The man with the gloves [bucky barnes ff]

49

"Are you sure he will keep his mouth shut?" Gen asks, meaning Chester. We are currently on the drive back home to New York with aunt Dana, Gen and Bucky. Aunt Dana wasn't thrilled when I told her that I still didn't tell my mom about him and she agreed that it was ridiculous that I even had to worry about those things as an almost twenty year old but she liked Bucky so she had no problem offering a ride to him, too.

"Bucky gave him a pretty bad beating so I am sure he will. He'd be stupid to even think about this ever again." I assure her.

"I don't condone violence." Aunt Dana interferes in our conversation, not taking her eyes off the road. "But that little bitch had it coming so I am glad you were there, James."

"I do what I can." Bucky smiles at her. He's sitting in the front seat next to Aunt Dana and I'm in the back with Gen even though I am the only one sitting. She's spread out and taking all the space, her feet resting against the window and her head on my lap. Apparently she gets sick on long car rides. But she's just lying. She had too much to drink last night when we went visit a few of my high school friends.
It was a casual barbecue with only prosecco and sparkling wine but enough of that does the job, too.

I even brought Bucky with me but instead of talking with my friends and their partners he got along with my friend's dad.
You can take the man out of the 40s but not the 40s out of the man, I guess.

"So, Isla, your birthday is coming up." Aunt Dana turns to me. "Any plans?"

"I kinda grew sick on loud parties." I think of all the ones I've been to in my first semester of NYU. "But I got invited to this... ball? Event? Kinda thing. It's a great way for students to start connections for upcoming internships and working positions. It happens to be on my birthday so I'll probably be spending my evening there."

"Maybe you can do something fun the next day." Aunt Dana offers.

"Yeah, maybe. But you know, twenty isn't that big of a deal anyway. Nothing really changes at twenty."

"That's not true. It's your roaring 20s. The start of a decade." Gen suddenly awakes from her sleep. "Nineteen sounds so young, immature, and teenager-ish. Twenty is hot. Twenty is mature, twenty is all grown-up."

"Stop romanticising everything, Gen." Her mother lectures her. "Why the need to grow up so fast?"

"Gotta agree." Bucky says. "I grew up a bit too fast."

Gen and I look at each other, knowing exactly what he's talking about.
Guess it must've been hard for him to wake up one day and realise you're in a completely different time period now. And on top of that you're controlled by someone else. I can't even imagine what he must've gone through. Now I want to hug him.

"How was it for you, Aunt Dana? Being back home? Regretting it already?" I ask to change the topic. I know Bucky wouldn't want us hung up on what he said.

"It was, well... your mother was her usual self which is just.... splendid." She struggles to find the right words. "But it was okay. I'm different than I was twenty years ago so I know how to deal with her now."

"So you regret coming back home?"

She shakes her head. "No. Listen, even though my sister can be a pain in the ass I still love her. And maybe one day we'll be able to have a conversation that lasts longer than two minutes."

"If you figure out a way I am gonna ask for a tutorial."

"Of course." Aunt Dana laughs and then shifts her attention to Bucky who's been silent throughout the entire car ride except for a few interjections here and now. "So, James. Tell me a bit about yourself. All I know about you is your regular order."