Otherwise Known As... | Bucky Barnes

Chapter (13) Thirteen ~ ...the girl who slapped Captain America

"Hey, Oliv?" Steve asked as I was leading him to try out new weapons and get his new suit.

"What's up, Stephanie?"

"When you asked Peggy, on the plane, if she wanted to go to... I think it was Lucerne... and that they had the best place for fondue. What did that mean?"

"That Lucerne has some of the best fondue," I said, almost as a question as I didn't know where his question was coming from.

"So... by fondue you mean... and I dont mean to push! And- and I'm not judging or anything but... I..."

I laughed. So hard that I snorted a couple of times.

I doubled over laughing, holding onto Steve's arm for support. The people around us stared for a moment, before realizing it was only me and then going on with their lives.

"Oh my god. Steve," I stood back up, whipping a tear or two from my eyes. "Fondue is just cheese and bread. Lucerne makes some of the best."

"Really? I didn't think..."

"That Peggy and I had a thing. No. She is WAY too into you for that." I winked at him, making his cheeks heat up so his face looked like a tomato.

"I- I don't think she has feelings for me."

"Uh oh. What did you do?"

"Why do you assume I did something?"

"Because very little will change that woman's mind, meaning that you had to have done something royally stupid for her to no longer have feelings for you." I stood in front of the table with all of the fun toys my men and I made.

"I may have kissed one of the secretaries... and Peggy saw..." My eyes widened at the confession, and I immediately slapped Steve across the face. Not hard enough where it would leave a mark, mind you.

He had a reputation to maintain.

"You deserved that." I crossed my arms.

"I know, I know! But she grabbed my tie and backed me into a corner and then-"

"Whoa whoa whoa I do not want to hear what you and Ms. Lippy were up to." I gagged. I then glanced at the table of weapons and new shields I was supposed to be showing off.

"Let's get back to what we're supposed to be doing. Carbon Polymer." I picked up a bit of the long piece of gray fabric on the table. "Should withstand your average German bayonet. Although I really doubt Hydras going to attack you with a pocket knife." I shrugged, leading Steve a little more down the row of toys.

"I know you're a bit attached to this sheet of metal." I tapped his now severely dented shield from his circus monkey costume.

"It's handier than you might think."

"Well, I took the liberty of coming up with some new options, as that one will barely withstand another bullet. This one's fun. She's been fitted with electrical relays that allow you to..." I pointed out one of my more fun designs, before Steve cut me off, pulling one of the prototypes off the bottom.

"What about this one?"

"I don't think so, Cap, that one's just a prototype." I tried to wave off. I wasn't even too sure how it would handle some type of battle, so I didn't want him getting attached to something that may potentially kill him.

"What's it made of?"

"Vibranium." I huffed. He wasn't going to let this one go, was he? "It's supposed to be stronger than steel and a third of the weight. It's completely vibration-absorbent. Haven't done any tests on it yet to see how it holds up, though."

"How come it's not standard issue?" Steve asked, putting the shield on his arm and getting a feel for it.

"That's the rarest metal on Earth. What you're holding there, that's all we've got." I shrugged.

"You quite finished, Miss. Stark?" Peggy walked over to Steve and I. She was obviously in some type of mood since she referred to me by my last name. "I'm sure the Captain has some unfinished business."

"What do you think?" Steve held the shield up, a hopeful look in his eyes.

Peggy looked down at the table of guns, immediately firing four shots at the shield Steve held.

I think I was the only one who didn't flinch or get startled by the shots out of the large group of men here.

When Steve lowered the shield, his once hopeful look was replaced by one that resembled a kicked puppy.

"Yes, I think it works." She happily sighed, setting the gun back down and walking away.

"You deserved that, you know." I walked over to Steve, crossing my arms as we watched Peggy leave.

"Yeah..." Steve trailed off, grabbing a piece of paper from his pocket and handing it to me. "Um, I had some ideas about the uniform."

"I'll see what I can do." I turned, tapping Steve's chest and walking away while he was still staring in the direction Peggy left, mouth hanging open.

I think he's been forgiven. At least a bit.