Through the Bottom of a Glass
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and any OCs.
Chapter 12: Awesomely, Ridiculous You...
Wens. 6.35 PM
Bucky trudged up the corridor, two plastic grocery bags in each hand, a few irritating strands of hair falling into his face. He was going to need a haircut pretty soon. Bucky dipped his fingers into his trouser pocket and fumbled around for his keys. Once he had grasped the keys, he pulled them out but was immediately startled when a door behind him opened. He dropped everything in his hands, keys and bags, and whirled around to see a girl pointing something that looked suspiciously like a Taser at him.
"Whoa! Whoa, Darcy! I come in peace!" Bucky yelled, his hands stretched out toward his assailant. Darcy lowered her weapon when she recognised the man before her. Within a second, her arms were around his neck.
"You're back!" she exclaimed gleefully. Bucky laughed.
"What d'you think, Darce?" he asked with a smirk. She squeezed him tight for a few minutes before eventually realising that she had been going somewhere.
"So, where are you headed?" Buck asked taking the groceries through his door and into the kitchen he shared with Steve and Sam and gesturing to the camera swinging around Darcy's neck with each step.
"Out. I was hoping to find something or someone worth a photograph," she informed him. Bucky nodded.
"Sounds fun," he said, looking at Darcy from under his brow as he put a carton of milk in the square fridge.
"You can tag along, if you want."
"Really? Thanks, Darce!" he said. Bucky grabbed his coat after putting away the groceries and they headed down the corridor and eventually out of the building.
They chatted together as they walked. Every now and then Darcy would stop, take a photo, frown, and delete it. Bucky, Steve and Darcy had grown up together, they were inseparable until high school ended. Then Buck left for the army, Steve and Darcy went to college, and they all grew apart. When Bucky came home, he stayed with Steve and Sam but he always seemed to miss Darcy slightly more than his best friend and even Natasha.
Suddenly, the small girl beside him stopped and aimed her lens at a boy on the other side of the road. The kid had an oversized grey hoodie on with the hood pulled up and a pair of big headphones on. But on his back there was a full black schoolbag and in his hand he was holding a thick Algebra textbook. Darcy focused on the young teenager and Bucky heard the click of the lens as she took the photo. They stopped walking and sat on a bench as Darcy tricked around with her Nikon camera.
"What was so special about that kid?" Bucky asked, pulling up his collar to protect his neck from the damp, cool night air.
"I'll show you," Darcy replied. She held camera out to him, a black and white photo on the small screen. Bucky carefully took the camera as she positioned herself nearer to him, throwing a few locks of her unruly brown curls off her face. She pointed the photograph with her little finger.
"Imagine this same kid minus the school stuff," she instructed, blocking the schoolbag off. "Now he looks like a pretty sketchy character, a kid up to no good. Hood up, hands in his pockets."
She removed her finger.
"But the bag and the book. They add a different level to this guy, they go against the stereotype. In fact, they add a new level of truth to the photo. You know, breaking the mould, the stereotype. That's what photos should do: Capture the truth."
Darcy's brown eyes lit up as she spoke, prompting Bucky to smile fondly at her enthusiasm as he handed back the Nikon. They walked on and Darcy began to take more photographs, even snapping a quick one of Bucky when they stopped for hotdogs.
"What was that for?" he asked. Darcy rolled her eyes and showed Buck the picture of himself. He was staring off into the distance, his eyes stormy, with a tiny dab of mustard on his bottom lip and a bun with a sausage in his gloved left hand. His hair sticking up at angles and his stubble unshaven. Darcy decided it was one of her favourites. She looked around with her camera ready , searching for another scene. She eventually settled on a young couple walking in front of her and Bucky. They had their backs to the camera and their heads were turned toward each other. The man was much taller than his girlfriend, his arm was looped around her shoulders and he was looking down at her with his head tilted and a fond smile on his lips. He was rolling his eyes at something the small woman beside him was saying. She had her left arm around his waist and was gesturing with her right hand while trying to explain her point. There was a daring smile on her lips and a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.
Darcy took the photo and gazed at it. The couple seemed to be opposites, with the man's height and blonde hair, and the woman's slight frame and fiery curls. Bucky had left Darcy's side to throw away a napkin, Darcy offered him the camera when he returned. He took it happily but his smile faltered when he recognised the couple. Tasha and Steve.
Bucky knew he had no right to feel jealous, he knew Steve had been crazy over Natasha since he met her. Nat and Bucky had been on a few dates and nothing ever came from them. But still… He did feel a little pang but got over it quick enough to appreciate Darcy's photograph. It was certainly very Steve and Nat, they were probably in the middle of an argument that the latter was probably winning- judging by the smile on Stevie's face. Bucky smiled down at the small screen and then at the brunette beside him as he handed her back the Nikon.
"You're pretty good at this, Darce," he said as they walked on.
"Thanks. I've got a blog but I'm still at Duncan's Diner. Blog's getting pretty popular though," she replied, stuffing her hands into the pockets and burying her chin in her quirky yellow and pink polka-dot scarf.
"Oh yeah? What's it called?" Bucky asked, interested.
"Seen on the Streets. It's on Tumblr," Darcy replied. Bucky whistled.
"Tumblr's a scary place…" he stated jokingly.
"Bucky Barnes afraid of the fangirls of Tumblr. Startling news!" Darcy pretended to hold a microphone and put a finger to her right ear. Her fellow brunette laughed and rolled his eyes. They continued on the way to nowhere in a comfortable silence until Darce piped up once more.
"Can I ask you a serious question?"
"Go ahead…"
"When you walk through airport security, does the metal detector go off? And, if so, do you just hold up your left hand for a High-5?"
Bucky burst into stunned laughter. Only Darcy could ask him that question without offending him. And only Darcy would be serious about getting an answer.
"How did you-"
"I felt it when I hugged you. I didn't want to upset you by bringing it up, so I waited for you to say something. That question was burning away inside my mind for, like, an hour."
Bucky smiled and pulled Darcy into another tight hug.
"Thanks…" he whispered.
"For what?" she asked, befuddled as she wrapped her arms around him.
"For being you. Awesomely ridiculous you…"
Bucky didn't see Darcy's warm smile.
"You've gone soft on me, Barnes. Gonna have to toughen you up."
7. 35 PM
"Natasha, for the last time, I am not bringing out that dusty karaoke machine." Steve tried to bring their hour-long discussion to a close. It didn't work.
"But think about it, Rogers. We could make a killing!" Natasha protested.
"No. I don't think it even works anymore."
"Awww. You're no fun," she sulked.
"Why do you think we're friends with Tony Stark?"
"You make a good point. I hear his birthday is next month."
Steve sighed, prompting Natasha to laugh. Tony always held the after-after-party at Cap's. Only he, Pepper, Rhodey, Natasha, Steve, Sam and few friends would be there. Small crowd + a lot of alcohol = big mess to clean up. But it was always entertaining, to say the least.
"I'll go ahead an order the whiskey and wine already," Steve said dryly. Natasha smirked. The walked for another few minutes before turning back and heading home.
Steve walked Natasha back to her apartment and to mock their earlier agreement, he held out his hand to shake. Natasha rolled her eyes and took his hand but pulled him close and pecked his lips.
"Goodnight, you idiot," she said.
"Goodnight, Nat. Joke's on you, I'm your idiot."
Natasha laughed as she closed the door on her grinning idiot.
Friends, hello! How are we all today? I hope you enjoyed Darcy and Bucky. They were a little experiment so let me know what you thought of them. As for the other two… I really love writing their banter. You guys can chose who you want to see next by telling me in the reviews.
Happy Weekend!
Have a great day, night, afternoon, etc…
Thanks for reading,
Love ya! ;)
