The silence the descended was absolute for a few too many beats, and I could swear the heat from my face made the room temperature grow as well.

"Did Steve put his foot in his mouth as firmly as I tend to?" I managed to choke out somehow.

Bucky's smirk found its home and he nodded. "It was a defining trait." He sunk a little deeper into the chair, getting a little more comfortable. "Do you pick fights in alleys?"

I shook my head while I faked some consideration. "Can't say I do."

"Well at least that's an improvement." That flash of white again, and he took another drink from his water. "He liked to keep me busy, checking alleys for where he picked the next fight with the guy three times his size."

I chuckled. "Until he was the guy three times his size." I bit my lip. "It must have been surreal seeing him, when he came looking so different." Bucky looked down at his lap, his smile growing at the memory. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't do that."

He lifted his head so our eyes met again. "Do what?"

"Delve into your past," I scrunched up my nose. "It's rude, right?"

"Gotta ask questions if we're getting to know one another, Brooke." He squinted and glanced around my living room, as if he realized I was the most inquisitive one. "Was it just you and your folks?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I was a late in life baby." What was that term my mom used? "A menopause baby? I guess that's what Mom said." I smiled, remembering how Mom and Dad used to brag about how they'd given up on the idea of babies and then she got pregnant with me. "They thought they couldn't have babies, they'd tried for so long, and then SURPRISE."

"I was the oldest of four," he offered with a soft smile. "Siblings aren't all they're cracked up to be." I grinned back. "You said something earlier about me looking the same since 1945 -"

I opened my mouth to say - what? That I'm an idiot, well duh. "I shouldn't have -"

"You're right," he chuckled. "I do. Look the same, but that makes it harder for me too." I nodded. "And not only because I was an agent of death who killed without mercy." He said it with such deadpan delivery that I stared at him for the same silent beat that my 'kinky' comment earned me. "Wow, is this what you felt like a minute ago?" He cringed and I grabbed the throw pillow next to me and tossed it at him, but he caught it in his metal hand without flinching. Fuck.

"You suck." I pouted as he chuckled. "Did you just make a joke about your past?"

He stopped laughing and thought about it, almost startled by his own flippancy. "Yeah, I think I did."

It was late when Bucky insisted he head out. I tried to talk him into staying in my guest room, but he was adamant that he get to his own apartment. Rolling my eyes, I held out my hand and he stared at it.

"Phone?" I waited as he continued to stare. "Bucky, if we're going to continue this friendship, you're going to have to have a way to contact me other than knocking on my door. I mean, what if I go out or I don't know, make friends with another former assassin? Or hell, aren't there some stray Avengers running around in the city?" He shook his head and sighed, but fished his phone out of his pocket. "This relationship is going to work MUCH better if you just give in to me, trust me." I swiped the phone open, and glanced at him. "You do know that a code of some sort would be a better lock, right?" He groaned and I shook my head again. "OK, Grandpa." A few taps and I had my number in along with my name. "I'm not putting a selfie in here, Bucky, I could just download one of Steve, since we're the same to you, but I think you should work that out on your own." I handed it back to him as he gave me an already long suffering look. "Don't worry, you don't have to text me, I like to talk on the phone."

"Really?" I stared down at me with a look of disbelief. "You don't mind talking on the phone?" I grinned up at him and nodded. "Isn't that too old timey?" He looked like he'd swallowed straight pickle juice and I giggled.

"I see you've been on some online dating sites," his cringe grew. "Oh that's never a good plan," I cringed with him. "Swiping for love? Let's not, Buck." I handed him his pizza leftovers. "Your half, I swear I didn't nibble." He rolled his eyes at me. "Hey," we were at my door and he stopped and looked confused. "Thanks for walking me home."

"Don't mention it, Brooke," he started to open the door, but this time it was my hand on his arm, the metal one, that stopped him.

"I mean it," he was looking down at me, and I went on my tiptoes to brush my lips against his cheek. "Goodnight, Buck."

He smelled like leather, metal, and hops and he was warm. And when I was back on the soles of my feet he was still looking down at me. "Night, Brooke." He whispered, then the door was open and he was gone.

The lack of noise that Bucky Barnes moved with was something that I wasn't sure I'd ever get used to. I locked the door behind him, thinking that Bucky Barnes the man was someone that I wanted to get used to.