modern AU set at a bar

...

Bars are a great place to meet people.

Whether it be a new best friend, a future spouse, or a one-night stand, the chances of meeting them in a place crammed with buzzed and overly friendly people were high.

Unless, of course, you worked behind the bar.

Then, you were just part of the decoration. You were just there to take orders and make drinks. Sure, you could try to woo a girl by giving her a free drink, and that may be able to hold her attention for a few minutes before a new distraction came along, but at the end of the night, they wouldn't want to wait for a bartender to get off before heading home.

Bucky Barnes was beginning to think that it would just be impossible to charm a girl where he worked, and it was a shame because he spent almost all of his nights at the little dive bar, working hard to pay for his rent. It wasn't the worst job to have, he got to see some pretty interesting characters and listen in on some entertaining conversations. He could have been stuck in a cramped cubicle all day.

Tonight seemed just like any other Friday night, steady flow of people, the hum of conversation floating, the gradually dimming neon lights casting a glow upon the room that Bucky knew like the back of his hand.

Bucky was wiping down the bar with a stained rag when the owner of the bar, an older man with thin hair and a large gut named Willy, came up to him.

"How's business?" he asked, leaning his weight on the bar.

"Usual," Bucky answered, tossing the rag over his shoulder. "Not much,"

Willy nodded thoughtfully, knowing his bar hadn't been doing too well lately. "I realize that, so I thought of a plan,"

Bucky leaned on the bar and raised a brow. "Enlighten me,"

Willy seemed gleeful as he announced his plan. "I've hired a girl,"

Bucky scoffed. "What, you think I can't handle the waves of customers we have?" He gestured at the few men scattered around the bar.

"No, not for that!" Willy said. "She's gonna sing, get some interest up in here. She's a pretty girl, should help out."

"How'd you manage to drag a pretty girl to this dump?" Bucky joked.

"With my sparkling personality!" Willy stated as though it was obvious. "She'll be here in half an hour, be nice."

"When am I not?"

There was slow work for another thirty minutes, only a few regulars to serve a couple of mugs of beer to as they drunkenly giggled at things that made absolutely no sense to a sober Bucky, but he was used to it by now.

At almost eight, the door squeaked open, like it did on the rare occasion that anyone came inside. Bucky finished sopping up some spilled beer before looking up and to see who had entered.

It was the girl, presumably the girl that Willy had hired. She was relatively young, golden hair tossed up messily, blue eyes glancing warily around the room and its inhabitants. She was dressed casually in jeans and an old, leather jacket. She carried a beat-up guitar case in her hand. She was quite pretty, and his eyes lingered on her a bit longer than they should have.

Willy finally saw up and rushed up to the girl, greeting her and welcoming her to his crappy little bar. She smiled politely as he spoke.

A customer needed assistance, Bucky went to serve and ended up close enough to hear their conversation.

"Now, some ground rules," Willy said. "There will be no singing of anything by Ariana Grande or Justin Bieber, alright?"

"Got it," the girl spoke with a nod.

"Good," Willy said. "You can have a break every hour, and every break Bucky over there will hook you up with a drink of your choice." He nodded towards the bar where Bucky was working.

The girl looked towards him, their eyes meeting for a second. She sent a small smile of greeting, which he returned with a nod of the head.

Willy then worked rapidly to guide the girl to where she would be working, which was really just an old stool and a second-hand microphone he had won in a bid on ebay.

Bucky watched as the girl opened her case and pulled out her guitar. Bucky could tell it was old, the scratches on the wood and the dullness of its color. Perhaps it was a hand-me down, or maybe she simply didn't have the money for a new one. She fiddled with the strings for a moment as she carefully tuned it before shifting into a more comfortable position and beginning to pluck at the strings.

Bucky's eyes flickered back and forth from the glass he was cleaning to the girl as she began to sing. She had a pleasant voice, almost describable as smoky. The song was vaguely familiar, but Bucky couldn't name it. Besides being pleasing to listen to, she was also nice to look at.

Bucky didn't know how much she would help business, but he knew it would make his job much more bearable.

…

The hour went by quickly, the girl placing her guitar down beside the stool and stretching because there was no way the seat was comfortable. She wandered across the room and sat at one of the seat at the bar. Bucky resisted springing towards here and instead walked leisurely.

"Come for your hourly drink?"

"Like I would pass up the chance for a free drink," she said.

Bucky smiled. "What can I get you?"

The girl thought for a moment before a playful smile grew on her lips. "Surprise me."

Not a request Bucky expected, but one he would take seriously. He nodded and turned his back, ready to do his job.

He finished quickly, skillfully mixing the drink and pouring it into the cleanest glass he could find, which was hard to come by in this bar. He quickly delivered it to the girl, smiling as he handed it to her.

She observed the liquid for a moment before taking a small sip, face melting into one of pleasantness.

"It's good," she stated. "What is it?"

"My own creation," said Bucky proudly. "Haven't thought of a name yet… and while I do, can I get yours?"

"Ella," the girl introduced herself, shaking his hand.

"Bucky,"

"It's nice to meet you," she grinned, and Bucky could tell she was sincere.

Bucky leaned his elbows on the bar, ignoring its stickiness. "So, how'd a pretty thing like you end up in a dump like this?"

"I could ask you the same thing,"

Bucky hadn't expected her to react to his flirtations positively, but she bested that and did it right back. Bucky laughed and shrugged.

The girl, Ella, sighed and went back to his question. "I needed the money, it was quick, didn't have to fight anyone for the job,"

Bucky nodded, those being the same reasons he got the job.

"Money makes the world go round," he murmured.

Ella nodded slowly. "Yeah, and I need it. Even my guitar is shit. It's like, a hand-me-down of a hand-me-down. Had to learn how to play on youtube, couldn't afford lessons."

"Well, looks like it worked out," Bucky said.

Ella took a sip of her drink. "Yeah, but I was really upset when I was younger." She placed the glass down on the bar. "So, what's your story? How'd a handsome thing like you end up in this place?"

Bucky smirked, leaning against the counter, which brought him a bit closer to the girl. "Willy's an old friend, asked me to work here the moment I was old enough to serve booze, and I've just stuck around,"

"Well," Ella said. "If you want better tips, you should try that new club down town. Bunch of girls off their ass wasted, they would love you."

"Speaking from experience?"

Ella chuckled and shook her head. "No, I can hold my liquor." As to prove her point, she tipped the glass back and drained what was left in it in a few gulps. "Got any requests for a song?" she asked, pushing the stool back and standing.

"Surprise me,"

…

A few more weeks went by, Ella working every night alongside Bucky. They had become good friends, complete with conversations full of flirting. He would make her a new drink every time she took a break, sometimes telling her what it was, and other times allowing her to guess.

She working the entire night, leaving once Willy had kicked out the last few drunks and had Bucky lock up.

Willy was right, Ella's presence had brought more business. She had drawn a small crowd. It was Friday night, about twelve. There was a group lingering around Ella as she sang, all drinking and enjoying their time. It made Bucky's job easier, more people sitting at the tables than at the bar. This allowed him to watch her without much distraction. She would often meet his eyes while she sang.

She finished her song, which was followed by drunken cheers from her crowd.

"Thank you," Ella said into the microphone. "Any requests?"

"Take off your shirt!" one man cried.

Ella made a face. "Tempting offer, but if you want girls to take their shirts off, there's a strip club down the road,"

Bucky snorted out a laugh at her snarky response.

She had been good for the bar. Willy was right about her bringing in business, and with the new flux of money, Willy could afford to fix up the joint a bit. It wasn't high class, but it had transitioned from "dump" to "having character". Ella also made work more enjoyable for Bucky. She was someone to laugh, joke, and flirt with whenever they had time. She would willing test any new alcoholic concoctions that Bucky whipped up and give her opinion. He trusted her taste.

Ella always stuck around until after closing. Bucky used to be alone after Willy left and the bar closed, leaving him to clean and lock up, but now Ella would stay. He knew it wasn't for a check because she didn't get paid for staying behind and helping, she just wanted some more time to spend with him.

Ella had grown fond of Bucky. Actually, fond wasn't really the right word. She had grown attracted to Bucky. She had seen him as quite handsome when they first met, but his natural charm and humor simply sealed the deal and she found herself having quite a crush on her new coworker. She had heard all the warnings about relationships with the people you worked with, but this wasn't Ella's first job, and they didn't act like regular coworkers.

Eventually, the night came to an end. Bucky ushered the last, stumbling drunks out the door, breathing a sigh of relief when the excess noise vanished, leaving just him and Ella to finished cleaning the place up. He tossed her a rag as they wiped down the tables, Ella chatting with him about her brother and the dumb things he had done in their childhoods as well as a few humorous anecdotes about bad dates in high school. Bucky could listen to her talk all night.

They stacked the chairs on the tables, Ella sweeping as Bucky scrubbed the bar, but it never seemed to get rid of the permanent stickiness that lingered there. Ella sat on the bar as Bucky went through the cash register, making sure everything was accounted for. To ensure that he wouldn't be too bored by the mind numbing task, Ella was asking him a steady stream of questions.

"Star Wars or Trek?" she inquired.

"Wars,"

Ella gave a firm nod. "Good answer. Pineapple on pizza; yes or no?"

"Hell no,"

She grinned. "You're doing well so far."

"What, is it a test?" Bucky laughed, shutting the cash register and leaning his weight on the wall in front of where Ella was seated on the bar.

"What do you think I would be testing you on?" she asked, cocking a brow.

"Well, to me it seems like you're trying to find out if we'd have a good date,"

"And your answer?"

He smirked. "Sounds like it would be pretty good."

She nodded. "That's what I thought too."

Bucky pushed himself off the wall, crossing the small distance between him and Ella, and placing his hands on either side of where she had sat. They were tantalizingly close, Ella was feeling warm.

"You know, you're the only person I let sit on my bar like this?" he commented, looking up and meeting her bright blue eyes.

"Probably because I'm the only person who will stay here this long," Ella commented, voice growing softer as she found herself leaning in closer to Bucky. She wanted to kiss him, and if she was reading his body language right, he wanted to kiss her too.

"Or maybe because you're a pretty girl and I'm trying to impress you," he stated, noting that she was drawing nearer and nearer.

"Well, you've done pretty well," Ella said, voice barely above a whisper. Their lips were only inches apart, there was a fluttering in her stomach that excited her greatly.

"Before I kiss you," Bucky stated. "You don't happen to have a boyfriend you've neglected to tell me about, right?"

Ella let out a small laugh. "No,"

"Good,"

He closed the distanced between them and kiss her hard. Ella reacted immediately, one hand resting on his shoulder and the other one going to the back of his head, feeling his soft hair between her fingers. Bucky's hands went to her hips, holding her firmly and drawing her closer, feeling her legs wrap around him.

Ella thought he was a great kisser, mixing the perfect amount of passion and tenderness, even nipping at her bottom lip once or twice, causing her to gasp softly against his lips. She felt and saw fireworks, every nerve in her body on fire in a wonderful way. She had never felt like that before. Eventually, they separated, Bucky's lips trailing sinfully softly against the skin of her jaw, stopping just under her ear.

"How about we go to my place?"

Ella nodded, smile on her lips. "Sounds great."

Bucky grinned and fished his car keys out of his pocket. "You get the car and I'll close up?"

Ella snatched the keys of his hand. "You got a deal."

He helped her off the bar, kissing her quickly once more before she turned and went towards the front door.

Ella's face was flushed as she went through the front door, a feeling of giddiness filling her. She really did like Bucky and couldn't be happier with what just occurred.

She shifted through the keys, looking for the one to his car, when someone called her name.

"Ella Rogers!"

She stopped walking immediately, face draining of blood. She recognized that voice, and he did not sound happy. She turned slowly, seeing her brother marching up towards her, looking very unhappy.

"Hey, Steve," she said as he planted himself in front of her. "uh, why are you here?"

"Funny story, actually," he said, even though he didn't sound the slightest bit amused. "You left your keys in my apartment, so I thought I'd bring them to you. So, I went to that Italian place down the street where you said you were working, and you know what they told me?"

Ella cringed.

"They told me you were fired a month ago!"

"Okay, first of all, I wasn't fired. I quit. Secondly, the asshole called me a dumb bitch so I think he deserved a face-full of beer," she explained herself quickly. "And, how the hell did you find me?"

Steve pointed at his phone.

"Since when did you know how to work your phone?" Ella asked. "You can barely text!"

Bucky was shutting off the lights to the bar, a large smile plastered on his face at the thought of the girl waiting for him, but the smile faded when he heard raised voices from outside, one of them Ella's and the other a man's. He quickly stepped outside, seeing Ella standing a few feet away, speaking with a tall man. He quickly intervened, stepping between the two of them.

"Is there a problem here?" Bucky asked, tilting his head up and trying to make himself look bigger as if he could intimidate the man. He put himself slightly in front of Ella.

The man looked past Bucky at Ella.

"Who's this?"

Ella stepped around Bucky until she stood at his side, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Steve, this is Bucky. We work at the bar together. Bucky, this is my brother, Steve."

Her brother was a lot taller than he expected.

"Is everything alright?" Bucky asked.

"Fine," Ella said sharply, looking pointedly at her brother. "He's just cranky that I'm not working where I said I was working. At least I'm not working at the strip club down there!" she pointed down the street to prove her point.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Steve asked.

"Because you'd make a fuss about me working at a bar in this neighborhood!"

"Because you can have a better job!"

Bucky felt slightly awkward being caught in the middle of the sibling argument.

"I like my job, thank you very much," Ella said, crossing her arms over her chest stubbornly. "I like what I do, I like the boss, and I like who I work with," she nodded her head at Bucky. "It's much better than cleaning up after snobby kids in a restaurant."

Steve look exasperated, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Alright, just tell me what you're doing next time, so I don't actually think you're working at that strip club,"

Ella let out a small laugh. "Well, I might not be working there now but…"

Steve narrowed his eyes.

"Kidding!" Ella said quickly. "It's getting late. I'll see you tomorrow, Steve."

"Don't you need a ride to your apartment?" Steve asked.

She shook her head, reaching out and grabbing Bucky's hand tightly, tugging him away from where her brother was still standing. "No, not tonight. See ya!"

"Nice meeting you!" Bucky said, hearing Ella muffle a laugh behind her hand as they went to his car, ready to unwind after a long day of working.

…

Bucky and Ella spent a wonderful night together, exceeding expectations of how it would go. It seemed that their time spent together further confirmed their mutual attraction and even heightened it.

They slept in to almost ten, Ella only being awoken by and arm around her waist holding her tight and a soft kiss on the crook of her neck. As her eyes opened, a smile grew on her lips, peeking over her shoulder at Bucky.

"Morning," he said.

"Morning."

Ella turned in his arms until she was facing his, holding the sheets tighter to her body as she enjoyed the view.

Bucky checked the time, mood falling slightly. "It's almost time to go back to work,"

The corners of Ella's lips flickered down at the notion, but she decided to work her way around it. "How about we call in a sick day?"

Bucky laughed. "Do you think Willy could manage?"

"He'll work it out," Ella assured him confidently. "Besides, it'll be nice doing something together that isn't work related. Got any ideas?"

Bucky smiled slyly, kissing the girl and trailing a hand down her arm. "I've got a few ideas,"

A/n:

This was pretty much an excuse to write some fluff that I've felt was missing from Chasing Memories at the time. I hope you all enjoyed it still.

Also, if anyone wants to see some of the drawings ive created that go along with the story, the hashtag "#chasingmemoriesjgs" has them, which include trying to sketch out what Ella will look like and her new uniform I mentioned in the latest chapter.

Don't forget to review!