How do you heal?

Chapter 25: That's One Way To Crash A Party

The party was in full swing. Annie had woken up that morning before sunrise, grabbed a quick shower and her one nice dress before rushing out the door and back to the tower. She had spent the last few hours ushering in vendors and instructing decorators. She had barely enough time to change before guests started arriving and she couldn't recall the last thing she had eaten so at the first opportunity to sneak over to the food and start stuffing her face she did so.

As she stood at a high table with a small but overloaded plate she felt a tap on her shoulder, quickly wiping her mouth she turned around to greet whoever so rudely interrupted her much needed bingefest. Before her stood a familiar woman, tall and broad. Her ridiculously long hair, usually pulled up, hung loose down her back and she wore a sleek, fitted suit with no undershirt. "Alex," Annie nearly screamed as she threw her arms around her friend. "Oh my god what are you doing here?"

Alex laughed as she pulled back from her friend. "Well seeing as you didn't invite me I had to come as a plus one." Annie looked at Alex confused for a moment and then Sam walked up beside them handing Alex a drink.

"Hey, Banannie, long time no see, how you been?" He said, throwing an arm around her shoulder and tugging at her red curls playfully.

Annie's smile grew bigger as she leaned into Sam and whispered "Um, Samuel, do you want to explain what is going on here?"

"I invited Alex to watch Thor's reaction to a woman who is eye level with him and to surprise you."

Annie looked between the two suspiciously for a moment before saying "Honestly I want to see Thor's reaction too and I'm not going to complain that my best friend is here in New York."

Just then one of the caterers came up to them. "Ms. Gardner, I am so sorry to bother you but there's a problem in the kitchen."

She sighed and stepped out from under Sam's arm. "Duty calls kids, but please eat, drink and I will meet up with you guys later. Sam, record her meeting Thor please and, Alex," she said with a stern finger pointed at her friend as she walked away, "No embarrassing stories or Sam will replace you as my best friend."

Several hours later Annie's feet were killing her. She had just escorted the last of the caterers out of the building and made her way back up to what was left of the party. As she entered the room she saw the Avengers, Alex and Dr. Cho gathered around a table. Annie, bent over and took off her heels, throwing them behind the bar as she walked towards the bathroom. Pee first, then socialization.

Bucky had been trying to catch Annie all night, for a dance, or a drink, or just a minute of her time but she had been non-stop working and kept breezing right past him. He knew she was technically on the clock but he was still a little frustrated that she wouldn't put five minutes aside for him. But now as he watched her walk towards the bathroom in that same green dress from months ago, maybe a little buzzed from Thor's ale, he had an idea.

Alex watched smiling as Bucky followed Annie down the hall before she elbowed Sam, pointing out the other couple. "You owe me twenty bucks."

Annie washed and dried her hands and tried to straighten her frazzled hair before deciding there was no hope and heading out of the bathroom. She opened the door and jumped back. Bucky stood there leaning against the door jam, smiling at her.

"Hey stranger." He said walking into the bathroom and closing the door behind him.

"Well hey there, Sarge." She said with a cautious smile taking another small step back and feeling her heart start to race as he closed in on her. God he looks good in black. "Is there a reason you just trapped me in a bathroom?"

He wrapped his arms around her as he said, "I've barely seen you all night, I wanted to get some privacy with you for a few minutes."

"In a bathroom?" She asked playfully as she put her arms around his neck.

"I mean, can you think of a more private place?" He said bending down to kiss her.

As Annie began to thread her fingers through Bucky's hair he felt a fire ignite in himself. He reached his hands down behind her thighs and hoisted her legs around him. Instantly her arms and legs tightened around him and her fingers dug into his shoulders and as she pulled back from the kiss he opened his eyes and saw panic in her face. "What are you doing? Put me down!"

"Now why would I do that?" He asked, trying to meet her lips again.

"Because I'm heavy and you're buzzed and I don't want you to hurt yourself, now please put me down." She said looking expectantly at the ground.

He just chuckled as he walked slowly toward the counter. "Sweetheart, did you forget I'm a super soldier?" He placed her down on the counter gently and stepped back flexing his arms. "These guns could carry you around all day."

Feeling more at ease back on solid ground...well counter, she rolled her eyes and replied. "Fair enough, Sarge." She reached forward and tugged him back to her. "Now where were we?"

Their lips met again and their hands began to roam, after a moment Bucky slipped his hands under Annie's dress, tracing the lines of tattooed branches up, up, up and began to pull off her underwear.

Her head snapped to the side. "Did you hear that?" She asked as he moved his kisses to her neck.

"It's nothing." He replied, sliding the underwear the rest of the way down her legs and slipping them in his pocket before meeting her lips again. As she reached for his belt someone began pounding on the door.

"Barnes, get out here, we've got company!" Came Sam's voice in a furious whisper.

Bucky sobered quickly and made for the door as Annie slid off the counter and righted her dress. He opened the door and Sam shoved Alex into the bathroom, crashing sounds coming down the hall. "Stay here, stay quiet and lock the door!" Sam said as he grabbed Bucky and pulled him toward the sounds of fighting.

Annie locked the door before grabbing Alex's hand and pulling her to the far side of the bathroom. "What's going on out there?" She asked worriedly.

"Nothing as exciting as what was clearly happening in here." Alex said as she pointed at the hickey forming on Annie's neck.

"Alex, seriously!" She whispered fiercely, batting her friends' fingers away. With that Alex explained what happened.