Imagine If You Assembled The Avengers: Volume 3

Oh, Christmas Tree (1940's Rogers/Barnes x reader)

Poly Relationship

Normally, public functions didn't make you nervous, and certainly nothing so simple as to introduce your boss to a crowd of adoring fans of his work. But this event was different; your two boys were here to watch. Steve and Bucky were at the very front of the crowd, assembled in Rockefeller Center in New York to watch the annual lighting of the most famous Christmas Tree in the country. Stark Industries had sponsored the tree this year, and Howard wanted to be sure that everyone knew exactly who bought the ridiculously expensive ornaments that adorned it.

"Are we on?" Howard asked you in an impatient whisper as he peeked out through the curtains and to the waiting crowd. "How do I look?"

"Here," you offered, "your tie is a little crooked. If you insist on wearing a tie covered in Christmas trees, it needs to be straight." You gave it a gentle pull to the right and tightened the knot just a little, leaving him to cough and pull it away again as if it were choking him. "Mr. Stark, are you actually nervous? That's so unlike you."

"Pfft, no. I'm not nervous. You know why?"

"Why?"

"Because you're doing the intro tonight, sweetheart. I'm just another one of the pretty ornaments."

"Don't be ridiculous," you countered, actually gripping his tie tighter in your fist, "this is your job, sir, not mine. I wouldn't even know what to say! Why are you changing your mind at the last minute to what you know will be a disaster? Oh...hold on..." you paused, joining him to again peek out towards the crowd, "is there a girl out here? Someone you have your eye on, perhaps? I've only seen you this flustered over a woman."

"No comment."

"Hmm, so there is."

"Okay, fine, maybe there is," he snapped, turning back towards you with a crooked grin, "what about you?"

"What about me?"

"You can't tell me that those two fellas in the front row, looking like they're about to explode if they have to wait any longer, aren't here to see you. They look like lovesick idiots."

"Steve and Buck? Believe me, sir, they're just idiots."

"Well, I'll buy that," he snickered, "but a smart girl like you would never settle. There must be more there than looks. So, which one is it? Who's finally snatched you up from the single life?"

"No comment," you repeated, making him only more determined as you used his own excuse against him. When you tried to turn to leave, his hand jutted out and grabbed your arm, making you gasp at the sudden contact and firmness in his hold. He wasn't being pushy or overbearing, he was just truly interested and wasn't about to drop the conversation so quickly. To anyone on the outside of the two of you, it could have been easily misconstrued for aggression. "Howard, we can talk about this later."

"Come on, just tell me."

"If I tell you, will you let go?"

"You'll let go of the lady anyway," came Steve's familiar voice from behind you, "I don't care who you think you are." When you turned to retort, Bucky was standing only a step behind, looking just as ready to fight as Steve was, but you actually worried that he would follow through.

"Hey, no harm meant," Howard backpedaled, releasing you with hands raised, "seriously fellas, I was just playing around. What's your business is your business. So, (Y/N), I think it's about time that we get this show-"

Just as he anticipated, time was running out and one of his other assistants broke in to make it even clearer to everyone. "Mr. Stark, we're waiting. The mayor is asking what the hold-up is."

"No hold up, we're just about to get started. Tell the old man not to piss his britches," he hissed, turning back to you with a coy smile again. "Or should I say, you're just about to get started?"

"Mr. Stark, please, you can't make me do this. I'm not prepared...I haven't had a chance to write an introduction for you..."

"Eh, just make it up," he shrugged. "Get something in there about my genius, being a billionaire playboy, or my philanthropy and we're golden. You work better under pressure anyway. I'll be right here, listening intently as a show of support, not at all judging."

All you could do was to shake your head in disbelief, finding yourself mute under the thought of all of those people looking to you to introduce your boss and the event they had been waiting for all evening to start. Your palms were immediately clammy, and your heart was pounding in your ears so loudly that even if you were to find your voice, you could never hear yourself speak out there. "Howard-" you tried, but he had already stepped away to the other side of the stage and to safety from your two men standing steady behind you.

"Hey," Bucky stepped up, quickly finding his best calming tone, "you've got this. You make stuff up for us all the time, right?"

"I do?"

"Yeah, you do," Steve joined in, each of them taking one of your hands, "when things get tough, you always know exactly what to say to make it all settle down and make sense for us. If you can handle us at our worst, then doll, this is nothin'."

"Nothin' at all," Bucky added again. "Steve and I will be right up front, so if it helps, just keep your eyes on us and pretend that we're the only ones there. And, you know what? I hear that pretending we're naked helps to calm stage fright nerves."

"I've seen it before, Buck."

"Wait, what are you saying?" Steve gasped, clutching his chest. "That didn't sound convincing, like it was something you wanted to see again."

"Yeah, because that's gonna happen. It took almost two hours to get you guys dressed enough to leave the house," you scoffed. At the sound of Howard's chuckle, even from so far away, you silenced, returning to the nerves that gripped your sense of reason. "He's not gonna let me get out of this, is he?"

"Nope, doesn't look like it, honey."

"Okay, so there's no point in whining," you nodded definitively, squaring your shoulders with a sense of determination, even though you had absolutely zero. "Let's just get this over with. If he doesn't like what I have to say, then I guess you'll be seeing a lot more of me around the house."

"Not gonna say no to that," Bucky agreed with an eagerly smiling Steve next to him. "But you're right. Just get out there and give 'em hell, doll." With a quick kiss on your cheek that warmed the chill from it, he took your shoulders in hand and turned you to face the curtain, giving you a gentle nudge. "Alright, Steve and I will be right out front. Just keep your focus on us and you'll be great." With that, the two left your side, leaving Howard to return once the threat of bodily harm had passed.

"Okay, so I still can't tell," he whispered, "which one is it?"

Your shaking hand came up and took a small part of the curtain to pull it back just enough to see Steve and Bucky again taking their seats. The sight of them did seem to help, and you started to feel like you could almost pull this off. "You know, Mr. Stark, I think I might not mention your genius in the speech. It seems to be failing you just a bit."

"I'm sorry?"

"I don't know how it could be any more obvious," you answered in a whisper, "it's both."