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"There he is!" Steve spoke loudly from their spot in the corner of their favorite pub for weekend lunch. Sam looked his friend over, "you look...happy."
Bucky smirked, "yeah, last night was..incredible." Steve pushed his friend gently, "you didn't."
He shook his head, "not completely. But fuuuuck." They all laugh as the waitress comes to take their order.
It wasn't long before James was lifting his beer to his lips, recounting the entire night he shared with their employee.
"So, this enigma of a redhead, has gotten you to agree to not seeing anyone else while also not getting any, well..sortof." Sam laughed, "my boy really is whipped."
Steve shook his head, "only until she's done with the project though, and Buck, are you sure it's the right move? I get you like her, but we can't lose her."
Sam nodded and pat Steve, "he's right, its risky."
Bucky shook his head as he finished chewing, "she's gunna be mine, for now...I'll earn her trust. I guess no one beyond Nat ever has. I'm not changing my mind."
His friends shrugged it off, eating their appetizers and finishing their beers. Friends teasing eachother the entire time. Sam studied his friend for a minute, "I mean, I get she is beautiful. But what is it about her that has you like this? You're kinda losing your grip a bit."
Bucky took in a deep breath, contemplating his words for a moment. "I've never seen anyone like her, now that I've also gotten to know such a small sliver of her...I can feel just how rare someone like her is."
Steve smirked, "a rarity?"
His raven haired friend only nodded before saying, "damn, she's a fine rare mess."
Just a few miles away, the petite redhead stood nervously infront of her mirror in the two piece set she decided to risk it with tonight. Nat had gifted it to her the previous year and she hadn't worn it, because dressing like this felt like a risk Poppy never felt up for. Now, she just wants to see his reaction to it, to everything she does. She held her phone up, facetime ringing to Natasha.
"Damn Tiny, you look sexy. Is that the set I got you?!" Poppy nodded eagerly is Nat looked her over.
"Did he ask you out?" Nat yelled into the phone as Olive leaned in next to her, "I always said red was her color! Get it girl!"
Poppy's blonde brow pressed together, "will you two stop. I have a problem!" She huffed and Nat leaned closer to the phone.
"Did you sleep with him?!" Her voice seeped excitement but her face was angry.
"No, no. I rode his face last night and sucked him off this morning," she stated deadpan as Nat squealed. "Holy shit, was it the best ever? How big?"
The small redhead groaned, "mind bending. Literally amazing." Her small freckled neck rolls in frustration.
"Now, I want more but need to keep my cool and focus."
Nat waved a hand, "easy..unless you're going on a date?!"
"Its not a date. I have this dinner for the fucking Petal Pushers...I'm losing it!" She spoke in an excited slur as Olive screamed a string of excited curse words in the background about their favorite band.
"I know Olive, they're gay goddesses and I'm a ball of nerves, think they'll notice?" She mumbled as Nat waved her off, her little brunette friend dancing in the background in a comedic twirk.
"I need a Natasha special. A hype speech. Hype me up please, they'll be here soon."
Little gold chunky block heels patter on the floor as she sets her phone down against her jewelry box. She shakes out her hands and kicking her legs to loosen up.
"You are a warrior, more badass than most people I know. You have those men wrapped around your tiny fingers already," Nat started before Olive yelled, "thats true...I saw it!" Her small tan frame still dancing in the background.
"You are going to go out tonight and be your amazingly unapologetic self, drink with some musicians and have fun. You got this, it's nothing."
"You do look really hot Poppy," Olive flirted with a smirk, pushing her light brown hair from her face with a wiggly eyebrow.
Poppy smiled with emerald eyes at her friends on the phone, "thank you both...always love a good hype up."
Nat let out a sigh, "now put one of your stress lollipops in your mouth, we actually have to tell you something while you're on the phone."
Poppy picked up the phone nervously and looked at Nat with a worried stare. She made her way to her large bowl of anxiety reducing sugar and unwrapped a red one.
"We both got cast in a last minute show for the next few weeks." Her older friend was so excited so she beamed back proudly, "that's awesome. I'm so happy for you two!"
She bit back the sadness as it crept up, she hadn't been away from Nat for longer than a week since moving to the states three years ago.
"I'll be back before you know it, Tiny," Nat smiled as she looked behind her phone. "Pops, I need to go. But I love you, tonight is your night. Own it."
"Thanks Nat, love you! Bye olive!"
For a short moment, she sucked on the lollipop anxiously as she thought about nearly a month without her sister.
"Damn, her building is nice. What did little hacker do before we hired her?"
Steve smirked as they got into the elevator, Sam added, "other than hacking."
Bucky rolled his eyes, "she was a waitress so I have no idea how she lives here. I mean Stark is her dad, but they just met so I don't-"
Sam's jaw dropped, hitting his friends chest lightly with the back of his hand, "why am I just hearing she's a Stark?"
James shrugged, "not important."
Sam glared, "incorrect Buck. Very important."
Bucky grabbed his shoulder, "drop it."
They all stood before her dark wood door as Bucky rattles a singsong knock on her door. They hear a muffled, "come in!" And the tattood hand opens the door with a warning glare at his friends.
They enter her apartment to be met with the small redhead with her hair in those unforgettable perfectly messy curls and a stunning deep crimson silky two piece dress with embroidered gold flowers and swirls. Her body on display sending a nervous wave through James as he drank her in, feeling the few beers they had washing over him warmly.
She turned on her heel, a red lillipop between her lips to calm her nerves. A smile spreads her red lolli stained pout as she pulls the candy from her mouth. She is smiling when she sees all three of her bosses dressed in perfectly tailored suits. Steve in navy, Sam in grey.
She looked over James an extra moment as he wore all black, she adored the way black looked on him. She felt a familiar fluttery warmth that she swallowed and ignored, "don't you all look handsome." She popped the candy back in her mouth with a giggle, locking eyes with James.
Steve and Sam bit back smiles as they waited for their boss to compliment her. He let out a heavy breathe, "damn, red was a good choice, baby doll." She pointed at him with a warning glare, "none of that, Mr. Barnes." Her lips were pursed as she stared him down.
He waved her off nonchalantly stating, "they already know." Her eyes widen and she nervously tucks her lip in her teeth, looking at the two nervous men behind James.
What.the.fuck.Barnes.
The little color her skin held leaving her, along with her sure as fire confidence.
"James, you told them?" Her voice was low and silvery, sending another wave of arousal through his large tattood body.
He bit his lip and nodded with a shrug, "sorry, you didn't explicitly state not to, I told them as friends."
She rolled her eyes and turned towards the kitchen pouring shots, "well, now that my bosses know I sat on your face, I should probably drink more."
Their jaws all drop at her bluntness. He started again, "I mean, I didn't go into detail, but-." He defended as she let out a nervous laugh, lifting another shot to her lips with a hum, chasing it with a small suck on the lollipop in her hand.
She loved the way he stared at her lips as she did, an excited wave of confidence picked her up as his eyes studied her actions.
He hurried to slither an arm around her, kissing her neck. She chuckled and pulled away, "they are my bosses. You know the rules." She pointed to his friends as they laughed at their friend's expense. "But they know," he pleaded with wide eyes.
She nodded, wiggling from his arms, "so you did tell them for a reason...always with the loophole James." She wiggled her finger with a tsk sound.
Steve laughed and put an arm over her shoulder laughing at his friend, "yeah he has always been good at that."
She smirked and shook her head, "you three are trouble."
Sam shrugged, "but you are too." She agreed with a laugh.
"So, I gotta ask, Stark.. is your dad?" Sam asked in a singsong voice.
She shook her head, "he impregnated my mom but no, he's not my dad."
They nodded as Sam pushed, "so, this apartment. He didn't?"
She glared up at him quickly and shook her head, "no. He didn't. I would never accept money from that man." She realized in that moment they had accepted money from that man, and they were still under his thumb.
Sam nodded and dropped it. The silence was deafening for the small redhead and she had a few drinks.
"If you must know, my mom was an addict but she was also an incredible ballet teacher when she wasn't using, as rare as it was. She left everything to me...I used it to buy a place here and start my own life away from my past."
Her small nervous hand found its way to James', wrapping around his index finger without meaning to. A grin on his lips at the sight of it, she hadn't even noticed what she'd done until after the silence filled the space again.
"Gettin awfully close to my employers I guess," she smirked, looking down at her little hand wrapped around his tattood pointer. They all took a drink together.
"Eh, you fit right in, Tiny." Steve smirked with a small elbow nudge.
She smiled up at him as Sam nodded, "it's true. Now for tonight..."
The group enjoyed a couple drinks and a small conversation about what to expect, before heading out.
A tattood hand tracing shapes on her bare thigh from next to her in the back seat. Steve smirking at the sight of his friend being so soft with a woman.
"So the Petal Pushers...I kindof already adore them. I got this," she smiled as the car stops infront of a large venue. The 7969, an old speakeasy that they love to scout musicians from. The Petal Pushers were one of the bands they had met while there years ago.
They were also hosting the event next weekend for a few bands and people in the industry to mingle and enjoy their new album. It was a networking event for them and their friends, but tonight, they wanted to talk about their tour along with a few other long awaited topics, and of course, meeting the new addition to BBR.
Round emerald eyes look up at the stunning dimly lit dark brick building in Manhattan. She took a deep breath as she felt the familiar large hand meet her back, somehow always calming her nerves. "Have fun and relax. They'll adore you baby doll," he whispered in her ear making her release a small hummed moan, "yes, sir."
He bit his lip as he led her inside.
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