Welcome to part two of The Ballad of Case Howlett and Bucky Barnes, "I'd Rather Laugh with the Sinners than Cry with the Saints"
The title of the story comes from the song "Only the Good Die Young" by Billy Joel, I do not own any rights to it, nor "Pompeii" by Bastille or "The Great Pretender" – that goes to The Platters and Freddie Mercury
I also STILL don't own any rights to "2 Fast 2 Furious"
I think that covers everything other than the main one – don't own anything Marvel related. Case and Ryder belong to me, but they're the only ones who do.
That being said, I hope you enjoy chapter one. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.
June 19th, 2013 – Washington DC
Case closed the door behind her and locked it, placing the keys in the bowl on the end table and dropped her messenger bag on the floor, carrying the bag full of gifts and placing it on the counter.
She looked at the clock on the microwave – two-thirty AM.
"No longer my birthday," Case muttered, "And I'm ninety-five years old…damn…"
She reached into the bag, pulling out the four large bottles of very expensive alcohol, each one with a tag from Tony Stark. "Tell a man you can't get drunk; he makes it his life's mission to get you there."
Leaving the bottles on the counter for now, she reached into the bag and pulled out the gift from Pepper Potts, a box full of colorful soaps and shampoos and candles, all listed as the various scents that Case enjoyed. She took them straight to her bathroom, organizing the items in her cabinet to use later.
Going back out to the living room, she returned to the counter. Ryder's gift was next, with the explanation, "Natasha and I worked together on this…she helped me pick it out, and we got you a gift card for that…Tune thing…"
"It's called iTunes, Ryder," Natasha had laughed.
A gift card to buy songs from iTunes and a set of portable speakers to attach her iPod to, two very thoughtful gifts if Case did say so herself, and with a bright smile she quickly set up the speakers and the device to play. Soon Freddie Mercury's voice began to come from the speakers, belting out the lyrics to 'The Great Pretender'.
Next, she pulled out Steve's gift, which was still wrapped.
"I'm not sure how you'll feel about this one," he said quietly. "Don't open it now…wait until later, then let me know what you think."
"It's now or never I guess," Case said, and sat on a stool. She ripped the paper off the item, and her jaw dropped.
It was a drawing…of her in her Captain America Stage Show costume. Brown ringlet curls with the blue hat on top, the long white gloves, the dress – with the blue satin bodice, the white stars sewn down the halter style collar, and the red and white striped skirt.
Behind her in the drawing was Bucky, in his brown army uniform, hat perched on top of his head. He had his arms wrapped around her, their heads tilted and eyes gazing at each other.
Case pressed a hand over her mouth as tears rolled down her cheeks. Now she could see why Steve had asked her to wait to open it. She set the frame balanced on the counter, so she could wipe at her eyes, trying to regain her composure.
Yes, I'm the great pretender
Just laughin' and gay like a clown
I seem to be what I'm not; you see
I'm wearing my heart like a crown
Pretending that you're still around
Case narrowed her eyes at her iPod, "Thanks Freddie…" She shook her head, taking another look at the picture, smiling softly at it.
It was nice to see Bucky again…even though it was just a drawing. Sometimes she felt she pushed him too far away, trying to keep the hurt at bay while trying to function without him.
Which she did do, function that is: she went on missions, helped the rest of the Avengers with the cleanup and charities and publicity and what not that had sort of exploded after Loki and the Battle of Manhattan, and SHIELD, one couldn't forget SHIELD.
Not to mention getting caught up on the rest of what she and Ryder and Steve had missed while on ice. Music – a lot of what was considered "classic rock" thanks to Tony. He was the one that had introduced her to Queen, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, the list went on, and if he didn't have the time, he pointed her in the direction to find more.
Movies were another thing entirely…movies and television, there had been so much to get through. The whole team had agreed Star Wars and Star Trek were a must, Natasha had suggested Friends and Sex and the City – the latter of which both Steve and Ryder had told Case she was on her own for after listening to a synopsis from Clint.
Although some movies Case discovered on her own while channel surfing in the Avengers' Tower…which led to an uncomfortable conversation about a month ago that had Tony practically rolling on the floor laughing before Case even realized what she'd said…and what ammunition she'd accidentally handed to him on a silver platter.
"Or on a Nissan Skyline," she could hear Tony wheezing through laughter at the pun already.
"The question is though," Case finally said aloud, "Which is worse? Being still stuck on a guy who died decades ago, or being attracted to an unattainable blond actor who looks good in a towel?" After she said it out loud, Case gave a groan and facepalmed, bracing her left arm on the counter, "I just asked that to a drawing…"
She glanced back at the frame, and braced her chin on her knuckles as she added, "although…I did just finally admit to my first crush in seventy years, so I guess that's progress…I guess…Tony would be proud I finally admitted it…and I'm still talking to a drawing! God Howlett, pull yourself together!"
She squeezed at her forehead, rubbing at her temples with her thumb and middle finger, "I gotta remember to call Tony later…he'll laugh his ass off, but at least he's someone to talk to…"
She finally lowered her hand, giving a sad smile at the image, thinking to herself that Steve still did amazing work, when her eyes caught onto something that was reflected in the glass of the frame.
The door to her coat closet was ajar. She never left that open – in fact Case kept all her doors closed, save for the bathroom door when nobody was inside – which was still open, with light pouring out into the hallway.
Sniffing the air, she frowned, it was a familiar scent. Too familiar in fact, but that also meant that someone else was in the apartment with her, watching her and waiting. The scent was too fresh in the air and was lingering…and she had a feeling it wasn't some random creep from the streets.
"Génial," she muttered under her breath. She locked onto the drawing and assumed that the picture was messing with her head – that's why the scent seemed familiar. "I'll thank Steve for the mind fuck later…let's just put you somewhere safe," She said aloud, grabbing the picture and heading in the direction of her bedroom.
She could hear the iPod switch to a new song as she opened the door. She slid in and shut it behind her, moving to her nightstand and pulling open the drawer.
"Alright, in you go," Case mumbled, nestling the frame inside and sliding the drawer shut. She shook her head at herself, "Seriously Case…you're talking to a drawing…"
After shutting the bedroom door, she paused by the bathroom, turning out the light and shutting that door too.
She lightened her steps, and slowly crept toward her closet. The claws of her left hand slid out, a pale, almost ivory color in the moonlight, and she raised them into an attack position as she threw open the closet door.
Empty…the closet was empty, save for a couple of jackets and a few rolls of wrapping paper.
But the smell was still there, and fresh…someone had been in the closet, and had moved…it made Case's hair stand on end.
She was slowly closing the door, when she heard a high-pitched whine. She dropped to her knees as a metal fist slammed the door shut completely, taking a large chunk out of the wood.
"Shit!" Case hissed, and kicked out with her legs, trying to sweep the attacker's out from under him.
He jumped and leapt toward the side, giving Case a few seconds to jump to her feet, landing just a few steps from the kitchen counter.
Her attacker was tall and broad shouldered, with brown hair down to his shoulders. His right arm was covered by the sleeve of his uniform, while his left was bare, made of metal from his fingers to his shoulder, where a red star was painted.
His blue eyes were the only thing visible on his face, covered in black grease paint, the lower part of his face covered in a mask.
"Nice eyes," Case said, retracting the claws. "I've always liked blue eyes…" She took a few steps closer to the counter, then froze when he aimed a pistol at her. She raised her hands to chest-level, palms out as she added, "Hey man, no need for that…you know…just us in here."
The last thing she needed was a stray bullet to pass through a wall or the floor and hit one of her neighbors…her very human, non-mutant neighbors who didn't come equipped with accelerated or enhanced healing abilities.
"If you could just put that away…that would be good," Case added, eyeing the gun nervously. "Not like it can hurt me anyway…in seconds the wound's gonna be gone."
He just stared at her; gun still aimed at her chest.
"Please…just put the gun down," Case told him, "This doesn't have to end in a fight."
The man finally ejected the bullet that was in the chamber, thumbed the safety on, then knelt and put the gun by his foot. He then stood to his full height and kicked it under the couch.
Case cocked an eyebrow at that, "I can't tell if you did that because you don't trust me…or you don't think I can take you on my own."
His eyebrow went up in a questioning gesture.
"Oh, now that's just insulting," Case scowled at him. "But it does make me feel better about this!" She grabbed one of the bottles Tony gave her and hurled it at him.
His left arm was up in an instant, and the glass shattered when it made contact.
Case's hand was on the knob of her front door when his flesh hand grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and slammed her down onto the dining room table. He switched hands once she was down, and cold metal closed around the back of her neck, pressing her harder into the polished wood and causing an involuntary shudder.
Case growled into the wood and kicked backward, catching one of his shins. She heard a grunt of discomfort, but he didn't budge.
He shoved her higher across the table, easily flipping her onto her back.
Case took the opening before he could make another move. She grabbed hold of his mask, catching his face with her fingernails while she pulled both legs up toward her chest and kicked out, catching him center mass and knocking the wind out of him. It dislodged the metal hand and she shot across the room to her feet.
When she caught sight of her attacker's face she froze.
Somehow, in the background, her iPod was still playing. It had switched to 'Pompeii' by Bastille…a fitting song for the moment.
But if you close your eyes,
Does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?
And if you close your eyes
Does it almost feel like you've been here before?
The mask dropped from her fingers, giving a hollow clunk on the floor, and Case weakly stammered, "B-Bucky?"
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
He stared at her with a frown on his face, angry red marks going across his left cheek where she caught him with her fingernails, "Who the hell is Bucky?"
How am I gonna be an optimist about this?
Glass suddenly cracked – and Case felt a prick in the back of her neck.
Her legs disappeared from beneath her, and she hit the floor as everything went blurry. As her living room faded, she could hear the music still playing from the iPod.
If you close your eyes, does it almost feel like nothing changed at all?