Saving Grace

Chapter XXVII

After the dinner dishes were done and the others had left, Clint and Bucky went into the home theater to pick out a movie while Grace put their pie in the oven to bake.

"So, what film are we seeing?" she asked as she came in.

"Well, I suggested Cinderella, but Barnes here thinks it's silly."

"May I see the poster for it?" Grace asked, not realizing movies had case covers now. The TV screen lit up to show several different poster and movie covers for the film.

"Perhaps these will help Miss Rogers," JARVIS said.

Grace gazed at the images in fascination. "These look a lot like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs!"

"This particular version is indeed made by the same company as the Snow White film released in 1937 by Walt Disney."

"Wait, you remember Snow White?" Clint asked.

"Yes!" Grace nodded eagerly. "Steve and I saved up until the last week they were showing to buy tickets for it."

"You saw Snow White when it was literally first released?!"

"Yes, we waited in line for over an hour with all these little kids who had roped their parents into seeing it a second time," Bucky moaned. "Grace sang those songs for weeks! 'Bout drove the rest of us crazy!"

"I liked them! At least...I think I did," Grace said. "I can't remember them now."

"Some things really don't change," Clint chuckled with a shake of his head. "Girls still go nuts over Disney songs."

"What's wrong with Mr. Disney's films and songs?" Grace asked.

"Nothing at all," Clint shrugged. "I still watch them."

"They're for kids, Grace," Bucky said. "Like the Mickey Mouse cartoons in the newsreels."

"I don't remember you thinking Snow White was so childish after we saw it," Grace replied, crossing her arms. "but I do remember you saying you liked Mickey Mouse. You thought he was funny."

"Oh, come on, Babydoll, it was made for kids."

"So?"

Bucky sighed, sensing he was losing ground in this debate. "Grace-"

"Please, Bucky?"

Bucky looked down to find a pair of blue eyes gazing up at him pleadingly. Shoot, she just had to go there. He honestly could not remember a single bit of Snow White, but he did remember that the cartoon films were supposed to be for kids, and he was a soldier, for pete's sake. However, meeting Grace's pleading eyes once more, he felt his resolve crumble.

"Fine," he huffed. "You owe me, Babydoll."

With a giggle, Grace bounced onto the tips of her toes and flung her arms around his neck. However, before Bucky's startled mind could react, she quickly let go with a mumbled apology.

"So are we a go on Cinderella?" Clint asked to break the awkward moment.

"Yeah, sure," Bucky answered, shyly rubbing the back of his neck as he plopped down on the end of the couch. Grace sat down, keeping what would have considered back in their day as a respectable distance between herself and Bucky. Clint asked JARVIS to play the movie and settled down on Grace's other side. Twenty minutes later, JARVIS paused the movie to inform Grace the pie was done. She dashed to the kitchen and came back a few minutes later with two plates of pie. If Clint noticed that Bucky's piece was a little bigger than his, the archer did not say anything. Bucky waited until Grace returned with her piece before eating, but Clint dug right in.

"Ohmigosh! This is to die for, Grace! Where did learn to bake like this?"

"Um...Ma, maybe?" Grace answered uncertainly. "I don't really remember..." She bowed her head for a moment.

"I think it was your ma," Bucky said. He took a bite and his closed in appreciation. "Hmmm...you always were good with baking...I think."

"I don't care where you learned to bake as long as you don't stop baking stuff," Clint piped. "I'm not eating store-bought cakes and cookies anymore. They won't be any good after this."

"I'll take it into consideration," Grace said, with a shy smile for his gushing praise. "If you like this, wait till you try my oatmeal raisin cookies."

"Oatmeal raisin?" Clint perked up.

"Yeah...someone I knew really liked them..."

"I did," Bucky quietly answered. He had finished his pie and set his plate on the coffee table. He was leaning forward with his elbows braced on his knees, gazing off into space, caught up in a memory. "You sent them to me at boot camp. I had to hide them from the guys after I let my bunkmate have one. He wouldn't shut up about how good they were, so everyone wanted one."

"Can those be next on the list of baking?" Clint asked hopefully.

"Okay," Grace agreed absently. Bucky was still looking off into the distance. She scooted closer and gingerly laid a hand on his shoulder. "You alright, Buck?" Her voice seemed to snap him out of his trance.

He blinked and lowered his head, covering her hand with his own. "Yeah, Babydoll, I'm okay."

"You sure?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "JARVIS, please play the movie."

Grace removed her hand as he settled back on the couch, but she did not move away, something Bucky found he secretly liked.

They finished the movie and moved onto the new live-action version, at JARVIS's suggestion.

When the credits began to roll, Clint looked over at the pair on the other end of the couch. "See, Barnes? That wasn't-" His sentence died on his lips.

Slouched down in his seat, Bucky had his feet propped up on the coffee table and his arms crossed over his chest. Grace had tucked her feet under her at some point and rested her head on Bucky's shoulder. His head rested against hers. Both were sound asleep.

Quietly snapping a picture for Steve, he grabbed two nearby afghans and managed to cover the sleeping figures without waking either one. "Night, Barnes. Night, Grace," he whispered with a wry grin. He silently made his way to the elevator and got in. Pressing the button for his floor, he took his phone back out and sent the picture he just took to Steve's phone with a caption.

Be glad Stark didn't see this. None of us would ever hear the end of it. And it would crush poor Wilson's heart. ;)