The confrontation with Jim from apartment number 2 or as Bucky liked to think, the jerk who called them a freak had been forgotten a few days later. Alaska seemed to have moved on from it and so he did as well. During the next few days that followed, they collected several more information about his past identity. He was a puzzle and they were on a mission to arrange and solve that puzzle. They visited the local library a few times to gather more information, especially since they had a few names to look up which included not only Captain America's name or the members of Hydra responsible for the creation of the Winter Soldier but also Rebecca Barnes and the rest of Bucky's family. They didn't find much about his immediate family, they were all deceased and he had already visited their graves when he had gone to Brooklyn. However, they gathered several more information regarding the other people in their list and the information they gained was helpful in piecing the puzzle together. So far, the puzzle was nowhere near completion, it was a work in progress.
Usually, at night, he'd wake up shaky and sweaty with his heart racing because he would either remember the torture and the excruciating pain he had gone through to become the Winter Soldier or he would remember a memory from his past whether it was his childhood or years before his deployment to the war. Sometimes, he would remember his time as the Winter Soldier through his dreams. He remembered his victims, each and everyone of them as much as he remembered every single torture and pain he had gone through in the hands of Hydra's doctors and scientists.
Alaska would always return from work and she would either find him screaming and shaking while he slept or he would be awake with his face buried in his hands, shaking like a leaf. So far, there hasn't been any more violent fits. She was there to comfort him whether it meant bringing him a glass of water, wiping away the sweat off his brows with a cold washcloth or following the breathing technique instruction from Amelia's meditation books. He would calm down much quicker and his heart rate would slow down as a result.
He stared at his reflection in the mirror. He had gained more courage to look at his reflection now despite the fact that all he could see was a murderer blinking back at him whenever he saw his own reflection. Quietly, he busied himself with the task of shaving his beard using the razor Alaska had gotten for him at the grocery store. Memories of his boyhood reminded him how to do the task. He recalled the times when he would watch his father in utter amazement whenever he shaved. The task was not as smooth and easy as he had anticipated and by the end of it, he had a few cuts. While he wiped the blood off with some toilet paper, he saw another reflection in the mirror.
"Did you nick yourself?" she asked with a small smile on her face as she stood in the doorway.
"I-I got it under control," he told her quickly. He didn't want her to think that he was incapable of doing such a simple task like shaving.
She nodded her head. "Okay but are you really sure you don't mind coming tonight?" he turned to face her, she was dressed in her robe with her hair in a towel. Her scent was overpowering and strong but he didn't mind, he liked the smell of berry and vanilla which was the way she smelled.
"No," he assured her. She nodded her head and smiled shyly.
"Okay, well I'll give you some privacy then," she backed out and trudged to her bedroom.
Some time later, Bucky waited patiently for his companion. He was dressed in his new clothes, clean-shaven and extra squeaky clean just for the evening. He glanced at the clock. It was almost seven in the evening. Upon hearing her bedroom door open, he glanced to the direction of her bedroom. "Sorry to keep you waiting," sheepishly, she said as Bucky stood up from his seat. Initially, he didn't even realise that he had been holding his breath at the sight of her.
She was dressed in the red, floral tea dress she had purchased a few days ago and she rocked it just as beautifully as she did in the dressing room. His blue eyes scanned her from head to toe. She wore her dark hair in a double bun, revealing the shape of her face. Her lips were red and her cheeks rosier. The dress accentuated the shape of her body and it stopped just above her knee. His eyes followed her legs until his gaze landed on the pair of brown, leather boots she wore. Little did he know that while he eyed the woman standing just a few steps away from him, she was doing the same to him.
It was almost weird to see him without his signature scowl. She thought he looked less recognisable without his beard but it was only because she was so used to seeing him with facial hair. It revealed his defined jawline and cheekbones. She smiled appreciatively upon noticing that he wore his red, long sleeve shirt. It was a little tight for him and as a result, it highlighted his athletic torso. He wore gloves too, concealing his hands. Finally, her gaze lingered on his legs that filled his jeans very well. She looked back up at his face and realised he had been looking at her from head to toe too. It made Alaska's cheeks red and awkwardly, she cleared her throat. "Are you ready?" she asked, causing him to look back at her face.
"Yes," he replied. "You look beautiful," he told her what he had been itching to tell her.
"Thank you," shyly, she smiled. "You look very handsome too."
They made their way to Willis and Amelia's house afterwards. She drove there while talking about Willis animatedly. He listened to her the whole time and for once, his eyes were not fixed on the road ahead. Instead, he was watching her the whole time. The smile on her face seemed permanent and he loved seeing it there. Her smile was the type of smile that was contagious but he hasn't smiled for so long that he had forgotten how to even if the sight of her smiling made him want to smile too. She seemed so happy and content and he thought she looked absolutely beautiful because of that.
Willis and Amelia's house was packed and the noise could be heard from a block away when Alaska and Bucky finally arrived. They were greeted by Amelia who was dressed for the occasion in a tight-fitting cocktail dress with a half empty glass of champagne in one hand. She left sloppy kisses on both their cheeks, leaving behind lipstick stains on their skin. "I'm glad you two came!" she exclaimed, clearly tipsy from the alcohol as she turned to look at Bucky. "You know, she never leaves her apartment to socialise. Lassie is a little hermit," she giggled as Alaska frowned at the older woman's words, unimpressed.
Willis soon came over to greet them, much to Alaska's relief. He led both Alaska and Bucky to the backyard where the party was being held while Amelia greeted more of the newly arrived guests. It wasn't long before Bucky found himself left behind with Willis as soon as one of the other guests, an elderly man, asked Alaska for a dance. "She's beautiful, ain't she?" Willis nudged him, "some of the old dogs I know have a crush on her. They wanted a dance with her. Look at Parker now, the old bastard's having the time of his life dancing with her," he claimed as he handed Bucky a bottle of ice cold beer which he awkwardly accepted not knowing what it was.
Bucky looked on, ignoring the drink he held. There were a few people dancing on the dance floor including Alaska and the man Willis referred to as Parker. His blue eyes were fixed on her the entire time. She was talking to the older man she had been dancing with and at one point, she laughed. He could hear the sound of her laughter and he watched as she threw her head back as she giggled at a joke the older man had told her. Both Bucky and Willis watched the two dance. Willis observed how fixated the younger man was towards Alaska. "You know, kid," Willis started, "if you want to dance with Lassie you gotta make the move and ask her or you won't get the chance to because the old dog won't give you the chance to," laughed Willis.
For once, Bucky felt his cheeks reddened. He said nothing but Willis realised that he had taken his advice when he saw Bucky approach Alaska as soon as Parker let her go, ditching his untouched beer along the way. The older man watched on with a smile on his face. On the dance floor, Bucky stopped in front of the woman he had been watching the entire night. For once, he felt very nervous and he didn't recall ever being nervous before. "Maybe we could dance together?" awkwardly, he suggested. She looked up at him, wide-eyed. She didn't expect his offer but the big smile on her face relieved him because it told him what her answer was even before she could utter it.
"Of course," she giggled.
He closed the gap between them and wrapped one arm around her waist while his other hand reached for one of hers. They were so close and her scent was so overpowering that he could smell her. He looked down at her face. She was smiling softly at him. Her smile was so contagious that as he looked down at her, he felt his lips curl upwards. The sight only made her smile wider. She had been so used to seeing him with his scowl that it was very refreshing to see him smile. He looked so handsome that she blushed at the thought of it.
They danced to the slow beat of the music. Tommy James & The Shondells' 'Crimson and Clover' was playing loudly and the whole time their eyes were locked. There was a twinkle in her big, brown eyes and for once, the pain within his blue eyes disappeared as he looked down at her. He had momentarily forgotten his troubles as he danced with her. In that very moment, all he saw was her. He wasn't Bucky or the Winter Soldier…he was just a man dancing with a beautiful woman with a contagious smile. "I'm glad destiny brought you to me, Bucky," she whispered softly and if he didn't have enhanced hearing, he wouldn't have heard her speak through the loud music.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close for an embrace. Her soft, supple body fit perfectly against his hard, muscled one. They had stopped dancing and they didn't even realise it as they remained in their spot, embracing one another. He closed his eyes. Her embrace was comforting and calming. "Lassie," he called her softly, prompting her to break the hug.
She looked up at him and smiled. "Yes?"
He didn't say anything, instead, he simply smiled back at her. He was breathtakingly handsome especially with a smile on his face. Without considering her actions, she got on her tippy toes and pressed a kiss on his lips. The contact was electric but as soon as her lips brushed against his, she realised what she had done and sheepishly pulled away. "I'm so sorry, I-I got carried away-…"
Without letting her finish, Bucky leaned down and met her lips with his. His arms automatically wrapped around her waist as he kissed her. Nothing else mattered in that very moment. Everything else was perfect.