18+ WARNING MINORS DNI
The next morning, Alice and Bucky sit in the kitchen eating cereal. The storm has passed and the sun shines in through the windows, brightening up the entire room. Alice feels better today, and by the looks of it, Bucky does too. His free hand roams up and down her thigh, occasionally squeezing her knee and tickling her until she laughs so hard she drops her spoon, letting it clang into her bowl.
"You look good in my shirts," he says in that soft, low, rumbling voice that gives her goosebumps.
"Sorry for stealing this one. I was cold."
New York is fucking freezing compared to Vegas and Alice hasn't figured out a way to control the heat, so she's in two pairs of leggings, a t-shirt, and Bucky's blue Henley. Bucky isn't bothered by the cold, or the heat for that matter.
Bucky picks her up off her chair and drags her onto his lap like a ragdoll. He's so strong that she doesn't really have a choice. Once Bucky has his mind set on picking her up, he's going to accomplish his task.
"I can warm you up later," he purrs.
Alice giggles. Their morning started off a little chaotic, so it's nice to have these light moments.
Bruce knocked on their door around 7:00am and told Bucky he still needs a few more days with the brain scans that he's recorded. He'll isolate the code words and try to figure out a way to start the deprogramming process without triggering the Winter Soldier. Apparently, that's the hard part.
Bucky is worried that it's a nearly impossible task.
Their next session is on Friday. More memory work and some therapy. Bruce wants it to be a one-on-one thing. Bucky was reluctant at first, but Alice managed to convince him to agree to it. It'll be good for him.
He seems relieved to not have to go back down to the basement for a back to back session, but that also means they're tasked with finding something to do today, and neither of them are comfortable venturing from the 10th floor.
Bucky has already worked out while Alice went for a swim and took a scalding hot shower to ease her muscles. Bucky joined her, letting her wash his hair and scrub his back while she placed soft kisses on his skin. She took the opportunity to run her hands all over his body, kissing every scar as she went. He let her, sighing into her touch. He's softening more and more every day.
The little bubble they've created is magical.
Alice's bare feet dangle off of the stool as she scrolls through her phone, texting Sapphire and giggling at their stupid inside jokes about the club while simultaneously catching up on her Instagram feed. Bucky looks up at her every time she laughs, his eyes twinkling.
"What?" She asks.
"You have a cute laugh."
"Thanks," she whispers, blushing a little.
He puts his hand on her thigh and gently squeezes as he goes back to reading.
Alice continues to scroll through her phone. She's been using it less lately, preferring to listen to Bucky read aloud until she falls asleep on his chest, or watch a movie before bed. She's got missed messages from some of her regulars and shoots them back with quick explanations for her absence. Most of them are vague, but they accept her answer for just needing a vacation.
Chris is the only one who knows about Bucky.
Sapphire told me ur on a road trip with your bf. How's America?
Scenic 🤪 But it's good. I'm having fun.
Good. Miss u.
She smiles.
How's the girlfriend situation?
Better. Took ur advice and we're spending more quality time together. Thx btw. I forget how much I love her when things get hella busy.
No problem, dude! I'm glad you took my advice.
How's ur boy?
He's good.
So far.
When r u back?
Dunno yet.
She closes the app and keeps texting Sapphire, who has been sending her dumb memes all morning. Alice tried showing Bucky one after his shower, but he didn't get it and kept asking if she knew the person in the picture. Maybe Sam will appreciate it.
Bucky reads the paper -- actually, it's more like he's struggling with the paper. She hears soft, but frustrated sighs as he reads and looks up occasionally to see his brow furrowed as he takes another bite of his breakfast.
"I don't understand half the stuff they're talking about in here," he mumbles after a few minutes. "I feel like I need a whole reference book to get all of this."
"What do you mean?"
He looks up at her with a raised eyebrow and an incredulous look. Alice chuckles.
"Okay, aside from the fact that you've been frozen for 70 years, what are you having trouble with?"
"What's Twitter?"
Alice shakes her head.
"You don't want to know."
"Facebook?" He asks. "Am I saying that right? I feel like I'm not saying that right."
"You're saying it right," she laughs.
"That name doesn't make sense."
"Facebook is where old out of touch people go to yell about things they hate."
"Sounds like I'd fit in there."
"God, I hope not," Alice mutters.
Bucky sighs and keeps reading, asking small contextual questions while he pours over articles. Alice does her best to answer his questions. It must be so overwhelming, she thinks, to have to catch up on years of history and world events all at once. Bucky is doing his best trying to digest things that don't make a lot of sense to him while simultaneously trying to find his own roots. It's admirable. Alice thinks he's the bravest person she's ever met.
Sam and Steve stroll into the kitchen and Alice smiles at them. Steve smiles back. This one actually reaches his eyes. Alice no longer senses the same tension between them.
"Morning, boys," she announces.
Bucky looks behind him and gives them both a small nod before returning to his dissection of the article he's reading. Steve pats Alice on the shoulder as he passes and murmurs a soft good morning. Sam pours himself a cup of coffee and jumps onto the counter while Steve munches on an apple.
"Did Bruce come by your room this morning?" He asks. "I saw him wandering around when I left the gym."
Bucky nods.
"Next session is Friday," he says softly.
Steve nods.
"Is there anything to do around here?" Alice asks.
"Tons," Steve replies. "There's always something to do around here."
"Something that isn't Avengers-related," Alice chuckles.
Steve rubs the back of his neck, smiling.
"Oh... well, that's, uh... that's different."
"I was gonna go into the city," Sam replies. "We need stuff for dinner. I'm cooking."
"Better than me," Steve replies.
"Yeah, all you can make is eggs and they taste like rubber."
"They do not," Steve mutters.
"Sam, I'll come with you!" Alice offers.
Bucky looks up at her, his eyes wide. He doesn't really like to be without her for very long, but he's got to get used to it if they want a healthy relationship. When they get back to Vegas, there are going to be days where they won't get to see each other. Bucky has to know that her absence from his life isn't the end of their relationship. Alice winces.
"Are you okay with that?"
He nods.
"I was just going to read or something," he replies, folding up the paper. "Maybe try and sleep."
He brought some of his science fiction books, along with his journals. Bucky made sure to hide those in his drawers so that Steve and Sam couldn't find them. Alice catches him scribbling in them every once in a while, but she's never actually opened one. If he wants to show her, he will. If he doesn't, that's fine too.
"You didn't sleep well?" Steve asks.
Bucky shrugs.
"Never do."
"There's a movie theater on this floor," Steve says. "I was gonna watch something." He pulls out a small book and puts it on the table. Alice leans over. It's a big list of movies, books, major world events, and albums that he's written down. "I gotta start on..." Steve squints. "Lord of the Rings? There are three movies. Right, Sam?"
"Yep."
"They're so good," Alice confirms. Sam nods, sipping his coffee.
Steve looks up, smiling.
"They are?"
"Yes!" Alice exclaims. "They won like a billion awards. You've gotta see them. You too, Bucky."
Bucky looks up as milk dribbles down his chin. He wipes it up quickly, wiping his hand on his jeans.
"Sure."
Steve and Bucky need some quality time together, and this sounds like the perfect opportunity for them to start to get to know each other again.
Sam drains his coffee and hops off the counter.
"I'm gonna get my jacket. Meet you in the hall? We can go down to the parking garage."
"Sounds good!" Alice chirps as she pockets her phone and takes her empty bowl to the sink. She walks back over to Bucky and wraps her arms around him while Steve grabs the paper he's abandoned off of the table and begins to read.
Alice presses her lips to the shell of his ear.
"You gonna be okay?"
Bucky nods and kisses her.
"Can you pick me up some candy?"
"Of course, my love," she whispers. "Any preference?"
He shakes his head.
"Whatever looks good."
"Got it. Sam? Meet you in the hall in five?" Alice asks as she runs her fingers through Bucky's hair.
"Got it," Sam replies with a grin.
Alice places one more kiss on Bucky's cheek before heading back to their room to grab her shoes and coat.
☽ ☾
The Avengers compound is far from the city, she finds out. The drive is quiet at first, and then Sam looks over at her with a smile on his face. She likes Sam a lot and she barely knows the guy. Some people just exude an energy that's magnetic. Sam is one of those people. He's quippy and funny, and painfully optimistic at times.
"So, you and Barnes... that's an unlikely pairing. I gotta say, neither of us expected that when we found you."
"Yeah," she laughs. "I think it surprises us sometimes, too."
Sam grins as he turns a corner and they begin to hit actual traffic. Alice looks out the window. She's never been to New York. It's busy like Las Vegas, but it's a different kind of busy. Instead of people stumbling out of casinos, they're rushing out of big important offices carrying briefcases and yammering into their phones.
"How did you end up cracking that dude open?" Sam asks, pulling her back to the conversation. He's just so..." He makes an exaggerated frowning face and Alice throws her head back, cackling.
"Yeah, he was like that at first. At least a bit." She sighs. "I don't know, to tell you the truth. He kept coming in to see me, and I just thought he was so quiet and strange -- not in a bad way, of course, but in that kind of hot, mysterious stranger way. It's hard not to be drawn to him."
Explaining her attraction to Bucky is easy, but she's afraid that Sam is going to ask her why she's sticking around.
"That's fair. You guys are cute together."
"Thanks. I think so."
Sam chuckles.
"You didn't have to come with me, you know."
"I know. I want to get to know you better since we're going to be roommates for the time being, and I think you're the only other person who will get my pop culture references."
Another laugh. Sam has a great smile. Everything about him is genuine, and he has a softness about him that intrigues her. He's a little more sensitive than Steve. Alice grins.
"And you just seem really sweet. You, uh, had my back that first night when Steve got all uppity about my job. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that."
"Oh, hey, listen. It's no trouble. Sometimes that fossil needs a verbal ass whooping. If you ever need me to give him another one, let me know, but I think you did a pretty damn good job on your own."
She chuckles softly.
"Thanks. I just figured Steve and Bucky needed some time to get reacquainted. I think it'd be good for them."
"Steve's excited about that."
"Yeah, he seems to be itching to get some alone time with him. I figured I'd get out of their hair."
"How are you guys doing by the way?" Sam asks. "You and Steve?"
"We had a good talk last night. I just... I don't want to get in the way of Bucky and Steve rebuilding their connection, and I couldn't help but feel like Steve resented me for being so close to Bucky."
"He did," Sam replies. "He didn't tell me that because he's got that whole Mr. Polite thing going on, but he's jealous that you're the first person Bucky goes to for comfort. I kept telling him that it's because Bucky loves you and he knows you." He sighs. "Sometimes I think Steve is hanging onto a piece of the past that nobody's sure he's gonna get back."
Alice nods. She feels the same. So much of Bucky and Steve's relationship was left unfinished because of what happened to both of them.
"But it doesn't mean that they can't start over," she says softly.
She wants them to. Bucky needs people in his corner.
"Exactly," Sam replies. "Steve's lost a lot over the years. Bucky, Peggy, his entire life... it's a lot for him to deal with. I think he's dealing with a lot of unresolved pain, but he's too goddamn stubborn to do anything about it, so he suppresses it."
"Gee, I wonder who that sounds like," Alice laughs.
"Yeah, well... Steve didn't get programmed to kill a bunch of people. But they're similar in a lot of other respects."
"Yeah, neither of them get our jokes."
He stares at her for a second before they both start cracking up.
"Or our music choices," Sam replies. "You know, I played Missy Elliot for Steve the other day? I thought that dude was gonna have a stroke."
"Yeah, Bucky isn't really a fan of a lot of my music choices either. I played him some Nicki Minaj--"
Sam howls with laughter and Alice puts her head in her hands, giggling uncontrollably.
"What did he do?"
"He looked at my phone like it was the most offensive thing he's ever heard in his life."
Sam laughs harder, wiping tears away from his eyes.
"Yeah, Steve was the same way. I think they just like jazz and old blues. Anything else'll straight up kill them."
"We'll ease them into it."
"Maybe," Sam sighs. "I'm not holding out hope that either of them will lighten up any time soon."
She smirks and stretches her legs out a little. According to Sam's GPS, they're almost there. It'll be another half hour until they get into the city.
"Why did you help Steve with this?"
"Because nobody else would. Except for Romanoff." Sam bites his lip. "And I lost a friend once too. On some level, I understand that kind of pain."
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay. I've dealt with it. It still hurts sometimes -- grief isn't exactly logical, and there are days where I wish Riley was still here, but when you experience loss - of any kind - you've gotta keep going. It's all you can do sometimes."
Alice nods. She's never been through that kind of loss, but she can empathize in a way. She's had to start her life over more times than she can count. Now it's a source of strength for her, but she remembers a time when it wasn't; when she felt like she was slipping into an endless pit of nothingness and despair, not knowing what she was going to do or who she was anymore. She built her whole life and personality around ballet and her love of it. Having to climb out of that was painful and terrifying, but she made it.
Bucky will make it too.
"You sound like you're pretty well-adjusted. Steve said last night that you're a vet? Air Force?"
Sam nods.
"Two tours of Afghanistan."
"So you've seen a lot of loss."
Sam nods.
"More than anyone should. It's why I try and help people with that stuff now."
"Can you help Bucky?"
"Not with the programming stuff," Sam replies. "But I can help him with this PTSD. I've actually been meaning to talk to Bruce about that. I counselled veterans before I joined the hunt for your boyfriend."
"You did?"
"Yeah. It was my way of giving back. There's not enough support for us. We've always just kind of been tossed aside after we come back from war. There's a lot of symbolic appreciation, but the kind of help that we need is tough to access. So, we usually end up helping each other out."
"Do you need to get certified for something like that?"
"No," Sam laughs. "I just started talking to people and holding meetings. People kept showing up, so I must have been doing something right."
"Well, you seem like a really kind person," Alice replies. "It takes someone with a big heart to do stuff like that. Not a lot of people are brave enough."
Sam beams at her.
"Thank you. Alice, I think we're gonna get to be pretty good friends."
She grins.
"I'd like that."
☽ ☾
Steve is having more fun watching Bucky watch Lord of the Rings than he is watching it himself. It's hard for him to sit for long periods of time and fully digest a film - and they're so long now. Sam insisted they watch the extended version of this movie? Steve doesn't even know what that is, and then he saw the three-hour run time and sighed heavily.
But Bucky? Bucky is almost fully immersed. He has to be pulled back down to earth every so often.
They're trying to play checkers at the same time, but Bucky keeps getting distracted, staring up at the big screen with his jaw hanging open. He's always loved fantasy and science fiction books. Steve remembers that well. He bought Bucky a new book for birthdays and Christmases. Bucky never cared if they were terrible or not, he devoured them like candy and read them cover to cover until the pages fell off. His bookshelves were stacked with them. He could memorize the plot in incredible detail and he'd regale Steve with it while acting it out, jumping onto his bed, flailing his legs and fists in the air. He often talked himself out of breath, but Steve loved it.
"I can't believe this is actually real," Bucky whispers.
Steve chuckles.
"Well, I mean, it's not, Buck. It's all just computers and stuff." He frowns. "At least I think it is."
"The sets?" Bucky asks. "Those have gotta be real. Those are real trees." He stands up and points at the screen, his metal hand glistening in the low light. Steve notices Bucky isn't wearing his gloves as much anymore. It's a good sign.
Steve leans forward and squints, despite having better than 20/20 vision.
"They look pretty real."
"They are," Bucky insists. "Look at the way they're moving in the wind. You can't fake that stuff with... what did you say they use?"
"Computers."
"How do they use computers?"
"I don't know," Steve laughs. "Sam was trying to explain it once, but I couldn't follow it."
Steve looks down at the board. They've successfully made two moves each in an hour and a half.
"Your move, big guy."
"Hmm? Oh. Yeah." He chuckles. "Sorry."
Steve had to re-teach him the rules of checkers, but Bucky catches on quickly. He turns his attention back to their game and pushes one of his pieces forward, jumping over two of Steve's. Bucky grins and snatches them off the board. Steve chuckles.
"You always were better at this than I was."
"We should try chess next," Bucky suggests.
"You remember how to play?"
"I think so," Bucky whispers. "We played a lot when we were kids, didn't we?"
"Yeah," Steve laughs. "You used to smoke the old guys in Central Park. Your dad thought you were going to be a prodigy."
Bucky smirks, but there's a sadness lingering in his eyes. He looks so much more exhausted than Steve remembers.
He was always good at chess, or anything that involved strategy. It bled into his military career, and it's one of the reasons why Steve trusted him so much with planning attacks. He knows the odds and he's willing to take a chance when they're in his favor.
Bucky can be extremely patient when he wants to be, assessing every move he could possibly make before he makes it. In life, he always took risks, but when he played chess, it was quite the opposite. Steve pegged him for an aggressive player at first, because he can be so impulsive, but Bucky surprised him.
"I wish I could remember," Bucky says softly.
"You will."
"Do you think this whole thing with Bruce is going to work?"
Steve takes a deep breath and makes another move while Bucky watches him, his eyes scanning the board for an opportunity or a plan of attack.
"I do," Steve replies. "Bruce is smart. He'll figure something out, and he'll call in reinforcements if he needs to."
"I just hope this doesn't take too long."
"It's gonna take as long as it takes, Buck."
Bucky leans back and narrows his eyes.
"Did you always do this?"
"Do what?"
"Sound like my dad," Bucky chuckles, capturing two more of his pieces. "You're real lousy at this game, punk."
"You remember him?" Steve jumps over two of Bucky's pieces. "So are you, jerk."
"Not really, but I remember him scolding me a lot."
Steve laughs.
"Yeah. He did that." He shakes his head. "I'm sorry, Buck. I'm not your dad, I just... I don't want you and Alice to run off halfway through your treatment."
"We won't," Bucky replies softly.
Steve isn't entirely sure he believes him. Bucky is a flight risk, but there's not much that Steve can do about it. He doesn't want to lock the whole tower down and hold him prisoner. Tony would start to catch on, if he hasn't already. Steve is too afraid to check his phone, but Sam says he hasn't heard anything.
Yet.
They're living on borrowed time. Steve knows that Tony could shut this whole operation down in the blink of an eye if he wanted to.
"Do you like Alice?" Bucky asks after a few minutes of silence.
Steve stares at him as his best friend's bright blue eyes pierce his. He's been waiting for this question. He and Alice got off to a rocky start, but he's grateful that she was willing to bury the hatchet. For someone who fights bad guys for a living, Steve knows he can be a coward about things that require more complex forms of communication.
His feelings about Alice are just that - complicated. At first, he wasn't really sure what attracted Bucky to her, other than the fact that she's drop dead gorgeous. He was convinced that her presence at the compound would be a distraction, but she forced him to swallow his pride.
Steve resented her at first - he's big enough to admit that (to himself, and nobody else) - but he's starting to come around. Alice is smart and sensitive. Steve was worried that she didn't have Bucky's best interests in mind, but the more he sees the two of them together and the way that Bucky looks at her, Steve knows his best friend has found something real.
"I do."
"You didn't before."
"Yes, I did."
"You're a bad liar," Bucky replies. He jumps four of Steve's pieces in a row. "You've always been a bad liar. King me."
"How do you know that?"
"I don't remember everything, but I remember enough. Why didn't you like her?"
"Why does that matter anymore?" Steve asks.
Bucky is starting to get tense, his eyes combative. He's always had a temper. His jaw clenches and Steve can see him running his tongue over his teeth.
"Because I love her."
Steve sighs.
"I know you do."
"So tell me why you didn't like her."
"Can't we just play--"
Bucky shakes his head. He's completely ignoring the movie now. Steve wishes the conversation had never veered in this direction.
"No. You brought me here to talk and spend time together. So let's talk."
"I meant we could talk about the good old days and try to get some of your memories back."
"And I want to talk about this," Bucky retorts.
Steve rubs his face with both hands. Bucky's right, he's a bad liar, and he always has been. He couldn't even fake his way into the army before he was chosen as a test subject for the serum.
"Bucky, I like her now. I didn't like her that much before our talk because I was afraid that she would convince you to leave."
"Even though she's the one who convinced me to come here in the first place?"
"You've got me there," Steve sighs.
"I want to make sure that she's respected here," Bucky replies. "She's important to me, Stevie. I'd kill for her. If we were back fighting with the other Howling Commandos, her picture would be in my pocket watch... just like you did with Peggy's."
"I know, Buck," Steve says softly. "I like Alice. I really do. I think you're good for each other."
Bucky raises an eyebrow.
"You do?"
Steve can genuinely say that now. Alice's suggestion of starting over was a good one. He's gained a lot of respect for her over the past few days. She's strong and smart - in a lot of ways, she reminds him of Peggy. They would have gotten along well. Steve cracks a smile.
"I do. She's feisty."
Bucky grins and laughs.
"She is."
"She's exactly the kind of girl you used to go for in Brooklyn. You always got the cute ones."
Steve watches him move one of his pieces forward.
"She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen, Steve. When she smiles, it's like... none of this--" he raises his left arm. "Ever happened to me. It's like I'm just a kid from Brooklyn again. I've never felt like this before. About anybody."
Steve's chest aches in a good way.
"It's good to see you happy, Buck. I'm glad she makes you happy."
Steve remembers what Bucky looked like when he couldn't recognize him on that ship, and the fear and realization in his eyes when he broke through the Winter Soldier programming. It broke his heart. For the past six months, all he's ever wanted was to see Bucky smile again. It lights up the room and for a second, Steve sees the man he was before he got on the boat to England. Bright, carefree, and filled with hope. He wants that Bucky back. Steve would do anything to slay Bucky's demons and keep them at bay for the rest of his life. He deserves that.
"Me too," he whispers. "King me."
Steve looks down at the board. Bucky is kicking his ass. While Steve was busy staring at him, Bucky cleaned up. Three neat stacks of Steve's checker pieces sit in front of Bucky as he stares at his best friend with a proud smile on his face. Steve's jaw drops.
"Aw, man! Come on! I got distracted!"
Bucky leans back, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Not an excuse. King me, Rogers."
☽ ☾
Sam and Alice make pasta for dinner while Bucky and Steve are sparring in the gym. They make enough to feed a small village because two hungry super soldiers who have just come back for a workout are going to need it. They dance to the playlist they made in the car as they cook. It reminds her of being at home with Sapphire and her heart aches a little. Sam notices the shift in energy.
"You good, Ali?"
"Yeah. I just... I miss my best friend. We work together and live together."
"What's her name?" Sam asks.
"Sapphire."
"Is that like her stripper name or her real name?"
"It's her real name. She had crazy Evangelical parents, so she split when she turned 18."
"That's tough," Sam replies as he chops the tomatoes to make the sauce. Alice is finely chopping basil, but it doesn't look anything like it's supposed to look in the recipe picture. Sam says it doesn't really matter, so long as nobody chokes on a whole leaf.
Sam is the chef out of the two of them, but he's employed Alice as his semi-competent assistant. He taught her how to properly mince garlic and onions. She just can't work the knife as well as he can. Sam tells her she'll learn with practice.
"I think you'd like her," Alice says. "But I guess the chance of having visitors here is slim, huh?"
"For now?" Sam asks. "Yeah. Steve is doing his best to keep this a secret."
"But there are cameras everywhere?"
"Yeah," he sighs, wiping his brow. "Tony's been asking about those."
She swallows thickly.
"What did you tell him?"
"I haven't yet. He only asked once in passing, I made up some excuse about them going down for the day."
"What would happen if he caught wind of this?"
"To tell you the truth, I don't really know. I think once we explained everything to him, he'd be cool with it, but he's gonna be pissed when he finds out that Steve kept all of this a secret. Same with Romanoff."
"When is he coming back?"
"Four months."
"He confirmed that? Alice asks.
"Last night."
"Okay," she whispers. "That makes me feel a little better. You think we can fix Bucky in four months?"
Sam chuckles at her naivete.
"I think we can get a good start on it. Steve doesn't think so, but Tony could be helpful. Maybe help Banner figure out some kind of tech that could get all that bad shit out of Bucky's head. And then I can do the counselling portion... if he lets me."
"I'll talk to him," Alice says softly.
"What smells so good in here?" Steve asks from behind them.
Alice looks to see him and Bucky strolling in in sweatpants and t-shirts. They're both dry and water drips off of Bucky's hair while Steve rubs his with a towel. Bucky shrugs a hoodie over his shoulders and grabs Alice by the waist, kissing her. Sam looks over his shoulder.
"Don't I get a kiss, Rogers?"
"You gotta cook for me first," Steve jokes, climbing onto a stool.
"I am cooking for you! Where's my smooch!"
Steve chuckles and shakes his head, grabbing the morning paper off the counter and flipping through it. Alice nuzzles into Bucky.
"How was your workout?"
"Good," he mumbles, pressing his lips to her ear. "Could use another one later."
She blushes and Sam shakes his head.
"Gonna pretend I didn't hear that."
Bucky smirks and goes to sit at the kitchen table while Alice and Sam finish up the sauce and boil the pasta. They serve up massive portions and everyone starts to dig in. The energy feels lighter. Steve and Bucky exchange a few snipes at each other when they both go for a second helping at the same time.
"Watch it, Rogers. I'll knock you on your ass again."
"That was luck," Steve grumbles.
"Well, I won, so I get more than you."
"That's not fair!" Steve exclaims.
"More than fair," Bucky replies with a wink as he yanks the bowl toward him and dishes out a second helping. He leaves more than enough for Steve, who shakes his head.
It's good to see them like this, and the tension in Bucky's body is beginning to fade. He's getting more and more comfortable here by the day. She knows that, as his treatment progresses, his feelings will change, but for now, it's nice to see him smiling so much.
After dinner, Sam suggests they play Jenga in the lounge. It's the most normal night they've had since they've arrived, and Sam seems determined to keep up that energy. Steve and Bucky agree to the game, not really knowing what's going on as they watch Sam stack the tower.
"Okay, the objective of the game is to pull a block out without knocking the tower over. The last person to knock it over has to finish their drink."
He brought tequila shots for himself and Alice and something called Asgardian mead for Bucky and Steve. Alice points at it.
"What does this do?"
"It gets a super soldier drunk," Steve replies.
She looks over at Bucky as Sam grins.
"Is that a good idea... for you?"
Bucky shrugs.
"I don't think anything bad'll happen," he replies.
"As long as you're okay with it."
Bucky reassures her with a soft kiss.
"I'm fine, doll."
She cuddles up against him as Sam finishes stacking the tower.
"Okay. Steve and I are a team and Alice and Bucky are a team. We'll go first."
"No!" Alice protests, pulling a quarter out of her pocket. "We flip for it."
"Alright, alright," Sam laughs. He grabs the coin and closes his fist. "You call it."
Sam flips it in the air.
"Heads!" Bucky shouts.
The coin lands on the ground and Sam looks down.
"It's heads."
"Yes!" Alice hisses as she wraps her arms around Bucky and kisses his cheek. "You wanna go first, or should I?"
"You go," he replies.
Alice leans forward and begins to poke out one of the pieces slowly with her index finger, biting her lip in the process.
"It's wobbling!" Sam exclaims.
"Shh!" Alice hisses. "You're breaking my concentration."
"That's the idea."
She glares at him.
"Steve, shut him up."
"I would if I could, Alice," he chuckles.
She manages to get the piece without knocking the tower over and breathes a sigh of relief. Sam takes a piece from the bottom and the tower sways a little, but doesn't fall. And then it's Bucky's turn. He grabs a piece from the middle, pushing it out quickly with one finger. The tower stays perfectly still. Bucky grins proudly. Steve does the same.
They go back and forth like this for three rounds until, finally, Bucky knocks it over. He throws his head back and rolls his eyes.
"Son of a bitch..."
"Drink!" Sam exclaims.
Bucky grabs the shotglass and tosses it back. He chokes once he swallows the liquor.
"Jesus Christ!" He hisses, coughing into his elbow. "What the hell is in that?!"
"I have no idea," Steve replies. "Thor loves it."
Bucky blinks a few times and Alice giggles, grabbing his face.
"You good?"
"Yeah," he says with a lopsided smile. A small giggle erupts from his lips. His pupils expand. "I'm a little spinny, but I'm okay."
"If this is what it does to super soldiers, what does it do to people?"
"Half a sip and you'll get knocked on your ass," Sam laughs. "I don't mess with that stuff."
They keep playing. Steve knocks the tower over and does a shot, now it's four tipsy people against each other, fighting over who can stack the tower best in between fits of laughter.
"I can do it!" Alice shouts. "Everybody be quiet!"
She places one block on, what is basically the Jenga equivalent to the leaning tower of Pisa and it topples immediately.
"You didn't have a good base, doll," Bucky informs her in a very serious tone. Alice crosses her arms over her chest and knits her brows together.
"You didn't have a very good base!" She mocks. Bucky glares at her and then retaliates by pinning her to the couch and tickling her sides as she squeals with laughter. Sam and Steve quickly (and poorly) rebuild the tower while they're occupied.
Alice hasn't had this much fun in a long time, and she hasn't laughed this hard in a long time either. She can tell Bucky is having fun. His eyes twinkle and his nose scrunches up every time he laughs. He's cracking jokes and running his fingers through Alice's hair. She can't help but notice how joyful and effortlessly sexy he looks, especially when he's trying to concentrate as he stacks the tower. All of his muscles flex and he bites down on his gorgeous plump lip, delicately placing a piece on the tower. He breaks his focus to wink at her while Steve watches them with a big smile on his face. When she questions him, he just shrugs, saying nothing, but Alice can tell he's genuinely happy for them.
Bucky and Steve alternate between trying to stack the tower properly, knocking it over halfway through and collapsing into drunk giggles while Sam and Alice clap, howling with laughter.
"How am I so bad at this?!" Steve whines.
"It's the booze," Bucky chuckles. "Gimme the tower."
"No, I got it."
"Gimme iiiiit!" Bucky whimpers through laughter.
They try to stack it together and it falls over again. Sam makes them drain their drinks. The rest of the night is just watching two giant men try to daintily push out tiny blocks with their enormous and very clumsy fingers. Bucky accidentally breaks one of the Jenga pieces in half with his metal and the four of them laugh harder.
By the end of the night, she has no idea who won, and the tequila is pumping through her veins. They clean up and stumble to their rooms, mumbling soft good nights to each other. Bucky takes her by the hand, leading her down the hall. Once Sam and Steve disappear, he's all over her, pressing his lips to her neck as he pushes her against a wall. Alice whines.
"I love you," he whispers as he flicks her earlobe with his tongue. She can feel him hardening through his sweatpants.
"Are you drunk?"
He giggles, and it's music to her ears.
"A little tipsy. But s'good. I feel relaxed."
His cheeks are a little flushed and there's a lazy smile on his face. Whatever the Asgardians put in that mead must work its way through his system a little more slowly than regular booze.
Bucky lets her go long enough for her to punch in the door code, but as soon as it closes behind them, he picks her up and tosses her onto the bed, climbing on top of her. She giggles, wrapping her arms around him.
"What's gotten into you tonight?"
"You," he purrs, running his lips down her throat. Strong hands reach up and rip her t-shirt in half. She yelps.
"Bucky!"
He winces, a beautiful shade of dark pink dusting his gorgeous face and spreading along his jaw.
"Sorry," he says softly, instantly embarrassed.
Alice covers her mouth with one hand, giggling uncontrollably.
"That was kind of hot."
"It was?"
She nods, biting her lip.
"Can you do that to my panties?"
His eyes go wide.
"Ye -- yeah. Yeah, of course I can. I would..." he swallows and suddenly gets a very sincere look in his eyes. "I would love to do that to your panties."
Alice trails a fingertip along his cheekbone.
"Well, what are you waiting for?"
The look in his eyes makes her feral. She's never had a man want her like this before. He's gentle, yet desperate, when he unbuttons her jeans and pulls them off of her body, quickly standing up to abandon his hoodie, t-shirt, and sweatpants in the process. Bucky stares at her naked body and palms his hard cock through his briefs, whining softly. The sight of his massive muscular body carved out in the moonlight makes her instantly wet. He slowly peels off his underwear, his hand gliding once over his cock as his eyes roll back. He laughs.
"Kinda sensitive," he whispers through a shuddering breath. "Shit. What's in that mead?"
I don't know, but I need that dick inside of me immediately.
Drunk Alice knows what she wants.
She's never had semi-drunk sex with a super soldier before. They both look like they want to eat each other alive, but she knows they have to be careful.
Suddenly, the look in his eyes shifts and becomes sweet and vulnerable. He crawls on top of her again, cupping her face gently.
"What is it, Bucky?"
His eyes are as big as saucers, searching hers with urgency.
"When all of this is over, and I have my mind back, I want a life with you."
"You do?" She whispers.
Bucky nods.
"You saved me, Alice." She didn't. He did that all by himself. Bucky licks his lips and leans in to offer her a slow, but heated kiss, which she more than willingly accepts. Her fingers tangle themselves in his hair. He pulls away. "You've seen the best and the worst of me and you never ran."
His eyes well up with tears and Alice wipes them away as they drip down his face. She peppers his face with sweet kisses just to hear that magical giggle again.
"I never will, Bucky."
He kisses her again, this time, it's ferocious and heated, his hips rutting against hers. She can taste something sweet lingering on his lips and her head begins to buzz. She wonders if it's the mead, or the candy he ate after dinner. She can feel his cock glide against the damp spot in her panties, driving her fucking crazy. It grazes her clit perfectly and her cunt begins to throb. Alice's body is covered in goosebumps the second she hears him begin to moan. He breaks the kiss, panting softly as he sits up on his haunches, the muscles in his thighs prominent in the low light of their room. With his right hand, he grabs her panties, running his thumb over the lace.
"I like these," he whispers.
"I've got more pairs of them," she whines. "Bucky?"
"Yeah?"
"Rip them off," she commands.
His cock flexes at the request and he gnaws on his bottom lip - that bottom lip that she wants to suck on until he whimpers into her mouth. There's something so hot about reducing such a large man to a little puddle at her feet. She'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it, and Bucky seems to like it too.
He grasps the flimsy fabric between his large hand and in one smooth tear, it's ripped clean off of her body. Alice squeals with delight and smiles up at him. Bucky's adorable giggle fills the room and he leans over her, sweetly grasping both of her wrists and pinning them above her head as the head of his cock begins to tease her dripping entrance. She whines softly, her cunt aching and screaming to be filled. She can feel her walls clenching around nothing and her eyelids flutter as she gasps.
"Is this okay?" He asks. "Does it feel good?"
Alice whimpers, nodding vigorously.
"Yes. It's very okay."
"I couldn't stop thinking about you today. How pretty you are." She can tell he's still a little drunk as the confessions fall from his lips. "Couldn't stop thinking about being inside of you. I wanted to taste you, but--" he laughs. "I'm so impatient when it comes to you."
"Bucky," she whines. Her cunt is drenched, his cock gliding through her folds, grazing her swollen clit. God this feels incredible. Everything with him feels incredible. She's never had bad sex with Bucky. She doesn't think it would be possible. The man fucks like a god.
"I'm in love with you," he purrs, gently biting down on her earlobe. "'M so in love with you, Alice."
"I'm in love with you too," she gasps as he pushes into her, his cock splitting her in two and satiating the deep ache in her core while he pins her arms above her head.
All she can do is wind her legs around his waist as Bucky fucks her slowly, his eyes fluttering closed. He dips his head and wraps his lips around her nipple, sucking on it through the lace of her bra. The friction from the fabric, combined with the heat from his mouth sends shockwaves through her body and his hips move faster when she whines. She has no idea where he's learned this kind of primal ability to drive her to the brink of her climax within thirty seconds of being inside of her, but she loves it. His cock hits that beautiful spot inside of her over and over again until she's collapsing, feeling like she's falling deeper into the mattress as she comes. Sparks shoot through her body and she digs her heels into his back, feeling the muscles ripple beneath her. Bucky lifts his head and watches her through heavy lids as she comes, whispering his name like a prayer. He grins.
"I can tell exactly when you do that now," he whispers, leaning forward and kissing her. "I can feel you too. Feel so good, frumoasa mea păpușă."
My beautiful doll. She remembers that one.
Alice is barely coming down from her first climax before her second starts to build as he fucks her faster. Whenever he speaks to her in Romanian, his voice drops a little and it turns her on so fucking much. Bucky purrs as her pussy flutters around him, gripping his cock tightly.
"God, yes," he whines. "Just like that, Alice. Oh my God..."
She can feel him grip her wrists a little tighter, the coolness of his metal hand is a balm to the heat that pulses through her skin.
"I'm gonna come again, Bucky."
"I'm gonna make you," he growls into her ear.
The timbre of his voice sets her aflame. His hips snap against hers. He's a little more vicious this time, dipping his head to bite down gently on her breast. She can tell that he's holding back his full strength, but they've talked about this - she wouldn't be able to handle it, not even if she were in the best shape of her life. He could crush her, and the very thought of that, combined with the fact that he works tirelessly to be gentle with her, turns her on even more.
Raw, ragged moans begin to tumble from his lips as the sound of skin slapping against skin fills the room. Alice feels like she's about to black out from sheer pleasure as another climax wallops her and she cries out.
"Yes," he moans. "Lasă-mă să simt că vii."
She feels him come, emptying himself into her as her toes curl and her hands ball up into tiny fists. Bucky grunts, fucking her right through his climax until he can't hold himself up anymore. He tumbles off of her, rolling onto his back, his body slick with sweat. They stare at the ceiling, both of them panting.
"I think I'm sober again," he breathes.
"That was amazing."
"Yeah." He nods as Alice rolls over and curls into him. He kisses the top of her head. "It's always amazing with you."
"Ditto."
They lay there tangled up in each other for a while until Alice gets up to use the bathroom and they both brush their teeth. It's nearly 2:00am when they crawl into bed. Bucky turns the television on and turns the volume down low. Alice rests her head on his chest as both of his large arms cradle her gently.
"I had a really good day today," he whispers.
She looks up at him with wide eyes and a big smile on her face.
"You did?"
"Yeah. Felt normal. It was nice."
"I was thinking the same thing while we were playing Jenga."
"Really?"
She nods.
"I hope we can have more and more normal days together."
He smiles, the back of his knuckles brushing down her face.
"That's the goal for me."
"It's a good goal," Alice murmurs.
"Yeah. I thought so too."
They fall asleep to the soft glow from the television.
Bucky sleeps soundly through the night.
Translations:
"Lasă-mă să simt că vii." = "Let me feel you come."