The firefighters are beyond skeptical at first.
They're underfunded, sure, and they can use all the extra hands they can get, but they can't take any old random hippie off the street who just skips in one day looking to save the world. The liability is simply too steep. Bucky's got no fire training, a sketchy work history, and to put him through their training program means using resources they don't have. None of them are eager to do that.
He's about to try to argue with them that if they'd just give him a chance, he can do the work, that he'll see this through and not back out as soon as it gets hard, when one of them suddenly stops cold in mid-sentence, giving him a hard staredown. Bucky stares back, old instincts urging him to defend, defend, defend, until the man's face suddenly softens, and he lets out a low whistle.
"Man... what the hell are you doing here?!" He asks, standing up and offering a hand for Bucky to shake. "You know who this guy is, Frank? This's Bucky fuckin' Barnes! Howling Commando guy, remember?"
Bucky ducks his head, embarrassed, but he nods. He still has no idea how Steve ever got used to all the attention.
"Figured you'd be out with Captain America, savin' the day and all that. You guys still got time for volunteering?"
"I just want to help people." Bucky says quietly, not really answering the question. "I spent plenty'a time hurting 'em. I figure it's time I did some good."
"Don't explain why you're here instead of runnin' around beatin' up aliens or whatever it is you all do, but hell, I don't imagine a little fire would scare a guy like you - not if half the shit they got in the Smithsonian's true. ...Why don't we give him a shot?" The fireman grins wide, looking over Bucky's shoulder to the fire chief who looks like he's still not entirely sure he's following all this.
The chief -'Frank', apparently- just sighs and shrugs.
"Alright. Sure. Why the hell not? How'm I supposed to say no to that?"
Bucky feels himself uncoil just a little, and a tiny smile emerges.
One more battle over…
"Volunteer program meets every Saturday." Frank tells him. "You'll go to those meetings and come here every Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday for training. Training starts next week. Bring a pen and get ready for a hell of a lot of paperwork." There's a hint of a tired smile on the man's face, as he claps a hand on Bucky's shoulder. He doesn't seem bothered by the faint clank of the metal under his hand. "Welcome aboard, Mr. Barnes."
