Chapter 28-The First Since War
Third Person:
The next day no one had to wake anybody up. They were coming out of their rooms within a few minutes of both of them waking up. Since Beni's room was two feet from the front of the stairs, she waited for Bucky to descend, and they walked together to the kitchen.
They had fallen into a routine a long time ago whenever they woke up at nearly the same time. Bucky would make the coffee while Beni would go and get the mail and or newspaper. She would come in, wait with Bucky for the coffee, and they would read the paper together. And sometimes they went for a run and then did coffee and read the newspaper.
But today was different.
Today was Thanksgiving. Meaning there was all orange ads in the paper and Bucky made twice the usual amount of coffee. Bucky knew what day it was, and he knew Beni had a lot (somewhat) friends. He new she would probably go hang out with them and help cook for Thanksgiving dinner, or someone would come over here and cook and converse with Beni, or try to converse with him even though he wouldn't want to. But Bucky was going to ask what her plans were going to be anyway.
"So are you going anywhere later?" Bucky asked, almost hating how it sounded. It sounded like he was trying to ask her out on a date instead of just curiosity. But Beni didn't say anything about it. She just shrugged and stirred the creamer in her coffee a bit more. Then she sighed.
"Well, I didn't make any type of plans with Steve or Sam. Troy is seeing if he's good enough to get a prosthetic arm, John is with Troy. Apparently they're a thing now. And I don't like anybody at work enough to ask them if they want to come over, so I guess my plans for today are hanging out with you," she replied, smiling despite the fact that she just woke up and had a massive case of the bed head. Bucky was internally cheering, thankful that he wouldn't be left alone or stayed in the house with to many people around.
"So... What do you want to do?" he asked, trying to hide his excitement. Beni grinned.
"I've got a few ideas. I went through your browser history from when you used my laptop a few weeks ago and made a few calls. He said it was ready and everything has been paid for, so we could go pick it up."
"Pick what up?" Bucky asked, taking a drink of his pumpkin flavored coffee. During this time of year everything was pumpkin favored. It started in late September and didn't end until mid-December, sometimes longer.
"You'll see. We'll leave on my ride, okay? And I'm driving."
"Isn't it to cold to use the bike?" Bucky asked, raising an eyebrow. Beni laughed slightly, her smile growing.
"It's never to cold to use the bike. Unless it's snowing. When it snows we take the truck."
"Dully noted."
"Good. We'll leave at..." She looked at her wrist even though she wore no watch. She used to, and it was just habit. "...Ten thirty-ish? I want to do it before noon."
"What's at noon?"
"The Harry Potter marathon starts."
"But don't you own all of the movies?"
"If we watch it on the TV there are commercials, meaning I can go to the bathroom before the next scene starts."
"That's what we have remote for."
"...About that..." Beni refused to look directly into his eyes as he sighed and dragged his hand across his face.
"Of course. Well, it's nine now, so if we get ready and leave by nine-thirty then we'll be back before the movie starts. Or when the movie starts, depending if we want an actual lunch or popcorn, which is something we apparently never run out of."
"That's because you can never have to much popcorn. But yeah, okay. I'm gonna go get ready."
Bucky couldn't help but watch the swing of her hips as she walked out of the kitchen.
"You sure you're able to drive?" Bucky said over the roar of the engine as she backed them out of the driveway. Beni was wearing dark jeans and her combat boots and a long sleeved shirt that had some intricate swirls near the waist, and her bombers jacket, zipped all the way up. On her face was her sunglasses and her helmet, and on he hands was a pair of leather gloves, exactly like the ones Bucky was wearing. He wore those, his leather jacket, a pair of faded jeans, and a faded Metallica shirt, but you couldn't see it because his jacket was zipped all the way up. He to wore sunglasses and a helmet, along with the only pair of shoes he liked-his combat boots.
"I guess we'll just have to find out!" She had to yell to hear herself. When she tuned back around he saw the tips of something black on the back of her neck, and he raised an eyebrow.
"Is that a tattoo?" He asked.
They were out of the drive way at this point, so he knew Beni's main focus was now the road. He didn't pester her. He, despite the popular belief, actually enjoyed living. And that was something that really got him. Because despite everything-Winter Soldier, having his best years taken away from him, being brainwashed, and having his memories stolen from him to where he was a tight, tense, PTSD-bundled man with a metal arm, he liked living. Most would have given up in his situation. So he guessed that meant that Beni was his saving grace.
He could live with that.
Beni started going just a hair faster, and if it were any other person riding with her, it would be unnoticeable. But it was him who was holding onto her, and he noticed because he's had ninety years of practice just noticing stuff, so he dug all ten of his fingers into Beni's waist just a little bit more. Because he was down draft he could smell her usual peppermint scent, even with the helmet on. It was so familiar to him now, and at this point, it would be weird not coming home to a Beni smelling like peppermint and popcorn. Which was a weird mix, but one learns to love it.
Beni, whose grip was already tight on the handle bars, tightened a little bit more when Bucky's grip on her tightened, and she slowed down ever so slightly. She was surprised Bucky had even noticed the change in speed. But even when she slowed down, his grip didn't waver. Not even when she slowed down and turned into the place where she had bought Bucky's present. It was a car store, and she was really thankful that they weren't closed due to it being a national holiday.
"A car shop?" Bucky asked once Beni shut off the engine. He climbed off the back and took of his helmet, trying to fix is helmet hair.
"Surprise," She said, taking off her own with a smile. He wished that she didn't wear he sunglasses. They hid her stunning green eyes. "Come on," She said, and headed inside the white-walled building. He followed.
"Hello, how can I help you?" a woman in a sophisticated suit asked. She had blonde hair and glasses, and was carrying a clipboard. Beni flashed her a smile.
"Hi. My name is Beni Arlet, and I was told my order was ready."
"Okay, no problem. I can look it up for you. If you already paid for it shouldn't be to long. Did you pay for it already?"
"Yeah. It was credit, not cash."
The lady smiled and looked down at her clipboard. She lifted one page. Then another. And another. And got about half way down on the next page before giving Beni grin.
"Right this way."
Beni nodded and followed, pulling on Bucky's sleeve slightly because he had been looking for exits rather than paying attention to the conversation that Beni had been having. He nodded and they both followed the lady outside and into a certain section of the ginormous parking lot that held hundreds of other cars. Bucky's breath caught in his throat.
They had stopped at what could very well be the most magnificent Harley he had ever seen.
It was a dark gray with a black trim, and newly stitched leather seats. You could fit two people on it, three if you were careful and small enough. He had gotten bored and looked up 'motorcycles' on Beni's laptop. Half the pictures had women in their underwear standing next to the bikes, but he only cared about the ones that didn't. In his opinion, if the bike had to have an attractive person standing in their underwear and posing in a very dirty fashion, then the bike wasn't good enough to be ridden. He had spent half an hour explaining that to Beni even though she understood within the first few minutes of that conversation.
The lady handed the keys to a very satisfied, smug Beni, who was starring at a very shocked Bucky. He was running his real hand over the seat and admiring the paint job. The woman pushed up her glasses with a smile, and bumped Beni's outstretched fist with her own.
"Have fun," she said, and walked away.
"You..." Bucky said, nearly speechless, "You did this? For me?"
"Yup," Beni pressed the key into his hand and smiled. "I was going to wait until Christmas, but other than the marathon I didn't really have anything planned out. Do you like it?"
"Like it? That doesn't even begin to describe it. It's been forever since I've had one of my own."
"How long?" Beni asked, putting a hand on her hip and cocking her head to the side while she put most of her weight on her real leg.
"The first since war. Actually, this is my first Thanksgiving since war, too."
Beni's easy smile almost faltered. Oh, she would definitely change that once they got to the house. She owned all the movie on DVD, they could wait. Instead she would drag Bucky into the kitchen with her and they would cook something that would last week and a half between just the two of them.
But right now they were just going to drive home, and they would do it together.
Side by side.