A/N: Hi everyone. I'm finally back. I'm so sorry it took so long to update, but I'm very busy right now. Anyway, here we are with the new chapter and Bucky and Steve's first meeting. I hope you enjoy it!

Belfast, SHIELD shipyard – September 15, 1909

"I don't really know what is happening" Coulson admitted as, from the window of his office, he looked at the thousands of workers putting Titanic together. "But whatever it is, let us hope it won't stop"

Behind him Erskine smiled proudly. "Almost 400 new workers in just a month" he then stood up and joined Coulson near the window. "Steven certainly knows how to sound convincing"

"Again, I don't understand why on Earth so many people actually did what a complete stranger told them to do. Over an interview, no less" Coulson rubbed his chin. "I don't mind of course. The more people come working here, the better for us. I just don't understand why they do it"

"They didn't follow the advice of a stranger" Erskine commented. "They followed the hope that stranger represents" when Coulson turned to look at him, Erskine simply shrugged. "People can do the craziest, most incredible things if guided by hope"

Coulson looked back at Titanic's slipway without saying anything for some time. "Yes" he eventually whispered, staring at the ship's hull. "Yes they do"

Belfast, train station – September 20, 1909

First they made a stop in Queenstown, in the south of Ireland. There, they left R.M.S Adriatic to board a train to reach Belfast. Once they arrived in the evening, all three of them were tired and desperate to reach the comfort of their room. After getting off the train, they found a woman dressed in a dark blue business dress waiting for them. A very familiar woman, Bucky realized with a smirk.

"Mr. Barnes?" the woman asked, looking at George.

"That is me, yes"

"Good evening sir" she smiled as she extended her hand. "My name is Natasha Romanoff. Mr. Pierce asked me to escort you to your Hotel"

"Ah yes, lovely to meet you Miss Romanoff" George shook her hand. "Although I must say your face looks familiar. Have we met before?"

"We have, sir, although in that occasion nobody introduced us. I was at the Astoria Hotel in January, when-"

"When Titanic project was announced, yes" George smiled. "Apparently the number of people involved in this project is greater than I thought"

"Indeed, Mr. Barnes. It is necessary for such a titanic project" she commented with a smile.

"Right. Well, pleased to meet you Miss Romanoff. Officially. This-" George looked at Winnifred "-is my wife" the two women exchanged a quick bow of their heads. "And this is my son"

"Natasha" Bucky charmingly smiled at her. "Lovely to see you, my dear" and he kissed the back of her hand.

She simply raised her eyes to the sky. "I'm not sure if I can say the same, Bucky"

"Oh, I bet you can" he told her, secretly happy that she called him by his nickname like he had told her to do.

"You two know each other?" Winnifred asked as she looked at Bucky with a stern gaze because that was not the way he was supposed to act around a woman.

"That night at the Astoria Hotel we actually had the chance to talk" Bucky explained.

"Oh. In that case I really hope my son behaved properly during your conversation, Miss Romanoff"

"Mother!" Bucky felt heat coming over his face. His mom scolding him in front of other people was so humiliating. He was not a kid for God's sake!

"Well we didn't talk much. But I have to admit I was very pleased by his elegance and his good manners"

At hearing that, Winnifred smiled brightly. "Oh, that is so nice to hear. It seems all my work is paying off, after all"

Natasha simply smiled back while Bucky let out a sign of relief. "Very well, if you're ready there are two cars waiting for us that will bring us to the Hotel. Follow me, please"

"What about our luggage?" Winnifred asked as they all followed Natasha.

"It will be brought to your room separately. Everything will be there by the time we arrive"

Winnifred nodded, both relieved and satisfied. "Very well then"

Since that in both cars there was space only for two people plus a driver, they had to split. George and Winnifred took one car, while Bucky and Natasha took place on the other one. Inside their car, both Bucky and Natasha remained silent for some time.

"Thank you" Bucky eventually told her. "For what you said before. Although I'm sure that's not what you were really thinking that night when we spoke"

"No" Natasha confirmed without hesitation. "But your mother doesn't need to know that" she said, smiling at him.

Bucky slightly smiled back. "She can be though sometimes. She wants me to be as perfect and well-mannered as her, even though I am not. Not always, at least" he signed deeply. "Anyway, I'm surprised to see you here. When we met you told me you work for Mr. Ross"

"I am working for him right now" Natasha told him, accepting to change the subject. "As you know he is the man who paid for all of this. But he is a very busy man, as you can imagine. He comes to Belfast only once in a while. That is why I'm here, to update him about Titanic's construction progress"

"So you're basically his eyes and ears?" Bucky asked her.

"Pretty much"

"Do you like working?" Bucky asked her, sincerely curious. "Because that's not a very common thing among women"

"I think we're getting a little too confidential for my liking" Natasha told him in a kind but also stern tone. "But I will tell you this. I have no intention to limit myself by being just a wife and a mother. I want to have what you men already have"

"Which is?"

She looked at him with piercing eyes. "A career. A purpose. Independence"

Judging by her confident and also severe tone, Bucky knew the topic was over. "Well" he eventually said. "I think you're doing fine" and he encouragingly smiled at her.

"Wipe that foolish smirk off your face, Barnes" Natasha said, although she was smiling too. "I appreciate your compliment but I don't need to be encouraged"

"You know I'm the son of a very important family, right?" Bucky asked. "You shouldn't be talking to me like that. I could get you fired, you know?"

"I'd like to see you try, kid"

Bucky rolled his eyes. "God this woman" he thought. Eventually they arrived at the Hotel and, after a quick stop at the reception to receive the key to their room, they all gathered inside the suite Pierce had booked for them.

"As you know Mr. Pierce has granted you free access to all services during your stay" Natasha explained them. "Mr. Pierce would like to invite you to lunch tomorrow"

"Really? Well, tell him we are happy and honored to join him, Miss Romanoff"

"I will, sir" Natasha bowed her head. "I'll see you tomorrow, have a nice evening" and she left the room, giving Bucky a subtle wink.

"She is very pretty" Winnifred commented once Natasha had left the room. "And she has a career. Not exactly what I had in mind, I'd prefer a girl primarily focused on the household. But I'm sure she would be a wonderful match for you nevertheless"

"Mother… I'm begging you, do not start"

"It is time for you to really think about your future, James!" Winnifred told him seriously. "If you want to be a successful man in life, might I suggest you start to behave like one!"

Bucky grunted. "Sometimes you're really annoying!" he yelled as he walked away.

"Do not use that tone with me, young boy!" Winnifred yelled back. "If you keep acting like this you'll remain alone forever!" but her son was already gone by the time she finished the sentence. "Uff, I really don't understand where he gets that attitude. Everything I'm doing is for his own good" she then looked at her husband with a frown. "And for once you could be on my side when it comes to these things! It is time for James to think about his future as a husband and as a father and you know it"

"I do" George answered calmly "I'll talk to him" and he made way to follow their son.

"Do not just talk to him, George" Winnifred warned him. "You're not his friend, you're his father. You must act like one on this matter. We can't afford our only son to fail on the most important aspect of a person's life"

"He will not fail" George commented as he left the room. "I know it"

Meanwhile Bucky sat on a bench outside the building, in the hotel's wonderful gardens. When he heard someone approaching he didn't need to turn around to know who it was. George sat down at Bucky's right, staring at the flowers around them just kike his son was doing. For some minutes neither of them talked.

"Sometimes she's so oppressing" Bucky eventually said.

"Yes" George agreed calmly.

"And annoying. And stubborn"

"It runs in the family" George then said, more to himself than to his son who, in fact, practically ignored him.

"Sometimes-"

"Sometimes-" George suddenly interrupted his son's rant "-she is also right". They then looked at each other. "I understand your frustration" he said calmly "But she's just doing what any mother would do. She just wants you to find a good woman, for that woman one day will become your wife and, hopefully, the mother of your children" Bucky signed, clearly frustrated. "I understand that you want your freedom" George continued. "That you don't want to make such a big commitment. But it is time for you to understand that you won't be young forever. You have your responsibilities, Bucky, and you must answer to them. Maybe not right now" he eventually reassured him. "But that moment will come soon enough"

Bucky didn't say anything, he just listened quietly to what his father had to say.

"You know?" George suddenly asked. "To run a business like ours is not easy, I'm sure you've realized that by now. Sometimes you get bored. Most of the time you get lonely. Which is why it is so important to have the right person by your side. Someone who can guide you; someone who will make you stronger; someone who will always be by your side, no matter what" George smiled at Bucky with pure love and affection. "I was lucky enough to find that someone. It is time you start looking for yours. But if you refuse to look, you'll never find that person. The only person that matters"

Bucky took a deep breath. George remained silent, allowing his son to elaborate his thoughts. "I guess I haven't been very good with my duties, have I?"

George smiled as his son managed to get the point. "Like I said, it doesn't need to happen today. Or tomorrow. But you're not a boy anymore, Bucky. It is time you put aside your childhood and think about your future"

Bucky solemnly nodded. "Yeah. Can't stay young forever, can I?"

"That's life, my son. That's life"

They spent some more time in silence, simply enjoying each other company. Eventually, Bucky got up to return to his room. "I think I'll go to bed"

"Of course. I'll see you tomorrow. And, Bucky?" George called him before he walked away.

"Yes, father?"

"You know what you have to do, right?"

Bucky nodded. "I do, sir"

"Very well" George then smiled. "I think I'll stay here for some more time. Fresh air is always good. Goodnight, son"

"Goodnight" Bucky said with a small smile, knowing his father wanted to give him some privacy. Once he got back to their room, Bucky gently knocked on his parents' bedroom door.

"Come" Winnifred tired voice came from the other side.

Bucky slowly walked in and found his mother sat in front of a big mirror as she was removing all her jewelry. "Mother" he slightly bowed his head as a sign of respect "Can I talk to you? Please"

She stared at him through the reflection of the mirror with an unreadable expression. "Of course you can" she eventually said. She turned around, she joined her hands over her lap, and looked at her only son with that same unreadable expression.

"I…" Bucky didn't really know what to say. "I'm sorry for the way I reacted" he eventually opted for the simplest words, the only words that mattered in that situation. "I know I act like I don't care or don't want to settle down. I know I haven't lived up to my duties so far. And I'm sorry for that"

Winnifred signed deeply. "I just want the best for you, Bucky. I hope you know that"

"I do" he said with all the honesty he could show. "I really do. And I'm sorry I made you feel otherwise. I promise I won't fail you"

"Oh, sweetheart" Winnifred's features relaxed as she offered he hands for his son to take, which of course he did. "I know you won't. You could never fail us. And I know that the idea of marriage and a family is something you feel as distant. But unfortunately for us, time passes and faster than we realize" she squeezed Bucky's hands. "You're not a kid anymore, Bucky. You're a man. Young, but still a man. It is time you start seriously looking for the one person that will stay by your side forever"

"And I guess if I refuse to look, I'll never find that person" Bucky said, quoting what his father had told him earlier.

"Exactly" Winnifred nodded proudly. "That's exactly what I'm trying to tell you"

"Yeah" Bucky nodded. "I understand that know"

Winnifred smiled as she got up and hugged her son tightly. "You know? Perhaps it doesn't look like it, but sometimes I wish you were still a little kid. Back when I could hold you in my arms and kiss every inch of your face, much to your disgust" she said that last phrase with a chuckle.

Bucky smiled over his mother's shoulder. "I love you" he whispered her.

"Oh, sweetheart. I love you too"

"It'll be the largest moving object ever built in the history of man" Pierce said proudly, drinking some wine.

The day after, Bucky and his parents had lunch with Pierce as programmed. They weren't alone. Natasha, Phil Coulson and Howard Stark joined them.

"And Mr. Stark here-" Pierce nodded to Stark "-designed her from the hull to the funnels"

"Well" Stark smiled gratefully at Pierce's words "I may have designed her, but the idea came from Mr. Pierce. He envisioned a steamer so grand and so luxurious that her supremacy would never be challenged"

"I have read about the marvels of Titanic" George commented kindly "Impressive, of course. What I would like to know now is what exactly you expect from the investors, Mr. Pierce"

Beside him, Bucky suppressed a smirk. Even though everything about Titanic was indeed remarkable, the reason they were there was because Pierce was looking for investors for his company's future projects. The letter he had sent to George was clear enough. In other words, Pierce was looking for money. Bucky knew his father wanted to get serious about things. He wanted to get down to business.

"You know, Mr. Barnes?" Pierce asked him, showing no sign of discomfort. "I think we will work well together. For we both know when it is time to talk about business"

"We sure do, Mr. Pierce" George replied with a smile. Bucky knew by his father's tone that he was thinking exactly the opposite.

"I already gave you some information about our future project in that letter I sent you weeks ago. Now my friend Mr. Coulson here will share with you some details. Phil?"

"Very well" Coulson straightened his back and joined his hands on the table. "Titanic is a part of a project to build three twin magnificent ocean liners: the Titanic, of course; the Olympic; and the Gigantic. The Three Giants, as we like to call them"

"Impressive names" Winnifred commented. "Who chose them?" she then looked at Pierce with a knowing smile "You did Mr. Pierce, didn't you?"

"Well, actually yes" Pierce answered, sounding far too proud of his own decision for Bucky's licking "I wanted names that could represent pure power. And power means greatness, luxury and most importantly strength"

"I would say control, too" Coulson added, looking directly at George's eyes. "For these liners will get control over the Atlantic routes for the years to come. MARVEL LINE will finally dominate the transport of passengers to the United States. DC LINE' puny ships will be no match for ours. And SHIELD will take its rightful place as the most important and advanced shipyard in the world"

"Our point is, Mr. Barnes" Pierce continued. "That Titanic will be the flagship of this new, formidable fleet that will dominate the market"

George nodded. "I understand. I have a question, though. What about the other companies? DC LINE for example, as your closest competitor. Surely they won't stand there watching as you take control of Atlantic routes". By Pierce and Coulson's reaction, Bucky noted that his dad had just hit a soft point. "What happens if they decide to build ships bigger than your so called three giants?" George than looked at Stark. "Because that is what is going to happen, eventually, isn't it Mr. Stark?"

"Well" Stark cleared his throat. "Eventually, as you just said. But right now-"

"Right now DC LINE doesn't have the technology to build liners bigger than ours" Pierce said, interrupting Stark. "No company does. Well" he then chuckled. "Except for us, of course. But I assure you, Mr. Barnes, when our rivals will finally build liners that could potentially rival our own, it will be too late. If this project will be successful, and it will, we will keep building bigger and bigger ships that no company will ever challenge. Like I said multiple times, Titanic is the ancestor of a new era for ship building. She is not our final destination. She is our beginning. The question is, will you be a part of this journey?"

Bucky had to admit it. If Pierce wanted to convince them, he definitely succeeded at convincing him. Now he really couldn't wait to go to the shipyard and see Titanic with his own eyes. He looked at his mother and he realized that she looked quite convinced as well. She was looking at her husband with a very pleased and happy expression. His father, however, showed no apparent emotion. His face was calm but completely unreadable.

"You speak with great confidence, Mr. Pierce" he eventually said, looking directly at Pierce. "I will need some time to think about it. We are talking about a considerable amount of money, after all. Maybe later we can have a discussion about the mere financial aspects of this investment. But I assure you I will consider your proposal with great interest"

Pierce smiled proudly. "Excellent! I promise you, you won't regret it! Miss Romanoff here-" he nodded to her as she smiled at George "-will prepare a chart with all the financial information you'll need by tonight! Now let's finish to enjoy this lunch, and then I will take you to the shipyard so you can see Titanic with your own eyes"

Even before coming close to the slipway where Titanic was being put together, Bucky's jaw almost hit the floor as he saw the gigantic skeleton of the ship. It was so big none of the buildings around it could hide it. Noises of all kinds came from the site, as hundreds of workers were working together.

"Beyond compare, right?" Stark asked, smiling at Bucky's face.

Bucky turned to look at him. "Absolutely, sir. Pictures I've seen on newspapers don't make it justice"

Stark chuckled. "I don't want to sound vain. But yes, I think you're right"

"And once ready-" Pierce commented, joining the conversation "-it will be truly magnificent. Let's take a closer look, shall we?"

"For security reasons I ask you all to stay several feet away from the slipway" Stark told them as they got closer to the site. "Accidents can happen at any moment in a shipyard". Once they reached the border of the slipway, they all had to raise up their heads to look at the ship from bottom to top. The base of the hull was already filled with steel plates, unlike the upper decks. For Bucky it was really fascinating to see all of that.

"I must say, Mr. Pierce, it's very impressive" Winnifred commented as she stared at the ship before her. "You must be very proud"

"Indeed I am, Mrs. Barnes. And I really hope you will delight us with your company for her maiden voyage. Your husband and your son can come too, of course" Pierce joked, chuckling slightly.

"Only if you promise us we will be granted the best cabin your ship can offer" Winnifred told him, smiling brightly. After all, she loved being at the center of the attention.

"Believe me, you will. There will be four suites with a private promenade, and I promise you one will be yours"

Winnifred smiled proudly. "A private promenade. That sounds wonderful, doesn't it George?"

"Of course, dear" George said, stepping closer to his wife. "We'll make sure to attend the maiden voyage. What do you say, Bucky?" George then turned around when he heard no answer. "Bucky?" But his son was nowhere to be seen.

Winnifred gasped. "Where is he?!"

"So I tell them: I'm going to Ireland, yeah? My friend Scott said we're going to work at a shipyard. A shipyard is where they build ships, right? And this one has got a huge one in coming. So we're going to help build it, right? Then Susan tells me: a friend of mine has a cousin whose brother lost a limb working at a shipyard. You sure you want to do that? And I say: I'm kind of tired cleaning public toilets all day. Toilets are the worst, you know? Especially when people do it on the floor, right? So I say-"

Sam groaned, hitting the rivet stronger than necessary. "Doesn't he ever shut up?!" he angrily asked Scott, who was right between him and Steve.

Scott simply laughed. "Not really. The thing with Luis is that once he starts telling something, it's kind of hard for him to stop" he answered as Luis kept talking, even though everyone around him had stooped (or attempted to) listening to him after the first two minutes. "You can get used to it like I did, or you can just walk away until you don't hear his voice anymore"

"You can also put a rivet inside his mouth" Sam muttered, although he wasn't completely serious about that option. Okay, maybe only 63% serious.

Beside him Steve chuckled. Watching Sam getting angry at things that annoyed him was quite entertaining. Steve then put down his hammer for a moment and looked around him. His group was currently working on a platform at 40 feet from the ground as Titanic's hull grew in size day after day. Steve looked around himself, then he looked down. So many people were there. Hundreds, thousands of men doing their best to put that huge ship together. And now, thanks to him, almost 400 more had joined them. And even more would come, according to Erskine himself.

Steve felt very proud of himself. When you live a life where personal achievements are so rare, you learn to appreciate even the smallest one of them. But this time Steve

However, the arrival of new workers from America was not the only great change Steve had witnessed. The other one, rather incredible, was about Steve's body. For what felt like the very first time in his life, Steve actually felt stronger. Healthier. The hard work he had been doing at SHIELD during the last few months had started to change his body shape. One could actually see some muscles on his arms and chest. He even became a little bit taller, although Sam didn't share his optimistic opinion on that point. Sure, those were small changes nobody would actually notice if he wasn't shirtless. But still, it was an improvement and a nice one too.

"Ah, shit"

"What?" Steve asked, looking at Sam.

"We ran out of rivets" Sam told him, indicating some empty boxes.

"I'll go get them" Steve said as he made way to the stairs to reach the ground.

"You sure you can do it by yourself?" Sam asked with a smirk. "With your skinny arms and all?"

Steve turned around, also smirking. "You're just worried I'll soon have bigger biceps than you"

Sam huffed. "Yeah. You wish. When ships will fly"

"Which might happen sooner than you think!" Steve told him loudly as he ran down the stairs.

In the meantime, Bukcy was admiring the huge hull as he walked near the slipway border. He was so caught up in everything around him he didn't even realize he had been walking away from the adulta. Okay, he kind of did realize that. The fact was once he started walking, he couldn't bring himself to stop. The adults' topics were kind of boring by that point, especially compared to the surroundings around him. He needed to see everything he could, because everything was so fascinating. As he walked closer to the huge hole that hosted Titanic's hull, he couldn't help but look up to admire the grandiosity of the gantry with its gigantic cranes. And of course the enormous hull itself that was slowly taking form. It was truly remarkable to him how technology and progress were able to make men do the unthinkable.

As Bucky kept looking up, he didn't notice the mud of oil on the ground he was about to walk in. And when he eventually did, he immediately lost balance. "Woah!" he yelled as he almost fell down the slipway hole.

But before that could happen, before he fell down to certain death, someone grabbed his hand at the last moment. "Gotcha!"

One moment Bucky was about to die, and the next he was strongly pulled away from the danger and into the dirty ground. It took him a moment to realize he was not, in fact, laying on dirty ground. He was laying on a person.

"You alright, sir?" said person, a young kind of skinny man, asked him.

The first thing Bucky noticed when he looked up at the unknown man was his deep blue eyes. However Bucky, after staring intently at them, immediately realized that there was a bit of green in the blue of that man's eyes. They looked kind and innocent but also full of light and energy. Shining, Bucky would dare to say.

"Sir?"

The man's voice brought Bucky out of his thoughts. "Oh" he then blushed a little after realizing he had been staring at this man's eyes for far more than necessary. "I beg your pardon" Bucky removed himself from the man and sat to the ground. Only then he realized he had almost died. "You saved me" Bucky whispered, staring at the man. For some reasons he looked familiar, but Bucky couldn't remember where he had already seen that face.

"Oh?" Steve didn't mean to say just that. And he certainly didn't mean to make it sound like a question. But apparently his brain was too caught admiring the young man's beauty to process coherent thoughts. "I mean… I guess I did, didn't I?" Steve eventually said with a chuckle before standing up. "You should be more careful though, sir" he then stretched out his hand. "A shipyard can be a dangerous place"

"Yeah, I kind of noticed that" Bucky said with a smile, accepting Steve's hand. "Although I must say it's a fun way to meet people"

Steve chuckled. "You call 'almost falling to death' fun?"

Bucky shrugged. "As long as you're there to save me like you just did"

After that they both stared silent at each other. Bucky couldn't believe he just said something like that, to a man no less, and he also couldn't understand why he did it.

After an awkward silence, Steve cleared his throat. "I'm Steve, by the way. Steve Rogers" Steve then offered to shake hands but he immediately retreated his because it was kind of dirty. "Uh, sorry. I guess I need a shower, don't I?"

"Well" Bucky glanced at his own clothes that were now covered in dust and oil. "Guess I need one too, uh?" then, to Steve's surprise, he shook his hand, apparently not bothered that Steve's was all dirty. Suddenly something clicked in his head. "Wait. Steve Rogers you said?"

"Yes?" Steve frowned lightly.

"I think I read about you in the newspaper. You're the American guy who came to Ireland to work here?"

Steve then nodded, slightly amused and surprised that a clearly rich and important young man had recognized him from that interview. "That's me"

"Wow" Bucky sounded honestly impressed. "I read your interview weeks ago. It was very interesting"

"Yeah?" Steve asked as he enjoyed Bycky's touch more than necessary.

Bucky nodded. "And very persuasive, too. You're very good with speeches. You almost made me want to come here to work at this shipyard" he joked.

Steve chuckled lightly, flattered to receive such compliments. "I'm sure you'd be a good worker, if we pretend you weren't seconds from dying a painful death"

"Yeah, let's pretend that please" Bucky said with a smirk. Their hands were still linked together. Bucky didn't think much of it. Lie, he actually did. He kind of liked Steve's calloused, dirty hand. It was so different from shaking a gentleman's hand like he was used to. It was a good different, although he couldn't understand why. "My name's James. James Buchanan Barnes"

"Uh…" Steve chuckled. "I got James and then I kind of got lost. You might want to write that down. Sorry, sir"

It was Bucky's time to chuckle. "James Buchanan Barnes" he repeated. "And please, do not apologize and most importantly do not call me sir. That's for my father". As he said that, Bucky decided to finally let go of Steve's hand and if they both missed each other's warmth nobody needed to know that. "You can call me Bucky. All my friends do"

"Alright, Bucky it is then. Happy to become your friend so quickly!"

"Too quick?" Bucky asked, a smirk never leaving his face.

"Well, technically you have known me since that day you read the interview" Steve smirked too. "So no, it's not too quick. Plus, us New Yorkers must stick together, am I right?" he asked as he recognized Bucky's accent. "Manhattan I presume?"

Bucky playfully opened his arms at the sky. "Is it so obvious?" he joked because they both knew that yes, it was.

"Just a little" Seve said with a shrug and a smile.

"What about you?"

"Brooklyn of course" Steve pulled out his chest "And proud of it. Sooo, what brings you here to this dangerous, noisy place?" he eventually asked because wealthy, handsome men like Bucky wandering around SHIELD were kind of rare. Seve blushed slightly when he realized he thought Bucky was handsome. But honestly, he just was so Steve couldn't really think otherwise could he?

"I'm here with my parents actually" Bucky answered before looking around himself. "Who are probably going to kill me when they find out I left their side"

"And that you almost died" Steve added with a chuckle.

"Yeah. That too" Bucky rolled his eyes. "My mother is probably freaking out"

Just after he finished that sentence, his parents came out of the corner and saw him. They said something and although they were too distant for Bucky to hear what they were saying, he was sure they were complaining about him.

"I guess those are your parents" Steve said as he watched them getting closer. "They don't look very happy"

"No they don't" Bucky mumbled. "Troubles coming"

Steve felt sympathy for the young man. It was clear Bucky had no intention of upsetting his parents but unfortunately for him he had done so. Only then Steve noticed Pierce, Coulson and Sark walking behind Bucky's parents.

"Ah. The three big bosses all together" Steve commented. "I'm afraid there's troubles coming for me, too"

"What?" Buky asked incredulously. "Why?"

"Probably because I've been wasting my time talking to you instead of working" Steve answered matter-of-factly. "Mr. Pierce doesn't look particularly happy"

"James!" Winnifred explained once she was close enough. "What were you thinking disappearing like that?!"

"Mother I-"

"That's not how you're supposed to behave, young man!"

"I just-"

"Your mother is right, James" George told him. He looked much calmer than his wife, but his tone carried great disappointment. And Bucky hated to disappoint his father. "Look at you" he then said, referring to his dirty clothes. "What happened to you?"

"Well I-"

"You!" Pierce suddenly pointed an accusatory finger to Steve. "Did you assault this young man?!"

"What?" both Steve and Bucky asked.

"No sir, I didn't-" Steve tried to explain himself but Pierce interrupted him.

"Perhaps to rob him, no doubt!"

Winnifred gasped. "We must call the police then!"

"What?! No Mother!" Bucky looked at her and Pierce like the were both crazy.

"I know Mr. Rogers" Stark suddenly commented. "He is one of our best workers. And a good young man" Steve, of course, was surprised and also very flattered by Stark's nice comments. "I'm sure there is an explanation" Stark sentenced.

"I don't think-"

"Dear" George kindly told her wife who was about to start a tantrum. "Perhaps Mr. Stark is right. Allow our son to explain what happened"

Bucky, both relived and grateful, took a deep breath. "Mr. Pierce I assure you, Steve… I mean Mr. Rogers didn't try to rob me. He actually saved me"

"What do you mean he saved you?" Winnifred asked, looking at Steve like he could not be trusted at all. "Saved from what?"

"From falling down there!" Bucky, kind of exasperated by his mother's attitude, exclaimed pointing at the slipway border. For a moment everyone looked at the point Bucky was pointing at, and then they looked back at him. "While I was looking at the ship I didn't notice some oil on the ground. I slipped and almost fell to certain death, but Mr. Rogers here grabbed me before that could happen. Unfortunately we both fell on the ground, that's why my clothes are dirty"

Steve blushed and rubbed his arm for nervousness when everyone stared at him. Being at the center of the attention made him nervous.

"Is that what happened boy?" Pierce asked, sounding skeptical.

"Well" Steve didn't actually like how Bucky had told the story of what had happened. Sure it kind of went that way, but Bucky had put all the blame on himself for no apparent reason. It was just an accident. However, Steve knew there was no point in lying. "Yes. That's what happened. I was just at the right place at the right time"

"Well then young Steve here is a hero" Stark commented, looking at Steve with pride. "Good for you sonny, well done"

"Indeed" George smiled at Steve. "Thank you, Mr. Rogers, for what you did. Excellent reflexes. We were lucky you were there at the right moment" and he extended his hand to shake Steve's, much to his surprise. Just like Bucky, Mr. Barnes didn't seem bothered by Steve's dirty hands. It was an unexpected sigh of respect.

"No problem, sir" Steve said as he accepted Mr. Barnes' hand. "Glad I could prevent anything bad from happening"

"Yeah" Bucky joked. "Like me killing myself"

Winnifred, however, didn't look happy at all. She looked a second from losing all her compsture and dignity. "You almost fell to certain death?! They specifically told us to stay away from the slipway for security reasons, and you did the one thing you were supposed not to do!" Winnifred turned to Stark, Coulson and Pierce. "I do apologize. I am deeply mortified by my son's reckless actions"

"Ah, don't worry my dear" Pierce commented, trying to reassure her, as Bucky lowered his head in shame. "Luckily nothing bad happened, that's all that matters. Now, where were we? Ah yes. Let's check the propellers! It's quite the sight, I assure you. The bigger ever made" Pierce walked away, soon followed by Stark and Coulson.

"We are going to have a talk later" Winnifred whispered to Bucky, before following the three men without even thanking Steve.

Bucky signed. "It's not going to be fun" he then looked at Steve and he smiled brightly at the sight of those nice, kind eyes. Like all the bad thoughts had left him. "Thanks again for saving me, Steve. I owe you"

"No you don't" Steve told him with a smile. "I'm just happy-" nothing bad happened to that beautiful face he was about to say, but he managed to stop himself. "-nothing bad happened to you"

"Like I said, we were lucky you were there Mr. Rogers" George commented. "Allow me to show our gratitude for saving James' life. Would you like to join us for dinner tonight? I'm paying, of course"

"Oh" Steve definitely didn't expect that. "I… I'm really honored, sir, but I can't accept your generous offer"

"That's a great idea actually" Bucky looked at Steve with a happy smile. "Come have dinner with us. I'd really like your company"

Steve felt some heat reaching his cheeks. "I don't know…"

"I insist" George told him.

"I insist, too" Bucky immediately said. "Please?"

And how could Steve say no to that face? He had no chance against Bucky's supplicating gaze. "Alright" he eventually said. "I'll be happy to join you". Bucky's happy, wonderful smile was all Steve needed to know he had taken the right decision.

A/N: what do youy think? Comments are always appreciated. Hope I won't make you wait this much for the next chapter, although as I said earlier I'm very busy. I'll do my best to update as soon as possible. Until next time!