Trying Your Luck - Bucky BarnesxOC

Part 54: Echoes

Silence. Sam sips his beer.

"You owe me for this, you know," she whispers, leaning into him. The tone is soft, teasing even. Sam grins, but his expression quickly turns sincere. Her other hand rests on his knee and she bites her lip. Sam looks down and laughs.

"Yeah. I know. I appreciate it, Sharon. We all do."

Sharon looks like she might kiss him. Bucky and Shannon watch with wide eyes as the tension between the two of them mounts. Sharon sighs and pulls back, draining her beer.

"I'm going to get some sleep. These eight beers hit me a little too hard."

"Plus the champagne," Sam adds.

"Yeah. How is this not affecting you?"

"I'm from Louisiana," he laughs.

"Right. I forgot about that."

As Sharon goes to slide off the couch, she leans over and gives Sam a small peck on the cheek. He flashes a bashful smile. Shannon gasps and covers her mouth. It's loud enough to echo through the other room. Her eyes go wide and Bucky's head whips around to face her. In a heartbeat, he picks her up off of the ground and sprints barefoot back to their room, shutting the door as quietly as he can. They turn the lights off and scramble beneath the blankets. He hears footsteps approaching. There's a knock at the door.

"Bucky? Shannon?" Sharon asks.

They stare at each other in the darkness, trying not to laugh. Eventually, the footsteps fade away and Shannon takes a huge breath and giggles silently. Her nose scrunches up in that way that he loves so much. Bucky can't help but laugh. She makes him feel like he's a teenager again, butterflies and all. She's wonderfully curious – sometimes to her detriment, but he loves it all the same.

"I almost blew our cover!"

"You did!" Bucky hisses. "Why did you do that?!"

"It was so shocking! I thought him and Kristin were still a thing," she muses. "Guess not."

"It doesn't make sense. Sharon should be pissed at him."

"Well, they clearly had time to talk," Shannon offers. "I couldn't even count how many beers were sitting on that table."

"Fair point."

"I just... the two of them? Did they have something going on before this?"

"No idea," Bucky says as he rolls onto his back and Shannon tucks her head underneath his arm to rest it on his chest. "Sharon and Steve had a thing, but... those two are the last thing I expected."

"Well, things happen."

"I guess so. I just... Sam and Sharon? Wow."

"Who is she, by the way? I was never really clear on how you guys know her."

"Sharon used to work for S.H.I.E.L.D. She's Peggy Carter's niece. Peggy is who Steve went back for after we defeated Thanos and everyone got brought back."

Bucky understood on a logical, fundamental level that this is what Steve had always wanted, but it doesn't mean it didn't hurt like a motherfucker. Even if he is still alive, Bucky would be nothing but a distant memory to him now. He gets a lump in his throat just thinking about it.

"Wow."

"Yeah. She stuck her neck out for Steve. For me. I guess I owe her one too."

"Not a kiss, though," Shannon whispers, pressing her lips to his.

"Those are strictly for you, doll," he murmurs.

"Maybe a fruit basket."

Bucky laughs and kisses her again, running his hands through her hair.