Reveries of Spring│Bucky Barnes

━ 𝟎𝟖

ALONGSIDE TONY AND LIONEL- who were furiously scribbling notes and speaking rapidly back and forth about whether or not Martina could survive another Ice Age- said girl and Bucky were leaving the training room with a sense of accomplishment that neither of them had felt in a very long time.

Across the hall, the doors leading to another training room opened, and out came Artemis and Loki- the former looking severely disheveled and breathless while the latter wore a proud smirk on his face.

"You two looked like you've worked up a sweat," Tony said, suggestively wagging his eyebrows at an annoyed Artemis. "You know we have rooms for that."

Artemis rolled her eyes. "Of course, that would be your initial thought. Loki, my uncle-" she reached behind her and tugged an angry Clint out of the door "-and I were just sparring with that fancy new bow and arrow set you made for me."

"Do you like it?" Tony questioned, accepting the weapon when Artemis handed it to him. "I changed the flexibility ratio."

"It's pretty good," she admitted, smiling at the way he whispered to Lionel about more changes he could make. "It's too flashy for me taste, though."

Loki smirked beside her. "Some of us don't have to compensate for a lack of talent, Stark."

Tony's smile dropped as he shoved the bow into Lionel's unprepared hands. "I think you might want to change that attitude. I was thinking about throwing you two an engagement party."

Loki and Artemis shared a look of suspicion before turning back to Tony.

"Don't pretend like you care enough about our engagement to throw us a party," Artemis said with her eyes narrowed at him.

"What? How could you say that?" Tony feigned offense before caving under Artemis' brutal stare. "Fine! It's just been a while since I've thrown a party."

Clint scoffed as he raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I vividly remember how the last one ended."

Martina looked up at Stark with her eyebrows raised.

"Oh, no big deal. A robot just tried to take over the world," he said dismissively.

Martina snorted. "The things you guys don't consider a big deal..."

Tony passed on snapping back at her and instead held his hands out in front of him as he tipped his head at Loki and Artemis. "So, what do you think?"

The two lovers shared an intimate look before both of them shrugged their shoulders.

"Not that it could compare to an Asgardian affair, but as you said, a party is a party," Loki said.

Artemis placed her hand gently on her fiance's arm. "Do you think Thor would want to come, babe?"

Loki smiled at her as he threw his arm over her shoulders. "Since I have to check on my pupils anyway, I'll head there tonight and ask. I'm sure he'd be happy to be there."

"Thor?" Martina questioned, noting the mixture of hesitancy and admiration that clouded Loki's green eyes.

"My brother," he explained, avoiding her gaze and tightening his arm around Artemis' shoulder.

"It's settled then!" Stark said, clapping his hands before reaching for his phone. "I'll get with Ms. Potts and start planning the event."

Loki looked back at Artemis. "Would you like to join me? After a month, I'm sure Lady Sif would be happy to see you. I'm sure that the Warriors Three have sufficiently irritated her by now."