Like no one does

Complications

Ronnie pressed on his chest to get him to step back, but he didn't budge an inch. "Veronica, I don't think-"

Cutting him off she poked his very hard stomach and went off on him. The stress of the situation and her fear of potentially losing him coming through. "I mean it! I'll be pissed if I've gone through all of this to save you just for you to give yourself over to just be dropped off at some black site never to be seen again." Pushing him back hard with both hands he gave a little, but not enough. "Get your ass inside the goddamn room and wait for me, James!"

Gently grasping her upper arms he stared down at her in amusement before his demeanor sobered. "Alright, I'll wait. What do I do if you don't come back?"

"JARVIS will know what to do. He'll contact Fury and then we'll get you someplace safe. We've got proof you didn't do anything wrong. I just have to give it to them. Now get inside. I really do hate repeating myself." Laughing, Bucky scrunched his nose at her.

"You're really bossy, you know that?" Seemingly without thought he leaned down and pressed his pillow soft lips to hers in a short, but sweet kiss.

Ronnie closed her eyes and leaned into him for a second at the feeling of the butterflies filling her stomach. As quickly as it happened the kiss ended and Bucky stepped back into the panic room. The moment he did the door closed and the hidden wall locked into place. She stood there with her fingertips touching her lips. Did that really just happen?

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Bucky's POV

Groaning, he harshly fisted one hand in his long hair and rubbed his freshly shaven fade with the other. "I can't believe I just did that. Why did I just do that?" He paced the small room as he began to mentally flagellate himself.

Veronica's unhelpfully observant AI answered, "Perhaps because you have feelings for her, Mr Barnes."

Standing still he glared up at the ceiling at JARVIS' obvious statement. "Not being helpful!"

His anger deflated because Bucky knew he was right. Sighing he looked around the small room wanting to avoid talking about what just happened. Sitting down at the desk where the monitors were he briefly glanced up at them. They showed Ronnie's office, the hallway, the elevator and the lobby of the Tower.

Leaning with his elbows on the desk he rubbed his right hand over his face at the remembered look of shock on hers when he had pulled away. He knew that he had messed up. She was Steve's girl even if she was mad at him right now. He just couldn't help himself. Ronnie was just so beautiful all riled up at him, swearing and pushing him back to stay safe. Her comment daring anyone to try and take him from her had his heart soaring. It had him thinking that if she was this way for a friend, how would she be if he was hers for real?

Shaking his head he watched as Ronnie walked outside to confront the FBI and Homeland Security. He couldn't tell what was being said, but the men talking to her weren't happy with whatever she was telling them. He could see her talking into her watch, presumably to JARVIS, and then walking back inside. The agents in charge scowled at Ronnie's back looking like they'd like to hit her or arrest her. If they did either it would be the last goddamn thing they ever did, but thankfully it didn't come to that. Instead he watched as she made her way back up to her office.

Buck was nervous for the conversation that was about to happen. He didn't want to ruin his new friendship with her or upset Steve at all, but he was torn on what to do because he felt more than just friendship for her. The hope he'd had was that eventually those feelings would fade if he ignored them. Maybe he should ask the therapist, Dr Kent, what he should do. Bucky didn't want to lose Ronnie. He liked that she spent her spare time with him helping him catch up on things at a pace he could handle. He didn't want to lose their movie nights or quietly reading a book with her on lazy afternoons or her helping him through his nightmares at night.

If he lost this little bit of stability with one of the only people he trusted and who trusted him in return... Well, he didn't know what he would do and he didn't ever want to find out. Movement on the monitor in Ronnie's office caught his attention. It was her. Standing up he quickly ran his hand through his hair and straightened the tie that she'd helped him with this morning. He watched as she hesitated for a second before calling for JARVIS to open the hidden door. His heart sank. He was right, he had messed up.

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Ronnie's POV

Pausing a moment to take a deep breath she let it out and called for JARVIS to open the hidden door. Her eyes immediately landed on Bucky who looked at her with a nervousness he'd never had around her before. At first she thought it was because of the FBI, Homeland Security and the bombing, but she realized it was because of the kiss. Shit, she still didn't know what to do about it so Ronnie did the only thing she could. She was going to focus on what was important right now.

"Come on, we are leaving." Nodding her head towards the door she turned around and headed back out to the hallway. Ronnie knew he'd follow her so she kept walking. Hitting the call button for the elevator to go up instead of down she explained what happened downstairs. "I gave the them all of the footage of you since you stepped foot in my house, including any footage of you here at the Tower for the last week. I don't have JARVIS set up in my Paris apartment, but there are security cameras in the lobby and outside. It'll show them that you can't have been wherever they've got pictures of you."

Stepping inside she presses the button for the floor she needs and goes on to tell him, "They want to take you into custody since you're still listed as wanted, but I told them that wasn't happening since you're in SHIELD custody and are under my care by way of Fury." Not technically a lie, but not the whole truth. "So we're going home."

"If we're going home then why are we going up?" He was confused by the direction they were going as he looked at the floor levels increasing.

"Well, I doubt agent jackass and dumbass are going to make it easy on us so we're going to take a shortcut. How are you with heights?" Ronnie turns to glance over at him and sees a grimace of fear.

"I can handle airplanes just fine and helicopters are not my favorite thing, but I'll do whatever we have to do to get home." Biting her lip she gives him a sympathetic look. Yeah they weren't going to be taking a helicopter.

Stepping onto Tony's workshop floor Ronnie breezed through the door and made her way straight to her new suit's device. Hiking up her tight skirt until it was barely covering anything she picked it up and placed it on her chest. Tapping it twice to release the nanites until she was fully encased in her Emerald Vixen suit. "About that. We don't have a helicopter on stand-by and I don't have time to try and teach you how to fly one of Tony's suits, but I can have FRIDAY fly you on autopilot."

He watched in fascination as the nanites flowed over her body like water covering her from head to toe. Bucky took a large step back after her words finally registered in his brain. "No, I don't think I can do that."

Crossing her arms over her chest she pops out a hip. "It's either that or I carry you." The image of her carrying him makes her glad her face is covered so he couldn't see her grin. While he silently thinks it over she grabs Tony's new nanite suit device and walks back over to him. "We need to go, James." She tells him softly.

Reluctantly he sighs and allows her to activate the nanites. It's strange to see her brother's signature red and gold on anyone else, but Bucky looked good. He's taller and bigger than her brother so it was strange to see Iron Man's suit be so.. large. Clearing her throat Ronnie had FRIDAY set the training wheels protocol and take over the control of flying with directions to follow her. She tries to reassure Bucky one more time, "It's a bit scary at first, but you're totally safe. I've been doing this for four years and Tony for eight. Piece of cake."

Taking his hand in hers she leads him over to the launch pad and gets into position and has him copy her. Then they're off. Less than two minutes into their flight JARVIS notifies her that the FBI, Homeland security and now the CIA are waiting for them at her house. Coming to a floating stand still she thinks about what she can do and where they can go.

"Well, shit.."