Title: Gold Rush
Pairing: CaptainAmerica-WinterSoldier-FemaleOC (poly)
This started out as a one part chapter and then somehow it became three or maybe even four, who knows.
First language isn't English, so please feel free to point out spelling and/or grammer mistakes.
Please review.
Chapter 11 part 2
Thursday evening, Bucky texted me around six he was on his way to pick me up. I got changed in miss Pots private bathroom and fixed my hair and makeup. I remembered Bucky's comment about my dress the first time he took me out, so I choose a pair of dark skinny jeans, with a loss white shirt and my red leather jacket and ankle boots. Camille was still around and I rolled my eyes as she told me I could put lipstick on a pig, but that didn't change the fact I was a pig. I got back at her by pointing out that at least the pig has a date, unlike her the sad cow, who will be going home alone tonight. She wasn't happy by my comment, but the cleaning lady high fived me on my way out. My colleague had been in an unusually good mood this week, but that might have something to do with the firing of Berry Doppler and the progress of the remodeling. We finally settled down in our temporary office, with all our files and materials organized again. It must be a hassle overseeing the redecorating of our boss's office and making sure the construction workers don't wonder of too places they shouldn't be and also leave us alone.
Miss Pots asked me Monday to sort threw the pictures taken at the Stark Gala and organize them for her. There had been two photographers inside the venue and two outside, taking pictures of the arriving guests, so there were a few hundred pictures to sort through. Every time I came across Berry Doppler in his cheap suite, I shivered and deleted the picture with a smile. I also came across multiple once of the Captain, looking so handsome in his blue suite. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep my face neutral as I looked at the pictures, because Camille was sitting across from me and I did not need her to notice my blushing face. I was pleased to find no pictures of the two of us together. I also came across of one picture of the nameless man. He was standing in the background, unaware of the picture being taken. It surprised me he was only in one picture. How did he manage to dodge the camera's all night long? I asked the hyena's if either of them knew him, but they didn't and neither did miss Pots. I wanted to move on from my task, but his face kept bugging me, so I saved the picture on my phone. I'm not sure why I did that. There's just something about him that…I don't know…bugs me? No, intrigues me is a better description.
Bucky and I took the subway to get downtown because Steve had the car to meet Secretaries Thaddeus Ross upstate. I try to avoid the subway as much as I can, because it's just gross and everybody gets pushed together like sardines in a can, but for one's I didn't mind being pushed against the Sergeant. The man was practically stiff the whole ride, completely out of his comfort zone with having so many people pushing against him, but I did my best to distract him during the ride. My fingers slide into his gloved ones and whenever the moving vehicle suddenly shook or took a sharp turn we didn't expect, he'd squeeze my hand. He leaned his head on top of mine, his cap shielding his eyes from the people surrounding us, hating every second of the trip, but everyone was too busy to notice his discomfort. They were either starring at their phones, books or newspapers and even laptops. I never understood that people could work like that. When we reached our destination, I pushed my way through the crowd, not letting go of Bucky's hand and got us outside as quickly as possible, where the man took several deep breaths.
"Where to soldier?" I asked him when he collected himself and ignored his questions about why the subway always has to be so crowded and smelly. He took me to dinner to a Greece restaurant in Hell's Kitchen. I told him about my friends and our days in high school and university. He was mostly interested in hearing about Brooklyn and Michael, but I guess it's normal that your boyfriend would wonder about your male friends. Boyfriend, that's still a little weird to say. He told me about his high school experiences and I loved hearing about all the differences between our upbringing. For a man raised in a time where the views on women was so radically different from what it is today, I found it interesting that Steve had such respect for women. From what I've heard he works a lot with Natasha and he looks after Wanda as well. I wonder if being raised by a widowed mother in those day's influenced his views on women. Not to mention he met Perry Carter; the biggest badass woman there ever was. Bucky didn't seem to be a fan of the woman, but I had the feeling that had more to do with her flirting with Steve than anything else. I thought it was hilarious finding out Steve used to stuff his shoes with newspapers to be taller and that he wasn't able to dance. And I knew he went to art school before the war, everyone did, but I didn't know that he was focusing on writing as well and that he used to make us how comic books. Bucky's eyes lit up as he spoke about the man and I noticed he tended to talk more about Steve or me, then he did about himself.
"Did you know he liked to brag when he just joined the army, he'd beat up Hitler 200 times?" Bucky asked me and I laughed in disbelief at the idee of Steve bragging: "Seriously, he was so cocky when he became Captain America. It got to the point, he became a little insufferable."
"You sound like you didn't approve," I pointed out and he nodded. He told me about the experiment Steve volunteered for and all the way's that could have blown up in his face: "Who volunteers to be a lab rat? And that serum could have gone a whole different direction with Steve, if the Red Skull's face was anything to go by."
"But you joined the army as well, why couldn't he?" I asked and ordered us a new round of drinks as the waiter cleared our table. I like going out with Bucky. I haven't been on an actually date with Steve, but I had a feeling that Bucky was more adapt at taking someone out to diner and showing them a good time. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that Steve was more the stay-at-home kind of guy.
"When life gives you signs, I believe we should listen to them. He got rejected by the army so many times, he should have taken the hint," Bucky said on a serious tone. He seemed to be holding a grudge for Steve joining the army and I wonder why that is. Maybe because he was sickly, he figured he didn't have to worry about the man joining the fight and getting hurt or killed in the process: "If he hadn't taken the hint, he wouldn't have been able to save you and neither of you would be here in this century."
"I'm not ungrateful, but…" he sighed because he knew I had a point. I understood where he was coming from, but if Steve hadn't made all those decisions, then neither of them would have woken up in the twenty-first century. Well, maybe the Winter Soldier would, but I'd rather not think about the possibility of meeting him like that: "You'd just prefer if he had chosen a different profession."
"Maybe…yes, I do. Don't tell him I said that," he ordered me and I smiled at him. I pointed out that Steve probably feels the same way, what only got an eyeroll response from Bucky: "I was never any good in anything else, so the army was always were I was heading. What about you? Have you given much thought about it?"
"About what?"
"About what we do," he asked me and caught me of guard with his question. I hadn't actually thought about it because I tried to avoid the subject in my head. Whenever I heard that they were away, I simply referred to it as 'going on a mission' or 'following leads', but I always told myself to think about something else after that. I see what worry does to miss Pots whenever mister Stark is out and I don't think I want to experience that. But then again, it is what they do. I would never ask them to change simply to put my mind at ease. If I would ever go back to school and go on digs, like I dreamed of, then they would have to accept that I could be in danger as well. Going to Egypt would be the ultimate dream for me, but given the country's political situation for the last twenty or more years, it wouldn't be a walk in the park.
"I haven't and maybe it's for the best to not overthink all the different scenarios the two of you end up in wherever you head out too," I admitted and he understood what I meant: "But I think I would feel better knowing the two of you head out together. So, you can watch each other's backs. No disrespect to Sam, but I'd feel more comfortable with that."
Bucky chuckles and waits for the waiter to leave as he places our drinks between us. I eye him and he tells me that Steve prefers that one of them stays in New York, in case something happened and I needed them.
"You know I have Iron Man on speed dial, right?" I pointed out, making him roll his eyes again, but I continued: "And I have a witch her phone number to call in case of emergency. Please take Steve with you next time so I don't have to drown myself in work to distract myself from whatever it is you are doing, half way across the world."
That made Bucky chuckle and we changed the topic of conversation. After diner we strolled over eleventh avenue towards the West End. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets and I laid my arm around his, sticking close to his side. He tells story about Steve getting beaten up in this neighborhood for being a scrawny punk. I'm reminded of my own childhood and the fights I got into with kids and the occasion adults.
The October wind was getting colder and I shivered a few times, making Bucky lay his arm around me and pull me loser against his body. I probably should bring out my fall and winter jackets soon. I have a storage locker where I keep everything that I kept of my parents and a few personal items and pieces of furniture of Kai and Yuri. When I moved into my apartment, there was so little room, so I only took my mother's bed and their couch and the old record player of Kai with me. I wanted to also bring a red armchair that used to belong to Kai's mothers, but I simply don't have the space for it. It's super comfy and perfect to read in or binge watch a show on Netflix. In our house, it used to stand in our living room, next to a huge window that oversaw our garden and the lake at which the house laid, with a retro lamp next to it. I still have the lamp, but the wiring is all messed up, so I doubt I'll ever be able to fix it. But it felt like a set, so I doubt I'll ever be able to throw it away.
As we walked through the streets of New York after diner, I picked up on whenever Bucky felt uncomfortable or was busier taking in his surroundings then listening to me. Since I knew he doesn't go out much, I didn't hold it against him and I tried to bring his attention back to me as quickly as possible, for which he was grateful.
"Is it that obvious I don't go out much?" he asked me and pulled me into his arms and I nodded: "Just a little bit, I'm afraid."
As we reached Terminal 5, a concert hall, a rather spontaneous thing happened. I noticed the band that was playing tonight, was one of Brooklyn's favorite bands. I discovered the band threw Kai and Yuri, who were also fans and when we were traveling through Europe, we saw one of their shows. I can still remember how the sweat was running down my back as we jumped up and down and danced the night away. It was during the time Kai's health was on the up and up. Bucky noticed I stopped walking and looked confused at me, as I starred at the band's name above the ticket booth.
"Brooklyn loves this band. I should let him know they are playing tonight and judging from the line at the ticket booth, I think he can still get a ticket," I said and pulled out my phone. I started typing my message when Bucky asked me if I wanted to go. I looked perplexed at him. Is he being serious? I can't take him to a punk rock concert. He doesn't like taking the subway or crowded streets, but he's asking me to go to a concert where everyone likes to huddle together and practically bath in each other's sweat.
"You look like you want to go," Bucky pointed out and after a few seconds I managed to shake my head and said it was fine. I pointed out he would not be comfortable at all during the show and I doubted he would even like the music, but he interrupted me: "I can handle anything if it's because you want to do something."
"I'm serious Bucky, it's loud music and it'll probably smell like weed in there. Not to mention it will be crowded as hell and I don't see you handling that very well," I summed up and could not imagine the man being relaxed in a place like this. When he told me about his recovery in Wakanda, he never mentioned he has PTSD, but I figured that he was embarrassed about the subject.
"I will be fine. Call your friend and tell him we'll join him," Bucky insisted, but I still hesitated. Is it really a smart idea to take him with me to a place where loud music, flashy lights, bangs etc. might trigger something? I know he's recovered and all that, but isn't PTSD something you kind of have for life? I was reminded of a Law and Order SVU episode where a man jumped on a woman during a concert because he had a flashback to an explosion in some warzone. I asked Bucky again if he was sure and he assured me he was. I hesitantly called Brooklyn and prayed he wouldn't pick up. But alas, he picked up after four rings: "Alex, what's up?"
"I'm standing at Terminal 5 in hell's Kitchen and your favorite band is playing a set in forty-five minutes. Want me to buy tickets to see the show?" I asked, already knowing what his answer would be. He was immediately excited about the idea, but for some reason quickly calmed down. He said something, but I didn't understand it and then I heard a female's voice on the other line and I cursed myself for interrupting his date.
"Can I bring someone?" Brooklyn finally asked and I was a little perplexed by that. He doesn't introduce us quickly to whoever he is dating, unless he can't get rid of her and wants me to pretend to be his crazy ex-girlfriend and scare the poor soul away. But I was defiantly not going to play that role tonight, with Bucky standing next to me. I wasn't even aware he was seeing someone at the moment.
"And can you promise me one thing?" he asked me when I told him I was also brining someone. I was getting curiouser and curiouser about this woman Brooklyn was bringing when he asked me to keep an open mind about her. Since I was brining Bucky, I asked him to do the same thing and then we hung up. I turned back to face the man, who guessed what Brooklyn's answer had been and seemed a little pleased with himself.
"Are you sure? I mean it when I say this will not be your scene at all and defiantly push you into some uncomfortable situations," I tried again, but he was rather determined to go with me. I finally gave in when he told me to stop treating him like a grandpa and bought four tickets. Bucky tried to pay for them, but I insisted on paying myself. I'm not going to make him pay for something that might ruin our evening. Oh, I so don't look forward to explaining this to Steve if this goes wrong. Not to mention, he already paid for dinner. When I had the tickets, we looked for a bar down the street to get a drink while we waited for Brooklyn and his date to arrive. As Bucky ordered us drinks, I went to the ladies' room and called Brooklyn again. I couldn't just show up with the Winter Soldier and give him no heads up at all. He'd freak out! Who wouldn't?
"Pick up, pick up, pick up…" I was becoming nervous about this. he doesn't even know I'm seeing someone and then I drop Bruck on him without much warning. Oh, dear God, this is not how I expected them to meet. I figured I'd warm them up to him and the I'd introduce them, but no. What was I thinking bringing this up to Bucky? It took Brooklyn longer to pick up this time and he said they were just heading out.
"Good, listen about the guy I'm bringing, I should warn you that…" I started explaining, but Brooklyn interrupted me: "Is it your polite conversations guy?"
"What? Why would you think that? How do you even know that?" I asked perplexed, but could already guess how he knew about Steve. Damn you Tess!
"Tessa talks," Brooklyn admitted. Well, maybe it's for the best. If he knows about that, then maybe me showing up with the man's best friend isn't as weird: "No, I'm not bringing him, but a friend of his."
A long pause of silence passed between us and I wanted to ask if he was still there, when he spoke in a very serious tone: "Are you bringing his best friend?"
"Eum…yeah…sort of," I answered and my heart was practically beating in my throat.
"How…? Why…? How…? Never mind, you can tell me that some other time. What am I supposed to say to this guy?" Brooklyn asked me and I picked up on his slightly panicked voice. Just what I need, a panicking Brooklyn when he meets Bucky: "How about the same things I'm supposed to say to your date."
"So, it's a date? But I thought Tess said you were dating the other one?" Brooklyn asked and I wondered if he was deliberate not saying their real names so his date didn't find out. If I was lucky, she wouldn't realize who Bucky was.
"Yes, I am and this is just…" I didn't know how to finish that sentence to Brooklyn. I wasn't ready for my friends finding out about both of them, but then again they knew about Kai and Yuri, so it's not like they would be shocked. And he and Tess know I have two soulmates, so… so maybe I shouldn't make this so difficult or blow it out of proportions?
"Should I just not ask questions and figure it out for myself?" Brooklyn asked and I said yes, knowing that by the end of the show, he would have put two and two together. Fuck, why did I call him and tell him about the show? I'm not ready for this confrontation yet. I took a couple of deep breaths and found Bucky at the bar, holding a wine glass for me.
"So, who's Brooklyn again?" he asked me and I took a couple of gulps from my wine. Why am I feeling so nervous? This is Brooklyn we're talking about. Yes, he will probably not approve, what friend in their right mind would? But he is capable of seeing past people's first impressions and see that this is serious: "Brooklyn, that guy I went to high school with, remember. He's sort of my best friend now."
"That guy you slept with?" Bucky asked and I drank again a few times from my glass before answering. Why did I tell him about that: "Eum…yeah…him. But he's bringing a date and I think you can take him if it comes down to it."
"Why do I have a feeling I'm going to hate this guy?" Bucky asked me and I prayed that didn't happen. I can handle them not approving one and other and then get them to get to know each other, but I don't think I could handle them hating each other. Brooklyn is like family. Thank God he is not, but still. I pointed out that Brooklyn will probably not like Bucky very much or Steve for that matter.
"And why's that?"
"Brooklyn likes threatening and beating up guy's I go out with when they step out of line. But I don't think he'll actually have the balls to do that with you. Although seeing him try, would be hilarious," I admitted and remembered every guy he went after because they didn't treat me properly in his eyes. I never asked for it, but it was nice knowing there was someone who always had my back and watched out for me.
"I have a question," Bucky asked me on a serious tone. I looked at him confused and waited for him to continue, my heart still beating in my throat. Damn, I might need a stronger drink.
"What will we say to your friend about us?" It irked me the way he called Brooklyn my friend.
"It's Brooklyn, he might be an egghead most of the times, but he'll figure it out no matter what we tell him," I sighed. Since the passing of Kai and Yuri, I was never any good at lying to the man. After he found me with that pill bottle, he made me swear to never lie to him, about anything.
"You don't sound happy about is?" Bucky pointed out, disappoint very noticeable in his tone, but I assured him it wasn't like I was ashamed about him or anything: "It's just a big deal. He's my best friend, basically family and like you said, you two hating each other will be a problem."
Bucky nodded and he picked up on me being nervous as hell about this meeting, so he pulled me closer and assured me he could win anyone over with his charming personality. That made me laugh, what earned me a slight squeeze in my waist, where I happened to be ticklish.
"I'm sorry, this is just going a little faster than I anticipated," I said and finished my wine glass. I ordered another, but Bucky was quick to change that order into a soda, for which I was grateful: "I figured I'd have some time to warm them up to you. Tell them stories about you so they would be able to see past all the other stories. See the real you, without judgement and all."
"I'm afraid that will never happen. It is what it is and we are who we are. We are going to have to get used to the fact that people will disapprove, but we can't let that change our minds," Bucky pointed out and squeezed my hand. He' right, people will always judge. Even if I would only be dating Steve, my friends would point out his flaws and the dangers of his profession, because that's what good friends do. He might be a perfect gentleman, she's still Captain America. He's bound to have a lot of enemies. The idea made me shiver and I shook my head to not pounder about the meaning of Steve having enemies and what that meant for me. I did appreciate Bucky's honesty about the matter. It must be hard for him, finding people he can trust to not judge him because of what he used to be or do. I squeezed his hand and smiled at him to assure him I was fine with who he is.
"So, promise me, you won't let other people cloud your judgment. Follow your own gut," Bucky asked of me with very honest and yet nervous eyes. I guess he's used to dealing with everyone's judgement. I cupped his face with one hand promised I would. I don't want him to worry that I might change my mind about him because others don't approve of him. I know he's a good person, he just carries some baggage with him, like the rest of us do. Granted, his is a bit more extreme, but he had no control over himself at the time.
Forty minutes later, we were waiting outside of Temple 5, when I spotted Brooklyn and his date. He was holding her hand and talking to her, saying something that made her laugh. He hadn't spotted us yet, because else he would have backed off. Brooklyn isn't one for public displays of affection or romantic gestures. Even from afar I could see their fingers were interlaced and he had a twinkle in his eyes, what was unusual for him. He was even dressed up, wearing a white t-shirt and pants that actually hung around his hips and not below his crotch, a horrible fashion trend he can't seem to shake. He even had on his good watch, that he got from his father five years ago and only wears on special occasions. It's probably worth a fortune. Who is this mystery woman? She was very pretty and looked like every other girl you'd expect Brooklyn to date: tall, thin, blond hair, well dressed, wears makeup but not too much. The only thing that stood out was that she was older, like defiantly more than five years older than him.
"Is that your friend?" Bucky asked me as he noticed at who I was starring. I nodded and it egged me when he said the man had taste. I was reminded of the fact that he and Steve were in their late thirties and this woman looked like she was also a member of that age group. Not that it actually meant anything, but it still bugged me.
"Mia, this is Alex, my friend from high school," Brooklyn introduced us and the woman smiled friendly at me and shook my hand. She did everything right a new potential girlfriend should do when meeting their dates friends: she told me she heard lots about me, that my dress was cute and she asked about my job, of which Brooklyn told her of. She was polite, friendly and asked appropriate questions. I was totally on guard around her. Bucky introduced himself as James and shook Brooklyn's hand. The younger man did his best to be cool and luckily his date didn't figure out who Bucky really was. I took a very deep breath as we walked inside and prayed to whoever was listening that this wouldn't end in a fiasco.
…
My stress levels quickly went through the roof and halfway during the show I got a text from Steve, asking if I was alright. Great, if he's already noticing it, then there's no way I'm going to be able to hide it from her. I knew it was a risk coming here, but when she mentioned the name Brooklyn, I wanted the opportunity to seize the guy up. He meant a lot to her and they were close and I wanted to see how close. Or maybe I wanted to make sure Brooklyn knew to back off. That luckily didn't seem to be the problem. She was quick to put her friend in a good spotlight in front of his date, who was amused about the duo's quick whited antics with one another.
The show was nearly ending and I was grateful for that. She was right, I hated the crowds and even though the music's good, I hated the noise. It was so loud and every time a loud bang came from one of the instruments, I made sure I had my eyes on Alex, just in case something was wrong. For most of the show she stayed by my side, but I didn't want to hold her back and after some pushing, Brooklyn pulled her and Mia along and they disappeared into the crowd. I told myself I could do this. I was uneasy as hell, but I would stay cool and make sure she has a good time. She seemed to like doing these kinds of things and I rather have her take me with her to keep an eye on her, then her going alone with her friends.
"How are you finding the show?" Mia asked me and joined me at the bar after a couple of songs. We stayed near the bar for most of the show. Apparently, this was her first rock concert as well and Brooklyn didn't want to overwhelm her. She went with them into the crowd, to get closer to the front, but after two songs, she was back already. I guessed she was also not a fan of the crowds.
"The music is good, but the whole scene isn't really my thing," I admitted and Mia agreed with me. She ordered two waters and gave me one, saying Alex would need it: "They were really going for it, jumping and dancing. She'll be parched. I'm more of a Coachella kind of girl, but when Brooklyn mentioned Alex would be here, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to meet her."
I didn't ask her what a Coachella kind of girl meant, but I sensed she had another motive to meet Alex, so I raised my eyebrow at the woman. She noticed my unasked question and stumbled over her words as she tried to explain herself: "It's just…they are such good friends and he talks a lot…about her. Sometimes…I wonder if there's more, so I wanted to meet her. Seize her up."
"And what are you finding?" I asked and chuckled because we seemed to have the same motives for being here tonight. I kept that to myself though. The woman seemed to relax and I reminded myself to not be to intimidating. If all goes well, I'll be seeing more of her and I'd rather she has a good impression of me or at least a neutral one.
"I don't think I have anything to worry about," Mia said with a smile and the duo was making their way back to us. A new song started, which they immediately recognized and started dancing to. They moved so effortlessly together, seemingly not carrying what others thought of them. Brooklyn was holding a plastic cup and I wondered where he got it from. I hadn't seen him come back to the back. They shared the drink, spilling most of the liquid on the ground. The music seemed to be growing in tempo and they were jumping along, until it went quite for a few seconds and I grabbed the bar to steady myself for the explosion of sound that followed. I understand most modern things, more than Steve does anyway, but this scene is not something I get. Especially the screaming I don't get. Mia excused herself and went to the bathroom, while I kept looking at the duo. They grabbed at each other's clothing, pulling each other closer and screaming along to the music. I didn't like seeing her so close to her friend or the way he roughly grabbed her jacket and pulled her close, but then they backed up again and I had to remind myself to breath. When the song was over, they made their way over to me. Both their faces were flushed and their hair was sticking to their foreheads. They looked at each other and then laughed, pointing at one and other stating the other looked like shit. Brooklyn excused himself and went to the bathroom.
"You are hating this so much," Alex accused me and when I tried to lie, she said it was written all over my face.
"Told you, it wouldn't be your scene," she said and also went to the bathroom, a gleeful smile on her face.
"Do you have any idea how much longer this will be?" Mia asked me when she got back and pulled out her phone. I shook my head and she sighed. I doubt it would be long. Maybe one or two more songs. I was looking forward to the fresh air that awaited us outside. I hope I manage to find some sleep once we get home, because I have a feeling it'll take my heart a while to calm down.
"Well, even though this isn't my scene, I'm glad I came with him. He seemed so enthusiastic when he heard they were playing. It's nice to see he has such good and loyal friends," Mia said and I noticed she was a chatty kind of woman, someone who has to fill up an awkward silence by basically saying anything.
"…I can't believe he comes from a rich family, he's so down to earth. Pay's his own way through life and all. I can respect that in a man. Although I wonder if his estranged relationship with his family will be a problem," Mia jabbered on and combed her fingers threw her thick wavy blond hair. I didn't really care about Brooklyn and his family, but I didn't want to be rude or make the woman uncomfortable, so I engaged in the conversation: "He's estranged from his family?"
"He comes from a very wealthy European family, the Bauer family. But he isn't very proud of that…," Mia continued and didn't show any signs of slowing down. The Bauer family, where do I know that name from? I have heard it before, but you'd think European names would come easily to me, because I don't know that many of them. I asked Mia where Brooklyn was from, but her answer, Austria, didn't ring any bells.
By the time the show ended, my brain was swirling with questions I didn't know the answer to. Brooklyn didn't give me any reason to hate or distrust the guy. He was polite and seemed to be a good friend to Alex, so we parted on friendly terms. He did give me a look that spoke of protectiveness as we parted ways, but he didn't say anything. I was glad for that.
"So…" Alex asked me, all hyped up from the show: "What did you think?"
"The music was good actually," I said and tried to come up with a decent lie, but she sent me a knowing look: "Fine, you were right. The scene is not my thing, but that doesn't mean I don't want to go with you when you go out."
"Oh please, my friends would join me in a heartbeat and they like it. You don't have to do something you don't like," she said and I was glad she didn't realize what my real reason was for joining her. Steve told me about her being annoyed with him for calling Stark. I saw that coming, but I do understand where Steve comes from. We see too much to be able to let something slide when it comes to someone's safety. Yes, what happened Friday could have been a coincidence and have nothing to do with the Starks, but our experience is that that's usually not the case.
"And what about Brooklyn?"
"He seemed okay, I don't think we'll hate each other," I assured her and she was very pleased to hear that. Since she brought him up, I asked about the man and his family, seeing if I could figure out why the name Bauer sounded so familiar.
"I don't know much about them. I met them a couple of times. They are very entitled people, who look down on everyone. I always got the impression they preferred the old way of life," she explained and ran her fingers threw her hair, pushing it back. Even though she had broken a sweat from all the dancing, she looked flawless: "What do you mean?"
"Like women shouldn't work and our main focus should be on children and taking care of our man. We should keep the sick and disabled out of sight and don't get me started on their views on gay's. And of course, we shouldn't associate with people outside of our class. What a scandal when I came into the picture," she said, the last part not meant to reach my ears, but with enhanced hearing I still heard it. I waited a few seconds for her to continue, but she fell quiet. Steve told me about her being a widow, but she hadn't brought it up with me, so I was uncertain what to do. I wanted to ask questions and find out more, but I didn't want to push her into talking about something painful. I knew this wasn't her first time in a three-way relationship and I think the guy she married was one of the two men she was involved with at the time. Steve wasn't thrilled about her being married before, but he's a bit old school sometimes. I was rather pleased she had experience in this sort of relationship. She moved so smoothly between us, adapt to dividing her attention and being sensitive to Steve's reversed nature. I know he isn't a prude, because else he wouldn't have slept with her yet, a fact I was rather proud of for him. But he's not as open minded as we are or comfortable with the subject. In the beginning when I woke up, he was quick to grab me and hold me back whenever I relapsed, but as those episodes lessened and he was able to bring me back to the present quicker, he started getting uncomfortable with holding me or even touching me.
"They were friends with Brooklyn?" I asked after a few minutes, praying I didn't overstep but if she wanted to drop the matter, she could tell me. I eyed her carefully as the meaning of my question sunk in and she realized who I was asking about. She looked in front of her and nodded, her voice sounding a bit timid, but she didn't tell me to back of: "Yes, Brooklyn and Kai's family were close."
"And what about the other one?" I asked, not knowing his name.
"Yuri was adopted or something. He lived with the Belov family when I met them, but I'm not really sure how he ended up there. It was a sensitive subject and coming from the system myself, I never pushed it," she explained.
The Belov family? That also sounded familiar.
"They were Russians, right?"
"Yes, some aristocrat family with a lot of pull in Moscow," she said and her voice trailed off, so I decided to change the topic slightly. I laid my arm around her body and pulled her close: "So how do two Russian guys' meet up with an American woman?"
"Detention."
"You met in detention?"
"No, we got each other in trouble all the time and eventually got to know one and other during detention."
"Why did you get each other in trouble?"
"They were rich, snobbish, entitled boy's and I was a foster brat. Our worlds were so far apart and we clashed over that," she explained.
"It must have been hard for you growing up in the foster system," I pointed out.
"It was no picnic in the parc," she responded vaguely and I decided to let the matter drop. I pulled her close into my side to keep her warm and she snuck her arm around my waist. As we waited for the subway and the platform was deserted and I kissed her. She leaned into my chest and her soft hands cupped my face. My arms snuck around her waist and lifted her up for a second, making her chuckle. I let her tease me about the upcoming subway ride to her place. As much as I wanted her to spent the night at the loft, maybe tonight wasn't the time for that after asking about her previous relationships. We had time and I do prefer to take my time.
