Disclaimer: Everything belongs to The Marvel Universe except for my characters Sophie and Jeremy – they are my own creations and are not meant to resemble anyone else's OCs in any way.
A/N: Yay! I'm so happy to have some of you back for my new story! And to see a few new readers! I hope you all can stick with me as I lay out the groundwork for the friendship between Sophie and Bucky before we get into the meat of it. I did want to note that this story is going to be non-canon. I think in general I'm going to keep it canon through CAWS and some details from Civil War, then it veers. So if that's not your thing, you've been warned!
I've been home sick the past two days with nothing to do but watch TV and write, so I'm posting this much sooner than I thought I would. Happy reading, and as always, reviews are greatly appreciated!
Chapter 2: Friends
Heart pounding, Sophie hit the Enter key. Her breath hitched as article after article came up mentioning James Barnes, Sergeant James Barnes, and James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes. But the one name she couldn't tear her eyes away from seemed to jump off the screen: the Winter Soldier. With shaking fingers she navigated to the first article, 'The ghost assassin known as the Winter Soldier identified as Sergeant James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes.' She swallowed the rise of bile that crept up her throat as a photo appeared on her screen. There was no mistaking it, this was the same James Barnes from the Brick and Stone. She'd heard of the Winter Soldier when everything went down several years ago. She'd been in D.C. when he rained down terror on the city.
"This can't be. This can't possibly be the same person. There has to be some sort of mistake," she muttered to herself.
But there was no escaping the image that stared back at her. It was the same long hair, the same mouth, the same stubbled jaw. But the blue eyes that looked out were cold and ruthless. Those of a killer. She shuddered and tore her eyes away from it, redirecting her gaze to the article instead. She read through it quickly, attempting to digest the information she gleaned from it. The amount of kills he was credited with was astounding. They called him one of the most deadly assassins in the world, with unrivaled sniper skills. Multiple assassinations were described in such gruesome detail Sophie thought she might be sick. Skimming further down there was a description of the incident in D.C. Following that, a short paragraph of the two-year search and then capture of one James Buchanan Barnes. The article spared a few lines dedicated to his trial where he was found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect.
"Interesting…"
She navigated back to the original search. The article left something lacking. It felt strongly biased and as if there was much that was left out. Given her line of work, Sophie was used to wading through bullshit until real facts emerged. She scanned through the hits until she found one from a rival news syndicate with opposing political leanings. It was titled 'Sergeant James Barnes: the lost war hero.' Clicking on the article, she began to read, mumbling under her breath as she went along. This one was longer and recounted his days in the military, shocking her when she learned the year of his birth and that he was actually a WWII veteran.
"How the fuck is that possible?!"
It went on to explain his time as a POW when he was experimented on and where he was rescued by his childhood friend, Captain America. It then reported an accident during a mission, costing him his arm, and after which he was captured once more. The details there were short and hazy but from her understanding he was tortured, brainwashed, and put into a cryogenic sleep. From there he was awakened only to perform assassinations at the bidding of his captors. The article continued on to also describe the D.C. incident, his capture, and in greater detail, his trial. It mentioned that due to his two stints as a POW, one of which lasted decades, his tremendous torture and brainwashing, he could not be held accountable for the crimes he committed as the Winter Soldier. It seemed that the judge agreed with the defense attorney (one whom Stark had provided, interestingly enough). Several conditions were mentioned upon his pardon including therapy and something about a brief stay in Wakanda. The article ended by stating that his current whereabouts were unclear as he seemed to be keeping a low profile. There was some speculation that he returned to his hometown of NYC and might be working covert ops with the Avengers. Others speculated that he remained in Wakanda. Either way, he seemed to be a ghost once more. Sophie finished the article and let out a long breath, then rolled over onto her back.
"This is insane. None of this makes sense."
She scrubbed her hands down her face, then got up and walked into the bathroom. Washing off her makeup she hopped into the shower. Just as she'd stepped out she heard her phone ring and dashed back into the bedroom.
"Hey Jeremy!"
*Hey baby. How's everything going?*
"Good. A little weird."
*Weird? Weird how? What happened?*
"I think I met an Avenger."
*Oh yeah? Well that's cool! Who was it?!*
"Um, well…I'm not sure he's an Avenger exactly…it's a long story."
*Who is it Sophie?! Who'd you meet?!*
Sophie frowned. Sometimes Jeremy's need for rubbing shoulders with famous people irked her. Sure it was fun and interesting to see someone like that, but at the end of the day, they were just people. Not for Jeremy though. He idolized the famous. And if Sophie were being honest, she was pretty sure he hoped to walk among them some day.
"It was James Barnes…"
There was a pause on the other end.
*I'm not sure I know who that is.*
He sounded deflated and for some reason it irritated Sophie.
"It's not a big deal. Anyway, how's your conference going?"
*Really good. Making some great connections here. Always good to have those in your back pocket, you know what I mean? Honestly though, I'm beat.*
"Yeah, me too."
*Well head on to bed then babes. I'll talk to you tomorrow.*
"Yeah ok. You do the same."
*Night.*
"Night."
Hanging up the phone, Sophie changed into comfy PJs and ordered some pizza. Once it had arrived, she grabbed the box and a bottle of water and walked back into her bedroom. She stared at her sleeping computer screen for a moment, and then descended upon it once more. She clicked through every article she could find, devouring its contents, studying its photos. The more she read, the more torn she felt. Was this man a hero? Was he a villain? Was he a victim? Her head swam until she felt like she was going cross-eyed and every article she clicked on seemed to say the same thing. Looking at the clock it blinked 2:17am at her. Groaning, she shoved everything off the bed and went to sleep at last.
…
The next few days felt like torture. Part of her wondered if she was going to run into him at work, or if he was going to pull strings to advance her career for some sinister reason, or if he was going to somehow try to manipulate her. Fanciful and crazy thoughts jumped into her mind at the most random times. And the worst part was, she had no one to talk to about it. She didn't feel like she could bring it up with Jeremy, especially after his 'not famous enough for me' brush off on the phone the other night. She didn't have any friends in NYC yet. And truth be told, she didn't feel close enough with anyone from D.C. to want to share this. So she struggled on until finally Thursday night rolled around. She and Jeremy sat together at dinner discussing their day when Sophie finally decided to bring up the party.
"So, remember when I told you I'd met that guy James Barnes?"
"Ummm…oh yeah. The maybe Avenger. So what's the verdict? How'd you meet him anyway?"
"Well I actually met him a while back. But it was really brief. And then I ran into him at Brick and Stone over the weekend and we hung out for a bit. So jury is still out on if he's actually an Avenger or not. But he invited me - us- to a party tomorrow night. It's at the Avengers Tower."
Jeremy dropped his fork and stared at her open mouthed.
"Are you serious?!"
"Yeah. But I don't know if it's a good idea to go."
"Why the hell not?! It would be awesome! Tony Stark is probably throwing the party! His parties are epic!"
Sophie stared at him incredulously, trying to hide her amused laugh behind a cough. An image of James, no, Bucky, flashed in her mind as he rolled his eyes with an air quote around the word epic.
"I don't know. They're kind of my superiors."
"No. Technically it's only Stark. And that's even more reason for us to go. Always great to make important connections like that and get in good with the boss."
Sophie considered his words. He was probably right.
"Yeah ok. I guess we can go."
"Yes!" He grinned at her happily.
She smiled back and then returned her gaze to her pasta bowl. As she swirled her fork around, the truth behind her decision suddenly became clear to her. Despite the ping pong effect on her emotions that reading the articles had caused, despite the caution that her brain blared at her in warning, she knew there was more to Bucky. The man who she had met in the coffee shop was nothing like the one described in any of the articles. He was not the suave and exuberant young soldier, nor the cold and callous assassin. There was a softness to him and a quiet strength. A playful side that peeked out, and a sadness that he attempted to hide. There was more. And Sophie was drawn like a moth to a flame. So she was going to the party not to make connections, but to see Bucky.
…
They stood outside of Avengers Tower and gazed up at the imposing building.
"So, you were definitely invited to this thing, right?"
"Yes."
"And he knows I'm coming with you, right? Like he knows we're together?"
"Yes. He said, and I quote, You should bring Jeremy."
"Ok. Just making sure. So how do we get in again?"
"Um, hang on. I put it all in my phone."
Just as Sophie unlocked her phone she heard her name being called. Turning towards the sound she saw Bucky walking up the sidewalk, flanked on either side by two friends. She immediately recognized one of them as Captain America, and judging by the sharp intake of breath at her side, Jeremy had too. The group walked up to them, all smiles.
"Hey, I wasn't sure you'd make it."
"Yeah well, I heard the party was supposed to be epic. Couldn't pass that up."
Bucky gave her a lopsided grin.
"This is Steve and that's Sam," he introduced his friends.
"Hey, I'm Sophie," she said as they all shook hands. "And this is my boyfriend Jeremy."
He eagerly grabbed Steve's hand, shaking vigorously. Sophie watched as Steve's and Sam's eyebrows shot up at the introduction.
"Your boyfriend, huh?"
Sam shot Bucky a look but he was spared a retort by the redhead from the coffee shop.
"Well heya boys. Why's everyone hanging out down here? I heard the party was upstairs."
"Oh well Bucky here was just introducing us to his new friend," Steve told her with a smug smile on his face.
"She's right. We should head on up," Bucky said with an eye roll.
"Hm…Natasha. Nice to meet you."
Sophie shook her hand, wondering what the sly smile was about, "Sophie."
"Come on, we're going to miss out on all the food dawdling down here."
…
Despite all the jokes, Sophie had to admit that the party was pretty awesome. Great music, great atmosphere, top shelf alcohol and great people. Tony Stark spared no expense. She was having a nice time chatting and getting to know various Avengers. Although she enjoyed her time with everyone, she could see why Bucky gravitated towards Steve and Sam. Steve was sweet and calm and she could tell he was a loyal friend. Sam was affable and hilarious and she felt like she'd known him for years. They both instantly made her feel comfortable and welcome, something that was unusual for Sophie. She talked and danced while Jeremy drank and schmoozed. Glancing over, she found him in deep conversation with Tony who actually seemed to be enjoying himself.
Shocker. They are both connoisseurs of the finer things in life.
Sophie smiled to herself at the thought. She looked over to the bar, ready for another drink, when she spotted him. Bucky. Back to the party, he sat at the counter taking shots by himself. She slid in the seat next to him and ordered herself a drink.
"Wow. That's…a lot of shots. How are you not on the floor yet? Also, this is just sad. Sitting here drinking all by yourself."
He gave her a wry smile and tipped back another shot, placing the glass on the counter along with the other six.
"Unfortunately, alcohol doesn't affect me. And I told you before, this isn't really my scene."
"Ah yes, the super soldier serum."
Bucky studied her face briefly, his expression serious and calculating, "So you did your homework."
He looked over at the bartender and ordered an Oban neat. The man placed a French 75 in front of Sophie and nodded at the super soldier beside her.
"I didn't think you'd come," he continued softly.
"Why not?"
He turned fully towards her, their knees touching. Then started rolling up his sleeves while he talked.
"I had a feeling you were going to start researching."
Sophie watched his hand as it cuffed the sleeve of his light sweater just past his elbow, exposing the prosthetic arm which she now had a hunch was vibranium. He moved on to the other arm. She wondered if he was doing this because he was hot, because he was trying to prove a point, or because he was testing her.
"And then I wouldn't want to come…because…?"
His eyes lifted up to hers, the somberness of his gaze stinging her heart.
"You read the articles. What do you think?"
"An article is just an article. It doesn't mean it's the whole truth. Or even the truth at all."
"But it is true. All of it. I am exactly who those articles make me out to be," he murmured.
Sophie mulled this over as she sipped on her drink. She had no doubt that the gist of it all was true, even the gruesome bits. And much of that terrified her. But as she sat in front of him, she could see the worry Bucky was trying to hide. He was laying it all out, trying to scare her, trying to push her away. His comment about always being alone echoed in her mind. He was used to people leaving. In this room full of supposed pals he still felt like he was by himself. His only real friends and confidants were Steve, Sam and Natasha. And so he was waiting for it now, gauging her reaction, afraid she would walk away. In that split second of realization she decided that despite her own doubts and worries, she was going to stay. She was going to give him the benefit of the doubt and see where this tentative friendship they were building would lead. Because as strange as it was, there was a connection between them. Nothing romantic, but an ease to their conversations, a certain comfort around one another, a feeling of companionship that she could not explain.
"And yet…I came anyway."
They stared at one another, measuring each other up.
"Yeah," he breathed out. "You did."
Then suddenly Natasha was standing between them, a slightly inebriated smile on her face.
"Alright Sophie, I've come to rescue you. Take you away from this depressive cloud Barnes is emitting. Come on, let's go have a conversation. The sofas are much more comfortable than these damn bar stools."
Sophie glanced at Bucky one more time, then grabbed her drink and slid off her chair. As she followed Natasha, her eyes darted back over to Jeremy who was still actively engaged in conversation with Tony. The two women settled down on a loveseat that faced the dance floor. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Bucky, still at the bar, watching her.
"So? What's the deal?"
"Deal?"
"Yeah. With you and our dear old Sergeant."
"N-nothing," Sophie stammered, wide-eyed.
"No offense, but I just keep wondering, why did he invite you here? You and… your boyfriend."
"I don't know. Why don't you ask him yourself," she growled back, feeling irritated by the sudden inquisition.
Natasha sipped her drink, observing Sophie over the rim of the glass.
"I remember you, you know."
Sophie just stared passively at the Black Widow.
"You were on a date, with Jeremy I see now. But you watched us constantly. I could feel your eyes on me. On us. So? What's going on with you two?"
"Nothing. Look, I just moved to the city and I don't have any friends here. We seemed to get along, and I think he just wants a friend too. Ok?"
"That doesn't sound like Barnes. He's practically a hermit. If we didn't drag him outside of his shell he'd never leave it. He doesn't go around just looking to make friends."
"Who's looking to make friends?" Steve asked as he and Sam came to join the women.
Steve sat on Sophie's left as Sam sat on the couch across from them.
"Bucky," Sophie sighed. "Bucky and I are just trying to be friends."
Steve smiled, "That's swell. Sounds a bit like the old Buck."
Sophie shot Natasha dirty look.
"Though, he was a bit of a ladies man back then," he added.
Natasha pursed her lips, trying to hid the smile as Sophie's eyes rolled up to the ceiling.
"Well I think it's great," Sam chimed in. "Bucky could use another friend. Though, maybe y'all just want to bone and get that out of the way. A good lay would do him good. Probably loosen him up a bit."
"SAM!" Both Natasha and Steve screamed at the same time as Sophie's mouth fell open.
"I'm just saying. He's hardly dated since coming back from Wakanda and I doubt that Hydra let him off his leash long enough for him to satisfy that urge. So who knows, it might have been 70 years since the last time he —"
Sophie jumped out of her seat just as Steve cut Sam off, "Hey now. He's dated some. And I don't really think that's any of our business Sam."
"I don't understand you people. For someone who's been through so much, wouldn't you want him to have another friend? Is this because I'm a female? Because look around!" She motioned at the three of them. "Female, males. And yet you are all friends. But who knows, maybe you're all secretly screwing!"
The three Avengers stared at each other in shock as she stormed off in search of Jeremy. She found him still in the same spot. Sophie desperately hoped that Tony was actually enjoying himself and not feeling entrapped by her sometimes overzealous boyfriend.
"Hey honey! There you are! Come meet Tony Stark. I was just telling him how much happier you are working for him than the government!"
He put an arm around Sophie's shoulder and she snuggled into the comfortable safety gladly, blushing at his comment.
"It's so nice to finally meet you. This party really is amazing! And…yes, I do really enjoy my job."
"Thank you. What's life without a few good parties? And glad you enjoy it. We need someone with brains to sort through all the crap that comes in so we can figure out what actually needs our attention."
She smiled at him as he continued on.
"So I've just been chatting with your charming boyfriend here. Fascinating work. Real-estate with developers and architects. The next time I'm going to be looking for a new home I'll be reaching out to you, buddy. Maybe we'll add something fun to the Compound. There's a thought. Anyway, I heard you grabbed the attention of our resident world class assassin. Go you."
"Wait, I'm sorry, what?" Jermey broke in.
"Oh, you don't know," Tony glanced from Jeremy to Sophie, eyebrows raised. "But you do. Interesting."
"Back up. What did you mean by that comment? What do you mean he's an assassin. I thought you were all Avengers."
"Weeelllll yeah, technically speaking. But your girl here is getting cozy with the Winter Soldier."
"Hey now, I'm not getting cozy with anyone. We're just friends. And truthfully, we hardly know each other!"
"The Winter Soldier?! Did you know about that?"
Sophie shifted from one foot to the other, feeling increasingly uncomfortable. She knew how Jeremy felt in this moment, because she felt the same way when she'd read all the articles. It was fear gripping him in the chest.
"Let's be honest Tony," Steve chimed in as he stepped up to the group. "That's not Bucky anymore. And it was never in his control. You can go look it up. It's all out there on the internet for everyone to read. But all you need to know is that he's not the Winter Soldier. He's a good man and he's doing his best to recover. And truthfully," he looked Sophie dead in the eye. "He could use all the friends he can get."
"And on that note, I see the lady of the house over by the bar. Best go say hi before I find myself in the doghouse. But have yourselves another drink! Enjoy!"
"I think we should be heading out," Sophie murmured to Jeremy.
"Yeah, I think you're right. It was a pleasure Cap."
They shook hands before Jeremy began to steer Sophie towards the exit. They were several steps away from the door when Natasha intercepted them. She looped her arm through Sophie's and pulled her aside.
"Can I have a moment?"
"Um, ok."
Tugging her into a corner, Nat's eyes drifted back to the couch they had previous occupied. Bucky sat in between Sam and Steve. He was smiling at something Sam had said. But as the smile ebbed from his face, it was replaced by a sad and faraway look. She always wondered if he was just in his own head or if this was the remnants of shell-shock. Either way, he deserved to have people in his corner.
"Look, I'm sorry," she told Sophie quietly. "I don't want you to feel like we were attacking you. We're just…looking out for Bucky. He's been through hell and back and sometimes his mind still revisits those dark places. He's working on it. He's recovering, but it's not easy for him. And we just want to make sure that you know what you're doing."
"What does that even mean?"
"You're dating someone else. If this really is a purely platonic thing, then I'm all for it. But I don't want to see him messed with anymore than he already has been."
"That's sweet, but he knows I'm dating Jeremy. He always knew. From the first time we met. But he invited me anyway. Don't you want to give your friend some credit? He doesn't strike me as stupid," she replied sharply.
Natasha sighed, "You're right."
"And I doubt he's a porcelain doll that will break at the first notion of heartache anyway."
The Black Widow studied her for a moment, "I know. But heartache can take different forms. And sometimes the worst kind isn't losing a lover, it's losing a close friend."
…
Sophie yawned and stretched languidly, luxuriating in the comfort of Jeremy's bed.
"Morning sunshine."
She opened her eyes and beamed at Jeremy.
"Where are you off to so early? It's Sunday."
"I was going to hit the gym for a bit. Want to come with?"
"No," she snuggled into the blankets. "I think I'll lounge around today and be lazy."
"Ok, sure. Wish I could join you."
"You can't?"
"No. I've got that client meeting, remember?"
"Oh, well damn."
She sat up in bed, brushing the long strands of hair from her face.
"Well I guess in that case I'll just head home."
"You don't have to. You can stay here if you want."
"I know, but I'd rather just get back since you're going to be gone most of the day anyway."
"Ok," he leaned in and gave her a kiss. "I'll see you later then."
…
After a long shower and a big breakfast, Sophie found herself lounging on her couch in pjs. She flipped through the various channels and streaming services but just couldn't find anything she wanted to watch. Sighing, she walked over to her bookshelf and selected something to read. But as she cracked open the book, once again snuggled into the blankets of the couch, she found her mind wandering back to Friday night. Giving up, she placed the book on the coffee table and took out her phone. Quick steps carried her back into her bedroom where she opened the top drawer of her nightstand and retrieved something before heading back to her previous spot. Her fingers hesitated, hovering over the keyboard. Then she began to type.
Sophie: Those articles may describe who you once were and maybe the things you had been forced to do, but they don't dictate who you are now.
She hit send and waited. And waited. A full ten painful minutes went by before she got a response.
Bucky: You lied about the napkin.
"Fuck," she muttered after reading the text.
Sophie: Nope. Just happened to find it this morning.
Sophie: In my junk drawer.
Bucky: Ouch.
Bucky: What are you up to?
Sophie: Nothing.
Bucky: Nothing?
She snapped a picture of herself making a nope face and included the blanket and pjs. Then sent it to Bucky.
Bucky: Cute. Care to exchange those pjs for some sweat and go for a run with me?
Sophie paused. Earlier that morning the prospect of lounging around all day and doing nothing was extremely enticing. But now she was just bored.
"Why the hell not? Might as well get some exercise."
Sophie: Sure.
Bucky: Meet at Brick and Stone and go from there?
Sophie: Sounds like a plan. See you in 15.
Bucky: Will you be able to get ready and walk there in 15?
Sophie: I'm literally changing pjs for sweats. I think I can manage.
Bucky: Sorry. Didn't know if you needed to make up your face or something.
Sophie recoiled.
"What?" she mumbled to herself.
Sophie: Not if I want my face to be melting within 10 minutes. Gross.
He sent her a laughing emoji.
Bucky: See you in 15 then.
…
She saw Bucky before he saw her. He stood outside the coffee shop in black joggers and a maroon hoodie, baseball cap pulled low. He had his hands tucked into the pocket of his pants and he was watching something across the street. Sophie turned and followed his gaze. There was a young mom pushing her baby in a stroller, several grocery bags hanging off her arms. The sidewalk on that side was horribly uneven and cracked and one of the stroller wheels had got stuck. She was struggling, attempting to raise the stroller without dropping her bags. A moment later, Bucky was jogging across to her. Sophie stopped in her tracks and watched. He walked up slowly and said something to the woman. Then bent down, dislodging the wheel and freeing the stroller. The mom beamed up at him, obviously thanking him profusely. He gave her a smile and a brief nod before turning to walk back to the coffee shop. Checking the street for cars, he finally caught sight of her. He gave her a small wave as they walked up to each other.
"Well wasn't that sweet," she grinned up at him.
He lifted his left shoulder in a shrug, looking slightly embarrassed.
"So where were you planning on running?"
"Thought we could just go over to the park."
"Sounds good. But I have to warn you, I'm a terrible runner. I've got awful endurance. And there's no way I'm going to be able to keep up with you."
"That's alright. You run, I'll just walk beside you," he gave her a smirk.
"Hey now! I'm not that slow!"
They got into the park and began a slow jog, Bucky allowing Sophie to set their pace. They ebbed and flowed through periods of comfortable silence mixed with easy conversation as they got to know one another. Even after their run, once they had parted ways, they continued their conversation through text. And so they carried on, slowly laying down the building blocks of their friendship.
…
With time, Bucky began to invite her to hang out with Steve, Sam, and Nat as well, growing Sophie's circle of friends. At first she would bring Jeremy along, but for some reason he couldn't seem to get past them being Avengers and his starstruck attitude began to make everyone uncomfortable. His occasional jabs about Bucky's past as the Winter Soldier didn't help the situation either.
"I just don't get why you think I should stay home."
Sophie sighed, "Look, it's the same as when you go out with your friends. Or even your friends with their wives and girlfriends. I just don't have anything in common with them. So when I'm in the group, it feels awkward. Most of the time I don't know anyone you all are talking about and the other women have really given up on trying to include me."
Jeremy pulled a face, "Maybe that just means you should come to more of the hangouts. Get to know everyone better."
"I've tried. They're just not my group of people. And that's ok. We don't have to do everything together. We don't have to spend every waking minute in each other's presence. It's probably even healthy for us to have our own group of friends."
"Yeah, you're probably right. And I know, you've really tried with them in the past. I just don't get why you all don't click. You and I are together, and they're my friends and their significant others…how can you not have anything in common?"
"I don't know…they're just…too catty for me. I've had my fill of women like that in the past. And I just don't want that sort of drama in my life. So it's easier to just stay quiet and let them gossip to death without me."
Sighing, Jeremy pulled Sophie into a hug.
"I know," he mumbled into her hair. "It's just that…are you sure all he wants is friendship?"
Pulling back, Sophie stared into his face, "Bucky? Yeah. There's nothing romantic there. I'm with you. Besides, a lot of times we're hanging out in a group. And there's plenty of times when it's just me and Nat too. This is just my new circle, my people, and Bucky happens to be a part of that."
He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, "Ok. Then I'll let it go."
…
~ Present Day ~
Sophie pushed herself up off the floor and resumed her pacing.
"Ok, think think think! What else can you do? What have you not tried yet?!"
She ran her hands through her hair, pausing by the window and staring out towards the thrum of the city below.
"You tried running already, and that did nothing. So I doubt going to the gym will help. Yoga didn't do much. And let's face it, if you can't be still long enough to do a proper shavasana you know you won't be able to be still enough to meditate. Why is sitting silently in one place so fucking hard?!"
Antsy fingers grabbed hold of the windowsill and squeezed as she attempted to take a few deep breaths.
"You know what you need, damn it. There's only one thing at this point that will calm you down enough to let sleep come…this would have been so much easier if Jeremy and I hadn't broken up six months ago. There would be no problem now. He'd just happily take care of it and off to dreamland you'd go. But now…"
Nervous brown eyes glanced back to the bed.
"You're really only left with one option…"
A/N: Omg, Tony is really hard for me to write! I hope I didn't mess him up too bad. There will be a lot more Bucky x Sophie interaction coming up next chapter so please stick with me! Any guesses so far about what Sophie is going to ask Bucky to do?
I hope you enjoyed the chapter and PLEASE take a moment to leave a review! A big thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter: Alices Rabbit, Thorunnironsde, Alpinelover, MidnightStar, Guest, jllngls, and MedievalContessa.
Alices Rabbit: Yay! Glad you like it so far and thanks for returning!
Thorunnironside: So happy to see you on my story again! Thanks for the review :)
Alpinelover: Woohoo! And don't worry, I have plans for little Alpine to come along eventually lol
MidnightStar: Aww, thanks! I'm thrilled to have you back for my story! I'm really glad Sophie's personality seems to be coming across the way I wanted: soft and sweet. Also, love that you love the songs haha.
Guest: Friends, indeed *wicked grin*. I know, flirty Bucky is pretty great lol. But sorry if I messed up Tony! As an aside, did you ever read the epilogue to New Beginnings? :D