had followed him out. Thrilled and a little concerned Steve smiled politely to him which was returned with some mirth and quickly paced to his apartment door, noting the strangers trek to the recently occupied apartment. 'Maybe I am that lucky'

Steve quickly got to his work bench and worked on completing his assignments from work, more advertisement designs, and pondered what his new neighbour was doing. This continued in the following weeks, Steve would be minding his own business when bam! He was unable to function further than staring and weakly returning the amused smiles that were thrown his way. 'He must think I'm some pathetic idiot, staring after him all the time.'

He wasn't proud to admit it but when he was in proximity to the stranger, whether it be in the elevator, halls or reception he would just happen to NEED to phone Nat right that instant and immediately gush about hi, he felt like a teenage girl. After a while this became routine and Nat wouldn't even try to cut him off, knowing Steve had no other outlet he trusted as much as her. She even grew to ask questions and encourage Steve's flow of admiration, though she too was not proud of her actions given the small detail she had left out in their first conversation about the stranger.

On the morning marking the three week anniversary of their meeting Steve had given up hope, he knew that a relationship would never work when they both spoke different languages and one couldn't even work up the guts to approach the other even despite this. When he entered the elevator he was alone and his heart sank, until a hand jutted out and grabbed the doors just before they were about to close. Steve jumped for the open button to aid the unknown hand and when his crush was revealed blood raised amongst his cheeks. The stranger strolled in, standing himself about a foot from Steve. They rode in silence down the floors and Steve couldn't move, this was the closest he'd ever been to the man. He noticed the height he had on him, about a foot, and the lazy bun raked onto his head, He was wearing a loose t-shirt and joggers, the opposite of Steve's neat attire but he was a sight to be beheld nevertheless.

As the doors dragged themselves open the man turned to Steve and winked playfully. He then smiled "Thanks" he spoke with a faint Brooklyn accent and strolled straight through the lobby to the street outside. Steve was horrified.

The whole day he spent distracted at work going over every incriminating thing he had ever said to Nat in front of his now clearly not-Russian neighbour. Betrayal and humiliation were the final outcomes of this activity as Nat had listened in multiple times to his conversations and never told him he was aware of what Steve was saying. He could hate her right now if it weren't for that second feeling. The one that made him want to crumple into a ball and never return to his apartment building again, he was so embarrassed he didn't think he could ever face the stranger again. In his lunch he ran outside quickly and called his traitorous friend.

"Heya what's going on?"

"The gigs up! I know he speaks English." Needing no more prompting Nat began to laugh down the receiver.

"Alright you caught me, he knows what you've been saying. He's actually here right now; say hey!" A quiet voice could be heard moaning at Nat "Awwh come on Barnes, you told me you liked him earlier!" Despite this betrayal, a slight blush crept onto Steve's face.

"So what, did you set me up? This isn't funny Nat now I have to move so I never have to face this."

"No I never 'set you up' it's a funny story actually Steve."

"I can assure you, from where I'm standing, this isn't funny"

"Okay so it may not be funny 'haha' but it is funny see, James actually works over at Stark with me."

"I'm not seeing the funny here Nat."

"When you first saw him, he was discussing a private business deal, we're very confidential with the details so I have everyone speak in a different language and even then to be brief as to avoid sensitive information being leaked. I heard ol' Barnesy boy talking about one of our deals and the rest is history."

"You never thought to tell me? He probably thinks I'm some creep now. Oh god."

"Well the first time I was debating it and then I talked to James the next day and he thought it was adorably hilarious so we figured we'd let you have your say and you did indeed."

"What the hell Nat."

"Don't worry, if it's any conciliation, he thinks you're pretty gorgeous too." He heard a cry from the back of Nat's line and was again blushing profusely. "Alright Steve it was greet catching up but we got some work to do here." The line was dead before he could utter a reply.

Returning home that night was an anxious affair. Steve knew, from his daily routine that the stranger – James - would be returning at around this time and so he was debating stopping at the coffee shop around the corner from his apartment building for an hour to avoid him. He quickly dismissed this idea though, he was an adult with a job and his own apartment, he could face a man for one short elevator ride.

This confidence depleted the instant his eyes made contact with the shape of a man standing outside the elevator looking down at his shoes. 'Oh please no' As he made his reluctant approach, James raised his head to greet Steve, their eyes met and an apologetic smile graced James' face. Steve tried to ignore him and continue, but he had positioned himself in front of the call button.

"Hey" James spoke weakly.

"What do you want?" Steve asked desperately eyes looking everywhere but at him, wishing to not have to talk to him right now.

"To apologise, what we did was pretty shitty."

"You could say that again."

"What we did was pretty shitty." A chuckle had escaped Steve before he could stop it but he steeled his features and his eyes met James' once again. "Look, I know you probably hate me a little bit and I don't blame you, you must feel humiliated, I just wanted to say sorry."

"It's alright, you must think I'm some pathetic idiot."

"Well, how about you give me a reason not to, I know a coffee place not far from here if you're not busy?" Steve thought about it for a minute, he had an assignment due next month which he was pretty much finished, what's to lose?

"Sure James."

"Oh no, you get to call me Bucky." He winked again at Steve and began to lead him out. "You coming?"