Auuggghhh! I feel like I've neglected this story (wait I don't think neglected is the right word). Anyway, I'm not in my home state right now so I can't post as easily. Hopefully I can get another chapter out before the end of this week. But first you have to read this chapter. Enjoy!

I don't own Marvel or Disney or anything.


IX. Gambling Times

"You're no fun." Bucky pushed Steve away from him and walked into the casino. "I want to enjoy my life too! I don't want a hovering parent."

Steve growled. "Did you just call me your parent? If by anything, I'm at least doing a good job!" He trotted after Bucky.

"Yeah, well maybe for an overprotective parent!" Hissed Bucky. He stuffed some money into Steve's hands. "Go play poker or 21 or a drink something like that. We'll meet back here in at some point before midnight if it makes you feel better about me." He dissolved into the crowd.

Steve sighed. "You have got to be kidding me." Nevertheless, he decided to make use of his time and went to the bar. Maybe there was some sort of light drink he could get. Besides, he didn't know how to play any of these games. Steve wondered where Bucky had learned them. Probably HYDRA.

He sat at the bar. "Can I help you?" Asked the woman bartender.

"Do you have anything light?"

"Boy, you've come to the wrong place for that kind of stuff." The man laughed.

Steve knew his super soldier serum could handle any drink no matter what it was. He just was picky on the tastes. "Fine. Vodka?"

"Yessiree!" The woman poured him a shot of Vodka. Steve downed it in three gulps. "Okay so what can I do around here?"

"No idea," said the woman sarcastically. "I mean, you totally don't want to spend your money on some games right?"

"I'm not the betting kind."

"Maybe you should try it. There might be something you find interesting."

Steve glanced around the bar. He saw Bucky playing something with a rod and balls on a table. Bucky jabbed the rod one of the balls. It cause a chain reaction and a few of the balls rolled into holes at the ends of the table. He motioned to Steve.

Steve walked over. "What are you doing?"

"Playing pool," answered Bucky. "Grab a rod." Steve did so. "Just hit some balls into the holes on the sides," Bucky explained. Bucky's opponent demonstrated by hitting the white ball. It didn't go in.

Bucky looked at Steve. Steve lined up his rod with the white ball. Then he stabbed it with all his strength. The ball ricocheted off edges of the table and the other balls before sliding into a hole. The other balls also rolled into a hole.

Bucky and his opponent stared at Steve with open mouths. Then Bucky smiled. "He's with me. Pay up, squirt."

"How do I know you're not lying and that this guy is actually with you?" Snarled the opponent.

"We're besties!" Bucky grinned. Then he leaned closer to Steve and whispered "Do our special handshake."

"What special handshake?" Steve hissed back.

"You know, the one we did back in the war?"

"Buck, we never had a special handshake."

Bucky frowned. "Fine. Make something up and I'll try and follow." Steve waved his arm around like what he had seen Tony and Rhody doing. Bucky tried to follow but it was clear they had no idea what they were doing.

The opponent grumbled. "Whatever." He paid Bucky and left.

"We got money!" Cheered Bucky. "Steve, you are a genius with all your super soldier skills. Come on! Lemme show you more things we can do."

Bucky made Steve play at least one round of every game. Steve began to get the hang of all the betting thing. Bucky smiled. He had gotten his friend into gambling!

"Steve, I'm going to play some poker. Wanna come?"

"Nah," said Steve. "Was gonna join some men in a game of Blackjack."

"Alright," said Bucky. He glanced up at the large clock above the bar. "How about we leave in an hour. Then we'll head back home. Meet at the bar in an hour." Steve nodded and the two split up.

Bucky went over to the poker table. "Hey! Yer the Winter Soldier!" Growled some man.

"Indeed I am," said Bucky. He picked up his stack of poker chips and flicked them into the air with his fingers. He caught them with his metal hand. "What's wrong? Afraid to face me?"

The man growled. "Natalia! Get o'er here and play poker against this guy with me!"

"Natasha?" Bucky's eyes widened as he saw none other than Natasha Romanoff stride out from the dining room with a glass of champagne in his hand. "Natasha Romanova?!"

Natasha smiled. "Hello Barnes. Did not expect to see you hanging around here. Where's the other super soldier?"

"I think he said he was going to play Blackjack."

"No matter." She sat down across from him. "Come on, boys. Let's join the soldier. Give him a good round." Bucky eyed each of the four other men who sat down around the table. A woman named Acala dealt the cards. Bucky seized his two cards and glanced at them. 'Well this is great,' he thought. 'I'm going to have to beat Natasha Romanoff, aka the best Russian poker player since…since ever!'

The table sprang to life with chips tossed and stacked, cards flying, and grunts from the other men. Bucky kept coming up with bad hands. Meanwhile Natasha kept raising her bets. She probably had a good hand.

Bucky knew if he didn't win or surrender soon he was going to run out of actual money to pay. Then he remembered he still had that credit card from Tony. How nice of Tony to make everyone their own little bank account. He raised the stakes higher, his confidence regained.

But things didn't go as planned and neither he nor Natasha won. It was the man who had called Natasha over to the table. "Hah! Pay up, squirt!"

Bucky grumbled and he and the other players paid. Then Bucky left to find Steve. He saw him drinking at the bar. "That's odd," Bucky muttered to himself. "When did Steve like rum?" Maybe Steve was trying to catch on with the times. Bucky left his friend alone. He checked the time. He still had about half an hour before he and Steve had to get together. Bucky went off to play something else.

Steve downed his twelfth glass. He slammed his fist to the counter and smiled at the bartender girl. "Top that!"

The woman slid her hand onto a glass and drank it. It wasn't as fast as he had done but it didn't matter. The competition was still on. Steve laughed as he took his turn. This super soldier serum really worked well!

The bartender finally passed out. Steve was given a whole bunch of money. He went to spend it on something. His head was feeling a little dizzy but otherwise than that he was happier than ever. Why, he didn't even remember a time when he felt more like himself than this time.

Steve dove in and out of everything, unaware of how many drinks he had and what time it was. He didn't know that Bucky had been patiently waiting at the bar for two hours. He bartered some things and bought other things. Man, Bucky knew the perfect places to party!

Finally Steve remembered about Bucky. He dragged himself to the bar. "Hey Burck!" He slurred.

Bucky frowned. "You're late soldier! And...um, Steve?"

"Wassup man? Yeah, howja doin'?"

"Steve are you okay?"

Steve hoisted himself onto a stool. "Gimme one of dem applejack!" He shouted. The new bartender woman poured a glass and handed it to him. Steve drank it in less than a minute. "Anuhder!" He threw the glass down.

Bucky jumped up and seized Steve. "No no! No more. We're good. Here!" He handed her a credit card. The woman swiped it but it got rejected. She tried again. The machine went BERP.

"I'm sorry, it looks like your credit card is full," she said.

"Umm…heheh…okay how much did that cost?" Bucky ended up having to hand over all but ten dollars from his pocket. Then he ran off while dragging Steve along.

When he got outside Bucky dragged Steve to where their motorcycles were. To his surprise, his was there but Steve's was gone. "Dammit!" He scowled.

"Wha?" Steve sang.

"Someone stole your motorcycle."

"Nah. I gamble' it."

"YOU WHAT?!" Bucky reached into Steve's pocket and pulled out the leftover pocket money he had been given. There was three dollars left. "STEEEEEVVVEEE!"

Steve laughed. "Guess yull be drivin' meh home, heheh."

"Steve we can't live on a rejected credit card and twenty bucks! Our pocket money combined!" Steve gave a wretched laugh before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he passed out. "Dammit," growled Bucky. He flung Steve over his shoulder and straddled the motorcycle. Then he drove home. 'Now how am I supposed to earn some money when we have literally nothing left?' He thought. 'Better yet, how am I supposed to pay off the bills at the end of this month?'4


I know the super soldier serum is supposed to help a person never become drunk but that'll be explained in the next chapter.

Also, I learned a little poker just for this chapter.

Did anyone catch the slight Indiana Jones reference?

Also has anyone watched Captain America: Civil War? It's soo good! I promise there will be no spoilers in this story as it mostly revolves around my small knowledge of the comics and my stupid ideas to turn two super soldiers into overgrown children.

Please review!