An unconventional trio

Ice Packs

Nova had never felt more frustrated and bewildered than she did in that moment. Her mind was a jumble of mixed emotions, her thoughts racing a mile a minute as she made her way back to her suite. She muttered to herself under her breath, her brow furrowed in deep concentration.

"Stupid... why... I just... Ahhhhhh!!!" Nova muttered angrily as she turned the corner to her hallway, not paying attention to anything or anyone around her. And then, it happened. She slammed right into someone, causing both of them to stumble back in surprise.

"Shit, I'm sorry," Nova blurted out, finally looking up to see that she had collided with Natasha, who stood before her with a grin on her face.

Natasha chuckled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "It's okay, I mean I thought for sure Bucky would have been the first one to plow into you... but hey, lucky me."

Nova couldn't help but crack a small smile at Natasha's comment, a flicker of amusement cutting through her frustration. She shook her head, feeling a mix of embarrassment and relief at the unexpected encounter.

In the quiet hallway of their shared quarters, Natasha noticed a cloud of unease lingering over Nova.

"Seriously, what's wrong?" Natasha inquired softly as she caught up with Nova, who seemed to be struggling with her emotions.

Nova let out a deep sigh and huffed in frustration as she walked over and leaned against the frame of her own suite door. "I... well... first, Bucky..." she began, her voice trailing off as she hesitated to delve into the complexities of her thoughts.

Glancing behind Nova, Natasha noticed Bucky peeking out from his room, a look of worry etched on his face. He mouthed a question to Natasha, seeking answers to Nova's emotional distress. "Did...is that me??"  Natasha shrugged her shoulders and quickly looked back at Nova.

"He said things... and they were just so nice, and then he kissed me. Oh god, Nat, he kissed me," Nova confessed with a mixture of exhilaration and perplexity in her voice. Her hand instinctively reached up to touch her lips.

Natasha raised an eyebrow, a subtle grin playing on her lips as Nova recounted the thrilling yet bewildering encounter with Bucky. "So... is that why you're like this?" she teased, trying to lighten the mood with a knowing smile.

Nova nodded, her expression a blend of longing and frustration. "Well... I couldn't sleep... and I needed a... release," she admitted, her voice trailing off as she confessed her late-night restlessness. "So...I went down to the gym to work out my...frustrations. Which was...fine. But..then of course Loki came in and he...he...uhhhhh he also said things....and then just...he just...leaned in and..."

Natasha quickly interrupted, "oh hey! Let's um...let's go into your suite and you can tell me there. Dont need the whole team hearing this..." she grinned as she ushered Nova inside her suite, gesturing for her to continue in the privacy of her own space. As they entered the room, Natasha glanced back at Bucky and held up a finger, silently promising to speak with him in a moment.

30 minutes later

Nova paced the room, a perplexed expression on her face, while Nat sat on the couch, looking at her with a mischievous grin.

"So... Bucky kissed you... and then Loki... he also... kissed you..." Nat trailed off, trying to comprehend the improbable sequence of events.

Nova nodded with a mix of bewilderment and amusement. "Yep, it happened."

A moment of silence passed before Nat couldn't contain her curiosity any longer. "How was it?" she inquired, a playful gleam in her eye.