"You sure you're alright with this, Harper?" Bucky called from the bedroom.

"Alright as can be," she replied from the bathroom.

"We really don't have to go," he said fingers running through his hair one more time until he was satisfied with how it looked. "This isn't something you have to do, doll."

He stepped back to evaluate his reflection. It had been a long time since he had gotten ready to go out with a woman like this. Since Bucharest, he was pretty sure. He and Harper had gone on dates since the Blip, but none of their destinations had been part of the city's nightlife. And he had never gotten ready to go out to a dance club of the modern variety. The only one he'd ever been to was the one in Madripoor, which was perhaps not the best model of what to expect of the night. Luckily, they would be easing into things by hitting a bar or two first. Still, he hoped that he'd fit in with his black jeans, grey t-shirt, and lightweight black jacket.

He heard Harper's footsteps approaching him, and her voice was close by when she said, "It's okay, James. Trust me; if I want to leave, you'll be the first to know."

The former soldier opened his mouth and turned to reply, but the thought died on his tongue. Heat bloomed in his cheeks, mind going blank as his eyes took her in. Harper wore the high-waisted black jeans that Bucky most enjoyed seeing her in. They clung to her shapely legs, highlighting her full thighs. A single row of shiny black buttons gleamed in a row down the elongated waist. A white shirt was on her torso, the sleeves billowing around her wrists. The neckline was high, revealing her collarbones and little else. However, the material stretched tightly across her chest, emphasizing the heavy curve of her bust beneath the fabric. The top ended perfectly atop the hourglass dip of her waist and two thick bands of white fabric crisscrossed and crawled downward over her torso to meet the top of her jeans. The flesh between the 'x' of fabric called for the attention of his eyes and his fingers.

Bucky wrenched his eyes upward when he felt a twitch below his belt. Her espresso waves tumbled prettily over her shoulders, the dark contrasting beautifully against the bright white of her top. Her cinnamon-brown eyes were outlined a bit more thickly than usual and on her full lips was the dark purple lipstick that he had always loved on her.

"Is this too much skin?" Harper asked nervously, turning on the spot.

Bright blue eyes roamed the curves of her body, and belatedly noticed that part of her tattoo was visible. The colors appeared even more vibrant than usual, sandwiched between the dark jeans and bright top. A part of him purred with satisfaction that the brilliant red poppy meant for him was hidden away in a place rarely revealed to anyone else. He couldn't deny that the inked skin added an edge to her already incredibly sexy appearance.

"Holy shit, Harper," he breathed. "Are you sure you don't want to stay home tonight?"

Her cheeks flushed brightly and she pointed out, "You didn't answer the question."

"What was the question?" he replied, genuinely unsure of what had just been asked given his preoccupation with the sight before him.

"Is this too much skin?" the brunette repeated. "I feel a little weird..."

"Well, you know I like the tease of modesty, but wow, Harper," Bucky said with a disbelieving shake of his head. "Not too much skin. You look incredible."

"Are you sure?" she questioned, fiddling with the crossed fabric around her midriff. "Kat insisted I own at least one thing that shows off my tattoo, but I don't know. Isn't this a lot?"

"Harper, don't wear anything you don't feel comfortable in. But if you're asking for my opinion, it really isn't too much. You look so sexy." He took a step to close the gap between them, cupping the curves of her sides in his palms. "This is all the skin that's showing."

"Okay," she nodded slowly. With a playful smile, she added, "If my 1940s gentleman deems this okay, it mustn't be too much."

"Are you comfortable?" he questioned.

Harper met his gaze for a moment before confirming, "I'm alright, James. Thank you."

He swallowed the wave of desire bubbling up in his chest and asked, "Should we head out?"

She nodded. "Let me just put on my shoes and grab my going-out-wallet."

Bucky returned the nod and set about pulling on his own black combat boots while she slid the slim wallet in her back pocket. She then stepped into a pair of black ankle boots with the highest heels he'd seen the brunette don. While he preferred her shorter and thus easy to tuck beneath his chin, he couldn't deny that the heels made her legs look even better.

"Are you wearing a coat?" he asked, raising a brow as she bypassed the small coat closet on their way out.

"No," Harper shook her head in the negative. "I don't want to be stuck holding it all night, and wearing a bomber jacket or something sort of ruins the point of the outfit."

It was only early spring, so the nights weren't warm. Bucky frowned. "It's chilly."

"If only I had a super attractive boyfriend whose body heat I could share until the alcohol warms me up," Harper lamented dramatically.

He chuckled and pressed a kiss to her temple. "If only."


Harper smiled, glancing up at the gorgeous brunet who had her pressed against his side. They were walking from the T station to the bar and he was making good on her request to enjoy his warmth. Harper's phone vibrated, so she shifted beneath his arm to pull the device from her pocket.

"Tawny and Kat are so impatient," she sighed, typing out a response in their group chat. "They're complaining that even Jordan beat us there."

"Luckily Sam is running late, so we won't be the last ones," James replied, laid back as ever.

Harper looked up at him again and said, "It really worked out that he was up here for a work thing this week."

"What a happy coincidence," he drawled sarcastically, though Harper knew not to take him too seriously where his supposed conflict with the other soldier went.

A short walk later, they had arrived at the bar. James was the first to spot their group. He guided her with the arm anchored around her middle, but was quick to take a step back when the three women swarmed her.

"You're wearing the shirt!" Kat beamed.

Tawny poked at her tattooed side and said, "Look who's a hottie with a body!"

Jordan plucked at her sister's hair, fluffing it lightly. "I mean, yay skin, but why the fuck would you cover up your tits? Of the Montgomery sisters, you're the most gifted up top, and you're letting it all go to waste."

"Who invited you?" Harper rolled her eyes. Looking over her shoulder at the soldier watching with a bemused smiled, she asked, "What'll you have? I'll get first round."

As Harper was accepting his gin and tonic and her rum and coke from the bartender, she heard a familiar voice above the din of the bar. She turned to see Sam approaching through the crowd, a big smile on his face. James greeted his friend and they met in a brief hug, clapping each other on the back.

Their new arrival pulled back and greeted, "Hey, Harper. How ya been?"

"Hi, Sam," Harper replied with a smile. "Doing well. How are you?"

"Good, good. Glad the week is over, and ready to let loose a little."

"I think you'll be in good company then," she replied with a laugh. She turned and introduced the others in their group, "My sister Jordan, and my friends Tawny and Kat."

Introductions exchanged and drinks in hand, the group crowded around a small table in the bar that was quickly filling up. Time passed enjoyably, each of them partaking in a few rounds between the boisterous conversation. Harper caught Tawny's eyes and the redhead flushed immediately, confirming her suspicions.

Harper grinned wickedly before nudging James's side with her elbow. He looked down at her, and she leaned closer with a meaningful look. He raised a brow, so Harper tilted her head just slightly to the side. With her eyes, she gestured between Sam and Tawny. It took the brunet a moment before he chuckled and nodded. The couple shared one more conspiratorial look, a silent agreement to keep tabs on their flirting friends throughout the night, before returning to Jordan and Kat's animated debated about which bars had the best karaoke nights.


Bucky followed closely behind Harper as they entered the nightclub. He looked around, surprised at how similar it actually was to Madripoor, minus the glaringly illegal activities and criminals. But the loud music, tangible beats of the base, and the crowd of people under the influence of a range of substances were all the same. He found himself surprised thinking about Harper once frequenting places such as this. It seemed so at odds with the reserved social worker he met in Romania and the homebody therapist he had been living with for eight months.

Their group was led straight to the bar by a rather excited Kat and Jordan. Despite already being a bit drunk, they immediately ordered a round of shots for everyone. Bucky took his with a slight frown; shots weren't exactly a pleasure when one was unable to get drunk. Still, he knocked it back with the rest of them, grimacing at the burn of the liquor in his throat. Six shot glasses were placed back on the bar, and he was surprised when Harper immediately ordered a second one. He wrapped an arm around her loosely, his hand curling around the curve of her waist.

"Are you alright, doll?" he asked.

"Feeling a bit anxious," she admitted with a frown. She thanked the bartender and downed the amber liquid, her nose scrunching adorably at the burn.

Bucky's fingers slid along her side, finding her exposed skin and massaging small circles against the soft flesh. "What can I do for you?"

The brunette placed the empty shot glass on the bar and replied, "Could you just stay near me for a little bit?"

"Of course," he agreed easily, leaning down to place a kiss on her temple.

Kat glanced at them and seemed to pick up on Harper's unease. She swooped in and wrapped her arm around Harper's shoulder, leaning into her ear to speak with her. Even his advanced hearing couldn't catch what they were saying; he could only follow the trading of nods or head shakes. Finally, Kat pulled back and then dragged Tawny away from Sam and out toward the dance floor. Jordan hastened after them, shouting profanity at them for not waiting.

The men ordered drinks to sip on before gathering around a small standing table. Bucky wrapped his arms around Harper, holding her against him protectively. Her heels had indeed closed the gap in their heights enough that he couldn't comfortably tuck her beneath his chin, to his chagrin. He stifled his disappointment and chatted with Sam, shouting over the pounding music.

He had certainly not told the other soldier about Harper's horrible last experience at a club and the anxiety she had about going out as they were. Fortunately, Sam hadn't commented about how Harper had remained closely at Bucky's side all night, even at the bar. He simply chatted with her as normal, the effects of the alcohol slowly showing in both of them. Sometimes he missed getting drunk, but this wasn't one of those times. He was grateful that he was able to participate without losing any of his awareness. Bucky much preferred being able to remain vigilant of their surroundings and to monitor how Harper appeared to be doing. Plus, he could fully enjoy the feeling of her leaning against him and of the softness of the skin he couldn't keep his fingers away from.

Eventually, the other half of their group found them and began insisting that Harper join them on the dance floor. Bucky looked down at Harper and asked, "What do you think, darlin'?"

Harper looked up at him, a soft smile turning her lips. "I'm feeling a bit better now. Thank you, James."

She twisted so that she could press her lips to his in a kiss that he wished had lingered a bit longer. Too soon she was pulling away and disappearing into the crowd with her friends and sister. He carefully tracked their movements, keeping an eye on the dark head of loose curls bobbing through the swarm of people.

"She okay?" Sam asked.

Bucky marked the spot Harper had settled in before turning to his friend. Evasively, he answered, "She didn't really want to go out."

"That's a surprise. Girl can drink," Sam replied in a tone that made it clear that it was a compliment.

He couldn't help but laugh at that. "She can. It was one of the first surprising yet endearing traits of hers I learned about back in Romania."

"I guess this doesn't necessarily seem like her scene, though," Sam continued thoughtfully. "Not that I know her that well, but… Seeing the really proper woman I spoke to about her clinical work in a club lookin' like that…"

Bucky raised a brow in challenge. "Looking like what?"

The other man grinned and shrugged nonchalantly. "Not encroaching on your territory or anything, man, but you gotta know she looks good. Hell of a difference from jeans and a cardigan."

"Maybe stick to checking out her friend," Bucky bit back, not loving the idea of any other man's gaze on Harper, even if it was someone like Sam who would pose no threat.

Sam barked a laugh and said, "Hey, the redhead is real cute. Course I'm gonna look. You know how it is. I'm sure plenty of dudes in here have noticed how they all look. How all the women in here look."

"Don't remind me," Bucky scowled.

Sam punched his shoulder lightly. "Don't get all mopey on me. You know it's the nature of these places."

Bucky frowned; Sam didn't know how this was an even worse reminder. His blue eyes flickered to the dance floor, relieved to find Harper and the others were still in their original spot. Her story wasn't his to tell, but he suddenly thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to have Sam on his side to watch after Harper and the other women of the group. "And you know that these places house some unsavory people who might be taking notice of them, too."

Sam's expression turned more serious and he nodded once, signaling his understanding. Feeling a bit better, Bucky changed the subject "Heard anything on the job that I should know about lately?"

They talked for a while longer, swapping information and theories about possible threats that could need their combined attention at some point, before Harper materialized at their table. Her face glowed with a light sheen of perspiration, a product of the alcohol, dancing, and thick crowd of people. She slipped one of her arms around his metal one, looking up at him with hopeful eyes.

"D'you wanna join me for a few?" she asked.

Bucky frowned, torn by her request. He didn't want to disappoint her or to turn down a request for him to be near her, but he already felt a bit like a fish out of water in the club. Cautiously, he replied, "I don't know anything about dancing like this."

She pulled his arm into her side. "Trust me, guys don't need any sort of skill here. You hardly even need to move." Harper glanced to Sam. "I think Tawny might be looking for a dance partner. Jordan and Kat have each found a few."

"Well, I can't let her think chivalry is dead," Sam declared with a mischievous grin. He clapped Bucky on the shoulder. "See you out there, man."

The former soldier watched his comrade wade his way into the crowd. His eyes moved back down to the hopeful face of his partner. "Are you feeling okay still, darlin'?"

"I feel mostly okay. But with the others accepting dances, it brings attention to the whole group, which is… unwanted."

Bucky extracted his arm from her hold, shifting to embrace her gently. "Okay, doll. Just don't laugh at how unskilled I am."

"Don't judge me for how skilled I am," she laughed.

He chuckled and stole a quick kiss before allowing her to grab his flesh hand and lead him back to the group. If he thought the bass was palpable before, it was nothing compared to this end of the club. He could feel the music vibrating in his chest. His eyes swept around the crowd as he followed Harper, his nerves mounting as he observed the way bodies were rhythmically writhing against each other. This was certainly no swing dance or jitterbug.

"Harper, I don't think I can move like that," he confessed against her ear.

"Well, I can," she tossed over her shoulder. Seeing his eyes widen with a mixture of interest and nervousness, she added, "I'll ease you into it."

Bucky simply watched her, in a daze, until they found their friends. Kat had found herself sandwiched between two guys, rocking her hips forward against one and sliding up and down the torso of the other. Jordan was wrapped around a guy, her already short dress riding up dangerously. Tawny and Sam were dancing as well, but much more chastely. They were facing each other and each moving along to the beat pounding from the sound system.

Harper turned to face him, tossing her dark waves over her shoulder. A smile was still lifting the corners of her alluring plum lips. She began to shift and move her body to the beat, occasionally brushing up against him due to the close proximity necessitated by the thick crowd. He did his best to reciprocate, though he was fully aware that he was stiff and awkward. His sobriety was probably partly to blame for that.

Bucky noticed a few men eying the brunette even despite his presence. His temper flared; was it not clear that she was unavailable? He flashed those that dared to get closer his deadliest glare, effectively deterring their advances. His glaring came to an abrupt halt when Harper's arms wrapped around his neck and her body began to sway against his. His arms rose automatically to wrap around her waist, keeping her close to him. Harper tilted her chin up, prompting him to lean in to hear her better.

"You okay?" she asked.

Bucky quirked a brow and replied, "Shouldn't I be asking you?"

"Better now," she answered. One of her hands crawled up his nape, threading through the short hair affectionately. It took his attention off the continued friction between their bodies. "A little acclimated yet?"

"Little bit," he allowed with a nod.

Harper beamed as the song that was playing faded into another. Kat and Tawny both whooped their approval and she explained, "This song was real big in our college days. Remember: you can't judge me!"

Bucky didn't have time to form a reply before his brain was wiped blank for the second time that night. In a fluid motion, Harper had spun in his arms, her hands adjusting his slightly so they perched on her hips. And her hips! They were now rolling and rocking to the new beat, effectively grinding her ass against his groin. The former soldier could do little besides hold on and watch the way her curvy body moved to the music.

Digging deeply into his reserves of body control, Bucky tried to both school his expression to a more neutral one (he rather feared he was gaping at her like a pubescent virgin interacting with his first dame) and to ensure that his body didn't react to hers despite the heat building between them. It was a challenge he hadn't foreseen.

Harper shifted, arching her back and pressing her bottom against him more firmly. Slowly, with a sensuality he'd hardly ever seen her exude, she twisted and rolled her body. Then a particularly fast-paced song began to play. Harper's hips adjusted to the new tempo. Bucky wasn't sure for how long he endured the sensation of her every curve rocking against him, but eventually the friction couldn't be ignored. His hands clenched tighter on her hips. His dick twitched, self-control crumbling.

The brunette straightened and turned to face him again, perhaps having sensed (or felt?) his growing sexual frustration. She was grinning wickedly at him, confirming his suspicions. Pressing her chest against his, Harper's fingers tugged at his beltloops, pulling their hips together and gazing into his eyes all the while. Knowing he would be adding fuel to the fire, Bucky decided to retaliate just a bit by rolling his hips back. He watched Harper's brows rise in surprise, but she didn't stopped moving to the music.

Finally, he could hardly take it anymore. She arched her back just so, pressing against him in a way that sent a jolt of electricity straight to his groin. His flesh hand left her hip, dropping down to squeeze her bottom with an urgency he couldn't fully suppress.

Harper, more daring than he'd ever guessed she could be, rested her head on his shoulder with what seemed to be innocent intentions before nipping his neck playfully. She suckled the skin briefly before lifting her lips to his ear.

"Wanna head home?"

"Fuck yes," he growled, squeezing the swell of flesh in his hand again.

Harper pulled away, moving to alert her friends and sister of their departure. Bucky turned and found Sam was already watching him with a knowing expression on his face. The former soldier couldn't even summon an ounce of embarrassment. He was too hot under the collar after so much teasing. He merely nodded at the other man, silently wishing him a successful remainder of his night before taking Harper's hand and making a hasty exit.


A/N: I'm not super confident in posting this chapter. I really liked the idea of Bucky helping Harper through her own traumas in a similar way to how she has helped him, while also seeing his modern self on a type of date his past self had enjoyed. I'm just not sure I executed it as well as I wanted to.

Thank you all for your continued support of this story. It is so very appreciated. Tune in next time to see what kind of shenanigans follow a night of provocative dancing. ;)