"Welcome to the office pal." Captain Rogers swept his arm across the room, gesturing the large conference room with a stereotypical police division coffee machine in one corner and a photocopier in the other. Two people sat at the table in the middle, puzzling over pictures and files. On the wall hung scattered newspaper clips, phone screenshots and grainy security footage. All were connected with bright red string thumb tacked to the plaster.
"How we looking Stark?" The darker haired man turned to them at the mention of his name.
"She's not in a good mood. Can't find a case that's interesting enough for her majesty." He rolled his eyes. "Thor and Banner completed the raid, should be back soon." Steve nodded. The blonde next to Stark nodded at Bucky.
"Who's this?"
"Nat's new partner." The blonde choked on his coffee whilst Stark made the sign of the cross.
"How long do you wanna bet Barton?"
"I'd give it two weeks."
"Done, 20 bucks?"
"Deal." They shook hands and Barton scooped up a number of files. "I'll see if she's interested in one of these. C'mon newbie, let's go meet the beast."
Barton knocked on the door and didn't wait for an answer before pushing it open and striding in. It was a small office, right at the back of the conference room. Bucky frowned as he spotted a small red head standing on her desk with her arms crossed, glaring at the back wall. Small concentric circles were drawn on it and he realised they were targets. The couch behind him was surprisingly neat, as was the whole room except for the various crumpled pieces of paper.
"Hey Nat."
"Hurry up Clint there's only a certain amount of time I can be within your presence without losing a few brain cells." Bucky stared shocked but Clint seemed neither hurt nor surprised by her rudeness. He caught his gaze.
"Close your mouth newbie, I'm the one she's nicest to. You should see her with Stark."
"I have ears you know."
"Sorry Nat. Anyway I have a couple more cases, there's one I think you'll like, it involves murder." She turned around and glanced sharply at him. He dropped the files on her desk and she hopped back down to the floor so she could rifle through them. "Oh and this is your new partner, direct order from Cap." She hardly spared a glance at Bucky.
"James Buchanan Barnes of the 107th Division. Medical injury forced you to retire so you joined the police. You've been transferred from Michigan to NYPD and have yet to find a place to stay. If I'm correct, and I always am, you're currently living with your sister Becca? My apartment is 221B in 620 W on 42nd street, just tell the doorman you're Natalie Rushman's boyfriend." She tossed him a pair of keys without looking and he caught them flabbergasted. "Oh and Clint, I want this one." She shoved a file at him and slipped on her coat before marching past them and stopping at the door. "Chop chop boys we don't have all day. Oh and by the way, maybe hide your ID a bit better next time." She lifted his wallet out of his pocket and pressed it against his chest before flouncing off.
"Wha- how? Huh?" Clint just smirked.
"C'mon soldier, you've got a case to crack." He then left a bewildered Bucky to find the confusing red head.
***
Months later and Bucky was still alive, though barely. At first it had been like trying to navigate a tropical storm but eventually he managed to catch onto the same wave as Natasha and they'd settled in. She wasn't smart in the same way Tony or Bruce were but she was observant. It was her keen eye to detail that granted her the position of consulting detective and him her faithful sidekick. Basically he made heartfelt apologies for the deceased's family and tried to cover up her indifference.
Now though, on a relatively calm morning, he was updating his blog whilst she pondered whatever it was that went on in her head. Her fingertips pressed together and her lips were pursed as she contemplated an idea. With a final keystroke he published their latest case, commenting on the difficulty of finding a new one. Suddenly she fixed him with a sharp gaze before lurching onto her feet and shooting the wall three times with the pistol that previously lay on the coffee table. With that out of her system she flopped back into the chair and crossed her legs. Bucky just sighed and closed his laptop, getting to his feet and making his way to the kitchen in search of coffee.
He counted in his head, any minute now. Muffled banging came from below his feet. There it was. The owner, Nick Fury, had a soft spot for Natasha but that didn't mean he always tolerated her weird shenanigans. He stomped his foot on the floor in reply.
With a hot cup of black coffee in one hand and the tales of Narnia in the other, he walked back into the sitting room and settled himself back into his chair. The clock on the wall ticked by the time as he sunk deeper into the novel. "Ssshhhh." He looked up only to be met with the glare of his partner.
"I didn't even-"
"You were thinking." He rolled his eyes and smiled to himself. At some point along the way the two had become romantically involved. He found her snarky personality cute whereas she appreciated his ability to call her out on her bullshit. They were both sarcastic assholes and as Tony so eloquently put it, they were a match made in hell. That was after they'd somehow destroyed his cubicle.
A knock on the door interrupted them and Bucky tried to suppress a sigh. Natasha did no such thing and groaned loudly. "Come in Wilson!" Clint's partner, or the bird bros as everyone knew them, cautiously opened the door.
"Hey guys."
"Hurry up Wilson, every time you speak the IQ of the whole street lowers." Sam rolled his eyes whilst Bucky tried to smother a laugh. Fortunately he managed to turn it into a coughing fit and Natasha flashed him a mischievous smile. He winked back at her and now it was her turn to roll her eyes.
"Yeah ok, whenever you two psychos are done with your creepy ass flirting I have a case. A good one." Natasha jumped up eagerly and scanned the pages. As the smile crept onto her face, a matching one tugged at Bucky's mouth. They were back in business.
Just before she walked out of the door he spun her around and planted a kiss on her forehead. She scrunched her nose up in disgust and he laughed at her adorableness, pecking her cheek again. She rolled her eyes and pushed him away. "Come on James, there's a guy been stabbed thrice through the heart, but an autopsy shows dendrotoxin in his lungs whilst his flesh shows clear signs of lacerations that have been cauterised with a magnesium blow torch, and you're letting affection get in the way?" She whined in annoyance before jumping like a child at Christmas as he took his coat off the hook by the door. He shook his head chuckling as she grabbed his hand and pulled him after her, her red curls bouncing along with each step.
A/N Once again I have taken inspiration from Sherlock. I can tell you now whoever finds my search history may mistake me for a serial killer but I swear it's just for writing purposes. Anyone else have that problem? I'm giving you this really early because I'm travelling at 3 in the morning and won't have wifi for the next couple of days :( Also I relate to the image at the top way too much :)
