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Bucky sighed, downing his latest glass of expensive champagne as he ducked behind a pillar and into a large nook. It was, unfortunately, already occupied.
“No comment,” Bucky said the moment he saw the press pass attached to the man’s front pocket. He sighed again, and stepped back out of the nook. Shame. That one seemed to be nicest in the room.
“Seriously?” Bucky muttered under his breath. “Again?”
The reporter simply grinned at him, ducking out of the nook on the other side. He looked vaguely familiar, but Bucky couldn’t place him. Bucky sighed, but at least the nook was free for now.
“No comment,” Bucky said, taking a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. Who was this guy and why did he keep running into him? The man snorted, and Bucky realized that he’d said that out loud.
“You did indeed,” the reporter said, extending his hand. “Clark Kent.”
“Bucky Barnes,” Bucky said, shaking his hand.
“As for why I’m here,” Clark began, “I work for the Daily Planet, out of Metropolis.”
“Metropolis?” Bucky asked. “For a gala in Gotham?”
“Society pages, would you believe?” Clark said, grinning. “I don’t usually cover these, but Cat wasn’t able to make it tonight.”
“Drew the short straw?” Bucky asked, grinning. He took two glasses of champagne from a different passing waiter, handing one to Clark.
“Wasn’t paying attention,” Clark admitted with a smile that could light up a room. “I picked a bad day to zone out in a meeting, apparently.”
Bucky chuckled softly. “Been there, done that,” he said.
“You working the gala?” Clark asked. Bucky shook his head, before shrugging.
“Yes and no,” he said.
“Yes and no?” Clark asked.
“On or off the record?”
“Off,” Clark said. “I’m done for the night, off-duty.” He grinned and made a show of putting his notebook away. Bucky noticed that he took notes in Gregg shorthand.
“My, uh, fiancé is here,” Bucky said.
“Your fiancé has an invite to a gala at Wayne Enterprises?” Clark asked. Bucky could see his fingers twitch at that info. Bucky smirked, adding that his fiancé was an old friend of the Wayne Family. Clark’s hand actually went for his notebook and pen, before he could stop himself.
“You’re Tony Stark’s fiancé?” Clark finally asked. Bucky nodded, curling his lips into the slightest hint of a smirk.
“Wishing you hadn’t agreed to off the record?” he asked. Clark nodded. Across the room, Tony Stark and Bruce Wayne were clinking glasses, telling Bucky that Tony would soon be ready to leave.
“I’ll get the information on the record,” Clark said. He grinned. “Eventually.”
“Will you be at the next gala?” Bucky asked. Clark paused, and glanced at Bruce Wayne, who appeared to be in the middle of making his excuses. His eyes softened.
“Are you…” Bucky trailed off. “Are you the rumored reason The Playboy Prince isn’t quite the playboy any more?”
“Maybe,” Clark said, grinning. He used his chin to motion to Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark, who were making their way towards the coat check closet. “See you next gala?”
“Nook in the back corner?” Bucky asked.
“Better view,” Clark agreed, tilting his head from side to side, considering. “But… fewer passing waiters for champagne and finger foods.”
“Good point,” Bucky said, snagging two plates of said finger food from a passing waiter, handing one to Clark. He placed their empty champagne glasses on the tray, and the waiter was off. They took a moment to eat their spoils. It was tasty, crunchy, with some sort of fish paste.
“This nook,” Clark and Bucky said at the same time. Clark smiled, tipped an invisible hat at Bucky, and wandered off. Bucky snagged another of the crunchy fish things from a different waiter. With Clark’s promise to be at the next gala Tony insisted Bucky attend, things were looking up.