Chapter 32: Old Fashioned

"So let me get this straight," Bucky asked as the credits rolled across the screen. "Jane is now married to Mr...Bingley? Even though he left for no reason."

"Yes. And while we love him, we will never forgive him for that." Mika answered from the other side of the couch, her hands grasping her nearly empty cup of tea and her toes tucked under his thigh for warmth. Autumn arrived a couple weeks prior, and she grasped any spare heat she could find.

"And the youngest sister…" he trailed off, trying to remember her name. Mika bit down a laugh. Out of all the movies they'd watched, she didn't think Pride and Prejudice would be the one to confuse him. But she supposed interpersonal drama had not been a priority of his for the past few years. It was funny to see his concern for these characters, despite having trouble keeping them all straight.

"Lydia." she filled in for him, taking a last sip of her tea. He narrowed his eyes as he thought, and Mika was sure that steam was going to start pouring from his ears any moment now. She had to bite her lip to keep from giggling, his expression so serious as he considered the film.

"Lydia. She ran off with a...what did you call him?" he questioned. Again, she held back her laughter. She'd taught Bucky a new word today.

"A fuckboy." she replied, putting the empty cup down on the table and sitting up straight. "But in more polite circles, he's known as Mr. Wickham."

"Right. Fuckboy." Bucky said. He was starting to get it now. Mika couldn't blame him - it'd taken Nicoletta three viewings before she was able to keep up with the entire story. "And then - what are you doing?"

Mika was climbing across the couch, going to sit on the back of it behind him. A relatively normal gesture, though in retrospect she should have given him some warning. "I'm braiding your hair. Seems like the right thing to do since we're discussing the love lives of imaginary regency women." she said, putting her knees on either side of him and pulling off his baseball cap. He was very, very still as she did so, but visibly relaxed as she started running her fingers through his shaggy locks. She hadn't managed to convince him to go get a haircut, and it was past his shoulders now. But hopefully that would be changing...sooner, rather than later.

"Just trying to understand why it's your favorite." he said, a teasing tone to his voice. He was still as motionless as possible, though the knot between his shoulder blades had loosened the more she brushed out his hair, her fingertips gently massaging his scalp. She carefully started plaiting, humming lightly with the end credit music.

"Because it's funny and dramatic and the woman gets to do what she wants and Mr. Darcy doesn't bug her when she says no to his proposal, he goes and gets his shit together and only tries again when Elizabeth actually expresses interest in him." she replied, pulling the hair tie from her own braid and using it to tie off his.

"'Dramatic' seems a good descriptor." he said, and she could practically hear his grin in his words. She bopped him on the head once before climbing off the couch, picking up his empty coffee mug and taking it to the sink. He gave her an annoyed look from the corner of his eye before reaching up and gently touching the braid in his hair. She thought he would take it out immediately, but she was pleasantly surprised when he left it, the corner of his mouth barely lifted in a smile. She hoped he held on to whatever positivity he had at the moment, cause he was probably going to be upset with her in a few minutes.

"Sometimes a little drama is fun. We can watch the six hour version if you like, might clear things up a bit." she said lightly, going to the refrigerator and pulling out some yogurt, ignoring the look of shock and horror at her suggestion. She didn't bother asking if Bucky wanted a snack; instead, she just spooned some into a bowl for him, topping it with the granola she'd made two days prior. He accepted it with a true smile, his eyes following her as she settled back on the couch before tucking in. "Do you know how wild it was the first time to see Elizabeth turn down Darcy's proposal? Earth shattering. Legendary. Nicoletta's jaw literally dropped. Raisa nearly flipped the table."

"It was surprising, I suppose." he said, raising his eyebrows. She paused for a second, trying to recall the details of a conversation they'd had a lifetime ago. She knew this wasn't their first conversation about Pride and Prejudice, but the details of the prior one escaped her.

"Wait, I thought you'd read the book?" she asked. She remembered he mentioned it, but couldn't quite remember what he'd said about it. He gave her a smirk, his eyes moving away just enough to show that he was stuck in a memory. At least this one seemed happy. He seemed to be remembering more happy things recently.

"I read probably twelve pages of it." he admitted, still grinning. She adjusted her position so she was sitting closer to him, her legs tucked underneath her. Oh yes, he was definitely relishing in whatever memory had grasped him. And Mika wanted to know what it was.

"Sounds like there's a story attached to that little tidbit." she said, giving him a pointed look. Ever since he'd divulged the truth about his past, he'd become a little more open with her about what he could recollect. He didn't seem as guarded, didn't seem like he was holding back as much, and she couldn't help but think that meant he really trusted her. He gave a short laugh at her comment, and she waited patiently for him to give in and tell her about his memory.

"Used to know this blonde," he started, taking a bite of his yogurt for a dramatic pause. "Worked at the library, used to love to have me read her books to her. She chose this one because there was a moving picture coming out that year."

"'Moving picture'? Okay, grandpa." she interjected, unable to hold back the jab. He smacked her leg with his spoon, and decided to finish his story. She scowled at him, wiping yogurt from her skin. He paid her no mind.

"As I was saying, made it through twelve pages before we decided there were more entertaining activities to partake in." he said, giving her a Cheshire grin. She let out a snort of disbelief. His stories were always short, but they were always amusing.

"Like what, gazing longingly at each other? Did you catch a glimpse of her ankle? Oh!" she gasped theatrically, and he let out a deep sigh. She definitely was taking her liberty with the old jokes. She whispered her next question in a conspiratory manner, "Did you hold her hand?"

He rolled his eyes, shoving her just enough that she tumbled backwards onto the cushions, laughing gleefully at her own joke. She was glad that he took it so well; he seemed determined to be positive, which was definitely a shift from when she first met him. "It was 1940, not 1840." he said, sliding his empty bowl onto the table.

"Ah, so by then you were allowed to kiss her on the cheek?" Mika teased, poking his side with her sock covered toes. He smacked her foot away, which of course only led to her trying to poke him more. He ended up grabbing her foot, holding it for just a moment before his grip softened, letting her leg rest on his.

"Let's just say I was wearing as much lipstick as she was by the end of the day." he said with a suggestive look. He looked so comfortable, so happy as he shared this little part of his past life with her that she felt like her heart would burst. But of course, she couldn't let him win completely.

"Oh, so you were playing dress up?" she asked, smiling at him. A brief picture of Bucky in a dress and lipstick was nearly enough to make her dissolve into giggles again, but she held it back. He gave a short laugh, his eyes going skyward for a moment before returning to her.

"Full of shit." he said shortly, gazing at her with his intensely blue eyes. It still made her breath catch when he looked her directly in the eye, and now it was accompanied by a twist in her stomach. She wasn't sure when that extra bit came from, but figured it was because she now knew the source behind all the pain he tried to hide. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by a knock at the door. Ah, her surprise was here. "Do you know who that is?" he asked, sitting up a little bit straighter. His eyes were now alert, calculating. He was expecting a threat. She was a little disappointed in herself for springing this on him, but knew that he wouldn't have agreed otherwise.

"Don't be mad at me." she said, getting up and moving towards the door. His eyes narrowed.

"Mika, who is that?" he questioned lowly. His posture relaxed somewhat now that he knew the guest was expected, but he still seemed on edge. Mika held up a hand, trying to placate him.

"Now remember, this is for your own good." she said, opening the door. There stood Maria, who gave her a big smile and an even bigger hug. Mika invited her in, closing the door as Bucky stood to greet her. He was back to his careful, guarded self, the side that he showed when it wasn't just the two of them. Polite smiles and cordial conversation. She wondered how she'd never noticed before. "Coffee or tea, Maria?" she asked, pulling the other woman's attention away from the slightly nervous Bucky.

"I'll take a coffee, if you don't mind." she said, setting her bag down on the kitchen island. Mika set to making it as Maria asked, "So, who's going first?"

"First for what?" Bucky asked. He kept his voice light and casual, but she could see his stance change ever so slightly, preparing to escape. His left hand was stuffed into his jacket pocket, hiding his prosthetic.

"Bucky, I love you, but it's time for those luscious locks to be a little more contained." she said cautiously as Maria pulled out a black canvas package, unrolling it to reveal her various shears. He gave Mika an annoyed look that immediately switched to a smile once Maria looked up.

"Do you often make house calls?" he asked, trying to seem at ease with the situation. Mika vowed never to surprise him again, no matter how much she enjoyed surprising people. While he may seem nonchalant to Maria, Mika could tell the difference. Every word was carefully chosen, and his movements were so purposeful that they seemed robotic to her. She knew he didn't mind her friends, but he was always on alert around them, always ready for something to go wrong. The only time he seemed at ease was when it was just the two of them.

"Only for people I like." she replied, pulling an apron out of her bag and donning it before pulling one of the bar stools out from under the island. She patted the seat of it, gesturing for Bucky to sit. "Go on, jacket off and take your spot." she said. He paused, glancing at Mika. She could see his metal hand flexing in the jacket pocket; his glove was tucked into the back of his jeans, so close, and yet too far to help.

"Come add your milk and sugar." she said to Maria, getting her attention. The red head's face brightened, slipping around the island to where her coffee sat. He gave her a grateful look, quickly pulling on his glove before removing his jacket. The tail of his braid swayed as he moved, and the look was so comical Mika almost regretted her decision to set this up. Almost. He was just taking his seat when Maria finished mixing her drink, bringing it back to her makeshift salon. He still glared at Mika from the stool, only dropping the look when speaking with their friend. Mika did her part to distract her. "So, Maria, how goes wedding planning?"

That was enough to get her friend chattering. Mika sat perched on the kitchen island, watching as she expertly trimmed Bucky's hair. He was still giving her an intense look, but now a smile was barely playing on his lips. She reached her legs out, resting her crossed ankles on his knee in an effort to give him some sense of comfort. He wasn't on edge anymore, but he definitely wasn't completely comfortable. This was probably the closest thing to pampering he'd had in...Mika didn't want to think how long it had been.

There had definitely been some moments of doubt on his part after that night in his apartment - he'd asked her no less than four times if she was okay with this, or if he scared her at all. Each time she rolled her eyes, reminding him that she did not feel any danger around him, that more than anything she was appreciative if him sharing his past with her (even if his original plan was to drop the bomb and run). And in the light of his secret, she felt like so many things made sense now; even without him giving details of his time with Hydra, she could see the purpose and intent behind all of his actions and reactions. And while he was hesitant at first after his confession, now he was more relaxed with his conversation, and a little more open with his affection. Well, he was more open to her affection, though he was still hesitant to return it. And she couldn't help but feel closer to him as well; he knew a part of her that no one outside her family knew, and he hadn't reacted with pity and crocodile tears. He'd given her the support and comfort of someone who'd also seen tragedy and was determined to live in spite of it. She could never compare her experiences to his, but he didn't discount them just because of their differences. It gave them both the first piece of what they were missing - closure.

She considered looking through the S.H.I.E.L.D. files for mentions of Bucky Barnes or the Winter Soldier, even going so far as to pull out the external hard drives that stored them. It'd taken six terabyte drives, but she'd managed to download the entire data dump from the disbanded organization. Most of the files were still encrypted, but she decrypted the most important ones at the time. In the end, she decided against searching for him, only scanning through the folder with all of her sister's files to see if there was any cross between the two. As far as anyone knew, Raisa and the Winter Soldier had never met.

Maria made quick work of his hair, cutting it back to the length it was when Mika first met him well over a year ago. Bucky actually looked happy by the end of it, running his hand through the shorter cut, his expression looking oddly touched by the gesture. The look made her emotions swell and her heart beat sternly in her chest; something as simple as a haircut seemed to affect him so much. She wondered if she should try and convince him to do an in-home spa day, really learn what it's like to treat himself. He surprised both of them by giving Maria a hug and a quiet, heartfelt thank you. She couldn't stop smiling, seeing how much more confident he seemed to be.

"Look at you, so handsome." she said, running her fingers through his hair again before kicking him out of his seat and stealing it. He returned to his position on the couch, though he couldn't stop touching his new hair. She was sad that it was probably too short to braid, but she consoled herself by saying that it would grow back soon enough. At the very least, she knew it would still go up in a little bun. "Now Claire's going to be even more persistent."

"Oh, who's Claire?" Maria sang, brushing through Mika's hair. Mika relaxed into the chair, taking in the feeling of someone else doing her hair for her. The name of the other woman sent a jolt of irritation through her, but she ignored it, figuring it was probably just the brush hitting a ticklish spot on her neck.

"No one." Bucky said from the couch, crossing his arms over his chest, building the barrier between himself and the conversation. Mika scoffed, but it wasn't as strong as she meant for it to be. She was the one who brought up the girl, but now she found herself regretting it. It was too late, of course. She'd committed to embarrassing him, and now she needed to follow through.

"Claire is a casual acquaintance at the pub who has repeatedly invited Bucky for a night cap, and he turns her down every single time!" Mika explained, and her friend gasped appreciatively. Her words felt hollow, and she wondered if the other two could hear it as well. She didn't know why she felt like this, she'd been perfectly fine pointing out his feelings towards the girl with the books earlier.

"Bucky! You tease!" Maria admonished, beginning to snip away at Mika's dark hair. They both gave Bucky pointed looks, and he held up his hands in innocence.

"I've not led her on. Been honest from the beginning." he replied, trying to defend himself from their words. Based on his retellings of the conversations, that was true. And honestly, Claire hadn't tried anything for a couple weeks now. Seemed she'd moved on to just being causal acquaintances.

"Well obviously not, if she's still trying." Maria pointed out. Mika ignored everything she knew about the situation in favor of trying to get his cheeks a certain shade of red, and while Maria only knew the bare essentials, she was only too happy to help. "This is the blonde you chat with once in a while?"

"Yes." Mika said, and again there was a little bit of a bitter taste in her mouth. She decided to unpack that later, as right now she had company and needed to focus on the conversation. His blush hadn't reached his face, but thanks to his new haircut, she could see the back of his neck turning red.

"Well what's wrong with her? She seems sweet." she continued, making Bucky shrug. Besides the change on the back of his neck, he looked completely unbothered by their barrage of questions. His voice was still even and light, and Mika wished she could have half his confidence.

"Not my type." he said, his eyes once again finding Mika's. He was giving her a look that she didn't quite understand, but that didn't stop her from smirking in return. Behind her, Maria let out a disbelieving hmph as she kept snipping away.

"Really? Busty blondes aren't your thing?" Maria persisted, and Mika thought she was enjoying this a bit too much. Bucky gave a short huff of a laugh, crossing his ankle over the top of his knee and leaning his head against his gloved hand. He was trying very hard to appear casual, which she thought odd. She tucked that fact away for later as well.

"Nah." he said, looking at Mika like they were sharing an inside joke, though she couldn't think of one. Perhaps he was thinking of his friend who shared her lipstick with him; he had mentioned she was blonde. Was that the joke? Maria let out an unamused noise, and Mika wasn't sure if her friend caught their exchange or not. That was the downside of conversing while she was working.

"Guess we'll just have to find you someone tall, dark, and athletic then, hm?" she said, her tone laced with meaning. Bucky let out a low chuckle at this which made Maria laugh as well, and all of the sudden Mika felt like she was on the outside of their inside joke. Maria made a few last snips before running her fingers through her hair, getting the last cut bits to fall to the floor. Mika gave her head a shake, taking in the feel of the new style.

"What do you think?" she asked, striking a dramatic pose at Bucky. He gave her a wry smile, still maintaining his casual position.

"Beautiful." he replied, and though he said it lightly, he looked at her so seriously that it made her heart stutter for a moment. She played off the moment by flipping her hair dramatically, trying to look as arrogant as possible.

"Thank you." she said lightly, sliding off the stool and turning to Maria, her arms outstretched for a hug. "And thank you, beautiful girl." she said, holding her tightly.

"Of course." she said, hugging her friend just as tightly. When she finally pulled away, she gave Bucky a serious look. "You're still planning on coming to the wedding, yes?"

"Wouldn't miss it." Bucky affirmed, nodding his head. This answer surprised Mika; she thought she'd be spending the next six weeks trying to convince him to go. "Don't have a suit or tie, but I'll be there."

"Don't worry, I'll fix that." Mika stage whispered, giving her friend a wink. Maria returned the wink, gathering up her shears and putting them all back in her bag.

"Of course you will. Well, have fun cleaning this up, I'm off to go taste some cakes." she said brightly, kissing them both on the cheek before rushing out of the apartment. Mika smiled, grabbing her broom and beginning to gather the parts of their old lives that they'd cut off. Bucky offered to help, which of course she declined. This was her present, she was going to take care of everything. Without cleaning to focus on, he just looked confused.

"She left before we could pay her." he pointed out, and Mika dutifully kept her eyes down. This was the part that she was most concerned about; Bucky didn't seem to like when she did nice things for him, even though he was kind to her all the time.

"It's already been taken care of." she replied lightly, sweeping everything into the dustpan and disposing of it. When she finally dared to look at him again, he was giving her the same unamused look he gave any time she gave him something.

"How much do I owe you then?" he asked softly. She wondered if he felt like this was a debt; to her, of course, it wasn't. It was a gift. She waved him off, going up to him and admiring his new look up close. She carefully moved a few pieces that had gone wayward, wondering if he minded how close she was standing.

"Nothing. It was my treat." she replied, her tone easy but definitive as she perfected his hair. He was not going to fight her on this. He was going to let her do something nice, dammit. He reached up, and for a moment she thought he was going to rest his hand on her hip, but instead he settled for leaning on the kitchen island. She put her hands on his cheeks, and he stood remarkably still and let her. "Now I can actually see your face."

"Thank you." he said gently, in the tone of someone who still wasn't used to people being nice to him. Mika's heart could have broken, but she shoved the emotion down; there was no room for pity between them. They could only move forward.

"So you're really planning to go to the wedding then?" she asked, stepping away from him and going to make more tea, if only to have something to do with her hands. He leaned on his elbows on the island, watching as she went about it.

"Right now, yes." he replied, pulling his glove off and slipping it back in his pocket. She shook her head, chuckling lowly at his response. Always open ended, always leaving the possibility of change. She set her tea to steep, turning back to him and eyeing him.

"Do you know how to dance then?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips and giving him a challenging look. He perked an eyebrow, trying to see if there was another meaning to her words.

"Depends on the dance." he replied slowly, as if he was nervous for her reaction to them. Mika thought he knew better than to be afraid of judgement, but he was probably more afraid that she was going to make him dance with her. Which, to be fair, she was. She gave him a mischievous grin, grabbing her phone from the counter and scrolling through a track list. The tune that started playing through her speakers was unfamiliar to him, sounding foreign and old fashioned. But it was played at every wedding that Mika had been to.

"Come here, I'll show you the steps." she said, holding her hands out to him and pulling him over to open space. He held her hands gently, as if afraid to touch her. He hadn't acted like that in ages. He was giving her another look that she didn't quite understand, and she squeezed his hands once before holding them steadily, trying to reassure him. She led him slowly through the steps, though she had some trouble at the lower tempo. It took a few tries before she finally got her instructions down, and Bucky was able to pick it up from there. He learned quickly, which she expected; she could tell that even before he got the super strength and senses, he'd been an athlete. He became more comfortable as the song played on, his hands holding hers with confidence as he began to take the lead. She smiled as he spun her, his grip tightening to keep her upright. He was smiling as well by the end of the song, and his hands (even the metal one) were steady and sure. Her cheeks felt warm from the exercise, and they paused for a moment at the end of the song until he was the first to pull away.

"Where did you learn that?" he asked, and while he was no longer holding her hands, he hadn't stepped away like he normally did. She smiled at the memory.

"My father taught me, when I was...eight I think? It was a family friend's wedding, really traditional and old fashioned. Small town life, you know." she said, stepping away and going to her phone. "You caught on really fast though. Not that it surprised me."

"I was known to cut a rug, back in my day." he said, making her roll her eyes in a good natured manner. She adored these stories, but also had to ridicule him at any given opportunity.

"They had rugs back then?" she asked, and he gave her a dark look in return. He couldn't hold it though, the corner of his mouth sneaking up in a grin.

"They'd just been invented." he replied. He paused for a moment, thinking hard about something before putting his hand out for her phone. She lifted one eyebrow, holding it out for him to take. She watched him carefully type in the search bar, waiting with bated breath to see what would start playing through the speakers. Soon, a tune that could only be described as jaunty was echoing through the apartment. He paused again before holding his hand out to her. His brows were furrowed as she took it, his movements stiff as she stepped closer and his left hand came to rest in the middle of her back.

"Oh, my turn to learn something?" she asked, resting her hand on his shoulder. His palm was warm against hers, and his breathing was slow and controlled, which gave away his nerves. She was starting to notice his tells, as usually they appeared as him trying too hard to not seem nervous.

"Let's see if I can remember it." he replied, more to himself than to her. She could see him counting the beats in his head, his fingers tapping lightly against her skin as his muscles tried to recall the way to move. He waited for the down beat before taking a step, and then another, and another. It took him a second to dust off the rust, but soon he was easily leading her through a swing dance. She wasn't familiar with the steps, but he was a good partner, and as the song went on he became more confident, more easy going with his movements. He was smiling again by the end of it, and this time he looked younger. She felt like she was catching a glimpse of the man he was before the War.

The song ended and faded into a different one, this one slower and more romantic. He waited a beat before pulling her back to him, a little closer this time. The steps to this dance weren't fast like the one beforehand, and she felt like the violins were carrying them across the laminate flooring of the apartment. He spun her out, then in again, her back against his chest for but a brief moment before he spun her again, putting a respectable space between them once more.

"Not bad." she said as they continued to sway and move with the tune. She was pretending to not be completely impressed, which of course, she was. Bucky was strong and tough and knew how to fight and reset dislocated shoulders. She did not expect him to be an expert dancer. He shrugged, giving her a grin.

"Still got a few moves left in these old bones." he retorted, the metal of his hand clicking as he adjusted it on her back. It felt cool against her skin, even through her shirt. She didn't mind it though. She moved so that her arm was resting casually on his shoulder, letting her sneak just a little bit closer to him.

"You should use them more often." she said, giving him a look. He stared at her for a long time, so long she wondered if she'd accidentally said something to offend him. But eventually he let out a dry laugh, shaking his head.

"Perhaps." was all he said, finishing the song before stepping away from her. He went and grabbed his baseball cap as the next song on whatever list he found started playing, slipping it on and grabbing his jacket. "Thank you for the dance, and the haircut. I'm afraid I have to go to work now."

"Of course. I fully expect you to - what was it, 'cut a rug'? - at the wedding with me in December." she said pointedly, remembering that she'd left a cup of tea on the counter. It was likely cold now, but she could just stick in the microwave. Bucky grinned, nodding and looking down at the floor for a moment before returning his gaze to her.

"Absolutely. See you tomorrow." he said softly, his eyes once again saying something that she couldn't decipher. She returned his parting words, going to get her tea as he let himself out of the apartment. Perhaps she didn't need the warm drink, considering how warm her cheeks felt at the moment. Was she getting sick? She couldn't be getting sick. She didn't have time to get sick.

Either way, the tea wouldn't hurt.

Woo! I know this wasn't the most exciting chapter, but I figured a chill slice of life thing would be nice after all the drama we've been through the past few chapters. As always, thank you so so so incredibly much for all your wonderful feedback! I borderline thrive on it, it's fine.

Please let me know what you thought of this chapter! I hope y'all liked it!

-XM