The Captain's Husband

17. Blue (Bucky)

     "Brooklyn Liberty!" I shout from the catwalk over the several thousand soldiers below me.

     She stands up from where she was sitting at Steve's feet, tail wagging and ears perked up. Steve pats her head and scratches behind her ears as a soldier leaves the command center and Nat appears with a stack of file folders in her hands. A couple agents follow her to the command deck where Steve is, and I reach him just a moment before they do.

He says something to the two agents in full combat gear, and then he sends them off. Natasha waits patiently by the desk, but I walk right up to him and take my place at his side.

     "Captain," I smile at him as he glances up at me.

     He smiles back with a rather mischievous fire in his eyes, saying rather sweetly, "Sergeant."

     Mother of God, what I wouldn't give to hear him say my rank like that again.

     Natasha sets the files on the desk beside Steve as she says, "Captain."

     He nods, "Agent."

     I'm clearly his favorite.

     I step over to Steve as he waves me closer, saying, "Stark is overseeing the intelligence operation. He has assigned agents Barton and Romanoff to the team being sent to the target." Clint appears as I explain further. "We have been advised not to engage in combat, if it can be avoided."

     Steve sighs and looks down across the soldiers standing at attention below us. Then he steps forward into their view to give them their orders.

     He's got my heart skipping complete beats and my blood is boiling white-hot, and he's just standing there in camouflage pants and a skin-tight tactical shirt.

     Goddammit, Stevie.

     "Our mission today is to avoid engaging the enemy in combat until provoked," he announces, commanding all attention to him in an instant. "We will stand by for additional orders as intelligence agents pursue the target ship and attempt to infiltrate it. Be prepared to defend and remember your training. Dismissed." He turns to me as he steps back. "A moment, Sergeant?" He looks at Natasha as we walk away from the command center with Brookie following close behind. "Change my status to blue, Romanoff."

Fuck yeah.

     Nat smirks and hits a button on one of the command center's many panels.

     Blue means he shouldn't be disturbed until he changes it himself. I know exactly what it means, and so does Natasha.

     I silently follow Steve across the catwalk to the bridge, and as we walk through the bridge, Tony offers us blueberries, Bruce says hello, Wanda pets Brookie, and Sam flashes a peace sign at us. Then they notice the update on the bridge monitors, shake their heads, and grin at us.

     They know too.

     Once we clear the bridge and enter the main corridor of the ship, we head to an elevator that can only be operated using two unique keys together at the same time.

     Steve has one key.

     I have the other.

After we activate and step into the elevator, Steve leans against the back wall, saying softly, "This intelligence mission, and the planning for it, is going to drain me."

I take his hand and squeeze his fingers, saying softly, "You're doing great, Stevie."

Steve flashes me a smile and stands back up, saying, "Thanks, Bucky." He takes his hands and puts them on my hips as he goes on. "You know, you're doing great, too."