Thanks to @AllEverWolfheart for the votes!

Summary: You have a crush on a certain super soldier and decide to tell his best friend.

QOTP: Who do you think will die in Avengers 4?

Word Count: 1911

"Slow down, Barnes! We can't all be buff super soldiers like you, you know!" you shout to the distant figure ahead of you. He's running towards the group of bad guys you're supposed to take down.

As a team.

"Why don't you just keep up?!" he shouts back, but he slows all the same.

"Why don't you just shut up?!" you fire back, slowing to a jog. As a SHIELD agent, you're in great physical condition - it's a requirement - but you still can't keep up with a super soldier.

You never can, and he thinks it's funny.

The relationship you have with Bucky Barnes is a strange one; yoy met a few months ago when you joined the new and improved Avengers after SHIELD finally came back. You became friends, but yours is the kind of friendship where you make fun of each other constantly. Steve thought you hated each other for a solid two and a half weeks.

There's also the fact that you have a crush on him, but no one has to know that.

"While this banter is insanely entertaining, I think you two should get over here and help out a little. Just a thought," Clint says into the comms, knocking an arrow.

"We are, Bird Brain," Bucky sasses, reaching the fight, "but someone had to take care of the strays that ran out of the back exit no one seemed to know about."

"It wasn't on the blueprints!" Tony replies defensively.

"Sucks to be you, doesn't it, Barnes?" Sam says, amused.

"Sucks to be me, too," you butt in. "I have to deal with all of you. Except Wanda. Wanda's the only one who's not annoying."

She smiles, but you can't see her. "Thanks, Y/N."

"We shouldn't have time for these discussions," Nat comments. You end up near her and see her flip someone out of the corner of your eye.

"Tell me about it," you snort.

"I got the file Fury wanted," Steve announces from inside the building.

"Does that mean we can leave now?" you basically whine, punching someone in the face.

"You sound like a toddler," Bucky chides, knocking out a few stragglers.

"You are a toddler," you fire back, turning around.

Nat went off to find Bruce to calm him down, Tony, Sam, and Vision are in the air, Clint's perched on top of the building, Wanda and Steve are still in the building, and Bucky's making his way over to you.

(Thor's who-knows-where, which sucks. He makes missions a whole lot easier.)

"What happened to your face?" you ask, noticing a few cuts and fresh bruises.

"I'd ask what happened to yours, but it always looks like that," he says; you're in the same boat as him.

"Hilarious," you deadpan, causing him to laugh.

"I'm kidding, Y/L/N," he says, smiling. "You look great." You fight off your own smile and force yourself to look away; even with all the cuts and bruises, he's still cute.

Crap.

"Race you to the Quinjet?" he says.

You roll your eyes. "You always win; there's no point."

"Me always winning is the point."

"Race yourself, Barnes," you say. "Maybe you'll PR."

He laughs, then notices Steve walking out of the building and goes to race him instead. You and Wanda watch, her laughing and you jokingly booing the both of them.

Bucky wins, and he teases Steve the entire way back to the base.

////

All you wanted was to make your bagel, then watch iZombie on Netflix. Preferably in peace.

But then Bucky Barnes stumbles into the kitchen with bedhead and you're simultaneously trying to think of a way to tease him for it and look away because wow.

He says something before you can, but he's too tired to actually think about the words coming out of his mouth. "Mornin', Doll."

You stop spreading cream cheese on your bagel, looking over at him. "Doll?"

His eyes are wide as he realizes what he said. "Th-That just slipped out, I-"

"Still stuck in the 40's, Barnes?" you tease, trying to hide your blush.

He chuckles, relief flooding through him. "Guess so."

You shrug, putting your knife in the sink. "Happens to the best of us, Dreamboat."

It's his turn to stop, his hand reaching for one of the cabinets. "Dreamboat?"

"That was a thing in the 40's, wasn't it? Or am I just completely clueless?"

Bucky shakes his head, chuckling. "Yeah, it was a thing. Just haven't heard it in a while. And I definitely didn't think I'd ever hear it from you."

"Expect the unexpected, Dreamboat," you jokingly chide, going to take your bagel back to your room.

He stops you. "Are you gonna be busy later?"

"No, not really," you reply, thinking of your all-day date with Netflix. "Why?"

"I was wondering if you wanted to, uh... train? Or spar or something?" he asks, getting your hopes up and then lowering them again.

You smile. "Yeah, sure. You know where to find me."

////

You can't take this anymore. You're exhausted, your muscles are still aching from the mission yesterday, and you're pretty sure Bucky's going on easy on you.

But Bucky Barnes is hot. [yes I'm quoting myself what a throwback]

His hair is pulled back in a messy man bun (which you teased him about, as per usual), he's wearing a tank top and gym shorts, and he's basically fighting you with one arm because he doesn't want to hurt you with the metal one.

Hot and considerate. The ultimate package.

"Tired yet?" he teases, dodging a punch.

You smirk, landing a hit on his chest that barely makes him stumble. "I could do this all day."

He laughs, trying to sweep your legs out from under you, but you move back. "I wish Steve and I never told you that story."

"But then I wouldn't be able to annoy you, would I?" you reply, looking for an opening in which to kick the crap out of him.

"Trust me, Doll," he says, throwing a few missed punches, "you'd annoy me anyway."

You find an opening and aim to kick him in his perfect abs, but he catches your foot and you know you've lost. In no time, you're on the ground, looking up at him and breathing hard. "Well played, Dreamboat. Pass the water; I can't get up."

He laughs and goes to grab both your water bottles, then comes back and finds you haven't moved. "Come on, Doll. We're not even halfway done with the workout yet. We still got weights and-"

You hold a hand up. "Let me stop you right there. You're on your own now. I'm taking a nap."

Bucky chuckles when, after a few seconds, you don't get up. "Are you napping... on the floor?"

"Yes," you reply, eyes closed, "so leave me in peace."

He laughs and walks to another part of the gym to continue his workout regimen. You don't get up for at least half an hour, after Bucky starts his insanely long run on the treadmill.

You start to make your way out when he laughs. "Leaving already, Doll?"

"Yes," you say simply, too exhausted to think of a good enough quip to throw at him.

He smirks. "If this is how all your workouts go, I'm not surprised you can never beat me in a race."

"I'm gonna tell Steve you said that," you mock threaten, causing him to laugh.

"I'm so scared."

"He's the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan. You should be." With that, you exit the gym, an idea forming in your head about what to do about your crush...

////

The next day, you see Bucky and Thor (who returned last night) watching the morning cartoons. They're laughing and genuinely enjoying themselves while eating Poptarts.

In short, they're both giant, adorable man-babies. But you only have eyes for the super solider with an unnecessarily troubled past.

The sight of him actually being happy always makes your heart flutter, and it's then that you decide to put it all on [the end of] the line.

You're going to tell Steve.

He's Bucky's best friend; he'd know if Bucky liked you back. And if he didn't, he could find out for you. You're just amazed you didn't think of this sooner.

"Hey, Capsicle," you greet him, finding him in the gym at the punching bag.

He stops and turns, jokingly rolling his eyes at the nickname. "Hey, Y/N." You try to figure out how to word what you want to say, and Steve becomes confused during the long pause. "Did you... want something?"

"Yeah..." you trail off, still thinking. "I just... I was wondering if Bucky's ever... mentioned me?" You feel absolutely ridiculous, but this is a necessary evil.

The things you do for love.

"I get asked this question even in the 21st century," Steve mutters. Then, he sighs. "Look, you're asking me this because you like him, right?"

You shrug awkwardly. "I mean, yeah."

He responds with the last thing you expected. "Are you sure?"

Your brows furrow. "Yes. I'm talking to you about this, aren't I?"

"No, but are you sure?" he repeats. "You actually like him and not just the idea of him?"

"Yes."

He pauses for a second. "You realize he has a lot of baggage, right? Hydra and the Winter Soldier - that isn't just gonna magically go away."

"I know," you say, almost irritated.

He sighs. "I just wanna make sure he doesn't get hurt. Because he likes you; I can tell. But if you don't like him the way he likes you - if you like him the way all those girls in the 40s did - he's gonna get hurt."

"I like him, Steve," you insist. "Promise."

Steve smiles, then claps you on the shoulder. "Then go get 'em, tiger. He's probably in his room."

You take a deep, shaky breath. "Okay. I'm goin' in."

////

"Doll? Doll? Y/N?" Bucky says, this close to snapping his fingers in front of your face. You're just standing there, zoned out and looking nervous.

You knocked on his bedroom door and then didn't say anything when he opened it; you're eyes went wide and you froze immediately.

"Huh?" you say. "What?"

"You okay?" Bucky asks, bemused.

"Y-Yeah. Yeah. I just needed to tell you something..." you trail off nervously, your lack of rehearsal painfully evident.

"And that would be?" Bucky prods after a pause.

"I, uh... I... like you." A weight is lifted as soon as you say it, but now you have to worry about his response.

He grins. "I like you, too, Doll."

You can't help but smile. "Great."

He nods, chuckling. "Great."

There's a pause, both of you unsure as to what to say. Then, you speak. "So... what are we gonna do about this?"

"Sorry, I'm a little rusty. I think I'm supposed to ask you on a date now?" he jokes.

"Well, my answer is yes - unless the date you have in mind is another training session in the gym," you reply.

He laughs. "I was actually thinking dinner tonight? Around seven?"

"Then, yes."

He smiles. "See ya then, Doll."

"See ya then, Dreamboat."