It's Forbidden

A Joke

It had been a few days. Both Aspen and Bucky took time to think about everything Natasha had said. They didn't question the space they had both taken from one another for the few days because they were so focused on figuring out how they felt.

And after they had finally figured it out, they were on their way to one another. Bucky was in his way to Aspen's room and Aspen on her way to Bucky's. Not to tell one another how they felt, but just to see each other, feel the others presence. They still didn't know how they really felt but they were coming to terms with the fact that they now knew it was more than platonic.

But they didn't want to tell each other. Neither of them knew how the other felt and didn't want to ruin their friendship. They wanted to figure themselves out before doing or saying anything. They were having an internal battle. All they wanted to do was see the other and tell them everything, but they didn't want to ruin anything.

As Bucky and Aspen made their way to one another, they ran into one another turning a corner. "Oh sorry doll, I didn't see you there." Bucky says. At the same time, Steve must've been on his way to Aspen or Bucky because he was right next to them rounding the corner ass well. But he waited for a moment to see what was happening.

Bucky looks Aspen up and down. She's wearing a black oversized adidas hoodie, but it fit well enough for her figure to be showing the perfect amount. She was wearing shorts under as well but they couldn't be seen with the oversized sweatshirt. And before Bucky could catch himself checking her out, which normally he would try not to do, Aspen caught him.

"It's okay. Do you like what you see?" Aspen asks him. Something about being right in front of him, seeing him check her out, seeing him at least slightly interested from what she could tell, she wanted to flirt a bit, see what came of it. A little flirting couldn't hurt. Right? That's what she felt in the moment.

Steve watched Bucky and Aspen, and Bucky had finally seen Steve standing there. He didn't know how to respond because he didn't want Steve to be angry at him, but he also didn't want Aspen to think that he wasn't interested, because he was. But he didn't want to flat out say it either. He was at a cross roads.

"I uhm-" Bucky starts. Aspen hadn't seen Steve yet, so she smiled up at Bucky and flirted a little more. "I've caught you staring Barnes. So I'm asking if you like what you see." Aspen tells him. She didn't want to push him or force him to answer but she wanted to see if she asked, if he would give her a straight answer.

If she knew Steve was there, she wouldn't have said anything. She knew how angry Steve got about he'd and Bucky, even before she started thinking maybe there was something, now that she thought about him the way she was starting to, she knew it would make things worse with Steve. Way worse.

Steve was trying to bite his tongue. See how everything played out. But he couldn't help it. "Aspen, stop flirting with him." Steve said. He had startled Aspen, she still hadn't known he was there but now she did, she tried to laugh it off. "God why are you so uptight? It was just a joke." She aid still trying to laugh it off so Steve couldn't tell she was actually serious when asking Bucky. "Yea well it wasn't funny Aspen." Steve says.

It drove Aspen crazy how every time Steve would get mad at her or lecture her in some way, he said her name, 'Aspen' as if she were a burden, a menace, or something like that. And Bucky knew it drove her crazy. It made him angry too. "Bucky did you think it was funny?" Aspen asked. She didn't want to drag him into the fight but she was hoping he could agree with her in order to stop the fight.

She got scared for a moment and worried she had made Bucky uncomfortable. That was the last thing she wanted. "Did I make you uncomfortable?" She asked him seriously. Steve shook his head and rolled his eyes at her. "I'm being serious now Steve." Aspen says. She looks back at Bucky and he melts at the worried look on her face.

He could tell how scared she was that she had made him uncomfortable but she hadn't. "Bucky I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. If I did I'm sorry. It was a joke but obviously Steve took it seriously." It wasn't a joke, but now she was worried and didn't want to make him uneasy so she chose to say it was a joke. But he knew better.

He wanted to tell her the truth now and part of him wanted to tell Steve to stop being such an ass, but he didn't want to make it harder for Aspen. So he stuck up for her, and shifted whatever blame that would be placed, to him. "It's okay Aspen. You didn't make me uncomfortable." Bucky told her. He looked at her softly and she melted at how gently he said her name compared to the way Steve had.

"I didn't?" She asked, wanting to confirm it. "No, and if I'm being honest, you're right." Bucky says. "I'm right?" Aspen asks in disbelief. Steve, still standing there, shook his head and rolled his eyes. He did often lately. "I was staring." Bucky told her. Aspen blushed and looked down. "Seriously Bucky?" Steve asked.

Aspen chose to provoke Steve more and get more answers from Bucky. "So did you like what you saw?" Aspen asked looking up at Bucky with a small smile on her face, still blushing, and Bucky smiled softly at her. There was a moment of silence before he fully smiled. "Yea. I did." He said.