The Pink Ghost

Thirty-Five

Not long after the kiss, Nat pulled her away from the team and pressed her for details. She didn't want to leave him. She held onto his hand until it was yanked out of hers.

"Sooo, tell me about it."

Gwen laughed at her, "What are we, 16?"

"No, but tell me you're not dying to talk about it and I'll walk away." She stood, smoothing down her dress.

Gwen felt as if she was going to burst with excitement. She grabbed Nat's hand and yanked her back down.

"Alright. Alright! It was amazing. My heart is still racing. My mind can't even process what happened."

Nat smirked, "Is this the first kiss? Like, ever?"

She nodded. She had wanted this for so long. Everything about Bucky made her heart soar. She's been head over heels for him for ages.

"Not even before he left for the war?"

Shaking her head, "There was a moment when he stayed with me the other night that I thought it might happen, but it didn't."

She frowned as she thought about them leaving for the war.

"I didn't want him to leave. Or Steve. They were both leaving me. I became a needly little brat, treated Bucky like crap. We fought before he left. I never told him how I felt."

"I think it's safe to say he's felt the same way since before he left, too."

"I wouldn't be too sure. He was such a ladies' man. He was always taking girls out dancing."

"Gwen, we've all seen how he looks at you when you're not looking and vice versa. The two of you danced around one another from the moment you pulled him out of the soldier."

"Why didn't anyone ever tell me this?"

"Well, gee, Gwen-Doll. It's pretty hard to talk to someone when they were hiding from their family on a completely different planet!"

She lowered her gaze to her lap, "I'm sorry about that."

"Don't be." Nat waved her off. "You worked through what you needed to. You're back now. That's what matters."

The two sat watching the people enjoying the party for a few minutes. Steve and Sam were obviously grilling Bucky by how uncomfortable he looked.

"He was lost without you when you were gone."

Gwen looked at her, "What do you mean?"

"Bucky," nodding towards him, "It was hard to get him out of your room. He came down for food and did missions when he was asked to, but he never really talked to anyone but Steve. Even then, that was rare. Occasionally Peter would whine enough that he would game with him."

"My room?" He stayed her room? This was the first she was hearing this.

"Yeah. The day you left, that's where he slept, and basically lived until you came back with Loki."

Gwen looked over at the guys catching Bucky looking at her. The two smiled at one another, embarrassed about being caught.

"I'm moving in with Bruce." Nat broke the silence between the two.

Gwen tried her best to look surprised.

"Tony blabbed, didn't he?"

Gwen laughed. She'd never been able to lie very well.

"Yeah. He slipped up when he offered me your living quarters. I'm happy for you."

Her eyes bulged, "You should take it! Bucky rooms with Steve in his living quarters. You'd be right down the hall from him. No floor in between." She wiggled her eyebrows making Gwen laugh.