Imagine If You Assembled The Avengers: Volume 2

Panic Party (Barnes x reader)

"Look at those idiots," Natasha huffed, tossing her magazine on the bar top, "they sit there like two lovesick teenagers without the balls to tell each other how they feel. It's...gross."

"It's gross? Love is gross?"

"Yeah, Tony, it is when it looks like that. I swear, I have to do everything myself around here." She took the last drink from her glass, taking down the dark liquid in one swallow before slamming the glass on the bar with a definitive nod at her own resolve. "I'm doing this."

"Hey, hold on," Tony stood and grabbed her arm before she could get away, "don't you think that if they were ready to do something about it themselves, they would?"

"Yeah, you would sure think so. But since they can't get off their asses about it, it's time for a little loving nudge into the water."

~~~

Your hands trembled so much that you could barely read the words on the paper, the letters hazing together from the motion that you couldn't stop. "Pool party?" you muttered, feeling your nerves begin to build even more. "Natasha, you're such a bitch."

"Who's a bitch?"

"Hmm?" you startled, turning to face Bucky, who had been sitting so quietly on the other side of the lounge from you that you easily could have missed him. "Oh, it's nothing. Sorry to interrupt your reading."

"This?" he scoffed, tossing his book on the table next to the couch. "This is crap. I'd rather talk to you anyway." He stood up with a quiet grumble at the sound of his bones cracking, stretching for a moment before making his way to the couch that held you and dropping down at your side. "Gimme."

You handed the invitation to him slowly, but he stopped and took your hand instead. "You're shaking," he noted quietly, "what's going on?"

"Nothing," you sighed, pulling your hand away from his, "it's just...I don't really...I don't feel comfortable at things like that. But I know that if I don't go, I'll hear nothing but hell from Nat."

"I'm not a big fan either, but what's your deal? Personally, I've got an aversion to rust."

"It's a pool party," you replied, looking at him like the answer should have been obvious. "I've got an aversion to swimsuits..." you stopped, turning away, "...and um, too much sun and...um...chlorine..."

"Hold up, are you being serious right now?" he asked with a shake of his head, pushing up and turning to face you straight on. "You're worried about how you'll look, aren't you? Is that what this is?"

"No...it's not...it just..."

"Stop it."

"Buck, really it's okay-"

"No, it's not," he insisted, "it's not okay for you to see yourself as anything other than...beautiful...alright?"

"Easy for you to say," you scoffed, "have you seen you? Listen," you paused with a quiet cough and waved him away casually to stand, "it's fine, don't worry about me. Are you gonna go to it?"

"I 'spose I have to, or Romanoff will have my hide. Same for you, (Y/N), so don't let me down," he smiled, rising up to stand with you. "And hey, if you don't want to wear a suit, just wear what you want. Who cares? The point is to have fun, and if anyone has anything to say about it...party's over."

~~~

The day of the party came and despite coming up with a half dozen excuses as to why you couldn't make it, Natasha had blasted through each one and now you had no choice but to show up or face the wrath that Bucky had mentioned. If there could be any consolation, at least you knew that he would be there and he knew how much you didn't want to be. He would understand and maybe even help you hide a little bit if you were lucky.