Step, step, step, turn. Step, step, step, turn.
It didn't take long for Bucky to grow incredibly tired of the sound of Steve's heavy shoes hitting the floor with each anxious step he took.
"Pacing won't make them get here any faster." Bucky finally spoke up, his deep blue eyes connecting sharply with Steve's.
They were equally anxious about the arrival of the two new team members; however, Bucky had sat still as a statue on Stark's couch for two hours while Steve had resorted to pacing. Bucky had seen firsthand how in depth the background checks were. He doubted there was anything about the young man and woman that Tony and Pepper didn't know. He knew this meant that it was virtually impossible they would be spies from HYDRA, but the voice in the back of his head told him to never let his guard down, not even for one second. All Bucky knew about the additions to their group was that they were incredibly smart, and would be arriving at many minute.
Almost as if on cue, the elevator doors smoothly opened to reveal Tony, Pepper, a man who looked like he was about to pass out, and a woman whose smile Bucky was sure was bigger than any he'd ever seen before.
Then again, there weren't many smiles to go around in HYDRA.
Bucky pushed the thought out of his head, choosing instead to stand up from the leather couch and watch as they entered Tony's apartment.
Bucky surveyed the two carefully as they entered the flat and gazed at him and Steve, in obvious amazement.
The male was 24 or 25. Appeared to be from Hispanic roots, with curly dark brown hair and brown eyes, but spoke with a slight British accent. Approximately 6'1, and lean, maybe 190 pounds. His gaze met Bucky's for a second, and he instantly looked away with fear in his eyes. It was short-lived, but it was there. Bucky almost scoffed before shifting his attention to the female.
She stood at 5'5, Bucky guessed 5'3 without the heels. Around 125 pounds, approximately 22 years old. Obvious Greek roots. Her blonde hair curled at the ends, and when her eyes met his, he noticed the piercing hazel color of them. However, she didn't look away; she kept the eye contact, offering a raise of an eyebrow before she excused herself from Pepper's little apartment tour and approached Bucky and Steve.
"If looks could kill." She smiled jokingly at Bucky. Steve chuckled from his spot on the couch a few feet away.
"Amelia Pallis. Pleased to meet you Mr. Barnes." She spoke confidently. Bucky found his words getting caught in his throat. He wasn't sure what to say. He hadn't felt nervousness in a long time, he quickly realized.
"Bucky." He corrected her after clearing his throat. Without taking his gaze apart from hers, he narrowed his eyes a bit and shook her outstretched hand. Her handshake was firm.
"So," She continued, unfazed by his stoic greeting, "This must be all pretty new to you too, huh? I guess we're in the same boat- you, Zach, and I." Bucky remained silent, searching for words to say, but it seemed he didn't have any. He could only watch as her eyes traveled down his figure, resting on his hand. His arm was covered by the jacket he wore, but the hand was gloveless. He almost sighed, preparing for her to give him the all too familiar gasp of fear.
"May I?" The question caught him off guard. Bucky nodded, a bit confused.
She took his metal hand into her two own, testing its weight. She began to lift the fingers up one by one, her eyebrows scrunched in concentration. "Amazing." She whispered under her breath. She quickly dropped the hand, a bit embarrassed, and met his eyes to mutter a quick apology. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking."
"It's...okay." After his response, a few moments of silence passed. His blue eyes strayed away from her hazel pair to glance at Steve, who looked mildly pissed.
Bucky was confused. What had he done wrong? He was perfectly polite. In fact, Bucky would bet money that the last 30 seconds was the longest he had kept eye contact with someone besides Steve in 70 years.
It wasn't necessarily his fault, though. Before Amelia, Steve was the only one who wouldn't look away.
Amelia shifted her gaze to Steve, and grinned. "Captain America! What an honor. So, you guys both live in this tower?"
Steve gave his award winning smile. "Please, call me Steve. Great to finally meet you, Amelia! Yes, this floor is yours and Zach's, and the floor above is Bucky's and mine. Speaking of Zach, is he going to talk to us any time soon?" He lowered his voice upon asking the last part, and the three of them looked over to the male intern; he stood at the other side of the apartment, watching them converse with a look of both horror and wonder. Amelia giggled quietly.
"I talked to him on the plane some. He's real sweet, but shy. It might take a while." She explained.
"I take it you're not very shy at all." Steve said with a grin.
Amelia shrugged. "I spent a long time being shy. Long story short, it sucked. Life isn't life without good friends." She looked back up to Steve, then to Bucky. "I have a gut feeling that the three of us are going to be great friends." She decided with a satisfied grin.
"The pizza has arrived, sir." A computerized voice that, despite him having been exposed to it for the past two months, Bucky still hadn't adjusted to it, spoke out.
Both Amelia and Zach opened their mouth to ask before Tony explained. "JARVIS, artificial intelligence system. You'll get used to him." The two interns shared a look of disbelief, but accepted it. As Pepper walked back into the apartment holding four boxes of pizza, the group of 6 all sat around the dinner table.
Before Bucky could sit, though, Steve pulled him aside. "C'mon, Buck," Bucky scowled in response before Steve continued, "She was being real nice to you. This is your first chance to make friends." He reminded.
Bucky sighed. "I tried Steve. I couldn't talk, It's like I was choking on my words."
Steve raised an eyebrow at this, and a small smile grew on his face. "You were nervous? Bucky Barnes was nervous talking to a girl?"
Bucky's scowl deepened, and he crossed his arms. "No, I just…" He groaned. "It doesn't matter, she probably doesn't even know who I am. Once she finds out she'll be running scared, just like everyone else." He finished before leaving Steve and taking a seat at the table. The smile dropped from Steve's face as he followed Bucky and sat beside him.
Everyone was hungry after a long day, and dug into the pizza. The group fell into a semi-comfortable silence.
"So. What brings you here?" Pepper broke the quiet, addressing Amelia with a warm smile. She swallowed her bite of pizza before responding.
"Besides you two accepting my application? Well, small town Florida life blows, first of all. After I graduated I considering going to college, I was thinking maybe Harvard or Stanford. I would've had more than enough scholarship money, but I don't know… I had this gut feeling that I shouldn't. It's like, I knew I was meant for something bigger and better. And I always trust my gut feelings - they're seldom wrong." She spared a wink in Bucky and Steve's direction before continuing. "As much as I wish I could plan out and organize and color code every second of my life, I'm working on trusting myself and believing that everything will fall into place. If I'm patient, of course. So, I moved out into an apartment across town, got a job at an Olive Garden, and I guess I was waiting. I didn't know what I was waiting for, but I was. Life alone got lonely and expensive, so I moved back in with my mom and step dad. Then found out about this program, and here I am." She finished with a small shrug of her shoulders, taking a small bite out of her pizza slice.
Bucky was amazed with how nonchalantly she discussed her life with them. She seemed to be an open book. He hadn't taken her eyes off of her once since they all sat, but finally tore his gaze away when Tony suddenly spoke up.
"May I just say your recovery has been amazing."
It was silent for a solid thirty seconds. Recovery? What recovery? Bucky's eyes came to rest on Amelia again. She blinked twice, her face blank, a major contrast to her usually expressive features.
"Excuse me?" She spoke clearly, as if daring him to continue. Tony smiled again, this time more of a smirk.
"Well, we've read your file. You were out of school for two whole years, and the amount of different medical problems you had was impressive if I do say so myself. What it didn't say on your file, though, was the cause of them, but I'm sure they're all connected somehow… care to explain?"
"Tony." Pepper finally spoke up, addressing her boyfriend in a low, threatening tone.
Bucky was confused yet curious. She seemed like a happy and healthy woman.
Amelia sighed. "No, it's okay. I understand why you'd be curious, it must have seemed like a hole in my file or something. There was a two year period where I didn't attend school, and I was hospitalized a few times, but I assure you I'm okay now. We all have our bad times. That was mine." She explained with a shrug, taking another bite of her cheese pizza.
"Oh c'mon. That was hardly an answer!" Tony complained, the ghost of a scowl on his face.
Amelia grinned. "Sorry. You must be at least a level 4 friend to unlock my tragic backstory." Tony rolled his eyes.
Bucky inwardly frowned. Tragic backstory? He knew she was joking - he had picked up on that much. It didn't stop him from being curious, though.
"So, what about you Zach?" Pepper brought the attention to the timid man sitting at the end of the table, who had already inhaled 4 pieces of pizza. His eyes widened like a deer in headlights when everyone turned to look at him.
"Uhh.. I'm Zach Rhoades. 25. I grew up in England with my godmother and godfather, but my parents were from Brazil. Once I turned 18 I moved to California to study engineering at Stanford. I was studying to be an aerospace engineer. I dropped out after getting my bachelors, though, and here I am I guess." He was trying his hardest to not make eye contact with anyone, his gaze darting around the room as he adjusted his glasses.
"This won't work. Stop being so shy! They don't bite." Tony complained, gesturing to Cap and Bucky. He seemed to be fed up with everyone tonight, Bucky noticed.
"I know, I know, it's just…" Zach trailed off. "I must have read every comic book about you guys that there was as a kid. I don't know, it's just… weird now."
Bucky frowned. There were comic books about him?
Steve just chuckled. "Yeah, it must be weird. Don't worry though, we'll give you time to wrap your head around it."
Zach took a breath to respond, a grateful smile on his face, but was quickly interrupted by Tony's chair scraping the floor as he stood.
"Enough of the cutesy introductions, we've got work to do. Now, I told you two in the plane a little about the organization HYDRA. I really didn't even scrape the surface, though. Basically, they're the bad guys, we're the good guys, blah blah blah. They'll stop at nothing to get Frosty #2 here back." Bucky narrowed his eyes at the nickname. "They will not hesitate capturing and/or killing any one of us to do so in the process. Which is why the two of you will be undergoing self defense lessons, courtesy of Capsicle here, and Buckaroo if he's up to it. Additionally, we believe that HYDRA is working on designing new weapons capable of mass destruction. Natasha and Clint, you'll meet them later, have recovered what we believe to be a prototype of said weapon at an abandoned HYDRA hideout. We need he- could use the help of some others to determine 1) what the contraption even is, and 2) how to harness it's powers against them, if it even has any. Also discovered at the abandoned hideout were a couple other odds and ends from HYDRA, including a sample of what seems to be some type of serum. We don't know what it's for, and could use your help experimenting to try to figure it out. Oh, also we're trying to get all of this done before HYDRA is ready to attack." He finished with a deep breath, and promptly sat back down. "God, that was exhausting. I need a drink."
Pepper rolled his eyes at the man. "Now that that's done with… c'mon Tony, lets leave them for tonight. We'll let you sleep on the information, and JARVIS will wake you in the morning so we can get you situated with your schedules." She told the four goodnight, and disappeared into the elevator with a cranky Tony.
"I think I'm going to go to bed now…" Zach didn't seem too keen on the whole 'oh and by the way your life is in danger' speech by Tony.
"Goodnight!" Amelia called out as he trudged into his room, seemingly unbothered.
"You seem surprisingly okay for what Tony just told you two." Steve mentioned, an eyebrow raised. Amelia shrugged, the curls in her hair bouncing along with her shoulders.
"I signed up for adventure, and adventure is what I'm gonna get. Honestly, I'm pumped!" She said brightly.
Bucky was speechless. This girl really was something else.
Steve faked a yawn, unconvincingly stretching his arms out above his head. "I think I'm gonna hit the sack for tonight." He announced, inching towards the elevator.
"Aw, it's only 9! I'm not tired, aren't my new BFFs gonna keep me company?" Amelia pouted.
Steve smirked as he entered the elevator. "Oh, I said I'm hitting the hay. Bucky's staying right here!" He made direct eye contact with Bucky as the elevator doors slid shut, that same smirk still evident on his face.
What is he- Oh God. That asshole.
Bucky quickly realized what he was doing. He turned to look at Amelia, to see her staring at him with the ghost of a smile on her face. A few moments of quiet passed.
"...Hey." He finally said. For whatever reason, she burst into a fit of giggles. He stood, brows furrowed. What was so funny?
Bucky was caught off guard when she grabbed his arm- his metal arm- and guided him to the couch.
"Oh, Bucky. You're so awkward." She stifled more laughs as they both sat down.
He frowned. "Sorry-" Amelia quickly cut him off.
"Don't apologize. It's cute. I mean, not cute- I mean not like it's not cute- Well what I mean is it's part of your personality. But I'm gonna get you to open up soon, you just wait."
Bucky fought the feeling it gave him when she called him cute. "I am open." He simply stated.
Amelia looked him up and down. He sat on the couch with his back straight up, hands on his knees. He was obviously tense, and looked ready to jump up from the couch and fight someone at any moment.
"Bucky. You're still as a statue, and I can feel how tense you are even though I'm sitting four feet away." She explained, an amused look on her face.
Bucky frowned again, but let his back curve into the couch and relaxed his muscles a bit. It gave him a feeling of relief throughout his whole body.
"Good enough, for now. So, what's your favorite color?"
Bucky blinked a few times, his eyes searching hers. She was completely serious. "What?"
"Your favorite color. Everyone has one, what's yours?"
"Aren't you going to ask me about Winter Soldier stuff? Or HYDRA stuff?" Bucky was confused. In the few months he'd been rescued for, that's all anyone besides Steve wanted to know about him.
"Well, I'm curious of course, especially about your life pre-serum, but I wouldn't walk up to someone on the street and ask them their deepest darkest secrets. I hardly even know you. So, what's your favorite color?" She repeated, like it was the simplest thing.
Bucky was at a loss for words. She was unpredictable, he quickly decided. He never knew just what was going to come out of her mouth.
"Well, mine is green. Olive green, or dark green in general. I think it's beautiful." She answered her own question.
"Blue." He finally spoke. He didn't fail to notice how her eyes lit up when he responded. "Dark blue."
She grinned, satisfied. "Great choice. So, favorite food? Season? Ice cream flavor? If you could only bring three things on a deserted island with you, and they had to be yellow, what would they be? If you could have one superpower, what would it be? Well, I guess you already do have a superpower." She frowned slightly at the last one, causing him to laugh for the first time around her. She could tell it was a genuine laugh, and she watched as the smile stayed put on his face for a few more seconds.
"I like these questions, they're easy. I remember Steve and I used to spend whatever money we could come by at this hot dog stand, and it was really good. Fall, because it's so peaceful. Chocolate, but it has to be real chocolate, because the fake chocolate tastes horrible. Bananas, lemonade, and a yellow rain jacket. And besides what I can already do, having telepathy would be cool." Bucky answered the questions slowly but surely, thinking out each answer carefully. "Now you answer." He looked back over to her, and she seemed surprise but complied.
"Okay. Traditional saganaki, it's a greek appetizer, and if you've never had it, I'm so making you try it. I think either fall or spring. Strawberry and birthday cake are the best flavors hands down. I would bring a yellow lighter, since I'm not sure I can make a fire out of sticks and leaves, a yellow blanket, because I get cold all the time, and pineapples because they're delicious. I have to agree with you on telepathy."
A few moments of comfortable silence passed before Amelia gasped excitedy.
"What?" Bucky stood up instantly, on high alert, hands held out as if he was ready for an attack.
Amelia laughed loudly. "Sit down, weirdo. I just had an idea." Bucky scowled at the insult but sat back down. "How many modern movies have you seen so far?" She asked. He paused, thinking.
"Uh...none?"
Bucky almost laughed at the stupefied look on Amelia's face. "I can't believe you haven't yet experienced the modern world's greatest waste of time!" She reached for a small black remote on the coffee table and switched the TV on, switching the input over to something called 'Netflix' that Bucky had never heard of.
"I don't even know where to start, there are so many. I can't believe you've actually never seen any of these!" He watched the screen intently as she entered a username and password for this 'netflix' program.
"My most recently watched is Clueless- that was my favorite when I was in high school, probably because I was jealous of her perfectly organized closet. I tried to build the same thing, and it worked for the most part, but my closet was too small to keep it."
Bucky had no idea what she was talking about, but decided he liked when she rambled. It was oddly comforting.
"I guess we could start with Forrest Gump." She stood to turn the lights off, then returned to the couch. Maybe it was Bucky's imagination, but he thought she sat a bit closer than before.
Just as she pressed the play button, she looked over to Bucky and wiggled her eyebrows playfully. "Ready to Netflix and chill?"
Bucky cracked a smile at the expression on her face, but let his eyebrows furrow in confusion. "What does that mean?"
She sighed happily. "Oh, nothing."
/
Finally, after Forrest Gump, E.T, and halfway into The Shining, Amelia fell asleep. She had stayed awake for the most part, explaining parts of the movies to Bucky when he became confused.
He watched Amelia as she breathed steadily. Her head rested on the arm of the large couch, her heels kicked off on the floor, and the rest of her body laying across the couch so that her feet almost rested in Bucky's lap. She held one of the decorative couch pillows close to her chest. As Bucky tried to focus on the movie, he found himself wishing he knew where the blankets were so he could cover her and she wouldn't be cold.
An hour later, the movie was over. It was nearing 4am, but Bucky had refused to let himself fall asleep, knowing what would happen if he had a nightmare. He clicked the TV off, and lifted Amelia from the couch. Bucky carried her bridal style to her room, and layed her down on the bed. He closed the door behind him as he went back out into the living room.
A short elevator ride later, Bucky found himself in his own room. After brushing his teeth and stripping down to his t-shirt and underwear, he climbed into bed and let the stress of the day roll off of him.
Just before he fell asleep, he remembered something.
"JARVIS?" He mumbled, voice scratchy with exhaustion.
"Yes, sir?" The computer instantly responded.
"What is Netflix and chill?"
"Here is the urban dictionary definition of Netflix and chill - Netflix and chill - it means that you are going to go over to your partners house and fuck with netflix in the background. Would you like to hear the examples, sir?"
"No." Bucky quickly responded, eyes wide open, his exhaustion gone for a moment.
That girl was going to be the death of him.
A/N: Wow the support on this has been incredible, thanks so much everyone! Thank you to my reviewers too, I'm glad you're enjoying it :) So, Steve's pretty sneaky. Bucky may or may not have a tiny crush. Life is good (for now *cue evil laugh*) ;)