The rain moved onshore just an hour after Alex and Bucky had their discussion and it poured nonstop for the rest of the day. Heavy raindrops hammered against the thatched roof of the bungalow and along the boardwalk, providing a steady, rhythmic melody that was ever-present throughout the remainder of their day.
Bucky stood near the now-closed wall of the bedroom, staring out the windows as rain pounded against the glass. Long lines of water gushed off the roof onto the deck, splashing irregularly before running back into the ocean. He peered sightlessly at the water, its turbulent depth sloshing and heaving around the bungalow's stilts. His thoughts were no different at that moment. They churned as heavily as the ocean did.
From her vantage point in the kitchen, Alex could tell Bucky was still troubled by what transpired with Oro. Even with his back turned, she could see the taut lines of his back and shoulders as he stood at the window not really looking at anything in particular. Yes, they had a plan now; one they were both committed to seeing through to the end. Preparing for things seemed to have helped him a bit. But from where she currently stood, it was easy to see that every ounce of Bucky's body still appeared tense.
Knowing what worked for her in the past in moments like these, Alex decided to treat herself and Bucky to a little of Tony's well-stocked liquor stash. Bottles of varying sizes and designs greeted Alex when she took a look at what was available, and was elated to find an aged Irish whiskey they could both share. She filled two crystal tumblers, then snuck an initial taste just to test it. It was good. Real good.
Tumblers in hand, she walked over to the stone-still figure of Bucky, signaling her presence with a brush of her fingers on his back.
He turned and smiled. "Hey."
She offered him one of the tumblers. "I think we could use a drink right now."
Bucky took his gladly, hooking an arm around Alex's waist when she leaned into him. He lifted the glass to his nose, inhaling the rich scent of oak and wood of the alcohol. "Where'd you find this?"
"Stark's private collection. I figured he wouldn't mind if we sampled a little."
The tiny smile Bucky gave her brightened his entire face. He shifted his eyes back to the stormy scene beyond the window and let out a wistful sigh. "Kind of mesmerizing out there, isn't it?"
"The ocean?"
"The ocean. The storm. Everything." He took a swig of the honey-colored liquid and let it sit on his tongue a moment before swallowing. It tasted like better times. Better days. Given everything that had happened, he could have downed the entire glass in one gulp.
"I thought the very same thing earlier on the way back from the market" Alex admitted. "I thought if the rain came it would make for a pretty romantic day inside."
Bucky studied her. "It's not romantic now?"
She shrugged, eyes lowering to her drink. "It's hard to pretend everything's okay when it isn't."
Bucky tightened his knuckles around the glass. Everything with Oro - Boroshka - seemed to have changed the entire tone of their vacation. He wished it hadn't. He hated that it did. It was the last thing he wanted to happen, and it made him angry.
Throwing caution to the wind, Bucky downed the rest of the whiskey and set the glass on a nearby surface. He wrapped two fingers around Alex's chin and lifted her gaze. "I know it's my fault that this trip had turned upside down..."
Alex made a face. "James-"
"-Just listen. Please." He begged her with his eyes. "I know we agreed to a plan earlier, but we agreed it would begin tomorrow. We should be enjoying today while we still have it. I mean, look outside: the rain is practically forcing us to keep our original plan."
There was a faint curve to Alex's lips when he said this. She looked at him with consideration, her dark eyes surveying the rain and the bungalow as if in a new light. "You don't think it's wrong to talk about killing someone and then proceed to watch Jurassic Park and stuff our faces?"
Bucky leveled with her. "Doll, we're Avengers. This is what we do. We go out, we take care of the bad guys, and we come back to reality. Whatever that is."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "So level-headed all of a sudden" she said, pride growing for the handsome, mindful man in front of her.
"What can I say? You rub off on me." Bucky's smile was immediate when Alex broke into laughter. The sound of it made all his worries and apprehensions vanish into thin air. "C'mere" he said, pulling her flush against his chest. "I just don't want us to waste any time we have here. You get that, right?"
"Of course I do." She sank deeper into his arms as he tightened them protectively around her, the plates of his metal arm shifting near her ear. She rested her cheek between the muscular panes of his chest and closed her eyes. "You have a point, though. Why let the asshole ruin one more day?"
"Especially when we already promised one another today would be our day to relax inside." Bucky smoothed his hand along the back of Alex's head. His touch was possessive, but also protective. Alexis was his everything, and he held on to her like the precious treasure she was. As long as Boroshka was safely away from them and their bungalow, he wanted today to proceed as normally as possible. He would take it upon himself to make sure it did.
"I can literally hear you thinking," Alex muttered against his chest. She shifted her eyes upward to see Bucky's coy smile staring back at her.
"I'm trying to decide if we begin the rest of this day with the movie, the food, the fucking, or all three?"
"Oh, all three for sure." Alex looked away shyly. "Though you did promise me the movie."
Bucky kissed the top of her head. "The movie it is, then." He gave a little pat to the curve of her ass. "Let's go. I wanna see these Jeeps you swear Stark is copying here."
More whiskey was poured. Popcorn was popped. Blankets were used for the first time since Bucky and Alex arrived on the island. It was, all things considered, the perfect afternoon to spend inside together. Given what transpired, the couple did a pretty decent job at forgetting the trouble that awaited them. They sat together on the spacious couch watching the movie, with Alex nestled in the crook of Bucky's arm and their bowl of popcorn between them. Outside, the stormy weather continued, the sound of rain always present beyond the cozy confines of the bungalow.
Bucky was completely enthralled by the movie from the start. He watched with wide eyes as the characters went from being carefree at the dinosaur park to doing a 180 as they ran for their lives from them later in the film. For Alexis, the real show was watching Bucky react to everything. Every time his jaw dropped, she held back a giggle. He couldn't believe the filmmakers shot some of the scenes with actual, life-sized recreations of the dinosaurs. It was like watching the movie with a kid who'd never seen animatronics before. Alex supposed it kind of was, especially since movies in his day were nowhere near what they were now, even back in 1993.
The first time Bucky saw the Jeeps on screen, he looked at Alex with a smirk brewing. "You nailed it, babe."
Alex settled into the cushions with satisfaction. "Told ya Stark copied them" she said, munching another handful of popcorn.
Halfway through the movie, the whiskey began taking effect on Alex. She felt a little drowsy, so she settled her head on Bucky's lap and stretched out her legs. Bucky's hand instinctively stroked her hair, though he remained captivated by the movie. When the final scene faded to black and the credits began to roll, Bucky clicked off the tv and sat staring at the blank screen.
"That was something else." He rubbed his face. "Humans probably shouldn't mess with stuff like DNA, should they?"
The irony of that statement coming from a man who had a super serum running through his blood was not lost on Alex. She said nothing of it, but patted his knee. "Did you like it?"
"It was awesome. I just can't believe they filmed something like that."
Alex sat up just enough to see his expression, which was every bit amused as it had been during the entire movie. "I'm glad I got to watch it with you on your first time."
"So many firsts between us, huh?"
Alex leaned in closer. "Mmmhmm..."
It came out as a purr as her lips met Bucky's. He had that sharp taste of whiskey on his tongue and it turned Alex on. She deepened her kiss, feeling like her lips were a little loose against his. The kiss was languid, wet, and borderline sloppy. Alex loved it.
Bucky gathered up her legs and scooped Alex into his lap, his hand sliding up to the base of her neck and squeezing lightly. "Babe..."
"Hmm?"
"Do dinosaurs make you horny?"
Alex blurted out a tipsy laugh. "No!?" She saw the massive smile on Bucky's face and pushed him in the shoulder. "You make me horny - isn't that obvious?"
Bucky knew it was greedy, but he just wanted to hear her say it. He craved her desire. That little twinkle she had in her eyes let him know she lusted for him, and to this day it surprised the hell out of him. But anytime he got to hear her say it, it made him even harder.
He pulled her face to his, calming her with another kiss. "I'm just teasing ya."
"Sure you are."
Their lips met again and they began kissing like they couldn't get enough of one another. For several minutes all they did was make out. It was explorative, slow, and with a depth that was reminiscent of when they first met. Alex caught herself wondering: am I literally just sitting here kissing this man as though I'm back in high school? The thought caused her to giggle against Bucky's mouth.
He pulled away, confusion in his smile. "What's so funny?"
She shook her head, unable to keep from looking dumb and in love. "It occurred to me we're just sitting here making out."
"This just occurred to you?!"
He was as tipsy as her, so the sass he was giving her caused them both to start laughing. Alex pushed her lips against Bucky's once more and their noses bumped, and then it was Bucky who was laughing. His laugh took on that higher-pitched tone he always got whenever he was truly happy.
"You're fucking adorable" he told her, face scrunching with delight.
Alex tried to hold his face still long enough to grab one more solid kiss. She cupped his cheeks and pulled him in, successfully smushing his face but getting one last kiss. She stood up from the couch and pulled Bucky by the collar of his shirt. "Are you hungry yet? Cause I'm starved."
Was he ever, but at this point Bucky wasn't exactly sure what he was hungry for. The pressure in his shorts told him it wasn't for whatever food Alex wanted to prepare. But the sensible side of him, the one currently buried somewhere beneath a layer of liquor, reminded him that neither of them had eaten anything of substance since breakfast. Just the mentioning of food left his stomach growling eagerly.
Maybe that's also why he felt a little woozy when he stood up from the couch. All that whiskey sitting in an empty stomach surely had an influence on him; one he didn't realize until he stood up.
Alex lead them both towards the kitchen and pointed at one of the stools. "You sit right there" she said. "And I'll get everything ready."
Bucky settled onto his seat with a grin. "Deal."
He sat with a dumb smile on his face while he watched Alex, enjoying the domestic scene as she brought out the items she picked up at the market. She shimmied her hips as she began to wash and prepare the vegetables, purposely teasing Bucky in doing so. She cast a flirty glance over her shoulder and saw those blue eyes slowly lift from her lower half, a playful sneer marking his face. Enjoying the way he was watching her, she went about dicing up the vegetables knowing he was struggling juuuuust a little.
Bucky was struggling, but he did the very best he could. He really did. He sat there, sometimes talking with Alex, sometimes watching her silently. The movement of her hips, the subtle sway of her breasts, the way she drew her hair up into a ponytail halfway through her work...it was nothing out of the ordinary, but his dick was still hard and the liquor was still in his system. Everything Alex was doing was turning him on.
But then his mind betrayed him. His thoughts flickered back to that of Boroshka and his anger erupted all over again. His hands flexed, his jaw tensed, and then the image of Alexis faded into the loathing he felt towards the people who hurt him.
Bucky struggled to come back from the rage that was growing inside his body. He found himself staring down at the counter, lost in his own mind, completely gone from the room and everything good he had around him in that moment.
Alex had no idea any of this was even going on. She chatted while she worked, turning to face as she pushed ingredients from a cutting board into a bowl.
When their eyes met, Bucky faked a smile; pretending he'd heard everything she was saying but still engulfed in his own anger. The liquor coursing through him didn't help.
I'm not gonna let anyone ruin this with her, he thought, clenching his fist into a tight ball.
I love her too much to waste even just one day with her.
I've wasted too many years letting these people control me. I won't let them control today.
He pushed back from the counter and stood up.
Alex had her back to Bucky. She continued chatting while she chopped up ingredients and was transferring them onto a sheet pan when she felt him press up against her from behind. His hands locked on to her waist, the strength in his grip imposing.
"Ooooo, hello. What are you dooooing?" she teased. In response, Bucky pressed against her even harder. The size of his body had her trapped against the counter, a slight curve to her spine as his hips settled against hers.
"I'm not letting Boroshka ruin this day" he uttered, his mouth flush against her ear.
Confused, Alex turned her head. "Is he ruining it right now?"
"He's in my head again."
She reached behind her to cup the side of Bucky's face. His expression had taken on that imposing hardness he sometimes had during missions. Luckily, she knew how to rid him of it. All she had to do was align her mouth with his. "Then get him out" she breathed.
Bucky took this as his signal as ran with it. His mouth joined with hers with needful force, signaling the inferno that was building between them. Alex could feel how hard he was already, and the heat of him pressed against her skin set fire to her own center. His flesh hand snuck around to the front of her stomach, gripping greedily at the flesh before pushing beneath her waistband. His fingers expertly tugged away the fabric of her thong, and then Alex felt the warmth of his large hand covering her core. He teased her with a flick of his fingers and her hands went limp, the sound of everything she was holding tumbling onto the counter.
"You said I make you horny..." Bucky caressed her neck with lazy, open-mouthed kisses. "Time to see just how much."
He drug his thick middle finger down the center of her soft folds before dipping inside. Alex closed her eyes, feeling through the sensations as he added his index finger. When they were good and wet with her glistening need, Bucky withdrew and lifted both fingers to her mouth. He watched, jaw slack and eyes dark with lust, as she took his fingers in her mouth down to the knuckle and licked them clean. He exhaled hard, never more turned on than when Alex wanted to taste herself on him.
A small but teasing smile crept across her face. "Does that answer your question?" She snuck a glance behind her to see him, but there was no smile on Bucky's face. Only that familiar, hot intensity that burned in his eyes.
Excitement rolled through her when Bucky nudged apart her legs with his knee, his other hand tugging her shorts down far enough until he could stomp them the rest of the way down to her ankles. Alex could only look ahead at the wall as she felt through Bucky's motions while he stripped her from the waist down. Cool air played at her now-bare thighs; a delightful contrast to the heat of his hand as he gripped the flesh of her ass. She felt a rough tug as her thong was pulled to the side. When she felt Bucky's metal hand push her chest down onto the kitchen counter, she flat out grinned.
"Fuck are you ever pretty like this."
Alex's heart raced in anticipation. Bucky was admiring her again. Enjoying the sight of his mate before mounting her. There was something primal in the way he did this and she hated how much she loved and craved it. She bit her lip to keep from squirming, the anticipating killing her when she knew the pleasure that was only moments away.
Bucky sunk his hand deep into Alex's hair and grabbed the base of her ponytail, yanking her head back until her mouth opened and her neck was exposed. His breath was humid against her ear as he settled his imposing weight over her back. "I need to feel you so bad, doll..."
Alex felt his grip on her hair tighten even further. "Then what are you waiting for?" she exhaled, a smirk playing at the ends of her open mouth.
Her sharp gasp was the only thing louder than the rain when Bucky drove himself inside her all the way to the hilt.
Needless to say, Boroshka was forgotten for the rest of the evening.
Boroshka Gribinov lived on Tony Stark's private island under a well-protected false identity developed by his old family. The family that deserted him. That left him here, with the enemy.
He lived in a shoddy thatched hut on the fringe of where Stark had built his playground. The playground he watched over. Its where he played pretend each and every day, faking his identity and concealing his past from everyone around him. Pretending was his only means of persevering. His old family didn't want him anymore. Didn't need him anymore. They discarded him thoughtlessly, and this is where he ended up. Now he played pretend and lived within the safety of his own lies.
And then a ghost from his past walked back into his life, alive and well and whole. He arrived in one of Stark's jets, and with a woman.
Boroshka had watched the ghost from the safety of his office, his eyes keenly focused on the monitors and his heart in his throat. He had no idea anyone from his old job survived. The reports after his family deserted him said they were all destroyed.
All but one, it seemed.
Boroshka sat down at his makeshift desk and lit a cigarette, listening to the rain pummel the weak structure of his hut. Water leaked between the uneven boards of his roof, the constant dripping sound like nails on a chalkboard. It rattled inside his mind. It reminded him of the room where he spent most of his time with the ghost. Water. Always water. Dripping. Dripping.
He took a drag and pushed the smoke out in a frustrated exhaled. His gray eyes shifted to the layers of pictures tacked to the wall in front of him. Years of news articles, pictures, undercover letters, and personal recollections were gathered there, pinned to the wall, staring back at him. His family members, the ones who deserted him, were all there. Many of them had died.
And yet, the ghost remained.
His arm was unmistakable. The hair. The stern face. The gaited walk.
He lived, and he was here.
But who was the woman? Boroshka wasn't aware of who the woman was, but she looked familiar. He took another long drag, trying to recall her face. He'd been so focused on the ghost when he first saw him that he couldn't remember much about her. Dark hair. Dark eyes. Athletic frame. That's all he could recall.
He leaned forward and began flipping through the layers of pictures and articles tacked to the wall. He mostly collected items regarding his old family, though he did have a few articles that dealt with Stark and his troupe of marauders. But whoever the woman was, she wasn't a part of his wall of secrets and memories. He'd never seen her until she stepped off the private jet, her hand locked in the ghost's hand.
Did the ghost love?
Could he?
Not the ghost Boroshka knew. No, there was no ability to love there. If his ghost showed even a trace of emotion, he was punished immediately. That was Boroshka's job. His old job. With his old family. The family who deserted him.
Outside, the rain continued to fall in sheets.
The water dripped through the cracks.
The sound rattled inside Boroshka's mind.
After this morning's run-in with the ghost, Boroshka needed a plan. When the ghost remembered him - and he would remember - he would come for him. He knew it. He felt it. He didn't train him, discipline him, mold him into the man he'd been not to have some idea of how he operated.
But the woman.
Who was the woman?
She made the ghost smile. He saw it happen on the monitors.
They descended Stark's private jet, hand in hand, a smile on both their faces.
He'd never witnessed the ghost smile before.
Could the woman have made him forget who he really was?
HOW was it that the fucking Winter Soldier was still alive?
HOW?
Boroshka pounded a fist into the desk, rattling the items that were littered across it. He dabbed his cigarette out on a dinner plate and slumped back into his chair. Deceit lay heavy in his mind. It seemed nothing made sense anymore. Every picture he'd saved. Every article he cut from newspapers. All the evidence he had before him, and none of it pointed to the Winter Soldier still existing.
But if the words still worked...
If the words could still activate him...
Boroshka had to try. He'd tested them this morning and got his answer. The ghost was real. He was alive and he was here, on Boroshka's doorstep. If he could activate him, maybe he could earn a place with his old family again. Maybe he could prove himself. Maybe they would take him back into the program. Without them, he was nothing. Just a shell. A pretender. A living lie.
But if he could do the unthinkable and bring back the Winter Soldier?
Boroshka's lips peeled back to reveal a full set of teeth. A lightness that had been missing in his heart suddenly appeared. It was just a flicker, but it was there.
Outside, the rain continued to fall.
The water dripped through the cracks.
And Boroshka smiled.
Bucky remained awake in bed later that night, unable to sleep. He lay naked on his back atop strewed bedsheets, Alexis snugly nestled against his chest. Her arm lay draped over his waist; her slow, steady exhales comforting against his skin. She'd been asleep for hours now, and yet Bucky couldn't close his eyes long enough to let sleep find him.
For a long while, he stared out beyond the windows to the darkness outside, watching as the rain finally eased up. He listened to the battering of swollen drops against the roof become lighter and more intermittent until only a fine trickle was left. The light of the moon edged out behind parting clouds, casting a thread of silver across the surface of the ocean. Bucky stared the light - lost himself in it, even - as he considered everything the new day would bring.
Bucky brought his gaze back to Alex's sleeping figure when she shifted quietly, her arm subconsciously tightening around his stomach. She uttered a barely audible sigh and the sound brought a smile to Bucky's face. He pressed a feather light kiss to the top of her head, feeling how good it was to be needed the way Alex needed him; the way she wanted him. Nothing in his life compared to it. God knows he still wasn't used to it.
He stared at Alex for a moment longer, admiring the softness of her face in the dim light. Was he putting her in danger by going after Boroshka? Was it necessary to do what they were planning on doing? Was he being selfish? These questions troubled him, keeping him on edge while Alexis slept soundly in his arms. She trusted him enough to find sleep the night before a manhunt. Why couldn't he trust himself? Why was he questioning his own motives?
Hydra did unspeakable things to him. And it didn't stop there. They ruined lives wherever they could and whenever it benefited them. Boroshka had been a part of that. Whatever the circumstances, Bucky knew he had to be stopped. Anyone left from that era of his life had to be dealt with.
Boroshka knew the words, though. He'd uttered them in the garage to test him.
But if he used them in the correct way...
Bucky pushed his head back further into the pillow, willing his eyes to close and his mind to stop running. His heart hammered inside his chest, the sound of his own fear vibrating in his ears.
I won't let it get to that point.
I can't let it get to that point.
He worked too hard. Came too far. They healed him of that shit in Wakanda. And now, with Alexis...all the work he put in with her...
No. It wasn't possible.
It couldn't happen.
The words had no effect on him anymore.
Bucky opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. God, he was tired. His entire body was spent, emotionally and physically. He loved the day he spent with Alexis, but he was exhausted. All he wanted in that moment was to sleep and be fresh in the morning for whatever awaited them.
"James?"
Bucky picked his head up at the sound of Alex's sleepy voice. "Yeah? You okay?"
"Mmm hmm." She stretched a little, her face scrunching up face in the process. When her eyes opened and focused on him, she sat up some more. "You haven't slept, have you?"
Bucky was never sure how Alex did it. Her awareness had to come from her powers or the connection they shared within those powers. He smoothed back her hair and gave her a tired smile. "Don't worry about me. I hope I didn't wake you?"
She scooted further up to the pillow, supporting her head with one hand. "No, not at all." She rubbed her eyes, slumber still heavy in her in expression. "Why can't you sleep?"
Bucky facially shrugged. His eyes met hers, and Alex knew his answer without even hearing it. She reached a hand out and began to caress his head, which had an immediate soothing effect on him. He closed his eyes, feeling her fingers slowly tug through his hair. "I love when you do this."
Alex nestled her head on the pillow next to his. "I know you do." She let her fingers play slowly through his dark strands, loving how soft it felt against her skin. The simple act of touching him in this way was as therapeutic for her as it was for him.
Finally, Bucky's heart rate slowed. Every rhythmic stroke of Alex's hand lulled him closer to sleep. Even Alex closed her eyes at one point, her hand slowly coming to a stop. Sleep took them both at the same time, their heads tucked in close to one another on the same pillow.
The rain finally ended when morning came. The sun rose and brought with it a layer of steam rising from the saturated and warming landscape. A ring of thin clouds hung around the perimeter of the sharpened terrain at the center of the island. These would eventually burn off as the sun rose further. Today would prove to be a humid one, but at least the sun was shining again.
In the bungalow, Alex paced in front of Bucky as they went over the plan one more time. Bucky sat on the couch hunched over his legs and staring at the knife, the gun, and the three rounds of ammo laid out on the coffee table before him. It was definitely better than nothing, but it left him feeling more exposed than usual. Then again, this wasn't a typical mission.
"So you'll take me down to Oro's office you were in yesterday..." Alex maintained her slow pace as she went over the plan's key points. "...I'll get into the computer system, take out all security cameras, then find a directory so we can figure out where he lives."
"I've got your back if we need a distraction in the meantime," Bucky said. "Our goal is to isolate him in his own home. If that's successful, I'll take it from there. Keep him pinned while you read his thoughts and see why he's here and if he's plotting anything."
Alex nodded. "Right. And that'll be the easy part." She eyed Bucky on the couch. "You know none of this will go as smoothly as we're hoping?"
He gave her a knowing smile. "It never does."
There was a bittersweet irony in the way he said it, but they both knew it was true. It always helped to have a plan, but in their line of work the amount of on-the-spot decision making was always more than what could ever be planned.
"Good thing we're so in tune with one another" he added, fondness in his voice.
Their eyes met in shared understanding. The slate-blue of Bucky's eyes shone bright, and Alex took comfort in it. He was right: they always rode the same wavelength no matter what they did or where they were. As long as they were together, they could feed off of each other's energy. She was confident they would be able to play off one another in the event their plan went sideways.
"However," Bucky said, staring down at the weapons in front of him. "I'm not sure I've ever walked into a situation like this without any body armor." He lifted his gaze once more as Alex resumed pacing. "We may need to get creative."
She thought this over, her hand going to her chin. "Call me crazy, but I still think Stark has a secret reserve around here."
"He probably does. But even if we knew where it was, how would we access it? You know how Stark is with his weapons" Bucky said, slumping back into the cushions.
Alex gave an ironic sort of laugh. "I sure do." And then she halted, an idea coming to her. "Wait. You might be on to something."
Bucky's forehead lifted. "I am?"
"We know exactly how Stark operates, do we not?"
"You could say that" Bucky mused with a roll of his eyes.
Alex felt her powers start to tingle in her fingers as her anticipation grew. She looked around the room, trying to see it with new eyes. "He likes things to be at the ready, and he likes a riddle. You know...something that shows he's smarter than everyone in the room without being obvious about it."
Bucky stood, hands resting on his hips. "I was with you right up until that last part" he said with a smirk. "He's pretty obvious about that all the damn time."
"But here? On an island he owns and suspects no one would give a shit if he was smarter than them?" Alex clicked her teeth. "If he needed to use his weapons, he'd need it to be easy to access, but not obvious."
"Hidden in plain sight" Bucky added, realization slowly creeping in. "He wouldn't want to worry anyone who works here."
Alex walked into the kitchen and started looking closely at all the appliances. "Doesn't he like to double-tap shit to activate it? He's always doing it with his arc reactor and that watch he wears. He's always tapping stuff to turn it on."
Bucky began walking around the living area. "Yeah, it's almost second nature to him. Which means he uses the same motion with everything so he doesn't have to think about it."
With this in mind, the pair began checking everything in front of them. Alex tried various items in the kitchen while Bucky moved through the other rooms, always trying to active something. It seemed ridiculous to go around double-tapping random items around them, but this was Tony Stark they were talking about. He could do anything and make anything. Double-tapping a toaster with the hopes it would transform into something wasn't exactly out of the question.
When nothing responded, Alex stood in the living room and chewed her lip. They were missing something. Something obvious. Something they were overlooking or disregarding. She tried to study the room one more time with new eyes, as if she was seeing it for the first time all over again.
That's when she noticed a small end table placed in the far corner of the living room. It stood near a book shelf, and couldn't have been any bigger than two feet in width. On the table sat a telephone. A corded telephone.
A grin erupted across her face. "Babe?"
"Yeah?" Bucky walked back into the living area after checking the washroom. "Did you find something?"
Alex went over to the table with the corded telephone. "I think so." She glanced over her shoulder as Bucky approached. "Did you even notice this old phone over here?"
"Not once this entire trip."
"Me either. Who keeps a corded phone anymore? Let alone Tony Stark?"
The couple stared at one another and smiled. Bucky took a step back. "Go for it, babe. This is all you."
Alex studied the phone for a second longer, trying to decide where she should double-tap. Not the keypad. That was too obvious. Plus, it might actually make a call.
So she tapped the spine of the handset.
Immediately, the phone turned into pixelated fragment of its old form. It peeled back and disappeared as the bookshelf spun and exposed an entire wall of Stark Industries weaponry and ammunition.
Alex looked back at Bucky to see him grinning from ear to ear.
They were like kids in a candy store. After taking what guns they wanted and plenty of spare ammo, Bucky got to outfitting them properly so they could carry everything they'd chosen.
Using his knife and Alex's backpack, he cut the nylon straps off and tied them together at the ends. He also cut strips of the fabric and also tied these together, holding the ends in between his teeth as he secured them with fail-proof knots. He stripped the backpack of everything he could that was useful. When he was finished, he had two behind-the-back gun holsters and one waist holder for both him and Alexis.
Bucky did the honors of strapping hers on, his hands deft as he wrapped the makeshift band around between her shoulder blades. "How's it feel? Too tight?"
Alex wiggled her arms, testing her range of movement. "Feels good so far." She felt Bucky give one more tug on the adjustment strap before lowering the hem of her shirt back down to her waist. "I gotta say: it's kind of a turn on that you made these."
Bucky lowered his eyes at the compliment. "Just something I picked up." His gaze flicked upward to see Alex challenging him with a smirk.
"You're too modest."
A smile crept across his face. "Maybe." He shrugged on his own holster, tying the straps together and tightening it across his back. He wound the waist holster about his abdomen and tightened it until there was little to no movement. "There. I feel much better now going into this."
"Now all we need is to dress in something that will actually conceal this stuff" Alex said, trying to turn in such a way where she could see if she had a hump on her back from her gear. When she saw that she did, her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Yeah, this t-shirt isn't gonna cut it, I don't think."
So the couple got to work on their next task: finding out what they needed to wear to make all of this work without being obvious. Without the suits they usually wore on missions, they only had a few choices they could work with. Both of them agreed they needed to look exactly like the vacationing lovers they'd been so far this trip (so as not to tip off any of the employees), but they also needed to conceal their newly acquired weapons.
Bucky chose the only pair of pants he brought with him on the trip, which was a pair of dark navy jeans. When they arrived on the island, he'd been wearing a button-down shirt, so he chose that as his top along with a black undershirt. This at least ensured all his guns and holsters were concealed to the average eye.
Alex also wore the only pair of pants she brought with her, which was a pair of tight black yoga pants. Everything else she brought were either shorts, skirts, or a dress. Not all unlike her suit back in New York, her athletic pants afforded her the best range of mobility to help with her martial arts skills and the acrobatics she excelled at when her powers were in full use.
She had a little more trouble finding a top to conceal her weapons, though. She didn't bring anything that seemed to be loose enough to conceal her back holster, and was left struggling to find something.
Bucky picked up one of her sleeping camisoles from the bedside floor and held it up by the straps. "What about this?"
Alex looked up from her suitcase. "That?!"
"It's loose around the bottom, isn't it?"
"It's silk!"
Bucky didn't understand. He looked at her with round eyes as she approached him and the cami he was still holding. She regarded it for a moment, then nodded. "You're right. So what if it's silk? It'll definitely work. I just need something to cover my back..."
"Use my jacket." Bucky nodded at the black leather jacket he had draped over a coat rung near the bungalow's entrance. He hadn't worn it since they left New York and it had been hanging there ever since. "Say you're cold and I offered it to you. Blame it on the air conditioning. The minute we're away from any employees, you can take it off again."
Alex snapped her fingers. "Brilliant!"
Bucky was feeling pleased as she hurried over to the jacket. "Feel free to elaborate about what a caring, kind boyfriend I am and how I wooed you for the first time with that move back when we first met." He wiggled an eyebrow at her, his grin widening. "You know. A distraction tactic."
Alex laughed, but she had to give it to him. "And an honest distraction tactic at that." She slipped the leather jacket over her shoulder, hearing the jingle of all the various zippers as she did so. It was the jacket she bought him for Christmas that year, knowing he'd look as bad ass and handsome in it.
Bucky admired her in it. "Looks good on you."
With a subdued smile, Alex went to him and slid her arms around his waist. "Looks way better on you." She leaned into him, and could still smell some of his cologne on the button-down from their first day on the island. Though it was only four days ago, it seemed so much longer than that. Her mind skipped back to their plane ride there. They had the entire private jet to themselves, but they had sat so close to one another, talking excitedly about the impending vacation and peering out the window at the landscapes below. Now they were preparing as they would for a regular work mission. It was a cruel twist for what was meant to be a relaxing getaway.
Bucky had been all smiles when Alex joined him, but when he saw her eyes start to look glazed over, his happiness turned to concern. "Hey? Why so glum all of a sudden?"
Alex realized her moment of reflection had given her away. She looked up into Bucky's eyes, seeing worry begin to take shape there. "Was just thinking back to when we first got here. How four days can change in the blink of an eye."
"No, no, don't do that. You can't start thinking like that" Bucky said, lifting her drooping chin with his finger. Their eyes met, and for a moment neither said anything. Bucky took a second to collect himself, calling upon some of the things he'd thought about in bed when he couldn't sleep. "Do you remember our first dance together?"
"Of course" Alex said, brows knitting together. She was curious as to where he was going with this.
Bucky's expression turned bashful. "That was the first night I danced with a girl since the war. It was the first night I spent with a girl, since..." He looked away, obviously embarrassed but chuckling in spite of himself. "...Far too long, let's just say." He chanced a glance back at Alex, but all he saw was that familiar look of love in her eyes. He exhaled, feeling humbled. "There were a lot of firsts that night. For us both, I know that - but for me? You'll never know how important that night was to me."
Alex gripped his arms, feeling both muscle and metal beneath his soft shirt. "Why are you bringing all of this up?" she asked, emotion tugging at her voice.
Bucky brushed his thumb across her cheek. "Because I know this is the first time we've ever done something like this. Without the team. Without proper gear. Without knowing what we're really walking in to. And goddammit, the fact you even agreed to go with me into this? To help me do this?!" He cupped Alex's face, holding her with a gentleness that echoed just how much he loved her and a desperation for her to know how he felt. "Me and you...we're pretty good at firsts. And just like all the other firsts we went in to together, we'll come out of this one just fine too."
He saw water welling up within Alex's large eyes and started to feel bad. He needed her to hear these things, but he knew he better wrap it up if he was to keep those fresh tears of hers from falling.
"Bottom line" he said, trying to give her a big smile, "is that I love you. And that I'm forever grateful for your love." He paused. "And that for what it's worth, this has been the best trip I've ever taken in my life."
Alex lifted a hand up to her mouth and the sound of the half-sob/half-laugh came from her throat. "Dammit, James..." She wiped at her eyes, the sob-laughs still coming.
Bucky stood there making a face, trying not to laugh at her oddly adorable reaction. "Yes?"
Alex sniffled and shook her head. "Fuck, I love you."
She threw herself into his arms, and Bucky buried his face in her neck. He held her as her happy tears let loose, trying all the while to think of something that would make her laugh. "I know I'm not as good as Steve at these pre-mission speeches" he began, "but I'm getting better, don't you think?" He felt Alex's chest rumble against his as she laughed, and he considered it a personal victory.
"I'd give it a 9 out of 10" she said, pulling away and wiping her nose with a laugh.
The smile that came to Bucky was the biggest his smile had been in the past 24 hours, and it felt good.
Insanely good.
Author's Note: We're getting into the thick of things now, folks! I can't wait for the upcoming chapters. Thank you again for all the follows and favorites, and for any of you just quietly reading and enjoying the story. It means the world to me. See you in the next chapter! -Winter
