Chapter 13: Chocolate Coating Makes It Go Down Easier
Mika had always loved fantasies. As kids, she and her sisters would run around their yard, pretending to be the Gotham City Sirens and messing with the neighbor boys. They dressed up as the Three Hunters from Lord of the Rings for Halloween, though Nicoletta had complained that she didn't want to be Gimli, even though she was the smallest. They'd all had lightsabers when the new Star Wars films had come out, and she was already planning her trip to Berlin next year so she and her sister could see the new film together. All these stories were grand, and complicated, and full of wonderful heroic details.
And they would all be way too much for Bucky to start with. She didn't doubt his intelligence - in fact, she had the sneaking suspicion that he was one of the smartest people she'd ever met. But considering the last movie he'd seen may or may not have been the Wizard of Oz, she figured she should start with something less fantastical. Star Wars could come later.
She'd been idly considering her dilemma when it occurred to her that, maybe, she should clean her apartment.
She had been quietly sitting on the couch, trying to figure out which movie they should watch and thinking about working out while really just clicking "next episode" on Netflix. But then she noticed the pile of shoes that had collected next to the door. And the random jackets scattered throughout the tiny apartment. And the various hardware she'd been working on scattered across the coffee table. How long had her apartment been like this? Was it like this when Bucky came over yesterday? Did he notice? Of course he noticed. He noticed everything. The thought was so embarrassing that she nearly melted into the floor right there.
The chagrin alone was enough to get her off of the sofa and running around her apartment like a mad woman, gathering dirty clothes and tossing them in one corner while trying to figure out how to best organize all the little things on the table that she needed to keep for work. That's when she spotted the dishes in the sink, and the pile of mail on the end table, and the way her blankets and pillows on the couch were in a wild array. For a moment, all she could do was stand in the middle of the floor and be completely overwhelmed with everything she needed to do. She took a deep breath, trying to organize her thoughts in her brain. It wasn't a big deal. Bucky was just a new friend, and he seemed to be one of the least judgmental people she knew. It wasn't near as big of a thing as she was making it out to be.
But that didn't change the fact that she should probably pick up a little bit.
Step one, shoes. They needed to be in her closet, not in a pile next to the door like some sort of neanderthal. Step two, laundry. It didn't need to be done, but it needed to be in the basket. And the basket also needed to be in the closet. Step three, the mail. It could just...go in the closet. To be dealt with later. Step four, the gadgets. They could go into a tupperware. And the tupperware could go in the closet. The last step was the dishes, which actually needed to be dealt with and not just tossed into the closet with the rest of the shameful habits she'd developed while living alone.
She felt better now that her living space was more organized. Now she could proudly have company in her home for more than a few minutes. She checked the clock to see that she still had over an hour until it was movie time; she could clean more, but really she decided she'd rather bake something. She pulled out her phone, resting her elbows on the kitchen island as she scrolled through her saved recipes. There had to be something that was sweet, but not too sweet, that maybe Bucky would like.
She settled on almond cookies, figuring that the light nuttiness might cut through the sweetness enough for him to enjoy them. It might be a bit of a reach, but maybe it would work. She gathered her ingredients, carefully measuring out what she needed and putting it together. Usually this recipe was reserved for springtime brunches, but she figured it would work for a winter treat.
With the dough set to chill in the fridge, she took a moment to order pizza for the two of them. She stared at the online ordering system for a long time, trying to decide what toppings Bucky would like. She went back and forth with different combinations, eventually deciding that she couldn't go wrong with cheese. All else failed, they could toss whatever they could find in her fridge on top of the cheese and bake it a little extra.
Once she'd accomplished that task, she pulled the cold dough back out, tossing some flour on the island before putting the dough on top. She carefully rolled it out to the desired thickness, humming along to the song playing through her speakers. There were many options for cookie cutters in the drawer, but she refrained from the snowflakes and stars, opting instead for a simple, perfect circle. She gently cut them out, placing them on a baking sheet before sliding them into the oven. The whole batch wouldn't be necessary for the two of them (or, worst case scenario, just one of them), so the extra dough was wrapped in cellophane and placed into the freezer for a rainy day. Or a sunny day. Or any day when someone deemed cookies were necessary.
At promptly six o'clock, a soft knock echoed through the apartment. It was so quiet, Mika wasn't completely sure she heard it, and she went to the door to look without bothering to put down the hot tray of cookies. She checked through the peephole, seeing Bucky standing a couple feet away from her door, his hands stuffed into his jacket pockets.
"Hello!" she greeted lightly, opening the door and leaving it ajar, gesturing for him to follow her inside. He stepped in, closing the door softly. She actually didn't realize her door could close that quietly.
"Are you busy? I can come back in a little bit." he said, pointing to her apron and tray. She waved him off, setting the tray down on the island and pulling the flour-covered apron off, hanging it back on its hook.
"No no, you're right on time." she replied, grabbing a spatula from a drawer and carefully moving the cookies to a plate. "Here, maybe third time's the charm, hm?"
He eyed the plate, as if expecting the confections to explode or something. "What are they?"
"Almond cookies. Nothing crazy." she answered, picking one up and biting into it herself. It was still warm, the soft texture gently melting in her mouth. It was one of the better batches that she'd made. "Go on, try one. It won't hurt my feelings if you don't like it."
He eyed her suspiciously, carefully reaching out and taking one from the plate. He held it for a moment before taking a small bite. His brows furrowed, and for a second Mika thought she had been victorious. But then he gave her a vaguely apologetic smile. "I like the texture, but it's too sweet. I'm sorry."
"Damn, I was so close. Oh well, more for me." she said, plucking the sweet from his grasp and finishing it off for him. Another knock echoed from the door, this one a little more emphatic. Bucky looked very alarmed, but Mika clapped in excitement. "Oh! Pizza's here!"
She took a brief moment to check through the eyelet in the door before opening it again, handing the kid in front of her a few bills in exchange for the large box in her hands. She thanked her and told her to keep the change before ducking back into the apartment. Bucky had moved from his position, and was instead leaning very casually against the wall next to her window. She gave him a look out of the side of her eyes, trying to decipher the meaning of this. He never did anything without purpose.
"What are you doing over there?" she asked, putting the pizza on the kitchen island and going to grab plates.
"Nothing." he said, again trying very hard to appear casual and at ease.
"Were you planning to make a break for it if that wasn't the pizza girl?" she asked, nodding her head towards the window. He looked like a kid caught someplace he shouldn't be.
"...No." he answered, though it wasn't completely convincing.
"Uh huh." she said, her tone laced with sarcasm. "You were gonna leave me for dead, I see how it is."
"If it were someone unsavory, they'd be distracted by my exit from the window, allowing you ample opportunity to escape." he said. He tried to keep his tone serious, but she could see the corner of his mouth fighting to turn up.
"You are so full of shit." she said, laughing. His face broke at that point, a grin finally showing through. "Come get some pizza before I decide not to share."
"Yes, ma'am." he said, taking the plate she offered him and eyeing the pizza.
"I didn't know what toppings you'd want, so I just went with the safest option." she explained, putting two slices on her plate and pretending that was all she was going to eat. He shrugged in response, picking up two slices as well.
"I eat most anything, really." he said, though his brows were furrowed as he examined the pizza.
"You look puzzled." Mika said, pouring a glass of water and handing it to him.
"Isn't the sauce supposed to go on top?" he asked. She cocked her head to the side, trying to figure out how to answer him.
"Um, I've never seen it that way." she said, getting water for herself before going over to the couch. "Maybe you just went to special pizza places?"
"Huh. Guess it was a New York thing." he said, shrugging and seemingly accepting this answer. This time she was the one who paused. This was only the second time since she'd known him that he'd mentioned New York, the first time making his feelings quite clear on the subject. Either he was becoming more comfortable with her, or he was maybe coming to terms with his past. Based on what she knew about him, she assumed it was the former.
Bucky took a long moment before sitting next to her on the couch, carefully resting his glass on the coffee table and making sure there was the maximum amount of space between them. Mika curled up in the other corner, hoping that this would make him feel more comfortable. She noticed how he was eyeing the plate of pizza on his lap, and took an emphatic bite of hers before setting it down and retrieving the remote for the television. As she settled back in the cushions, he picked up a piece and folded it by the crust, allowing him to eat it using just his right hand. A genius move, really. She thought to comment on it - being able to eat pizza with one hand could potentially be life changing to her - but realized he probably wouldn't like that she'd noticed a habit of his. In fact, she'd learned a long time ago that most people didn't like when she pointed out their habits.
"For your viewing pleasure, tonight I have chosen the American classic from 1987, The Princess Bride." she said dramatically, bringing up the digital copy of the film. Bucky's eyes went wide for a second, his chewing slowing.
"You don't need a projector?" he asked, seemingly surprised. She gave him a long look, trying to decide if he was kidding. And while he was improving on his poker face, she could definitely tell it was a serious question.
"Nope, it's all digital." she said. She wondered (not for the first time) what his childhood was like, or his life before he moved to Romania.
"Oh, right." he said, as if he were remembering this fact. She was a little confused; he'd said he'd seen movies in theatres, but it sounded like it never occurred to him that he could watch a movie at home. Granted, he didn't have a television or computer or phone or any means to watch a movie at home, so maybe she shouldn't be so surprised.
"I swear Bucky, it's like you're from another century sometimes." she joked, giving him a grin to let him know she was kidding. He gave a brief huff of a laugh, his face looking like his amusement was at some sort of inside joke.
"Yea, seems that way to me too sometimes." he remarked, going back to his pizza. Mika stared at him for a moment longer, but he didn't divulge any underlying secrets. With a quiet laugh and a shake of her head, she turned back to the television and started the movie. The opening credits rolled through, but she didn't pay them any mind. She was instead trying to fold her pizza like Bucky did, though she missed the middle a little bit. As the familiar faces of the sick kid and his grandfather flashed on the screen, Mika slyly glanced at Bucky out of the corner of her eye, trying to catch his reaction. His face looked very serious, and slightly confused.
"Don't worry, the princess bit is coming." she said. This seemed to appease him slightly, though he still seemed vaguely perplexed. His eyes were transfixed on the screen, and he was chewing much slower than he was a moment ago, as if he was forgetting about the food in front of him. He didn't seem surprised by the change in story, going from the boy and his grandfather to the girl and the farmboy.
It was then that Bucky's attention was broken, if only for a moment. She was amazed to discover that when he was saying, "as you wish," what he meant was, "I love you." He looked very alarmed at that moment, his eyes glancing over to Mika. After all, that had been the line he'd accidentally quoted the other day. She tried to think of something to say to placate his obvious (for him) distress - that she knew he didn't mean it that way, that obviously since he hadn't seen it then there was no way for him to know - but she decided the best course of action was to calmly watch the movie, and eat her pizza as if there were nothing awkward about it. Because there wasn't.
Once they were over that hurdle, Bucky seemed to relax a little bit. He was still sitting up straight on the couch, his empty plate carefully perched on his lap as he continued to watch the movie. Though he didn't make any noise at the snarky comments from Vizzinni or the rhyming bit between Fezzik and Inigo, he did have a gentle lift at the corner of his mouth, which might as well have been resounding peals of laughter from him. His brows knit together in concern as Buttercup jumped into the water, the killer eels swimming after her. His posture changed slightly as the Man In Black and Inigo had their sword fight; he leaned a little more forward, and Mika realized that he might actually be interested in who won. His face returned to puzzled during the fight with Fezzik.
"His plan of attack is completely inefficient. He should be aiming for weaker joints, use his size against him. Why doesn't the giant just pick him up and snap his neck?" he asked, apparently very concerned with the authenticity of this brawl.
"Shh, he's explaining now." Mika scolded, pointing towards the screen. Bucky pressed his lips together, dutifully returning his attention to the screen. As the Man In Black changed his tactics, his expression became a little more approving. She really wanted to ramble about how the movie was made in the '80s, how things have definitely gotten better in cinematic effects, but she held her tongue. The Man In Black was choking out the Giant, and Bucky was once again focusing on the story.
The Battle of Wits followed, with the Man In Black sitting down with Vizzinni with wine. "Does the bald man not realize that the poison is in both cups?" he asked, making Mika sit up and turn to him.
"What?" she asked. "How did you know that?"
Bucky shrugged. "It's what I would do." he said, as if it were a normal response. She perked an eyebrow.
"And exactly how many poisons are you immune to?" she asked.
"All of them." he said, giving her a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes. She rolled her eyes, turning back to the movie.
"Full of shit." she reiterated, getting up as Vizzinni fell over dead. She walked around the back of the couch, leaning over the arm to pluck the plate from Bucky's knee. He sat very still as she did, doing his best to mimic a statue. His eyes were still on the television, but she had the feeling he was aware of her every movement.
Mika retreated to the kitchen, both plates in hand. "Do you want more?" she asked. He seemed more casual from this angle, though he still sat straight up. He tore his gaze from the screen, looking to understand her question. She pointed to the pizza box.
"No, thank you." he said quietly, giving her a small smile before going back to the movie. She grinned, glad that he seemed to be enjoying the film. She took another piece of pizza from the box, idly eating it as she turned on the coffee maker and pulling out a pod. Yes, this whole "eating pizza with one hand" thing was really gonna be a game changer.
"Does the girl really not know that the man in the mask is the farm boy?" Bucky asked from the couch. Mika snapped back to glare at him.
"Have you seen this movie before?" she asked. He tilted his head to the side, giving her a confused look.
"No. But it's fairly obvious based on the color of his eyes and the shape of his jaw that it's the same man from before." he said, pointing to the screen. Buttercup pushed Westley down the hill at that point, the "as you wish" echoing as he rolled.
"Well eight year old Mika did not see that coming at all." she said. She used the coffee maker to put hot water in a mug, dropping a tea bag into it before switching the floral mug. This time she popped in the coffee pod, running it once again.
"The prince is an impressive tracker - thank you." Bucky looked surprised as she handed him the mug of coffee.
"The prince is the bad guy. You're not supposed to like the bad guy." Mika said, idly stirring sugar into her tea as she sat back down next to him. She stretched out, resting her heels on the coffee table. She knew Bucky probably wouldn't follow her lead to that extent, but she was hoping he would at least lean back.
"Well, he seems to be a knowledgeable swordsman, a skilled tracker, and an intelligent strategist." he added. Though he was talking to her, his eyes still watched as Westley and Buttercup made their way through the Fire Swamp.
"Yea, but Westley is an even better swordsman, just as good of a tracker, and a pirate." she pointed out, turning to him and crossing her arms in a huff. His lips were pressed together, as if he were trying to hid his amusement at her outrage. On the screen, Westley cut a vine before diving into a sand pit. "See? Do you think Humperdinck would leap into quicksand to save the woman he loves? No. He'd let her drown."
"You can't drown in sand." Bucky pointed out, his grin breaking out as she let out a noise of frustration.
"Yes you can, it's called dry drowning." she said, attitude coloring her tone.
"Dry drowning is when water enters the airways and settles in the lungs, causing spasm and pulmonary edema that leads to death up to seventy-two hours after contact with the water." Bucky recited, looking to her with a satisfied expression on his face. She pouted, crossing her arms and turning back to the television.
"Just watch the movie." Mika said, sour that she couldn't think of a comeback. She could still see Bucky grinning out of the corner of her eye, proud of his victory. He stayed silent as Westley and Buttercup encountered the ROUSs, and looked unsurprised as they were met with Humperdinck and the rest of his crew on the other side. He also didn't seem shocked by Buttercup's deal to set Westley free. However, his posture picked up as the camera flashed on Count Rugen's right hand, the sixth finger obvious.
"The six fingered man." he whispered, quickly turning to Mika before turning back to the screen.
"Ha, didn't see that one coming!" she quipped, her confidence restored. He gave her a look from the side of his eye that could be considered slightly miffed, which only made her smile more. Even if it was the film that surprised him and not necessarily her, she still held on to the little triumph.
Bucky's expression changed as they found Westley in the Pit of Despair. He got extremely still, his lips parting slightly as he took slow, deliberate breaths. The quiet clicks from his metal prosthesis were muffled by his glove, but she could still hear them as his fingers curled into a fist.
"They're going to torture him?" he asked quietly. She'd seen him nervous before, when he was in a new environment or situation. But the nerves he was displaying now, however subtle, were very different from those.
"We can skip those parts. I've seen this a billion times, I can fill you in on any important points we miss." she offered. She felt super insensitive again - as many times as she'd seen this movie, she completely forgot about the torture scenes. She didn't even think about how they might affect him - she hadn't thought about it at all. She could feel heat creeping up the back of her neck; she was hoping to give Bucky a quiet evening with pizza and a good movie. But instead, she'd found a perfect way to send his nerves into overdrive.
"It's okay." he responded, but said nothing else besides that. His voice was softer than usual, his face more distracted. He sounded uncertain. He relaxed slightly as the scene showed the peasant yelling at Buttercup; he'd realized that he didn't have to watch the torture. Yet. She kept an eye on him for a moment longer, but it seemed he'd returned to his baseline level of almost-relaxed.
"It's really no big. I hate those parts anyways." she said, trying to put the blame on herself in the case he wanted to skip it. He didn't say anything, he only shrugged and kept his eyes on the screen.
The quiet didn't last long. A few minutes later, Count Rugen was back in the Pit of Despair. The Albino was hooking Westley up to the Machine. And Bucky was starting to look nervous again. His eyes were on the television, but he didn't seem to be focused on it. She recognized the look in his eye that he got when he was thinking of how to respond to questions she asked him, but his facial expression was different. She couldn't quite decipher what it meant. Mika stood up, deliberately stepping partially in his view of the screen so she could pick up his empty mug.
"Do you want more coffee?" she asked, slowly moving between him and the screen on the way to the kitchen. He locked his eyes to hers, and while he tried to keep his expression neutral, he definitely looked a little pale. Both his hands were clenched now, pressing into his thighs as if he were trying to distract himself.
"Yes, please." he whispered. Westley was gasping in pain, the noises of the torture suddenly seeming so much louder than before. How could she let this happen? Stupid. Stupid.
"I have tea as well, which would you prefer?" she asked. The question was unnecessary, as she knew he would decline the tea. But she felt the need to speak over the sounds from the movie, to keep him from hearing too much of it. She should have just skipped it, despite his saying it would be fine. Her insides burned from how mad she was at herself for not thinking of this sooner.
"Coffee is fine." he replied, still keeping his eyes on hers. He knew what game she was playing, but he was okay with it. She gave him what she hoped was a comforting smile, still trying to distract him.
"Okay." she responded, going to the kitchen and firing up the coffee maker again. Finally the scene passed, moving on to the prince's scheme to murder the princess. Bucky's hands relaxed, and when she handed him his refilled mug a few moments later, they were as steady as they always were. The next bit of the movie went smoother, Inigo's rally to kill Rugen distracting from the intense scene before. Bucky's eyes widened as Buttercup caught Humperdinck in his lies, one corner of his mouth lifted as she told him off.
"She figured out his play." he said quietly, finally leaning back against the couch. Mika smiled at how amused he was at the situation, how glad he seemed to be with Buttercup standing up to the bad guy.
"I thought you liked Humperdinck?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. He shrugged.
"I've been told I'm not supposed to." he replied, giving her the vaguely mischievous grin that made her feel like he actually was enjoying his time.
"I'm glad you've seen the light." she said, watching as Humperdinck locked Buttercup in her room. The scene cut back to the Pit of Despair, and Bucky's posture immediately stiffened. Mika paused the video, scrolling through the tiles until she found the place where the scene cut away. She could see him looking to her out of the corner of her eye; she turned to him and gave him a noncommittal gesture with her head. "I told you, I don't like those parts. All you need to know is that Westley is believed to be dead, and Humperdinck did it."
Bucky perked an eyebrow. "Believed to be?" he asked. His shoulders dropped slightly from their tense position.
"You probably saw this coming, but he's totally gonna live." she explained, playing the movie again before she could give any more away. He tilted his head to the side, but accepted her answer without contention. They watched Inigo and Fezzik make their way through the forest, Bucky's eyebrows knitting together for a brief moment as they found Westley's body before he remembered her spoiler. He instead looked shocked as the movie momentarily cut back to the kid and his grandpa.
"I'd completely forgot about them." he said, looking slightly confused and almost a little annoyed.
"Yea, the '80's were kind of a different time for movies." Mika said. "I think this was an effort to make it a little more family-friendly. Plus it gave them an excuse to have a random narrator interject."
"Huh." Bucky replied. His face looked like he was working on a complicated math problem, but he abandoned it as Inigo, Fezzik, and Westley returned to the screen. Now he was perplexed for a whole other reason - the man appeared to be dead, but she'd told him that he would live. She could see him trying to reason through it, trying to find the answer in his deep bank of knowledge instead of just watching the damn movie.
Miracle Max and Valerie had always been her favorite part. The first time she saw The Princess Bride, the eccentric miracle-working couple made her laugh while her tears dried from Westley's death. Their bickering and childish antics reminded her of her best friend's (at the time) grandparents, who were known for playing impish pranks on their next door neighbor, who just so happened to be the priest of the nearby Catholic church. And she loved them even more since they brought hope that maybe, just maybe, sweet Westley would live, and he and the princess would live happily ever after.
Bucky actually let out a brief chuckle when Miracle Max pronounced Westley "mostly dead." Mika wished she knew what went on in his head, wished she could ask what he was thinking. It was obvious from the bit before (and things she'd noticed previously) that he had clearly been through something terrible. That was fairly obvious. He was quiet, and reserved, and cautious. Her sister had been the same way, when she'd returned home from...wherever she'd been. But whereas Raisa tended to lash out in anger when things went in ways she didn't expect, Bucky tended to shut down, to retreat. But here he was, sitting on her couch - actually resting against the back of it - and enjoying a movie on a Sunday night. Maybe miracles didn't happen with chocolate coated pills. Maybe they were built, one day at a time.
Bucky was unsurprised when Westley was brought back to life, but whether it was due to Mika's earlier warning or he just guessed that the miracle pill would work would forever be a mystery. He grinned at his immediate outburst, his challenge to Inigo and Fezzik despite his apparent paralysis. His brows furrowed as the picture changed to Buttercup and Humperdinck, and he turned to her with a confused face.
"So what is their plan?" he asked. Apparently, he was very concerned about the logistics behind the rescue of the princess.
"What, you couldn't tell with just the mention of a wheelbarrow and cloak?" she asked, giving him a challenging grin. He looked off for a moment, once again looking as if he were calculating.
"Well, there's a few ways they could go, but they're all confounded by the Man In Black's current state." he said.
"His name is Westley. And you'll see." she responded, giving him a satisfied smirk while gesturing to the television. Bucky raised his eyebrows, but dutifully returned his attention to the screen. The picture flipped to the church, with the embellished priest presenting the couple to be wed. Mika immediately sat up, pulling her knees to her chest. Without thinking, she reached across the couch and put her hand on Bucky's shoulder, immediately withdrawing it when he sat up straight, his eyes sharpening as if he were looking for a threat. "This is the best part." she said by way of explanation, pulling the collar of her tshirt up over her mouth to try and quell the laughter that was already building. Bucky relaxed again, though it took a few seconds before he rested his back against the couch cushions again.
"Mawidge." the priest said, after the music and the crowd quieted. Mika immediately let out a squeak of laughter, pressing her hands over her mouth to try and muffle it. She could see Bucky looking at her out of the corner of her eye, smiling at her amusement. "Mawdige is what bwings us togewer, today. Mawidge, the bwessed awangement, that dweam wiffin a dweam…" She was shaking with laughter now, her giggles escaping. From the other side of the couch, even Bucky was letting out a low rumble of a chuckle, though whether it was from the priest's speech or Mika's reaction to it, she didn't know.
She was able to calm herself as they saw the three men enacting their plan, Fezzik atop the wheelbarrow in the cloak and Inigo trying his best to push him while supporting Westley. Bucky tilted his head to the side, assessing the implementation.
"So? Any critique?" Mika asked, earning a shrug in response.
"Assuming the men can't see the wheelbarrow, that's a pretty good plan." he said, surprising her.
"Another point for Westley, then." she said happily, stretching out just enough so she could stuff her feet between the cushions of the couch. The music was building, the three men were getting close to the gate, surely this would be the time where the princess would be saved and they would ride off into the sunset…
"What?!" Bucky borderline exclaimed (or as close to an exclamation as she'd seen him get) as the priest declared man and wife. "But he's right there."
"Just keep watching." she said gently, trying not to give away any more than she had to. Truth be told, she'd been heartbroken the first time she watched this, almost as much as when Westley "died." Of course, since she now knew the ending, getting through this emotional rollercoaster was much easier. Buttercup was whisked off to the honeymoon suite, and the three friends were on a wild goose chase. Bucky smiled again as Inigo cut down four men without hesitation, his wild eye trained on Count Rugen. The Six Fingered Man was going to get what was coming to him, and he was here for it. He was sitting straight up again, but Mika didn't think it was because of discomfort this time. It was the climax of the movie, and he was genuinely concerned about the outcome.
He startled ever so slightly - just enough to notice, really - when Inigo took a knife to the abdomen. His hand moved from his knee to his own stomach, the movement so slow she didn't think he realized he was doing it.
"He lives too." Mika said impulsively. Bucky's hand quickly returned to his knee as his eyes flew to hers. He hadn't been expecting her to say anything.
"A wound like that would be fatal to a normal human." he murmured. An odd choice of words, she thought. She decided not to press it, figuring just like the hand to his abdomen, it wasn't something he necessarily meant to show.
"Movies require a certain suspension of belief. After all, Westley just came back to life because of a miracle pill." she pointed out. He thought for a moment before accepting her answer, turning his attention to Buttercup, who was holding a knife to her chest.
There's a shortage of perfect breasts in this world. It would be a pity to damage yours. The line always made Mika chuckle, and today it amused her even more as Bucky's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. He realized she was laughing at him, and his surprise changed to chagrin.
"Quite a bold line." he said. He almost seemed more surprised by the blatant mention of breasts than anything else in the movie. She made a mental note to put any movies with nudity way in the bottom of the list.
"Westley's a bold man." she said, letting out a dramatically wistful sigh and staring at the man. She glanced back to find Bucky giving her a vaguely judgemental look, one eyebrow raising before he too moved his attention. Inigo was back, pulling the knife from his stomach. Mika pulled her knees up to her chest, her excitement buzzing as the Spaniard rallied. It was clear that he was running on spite alone, and she loved it. Bucky seemed mildly impressed as the swordsman fought against his greatest rival, so close to achieving his goal from the last twenty years. Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die! The first time Mika saw it, her and her sisters had jumped up and down on the couch, cheering and yelling about how Count Rugen was, in fact, a dead son of a bitch. Their mother had intervened at that point. While Bucky didn't give any emphatic celebrations at the fight, he did allow a satisfied smile as the Six Fingered Man slid to the ground, dead.
It appeared that Westley and Buttercup were going to get their happy ever after, though the man still had no strength to stand. When the evil prince entered the scene, Mika could almost swear she heard a disapproving noise come from the other side of the couch. She gave Bucky a puckish grin, pestering him with, "I thought you liked Humperdinck?"
"Sick of his shit." Bucky said very softly, earning a loud bark of laughter from Mika. He looked at her, alarmed; apparently, either he hadn't meant to say that out loud, or hadn't meant for her to hear it. But as her laughter continued, his face relaxed, a small smile settling on his face.
The last few minutes of the movie weren't as stressful, what with Humperdinck losing, everyone escaping, and the couple living happily ever after. Mika stood up and gathered their empty mugs as the credits started to roll, taking them to the sink to rinse them out.
"So, what did you think?" she asked, putting the mugs in the dish washer. Bucky was standing, his hands deep in his jacket pockets. He gave a noncommittal shrug.
"Pretty good." he said, offering no further explanation. She stopped what she was doing, staring at him in disbelief.
"'Pretty good'? That's all you've got?" she asked, a little offended. "This is a cinematic masterpiece! It defined my childhood."
"Movies have changed a little since I last saw one. I think it'll take some getting used to." Bucky said, making Mika clamp her mouth shut and her cheeks burn with embarrassment. She was acutely reminded of the very obvious torture scenes, her stomach churning as she remembered his face.
"That's fair." she said, trying to keep her voice even and not show her internal crisis. She looked up again to find Bucky a few feet closer to the door, though she hadn't seen him move. He was ready to leave. "Do you want any pizza to take home?"
"I'm good, thank you." he said. He didn't seem upset, and was even letting one corner of his mouth barely lift in a polite smile. He was trying to be nice.
"Lunch for me tomorrow." she said with a shrug, picking up the box and moving towards her refrigerator. "Saturday morning, then?"
"Saturday morning." he agreed, taking that as his invitation to leave and quietly stepping out into the hallway before silently shutting the door behind him. Mika let out a long breath, turning her face heavenward and begging any god that was listening for some normal social skills. She didn't know what it was about Bucky that made her realize every awkward little thing she did, but it pissed her off. She took another deep breath, reminding herself that Bucky seemed to want to be her friend, just as she wanted to be his - despite all her social blunders when he was around. Maybe, just maybe, he didn't keep count of all the weird things she did.
She put the pizza in the fridge before going back to the television and turning on the cooking channel. She needed to relax. Bucky had agreed to meeting again Saturday, so clearly he wasn't offended or annoyed. He didn't seem like someone who would agree to things he really didn't want to do. That thought quelled her anxiety. She hadn't ruined anything, her and Bucky were still friends, and everything was as normal as it could be. Next time, she'd just make sure to watch the movie she chose first, just to be sure there was nothing they needed to worry about.
With that, she settled in for a quiet evening alone.
Thank you so much to everyone for reading this story and fave/following! And a very special thank you for the reviews, I love hearing your thoughts and comments, they fuel me.
Next chapter will be from Bucky's point of view, but it won't be the same sort of walk-through that we've been doing. I'm gonna try something new, hopefully you like it!
Please take a moment and let me know what you think!