[Finishing up doesn't take all that much longer, either. It's maybe fifteen minutes before she turns up. Hopefully the hot chocolate isn't cold by then?]
[He makes sure to drink hers when it does get cold, and gets a fresh mug, so by the time she does get there, it's still piping hot and fresh. He's on mug four by then.]
[Amused, he shakes his head.] You had fun, like anyone would.
And I got you back. [Yes, pushing her to have to deal with Fitz in the aftermath, and putting her on the spot to answer was good enough for him.]
[Bucky, finally feeling he can, nearly chuckles to, stopping before he drinks his mug again because he will choke until the laughter dies down.]
There are those that are skilled hitting the sensitive points when they know how, and those that are best at it when unaware.
[He takes a drink, then finally decides to answer her question.]
I had considered it before, another person. But not Steve, no. Not until you asked.
[He looks down into his cup, aware of the implications in that.] Which means, while not aware of it, maybe I have considered him, before. [And it raises a lot of questions. Like why? And when did they start? But those are his problems.]
[This isn't exactly the way Natasha thought this would come up, and if she had thought about it she's not sure how she might have even guessed it would go.
But she can't deny the appeal. Who could? Both Bucky and Steve are attractive and fairly ridiculously physically fit. It opened up all sorts of possibilities.
[No need to rush, at all. If they don't know each other that well, it doesn't need to happen with her, specifically. It was just a fantasy. Bucky was, more than he realized, okay with that.]
[Natasha takes another sip of hot chocolate and sits close by, her voice low. What had started as a game has more potential now, realizing it could be something to share in its way.]
No? Wouldn't want to make anything weird between the two of you. If you wanted to shut it down...
[But Steve had been his first thought with Fitz too.]
[Though... Steve has expressed interest in that in the past. It's only ever come to anything when she was high on Frenzy and since then it hasn't really come up.
Too much of a gentleman.]
His time on that island seems to have loosened him up a bit, though.
If we want to consider that something... let's say on the table. For a future date.
[And now starts a game of chicken, because they both have to be aware the second they let Steve know it's even a possibility he's going to realize they've been sleeping together. From there, it is a natural jump Steve would think more was happening than actually was. It could make things awkward regardless of Steve's interest, or lack of, in a threesome.]
[Bucky just sips his current mug of hot chocolate.]
I'm good with that. It's on the table. For the future.
[Which also puts actual asking on the table. It's an interesting prospect. Hard for Steve to get the wrong idea, to get too excited and think things were more serious or more committed than they are when you find out about the whole arrangement because you're invited to a threesome.
Natasha shakes her head.
Somehow, she's actually considering inviting Captain America to a threesome.]
[Natasha smiles over the rim of her cup. She means it, though. She's not about to get sappy over it, but it's nice to hear Bucky admit to having a fantasy or two, a desire of his own.
When you're sleeping with someone you'd like to think you could some a thing for them from time to time.]
[But there wasn't much left to it, but to be teased mercilessly.]
[There's a level of gratitude, that she would even think to say anything on his behalf, even if it wasn't for him, and yet, at the same time....]
It's okay if he thinks of me as a threat. If he's prepared. [Pause. Very heavy pause as he looks down at his mug.] In fact, it might be safest if he did.
[His eyes lift to Natasha's.] If most people did.
[Did he want to be one? No. Did he want to be seen as one? No. Was he under any illusions in Hell, though? Also no.]
[He sighs, licks his lips and his eyes wander away for a second. He hadn't told anyone, for obvious reasons. But she had confided in him, perhaps it was time he told someone. Why not her?]
I shouldn't be a threat, anymore. But when we were infested with those Mares. [Yeah, he's looking at the table again.]
[Natasha crosses her arms, presenting the image of five feet three inches of stubborn resolve.]
That could happen to anyone. We're in Hell. Whether or not it's the real thing, you're not the only one with monsters in their head that could be let out. That's not even touching on things that could make people act outside of their normal personality.
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[There's some time between his second text, too. It's not easy to admit.]
When you mentioned it, Steve's was the first name that came to my mind, too.
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[It might be difficult to admit, but it's also not a surprise.
Still reading it, it's hard for an instant to pay attention to Fitz.]
Is that to say you hadn't thought about it before then?
-> action?
I'll be in the common area with some hot chocolate when you're done.
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[Finishing up doesn't take all that much longer, either. It's maybe fifteen minutes before she turns up. Hopefully the hot chocolate isn't cold by then?]
I suppose I owe you an apology.
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[Amused, he shakes his head.] You had fun, like anyone would.
And I got you back. [Yes, pushing her to have to deal with Fitz in the aftermath, and putting her on the spot to answer was good enough for him.]
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[The advantages of that super soldier biology, Natasha figures. She takes the mug and sips it, still standing.]
It's really amazing how he just kept doing it. You'd think just by luck he'd manage to say something that wasn't sexual eventually.
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There are those that are skilled hitting the sensitive points when they know how, and those that are best at it when unaware.
[He takes a drink, then finally decides to answer her question.]
I had considered it before, another person. But not Steve, no. Not until you asked.
[He looks down into his cup, aware of the implications in that.] Which means, while not aware of it, maybe I have considered him, before. [And it raises a lot of questions. Like why? And when did they start? But those are his problems.]
Either way, I'm not against it.
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But she can't deny the appeal. Who could? Both Bucky and Steve are attractive and fairly ridiculously physically fit. It opened up all sorts of possibilities.
She takes another sip.]
Who had you pictured, before? Other than Steve.
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Zatanna. Don't know if you know her. But she's a lot of fun.
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[It seemed worth keeping it fair, talking this out at it's own pace.
No need to rush it.
Natasha tells herself even if it only stays a fantasy, it's worth taking the time.]
But I suppose I wouldn't rule that out entirely either.
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Okay. I won't rule out Steve, either.
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No? Wouldn't want to make anything weird between the two of you. If you wanted to shut it down...
[But Steve had been his first thought with Fitz too.]
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For me. [Just again, he'd never really thought of it before. It had never been a possibility.]
Might be weird for him, though. [He wasn't going to share Steve's love life, but so far Bucky thought he was invested elsewhere.]
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[Though... Steve has expressed interest in that in the past. It's only ever come to anything when she was high on Frenzy and since then it hasn't really come up.
Too much of a gentleman.]
His time on that island seems to have loosened him up a bit, though.
If we want to consider that something... let's say on the table. For a future date.
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[And now starts a game of chicken, because they both have to be aware the second they let Steve know it's even a possibility he's going to realize they've been sleeping together. From there, it is a natural jump Steve would think more was happening than actually was. It could make things awkward regardless of Steve's interest, or lack of, in a threesome.]
[Bucky just sips his current mug of hot chocolate.]
I'm good with that. It's on the table. For the future.
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[Which also puts actual asking on the table. It's an interesting prospect. Hard for Steve to get the wrong idea, to get too excited and think things were more serious or more committed than they are when you find out about the whole arrangement because you're invited to a threesome.
Natasha shakes her head.
Somehow, she's actually considering inviting Captain America to a threesome.]
And as far as fantasies go... it's not a bad one.
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[Bucky wouldn't invite Captain America to a threesome. Now, his childhood friend, that was another thing. Stubborn jackass he could be.]
[He does almost choke on his hot chocolate to her words.]
I guess. [Yeah, his eyes aren't meeting hers at the moment.]
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[Natasha smiles over the rim of her cup. She means it, though. She's not about to get sappy over it, but it's nice to hear Bucky admit to having a fantasy or two, a desire of his own.
When you're sleeping with someone you'd like to think you could some a thing for them from time to time.]
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[That was just a very, very long time ago. So maybe he's a little shy.]
[Time to get control over this conversation. He's allowed it to be about something they might not even do long enough.]
So, was Fitz okay? [And he doesn't mean physically. He won't ask for details, he doesn't want them.]
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[Though he's probably right about it winding down.
And she was going to have to go this direction eventually.]
He was concerned. I tried to set him straight on some of the details—that it's not necessary to consider you an active threat.
[That's not the end of it, though, is it?]
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[But there wasn't much left to it, but to be teased mercilessly.]
[There's a level of gratitude, that she would even think to say anything on his behalf, even if it wasn't for him, and yet, at the same time....]
It's okay if he thinks of me as a threat. If he's prepared. [Pause. Very heavy pause as he looks down at his mug.] In fact, it might be safest if he did.
[His eyes lift to Natasha's.] If most people did.
[Did he want to be one? No. Did he want to be seen as one? No. Was he under any illusions in Hell, though? Also no.]
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[Which is more in question now than it might have been previously, but that's an angle Natasha is still working.]
Believe me. This is a conversation worth having.
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[He sighs, licks his lips and his eyes wander away for a second. He hadn't told anyone, for obvious reasons. But she had confided in him, perhaps it was time he told someone. Why not her?]
I shouldn't be a threat, anymore. But when we were infested with those Mares. [Yeah, he's looking at the table again.]
I was the Winter Soldier. Again.
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That could happen to anyone. We're in Hell. Whether or not it's the real thing, you're not the only one with monsters in their head that could be let out. That's not even touching on things that could make people act outside of their normal personality.
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There needs to be a way to stop me.
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We can probably wrap this one up pretty quickly too.
Yes, agreed, or ftb they go off to have fun
that's also good
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ftb?
For sure, assuming they ever stop flirting
They never stop
Yeah, no kidding
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ftb?