The Long Nights of Winter - An Alternative Bucky Barnes Story

Chapter 16. What Would Bogie Do? (Violent Content)

Two days after the encounter in Central Park with the Professor, Thor drove Steve and Bucky back to the tailors for their final fitting.  Jasmine was not the receptionist but it was a young woman cut from much the same cloth sitting in the chair.  When the three men walked in she wasn't sure who to place her attention on but she finally decided on Thor / Trent.  That decision was soon regretted when Bucky and Steve came out in their first new suits, Bucky's dark grey double breasted with a grey shirt and striped tie and Steve's medium grey three piece suit.  When they went back and came out in their blue suits she was almost beside herself.  All three men ignored her as the tailors checked the fit and pronounced themselves as satisfied.  As the suits were being hung up in garment bags with the newly ironed shirts, and the shoes, ties and pocket squares packed into shopping bags she played every card in her deck trying to get noticed.  As they prepared to leave the store Bucky beckoned her over and bent close to her ear, whispering something to her.  Her face dropped and she returned to her desk, disheartened.  Out at the SUV Thor looked at Bucky.

"What did you say to her?" he asked.

"I told her the last number three murdered his girlfriend," said Bucky.  "Is that really what she aspired to?  Perhaps if someone had said that to Amber she wouldn't have hooked up with Rumlow."

Thor shook his head at the insanity of a young woman being enticed by the apparent wealth of handsome but dangerous men involved in the drug trade.  He couldn't blame Bucky for bursting her bubble.  He saw it all too often during his time undercover.  Many of the young men he worked with in those warehouses treated their girlfriends shabbily, alternately lavishing them with presents or physically and verbally abusing them.  He stayed celibate during that time, as much to protect his true identity as to not become involved with a woman who would choose to be involved with the type of man he portrayed.

On the drive home Trent talked more about how Bucky and Steve should behave when they went to the Florida warehouse.  With a significant number of Hispanic and Latino employees, many of them with an exaggerated sense of their manliness it was important that both men appear strong and decisive.  There was sure to be a challenge that they needed to deal with in a way that left no uncertainty about who was in charge.  The top guy at the warehouse was Michael Kelly, originally from Boston.  It was important they convince him first that Pierce had personally chosen them as his new number two and three.  The team were scheduled to fly to Florida the next morning.  Although Thor wouldn't go to the warehouse with them on the infiltration team as news of his departure had already circulated he was going to be on comms with them and would be on the team that destroyed the building.  Not originally planned this time they wanted to be sure the operation couldn't be set up again.

Dinner was organized by Natalie, cooked by herself, Stark and Barton.  Using the example their RCMP minders had used in witness protection she made it clear to everyone that those who cooked didn't clean up.  They made tacos and fajitas, both chicken and beef, with all the toppings, Spanish rice and salad.  It was a great spread and garnered a lot of praise.  Then the three of them sat with beers in front of the TV in the common room and watched the football game.  It worked so well that everyone wanted to follow a similar schedule for all meals and teams were chosen to collaborate on meals.  Friday was designated make your own Fridays.  Saturday was designated take out Saturdays.  Once Bucky completed his chore of putting the leftover food away in the fridge he joined Natalie on the couch and put his arm around her, kissing her neck, just below her ear. 

"Let's go to bed early," he whispered. "I have to be up early and I want some alone time with you."

"We all have to be up early," she whispered back, then stood up and gave him her hand.

"Good night everyone!" said Bucky loudly, with a smile. 

Bucky asked Majel for privacy as soon as they entered the apartment and they went straight to the bedroom.  Throughout their kisses and caresses Natalie detected anxiety in Bucky, almost as if he was trying hard to experience everything they were doing as if it were the first time.  When they were holding each other after she turned to him and cupped his face.