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The Winter Soldier will not admit that he is uncomfortable. He will admit the he is upset with Bucky Barnes because he keeps fidgeting with the cobalt tie around their neck, a common expression of being uncomfortable. The Winter Soldier isn’t sure why they are at Stark’s party. They had fought Tony Stark and Natalia disabling their arm was the only reason that the fight had ended. Steve had told Bucky they were there because if he likes it or not, they are Avengers, and this party was to celebrate Thor and his return.
Thor is Threat Level 20.
Bucky Barnes corrects him and states it is 21 if Doctor Jane Foster is involved.
James corrects them both and states it is 22 when Loki is involved.
The Winter Soldier and Bucky Barnes agree.
Bucky finally drops their hand from their neck and The Winter Soldier folds their arms across their chest as they stand next to The Falcon and The Ant (Sam and Scott, James reminds him) watching the dance floor. Bucky Barnes says it isn’t any dance he ever remembered doing. The Winter Soldier adds that it definitely isn’t anything Hydra ever wanted him to know. James, who is always the voice of reason, says they need to watch current films and listen to current music. James is ninety percent positive that whatever Doctor Foster’s intern is doing is called the NayNay. Bucky likes what it is doing to her shapely backside. The Winter Soldier wonders if knowing this dance would be imperative to a future mission. James and Bucky laugh at him.
“Does she know them all?” They hear Scott ask Sam as the song changes.
The Winter Soldier watches out of the corner of his eye as Darcy Lewis changes dance steps and starts to lead another line dance for her, Jane Foster, Thor, and most surprisingly, Pepper Potts. Bucky Barnes listens in as Sam replies, “Any line dance after nineteen seventy, she is well versed.” James smirks. Bucky Barnes tries to hide it by leaning his head forward so their hair falls into their eyes.
“Huh.” Scott nods before sipping on the beer held loosely in his hand.
James moves their crossed arms and reaches for their Stark Phone. He pulls it out and starts to record the group doing what he recalls is the Superman. The Winter Soldier wracks his brain for a date. Bucky Barnes is angry his security blanket of fringe was taken away. James tells the Winter Soldier that it was 2006, which was a great year for kitschy, catchy hip hop songs with line dances.
Bucky Barnes doesn’t want to know how he knows this.
The Winter Soldier reminds him that James likes to hack people’s computers and found Darcy Lewis’ music collection by ‘accident’.
James tells them that 2008 was his favourite year because that was when Lady GaGa dropped her first single to the airwaves. The Winter Soldier likes Lady GaGa. Bucky Barnes also enjoys her catchy tunes, but doesn’t understand her fashion. James laughs at him again.
“You danced, didn’t you, Bucky?” Sam nudges them with a shoulder against their cybernetic shoulder.
“A long time ago,” Bucky answers. “Didn’t have much of a chance between assassinations,” The Winter Soldier continues. James likes it when he talks about it, especially when he is trying to joke about it.
Scott sputters around his beer. James smirks.
“Do you remember any of your moves?” Sam likes to ask them conversational questions to get them to come out of their shell. They like it because they aren’t one to offer up information without being prompted.
They all think for a moment. “Yeah, reckon I do.” James offers up. “It’s like riding a bike.” The Winter Soldier adds, “or shooting a gun,” Bucky finishes with, “just gotta saddle up and do it, right?”
They watch Sam and Scott trade glances. They are up to something. The Winter Soldier wants to hold them against the wall and interrogate them. Bucky is curious. James wants to get on the dance floor and finish doing Superman to Crank Dat with Darcy Lewis.
Their eyes lock with Darcy Lewis’ and she winks at them. Bucky Barnes would have called it saucy. The Winter Soldier doesn’t understand why she flirts with them. James moves towards the dance floor with a purpose as the last chorus of the song plays on the stereo system. They watch out of the corner of their eye as Sam moves towards Steve, whispers in his ear. Steve’s eyes light up with that Punk’s gonna get in a scrap because he can’t mind his own damn business look. Stupid Punk is up to something they all decide.
They approach Darcy just as the song is wrapping up. Steve is whispering in the DJ’s ear. A very different song starts to play. Thor wraps his arm around Jane and starts moving to the music. Winter Soldier and Bucky Barnes stand awkwardly in front of Darcy Lewis. James grabs her right hand gently with their cybernetic hand and pulls her close. She looks up at them with a mischievous smirk as they remember the steps to a fast paced Balboa. Surprisingly, Darcy Lewis follows wonderfully, shuffling her feet to Rockin’ in Rhythm. She wildly laughs as he spins her out carefully, keeping her close. This wasn’t the Lindy Hop, plus the dance floor started to fill with the big band song, prompting multiple couples to vigorously dance around them, even Natalia to feel the magic that Duke Ellington could weave across the dance floor.
They stay close to Darcy Lewis, holding her flush against their body, only letting loose when they spin her out and step around her. She winks at him. James thinks she knows that they didn’t know that she knew real dance.
“Care to liven it up a little, Soldier?” The Winter Soldier is taken aback by being addressed so openly by the young woman as the first bars of Sing Sing Sing by Benny Goodman starts to ring out across the room.
The Winter soldier isn’t sure what to say so Bucky Barnes croaks out, “Been wanting to liven it up with you for weeks, kitten.” James throws a saucy wink of their own in for good measure.
“Don’t hold back then.” The basic movements flow back to them as she follows flawlessly. The horns blare out as they twist. The Winter Soldier notes that people are moving off of the dance floor and are watching them dance. Bucky Barnes knows this song, remembers the girls flying high over his head and the girdles he would glance at up their flowing printed skirts. James decides that Darcy Lewis seems like the type of girl to enjoy lifts. She already laughed her head off again as he swung her out, twisted her around and quickly moved her through a Lindy Circle. This dame, The Winter Soldier hypothesized, liked the fast ones. James reminds them that they do too. Bucky Barnes is concentrating on pulling her through a Roller Coaster circle, swinging his leg out around her body as she spins in their arms.
“I know you got the moves, or are you some sort of Prune.” She whispers in their ear as he pulls her close for another eight count.
“I’ll show you a Prune, kitten.” They whisper back as they move into a complicated swing out before she comes in and they put their arm around her and flips her backwards. Improvising, they pull her around before dropping her hand and flipping themselves backwards quickly before pulling her in from the absolutely delectable swivle twists that are distracting. Another circle, another swing out, a back and forth, a few barrel rolls happen before she ducks, their leg goes over her head and they pull her through their legs and pull her up. Darcy Lewis looks back at them, a face splitting grin, her eyes wild, and her curls falling out of the fancy updo. Bucky Barnes knows this song, and knows that it is coming to an end. He whispers to her as they move forward, “Ready to go ‘round the world, peach?”
They swing their arms in tandem before she laughs and replies, “I was born ready.”
She swings out and they switch back to a basic before they lift her way over their head, much easier now with their Cybernetic arm, before popping her on her feet, lifting her up and swinging her over their shoulders and around their waist. The song’s final bars ring out as they dip Darcy Lewis across their knee.
She is breathless and panting. The Winter Soldier is acutely aware that they are too. He doesn’t remember the last time they were out of breath.
There is clapping around the room as everything goes silent before Stark says loudly, “That’s going on YouTube.”
They, The Winter Soldier, James, Bucky Barnes, and Darcy Lewis look at Stark before they pulls her up into their arms. Darcy Lewis laughs loudly and wraps her arm around their waist and replies for them, “The Avengers PR department better get ready for a shit storm of attention.”
James likes how brazen she is with her words. Bucky Barnes is 100% positive his mother would have given her a lick across her knuckles with a switch if she heard her talking like that. The Winter Soldier replies, “We can handle it,” before The Winter Soldier reaches over and pushes a lock of dark curls behind her ear.
Her blue eyes look up at them before asking, “Would you like to grab a drink?”
They contemplate for a moment, The Winter Soldier is not happy that a blush starts to form up their neck. Bucky Barnes hides behind their hair once more. James smiles back toothily before asking, “Out on the balcony?”
“Naturally,” she winks at him. The Winter Soldier preens. Bucky Barnes blushes harder. “How
else am I going to steal a smooch without these lovely people gawking?”
James replies as they turn towards her, their hand reaching up to hold her chin, “Ain’t no Prune about dancin, ain’t no Prune about kissing a beautiful dame.” The Winter Soldier and Bucky Barnes are happy for their twenty first century educated James as he leans down to press their lips against her full lips.
She laughs against their lips before moving to his ear and whispering, “Only took you a year of me flirting with all of you for James to make a move.”
“Isn’t just James that’s interested, Darcy Lewis.” The Winter Soldier whispers back before gripping her hip with their left hand. “Sometimes, you have to wait for the right moment for a classy dame,” Bucky Barnes moves their lips back to hers and presses closer. James twines their flesh hand through her curls as she presses those heavenly curves against him.
“Finally,” she sighs against his lips before both of her hands reach up and hold him by his hair and deepening the kiss.