The party starts without her.

Wanda doesn't notice. She's far too busy gazing out at the city lights sparkling in the dark. She doesn't remember when that happened, when the pretty blue sky grew dark and the sun faded. She's swept up in the night now, so distracted by tiny stars and thoughts of Bucky that she forgets where she should be.

It feels like it must be hours later when he finds her. His voice startles her, for a moment anyway. It's so quiet up here on the rooftop, and she's spent so long swept up in the city, that the noise surprises her. She doesn't jump at the sound of his voice, but she is pulled away from her thoughts and snapped back to the present.

Back to Clint.

"It's one hell of a view up here, huh?"

She doesn't need to turn around to know that it's him. Wanda stares quietly ahead, half-distracted by the city, and waits for Clint to join her. She smiles when he does and he smiles back, slowly following her gaze out to the city. He says nothing for a minute, even though there's clearly something on his mind, and then he speaks.

"Nice place to hide, too."

Wanda rubs at her arms, the night air cool on her skin.

"I'm not hiding, I was thinking."

"Yeah? There enough room up here for both of us?" he asks, then smiles. "Or should I take the wine back downstairs?"

Only then does she notice the two glasses in his hand. That, and the packet of crumpled cigarettes tucked into the pocket of his shirt. Wanda smiles again, feels like she means it more this time, and swipes the cigarettes from Clint's shirt before he can stop her. She's more than a little surprised when he doesn't stop her, instead offering her a light.

She lifts an eyebrow, curious, but says nothing for now.

Clint moves closer, places the wine on a nearby ledge, and tucks his hands into the pockets of his jacket. Wanda waits, expecting him to say something. She knows that she's late, was distantly aware of the party starting while she was dreaming. She didn't mean to be so late, or to spend so long in the secret little garden with her mind circling around thoughts. She just needed a minute.

"Thought you were trying to quit?" he asks.

Wanda shrugs and exhales smoke. She's tried to quit many times. She always fails, but so does he. She offers Clint a look now, he reads it easily and smiles back at her, warm and familiar. He's trying, too. Just like she is. She thinks maybe this is why he's here now, giving her wine and cigarettes instead of a lecture. Maybe he knows what she's going through, or maybe he doesn't and he's just here with wine and cigarettes.

"Am I late?" Wanda pauses. "Is everyone here?"

"Yeah, they're here. But you're alright. It's still early."

She laughs, or she wants to but it fades away. Wanda knows that she's late, she just doesn't know how it happened, or why she let herself stay up here for so long. She remembers wanting to go, to follow Pietro downstairs and join the party. She wanted to be there, she still does, but her thoughts were comforting.

And it was so easy to stay here, to be alone in the quiet, even when she wanted to be with them. Wanda still wants that now, she always has. It's just that dinners and parties aren't really her thing; she's not very good at small talk, has never been great with people, and it's been so long. But there's a part of her that still wants to try anyway.

"You ready?" he asks, a while later.

Wanda isn't sure how long it's been, seconds or minutes, she can't be sure. She nods, stubs out what's left of her cigarette, and follows Clint back to the elevator. It's quiet inside, a quick ride to the apartment. She feels nervous again. Her fingers twitch for the rest of her cigarette, or maybe the glass of red wine she left up on the rooftop, but she leaves it behind.

The loft is flowing with music and noise by the time they walk in. Clint leads the way and Wanda follows, willing herself to just breathe as they step out of the bright hallway and into the spacious apartment. Her gaze sweeps quickly across the busy room and she takes it all in, thinks that she might recognize a few faces in the crowd. Steve, Natasha, maybe Sam and—

And the room blurs.

Lucky Barton tackles her to the ground. She doesn't see him coming, just feels him against her when he sends her flying over. It can't have been more than an hour since she last saw the sweet pup, yet he still knocks her off her feet like it's been years since they last saw each other. She still smiles, even after he knocks her over.

The golden lab jumps excitedly at Wanda, licking all over her arms and face. She laughs and scratches gently behind his ear. He licks her once more then runs off to the kitchen for a treat. She watches him go, feels a hand on her shoulder that she doesn't recognize and looks up. She finds Natasha standing there, a soft smile on her face and a hand stretched out. She takes it and stands slowly.

"Wanda, hi." Nat smiles, hugging her gently. "It's great to see you again. Cute dress."

She smiles back and stays close to the redhead. It feels better now, somehow, just knowing that Natasha is here. Maybe she doesn't know her yet, not really, but it feels like she does and right now that's enough. Nat seems to understand, at least in her own way she does, and she gives Wanda's shoulder a light but comforting squeeze.

"I'm making special martinis. Top secret recipe. Want one?"

Wanda nods and smiles back, certain that a martini could only make her feel better. She lets Natasha go after that, watching her walk over to a counter in the kitchen where Pietro seems to already be making special drinks of his own. She watches the two of them fondly, only noticing now just how familiar they are with each other.

She forgets sometimes that Pietro has a life outside of theirs. A new life with new people, good people, that she wants to get to know tonight. She hasn't been a part of this life until now but she wants to try. Wanda looks back at the loft again, glancing out at the familiar faces in the crowd. There's Steve, Bucky, Sharon, and Sam.

And Bucky.

It takes a minute for it to sink in. She finds him over by the stereo, searching through a stack of CD's like he's looking for the right one. He must find it because he smiles to himself, pops the disc in, and takes a step back as it starts to play. Wanda listens for a moment, doesn't recognize the song but decides that she still likes it.

Her smile grows bigger as she watches Bucky softly hum along to the music. Then he turns from the stereo and looks up to find Wanda standing there, watching him across the crowded loft. She watches the realization hit him. It's a bit of a surprise, at first, and then it fades and turns into something else. Something much softer and familiar. Wanda can't be certain, thinks that he might look glad to see her, maybe even happy.

She doesn't dwell on it, she doesn't have time before Pietro is there. He gives her a tight, warm squeeze and plants a kiss on her cheek. Then he sends her off with Clint to meet their friends. She's a little overwhelmed; there are a lot of hellos and introductions, even though she knows almost everyone here tonight.

Most of them know her, or they've heard stories. Good things, she hopes, and smiles her way through it. She's not sure why but it feels mostly easy, or at least not quite as awkward as she imagined it would be. She meets Scott Lang, again. He's kind and sweet, just like the first night they met. They talk for a minute, about the party, his text messages, and getting coffee next week.

She agrees, catches an odd look on Clint's face, and then they're off again to meet more people. Her mind drifts to Bucky and she manages to catch a glimpse of him over her shoulder. He's standing with Sam and Steve now, looking distracted like he's only half-listening to whatever Steve is saying. His face is hard to read, always is, but she gets the feeling that his mind is somewhere else.

Wanda only gets one more glimpse before Clint guides her over to Maria and Sharon. They haven't met before tonight, but Wanda has seen Sharon and she's heard about both of them. And they've heard about her, too. She likes them both, she quickly realizes, after a minute of talking with the ladies and laughing about old stories.

She likes it here and wants to stay but Clint is there a minute later, swiftly pulling her away to meet more of his friends. Wanda doesn't really mind, she still can't help but wonder if he's trying too hard to make sure that they like her. She wishes she could tell him that it's okay, that he doesn't have to try so hard and he should just relax. But she's not sure he'd hear her even if she did.

This time Clint walks her over to Lucky, who is sitting at the feet of two more faces she doesn't know. The man playing with Lucky has curly black hair, thick glasses, and a very kind smile. She smiles back, not sure what it is about him that just that feels so calm. The other man is much different. He's very tall, and big, and golden. She wonders if he might be Thor and quickly learns that she's right—not because he introduces himself, no he doesn't have a chance before Clint steps up.

And makes things weird.

"Wanda, hey. So this is Thor. I told you all about him before, remember?" he smiles. "Thor, this is Wanda. I mentioned her the other day. She's an artist, she works at a bar. She likes nature, long walks, and hiking. She's a go get it kinda girl."

Her smile fades when she realizes what Clint is doing. That his joke from earlier wasn't really just a joke and he's trying to set her up with someone. And, oh, that's what that look was for. His little frown, when she agreed to coffee with Scott. He has a girlfriend, and maybe Clint wasn't sure that Wanda knew that, and so maybe now he's trying to set her up with someone else.

She opens her mouth to answer, finds that her thoughts drift to Bucky. Wanda doesn't look at him yet though, she stays where she is, her gaze stuck nervously on Lucky for the longest minute. She doesn't care that it's so quiet between them now, or that she hasn't said anything yet. She lets it stay that way long enough for Clint to know that she isn't interested in being set up with anyone.

Then she turns to Thor and Bruce.

"It's nice to meet you both." she smiles, and means it.

They both smile back at her, so friendly and warm that she knows they didn't realize what Clint was trying to do. He seems to understand his mistake now and stays quiet by Wanda's side, his smile there but much smaller now. She doesn't let herself think about it and decides to talk to Clint in the morning, so he knows not to do this again.

Wanda quickly moves on. She shakes Bruce's hand and then Thor's. His grip is warm like his smile and she finds herself liking both of them already. She's certain she would feel much more comfortable if Clint weren't still here, lingering quietly by her side, but she doesn't let herself dwell on it and forces herself to think about it later.

"And it's nice to meet you, Wanda. I've heard many stories." Thor says, with a chuckle. "From your brother and Barton. Your brother is very good at telling stories. I should like to talk to you about them later. Would you like some ale?"

She nods and smiles. "Maybe later?"

Thor laughs, and nods, and after that Wanda doesn't quite know what to say. With Clint there by her side, she's a little worried that he might read the signs wrong again. Wanda wants to walk away now, find Natasha and drink martinis, maybe even talk with her brother. And she wants to see Bucky. She remembers him now, turns over her shoulder and catches a glimpse of him standing nearby with his friends.

His gaze is close, a softness in it. She lets herself look at him, lingering for a moment; his red t-shirt is familiar, so are the black jeans that he's wearing tonight. His hair is different though, looks like he might have combed it a few times, tried to make it look nice. She wants to tell him that it always looks nice, that he always does.

Wanda smiles and looks back at Clint. He's still by her side, expression gentler now, almost regretful as if he wants to let her know he's sorry for his mistake. I know, she thinks, and will tell him later, because she does know what he was trying to do. He just cares about her so much, he wants her to be happy, and so he often thinks he knows what she needs.

She's a little lost tonight, in a room of strangers. He just wants her to be comfortable, and to find someone to share her life with. Wanda loves that he wants that for her and she appreciates that he cares. But when she's ready, she will find that person. She doesn't need Clint's help with it and she decides that she might step away with him now, have a quiet talk and put it behind them.

But she doesn't get the chance.

"Hey, Barton. Don't forget about us."

Slowly she turns to find Sam standing there with Steve and Bucky. He looks amused, almost. She isn't sure why at first, and then she realizes that he knows what Clint was trying to do. She quickly looks away and over to Steve. His face is soft, his smile big and warm, and she's certain that he didn't notice anything because he's just so happy to be here.

And then there's Bucky.

He's always difficult to read, so she only picks up on a few things. His shoulders seem tense, his jaw is clenched tight, and there's that cloudy look back in his eyes that she can never read. Bucky looks annoyed, or maybe he's just awkward like she is. Wanda can't be certain though so she doesn't let herself think about what might be going on with him. She focuses on getting through this conversation until Nat gets here.

She could really use a martini right now.

"Do we all get introductions tonight?" Sam lifts an eyebrow.

"Ha," Clint half-laughs, half-coughs. "Good one."

Wanda inhales and looks over at Bucky again. He's not relaxed anymore, not like when he was smiling to himself by the stereo. She thinks of that moment and then back to that night in her bedroom. The night they kissed, and laughed, and talked for hours in the dark. It feels so strange, so wrong, to see him this tense and quiet now, his smile faded away. She doesn't want to get too swept up in it, how different and faraway he seems now.

But she can't stop herself from thinking about it.

"I wasn't kidding, man."

Clint half-smiles, still not sure if Sam is joking or not.

"Yeah? Really? Sure, alright." he turns to Wanda. "I'm pretty sure you remember these jerks. Jerks, this is Wanda—"

"Oh, no. Do it right, man. Like before." Sam insists, smiling. "I'm Sam, 35, a Libra. I do yoga, mountain biking, and tennis."

There's a pause, it feels like it stretches on for hours. Wanda seems to be the only one to notice, though she's certain that Clint feels far more awkward now than she does so there's that. She exhales quietly and looks over her shoulder again, searching the room for Natasha. She finds the redhead still over by the counter, talking quietly with Scott and Maria. Wanda doesn't mind that the drinks aren't ready yet, she just feels like she could really use one right now.

"And my boy James is 31. He likes badminton, long walks by the water, and dancing." Sam smiles, claps a hand to Bucky's shoulder. "And then we've got Cap, who is about 99—"

"Okay, okay. I get it. We get it, okay?" Clint sighs, hands raised. "I got it, alright? I'm gonna go check on dinner."

Wanda lets out a breath, feels the relief hit her in waves. She exhales gently, feels much better that this part of the night is over. She hopes that things might be just a little less awkward from here, though with her luck she doubts it. But it helps for a minute when she lets herself think about Bucky dancing, taking long walks by the water, and playing badminton. She's not even sure what it is but smiles at the picture that pops into her head.

And then she's pulled back to reality again.

"Yeah, good idea. Go check dinner." Sam calls back. "Or I think red here might kill you if you hang around."

Bucky hears it first. His eyes grow wide with realization, and then it clicks. She feels her smile fall, she can't stop it, can't pretend that it doesn't mean anything. Red? She wants to know how he knows, or why. Wanda looks up at Bucky, hoping to find something there. She's not sure what she's looking for, answers or maybe reassurance, but when she looks there's not much there.

"I'm sorry? Red?" Clint frowns.

Sam just shrugs at first, his smile much smaller. He seems different now, as if he's only now aware of Bucky standing there, can feel the tensing running off him in waves. Bucky's smile is gone now too, not that it was ever really there, and he seems to be avoiding her gaze like he's worried that if he looks it will be obvious.

She's worried it might be too late for that.

"The dress, that's all." Sam answers, or stammers, a minute later. "Red dress, you know. It's red. So, yeah."

Clint hangs around, can't quite work out if Sam is being serious, or if it's a joke that he's missing out on. He must decide that he doesn't care enough and walks away with an uncertain smile. After he's gone, it feels like time stretches on (and on, and on) and then Steve turns to Wanda with a soft smile that makes her feel better again.

"Nice to see you tonight, Wanda." he walks closer. "I'm a little surprised you're here. I wasn't sure..Well, I mean."

"It isn't really my thing?"

"Yeah, sure. But it's nice sometimes, isn't it?" Steve smiles. "Trying new things, putting yourself out there. It can be pretty rewarding. Don't you think?"

Wanda scrunches her nose and smiles a little, almost says maybe, almost says yes. She can't be sure, can't really remember the last time she put herself out there, or let herself take a chance on someone new. It doesn't take her very long to realize who it was for, who she last let in and took that chance on. It was Bucky, she realizes, and quickly looks back to Steve.

"I think that's what Clint was doing," Wanda says, slowly frowning. "Or what he...Tried to do."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much. Thor probably just thought Clint was being nice." Steve assures her. "Thor's great, but he just got out of something. So I don't think you have anything to worry about."

Then Steve stops, can't quite work out what to say.

"That is, if you were worried. Or if you weren't that's fine."

Wanda nods, can't really find the words. She manages a smile, just to let Steve know that everything's fine and they really don't have to talk about this. He quickly understands and she realizes just how aware he is of what happened earlier, of everything. He just didn't want to make it obvious at the time and she appreciates that more than she can say.

"Yeah, but Thor's great. Isn't he?" Sam says, turns to Bucky. "He's just a great, really big, good guy. Right?"

Bucky hums, half-smiles. "Yeah, sure. Thor's great."

"He's just the best," Sam smiles, gives his shoulder a pat. "Isn't he, Buck? The best."

Wanda's quiet for a moment, uncertain. She looks to Steve, hoping he might help again. He straightens up and swiftly nods at her, in the most subtle and serious way, like he already knows what to do and how to help her out. She doesn't know why it's so comforting, or how Steve already seems to know her so well, but she still appreciates it.

"I'm gonna go see if Clint needs any help." Steve says, turns to Sam. "Wanna join me?"

Sam nods and pats Bucky's shoulder, more gently this time. Then he joins Steve's side, looking back at Bucky just once, like there's something secret and unspoken between them. He says nothing though, just smiles back at Wanda and Bucky before he walks away with Steve.

"You kids have fun."

Then he's gone, everyone is gone, and it's just the two of them. Wanda lets out a breath, looks up and finds Bucky there, much closer to her now. He's still hard to read but he seems softer, far less tense than he was just minutes ago. He's relaxed again, as if being with her has calmed his nerves.

It's the same for her. But first, she has questions. How does Sam know? She thinks that might be her first, that or maybe why does he know? Wanda wants to know why Sam would let it spill out, or why Bucky didn't really seem too surprised when he did. She doesn't ask him now though and decides to wait. He isn't ready to talk about it, she can see that, and even if he were she's not sure this is a good place to talk.

"Why does he always say that?" she asks instead. "He said it before, at the bar. Why does he always call us kids?"

"I don't know. Why does he say anything?" Bucky sighs, half-shrugging. "Most days, that man is a mystery to me."

Wanda smiles and looks away, nervous again.

"I'm surprised you're here.

He hums. "That mean you're happy to see me?"

"Yes, of course. It's always nice." she's quick to say, smiling. "Just a surprise, that's all. But a good one."

Bucky nods and smiles down at her, as if he's only now thinking about it; last night, the drinks and the music, kissing in the dark. He seems to relax more now and it makes her smile to see him like this. She reminds herself to ask him about his walk with Bruno later and takes a small step closer, feeling happy to be with him again.

"It was a last minute thing." he explains. "I wasn't expecting to see you here. But I'm glad you came."

Wanda smiles slowly, wishes she could say more.

Later, she decides, promises herself.

"I have to ask..Do you really play this badminton game?"

Bucky's grin quickly grows and he throws his head back with laughter. Wanda smiles and watches him fondly, distantly aware of how it makes her feel to be here with him, to see him laugh like this. She laughs with him and she doesn't let herself care what anyone else might think because he doesn't. He's too busy laughing at her to care what anyone might think.

"Oh, you're too cute. And honestly? I don't know what that one is." he admits, biting on his lower lip. "It's definitely the one with the goggles, right?"

Wanda shrugs. "You are the expert, aren't you?"

"Yeah, sure. That's right. Maybe I'll have to teach you how to play badminton." Bucky says, half-serious. "We can go a few rounds. I'll show you how terrible I am at it. Don't forget to bring your goggles. And water, so we stay hydrated."

Then Bucky winks at her, with his pretty blue eyes, and that sweet smile—and she knows that he's just joking, that he's being playful, but her cheeks still flush with warmth. She quickly drops her gaze and begins to fidget with the rings on her fingers, pretending that she isn't so aware of his gaze, how curious it is and how it lingers.

She says nothing for the moment, silently stuck on that smile and his playful wink. And then they're interrupted. Wanda doesn't mind and smiles when Natasha joins her side. Her top-secret martinis look delicious and she could really use a drink after all of that. Wanda eagerly takes one of the glasses, drinks a sip, and already feels better.

"Wanda, I have to show you this picture of Clint when his hair—" Nat stops, pauses. "I'm interrupting, aren't I? I'm sorry, but Wanda and I need some girl time. You don't mind, do you?"

"What, I don't get to come?" Bucky pouts, pretends to frown. "That's lame. I'm disappointed."

"Okay, Barnes. Let's not pretend that you don't love girls night." Natasha's quick to say. "Maybe I should show tell Wanda about the face masks, glitter, and—"

"See ya, Romanoff."

He spins around quickly, ends up over at a table of drinks by the stereo. Wanda only gets a glimpse of him before Nat tugs her over to the couch. Sharon and Maria are already huddled together there, looking through an old album of photographs and smiling. She settles in next to Nat and quickly looks back at Bucky, only to find that he's already watching her. He flashes her a quick smile and a wink that makes her chest twist with butterflies, again.

She spends the next hour thinking about it.

The night skips by to 8'oclock.

Pietro burns dinner, or that's the story Clint tells them. They argue in the kitchen, and dinner is late, but Nat steps in to help and dinner gets back on track. Wanda doesn't mind. She slept in late, was too hungover to eat much, so she's a little hungry but mostly she's happy. And maybe she's just a little drunk, too.

It's been a good night, so easy and fun. So breezy, as Clint might say, and she's had so much fun; sitting and talking with the girls, listening to Thor's wild stories, and playing ball with Bruce and Lucky. She's still surprised by how much fun she's had. Wanda smiles to herself, slips away from the conversation, and decides to get herself a new drink.

The loft is quieter now, everyone scattered on couches and in corners, chatting softly while they wait for dinner. Wanda ends up at the stereo, flicking through the stack of CD's. She doesn't recognize the song playing but she's not really listening, her mind foggy with thoughts. And vodka. That's probably why it takes her so long to hear it.

"So. You and Barnes, huh?"

Wanda jumps, startled. The CD falls from her hand but Sam catches it before it hits the ground. She only notices him there now, standing by her side. His gaze is soft and his eyes gently curious. Wanda knows what she must look like now, so wide-eyed and obvious, to tipsy. Wanda feels her cheeks flush red and she turns away, can't quite look at Sam for a minute. She doesn't know what to say, doesn't know how to get herself out of this.

She's not sure that she can.

"I'm not sure what you mean."

He half-laughs, half-sighs. "Really?"

Wanda nods once and turns to Sam. He just smiles at her and pops the CD into the stereo. She can't really hear the new music when it starts to play. She can't seem to focus on the sound, on anything but this. If Sam believes her then he doesn't let her know, not for a minute or two anyway. It feels longer then that. Sam smiles at her again, the softness surprising, and then he takes a small step closer.

"Don't worry. He didn't tell me." Sam explains. "He's just not subtle, which I'm sure you know already."

She bites her lip, considers it. What can she say? There's a part of her that wants to be honest and admit the truth (to Sam, to herself, to her friends) and just have it be out there in the open. But she can't, she won't, because it's not what Bucky wants. He isn't ready, and she tells herself that she isn't either. But there's still a part of her that might be.

Wanda walks away, back over to the stack of CD's. She says nothing and chews on her lip, forcing herself to not think about what her relationship with Bucky right now. She flicks through the small box, desperate to distract herself. But it doesn't work and Sam seems to understand that. Somehow he understands there. He follows her there, picks up an old CD and smiles fondly.

"Bucky's been different lately. I've seen it. Steve has, too. He's always making calls, or texting." Sam says, his voice much quieter now. "He's been so busy, we didn't know what was going on. But I always thought it might be someone special."

She puts the CDs away, turns to Sam.

"Why did you call me red before?"

"The other night I asked Barnes about his mystery girl. He wouldn't tell me, not at first." he pauses, his smile growing. "But then he came around. He told me there was this girl that he was getting to know. Said he called her red sometimes. But that's all he would tell me. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say it tonight. It just slipped out."

Wanda sighs and looks away. "We aren't.."

Together? she thinks, and almost says. But she can't really find the words, not tonight. Wanda doesn't want to lie, not about this and not to Sam. She can see that he cares so much about Bucky, but she isn't ready to talk about this. She doesn't know where she would start, or what she would say. She doesn't even really know what she wants anymore.

Sam is there before she can say anything.

"Look, Wanda..I'm sorry. I thought it'd be okay if we talked now. You two seemed..Happy before." Sam walks closer. "You made him laugh pretty loud, too. Trust me, that can be hard to do. You should know that Bucky didn't tell me. I worked it out for myself and talked to him. You can trust me, I won't tell anyone else."

"Then how did you know the name?" she asks.

And then it comes back to her. The NEON bar. Bucky bumping into her outside of the club. His jacket, her unsteady feet. I wasn't watching where I was going. Sorry, red. She lingers on it, remembers Nat's little smile and that curiosity that flickered through Steve's eyes. She realizes that this must be how Sam put it together, not that they ever tried too hard to keep this thing a secret.

"Barnes is many things. But that dude is not subtle. The minute you walked in," Sam pauses, smiles a little. "It was obvious. The way he looked at you. I'm surprised no one else noticed. Guess they don't call me Falcon for nothing, hm?"

Wanda smiles and surprises herself. She's curious about the nickname and almost asks Sam what it means. She quickly decides to ask him later and she meets his gaze. He seems to understand, again. He always does. It's fragile, this things she has with Bucky. It's small, and new, and somehow familiar too. And she wants it to stay, she wants him to stay.

So she answers carefully.

"Whatever you think..We are just friends getting closer."

"Yeah? That's good." Sam nods. "Whatever you are..It's good for him."

She hesitates, surprised. "How do you know that?"

"Well, that's easy. Sure, he's still moody. He always is. But mostly, he's been good." Sam shrugs, his arms folded across his chest. "He's better now, or at least that's what I see. He's happier now. So whatever you guys are, it's good for him. I think you're helping him."

Wanda opens her mouth, can't work out where to start or what to say. There's so many things that she wants to say (to herself, to Bucky) and she just needs him to know that he's the one who helped her. She's changing, slowly finding herself again, and she feels happy for the first time in so long. It's not all because of him, but she knows that so much of it is.

He's good for her and she needs him to see that.

"Will you tell anyone?" she asks, minutes later.

"I won't. You have my word." Sam promises. "Not even Steve."

She sighs, already feels a little better. She's relieved to know Sam's intentions, and to have this quiet promise between them. Wanda can see now that he didn't mean to make things so awkward before. He was teasing his friend about his crush, or something like this, and he made a small mistake. She sees it now and understands just how much Sam cares. That's why he's here trying to talk to her, because of what Bucky means to him and how much he cares.

Wanda lets herself relax now. She even smiles.

"I mean, do you realize how big a deal that is? I tell Steve everything." Sam laughs. "Seriously. We text every day, every night. We call, we do brunch. Brunch, Wanda. I tell that man everything. But I'll keep this to myself. For you and for Barnes. So you can have time to work it out. That sound good to you?"

She's just as surprised as Sam is when she laughs.

"You lost me at brunch."

"Fair enough." he smiles. "Well, I need another drink."

With a soft pat on her shoulder, Sam walks away and gives Wanda a moment to herself. She turns back to the stereo, distantly aware of the music playing and the soft chatter drifting through the loft. She only half-listens, too distracted by thoughts of Bucky to focus. She feels glad that she could talk to Sam, that she he felt like he could talk to her and be honest.

But still, his words linger.

It's good for him. I think you're helping him.

The room blurs again.

She plops down on the couch and it spins a little less. Wanda's pretty sure she's had too much to drink. That, or her head is spinning from all the games of Twister. She played for too long, drank too much, ate too many pieces of strawberry cake. But still, she had fun. She smiles to herself and sinks deeper into the cushions of Clint's fuzzy couch.

Wanda closes her eyes, naps for a minute, or maybe five. She wakes up to find Lucky Barton stretched out across her lap, asleep and snoring. And there's a pillow underneath her head that wasn't there before. Wanda smiles and rubs tiredly at her eyes. The room is quiet but not empty. She lifts her head to get a clearer look.

There's still a few people here, stretched out on the sofa opposite hers. They're deep in a conversation that she quickly tunes out. Wanda's still half-asleep, and alone on the couch, except for Lucky. She yawns, rubs at her eyes, and sits up feeling a little more awake now. She didn't mean to fall asleep, but it's just been such a long day and she's had so many drinks.

And so much food, and cake, and wine.

Still, it's been fun.

Wanda can't remember the last time she had a night like this. A night surrounded by so many good people, so much food and love. She already knows that when she looks back on tonight, she will remember only the best parts; the drinks, the delicious snacks, and the hours they spent playing games. She wasn't very good at charades, but she was great at Twister and UNO.

She smiles at the memory, doesn't realize she's not alone until he joins her. Bucky plops down on the couch with a dramatic sigh, his eyes squeezed shut like he's extremely full and can never move again. Wanda laughs and watches him sink into the couch so deep that she's certain he will never leave. She smiles more and realizes she feels the same, that she might never leave the couch again.

She should join the others. They went up to the rooftop garden for fresh air and drinks. Wanda will join them later, she's just so comfortable here. And it feels so nice to see Bucky again. That, and Lucky Barton is firmly planted on her lap. He's snoring so peacefully that she can't move him yet. Wanda gives the sleeping pup a soft scratch and glances over at Bucky again.

Wanda doesn't have the heart to wake Lucky. But she finds it much easier to wake Bucky up. She nudges his boot gently, once. He doesn't stir so she kicks her foot into his again and it works. He jolts up suddenly, acting like he'd been asleep for longer than he actually was. But then his smile, so playfully warm, gives him away. She smiles back and lets herself dwell on the soft expression on his face. He's so relaxed now, so much more himself than he was before. Also, he's probably had too many drinks so that explains the big playful smile.

"You two want a moment alone?" Bucky grins. "He looks comfy there. Happy, too. I'm kinda jealous."

She starts to roll her eyes but quickly settles on a smile. It's a force of habit, sometimes. But it feels good to be here with Bucky and to let herself smile. He's closer now, there's just a few fluffy pillows and a snoring one-eyed dog between them. Wanda doesn't mind the weight of Lucky. She likes the feeling, runs her fingers through his fur and smiles to herself again.

There's a playful look on Bucky's face when she looks up again. It's like he'd been waiting for her to tease him, maybe roll her eyes. She feels her chest tighten at the next thought that goes through her head. Does he know me that well already? For the moment he says nothing. He just wiggles closer, gets comfortable, and stretches back against the big green pillows. Wanda smiles fondly at him.

"How was your walk with Bruno?"

Bucky grins back slowly, his cheeks flushed. With what? she wonders, then she realizes he is embarrassed and she smiles more.

"Yeah, Bruno's the worst. His leash snapped and he ditched me." Bucky sighs, hiding a smile. "It's not even funny, by the way. It was the worst. And you wanna know something else? Me, running after Bruno? That was not a pretty sight, Wanda. Not at all."

She sits quietly, lets herself imagine it; Bucky running around the park, not so gracefully chasing after a dog, and she starts to laugh. Bucky quickly glances her way with a look that lets her know this is very, very serious and not at all funny. It just makes her laugh more and she can tell that he wants to laugh with her. In the end Bucky can't stop it and soon they're laughing together.

"I find that hard to imagine." she teases. "You are so cool, so suave."

Bucky's laugh slowly stops and there it is again. That flush of red in his cheeks, that for a moment she swears is a hint of embarrassment. Wanda realizes suddenly that there must be more to his story and her eyes widen with curiosity. She waits quietly though, her gaze glued to Bucky in the hopes that he will go on and tell her the rest of the story because now she needs to know how it ends.

"I yelled at Bruno when I finally got him back. I was stressed. He stole some kid's toy. I almost lost him. Nat would've killed me." Bucky explains, rubbing gently at his jaw. "So I yelled at him and it just gets worse from there. Maybe I yelled too loud, maybe someone yelled at me for yelling at my dog. Who knows? Maybe I even yelled at them that Bruno wasn't my dog. It was a mess."

Wanda smiles slowly, gentler now.

"Oh. So it was a day?"

"Yeah, well. I guess you could say that." he nods, smiles slowly. "It wasn't one of my finest moments. How was your day?"

She thinks about it for a moment, isn't sure what to say. Her afternoon wasn't quite as exciting as his. Wanda spent most of it lazing in the tub, reading his notes or daydreaming. She spent most of her time thinking about Bucky. He was always there in the back of her mind. And he's still there now when she looks up, his gaze softly resting on her.

Wanda realizes that they're mostly alone now. Maria is gone, probably upstairs with the others. Bruce and Thor are the only two left, huddled together over in the kitchen next to Clint's coffee machine. Wanda notices that they're talking very quietly, like maybe they broke something and they're trying to work out how to fix it.

That, or they're trying to figure out what buttons to press.

She only hears bits and pieces. It sounds more like an argument than a conversation. Something about PH.D's and Thor suggesting Bruce use one to operate the coffee machine. Bruce quickly reminds him that's not what they're for, and Wanda tunes out quickly after that. She returns her gaze to Bucky, who is sitting closer to her now than he was minutes ago. She watches him reach out and ruffle Lucky's fur gently. Then he smiles and looks up at her.

"It was fine." she says soon. "Tonight is better."

"Yeah? Well it's not over yet. You'd think it would be, after how badly Barton lost at UNO." Bucky says and grins, amused. "But no, not over yet. Soon we're all gonna have coffee, and snacks, and probably cake. Then there will be drinks, and some drunken dancing, because we obviously need more embarrassing memories to remember tonight by."

Wanda laughs and scrunches up her nose.

"That sounds..."

"Terrible? Yeah, it is. The dancing is bad enough when they're sober." he points out and smiles fondly. "I'm usually gone before then. But I'm staying overnight this time, so lucky me."

She smiles, thinks about Bucky dancing and smiles more. Then she realizes that he's staying the night just like she is, or like she might be. Wanda still isn't sure but if he's staying then there's a part of her that wants to stay, too. She smiles to herself and reaches out to ruffle Lucky's fur. The golden pup stirs, almost wakes, and then settles back on her lap.

Wanda doesn't mind that he's still there. She likes it, lets herself run her fingers through his fur for a minute. Then she remembers Bucky and looks up. He's still there watching her in the quiet. He looks so relaxed, so happy and so like himself, and she wishes that he could always be like this with her. She hopes that one day he will be.

"You're staying overnight?" she asks.

"Yeah, we all are. Except Maria and Scott, I think." Bucky explains. "What about you? You working in the morning?"

She hesitates, chews on her lip again. Wanda doesn't want to lie, not to Bucky. She trusts him, she just hasn't told anyone else that she's on a break from work. It's simple though, she reminds herself, she's just taking a little break from work. She wants to tell someone, wants it to be Bucky, and she has no reason to keep the truth to herself.

"I am not working at the moment." she admits. "For the next week, anyway."

He nods, starts to pat Lucky's side.

"You, uh. You alright? Something happen at work?"

"No, I was just tired. I just needed time away."

Bucky nods and says nothing for the moment. He understands Wanda, already knows her more than he lets on, more than she sometimes realizes. So he knows that she doesn't want to talk about it tonight and he doesn't push her. Bucky smiles at Wanda, lets the quiet fall, and gently he begins to pat the sleeping pup again.

It lasts until it doesn't.

Until minutes later, noises from the kitchen wake Lucky. The golden dog jumps off Wanda, not so gracefully, and bolts sleepily towards the kitchen for a snack. He runs right over to Bruce and Thor, who seem to have worked out the coffee machine. She's not so sure that they have, because the smell that floats through the loft doesn't really smell like coffee.

Wanda smiles, distracted by them until Bucky speaks.

"He like you a lot, you know?"

"Who?" she glances back. "Thor?"

"What? No. I meant—" Bucky stammers, frowning. "I meant Lucky. I couldn't have been more obviously talking about the dog."

She starts to smile and gives him a look that he quickly reads. Then Bucky understands that she's teasing him. His eyes widen and for half a second he smiles. Then he quickly leans in, so obviously trying not to laugh as he swats Wanda on the shoulder with one of Clint's pillows. It's small and narrow, a blue pillow with a green pattern stitched into it.

Wanda manages to swipe it from Bucky's grip and throw it back at him. She aims for his chest, maybe his stomach. But somehow the pillow hits him right in the face, muting whatever he'd been saying before she launched a pillow into his face. Wanda bursts into laughter and watches Bucky's eyes glow as he struggles to not laugh.

"Could you st—hey, could you stop hitting me with pillows," Bucky sighs, half-serious. "And could you just answer the question?"

"What question?" she asks, smiling. "You didn't ask anything."

"Yeah? Well, I was kinda distracted by the pillow that landed on my face." he huffs, throwing the pillow aside. "The question is: do you like him too?"

"Who? Lucky?"

Wanda giggles, half-expecting a pillow to come flying through the air. But it doesn't. This time Bucky just laughs, pretending that he's amused and finds this all funny for about four seconds. Then he reaches out and nudges Wanda's side, right in that spot where she is very ticklish. She squeals and tries to shove his hand away, but it doesn't work and he tickles her again.

"Quit it." she pleads, smiling. "Please."

"Alright, well. Quit trying to be funny then." Bucky teases, grinning. "I was talking about Thor that time. And you knew that. So, do you?"

She hears it, knows what goes unspoken. It lingers in the air between them. Do you like him? she reads it, the doubt in his voice, his eyes. Do you like me? He isn't jealous, she realizes soon, but there's a part of him that doubts that he's enough. He doubts that he's enough for her, that he's good for her at all, and she knows what that feels like. She doubts herself so much, she doesn't want that for him. Wanda wants to make it very clear to Bucky how she feels.

"Because Thor's great, you know." Bucky adds. "If tall, muscly, beautiful, and basically a god is your type. Then that's great."

"I think tall, dark, and broody is more my type."

His smile softens, still uncertain but warm again.

"Yeah? Well, that's too bad for you. Too bad Barton doesn't have any tall, dark, or broody friends." Bucky sighs, his half-smile there. "It's really just too bad that he knows absolutely no one who fits that description. No one, except maybe me. Maybe I'm not broody enough. I should brood more. What do you think, red?"

She smiles slowly and realizes just how happy she feels tonight. It's not just Bucky, but he does makes her so happy sometimes. She feels like she could burst with it, and it's been so long since she felt like that. Wanda smiles more and lets herself take a minute to remember tonight; his sweet smile, so soft and playful, and that flicker of warmth in his eyes.

"You're jealous." she smiles.

Bucky laughs first, then slowly he smiles like he isn't jealous at all. His smile just proves that he is.

"Of what? Lucky? Sure, maybe a little. He looked so comfy there before." Bucky says, half-smiling. "And the way he licked your face? Humans can't do that without it being weird. So that was one lucky, lucky dog. Sitting there in your lap like that, getting all that love."

There's a pause before he goes on.

"One lucky dog, I'll say."

Then it's quiet again and Bucky is grinning at Wanda like he's so excited about his joke. She's already noticed, she wants to laugh, but for the moment she is quiet, so distracted by his silly little smile. Wanda doesn't know why he's so different now, so secretly soft and playful, so himself. She smiles at the thought and feels relieved that he trusts her enough to show this side of himself.

Wanda wants that, too.

"Did you get the joke?" he smiles, wiggles closer. "He's a lucky dog and his name is—"

"I think I was wrong before." Wanda shoves him away with a pillow. "I want to change my answer, about what I like."

"Sorry, too late. No take backs, doll. You're stuck with me." Bucky grins, pleased. "But seriously, Thor's great."

"He is very cute, yes." she nods, looks away. "But there is a thing with someone else, so."

"A thing? What kinda thing?"

Wanda smiles and lifts her gaze, nervous for a moment.

"I don't know. It doesn't have a name." she admits. "I'm not sure it ever will. But we are having fun, and he is very kind. I like him, even if he isn't broody enough.."

When she looks up, she finds Bucky already watching her. His expression still warm but different, softer. He's himself but also seems to be stuck in his thoughts for a minute, so she says nothing and waits, wondering if he will speak at all. Then Bucky gently moves closer, looks over his shoulder like he's making sure they're still alone, and then he turns back to her.

And he tries.

"What if I—what if I changed my mind?" he exhales, nervous. "What if he wanted.."

There's a pause, she doesn't mind. Wanda feels her chest tighten and she exhales a breath, nervous. She doesn't know why she feels that way now, so nervous and uncertain, but she does. She feels hopeful, too. That he might want something else, want more than this. She says nothing and watches Bucky rub his hand gently across his jaw.

He's interrupted before he can start again.

"Hey, guys." Bruce calls out from the kitchen. "Want some coffee?"

Bucky smiles, nervous. He sinks into the couch next to her and glances briefly at the kitchen, where Bruce and Thor are huddled by the coffee machine.

"No, I'm good." Bucky sighs. "Thanks."

She agrees. "Maybe later."

If Bruce answers, she doesn't hear it. Wanda's gaze is stuck on Bucky, where he's sitting nervously by her side. She wants to know what he's thinking, wants to know where he was going with that what if. So she decides to just ask, to not care that they aren't really alone, or that it might be something that he doesn't want to talk about anymore. She wants to talk about it, so she does.

Wanda takes his hand, holds it gently.

"So I think you were saying something?"

"Was I?" Bucky asks, then smiles teasingly. "Don't think I was."

"You were," she smiles, nudges his side. "It was about a guy."

"What, do you mean Thor?" he laughs. "Was I talking about how beautiful he is—"

"Alright, kids. I'm back. Who wants coffee?" Clint calls out, as he returns to the loft. "There's a coffee machine over by the—oh, guys. No. I told you two to stay far away from my coffee machine. Remember the last one you broke?"

"That was Banner's fault." Thor answers defensively. "Not mine. I distinctively remember—"

"Wait a minute, I distinctively remember it being your fault." Bruce replies, fast. "Do I look like I could break a coffee machine with my hands?"

"You didn't use your hands. You used your tiny baby fingers to press all the tiny baby buttons."

Quickly after that, she tunes them out. Wanda turns back to Bucky and smiles. She knows that they won't be alone now, that everyone will be returning to the loft and the party will start again. She will drink coffee, and dance, and enjoy herself. But for just a minute, she wants to stay here with him. She knows that they can't and Bucky understands, too. He seems frustrated by the interruption but smiles anyway.

"So this isn't a great spot to talk, huh?" Bucky asks and smiles. "Want to pick this up again later?"

Wanda nods and wiggles to the edge of the couch. She could really use a cup of coffee now, or maybe three. But only if Clint is the one making it. Whatever Thor and Bruce cooked up in that coffee machine doesn't smell good. And it doesn't smell like coffee. She smiles at the thought, doesn't let herself think about whatever they tried to make, and is ready to leave when Bucky stops her.

It's nothing really, just the smallest touch. It feels like more than that. Bucky reaches out, grabs her hand in his, and squeezes it gently. Just once before he lets go. He must only hold her hand for half a second but it feels longer than that, feels like something she's going to think about all night. That, and his unfinished what if.

note: hiii I'm back! ❤︎ I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated. This chapter was tricky to write and then I just got stuck and couldn't write at all for a few months. So that's part of the reason why I haven't updated in forever. But now I'm finally happy with this chapter and I'm sorta writing again so I wanted to update. Thank you for reading!

PS. I edited and changed this chapter like 30 times and I've re-read it a lot but please let me know if there are any mistakes or inconsistencies. And if you liked it/didn't like it then please let me know I welcome and appreciate all feedback. Thank you for reading. Enjoy! xx