Are You In or Are You Out?

Part 8

AN: All mistakes are my own.  I hope those who are reading are enjoying it so far.  Please share with friends.

Chapter 8

Friday had arrived and the party at the Avengers compound was in full swing, music, laughter and of course the odd Avenger wandering around. Emma was firmly parked in a reading nook three floors above the party. She had made it clear to Tony, again, that she wouldn't be attending with all those people there, she wouldn't put them in danger.

He's had still insisted she come down later when the as he put in the 'clingers on' had left and it was just them. She'd rolled her eyes. She had also managed to avoid any full conversation with Nat, just giving her the basics of what happened the rest of movie night and the kitchen with Bucky. She failed to mention what had happened in her room. Even she wasn't sure what she was supposed to make of it. She had done everything, used all her senses to stay out of his way today. She knew she would have to see him eventually, but she was embarrassed, confused and felt almost needy for his scent again and maybe even his touch.

She was on the floor with Tony's main lab on it, there was a small mezzanine on one side, it had a small desk, a couple of generously stoked book shelves, an iPod dock and a comfy plush velvet couch that she loved. She spent time there while he was working sometimes, she liked to hear his music. There was a small bathroom and storeroom up there as well that had a couple of old desks in it, but nothing interesting. From her vantage point she could see the whole of the party. Her enhanced hearing meant that she could hear some snippets of conversation when the music died a little. She ignored the mix of smells, too many to put to individual people.

She watched Steve, Bucky and Steve's friend Sam walk up to the split level that looked over the main level area. She strained to hear their conversation and frowned to concentrate on it. Steve was in a blue shirt and black jeans, they hugged his muscled thighs and she loved to watch him walk around. Bucky was also in black and she shook her head thinking to herself that what else was new, then frowned at how she could tell every one of his muscles under the shirt, she hated that she found herself wondering if his scent was more pine or syrup right now and if his hair was as soft as it looked.

Sam was handsome, strong looking, he had an easy air about him. She shook her head, it must be the beer making her heady over all the men in the building, Nat had insisted that if she was going to sit alone she took a couple of bottles of Bud with her. She had drunk one and was on her second, she liked the taste and the slight buzz it gave her.

"Sounds like a hell of a fight, sorry I missed it." Sam said as they lent on the glass panel looking at the veterans playing at pool table.

Steve chuckled "If I had known it was going to be a firefight I absolutely would have called you."

Sam shook his head and chuckled back. "No, I'm not actually sorry. I'm just trying to sound tough. I'm very happy chasing cold leads on your little friend Emmas case." She smiled, so that's who was helping Steve, he had told her that he had a friend who would be happy to do some off the books investigation. Sam carried on talking and he gestured to the party. "Avenging is your world. Your world is crazy."

The three of them laughed. "Be it ever so humble." Bucky joked as he took a swig of his beer, his eyes darting around. She wondered what he was looking for, or who.

Sam shook his head chuckling at Bucky. "I can't look at you with the hair man, I mean why, it's better, but why now?"

Bucky shrugged. "I needed a change, so got it all chopped. I feel like a new man or the old one maybe, it felt like big deal, then...once it was gone not so much." She liked his hair. He had styled it a little tonight. She smiled, they could be friends or something, if only she could shake whatever the problem was with her inner beast and stop herself from becoming a scent junky whenever he was around. His arm was covered in his black shirt and he had a glove on one hand. She had asked him recently why he wore a glove to cover it, he said he didn't really like to look at it or force others too. She felt for him because of it.