Warning: Sexual content, some violence.
Sam casually began cleaning his fish as he watched Mason reposition himself on one of the living room chairs that faced them. The man posed himself carefully, keeping his gun and shield visible while he crossed one leg over the other. He studied Mason for a few moments; tall, lean, and definitely menacing but nothing he couldn't handle. Glancing at Bucky he could see his friend was doing the same, assessing what kind of threat this man was to all of them, but specifically to Julia. She was at Bucky's side and he was touching her reassuringly. A glance at her feet showed they were dirty so she must have made an attempt to run outside meaning Mason had chased, caught and returned her to the inside of the house. For charges they had him on unlawful entry, and forcible confinement. Sam decided to open with that.
"You realize you're opening yourself up to several charges by being here?" he queried.
Mason smirked. "I haven't done anything," he replied smugly.
"He was waiting down here when I got up," said Julia holding on to Bucky's arm. "He must have come through the deck doors. Then when I ran outside he came after me and carried me back inside. He slapped my face after he threw me on the couch."
"That's unlawful entry, forcible confinement, and assault," said Bucky, glaring at Mason, barely able to get the words out. "That's enough for me to take you on."
Mason chuckled. "I love it when amateurs figure they know more than an actual cop," he said with a superior attitude. "You're both so sure of yourselves with your superhero status. It's guys like me that do the real work."
"Let's phone the local police and find out how they look at it then," retorted Sam, sticking a knife into a fish and slicing it open. "Why are you here, man?"
"I just wanted to see how Julia is doing," he replied. "I certainly wasn't expecting her to be shacked up with someone else so quickly and a known killer at that."
Bucky grimaced and Sam could tell he was making every effort not to throttle the man. Quickly he changed his tactics. "Well, you can see she is doing fine so you can leave," he suggested.
"I could but I want some information," responded Mason. "Like who's been asking enough questions and spreading innuendo about me to get Internal Affairs on my back."
Both Sam and Bucky looked at him with innocent faces. "Oh?" said Sam. "What are they investigating?"
Mason looked out the window, irritated. "Whether I falsified evidence on some cases," he stated. "If I used undue influence to get Julia's contracts cancelled. I've even had detectives in other precincts call me out on it. You would think they all believed her bullshit."
"You didn't, not even at first?" asked Sam.
"I thought she was intuitive and that made her interesting," he said. "She was fun, I'll say that. The first six months of our marriage were great until she began poking holes in my cases, cases that I sweat blood and tears on."
"Is that when you decided to cheat on me?" asked Julia, with a tinge of anger in her voice. "Is that why you began hurting me?"
"Well, I figured if you couldn't recognize the signs of me cheating then your so-called ability was bullshit," replied Mason, looking at her keenly. "As for the hurting, you were into it, otherwise you would have left me. It was a way to keep you in control."
Bucky grimaced again and he looked at Sam in furious agony. Julia saw his dilemma and gently touched his face with her hand.
"Don't let him goad you," she said softly. "You're a much better man than he will ever be."
Bucky's face softened and he touched her red cheek with tenderness. "You won't be getting answers here," he said firmly, looking back at Mason. "Leave now and there won't be consequences."
Mason patted his gun. "This will get me answers," he said. "It usually does."
Sam shook his head. "You really don't understand how things work, do you?" he said, finishing with his fish cleaning. "I have this knife in my hand that I can hit you with. Bucky can get to you before you've even pulled the gun out of your holster, much less fire it. He's restraining himself right now but I can tell you that if he gets his hands on you he will probably hurt you. You see we both care about Julia; me as a friend, and him because he loves her. Her abilities that you dismiss, they're real enough. Plus she's a gentle person, and the thought of a bully like you deliberately hurting her both physically and emotionally makes us pretty angry. So, once more, we're giving you the opportunity to leave without harm or consequence to you. The play is yours, man."
Bucky slowly pushed Julia behind him, readying himself to attack Mason. His eyes were only on the blond man's body, watching intently for an indicator of how he would react. As soon as Mason's hand went to his gun Sam threw the knife hitting him in the thigh. Before Mason even had a chance to react to the knife Bucky was on him ripping the gun out of the holster. Aiming the gun at Mason's head with his left hand Bucky's right hand was curled around Mason's neck. Sam pulled his phone out and called the police, then went to Julia.
"You okay?" he said with concern. "Don't worry about Bucky. He doesn't kill anymore. Mason came out easy in this."
"I'm okay," she replied. "Why would he think I would know anything about people asking questions about him?"
Bucky looked back at Sam and nodded. "We had him under surveillance," said Sam. "Nothing pressing, just some fly on the wall stuff. It didn't sit right with us that he was going out of his way to get your contracts cancelled. We didn't find anything either but it must have been noticed up the chain of command. Once those IA officers got wind of it they must have noticed some discrepancies and increased the pressure."
Sam went over to Bucky who had already released his chokehold on Mason. Roughly they dragged him upright onto the couch. The man was groaning in pain but his bravado was gone.
"Julia, can you get me a towel for his leg wound, please?" asked Bucky. "Your aim was off, Sam."
"I figured any hit would do the job," he replied. "I'm still impressed you can shoot with both hands."
"Programmed to be ambidextrous but I still prefer my right," said Bucky.
The sounds of a siren coming closer drew Julia to the front door which she unlocked and opened. By the time she grabbed a towel from the linen closet and gave it to Bucky two officers were entering the front door. After taking in the scene for a few moments and Julia explaining what happened, one went out to the police vehicle while the other came over to where Bucky was still applying pressure to Mason's leg wound.
"Sam told him what we would do and he still went for his gun," said Bucky, nodding to the firearm on the table. "Several times we told him to leave without consequences and he just wouldn't."
"You Avenger guys really try to defuse the situation first," said the officer.
Before he could say anything more the other officer came in. "There's an APB out on this Mason Bender," he said. "He was supposed to turn himself in for questioning to SFPD Internal Affairs and go on suspension. Instead he chose to drive out here and confront his ex-wife. Charges here, charges in San Francisco … man's going to be in custody for a while."
Bucky pulled Mason's belt off and used it to anchor the towel over the wound while one of the officers read Mason his Miranda Rights. The other cuffed him and they led him out the door to the police car. They would send a tow truck for Mason's car. The three of them watched from the front step and as soon as the police car left Julia grasped Bucky around the waist while he had his arm around her.
"I was so afraid when I walked to the kitchen and saw he was in the living room," she said. "Then when I ran and he caught me I thought he was going to hurt me."
"I heard your cries," said Bucky. "We weren't far but when I said I could hear you screaming Greg put the throttle up and we got here as fast as we could. Sam was telling me to go easy on the dock, make it look like we didn't know something was going down."
"You were ready to burst through the window all manly like," recounted Sam, with a grin. "Still, you handled it well, Buck. I'm just wondering what the hell happened in San Francisco that set Mason off. Scott hasn't called in several days. I'm going to text him now."
As Sam walked into the house Bucky stayed on the step with Julia. Leaning down to her face he kissed her softly then held her close again before guiding her back into the house.
"Why don't you go up, shower and get dressed," he suggested. "I'll get some breakfast on."
Julia nodded and headed up the stairs. Once he heard the shower start Bucky turned to Sam.
"What the hell?" he asked, angrily.
"Let's find out first before we make any judgements," said Sam, soothingly. "Take your anger out on your fish and clean them."
Bucky took them outside onto the deck and cleaned his fish in the morning sun. As Sam expected the activity helped calm him and by the time he got back inside he was in a better mood. Bucky checked the freezer and found some hash brown potatoes so he started frying them up with some chopped up onions and peppers to go with the fish. By the time he finished sautéing the fish Julia was downstairs dressed in jeans and T-shirt. As they all sat down to eat Sam's cell phone chimed with a return message from Scott.
"Interesting," said Sam, looking at the screen. "He only watched Mason for another day and didn't find anything. But his ex-wife's husband spread it around about Mason getting Julia's contracts cancelled. I guess that didn't go over well with the rank and file. Quite a few complained and someone must have said something to IA which started the investigation. They found enough discrepancies to bring him in for questioning. Except he didn't show up last evening so they put an APB out on him. He must have driven most of the night to get here this morning."
Bucky listened quietly without saying anything but Julia noticed his face. "Are you okay?" she asked. "You look troubled."
"I guess this means you'll be going back to San Francisco and getting your contracts back," he said quietly. "That could be good news for you."
"We don't know that," she said, putting her hand on his. "I might be tainted by my association with him. Even if I did get them back most of it can be done online. I would rather stay here. I kind of forgot how much I love this place. Something tells me you wouldn't like San Francisco."
"Don't let me decide for you," cautioned Bucky. "I can be adaptable."
Sam gave him a sharp look which Bucky returned with a scowl. "No, I already thought a lot about this," she said carefully. "When you have to go on a mission I'm going back to put my condo on the market and arrange to put my furniture into storage. My life is going to be here now and I'll make it work."
"If you do get your contracts back you can go back there whenever Buck is on mission," stated Sam. "I'm sure you can work something out with the various police departments."
She smiled warmly at Sam. "When are you going back?" she asked him.
"Day after tomorrow," he replied. "Buck has already cancelled his flight and I assume he's going to return the rental truck once he drives me to the airport."
"That's the plan," added Bucky. "You'll have to follow in the car to drive me back from the airport. Do you feel up to that road or do you want to take the longer way?"
"I think I'll take the longer way for the next while," replied Julia. "We could spend the day in Reno."
"I have to wash all the sheets and towels we used at Bob's house," replied Bucky. "If you could help me with that when we get back you have a deal."
This time Bucky received a warm smile and Julia's hand squeezing his. It seemed to be a perfect way to end a morning full of drama. While the men packaged and froze the rest of their catch Julia cleaned up the kitchen. Then all three of them sat outside on the deck for some time enjoying the tranquility.
The night before leaving Bucky and Sam washed all the dishes in the Johnson house and put them away as well as transferred the remaining food to the other house. In the morning Bucky loaded the travelling case of Sam's flying suit into the truck. He packed his own bag as well, taking it over to Julia's. She made them both breakfast and they sat out on the deck for their final meal together.
"I'm going to miss this," said Sam. "I grew up near the water but as a kid in a commercial fishing family there was never enough time to sit outside and enjoy the ambience. I think you found yourself a little piece of paradise, Buck."
"I know I have," he replied, glancing fondly at Julia. "But I am going to miss Sarah's jambalaya, among other things."
"I've always wanted to try making that," said Julia. "Do you think she would give me her recipe?"
"It's not really a recipe," explained Sam. "We just throw in what we have but I'll see if she'll write something down."
Finally, it was time to get on the road. Julia drove separately from the other two, taking the slightly longer but safer route. While Sam checked his luggage in, Bucky returned the rental truck. They waited for Julia to arrive as her route took longer to drive. By the time she met both men inside the terminal they were drawing considerable interest from the people there due to being recognized.
"I better get through security now," said Sam, after being in another selfie. "It will be a little quieter in there. Julia, I'm so glad I came and got to know you. Buck is a good man but you are someone special."
"You're a good man, too, Sam," she replied, holding his hands. "I can see why you're partners."
"Not partners, co-workers," said Bucky tersely, which made both Julia and Sam laugh.
"Call it what you want, but you two have an unwritten language between you that serves you well," she said. "I hope Bucky living here doesn't weaken that. You're always welcome, always."
She threw both arms around Sam's neck and kissed him on the cheek. "Look after my friend," he whispered. "He loves you so much and I'm glad he found you."
"I will," she said, stepping back.
The two men faced each other and Bucky put his hand out. Sam took it and drew his friend in for a quick hug. "Take care of her," he stated firmly.
Bucky nodded briefly and stepped back, putting his arm around Julia. They watched as Sam got into the security line then turned away when he was no longer in view. With his arm still around her shoulders Bucky led Julia out of the terminal where she took over and guided him to her car. Before they got in he stopped her and gave her an intense kiss.
"What was that for?" she asked.
"Nothing," he replied. "Just felt like it."
Grinning, he got into the passenger seat and Julia took the wheel. She explained that all the bedding that was currently at the house was old mismatched stuff. Now that she was committing to living there full time she wanted something nicer. When she returned from San Francisco she would bring some of her own bedding as well. After several stops at various stores they decided to drive back with their new purchases. Before they left Reno Julia asked Bucky to drive the shorter route and go to South Tahoe. Bucky looked at her quizzically.
"I have an appointment with my doctor to get an IUD inserted," she explained as they switched seats. "We likely won't be able to have sex tonight as I cramped pretty badly with the one I had during my marriage. For a few more days we'll have to use condoms but after that we won't need them."
"Do you want me to come in with you?" he asked.
"No, you can wait outside," she smiled. "I'm good on my own.
He smiled back and took her hand in his, squeezing it affectionately. With no stops they reached South Tahoe quickly and Julia left him in the car while she went inside. When it got too warm he moved the car to the shade and sat on the hood. Half an hour later Julia came out and saw him sitting with his legs dangling over the front of the car. She stood between his sprawled knees and hugged him.
"You okay?" he asked. "We didn't have them in my day so I don't know too much about them but they seem to be popular."
"They are but they do have side effects," she admitted. "Once I got used to the one I had it worked pretty good and didn't cause any problems. I only took it out because the threads went up inside of me and that means it moved making it ineffective. Thank goodness that didn't happen until after Mason and I split up."
He smiled at her with affection and asked if she wanted to eat out or at home. They decided on the burger bar where they were greeted like loyal customers. After a tasty burger each Bucky drove the rest of the way home. As promised Julia helped him strip the beds in Bob's house and begin washing the bedding. Then she asked Bucky to take the chaise lounges onto the dock so they could sunbathe together over the water. When she came out of the house with her bikini on he felt a swell of emotion inside of him again that this beautiful woman was his. She brought her sunglasses and some sunscreen, asking him to put some on her back. Gently he lathered it on rubbing it in thoroughly before leaving to change into his swim shorts. When he came back out she was face down on the one chair and opened her eyes at him as he laid down on the other, turning sideways so he could look at her.
"This brings back memories of my youth," he smirked, "except it was an overcrowded outdoor swimming pool in Brooklyn, the girls were a lot more covered up, and I was a horny teenager."
"Did you get lucky?" teased Julia.
"Sometimes," he said. "Steve was usually with me. I loved the guy but most girls didn't want to be around him. Lucky for me was a few minutes of necking behind the change cabins or under the bleachers."
"How old were you when you lost your virginity?" she asked directly.
He studied her face for a moment. "Seventeen," he replied. "An older girl who thought I was pretty. Do I look pretty? She was a sure thing so I said yes. It was over so fast I didn't really know what happened. But she told me a few things and the second time was better." He stopped talking suddenly.
"I didn't mean to pry." She reached out with her hand and touched his.
"It's not that," he said propping his head on his arm and gazing at her. "There was no desire for love behind my pursuit of women, just enough "like" that could end up in sex. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed women's company and if they didn't want sex I didn't push it. It was still about their pleasure. That suited me for a long time until the war when I began to wonder if bachelorhood was all there was. During the war there were guys that would go away on leave on a Friday and come back married on Monday and I couldn't understand how they could fall in love with someone so quickly to do that. Now I know because it happened to me, 80 years later. I feel young around you, Julia. Our future is what we make of it and I plan to do everything I can to make you happy."
"I feel safe around you," she said back, "and just being with you makes me happy. I began to trust you almost from the first bite of the cookie."
They smiled at each other and laid out in the sun together, holding hands between the chairs. After a time Bucky went to transfer laundry into the dryer and start another wash load. When he came back there was a cold beer waiting for him. Julia was seated upright, having raised the back of the chaise lounge so she could sit and look out over the lake. He reset his chair and looked out as well. In the distance they could see people water skiing, or just boating and a few times some slowed up to wave at them as they went by. As they sat there Bucky realized he couldn't remember when he had ever been so happy doing nothing. When it started to cloud over Julia stood up and looked down at him.
"I think I'm ready to go in and have a shower," she said. "You want to join me?"
He tilted his head as he looked up at her. "This morning you told me no sex today, now you want me to join you in the shower?" he said. "You're teasing me."
She bent over him and lightly traced her fingers over his bare chest. "Just thought we could find another way to enjoy each other," she replied coyly while looking at him. "I could make it worth your while."
After a soft kiss on his lips she turned towards the house, carrying the empty beer bottles, towels and sunscreen with her. She turned back once to look at him and he licked his lips. Quickly he picked up the two chaise lounges and carried them onto the deck. Inside the house her bikini top was on the stairs. Bucky picked it up and saw the bottoms on the floor of the bedroom. Shaking his head he pulled his shorts off and entered the bathroom, stepping into the shower behind Julia. The lines of her sun exposure were visible on her skin and he traced them with his fingertips. She handed him the body wash and he put some on the shower pouf circling it over her back. As he watched the soap run down her skin he felt himself becoming aroused. Leaning over her from behind he started cleaning her front, running the pouf over her breasts and abdomen. Julia leaned back into him and reached around behind pulling him into closer contact with her. He rubbed himself into her cheeks, giving off little groans as he did so. Taking the shower pouf from his hand she put more body wash on it and turned around running it over his chest and abs while studying him carefully, eye to eye.
"You got me here," he said in a low husky voice. "What are your plans for me?"
"A little more cleaning," she replied. "Then I'll take you for a bit. I can only go so far before I gag and get the dry heaves. Can I trust you?"
"Honey, whatever you want," he answered in a low voice that made her feel hot inside.
She finished cleaning him then watched as he rinsed off. Kneeling in front of him she gently took him in her hands softly stroking him as she looked up from below. Slowly, Julia began to pleasure Bucky. When she accepted him he gave a big groan. Bucky resisted thrusting but he did rest his flesh hand on her hair and caressed it. After several minutes of her gentle touch he recognized that he was ready to come.
"Honey," he gasped. "You did good but I'm so close."
He turned away, coming almost instantly. Julia pressed herself against his back and wrapped her arms across his chest as he emptied himself. When he finally turned around she leaned against the shower wall and looked at him almost mischievously.
"Was that alright?" she asked.
Pulling her into his arms Bucky put his face down to hers and softly ran his lips over hers.
"How did I ever find you?" he said into her ear as he caressed her.
They embraced for several minutes before turning off the shower and drying each other off. Julia put a towel on her hair and left the shower to get dressed. It felt like the most natural thing in the world for both of them to sit on the bed, side by side, as they began to dress. Bucky got some body lotion and put it on her back where her skin was a little red. Then he gently smoothed it over her front and abdomen, getting rewarded with a kiss after. Dropping the lotion bottle he pushed her down onto the bed and laid on top of Julia, caressing her face. They didn't speak but he said a lot with his eyes and his touch before kissing her again and standing up. Stepping backwards he went to see to the laundry in the house next door. Julia laid there for a few more minutes thinking about the shower. Jasper jumped onto the bed and rubbed his face against hers.
"I think he really does love me," she whispered to the cat, who trilled in response.
Returning to the bathroom Julia blow dried her hair and was soon down in the kitchen helping Bucky make dinner for their first meal as a couple living together. Both hoped the rhythm they seemed to be easily developing was a sign they were meant to be together.
The sexual content in this chapter has been edited to comply with 's terms and conditions. To read it in its original form you may search for the story First We Were Friends by SJSmith56 on either Wattpad or AO3.