The Pink Ghost

Forty-Three

They walked into the compound hand-in-hand. She looked up at him as they walked, her other hand on his arm. The smile on her face showed only a fraction of the happiness she was feeling. She felt as if she could burst with sunshine exploding from her.

As they waited elevator, Bucky pulled her in for a kiss. Gwen slid her arms around his neck and invited him in. The doors opened, but they didn't care, they were lost in one another and nothing else mattered.

Someone clearing their voice split them apart.

Sam and Tony waited inside the elevator for them to move out of their way.

"So, this is a thing now?" Sam gestured between Gwen and Bucky. "It finally happened?"

Gwen didn't even try to contain her happiness. The smile on her face, wide as it could get, gave Tony the answer to Sam's question.

"Right then." Tony exited the elevator, followed by Sam.

Gwen and Bucky stepped into the empty elevator and turned around. Tony was standing in the way so the doors couldn't close.

"Tony?" Gwen watched him cross his arms and narrow his gaze at Bucky.

"Here we go." She muttered under her breath as she rolled her eyes.

Bucky expected to hear it from Tony and Steve. He figured Steve would get to him first, but he was wrong.

"Look, I like you. I really do. And I know you love Gwen; we all see it in the way you look at her. But I think it goes without saying, if you hurt her—"

"—He'll have a lot of people to answer to." Steve appeared behind Tony, smiling.

Tony moved aside and let Steve enter the elevator. "Yeah. What Capsicle said."

"I wouldn't expect anything less." Bucky smiled as the doors closed and the elevator car began rising.

"So, who asked who?" Steve asked. He stood straight, legs slightly apart, hands folding in front of him.

"Technically, she did. In a manner of speaking."

Gwen's cheeks grew pink as heat rose to her face.

"How is that?" Steve asked watching her reaction.

"One of the band members asked me a question while I was in the middle of Call of Duty." She answered.

"Ah. So, they got the 'straight to the truth without thinking about what you said' answer."

"Yeah. They asked who Bucky was. I answered with, 'my boyfriend'."

Steve smirked down at his friend. He put a hand on each of their shoulders as the doors opened on the third floor.

"Well, no matter how it happened, I'm happy that it finally happened. I'm happy for you guys."

Gwen wrapped her arms around Steve's middle, "Thanks, Stevie."

With his arms still wrapped around Gwen, he looked at Bucky, pointed his finger and warned, "But if you hurt her. Brother or not, I'll make you regret it."

Nodding, Bucky smiled. He would never have to worry about anyone coming after him, because he'd never hurt her. Not a chance in Hell. There's nothing in the world that could make him hurt her.

----

The three ended up on Steve and Bucky's couch watching old movies from the 1940's. Laughing and talking about just how much has changed in the world since then, Gwen looked at Bucky and asked how he was doing with it.