The club the friend group had been invited to that night was new. It was considered an exciting, energetic, and modern top-of-the-line club. They were only getting in because Nat, a well-known PI (Private Investigator), had done a case for the owner.
The owners had a worker confess they knew someone from the inside giving their ideas to a competitor. Nat took on the investigation and found the rat in time for the business to be secure before opening or in the long run. In doing so, she saved the club owners tons of investment money from going under before it even started.
Wanda and Y/N got ready as planned at the former's house, and Nat and Maria met them outside the bar. The boys were coming at a different time, 30 minutes later than they were, which meant they got a small head start on the evening.
"Ok, girls!" Nat shouted over the music. "Bar's back there. The dance floor is over there. They have private rooms in the back that Hilde was kind enough to gift us for the whole night if needed, as well as tons of little other things to explore. She also said if we don't want that spot, we are more than welcome to move around," she instructed as she pointed out each of the spaces.
"Damn, Nat. This place is impressive," Wanda noted, looking around in surprise. "And by impressive, I mean, I'm not normally a club person, but I think I can get behind this place."
"Yeah, look at all the free real estate," Maria's shoulder-bumped Y/N as they scanned the young and attractive clientele already in the building and flooded in. Y/N laughed as Maria set her gaze on a group of girls laughing and dancing.
"Who's the boss again?" Y/N shouted as the group maneuvered to the bar.
"Two brothers own it. Thor and Loki, but they leave the management and marketing jobs up to Brunhilde. She mainly goes by Val, though. She's the one that hired me."
"She going to be here tonight?" Wanda asked.
"Yeah, she said when we got here to start a tab under her name. Drinks are on her tonight. But only for the girls. Boys get two free ones before they have to start paying," Nat answered with a laugh, getting a collective cheer from the girls. "Update on the boy's ETA?"
Y/N fumbled through her small purse for her phone and pulled it up, looking at the group messages.
"Sam and Clint said they were on their way, and Bucky and Steve drove together and should be here..." She paused, seeing a new text from Bucky. "And it looks like Bucky forgot his wallet, so they had to turn around. They won't be here for another 30-45 min."
"Vis is also on his way. It's not really his scene, so he might stay for a little, and then we'll head out," Wanda added, putting her phone away.
"You're not going to stay with us when he leaves?"
"I'll see. He's been on business for the past two weeks, so we haven't had much time together. We can always come back here, though, right Nat?"
"For sure! Val's chill; honestly, I can see her blending well with the group. I was going to ask if I could invite her over for game night sometime soon so you guys can meet her," Nat smiled.
"Oh, please?" Y/N jumped. "Another girl for the group! We can thank her personally. This is really so much of her to do for a group of mostly strangers."
"She was happy to. The only requirement she asked of us is to have a good time and advertise it well," Nat winked. "Shall we start our list of reasons to come here by hitting the bar first?"
"You don't have to convince me," Maria jumped, rushing to the bar just feet away, with the rest of the girls laughing and following.
______
"How'd you manage to forget your wallet? It's one of the three things you check for before leaving any place. Phone, keys, wallet," Steve listed off, a finger ticking off each of the items.
"I don't need the lecture, Rogers. My mind's been scattered," Bucky groaned, hands in pockets as they walked along the crowded sidewalk.
"Yeah, happens when you have someone special on your mind," Steve mumbled with a slight shrug, looking around and anywhere but at Bucky.
"You annoy me to no end," Bucky gritted through his teeth, making sure Steve could feel his piercing eyes.
"Name," the bouncer requested once they approached the rope in the VIP area.
"Should be under Natasha Romanoff," Steve answered.
"Romanoff. Got ya. You guys are the last ones in," the bouncer said, moving to the side to let the two in and quickly moving back before the 100s lined up outside could make a move.
"See? Last ones," Steve mumbled.
"You're such a-"
"You see the girls or Sam and Clint?" Steve interrupted, now shouting over the overly loud music.
"Uh, no," Bucky straightened some to get a better look around. Steve doing the same next to him. "Oh wait! I think I see Maria and-"
He stopped mid-sentence, seeing her from behind and noticing right off the bat who it was. He wasn't sure how long he was staring, but long enough for Steve to nudge him out of his daze and laugh.
"Dude, you're drooling."
Bucky shook out his head and tried playing it off.
"Was not," he said in a higher pitch than he meant to and cleared his throat to play it off. "I was just trying to see if it was her or someone else. She doesn't normally dress like that..."
Y/N was wearing a deep red leather skirt with a black turtle neck halter top with a cleavage cut in the middle of her chest. It was tucked in and complemented with matching long-leather black boots that stopped just above her knees. Her figure was perfectly accented and would easily make any guy's mouth drop to the ground.
(This top with a dark red leather skirt ;)
Her hair, originally up in a ponytail or clip the last few days, now fell lusciously down her back and had a freshly blown in-the-wind effect to give it volume and seduction.
"You going to stop staring, or will my night consist solely of babysitting you?" Steve sighed, placing a heavy hand on the brunette's shoulder before he squeezed it.
"I'm fine," Bucky had to physically shake his head out of his thoughts. "I will be fine, I mean." He was just about to step into character when he noticed Y/N leaning on the bar top and laughing at something the bartender, who had just now turned around, and said, "Who's that?"
A guy with long blonde hair, sculpted like a god, and a giant puppy dog smile was leaning against the other side of the bar of Y/N with a fresh drink in hand. He slid it across and then leaned in closer to her.
"A bartender," Steve answered, looking at his friend, who had a hard glare on his face. "She's probably just playing flirt to get free drinks from the guy. It's not out of the normal for her or any of the girls to do. It's how we get hammered by the end of the night and spend half of what we plan to."
Bucky wanted Y/N's body language to do the opposite of what it was doing now and walk away entirely from the conversation, but instead, it copied the man whose arms looked like they could snap an exercise band if you tied it around them.
To make matters worse, she had that damn contagious smile on and was listening to something the man was saying before nodding and gasping and excitedly replying, only making the guy smile wider. Her joy was something many were drawn to, and selfishly, he didn't want her to share it with anyone but himself.
"She doesn't do it that often," Bucky mumbled.
"Not often isn't never," Steve added. "Come on. Let's find the rest of the crew and figure out what we've missed so far." When Bucky didn't budge, he sighed and stood in front of him, cutting off his view of Y/N. "Remember? You aren't worried about it..."
"I'm not," Bucky replied unconvincingly, trying to persuade himself and Steve, but the pout never left his face.
"Then act like it," Steve stated, moving back to his side and guiding him to the location Nat had sent them with a hand on his shoulder.
_______
"Hey guys!" Nat shouted, motioning the two to a booth reserved for them close to the bar. "Nice of you to finally join us."
"Blame this one," Steve pointed a thumb back before sliding into the open half circle of the booth.
Bucky pushed his shoulder harshly as he sat next to him, only to angle himself to see the bartop better.
"How long have you guys been here?" Steve asked.
"Just under an hour. Nice, though, right?" Nat answered.
"Really nice. It's a cool little setup," Sam answered. "Why's it called Asgard?"
"Something having to do with family background and the two brothers who own it," Nat waved off. "I didn't ask many questions outside of the job, though."
"Who, uh, who's Y/N talking to?" Bucky spoke up, never having heard the conversation before him- too focused on the two at the bar.
"Um, just a bartender, I think. She went to get a drink a while ago, but she's been talking to him for at least 20 minutes now," Wanda answered, observing Bucky for a reaction.
"Nice. Nice. Cool, cool, cool," Bucky nodded, turning back to the table but continuously looking back in what he thought was a discreet manner.
"So, what all do we have planned for the night?" Steve asked, pulling the attention away from Bucky, everyone giving him looks from his awkwardness.
"Just to enjoy the free amenities! We have VIP access all night. So this place is our playground until we're ready to call it a night," Nat smiled, raising her beer bottle in cheers that everyone with a drink followed.
"Works for me. I'm going to go get some more drinks and check in with Y/N," Steve announced, pushing past Bucky, who stood with him, ready to follow. While everyone else continued the conversation, he pushed Bucky back. "You stay. I'm getting you some alcohol."
"But-"
"I'll figure it out. If you're so hell-bent on moving on, let me handle this," Steve chided quietly enough that the distracted group wouldn't hear.
Bucky sighed, looking back at the bar and seeing the two still giggling and having what looked like a good conversation. "Fine."
Steve was right. If he was trying to move on from the feelings he so badly wanted to deny, going and intruding on Y/N's conversation wasn't the best step, even if he couldn't care less and was willing to make a fool of himself to keep the man away from her.
Steve nodded, heading that way, and slowly approached Y/N from the side.
"Hey, doll," he said, smiling at her and placing a friendly hand on her back.
"Stevie!" she shouted, hugging him from her stool.
"The crew said you were getting a drink, and you were taking a while. I just wanted to check in," he said politely, nodding to the blonde behind the bar, who sent a kind smile and crossed his arms across his chest, showing his size.
"Oh, I'm fine! I got a little distracted," she blushed some. Something hard to see in the lighting, but Steve caught on. "Thor, this is my friend Steve. Steve, this is Thor. He and his brother own the place," she introduced.
"Oh, so you're the owner. That's crazy, man. Good for you guys," Steve expressed courteously, shaking hands with the man.
"You're telling me. It started as a far-off idea just a few years back, and now we're here." Thor smiled, returning the handshake before breaking off and looking back at Y/N. "Really glad we're here too."
"It's a hell of a place. Truly, not that I don't like places like this, but it's not a recurring scene for me, but this is all really nice," Y/N said, inching back to him.
"What is your scene then?" Thor questioned, getting closer to the bar again as if the two were magnets pulling back together.
"Depends on the mood, but I'd take a night in with a good movie and board games with friends any time."
"So, a simple lady?" he asked, and she nodded. "I like that. I like that a lot."
The two stared at each other, and Steve could feel the tension growing just as fast as his discomfort.
"I was actually going to get a few drinks before heading back. Any suggestions?" Steve spoke up, placing a hand on the bar as he leaned on it.
The two were quickly reminded of his presence, and Thor jumped back into his job.
"Well, we have a special tonight, but I'm technically not supposed to be back here. I just had to come over after seeing this eye-catching creature," he said, nodding his head to Y/N and again looking her straight in the eyes. She blushed and smiled before bashfully looking down. "Let me get someone who knows-"
"Thor!" a voice came from a door behind the bar.
The three turned, seeing a girl and a guy peeking out. The girl had caramel skin and beautiful lox with tiny gold clips throughout her hair. The man had jet-black hair that was longer like Thor's but shorter than the blondes. He was very attractive as well, but he had a more serious and mischievous look.
"I guess I have to go to some owner chores," Thor rolled his shoulders back. "Y/N, I believe all drinks are already on the house tonight for you and your friends, but any other time you want to stop in, I would be happy to grab you one myself."
"I would like that," Y/N agreed, propping her hand under her chin and leaning into the counter.
"Good. I hope to be seeing you around then," he said, handing over a business card, which Y/N took. Very smoothly, he took her hand and placed a kiss on the back before walking backward. "Have a good night. Steve, I trust you'll keep her from harm's way for the night," Thor nodded his way but never broke eye contact with her.
"Nice meeting you," Steve nodded with a tight smile, feeling awkward in this situation.
"Bye," Y/N waved up until he was gone. Her gaze stayed on the office door even after it shut. The only thing snapping her out of her thoughts was Steve clearing his throat.
"So the owner, huh?" Steve chuckled some.
"Yes. What about it?" Y/N grinned at him, noticing the tone.
"Nothing, nothing. Just the fact that whole interaction was extremely uncomfortable for me," Steve laughed, flagging down an actual bartender.
"Oh, hush," she rolled her eyes, smacking his arm playfully as she jumped up from the barstool she had gotten comfortable in. "He's a nice guy."
"Seems like it. Considering you've been over here for half an hour."
"Has it really been that long?" she asked, looking down at her phone. "Wow. It felt like 5 minutes."
Steve waved a bartender down and asked for drinks the group was partial to. It didn't take long for the them to start the order and add drink by drink to a circle platter for him to carry it all back with.
"Wanna help me take these drinks back to the table? Bucky's here."
"Sure, but uh, Steve?" she paused, pulling him closer to her by his arm.
"Yeah?" he questioned, quirking an eyebrow.
"Have you noticed anything off with B?"
"Why do you ask?" Steve asked in an intrigued tone.
"Nothing major, just during movie night, he was all fidgety and lost in his head," she sighed in an almost defeated tone, looking at the table where Bucky was currently distracted by Sam saying something stupid and making him shake his head.
"Uh, no. I haven't noticed anything," Steve answered, following her gaze.
"Oh, ok... Maybe I'm just overthinking it," she hummed, biting her lip at the predicament.
Steve could see the worry in her eyes, and he hated that he knew what was actually happening but couldn't say anything.
"If you feel like something isn't right, I'll keep an eye on him. Just to be sure," Steve added, hoping to ease her worries in some way.
"I appreciate it. He usually comes to me when something's wrong, but..." She paused, unsure how to explain the weird feeling in her gut. "I don't know. Something feels off."
"Well, don't worry about it tonight. Let me take care of him and figure it out. I've been doing it long enough. You just have fun, ok?"
"Yeah, ok. Let's get these drinks to the crew," she smiled, pushing on and walking to the table.