dream on, little diamond ✣ 1970s bucky barnes au

[ ch. 2 stone fox ]

Steve patted his friend's shoulder and stood from the bench, "walk with me."

Bucky nodded and put out his smoke as he stood with a hum, the pair strolled toward a park nearby with more privacy to talk business. The blonde thirty-two year old was a self made millionaire with his hands in dozens of businesses and connections in the Italian mafia and, now, the Romanian Mafia. He and Bucky made a deal long ago to always have each other's backs first. Steve declined his offer to rise within his grandfather's organization, having an interest in being his own man alongside his family.

Steve enjoyed the gemstone business, plus he was able to keep a close eye on his loose cannon of a best friend, James, a man with a short fuse and a stone wrapped heart. The two walked off into the hot afternoon heat in Mar Vista, their conversation light-hearted as they caught up before the hard business conversations they'd face later that day at dinner.

About a mile from the pair of mobsters was a pair of spunky best friends with a free day together, skating toward their favorite block nearby with a restaurant, a boutique, and somewhere to skate all afternoon. They'd enjoyed the spot the first time they happened upon it, now, excited as they rolled closer. Lucy wore her hair in a tangled mess of blonde, refusing to ruin her morning brushing out the chaotic knots that were left after a night out with the boy they met the week before, Peter Parker; two weeks and already making friends in town.

Lucy was wearing her new favorite romper, red and white stripes that matched her white skates with red threading. Running her white manicured fingers down the silky material she smiled over at her best friend, skating toward Figueroa street. Bonnie's hair was tied up in two buns atop her head, wearing short red cotton shorts, a white tank top, her favorite red tube socks and tan skates.

The pair grabbed hands as they rode down the hill toward the small park they'd become fond of, the perfect trees and tiny gardens, the different types of people all in one place. Bonnie squeezes her best friend's hand as they come to a halt on the pavement lining the park, trying to decide what they wished to do first. As the pair are discussing, a familiar prickle is tickling the back of Lucy's neck, her hand meeting her neck as she shifts in thought. Her actions immediately noticed by Bonnie who grabs her other hand.

"You alright, L?" Bonnie grabbed her friend's gaze as Lucy nodded, "yeah just a weird feeling." She felt the eyes from that evening ten days prior, the unforgettable crystal azure gaze she'd been trying to push from her thoughts. She rubbed the back of her neck once more and shrugged it off as she looked around quickly before turning back to her friend.

Lucy held onto her friend's hand as they turned to skate toward the other end of the park where the boutique is. Lucy smirked at her friend, "clothes first, then getting bloated with all the fried food before we-" The blonde skates face first into a familiar tree like man's lower chest, her body tensing and starting to fall in her skates, before large hands grasp her hips and place her back on her wheels quickly. Her eyes immediately found his gaze and swallowed her gasp as Bonnie yelped in reaction to her friend nearly falling.

"Do you ever watch where you're going?" Bucky snapped at the sweaty, and stunning little vision before him. His friend caught off guard at his venomous reaction and gave his friend a surprised grimace. Then the curvy little was blonde crossed her arms and tilted her head with a sassy flip of her hair toward Bucky, causing Steve to smirk.

"I knew I felt you staring, it's gettin' creepy now, Barnes."

Her crystal eyes landed on the handsome blonde to her left before focusing back on the man that somehow got into her head the moment she met those eyes. "Are you always such a delight?"

Steve chuckled as Bucky gave her a tight lipped, irritated smirk. "Men with power don't have to be nice little lady," he said in a gruff voice that made the two girls giggle.

Bonnie shakes her head with a smirk at Steve before skating in a small circle behind her friend. Lucy gave a smile to her friend and returned to a glare at Bucky, "but fear and likeability are two different things. Good luck with that, bet you're a total throttlebottom," she winked as Bonnie laughed with a twirl behind her. Steve studies the girl with beautiful chestnut locks and caramel skin. Bonnie giggled and added, "he called you little lady, what a grandpa."

Steve watched his friend become more flustered every second, two twenty-somethings were riling up this mafia boss and it was intriguing for Steve to watch. Bucky shrugged, "what's that mean?"

Bonnie groaned, Lucy gave her a glare and then softened at Bucky, for the first time she noticed some sort of life in his eyes, like a twinkle of concern or sadness. She smirked with a giggle, "it means you're inept." Bonnie smiled, "and some sort of leader with 'power'," she makes air quotes as she stops in front of Steve.

Bucky let out a low chuckle, "your father was right, you are a challenge."

Lucy rolled her eyes, "my dad is chicken-hearted, and wouldn't know anything about real challenges."

Bonnie elbowed her friend in the hip, but Lucy nudged her back before adding, "most white men know nothing of how others struggle."

Lucy looked between the two as both men's eyes wander down their bodies quickly. "What business do you have with my father, anyways?"

Bucky snapped back, "gemstones, what else would it be?"

Steve's jaw drops, "you're Finch's daughter?"

Lucy nods with disinterest and Bonnie laughs, "of course they work with Mick, let's go Lucy, I'm suddenly ready to get out of the skates."

Bonnie tugs at Lucy's hand, pulling her skated feet toward the street they'd been excited to arrive at.

"I better see you both at the fundraiser in two weeks, it'll be bomb," Lucy smirked with a wave as Bonnie laughed and hurried them away. Their wheels rolling under them toward their shopping destination, Gamora's boutique. The blonde feeling the men's eyes as they rolled away but she held her friend's hand, "don't glance back, never spare men like them a glance."

Bonnie's head falls back in a laugh as Steve looks at his friend, "so, Mickey's daughter, that was...interesting." Bucky chuckled, "how does a coward make such a woman?"

The blonde noticed the timbre in his friend's voice, he was intrigued and that didn't happen as often as it once did. Steve sighed, "maybe she takes after her mom?" They both laugh with a sigh at the end.

"So, Stark's tonight for dinner before his ridiculous gathering?" Steve waited for Bucky since this was his city, Steve was a New York City man himself and partied with Stark plenty back home.

"Yeah, lets go to mine and talk business so I can forget the fact that I was just called an insulting name in front of beautiful women that laughed in my face." Steve fought the chuckle that wanted to escape, "not used to powerful women, Buck?"

Steve understood that Bucky's upbringing was more misogynistic than that of Steve Rogers. His family had the utmost respect for their women while George Barnes only showed young Bucky how to hate women and belittle them into control, just like everyone else. Bucky shook his head and looked at Steve as the girl's disappeared into the shop ahead of them.

Steve smiled and shook his head as he turned to leave, "girls like that give men like us perspective."

Bucky shrugged, "or just send us into madness, either way...never gonna happen." Steve walked away with a glance at his best friend, catching the way he glanced back at Gamora's before following him.

"Never?" Steve teased his friend with a shoulder nudge. Bucky laughed, "I'm too indecisive to say for sure. But I have no time for an infuriating chore."

Steve shrugged, "sometimes they're worth it." Bucky glared, "drop it, not interested."

The blonde put his hands up in defeat, knowing better than his friend. "Stone fox is right, damn I need a drink after that."

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