Bucky laid on on his back staring at the ceiling. The hardness of the floor making his muscles ache. Super soldier or not, he was still an old man. An old man who found no comfort sleeping in a bed. Found no comfort in anything. He huffed to himself, he was tired. Tired of fighting and running and scrapping. He was tired, but couldn't bring himself to stop. Just like last night with the girl in the alley. He could have, should have walked on by. But no. He just had to stop.

And now look where he was... pulling on his boots and leaving his apartment. Walking down the same street at the same time of night. He wondered if he'd see her again. Part of him realized that this could be considered slight stalking behavior, but mostly he didn't care.

Maybe she needed saving again. Besides that he had nothing to offer her. Not that he would even if he did. Then, near the same alley as the previous night he heard a voice he recogonized as hers. Only unlike last night she wasn't in danger, and she wasn't in pain. From the sounds of it she was just doing her job. Bucky rolled his eyes and bit his lip. He couldn't help himself so he snuck a peek down the alleyway from the shadows.

She was there, against the wall. There was a man standing, leaning against her. Her hands on the man's shoulders. She was moaning, making sexy noises, but her voice sounded flat. Not that the man would have known that. But Bucky knew. Soon enough the man was done. He slipped her a few bills and then walked quickly past Bucky without even realizing he was there.

The girl stayed against the wall. She passed a hand over her face and took a few ragged breaths. Bucky stepped from the shadows and walked silently towards her before he could stop himself.

"You," she said as her eyes fixed on him.

"Me,"

He stuck his hands in the pockets of his black leather jacket.

"What are you doing here?"

Her cheeks were flushed, and not from her earlier activities. Bucky grinned a thin line that barely changed his expression.

"Passing through,"

"I was just-"

"Working," he offered, sarcastically.

She was silent.

"You didn't think I didn't know, right?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "So what?"

Bucky shrugged. She was getting defensive, and with good reason he figured.

"So nothing."

The silence stretched between them with neither of them willing to give up glaring at each other.

She finally broke under Bucky's icy gaze. "I'm Annie,"

Bucky nodded. "Time was when a hooker was safe on the streets. Things have really changed in a hundred years I guess,"

"You're a real charmer,"

Annie pushed herself off the wall, and walked past him. Her strawberry blonde hair releasing the scent of coconut as she passed. It took a lot to tempt a man like Bucky Barnes, but her scent and her attitude and the night almost made him growl. If she noticed she never let on. She walked briskly back to the street with Bucky following several paces behind.

"Are you my stalker now?" she rounded on him.

"I'm heading home," he said flatly. His mood was souring fast.

"Yeah, well make sure you stay there. I don't need another creep hanging around me. No offense, but if you couldn't tell I get enough of that already,"

He kept his eyes straight ahead as he passed and didn't look back. He didn't need to to know she was watching him. He smirked, and then he scowled. This probably wasn't what the doc meant when she said he needed to form relationships.

But hey, at least he wasn't isolating anymore.

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