𝒑𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒕 || s. rogers & b. barnes

12||; 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒔

Irina stumbles back a step, peering up to find Barnes looking down at her with an astonished look on his features, which seemed to have gotten a glow up through Natasha's magical methods

His dangly long dark hair was pulled into a bun, still letting parts frame his face and compliment him. And long hair, funnily enough, suited him well.

"Barnes," a smile spreads to her lips without her even knowing, "there you are! You look like you could kill some ladies with how handsome you are," she compliments.

Barnes tenses in the shoulders, and she's quick to amend. "Figure of speech, Barnes. You're not actually killing anyone. You're just very handsome."

Barnes lets out a sigh of relief, nodding jerkily. Irina peers up at him curiously. "You all right? Is the party getting to you?" A shake of the head. "No? Is it...are you just tired?" A hesitant shake of the head. "Are you missing Steve?" Another shake of the head. She deadpans. "Barnes, you have to give me something here -"

"You look nice," blurts Barnes from nowhere. Irina blinks owlishly, but it's nowhere near as wide as his eyes go. Barnes shifts and fidgets in the spot, gaze flickering to the ground and windows. "I - I mean you do...look nice. Nicest 've ever seen you. You weren't not nice before, but you...like me...you dress up...nice...?" He finishes off weakly, looking ready to jump out the window for it.

Her red lips curls into a smile, and she beams up at him. "Thanks. You're quite dashing yourself, Barnes," she hums, reaching up to fix his tie, which had been crooked slightly.

She tries to ignore the way he flinches under her touch, grimacing softly, but not taking it to heart. Because she can understand how suddenly loud areas can overstimulate ones like them.

"Thanks..." Barnes murmurs when she drops her hands. Irina grins.

"Anytime. Now, have you seen Steve? Because I've been looking for him, since apparently he was looking for me, but -"

"I'm here," a voice sounds from behind her.

Irina turns around fully, spotting Steve just ahead, looking the picture of perfection in her eyes with a dark blue button-up that was tight around his torso, and black khakis at his legs. The sleeves are rolled halfway up his forearms, and she tries not to get too distracted on them.

"Steve!" She says, breaking out into a beaming smile.

Steve approaches her, taking in her appearance with an awed look, baby blues full of admiration when he finally looks into her eyes.

"You inspire me, Irina. You always have."

Irina clears her throat softly, pursing her lips and trying to put away the surfacing memories of their last meeting fully alone together - not that they were fully alone here, either, but seeing Steve made it feel that way. "I've been looking for you, Captain," she mocks disappointment. "Just where have you been? It's rude to keep a woman waiting."

Steve grins brilliantly at her. "Looking for you," he returns. "And then I found you. And you look..." his eyes trail down her body again, admiring her, then meets her eyes again. He punches out a breath, "...god, like an angel."

"You flatter me again, Rogers," says Irina. She flicks her gaze over his torso again. "You don't look half bad yourself. Blue is your colour."

Steve chuckles. "Blue is mostly Bucky's colour, really. I only pull it off well because Sam helped me," he says, eyes flickering briefly over her head to flash his best friend a smile.

Barnes returns it with a small one, never able to truly smile freely - at least not yet.

"Well, you both look like a killer duo, I'll tell you that," she mutters. "Damn super soldiers."

Steve grins cheekily at her. "Jealous?" He teases.

Irina lifts an eyebrow at him, whiskey brown eyes peering up at him through long, dark eyelashes.

Steve's smile stretches just slightly wider, getting a bit brighter.

"Of the chance to be able to beat your sorry ass? Definitely," she smirks. Irina pats his bicep, then notices the solidness of it, and quickly withdraws her hand. "So, what'd you need, Cap?"

"Nothing, absolutely nothing," answers Steve honestly. He chuckles at the insulted expression on her face. "Just hadn't seen you. And I wanted to. And now I have, and I can tell you that you put everyone else here to shame."

Irina pushes her lips to suppress the stupid smile threatening to show through the giddiness she felt flipping her stomach around over and over again. "Careful, Steve," she murmurs after a moment, "Tony might hear you and get jealous."

Steve snorts softly. "Let him. I only ever speak the truth when it comes to you, Roberts," he says.

Then falters.

And Irina frowns. "Steve?"

Just as quickly as he had hesitated, the blond is smiling again, though it's strained, and doesn't meet his eyes quite as well. "Sorry. I'm sorry. Zoned out for a moment. You're just so..." he gestures weakly to her, awe still in his gaze, and Irina snickers.

"I know I've never dressed up for you before, but come on, it's not like I suddenly look like a Greek goddess or something -"

"I think you do," Barnes says simply. Irina looks at him, noting the way he's unashamedly staring right at her, not hesitant about eye contact in this brief moment. "I think you put the most beautiful goddess to shame."

Irina is baffled for a moment, the blunt compliment taking her by surprise, but she's quick to give a sheepish smile to try and hide the embarrassed heat flying to her cheeks. "I - thanks..! But, uh, don't let Aphrodite hear that. Legends and shit... I don't wanna be cursed any more than I have been, y'know?" She grins, but it falters at the grave look on Barnes' face.

"Hey," she takes a step away from Steve, reaching up and letting her hand hover over his bicep for a moment, before it gently touches down as to not scare him, "it's okay. We've been over this. I'm fine. It's fine. Strucker was the last major thug of HYDRA to go down, now we're through with them. Okay? No more," she assures him in a gentle voice.

Barnes looks reluctant, and Steve comes up to his other side, patting his covered metal shoulder with his hand. "She's right, Buck. And even if they do come back - which they won't -" he clarifies, sending his dearest friend a smile, "the Avengers will be here to protect you."

Irina nods, and after a moment, Barnes does, too, the tension seeping slowly from his shoulders. She grins. "Now, answer me this, did they have beer pong in the 1940s?"