Chapter 27: Enter Player Two

Mika bit back a groan, fighting the fatigue and the hangover clinging to her from the night before. She moved slowly, trying not to wake the man sleeping next to her. The muscles of his back were obvious even in the dim grey dawn of morning, his dark hair splayed across the pillow. Her fatigue and hangover were now tinged with a little bit of regret. She pinched the bridge of her nose, internally berating herself for just a moment before getting up and rummaging through her pile of clean clothes.

"Where are you going?" his low voice seemed louder in the early hour. She froze for a moment before continuing to get dressed.

"I'll be back in a while. You can stay, if you like. Or let yourself out." she whispered. Coffee. She needed coffee. He mumbled something unintelligible before luckily rolling over. Good, she wasn't ready to deal with this just yet. She rushed through the kitchen as much as her headache would let her, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for the machine to spit out the sweet, caffeinated elixir of the gods. She barely remembered to grab her bag and all but stumbled into the hallway, only to be met with Bucky's smug smile as he leaned against the wall.

"Good morning." he said in a tone of voice that told her he was about to unleash a hell of a lot of ridicule.

"Sorry I'm late." she said, handing one cup of coffee to him. He took a sip and grimaced, handing it back to her to trade. Dammit, she'd given him the wrong one. He was still wearing that Cheshire grin, and she blatantly ignored it before starting down the stairs.

"Looks like someone had a good night last night." he teased as they made it down to the sidewalk, unable to hide his smile. She gave him a glare out of the corner of her eyes, but it made her head hurt.

"I don't need your judgement." she said lowly, focusing on putting one foot in front of the other and hopefully going towards the gym. She'd not been this hungover in a while; perhaps she should have attempted Bucky's peppermint tea last night. He gave a low chuckle, patting her back in a way that was a little rougher than she was ready for.

"Not judging. Glad you had a good time." he said, tucking his hands back into his pockets. She tried to glare at him again, with the same results as the first time.

"Why must you always subtly remind me exactly how thin the walls are?" she asked. She regretted bringing him coffee now, since he'd chosen to make fun of her relentlessly. He laughed again, and this time she could feel in her bones how proud he was about to be of his comeback.

"Maybe you should be a little quieter then." he replied. Not even a good comeback. She shoved his shoulder, but he barely moved. Damn him and his super strength. Didn't he see how she was suffering?

"You have no room to comment, Mr. Seventy-Four-Years. You're the creeper for listening." she said, waving her finger at him. He shrugged, her burn merely rolling off his back. The grin had not left his face for the whole conversation.

"It wasn't by choice. I think everyone on the top three floors was listening." he replied. She let out a noise of frustration. Damn him and his answers for everything. And damn this hangover for slowing her brain down so much.

"You know what? I'm not sorry." she said, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder. Nope, that hurt also. This workout was not going to go well.

"Never said you should be." he pointed out, though she could tell by the way he carried himself that he was very proud of this banter. Fine, if he wanted to play first thing in the morning, then she could play. Or try to, at least.

"You know, we could be having a reverse of this conversation if you would quit giving Claire the run around." she said, her words heavy with meaning. She'd spotted them chatting at least once every weekend since their initial meeting, but nothing ever came of it. She admired the girl for her perseverance, really. He laughed again, shaking his head as if the idea were preposterous.

"I'm afraid Claire just keeps setting herself up for disappointment." he sighed, and for a brief second his focus changed as he lost himself in his thoughts. He quickly brought himself back as she linked their elbows together, sighing dramatically.

"And why's that? Are you a hopeless romantic, holding out for your one true love?" she asked. She gasped as a thought hit her, her reaction interrupting his response before he could get it out. "Wait, are you a virgin?"

He laughed louder at that, a little closer to the real laugh he'd finally unleashed a few weeks prior. "No, I am not." he replied, and while he seemed to be stuck in his head again for a moment, this time it seemed different. She patted his hand in a comforting manner, like her grandmother used to do when she was younger and self conscious.

"It's okay if you are, it's nothing to be ashamed of. It's adorable, waiting for someone special." she said in an excessively sweet manner. If she actually thought he was saving himself then she definitely would not make fun of him for it, but since she had no doubt that he was being truthful, she was definitely going to abuse this for a long time.

"Again, not a virgin." he deadpanned. She hugged his arm a little closer.

"Then why are we still saying 'no' to Claire?" she asked. Questions about his past were generally off limits, but pestering him about his sex life? Fair game. He shrugged again, his arm weighed down by her hanging on it.

"That's a level of intimacy I'm not ready for." he said truthfully, actually making her breath catch for a second. Bucky was always real with her, but his moments of brutal honesty like that were few and far between. She didn't think they were going to get that deep this early. He must have sensed the shift in her demeanor, because he added, "Plus, I don't think she's my type."

"You have a type?" she asked, surprised. "And what, pray tell, is 'your type'?"

He was silent for a long minute, and she could practically see the steam coming out of his ears as the gears in his mind turned. How could he not expect her to ask? He knew better than that. He finally just laughed, rolling his eyes. "I have no idea anymore." he admitted.

"That's because you've been out of the game for too long. Time to jump back in." she said, nodding her thanks as he held the door open for her. The gym was just as empty and quiet as it usual. Good, so no one would be around while she sweated out the alcohol from the night before.

"I'll get there eventually." he said, as if trying to mollify a child asking for something. They checked in and went into the exercise room, Mika tossing her stuff into the corner while Bucky laid his down in a calm, organized manner. He pulled off his glove and rolled up his sleeves, laying his hat on top of his bag. She watched as he tried and failed a few times to pull his hair back, finally holding her hand out for the hair tie only after his brows knit together in irritation.

"Here, let me." she said, and he heaved a frustrated sigh as he gave it to her. She laughed, going behind him and artfully organizing his hair into a little bun.

"You make it look so easy." he commented lowly, giving away his frustration. It was amusing to her, finally seeing him struggle with something. He was so good at everything else.

"Bucky, I've been doing this for literally decades." she said, patting his shoulder and moving away so she could warm up a little. "You learned like, a few weeks ago. It takes practice, hair is not an easy thing to manage."

"If you say so." he said, actually stretching a little bit himself, the joints in his spine popping as he moved. She did a few squats, trying to get her blood moving and maybe get rid of her headache. It was already obvious that this workout was going to be rough, so she was just going to own it. She'd watched a YouTube video once about a drunken martial artist; maybe she could be the hungover one.

"Are you going to fight back today?" she asked, shaking her hands out. She now asked him this every week, trying to goad him into actually going on the offensive since she was now regularly landing hits on him.

"Nope." he replied. This had been his answer every time. She crossed her arms over her chest, trying to give him as much attitude as she could muster in her current state.

"Bucky, I'll have to learn how to defend eventually." she said, giving him a pointed look. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, his expression unamused.

"I already taught you all my defensive moves." he said. Six months ago, she would have taken his statement at face value. But now, she could see that he was trying to deflect and distract. And she was not going to allow that anymore.

"Yes, you did, and you are a very wonderful teacher and I am beyond grateful for all of your lessons." she said sincerely. "But perhaps it's time to put them into practice. Isn't it getting boring, just letting me pummel you into oblivion?"

He gave a dry laugh at that, which she was hoping for. "Emphasis on the 'letting' you." he replied back, a little bit of bite on the end of his statement. She sauntered up a little closer to him, trying to look as formidable as possible. He didn't usually fall for her overcompetitive tactics, but for some reason she kept trying.

"Come on, what are you afraid of? Me beating you?" she teased, a challenging look in her eye. For once, he didn't have a snarky comeback.

"Afraid to hurt you." he said. Anyone else, she would assume they were just playing the game with her. But he said it with such seriousness in his eyes that her heart had a hard, painful beat behind her sternum. She cleared her throat and straightened up to her full height, trying to appear more confident than she felt.

"I don't believe you can hurt me." she said. Sure, she believed he had the literal, physical capability to harm her. But she also believed that he would never allow himself. She held his gaze, waiting for his response. He shuffled his feet slightly, and it looked like his resolve was waning. She gave him her winningest smile, batting her eyelashes for good measure. He finally sighed, and she knew that she won.

"Only touches." he said, meaning that he wasn't going to go all out and hit her. She almost rolled her eyes, but instead put all her energy into her sass.

"Oh, and here I was expecting you to throw me on the floor." she said. Not her best work, but it would do. He got that look in his eye that he had earlier: another comment was coming that he was proud of.

"I think someone else already did that." he said, and she felt actual pain in her stomach at the lame response. This time she couldn't stop herself from rolling her eyes, her irritation giving her a stitch in her side.

"Uh, excuse you," she said, putting her hands on her hips in feux anger. "He threw me on the bed, because I'm a fucking lady."

Bucky opened his mouth to say something else, but chose to close it and instead held up his hands in surrender. "Yes, ma'am." he said, pressing his lips together. Once again, he was holding back his thoughts. She was over it.

"That wasn't really what you were going to say." she stated, keeping her power pose. She waved her hand at him, encouraging him to open up. "You're growing soft. Out with it."

"You're certainly a lady who's fucking." he said quietly, pressing his lips together again, but this time to keep his laughter from bubbling out. Her jaw dropped at the lewdness of his statement, and soon she dissolved into laughter.

"Oh my God, I can't with you!" she exclaimed, shoving his shoulder. He took a step back, his weight barely shifting with the force of her push. They paused, the tension building before she went after him again, this time starting up their sparring. He always waited for her to initiate it, moving to block her jabs and swipes. They went for a few minutes before she paused. Her hangover was receding now that her heart rate was up. "Are you just gonna stand there and let me win again?"

"I suppose not." he said, waiting a beat before shooting his arm out and trying to touch her waist. She surprised both of them by blocking his arm, her fingers curling around his wrist. She could feel the tension of his muscles under her hand, and had no doubt that he could easily break free and completely thrash her if he wanted. His face remained calm and neutral; he was concentrating on not using his super strength. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to play.

Turns out, sparring was much harder when Bucky actually fought back. He was still holding back, sure, but it was obvious the longer they went exactly how skilled he was. Yea, it was exhausting. But it was also really, really fun. When they left the gym an hour later, Mika was more tired and sweaty than she'd been for any of their other times together (save, perhaps, the day the air conditioning was broken), but also felt the most accomplished.

"You know, I don't think I did half bad." she said as they made their way back to the apartments. He made a noise of agreement, pulling down his shirt sleeves and pulling his glove over his metal hand.

"You did very well." he said. He was sweating more than usual as well, which also gave her a sense of pride. The hot summer sun didn't help either, already beating down on them from where it hung in the sky. She still didn't know how he wore long sleeves when it was so warm out, and decided to go ahead and buy him a short sleeve tshirt the next time she had the chance. She turned around so she was walking backwards, opening her arms so he could see them in all their bare glory.

"And see? You didn't hurt me. Told you it would be fine." she said, a self satisfied smirk on her face. He rolled his eyes, smacking her hand so she would be knocked off balance.

"Walk normally, before you hurt yourself." he grumbled. Mika did as she was told, but she couldn't get the smile off her face. They made it back to their building, agreeing to change before heading out to the market. She moved quietly through her apartment, her companion from the night before still passed out on her bed. This time he didn't wake as she changed her clothes, pulling on something clean and comfortable before tip-toeing back to the hallway. Bucky was already waiting for her after donning a new long sleeve shirt and jeans. He perked an eyebrow as she eased the door closed.

"Trying to be stealthy?" he asked lowly as the door finally clicked shut. She gave a sheepish smile.

"My, uh, friend is still asleep." she said, dropping her eyes and pushing past him to the stairs. She braced herself for the jokes, but all she got was vague confusion.

"You're just letting a stranger stay in your apartment? Alone?" he asked, as if concerned for her safety. She cringed slightly, trying to decide the best answer to give him.

"He's, uh, not exactly a stranger. And he'll probably be gone by the time we get back." she replied, continuing her descent down the stairs. She thought the vague responses would save her, but it only seemed to hurt her. He made a curious noise in the back of his throat.

"So a new boyfriend then?" he asked, his tone once again laced with meaning. She let out a long, high uhhh as her thoughts buffered and organized. This was not a conversation she thought she would be having this morning.

"'Boyfriend' is a strong word for him." she said, taking a deep breath. She was faced with a decision: admit the truth, or deflect and hope that the night before was a one time thing. Which it was. At least, that's what she kept telling herself. Unfortunately, this response only seemed to confuse him further.

"So, not a stranger, but not a boyfriend." he said, trying to reason through her vague responses. At this point, he was literally just trying to understand, not to pry. But it still made Mika die inside a little bit. She heaved a sigh as they opened the door to the outside world, going the opposite direction than that morning.

"He's, uh, kind of my ex." she finally admitted, not looking him in the eye. He made a low, disappointed noise, tutting and shaking his head.

"Been there, done that." he said. "But even back in my day, exes were exes for a reason."

"I mean, you haven't done that, done that." she said, always trying to gain the upper hand in their battle of wits. "But it's not like we're getting back together or anything. It was one time. And now we're done again. No matter what he says or does."

"Uh huh." Bucky replied, his tone giving away that he was completely unconvinced.

"Seriously. One time thing. No encores." she said, gesturing theatrically with her hands.

"Sure." he agreed, once again sounding doubtful.

"Really. No matter how much he insists he's changed, it's not gonna happen." she said, realizing that the more she said, the less sure she sounded. She clamped her mouth shut, preventing herself from rambling any more.

"Don't have to convince me." he said as they made it to the market. She eyed him, but he seemed to be genuine in his response. She shouldn't really be surprised, she realized. Bucky wasn't exactly the type to push back on this whole thing, though that was probably because he didn't know the whole story. That would be Elena's job, when or if she found out. He didn't bring it up again as they did their shopping, the conversation back to their usual banter. It made her feel more comfortable, less judged. That was nice, since she knew the judgement would come later if her other friends found out.

Bucky thought the apartment would be empty whenever they returned from their trip, and for a moment, that's how it seemed. He helped her carry her heavy groceries to the kitchen, sliding into the barstool while she made toast and more coffee. He eyed the empty wine bottles and forgotten glasses on the coffee table. Yes, that seemed about right.

Everything felt good today. Today, he felt more normal than he ever had. He'd forgotten what it was like, to have, dare he say, a best friend. She'd just slid the plate between them and taken her perch on the island when he heard shuffling from her bedroom. He paused for a moment, his instincts telling him to prepare for a fight. He dutifully shoved them down.

A tall, handsome man strode confidently into the kitchen, clad only in his boxers and a charming smile. Mika froze mid-bite; it seemed she did not expect him to be here right now either. Bucky made his casual observations - high muscle tone, but low mass, likely an endurance athlete in his youth. Slight limp with his left leg, possibly an old injury. Phone clutched in his right hand, demonstrated likely handedness. He gave them a bright smile. Bucky immediately did not like him.

"Morning, lads." he said, digging through Mika's bags without asking first. Clearly they were very familiar with each other, if he could be this casual.

"Bucky, this is Dominic." she said carefully, as if worried for his reaction. She needn't be concerned, of course. Who she spent her time with was her prerogative. Even if this guy was taking one of her peaches. And a piece of toast. And Bucky could have sworn he eyed his floral mug full of coffee for a moment.

"Dominic. Cheers." the other man said, holding out his hand that didn't have the stolen food in it. Bucky reached out and shook it, minding the super strength.

"Bucky." he replied, fighting every urge he had to give him a fake name. Exes are exes for a reason, James, the female voice in his head said. Everyone was someone's ex. But he did not trust this ex, for reasons he couldn't quite identify. He didn't think too hard about it; when it counted, his gut never led him astray. He watched as Dominic walked around the island, planting a kiss on Mika's cheek on his way to the coffee machine. Yes, definitely familiar.

"What brings you around here so early?" Dominic asked. The question was mild enough, though Bucky got the distinct sense that he was looking for a certain answer. Bucky took one slice of toast and spread preserves over it, sliding the plate with the final piece over to Mika.

"Just helping Mika with her bags." he said lightly, giving her a mild glare as she slid the plate back to him. They moved it back and forth a few times before he pushed it even closer to her, staring her down until she silently agreed to take the last slice.

"How chivalrous of you." he said, though once again the tone was just a little bit off. Or perhaps he was just imagining it. After all, his social acuity couldn't exactly be trusted. He didn't answer, instead just finishing his breakfast. Dominic had finally gotten his coffee and moved to the couch, sprawling across it and somehow managing to take up the whole thing even though it could be shared by two people comfortably, or three in a pinch. Mika was eyeing him, but didn't say anything, instead just focusing on her coffee.

"Weren't you planning on making a tart?" Bucky asked Mika quietly, gesturing with his head towards the half eaten peach in Dominic's hand. She shrugged, idly turning her mug around in her hands.

"I can always make an apple one." she replied casually. To him, it was obvious that she was pretending not to be troubled by it. But he wasn't completely sure that she realized how much it seemed to bother her. Especially since she commented on how sweet the peaches were that week, and how she wouldn't have to use so much sugar. She'd not commented on the apples.

"What are these?" Dominic interrupted, picking up a box on the coffee table. He laid the peach pit directly on the surface, not bothering to put a napkin under it. The thought of the stickiness left behind gave Bucky a weird sensation between his shoulder blades. The box had a beautiful coastal picture, so stunning it took a second for him to realize it was a drawing.

"Oh, Nicoletta's new job. She sent me some of the first batch." Mika replied, pride coloring her voice. She always spoke so affectionately of her younger sister, even though they tended to squabble like old maids when they were together. In the few times they'd interacted, he found Nicoletta to be tremendously bright and charming. He had a younger sister once, he knew, but she'd been very different, and he wasn't sure what had become of her. Dominic let out a scoff, dropping the box back onto the table. Bucky immediately bristled.

"Fucking postcards?" he asked, as if that were something to be ashamed of. Mika sat up a little straighter, her fingers gripping the mug a little tighter. She could make fun of her sister, but no one else was allowed to. That's how it worked. "I thought she was supposed to be an artist?"

"Well, artists still have to pay bills too." she said tightly. He made a noncommittal noise, pulling out his phone and preoccupying himself with it. With his attention turned away she deflated again, her gaze falling to her coffee cup. No, Bucky did not like Dominic one bit. But he was someone to Mika, and if he was going to be sticking around for a little while (his current presentation did not match her words from earlier) then he would just have to get used to him. Didn't mean he had to spend extra time with him.

"I've got to go. Hans wants to start serving something called 'brunch' on the weekends." Bucky said. Sure, he still had another hour until he had to be at the pub, but he needed some decompression time after dealing with...whatever this was. Mika looked sad at his words, but smiled warmly still, holding her arms open to him. He stepped close, allowing her to pull him into a hug, his right arm barely resting around her waist.

"Have fun, I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked hopefully. She was still turning her cup in her hands; a nervous tell. He gave her a reassuring smile.

"Of course." he replied, which made Dominic look up from his phone.

"What's tomorrow?" he asked. Bucky wondered if he meant for his tone to sound like it had ulterior meanings, or if was just how his voice worked. Mika smiled, swinging her legs slightly as she said,

"We're finally starting Star Wars!" She was very excited for this day. They'd finally finished Harry Potter, which had been much more intense than he'd anticipated, and now she'd deemed him ready for the popular science fiction franchise.

"You've never seen Star Wars?" he asked, but it wasn't it the surprised way Mika had asked him all those months ago. This felt more judgemental. Bucky really wanted to roll his eyes, but held himself back.

"Been busy." is all he said, moving to the door. He didn't want to continue this interaction any longer. "Nice to meet you." he said, to which Dominic simply replied by holding up his coffee cup in salute. He gave Mika one last smile before letting himself out, going across the hall to his own apartment. His finds from the market still sat in the doorway, begging to be organized. He carefully put them all away, trying his hardest to tone down his super hearing so that he couldn't understand the loud conversation going on next door. Eventually it toned down, and he could hear nothing but the television by the time he left for the pub.

Brunch, as it turns out, was rather popular. He'd Googled typical recipes for it, trying his best to offer a variety of options. It was definitely different than cooking lunch or supper; his breakfasts mainly consisted of oatmeal and vegetables and coffee, which weren't the most popular choices. But based on Hans' smiles and the mostly empty pans in front of him, it was a rousing success. They shared some of the extra food and some drinks he called "mimosas" left over during a lull in the afternoon, and Bucky decided that yes, he quite liked the idea of brunch. The evening hours were busy as usual, the time flying by as he cooked up a storm. Since they opened a little earlier, Hans said they could close up an hour or two earlier than usual. Good, that would give him more time for his neighborhood rounding.

He was just cleaning up the last of the pans when Hans slipped into the kitchen, groaning and rubbing his face with his hands. Bucky slowed the motion of his sponge, trying to figure out how to best respond to this situation. Mika usually just started babbling about any problems she had; he was still figuring out everyone else in his life.

"Something wrong?" he asked, deciding this was the best approach. Casual, open ended, let him do all the talking. Good move. Hans groaned again, dropping his hands.

"I just...I try not to hate people, you know? But sometimes they can be so…" he made an aggressive choking motion with his hands. Did he need Bucky to choke someone? It wasn't the most efficient way to end a life, but he'd done it before. He was really hoping he wouldn't have to do it again. "...infuriating."

"Someone specific? Or everyone out there?" Bucky pushed. Fighting one person was much different than fighting a group. Maybe "doorman" was also an unspoken part of his job. Hans shook his head.

"No, just the two chuckleheads out there causing problems." he said. He let out a sigh, crossing his arms across his chest. "Honestly, I can barely tolerate Alexei when he's on his own. But anytime he gets around Dominic…"

"Oh, so Dominic's still here?" Bucky asked curiously. So much for Mika's resolve. He kind of wanted to laugh at the situation, but a bigger part of him was...nervous? Angry? He couldn't quite decipher the feeling rolling around in his stomach. He chose to ignore it for now, hoping he and Mika could help him unravel it later. Hans' jaw dropped at the question.

"Wait, you met Dominic? You knew he was here?" he asked incredulously. Bucky didn't understand why he was so surprised. After all, he and Mika were best friends, and lived next door to one another. It wasn't that big of a leap.

"Yes. Met him this morning." he answered, hoping to gain some clarification. Hans shook his head a few times, blinking rapidly. It seemed like he was completely befuddled by this revelation.

"He was at Mika's this morning? And you were okay with it?" he questioned further. Why wouldn't he be okay with it? Besides the obvious unknown man staying within a stone's throw from his own home...though, as he'd thought many times before, the likelihood of Mika meeting and befriending two super soldiers was slim to none.

"Yes?" he replied, his statement coming out as more of a question. Hans' bewilderment only seemed to increase the more he elaborated, which only served to bewilder Bucky as well.

"Oh, I just - I thought - I mean - you two aren't - you -" Hans' stammering was saved by Elena kicking in the door, the handle making a loud bang as it hit the wall behind it. Her curly hair seemed bigger and wilder than usual, as did her striking blue eyes.

"Bucky! How could you let this happen?!" she exclaimed. Bucky grabbed the nearest knife, flipping it over in his hand and preparing himself. This was it, the moment he'd been fearing. He didn't know what was waiting for him out in that pub. Was it Hydra? Shield? Relatives of one of his victims? He was shaken from his waking nightmare by loud cries of surprise. Perhaps he had misread the situation.

"Wow." Hans breathed before clearing his throat and shaking his head. Elena was nodding, though Bucky wasn't sure what she was agreeing with.

"Yea, gonna unpack that vision later. When I'm by myself." she murmured. She took a deep breath, shaking her head and trying to remember why exactly she came to find him in the first place. He saw the moment where it returned. "But I digress. Let's return to the original issue. How did this happen?"

"I'll, uh, need you to be a little more specific." Bucky said. After all, he'd done a lot of questionable things over the years. His nerves buzzed as he waited for her answer.

"Dominic, of course!" she said, as if the answer were obvious. Both of them were staring at him like he was missing the biggest piece in some puzzle. But he wasn't sure what the big picture was.

"What's wrong with Dominic?" he asked. Sure, he seemed arrogant, and a little selfish, and perhaps borderline rude, but besides that he didn't see why Hans and Elena would be so alarmed by his arrival. Hans threw up his hands at the question, and Elena rolled her eyes dramatically.

"He's literally the fucking worst!" she said, her voice much louder than it needed to be. "He's horrible! You can't let him be around Mika."

"As in, he'll hurt her?" he asked. He suddenly had memories of guys that he used to know, men who became other people when they were angry, or had been drinking, or if their girl looked at someone else for too long. His blood started to simmer, and he had to take slow, measured breaths to keep himself from charging into the pub and breaking Dominic's neck.

"Yes! He'll break her heart again!" she replied. That was it? A broken heart never killed anybody, at least that he knew. And he'd broken pretty much everything in his body at some point or another. If he was going to put her in harm's way, he would have no choice but to intervene. Matters of the heart? That was outside his scope of practice.

"Mika's a grown woman. She can handle that on her own." he said. He realized he was still gripping the knife, and returned it to its place so he could continue cleaning the pans in the sink. His two companions scoffed loudly.

"No she's not, and no she can't." she said, leaning all her weight on one hip and placing her hands on them. "Any time he comes around, she turns back into the self-conscious, insecure mess that she was the first year at university. She's not herself, not her real self. And she refuses to remember all the shitty things he's done to her just because he says he's changed."

"Maybe he has." Bucky pointed out, though based on what little he'd heard, that didn't seem true. But it was not his call. He did not have a say so in who Mika did or did not choose to spend her time with. Elena made another theatrical gesture and Hans turned and let his head fall against the wall with a loud thunk.

"Third time is not the charm, Bucky." she said. She sounded both tired and concerned, which Bucky could understand. Elena was usually all fireworks and fanfare; he'd never met anyone so energetic in his life. But here, she was showing her serious side, a side that he didn't think existed. He could see how much this weighed on her, how much it worried her - both of them.

"I'll keep an eye on him." Bucky promised. And he meant it. Mika was his friend, and if she needed his help, then he would give it. But he also was not in a position to give any sort of personal advice beyond what he'd already given. He would just run reconnaissance. Monitor the situation. Intervene if necessary.

"How can you be okay with this? With her being with...him?" Elena asked, and Bucky got the distinct impression that she wanted to ask her question another way. He just didn't know what way that was. Or what she meant by this one.

"I don't understand the question." he said. Her expression changed again, this time to one of sadness.

"Oh, Bucky. You dumbass." she said, shaking her head in a pitying manner. He was taken aback by this response, but he didn't have time to question her further. A loud crash sounded from the pub, and Hans shot up like a prairie dog. Loud laughter bubbled underneath the door, which somehow made it worse. He sighed loudly.

"I need to go...deal with that." he said, and somehow all three of them knew who was involved in the ruckus.

"I'll help." Elena agreed, holding the door open for him. She waved as they exited, the volume in the pub loud until the door shut behind them. Bucky hesitated for a moment, the muffled sounds of Hans' yelling feeling louder than they were. He finished cleaning the pans and put them in their spot before picking up his backpack and going to the back door. There he paused again, listening to the situation on the floor, which didn't seem to be quieting. With a sigh, he put his bag down.

Might as well start gathering his information now.

Dramarama! Thank y'all so much for reading this story, as well as the faves and especially the reviews! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and would love love love to hear all your thoughts on it. Y'all are seriously the best, and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that you give this lil story some attention.

Hope y'all enjoyed it!

-XM