Radioactive | Bucky Barnes

THE FIRST AVENGER: CHAPTER TWENTY

"What's the bet?"

"If you can't set that building on fire in less than five minutes, you have to kiss James."

"And if I do?"

"I'll kiss him."

"Bet."

James was regretting everything.

"I can't believe a Stark finally kissed me," he muttered, completely deflated. His glare cut over to Rhiley, who could barely keep it together, her laughter bubbling out in short bursts.

"It just wasn't the one I was expecting—"

"Hey." Howard wiped chapstick across his lips, entirely unbothered. "It was a damn good kiss."

James stood there, hands on his hips, trying to process what had just happened. The mission was barely over when Howard — casual as ever — walked right up to him, grabbed his cheeks, and landed a kiss right on his mouth.

Bold. Reckless. Stark.

James could still feel the ghost of it on his lips.

Howard pointed at Rhiley. "Also — you cheated."

She threw her hands up in defense. "We didn't set any rules."

"Fair." Howard shrugged.

James crossed his arms, looking expectantly at Rhiley. "Do I at least get a kiss from you now?"

"If I kiss you, I'm basically kissing my brother by proxy. I'm not doing that." Rhiley laughed at his wounded expression.

But then she sighed — exaggerated, dramatic — and stepped up to him anyway. She didn't kiss his lips. No, Rhiley pressed a warm, lingering kiss to his cheek, soft enough that it left his skin tingling when she pulled away.

James froze. His hand instinctively pressed over the spot. His stupid smile betrayed him.

"Gross," Howard snorted. "Don't do that again."

"Kiss James or blow something up?"

"You know what I mean."

Howard wandered off, but not before winking at James like the menace he was.

"I think he likes you," Rhiley teased, all innocence and trouble.

James shook his head, fighting a smile that betrayed him anyway. "You are absolutely unbelievable."

"And yet..." Rhiley walked past him, hand grazing his bicep with just enough squeeze to make him forget how to breathe. She glanced up at him with a knowing smile. "You're still in love with me."

She was right.

James was hopelessly, stupidly, entirely in love with her.

-

-

-

Before the world could wake up, before the first slant of sunlight broke through the trees, Rhiley sat cross-legged on a fallen trunk just outside the base.

The forest spoke its language, birds chirping, branches creaking, wind threading its way through the leaves. To anyone else, it was noise.

To Rhiley, it was peace.

And then—

"What are you doing?"

She cracked one eye open to find James standing there, hands in his pockets, smiling like she was the only person that mattered.