Costume

"So, does it bother you at all?" Bucky's voice cut through the silence of the kitchen. Steve looked up from his newspaper and across the table where Bucky was flipping through a magazine full of Halloween Costumes.

"Does what bother me?" truth be told, Steve knew exactly what Bucky was talking about, and he knew the minute he saw the first model in that magazine questions were sure to follow.

"That some women dress up like you for Halloween. Scratch that that some women dress up like a sexy female version of you?" Steve shrugged, he'd been asked this question before and the answer was pretty much the same.

"Not really, I mean it's a lot more acceptable to where less now that it used to be and I'm kinda flattered, ya know. Back in the day I couldn't even get women to look twice at me, now they wear skimpy, sparkly versions of my uniform. Plus I spent nearly a year on the tour circuit with USO show girls wearing pretty much the same as what they have now, so it's not all that weird." Bucky didn't really answer, he just sort of grunted. They returned to their comfortable silence and remained in it until Darcy walked in, hair still damp from a shower and wearing her Iron Man pajamas. She spotted Bucky immediately.

"Hey Hobo." She greeted, stepping up behind him and wrapping her arms around her neck. "You find anything yet?" she asked over his shoulder. Bucky set the book flat on the table.

"No, Halloween is so different now. Used to be you could put on a leather jacket and go as James Dean and that was all ya needed." He sighed. "What are you goin' as?" he could feel her shrug.

"I don't know yet. Last year I kind of thought I would keep a theme every year, but I'm not so sure this year."

"What were you last year?" Bucky turned to watch her walk to the refrigerator. As she pulled it open she answered;

"Sexy Captain America." Steve unfortunately chose that moment to take a drink of his coffee, and began to sputter and choke at her revelation.

"Seriously?"

"How did I not know about this?" Steve asked as he caught his breath.

"You were on a mission, remember? You missed Tony's party all together last year."

"Well yea, but nobody told me." she turned to look at him suspiciously.

"Really?" he nodded. "Wow, I just assumed Tony would flash the pictures at you, or at the very least Clint would have made some big joke out of it when you got back."

"Nope, nobody said a word." Bucky turned back to Steve and smirked.

"So, to restate my earlier question; does it bother you now?"

"Does what bother him?" Darcy finally took a seat at the table her warm pop tarts and a weird European energy drink in front of her. Steve glared at Bucky, just daring him to say something. In retrospect, it was probably a bad idea to dare Bucky to do anything.

"I asked him if it bothered him that women dress in sexy versions of him uniform."

"Oh." She turned to Steve. "Does it?" Steve huffed a laugh.

"No, as I told Bucky before it does not bother me, and the answer certainly hasn't changed since your revelation was brought to light."

"Why would you think that would change his answer?" Contrary to popular belief, (ahem, Tony) Steve was not a blushing virgin. He'd spent quite a bit of time in the company of beautiful women both in the USO and the army which made him privy to a lot of things one would not expect Captain America to be familiar with, (the fact that he was in an undefined relationship with Natasha Romanov also should have been enough to disprove any doubts). That being said, it took a lot to make Steve blush, so it wasn't as common to see, despite what Tony said. Apparently her question fell in the category of a lot. Bucky's smirk turned into a shit eating grin.

"Oh, you don't know?" he replied cheekily.

"Spit it out Barnes." He chuckled at the pleading look on Steve's face.

"Little Stevie here, had a crush on you when he first met you." She snapped her around to look at Steve, disbelief plain as day on her face.

"Seriously?" Steve nodded, his blush subsiding ever so slightly. "Me?"

"Yea, doll face, what's so hard to believe about that?" Bucky questioned. She shrugged.

"Why did you have a crush on me?" she finally asked. Steve shrugged.

"You were really sweet, and kind and you went out of your way to be friend while not smothering me, plus, you know…" he hesitated, his voice getting unusually soft and shy. Beside her Bucky was trying his hardest not to laugh. "You kinda reminded me of a bustier Betty Page." (A/N: I am well aware that Betty Page's career was strongest in the 50's, just go with it.)

They looked to her as she gasped. "Really?" she sounded excited, much too both men's surprise. She looked to Bucky with a goofy grin. "She's so hot, and amazing." Darcy got up and crossed to Stand beside Steve. She leaned down and smacked a kiss on his cheek.

"Lucky bastard." Bucky mumbled as Clint and Natasha walked in. they both looked amused.

"He said I reminded him of Betty Page." She explained as she moved back. Clint grinned.

"Oh yea, I can totally see that." He stepped forward, sticking his cheek out and tapping it with his index finger. Darcy smiled, shaking her head. She reached up and flicked him where he was pointing. "Hey! How come he got a kiss, I agreed with him."

Darcy found Bucky in the communal living room a few hours later. "Hey Hobo, same question as before." She greeted, plopping down beside him.

"Same answer, doll."

"Bummer." She settled down, looking at the magazine with him.

"I know Tony said he would get us anything we wanted, just to make sure we had a costume, but some of these just don't seem worth the price." Darcy shrugged.

"Yea, but it's all about having fun. Just chose one that seemed right to you." She told him. "Did Steve find one?" he nodded.

"He and Natasha are going as Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. Natasha even taught him how to dance."

"That's so cool."

"Yea, I'm starting to think they're getting serious with each other." They were quiet for a while, just flipping through the magazine.

"So, hey, I have a question. You asked Steve earlier if the costumes bothered him, but do they bother you?"

"No, why would they?" she shrugged.

"I don't know you just seemed kind of hung up on the idea that's all."

"I don't know. It's kind of nice, seeing him so well loved by people. When we were kids Steve thought he could take on the world, I thought he'd never make it thirty. I knew he was great guy, a great man, but to see so many people rally behind him, it just reminds me of what I've known all along."

"You know you're a good man too, right?" she questioned softly. He laughed bitterly.

"I wasn't even that good a man before the Red Room. I slept around, I drank."

"You didn't want to settle down. You had fun. Steve tells stories around you all the time. He's always talking about how you took care of him when his mom died and no matter how much fun you wanted to have, you mom and your sisters came first. You a whole different level of a good man, Bucky, you just have to learn to forgive yourself."

Bucky looked over at her. "You know, you're a hell of lot better to me than I deserve." She chuckled.

"Maybe." She replied thoughtfully, resting her head on his shoulder. "Or maybe you just don't give yourself enough credit."

The party was in full swing. The residences of Avengers tower were gathered in the largest ball room of the tower. Eventually Bucky had decided on a costume, his talk with Darcy a while ago having finally given him some ideas. Who better to go as then Steve Rogers, and he hardly spent any money on it. All he had to do was pilfer a pair of Steve's khaki pants and one of his plaid shirts and he was set. The only thing he had to buy was a blonde wig that Darcy was kind enough to cut and style for him. Needless to say everyone got a big kick out of it, especially when he started in on the old 1930's vernacular and the awe shucks ma'am. Steve just shook his head.

"I do not sound like that." He protested.

"You have your moments." Natasha stated calmly at him side.

"So where's Darcy?" Bucky finally asked looking around the party.

"She hasn't come down yet." Natasha replied.

"Does anyone know what costume she finally settled on?"

"Yes." Bucky looked to Natasha, expecting her to elaborate. When she didn't he turned a questioning gaze on Steve who shrugged helplessly.

"I've no idea Buck. She didn't say anything to me."

As if on cue, the elevator doors opened and Darcy stepped out. Bucky watched her dumbfounded as she approached him. She looked gorgeous and not just because she was dressed like him. She wore a black crop top, under an open black leather jacket, and he was thoroughly and happily surprised to find out she had a belly button piercing. Her amazing legs were encased in leather shorts and knee high black Louboutin Stiletto boots with the signature red sole. Peeking out from under her leather jacket was what he thought was a replica of his metal arm.

"What are you doing?" he asked softly, the faintest smile on his lips.

"Haven't you heard? I only model my costumes after good men."