Shadows and Secrets (A MCU FanFic)

Chapter 8: Memories (Part 1)

trigger warning: mild language that may be offensive or upsetting to some readers

Bucky's POV

He let Marjorie pull him to the TV room. Bucky could have broken her grasp easily, but he didn't care that much.

    Which was strange. He didn't even let Steve touch him.

Normal physical contact was not something he could do, even a simple handshake made him want to throw up. Or stab someone.

He didn't want to think about the why.
That pattern of thoughts is to be avoided, he mentaly scolded himself. Bucky tried not to think about Hydra as a rule.

Luckly, Sam intercepted them halfway to their destination, providing a distraction.

"What are you guys doing?" Sam said to Nat. "Did you find the flag?"

Sam looked very confused.

"We are going to watch Hamilton," announced Marjorie.

"Really?" Sam looked at Marjorie, who was bouncing slightly and still holding Bucky's arm (Bucky was very aware of this), and seemed to accept it as inevidable. "But who won Capture the Flag?"

Clint had appeared in time to hear the end of this. He was balancing a cottee pot on his hip. Seriously, who the fuck drinks coffee out of the pot?

    "Stony, I imagine," Clint said.

    After a momentary pause, Sam, Nat, and Marjorie got the joke and started laughing.

    "But seriously, why are we just standing here?"

    "Oh, right," Marjorie realized, and resumed dragging Bucky to the couch.

    She was so stubborn.

    It was adorable.

    Marjorie queued the show—movie—whatever that they were going to watch—up, giving Bucky time to appreciate her outfit.

    Normally he got stuck on her eyes or hair, but it was nice to change it up a little.

    She was wearing one of her favorite sweatshirts—a black Red Hot Chili Peppers design with the colorful letters RHCP on the front.

    It was unzipped (rarely did Marjorie ever zip jackets, unless it was really cold) to reveal a white shirt with a green graphic of ... cabbages? And it said "Best cabbages in the Earth Kingdom," whatever the hell that meant.

    Probably some obscure fandom.

    I don't think she's ever worn anything that was not merch, Bucky thought lovingly.

    She was also wearing normal black jeans that were artistically ripped, and black Converse.

    Marjorie absolutely refused to wear gear, no matter how hard Nat tried.

    Bucky's black leather jacket, pants, and boots doubled as gear, and he didn't really need bulletproof stuff anyway. He could just block it with his arm.

    His hair was cut in the short style he had favored before. Nat had been insistent on cutting it.

    Clint usually wore sweatshirts and sweatpants, or a bathrobe, (except on missions; he wore gear then), and Nat had deemed him a lost cause.

    Nat wore either gear or designer clothes, usually opting for pants rather than a skirt.

    Tony dressed in business casual clothes, always wearing expensive designer ensembles. It didn't really matter what he wore under the suit anyway.

    Bruce dressed modestly and for comfort, usually a T-shirt (more often than not purple) and jeans.

    Steve had no sense of style and wore the first thing he grabbed from his closet. Luckily, his closet mostly consisted of jeans and T-shirts.

    Sam was a combination of Tony and Bruce, he dressed for comfort but always looked nice.

    Thor... well, he wore Asgardian clothes.

    Bucky had only met Thor twice, and the god was currently off-world.

    That had been an interesting meeting.

    But Bucky needed to pay attention; Hamilton was starting.

    Marjorie liked Hamilton, and she had good taste.

    They all barely fit on the couch—Bucky on the right end, Marjorie pressed in between him and Nat, and Sam on the left end. Clint was perched on top of the couch behind Nat's head.

    Clint's position would have been extremely odd if Bucky hadn't been living in the tower with him for three months.

    After the first song, Bucky was forced to admit to himself that Marjorie was right; Hamilton was great.

    Marjorie was usually right about these sorts of things, once she had found out he had read The Hobbit, she suggested The Lord of the Rings, and the recommendations kept coming. They had similar tastes, in both music and books.

    Bucky didn't know why they got along so well, or why she was so nice to him.

    After what he had done...

    Why did she recruit him?

AN: I split this chapter—Memories—into two parts, so the next chapter is also Bucky's POV.