covered in frost

by A. X. Zanier

Feeling more confident after the events of TFaTWS Bucky returns to Brooklyn and begins to discover exactly who he really is in this new world he's found himself in.

12. Chapter 11

A/N: I know it has taken me forever to get this chapter completed. I want to blame work, which would be at least partially true, but I've also been unmotivated mostly because I know there's not much left to write as we're swiftly coming to the end of this little adventure into dating.

Bucky tugged on the collar of his crisp white dress shirt as if it squeezed the base of his throat too tightly instead of the top two buttons being undone giving him more than enough room to both breathe and swallow without difficulty.

Sam reached out and swatted his hand away. "Stop acting like you've never worn a suit before."

Bucky shot a glare at his partner. At least they weren't in their armor, which is what their agent had suggested as if that would impress any of the people they'd be paraded in front of tonight. Both Sam and he had outright refused. Never mind the fact that those outfits were hotter than hell, his was technically owned by the government and could potentially set up a conflict of interest since they were here to hopefully fund an endeavor separate from the US military. Hell, if the funding went the right way, he could create his own uniform, something possibly a bit more Vibranium lined, though kevlar had saved his ass more than once.

"I haven't worn a real suit in," he had to pause and dig through his memory for a long moment, "hell, since before the war. For USO dances we wore our uniforms." There were odd echoes of him perhaps wearing one as the Winter Soldier, but the memories, if that's what they were, refused to coalesce. The closest to a suit in recent memory had been in Madripoor, the tux jacket little more than a statement piece in that particular ensemble.

"And I'm sure you looked just as good then," Sam groused. Not that he looked bad, in fact, he looked far more comfortable in his suit complete with tie than Bucky did in his slightly more casual version.

Bucky grunted in response.

"All right gentlemen, are you ready?" Mikail sounded far more confident than either of the men he spoke to.

"As we can be, I suppose," Sam responded, glancing over at Bucky again. Dealing with the public had not been his forte, he'd gotten better, more relaxed in front of crowds and cameras, but nowhere near as good as Sam.

Sam would be the one who would ultimately convince anyone they should invest in this venture they were considering. Tonight would tell them if there could be any chance at all at making this work. If they crashed and burned, they would reevaluate and probably just stick with the government jobs.

Bucky had concerns that they might actually dry up now that they were refusing to work for the GRC after that incident in Brazil. For his part, collecting his pension, while working part-time locally and delving deeper into his personal projects would be more than enough. Oh, and hanging out with Nienna. Any free time he had he'd be more than happy to spend with her.

"All right, this way if you would."

They trailed after Mikail who would lead them into the ballroom to do a quick tour around, and be introduced to the main players, then cut loose to mingle and schmooze on their own. Bucky had memorized the guest list, along with the notes Ni had given them on the different people/companies as well as the questions he wanted to ask.

They entered with little fanfare, the nearby conversations quieting down as they were noticed and recognized. Bucky did his best to be polite, shook hands with those who offered and tried not to look as menacing as he was often accused of being. Soft music played in the background from a string quartet, and tall tables were set up for setting glasses or hors-d'oeuvres on, but there were no visible chairs. He plastered a reasonable facsimile of a smile on his face and followed Sam's lead.

The only person he didn't see was Nienna even though she had assured him that she'd be there, ready and willing to offer any support needed.

It took the better part of an hour to do the introductions at which point Mikail turned them loose on their own recognizance. Bucky and Sam exchanged a nod and broke off, each of them heading towards a particular group they had deemed worthy of expressing interest in. Nothing would be finalized tonight, as this was more of an opportunity for the two groups to feel each other out and see if the needs and wants on both sides could match.

When Sam came by and nudged him, Bucky had achieved a few tentative agreements. "Your turn with the press."

Bucky frowned. "I was hoping everyone would forget."

"Not a chance, just-" Sam paused, looking thoughtful. "I was going to say just be yourself then realized that would probably terrify all of them."

Bucky snorted, not about to disagree with the accuracy of Sam's statement. "I'll attempt to not kill anyone over inane questions, how's that?"

"Good enough," Sam conceded, then gestured in the direction of the small press corps that had been assembled for the event to give it some presence in the news.

Bucky wended his way over and stood on the designated spot with what he hoped was a friendly smile on his face. Camera flashes went off, as the reporter asked him the first of his allotted three questions.

"Tom Peters, WHIH news. What has it been like working with two different Captain Americas?"

"Interesting," Bucky responded, earning a few chuckles from those listening. "I can say this much: Steve Rogers was the Captain America the world needed then, Sam Wilson is the one we need now." He meant that. Sam had turned out to be far more level-headed than Steve, while still striving for the whole 'do the right thing no matter the cost.' Sam might jump out of planes without a parachute, but he had wings, unlike Steve.

The next two questions simply expanded upon the first, Bucky giving a bit more detail on his relationship with two very different men having officially earned the title of Captain America. Then they moved on to the next reporter.

This one didn't introduce himself or offer for whom he worked, instead, he looked down at his phone and pressed a button. From the speaker, in startlingly clear Russian, came the words Bucky once had feared beyond all others. "Zhelaniye. Rzhavvy. Semnadstat'..."

Nienna suddenly appeared at Bucky's side. Quite obviously intending to intervene. "What are you doing?"

The reporter met her eyes and smirked. Just smirked, as if pleased he'd managed to attract her attention as well. The words continued to spill from the tiny speaker while everyone around them grew silent as if waiting to witness the return of the most feared assassin in the last hundred years.

Bucky stood there more than a touch stunned at the audacity of the man who seemed to not care one whit what might happen if the words actually worked. Nienna took a step forward, clearly prepared to confront the man and verbally flay him for his attempt to cause what in her eyes would be harm to Bucky.

He had a better idea. Before she could take more than that one step forward he reached out and wrapped his right hand delicately about her wrist. Not tightly, hell he barely closed his hand, fingertips just touching as he enclosed them about her like a loosely fit bracelet. She stopped dead, looked down at his hand then at him. He saw this peripherally only as he made certain to keep his gaze focused on the idiot whose phone had nearly completed the programming phrases, his look carefully crafted into one of shock mingled with a healthy dash of terror.

The fool wanted the Winter Soldier, maybe… maybe giving him a taste of what that entailed would teach him and anyone else who wanted the same, a lesson.

There came a moment of silence after the speaker completed the set of words, broken only by the shifting of everyone nearby. All of them obviously wondered if the words had actually worked. The reporter tapped another set of buttons and the words, "Dobroye utro, soldat," came from the tinny speaker.

Bucky didn't have to dig deep to find his inner Winter Soldier no matter how hard he had tried to bury him in the last few months. Hand still around Ni's wrist he adjusted his stance minutely, endeavoring to loom while not actually moving at all, and responded in a low growl, "Ya gotov otvechat."

There was a collective gasp from all those nearby who had overheard exactly what had been going on. The reporter shot a triumphant look at Ni, who still felt ready to spit nails based on the tension Bucky could feel running up and down her arm.

The reporter smiled and nodded in satisfaction. "Break her arm," he ordered.

Bucky responded by tensing and shifting slightly as if he would actually do as he'd been told.

Nienna snickered.

Her reaction caused the idiot who thought he was in charge to furrow his brow in confusion. "Is there a problem, soldier?"

Bucky's head snapped up, eyes meeting those of the man who thought it would be amusing to bring the Winter Soldier back in a crowd of mostly innocent people. "No," he responded, voice still low and dangerous.

"Well, then get on with it, break her arm."

Nienna huffed out a breath. "You are an idiot," she told the reporter. "James, how about you get us some more champagne instead."

"The words worked. He is under my control. And he… you will do as I say," he barked out the last at Bucky who did his best to loom even larger than before. It was apparently effective as several people nearby took steps back just in case he actually turned on them.

"No," Bucky snarled.

Nienna straightened. "Do you know who this is?" She gestured at Bucky.

"The Winter Soldier."

"No. This is Sergeant James Barnes, of the 107th and the Howling Commandos," she stated unequivocally.

"But isn't he also the Winter Soldier?" one of the female reporters asked tentatively.

Ni shook her head. "James Barnes was never the Winter Soldier. That was an implanted personality triggered by those words. This man," she patted Bucky on the arm that still held her wrist, his thumb now running up and down along her skin as if to assure her that he heard every word she spoke,"had to be brainwashed regularly in order to keep him buried. When Captain Rogers broke that programming, Sergeant Barnes was given the chance to regain his life."

"What about that incident in Germany, with Zemo?" another asked, and rightly so, Bucky supposed.

"An unfortunate incident, admittedly, but, as all of you should be aware, the programming has since been broken. Sergeant Barnes answers to no one but himself these days." Nienna gave them the opportunity to absorb her words.

The fool who had tried to bring the Winter Soldier back from the dead all but stamped his foot and whined, "No. I was assured these words would work."

Nienna took a step towards him. "Who do you work–. Ah, The Daily Bugle. I should have expected a stunt like this from you. What, is going after a teenager just not juicy enough for you anymore?"

A clear reference to the Bugle's Jameson ongoing ravaging of Peter Parker and his alter ego Spider-Man. Bucky had wanted to reach out to the kid but hadn't been certain if it would help or just make things worse for him.

The reporter frowned as if not certain how to respond. So he attempted to ignore Ni and focused on Bucky. "Do you have anything to say to your victims?" He held out the recorder with a nasty grin as if hoping Bucky would just blurt out the first thing to come to mind.

Bucky had far more control than that. "I have made the reparations that were requested."

"Which you should know, given he's been released on his own recognizance, and cleared of any potential charges," Nienna added unnecessarily.

And he had been. The pardon had been a formality in many ways, especially when members of the Wakandan royalty had not only vouched for him but had unequivocal proof he'd been brainwashed. And given that the Siberian Hydra compound had been cleaned out, someone, most likely the DODC, had all the data from there. All the dirty secrets and details of how they took a wounded American soldier and turned him into their secret assassination weapon.

How they had stolen his life and turned him into someone he would have hated had he encountered him.

The Winter Soldier wouldn't have hesitated to turn on this particular handler, no matter how submissive the programming made him, but Bucky wouldn't. No, he would stand his ground and prove that he was the better man. No matter how often he felt otherwise.

The Bugle reporter shrugged. "News is news. Proving Barnes is still a danger to the world will get me a front page spread."

"Everyone is dangerous in the right situation," Nienna said. "He's a World War II veteran. Sam is too. Are you going to poke him with sticks to see if he'll put you in your place with a punch or two?"

Bucky couldn't actually disagree with that, he was dangerous. But as she had pointed out, so was Sam. Hell, she was well on her way to that state thanks to the training he'd been giving her. For instance, she'd probably happily shove the Bugle reporter through a wall if given half a chance.

"Captain America wouldn't harm me," the reporter sneered. "Wouldn't risk tarnishing that shield he stole."

"Are you certain of that?"

The man went eerily still as if suddenly realizing he might actually be in danger.

Ni, who was usually stalwart in the face of aggressive questions, jerked forward, nearly pulling out of his hold and causing the Bugle reporter to take a hasty step back, proving him to not be nearly as brave as he pretended. "Bucky, let me go," she hissed clearly wanting to make use of his training to teach the little fucker a lesson. "I just want to find out if he can be bent into the shape of a pretzel."

That earned chuckles from those nearby, most had shifted closer to listen as Nienna spoke her mind.

"You can't do that," the Bugle reporter whined.

Nienna leaned forward. "Try me."

Bucky suddenly realized that she meant the words, that she would stand up and defend him with action as well as words. And he… well he had no clue how to handle that. Yes, he knew she liked him, knew she considered him a friend, maybe more, but to see her stand up for him, to be willing to run roughshod over these reporters to keep his sense of self intact, well, it meant more to him that he could possibly articulate.

So, he reacted in the only way he could think of. Using the grip he still had on his arm, he spun her about so that their faces were mere inches apart and kissed her.

She didn't resist the least bit, her body going soft and pliable in his arms. He could hear the clicking of cameras and see the burst of flashes through his closed eyelids as any and everyone nearby took advantage of their distraction and got what pictures they could.

When he released her, her eyes gone drowsy with passion, he said, "Thank you."

She had to take a beat then responded, "Anytime."

"Security, get him out of here," Mikail stated as he finally charged into the fray. "You, sir, and your supposed news company are banned from any more of these events."

Security appeared out of nowhere all in nondescript black suits with wired earpieces in place. The reporter spun about and made his way through the growing crowd, clearly cowed by the security.

Mikail turned to Bucky and Ni. "If I had known this would happen-"

Bucky shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

Ni swung on him. "Don't worry about it? The journalists were supposed-"

Bucky shook his head, cutting her newest rant off. "It's okay, doll."

"Sergeant Barnes?" One of the female reporters spoke up almost apologetically. "May I ask you a question?" To give the woman credit she tried to be polite even though it was quite obvious that the discussion going on needed to be completed first.

"Actually, I believe I need to get Miss Grace a glass of champagne, if you would excuse us." Bucky didn't give them an option and led Ni away with Mikail trailing behind them making it quite clear that the interview was over for the time being.

Sam swung past them as they headed towards the far corner where the servers prepped the drinks before carrying them to the floor to pass out to the guests. "I got them for now. Come back when you're ready and not before."

Bucky gave his partner a nod of thanks and urged Nienna forward. She needed something stronger, but bubbly wine would have to do for now.

. . .

The event had ended roughly thirty minutes ago, the potential donors, some of which looked to become real donors had all taken their leave, into their limos or town cars then back to their multimillion-dollar homes wherever they might reside, be it local or half the world away.

The three of us had taken over a smallish round table that had held some of the odds and ends for the catering company but had since been cleared off. One of the staff that had been drifting about all night with champagne and hors-d'oeuvres had magically appeared with a bottle of Red Spot, a bucket of ice, and three highball glasses almost as if someone had planned this after-event wind-down.

Ni did the honors, using the tongs she dropped a single oversized ice cube into each glass and then after cracking open the bottle, poured a generous amount into each. She slid one to me and Sam who frowned at the portion.

"Girl, I have to get home at some point," Sam groused as he eyed the whiskey warily.

Bucky rotated his glass with his fingertips. "Your flight is tomorrow and you have a driver to get you back to your hotel."

"If you don't like Irish whiskey, I can arrange something else," Ni offered.

Sam heaved an overly dramatic sigh. "You have a point, but some of us actually get hangovers, you know."

Bucky grinned and glanced over at Nienna. "Oh, I am well aware of that fact."

She leaned over and smacked him on the arm with the back of her hand. "Once. Just once. And only because you essentially dared me to keep up with you."

Bucky snorted.

"You let him talk you into that?" Sam questioned incredulously.

Ni shrugged. "Oh, I knew I would lose. He was kind enough to make sure I kept hydrated so the hangover was minimal, but still... he was a bit of an asshole about the whole thing."

"Smug asshole, I bet," Sam commented.

"Hey," Bucky mock-complained, taking umbrage with Sam's choice of words no matter how accurate they might have been.

His complaint was roundly ignored by the other parties.

"You would be correct," Ni said with a nod. "I promise not to act the same way tonight."

"I don't," Bucky commented straight faced.

Sam narrowed his eyes and leveled a glare at his so-called partner.

Before he could speak Nienna raised her glass. "To an extremely successful evening."

Bucky raised his glass and they waited for Sam to do so as well.

"Oh, what the hell." Sam raised his glass and they tapped them together. "Cheers."

"Slainte," Bucky said.

Ni followed up with, "Skol."

All three downed their drinks, ice cubes clinking gently against the glass as they set them down in unison.

"But did we?" Sam asked as he picked up the bottle and poured more of the whiskey for each of them.

Bucky looked over at Ni. "I have to admit I've been wondering that myself."

She chuckled softly then leaned over to pick up the tablet she'd set on the fourth chair. She tapped the screen to wake it. "You have six confirmed donors and another dozen who are definitely interested if a deal can be worked out."

"And the others?" Sam asked. "There were at least thirty reps here."

"Can I see that?" Bucky gestured for the tablet and Ni handed it over.

"Sam, we knew going in that some of them wouldn't be interested, but we didn't want to exclude them and risk alienating them."

"Which leaves the door open for future projects," Bucky added.

"Precisely," Nienna agreed, then sipped her whiskey.

"I don't recognize many of these companies," Bucky stated, turning to Ni.

"There's a reason for that."

One of the servers stopped by and set a carafe of ice water on the table along with three more glasses, not seeming to mind that they were taking up space as they went about their duties cleaning up from the event.

Sam gave him a nod of thanks.

"That's because a lot of them are smaller tech companies, all stable, but cutting edge in their fields. We didn't want the attention of the big companies mostly because you two didn't want the military involved and many of them, like Hammer, rely heavily on government contracts for profit. These companies," she tapped on the edge of the tablet, "have the creativity you guys need as well as top-of-the-line tech. They're no Stark, but trust me when I say they are just what the two of you need."

Bucky's eyebrow quirked upward and he let the tablet flop onto the expensive linen tablecloth. "You vetted them."

She shrugged. "I may have made a suggestion or two, but Mikail did all the background research before sending out the invites."

"What is this going to cost us?" Sam muttered under his breath before finishing off the whisky in his glass.

"Nothing today," Nienna assured him.

"This," Sam waved his left hand about to encompass the whole of the room, "cost money. Money I know I don't have. Do you?" He looked right at Bucky. "Did you win the lotto and not tell me about it?"

Bucky shook his head. He damn well knew where the initial funds came from, but had no intention of outing the source. "Sam, this is not the time to worry about it. You won't see a bill if that's what's stressing you out. And we can't rely on Sharon any longer except for maybe intel. She got her job back with the government, which would just give them another way to keep tabs on us."

Sam sighed heavily, shoulders drooping in seeming defeat. "Intel we're good on, or will be, right?" He nodded towards Nienna.

"The program is a work in progress, so you tell me, how has the system been working for you. Both of you."

Bucky knew the initial reason for her designing the information gathering and distribution program had been for him. To help assuage his need to make reparations for the damage he'd caused as the Fist of Hydra. For that alone, the program had been working brilliantly. His memories, some obviously clearer than others, provided him with locations of Hydra bases and safe houses no one had yet discovered. And each one he confirmed led to a dozen others and he'd been slowly following the various tangled strings to discover even more plots and plans by the Nazi sub-group that were still being executed to this day. The scale may have been greatly downsized due to the revelation that they'd been working within SHIELD since the late forties, but with the explosive advancement of technology, a small group could easily fill the roles of what would once have required dozens or hundreds.

Moles were no longer required to be human. A few lines of code in the right office, be it government or private, could easily give the remnants of Hydra all they needed to pull on those strings they still tightly held in their fists.

Bucky had discovered a terrifying series of actions but did not quite yet have the proof he needed to even go to Sam with, never mind someone of actual import in the government. So he did what he could, taking trips a couple of times a month to dig deeper into the situations and at least verify the truth of them.

If something didn't seem to be working right or he needed functionality the program did not yet have, he would let Nienna know and she would get to work on the changes. The program itself used her AI algorithm as its base so it had some measure of ability to learn and expand on its own, but occasionally it had to be taught, so to speak, how to do something. He had exactly zero complaints about how the system worked in a general sense, especially since she had offered her time and expertise essentially for free.

"I have no complaints," Bucky said aloud. "I can access it from my phone, which works for what I've been using it for."

Sam raised an eyebrow at that. "Not something I can do while flying. The interface during a tactical situation is lacking," he told her honestly.

She nodded. "Agreed. That's why you did this. I'm not capable of building comms gear. Nor do I have access to the satellites that would give you the real-time data you need on some of your more covert missions."

Bucky coughed lightly before hiding behind a swallow of the quite fine, even he had to admit, whiskey.

Ni grinned. "Okay, not legally then."

"What the hell does that mean?" Sam asked. "You've gotten us CCTV camera footage in minutes when we've needed it."

"Well, yes, technically. The algorithm I modified does that on its own. To a degree anyway. I didn't specifically program it to hack into the systems, but it can when you need it to, and once it has access, it seems to self integrate."

"Wait, are you saying the program is more than the servers at your place now?" Bucky seemed surprised by that acknowledgment of what he should have known.

"Oh yes, there's no way those blades could contain all that this AI has become. it's not self-aware or anything like that, but we're definitely nearing the point where a code name would be of use to contact it. Like Stark's JARVIS."

Sam hmmmed. "Yeah, that would be a good plan. What are you thinking?"

"Something Greek," Bucky chimed in with a nod towards Nienna. "There's got to be a goddess of information or something."

"Iris," Sam suggested, phone in his hand. "Goddess of communication and messages, among other things." He looked over at Bucky who nodded slowly.

"I like it. Goddess Iris it is."

"I'll make the necessary modifications. Once we have a tech designer, like for comms and integration for your HUDs I'll be able to update everything so that you can access Iris directly with simple voice or swipe commands."

"You have no issues working with outside companies?" Bucky questioned given he knew some of her personal work she wanted to keep private for now.

"I've done some outside contracting with several of them so I don't see why not."

Sam snickered. "Ah, so that's why you're here, to get all your friends involved. I get it now."

"That too," she grinned. "I mean you ultimately get to pick the companies you want to work with. I'm just here to facilitate the introductions."

Sam shook his head. "I have no clue about that." Then he frowned clearly realizing something of import. "I just do not have the knowledge for this side of it. When I was in the Air Force, they provided all of it, then Stark did."

"And then they bugged Redwing," Bucky pointed out.

"Exactly," Sam agreed. "Now I have this fancy suit from Wakanda that I have no idea how to fix if I break something." He placed his elbows on the table and dropped his face into his palms for a long moment. "Why the hell are we even thinking about doing this? What can two people do? What are we gonna open an office and offer our services to anyone who might need it? Intentional or not we demolished that bridge with the GRC so they won't be calling anytime soon."

Nienna shifted in her seat, settling her legs across Bucky's thighs much to his surprise and delight. "What can you do? What can't you do? This city alone is filled with individuals who have been risking their lives to make the world a better place. We've got that Parker kid, Spider-Man, who saves lives on the daily." Ni frowned deeply. "Or did until the Bugle outed him. There's the Devil of Hell's Kitchen who's been doing what he can to keep mob and gang crime down for years." She poured more alcohol for each of them, Bucky noting the bottle to be already half gone. "This one," she patted Bucky on the shoulder, "just by living where he does and involving himself in the community has discouraged all kinds of crimes. It's down nearly thirty percent year over year and that's pretty damn amazing considering the number of people doubled during that time."

Bucky choked on his drink. "Is that true?"

She nodded. "I might be rounding up a bit, but yeah, it's true."

Sam waved his phone. "Not rounding up by much. Twenty-eight point six percent to be exact."

"And I damn well know you've been playing 'cat-in-the-tree' hero whenever someone asks you for assistance. You might have resting murder face, but the locals have all begun to realize that if you can help you will, they just have to ask." She leveled her gaze at Sam. "You can't tell me it's not the same where you live, be it DC or in Delacroix."

"You're right I can't, but anyone can do that kind of stuff."

"If that were true then anyone would be doing it," Ni argued. "Look, all you guys need to do is what you're doing. Iris can look for trends and potential big issues, while you handle the little things. Every day does not have to be about saving the world. Hell, I imagine that would get exceedingly exhausting after a while."

Sam laughed quietly. "It is." He looked at Bucky. "You willing to make the world a better place on a small scale as well as large?"

Bucky shrugged. "Since we appear to be already doing it I don't see why not."

Ni clapped her hands. "Perfect. If everything goes well you should be up and running fully after the first of the year."

Sam frowned. "That long?"

Bucky grunted. "Four months isn't bad at all, actually. Hell, six months would give us more planning time. How long does it take to file an LLC," he mused.

"That's pretty easy, actually. Depends on the where, but weeks at most," Nienna answered.

"Are we doing this?" Sam asked of no one in particular.

"It would make it easier for the companies who assist you to write checks," Ni said cheekily.

"Girl..." Sam shook his head. "So we'll have gear and info. What about repairs? If I have an engine go down do I ask you to fix it?"

"Why not ask the Wakandans? They built it," Ni commented and rightly from her perspective.

Sam looked to Bucky, who shrugged. "You can always ask, they're mad at me not you, but it might be better to find someone local." Sam frowned at that. "Ni, can probably handle any programming upgrades, right?"

"Maybe? I would have to take a look at it first. If it's like your arm, I might need to request access."

"Wait. You fixed his arm after that mess? Not Wakanda?"

"Yes, technically. Ayo and Nami came by, figured out she was going to get into the code one way or another so they gave her access. I'm still learning how all the upgrades work."

Sam froze for a long moment before raising his glass and downing the remainder of his whiskey before pouring more. "You got the Wakandan seal of approval?"

"Apparently. Sam, it's not that big of a deal. I've been doing business in-country for a few years so it's not like they didn't have an entire dossier on me before they showed up on my doorstep."

Sam opened his mouth to say something, obviously changed his mind, then shook his head. "Looks like we chose the right tech person."

Bucky snorted. "We're lucky she likes us and is willing to work for free... for now."

"Don't I know it. Feel like I should apologize for dragging you into this," Sam stated with half a grin.

Nienna shrugged. "I did kind of volunteer for this. As for your potential repair problem, if I were you I'd just contact the Wakandans. It is their design after all. If they want to grant me access, so be it."

Sam looked to Bucky for the answer.

"You've got Ayo's number, though I'd wait until you actually need to fix something before using it." They weren't angry with Sam so Bucky suspected that if Sam really and truly needed their help they would do so without hesitation.

"Or I could text Nami," Ni offered.

Sam shook his head. "I'm not certain I've drunk enough to know you've been texting with a Dora Milaje."

Nienna laughed softly. "Well, there's always Ant-Man, what's his name?" She took a moment to dig it out of the corner of her mind it had clearly been buried in. "Scott Lang. He's got a degree in mechanical engineering, doesn't he?"

Sam blinked. Twice. "How do you know that?"

"Everyone knows that," Ni responded. "You are all rather famous in case you've forgotten."

Bucky sighed heavily. "Infamous for some of us."

Sam chuckled. "Not so much anymore, Buck. You've had less than a year to turn around decades of history. Give it a little more time." He waved at Nienna. "She wouldn't be here if she didn't want to be."

Ni swung her head about to nod at Bucky. "All true. And not planning on leaving anytime soon."

Bucky patted her on the shin, then shifted back to lightly running his hand up and down her thighs through the silky material of the dress.

"Now to address the pink elephant in the room..."

"The what?" Bucky asked, sipping at the slightly watered-down whiskey and debating pouring more even though he felt like he was wasting it since he could in no way feel the effects. Still, it tasted fantastic, which meant he could still enjoy it. Maybe in some ways, he could enjoy it more since there was little chance of any side effects other than potential dehydration. At that, he leaned forward to grasp the carafe and pour water for all three of them before the two non-supersoldiers ended up miserable and sick when they woke up.

"You two coming out as a couple," Sam elaborated in a tone that suggested it should have been obvious.

"Didn't know we were hiding it," Nienna stated then drank down most of the water.

Sam huffed out a breath. "Well, you certainly hadn't announced it to the press."

She looked over at Bucky who frowned slightly. "Does it matter?"

"It could. Pepper was held hostage to get Tony to cooperate and she had a hell of a lot more protection than Ni does."

"You're saying some idiot might try to use me to get to him?" She hooked a thumb at Bucky.

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying," Sam said with clear concern in his demeanor.

Nienna snickered. "First off, I am not some helpless princess who needs rescuing. Second," she set a hand on Bucky's shoulder, "I pity anyone who threatens something Bucky cares about. Their chances at survival would be slim indeed."

"I don't kill people anymore. Least not if I can help it." There would always be exceptions to the rules, even those that had become mostly self-imposed. A firefight was exactly that and if the only way to survive was to shoot to kill? Well, he do it, with all the skill and expertise he had. And so would Sam.

Nienna snorted. "You don't have to kill someone to make them regret their decisions."

Sam's head tipped down, shaking it slowly. "You sound like him."

"Sorry?" she said but failed to sound so. "Sam, I didn't survive those five years without having to make some hard choices. I think I can handle whatever the tabloids throw at me this time."

"This time?" Bucky echoed curiously, but it was Sam who got both of their attention.

"And what if it's him who hurts you?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Sam?" Ni questioned more than a touch indignant.

Sam without missing a beat leaned over and wiped at a spot on her upper arm to reveal a bruise that had been concealed with makeup. "That is what I'm talking about."

Bucky felt a flash of guilt since he knew exactly where that bruise had come from.

Nienna growled under her breath. "So you've never been injured while training?"

"That's kind of my point. He's training you, right?"

"Yes, but this came from a hit I took while sparring with someone else. Bucky was critiquing. From outside the ring," she added to make it clear that Bucky had had nothing to do with the mark on her arm. "For fuck's sake, Sam, did you blame Captain Rogers when he clocked you a good one during Avenger training? It's part of the process. Bucky pulls his punches. Every. Time. I damn well know he could kick me through a wall if he wanted to, but even when he was the one I did full contact sparring with he has never left more than bruises and scrapes I could get from anyone."

Bucky damped down the sudden anger and disappointment that poured through him and caused his stomach to fall to somewhere about three feet below the floor beneath his feet. He had always taken extreme care when working with Nienna for just that reason. To think that Sam thought he might intentionally hurt her made him question pretty much everything in his life including the venture he and Sam had been about to take. "Maybe this wasn't such a good idea."

"Damn it, Buck, that's not what this is about. She's not like us."

"No, Sam, that's just a way to perpetuate the fear that he's more Winter Soldier than Bucky Barnes. And he isn't. Or is. All I know is that he's a good person and deserves to be treated as such."

Sam's eyes flicked between the two of them for a long moment. "You have anything to say on the subject?" he asked of Bucky.

"I think she pretty much said it all," he said voice low and rough. "I can tell people all day long that I'm not the Winter Soldier, but it's up to them to believe it. Or not. All I can do is be the best person I can, anything else doesn't really matter."

Sam sat back in his chair with a nod of satisfaction. "Remember that the next time someone asks you about your past."

"Fuck, Sam. And you say I'm an asshole?"

"You are. Most of the time, but I'm beginning to understand why." He turned to Ni. "Sorry for the button pushing, but come tomorrow the Bugle is going to be ripping both of you a new one and you need to be prepared for it."

She leaned across the table to flick him on the wrist earning a yelp of surprise in response. "Putz," she muttered. "Oh, before I forget, you, both of you, have been invited to Thanksgiving dinner by my dad." She turned to Sam. "I told him you'd probably have plans with your sister and nephews, but he said to bring them along as well. The more the merrier."

Bucky shook his head. "I can't. It's your family, not mine."

Ni scrunched up her face. "You will not be in the way. We close down the restaurants and do a big meal at one of them - we choose a different location every year - and host a huge meal for everyone, especially employees who don't have anywhere to go. My mom was big on investing in those who did the heavy lifting so if you made it a year you were invited to become a part-owner in the restaurant including profits."

"Damn," Sam muttered. "Which keeps the good employees invested in the business and wanting to see it succeed."

Nienna nodded vigorously. "Exactly. Every year you work you get more until you've maxed the available shares. If you chose to leave, mom would buy back the shares at market value and start the process over. Most who cashed out did so to start their own places. Mom firmly believed in investing in all the talent, from dishwasher to general manager."

"You kept the tradition going during the Snap years, didn't you?" Bucky asked astutely.

"I did. The group was smaller, obviously, but the meal let us give thanks for what we still had as opposed to everything we had lost, even though that still loomed large over our heads."

"I will talk to Sarah, but she usually hosts a big meal for the town, she might not want to break that tradition."

"Fair enough," Ni assured him. "Just so that she knows all of you are welcome." She then turned to Bucky.

"If I'm not saving the world, I'll be there." He settled back into the chair. "It's been... a long fucking time since I celebrated Thanksgiving." To put it mildly. He refused to count the meals doled out while deployed during the war. While glad to get some slightly better food for the day, the celebrations had been meager at best and downright depressing at worst even with the DumDum doing everything in his power to drink himself into a stupor and sing bawdy songs in an effort to lighten the almost permanently dour mood. He fondly remembered those of his childhood, many with Steve in tow as his mom often had to work on the holiday just to make ends meet.

"Hey, you can bring the family too if you want," Ni offered, clearly meaning it.

Bucky shook his head. "I wouldn't even know where to start looking for them. Plus, I doubt they'd care about their great-uncle given to them I died over fifty years ago."

"I doubt that," Sam argued, "and unless I'm mistaken we have access to a fancy computer system that can probably do all the heavy lifting for you."

Bucky frowned. "If they wanted to contact me they would have," he told them in what he hoped was a tone that would end the conversation then and there. "It's not like the whole world doesn't know where I am."

"What if they're afraid to contact you for the same reasons you are?" Ni questioned in a soft voice, knowing he would probably not respond well to the additional prodding.

"Nienna..." He shook his head. "Maybe I just don't want to force them to acknowledge that they're related to one of Hydra's best assassins."

"Or maybe you're afraid that they won't care and will welcome you?" Sam suggested earning a glower from Bucky.

"Maybe I don't want them targeted by tabloids and their friends if it were to come out they were related to me. Just because you two are prepared to handle the risks doesn't mean they are or should need to be."

Sam and Ni exchanged a glance.

"You have a point, Buck, but you might want to consider giving them the opportunity to decide."

"Just think about it, okay? You don't have to make a unilateral decision tonight." Nienna did everything she could to keep the earnestness from her voice, but it was written on her countenance and he had to admit, if only to himself, that she had a point.

"I'll think about it, all right?"

"All we're saying," Sam stated with a tight nod. "Now, it is getting late and I'm sure they would like us out of the way so they can finish and go home. So," He raised his glass, "to a successful venture."

"And the start of a brilliant collaboration," Nienna added, her glass coming up.

They both turned expectantly to Bucky.

"Fine. To saving the world for fun and profit." He clinked his glass against theirs, Nienna chuckling at his proclamation before all three downed what remained in their glasses.

Nienna began shifting her legs off Bucky's, but he dropped his right hand to hold her in place. He discovered a distinctive lump under his hand that he hadn't noticed with his left as it was not nearly as sensitive. With a slow deliberation, he slipped his hand beneath the silky material of her dress with her watching him with a decidedly bland expression on her face. What he discovered made his throat go dry and a sly smile appeared on Ni's lips.

"What is going on between you two right now?" Sam questioned in confusion.

Nienna turned to face him. "Oh, Bucky just figured out that I'm wearing garters is all."

Sam choked on his surprised laughter. "Really? That's all?"

"It's a forties thing, Sam."

Bucky's hand tightened on her thigh, but he still couldn't manage to swallow much less speak right now.

"Huh, you may have a point there. Time to go." Sam pulled out his phone and sent a text. "Cars will be around the front momentarily. If you think you can do something other than stare blindly." Sam waved his hand in front of Bucky's face in an effort to get his attention turned outward again.

Bucky growled and slapped the hand away, which made Sam laugh and gave Ni the out she needed to stand up and gather her belongings. She corked the bottle of whiskey and one of the staff who had obviously noticed them preparing to leave strolled over.

"Ma'am, there's no rush, we'll be here for hours yet."

She gave him a brilliant smile. "Thank you, but it's time for us to head out." She picked up her clutch, opened it, and pulled out a fairly thick envelope. "As promised."

"Ma'am, I assure you it's not necessary," the young man argued, shaking his head.

"Yes, it is. I know what you guys put up with and for you to take on the additional work to indulge me, you deserve to be compensated for it."

He looked as if he would argue more, but she gently took his hand and placed the envelope in it. He sighed softly then nodded. "Thank you, ma'am. Please feel free to call upon us if you are ever in need again."

She smiled. "I will. Now we will get out of your hair, so you can get home sooner rather than later. Thank you."

"Most welcome, Miss Grace," he replied before turning and heading back to work.

Sam sidled up next to her. "You should have told us, we'd've pitched in."

"No need. I arranged the extended use of the space, I pay for it. Let me know if you're serious about the LLC, I have a contact or two that can help you with it."

"Of course you do," Bucky rumbled. "Tomorrow, doll. Hell next week. We haven't even decided if we want to go that route."

"Fine," she groused. "I'll attempt to curb my enthusiasm."

Her clutch in one hand, the bottle of whiskey in the other, Bucky set a hand on her back and the three of them walked out of the ballroom and towards the entrance of the hotel where their cars would be waiting.

"Lunch tomorrow? Before I hit the airport?" Sam suggested.

Ni nodded. "Text me."

"Can you get us in at Vino?" Bucky asked Ni.

"Vino?" Sam looked justifiably confused.

Ni smiled broadly. "In Vino Veritas. One of my mom's restaurants. I can probably wangle a late lunch for us, they technically don't open until dinner, but they'll be on-site prepping. The options might be limited is all."

Sam frowned. "No, That's too much. to ask."

"No, Sam, it's not. Chef is a friend and he'll be more than happy to test out some new recipes on us. Besides, he's a huge fan. Provided you two don't mind being fanboyed over a little."

"He'll survive," Bucky said, running his fingers lightly up and down Ni's spine through the material of the dress.

Nienna already had her phone out, swiping at the screen. She paused for a long moment, grinned then sent another text. "When's your flight?"

Sam sighed. "Not until tomorrow night. Thought I'd sightsee a bit while I'm here."

"Perfect, Hank says anytime after two. Just buzz at the back door."

"Fine. I'll be there. But I'll owe you dinner the next time you're down in DC, got me?"

She gave him a slight curtsey. "Of course."

Two oversized town cars pulled up as if it had been planned. The drivers hopped out and came around to open the rear doors for their charges. Sam gave Ni a quick hug, then climbed into the back of his ride.

Ni still had her phone out and a glance at it revealed she'd pulled up the Uber app.

"Put that away, you don't need to call a ride when there's a car right here," he rumbled, not about to take no for an answer.

"Bucky, he was hired to drive you, not me," she argued.

"You are going home with me," he informed her, causing both eyebrows to rise on her forehead.

"Am I?" she questioned.

"Yes," Bucky said, then leaned in, lips brushing the edge of her ear, to say in a whisper, "I want to know if the garters match the rest."

She turned her head slightly to rest her cheek against his. "I could just tell you."

"Where would the fun be in that, doll," he pointed out, kissed her lightly on the side of her neck then stood upright facing her for an instant not hiding the sudden need for her that rushed through his entire being.

"It could be fun to watch you squirm until you could verify it?" she suggested, eyes meeting his, but cheeks high with color.

The driver got them to break eye contact with a cleared throat and a "Ma'am?" his hand held out to assist her into the rear seat of the car.

Still, it took several more seconds before she could pull her eyes away from Bucky's, who remained in place until she had been professionally assisted into the car. He needed a moment to regain his composure before sliding in beside her and enduring the ride back to his place without doing something embarrassing for the both of them on the way.

"Sir, is everything all right?"

Bucky nodded and turned about and climbed into the car. The door shut with a soft thud. He couldn't bring himself to look at Ni, concerned the self-control he'd managed to scrape together would dissolve the instant she managed to appear even in the periphery of his vision. He could smell her, feel the heat coming off her body, hear the sound of her breathing, almost without his willing it his hand shifted until it found one of her, fingers twining together.

Nienna sighed softly and tipped to lean against this shoulder as if understanding that this had suddenly become difficult for him.

The driver slipped into his seat. "Shall I raise the divider, sir?"

"No need. My apartment, please."

"Of course, sir." The car pulled away from the port cochere and down the short drive to turn right onto the street.

Bucky could have told him to take them to her place since even he would admit it was the nicer location of the two of them, but this had been his night and he wanted to end it at his place with the prize. The only prize that mattered at the moment anyway.

They didn't say a single word, the driver turning on some quiet music as they made their way through the crowded streets, his need for her only seeming to increase instead of cooling as it should have. He had no idea if she sensed his discomfiture, but she did nothing that would have potentially caused him to snap and take her there on the back seat regardless of the privacy screen being up or not.

It took a little over thirty minutes to cover the distance between the location of the event and his apartment, traffic may have been lighter than during rush hour, but by no means nonexistent. No matter that he wanted to throw open the door and swing Nienna up into his arms to carry her away, he permitted the driver to do his job, opening the door and handing her out. Bucky tipped him generously, just as he had earlier, and waited until the car had pulled away and turned the corner before pulling Ni in for a kiss.

She had her bag in one hand and the bottle in the other and he felt both dig into his sides as her hands slid under the jacket he still wore. When he released her lips she laughed throatily.

"Care for a drink, soldier?" She thudded the bottle into his side and for an instant, he wondered exactly how inebriated she really was.

She didn't appear to be more than a touch buzzed, but he had to admit to not being the best judge since he couldn't longer feel the effects of alcohol. Half the bottle remained, and while they had drunk an equal amount, Sam hadn't seemed to be overly affected either, but he massed a fair more than Ni.

"What?" she questioned, her words not the least bit slurred.

"Just want to make certain you're not gonna fall asleep on me, doll."

She snorted. "That would have happened on the ride here. I am more than sober enough to consent, I promise you."

He gave her a nod and with all the restraint he could manage urged her towards his door with a hand on her back that slid lower the closer they got. Once inside, the door shut, he took the bag and bottle from her, tossed them onto the chair, and then gave in to what he needed.

He pressed against her, her hands once again under the suit jacket, sliding up to his shoulders and shoving it off and onto the floor. She then managed to get half of the buttons on his shirt undone before he had time to realize exactly what had just happened.

He growled deep in his chest, grasped her hands, gently, and moved them away. Her pout almost made him change his mind, but he needed to know, and now, exactly what she had on under the dress she wore. His fingers found the zipper that ran down the back and pulled it down with quick efficiency. He encouraged the dress to slip down her shoulders and off to fall in a puddle of dark blue cloth around her feet.

They matched.

A deep blue that missed matching the color of her dress by no more than half a shade.

Your average human would not have been able to tell the difference.

Her lips twitched upwards as he sucked in a breath and his grip on her hands loosened. She immediately took full advantage of the situation and quickly undid his belt, sliding it through the loops and flinging it aside while he simply stared at her, mouth dry, eyes trying to soak in the sight of her so that he might never forget this moment.

She had worked the zipper on the slacks down before he snapped out of it.

"Ni," he growled scooping her up in his arms in an effort to get her to slow down and savor the moment, something in which she seemed to be utterly disinterested as her hands failed to cease their efforts even as her legs wrapped about his waist, the heels of her expensive shoes digging into the back of his thighs.

"Yes, Sergeant?" She had succeeded in her quest and quickly untucked the partially buttoned dress shirt to scrape her fingernails along his lower abdomen.

With careful deliberation, he strode forward until her back rested firmly against the wall. She managed to finish unbuttoning the shirt before he regained control of her oh-so-dangerous hands. Placing both of them in his left hand he held them firmly above her head.

This of course placed her in the perfect position to torture him, her hips shifting more than enough for him to interpret exactly what she wanted to happen next. "Do you want me to tear these off you?" His voice was little more than a low burr of near desperate need.

"No need," she assured him, voice nearly as rough as his. "Once again I have come prepared."

He slipped his right hand between them to discover that she had indeed been prepared for him wanting to fuck her with lingerie on as the split down the center of the panties would allow perfect access until he needed her completely naked beneath him. Well, nearly anyway. She would still have that necklace on. She, as far as he knew, had not ever removed it since he'd given it to her.

With a groan of pure desperate need, he freed himself and slid into her.

Her gasp was one of relief as he thrust into her unable to fight his need for release any longer. He held her solidly in place, hands still above her head, his eyes boring into hers as he satiated himself without having more than a passing thought about hers. He would make certain she achieved her own high in the near future. Right now he needed to deal with his own if he were to be able to think straight ever again.

He pounded into her with enough force that the drywall behind her began to pop ominously, but for the first time since he'd been with her he couldn't seem to control himself, the animal need to rut all his mind could focus on.

With a series of hard thrusts, he reached that pinnacle and came, hating that it was over and yet never wanting it to end. Being with her seemed to get better and make him more desperate every single time. His head dropped to rest atop her shoulder as he muttered, "Fuck."

She laughed, light and breathless. For all that he'd been focused on his own needs, she clearly had not been disappointed with his performance. "If I had known this would be your reaction I would have worn these much sooner."

He shifted enough to kiss her shoulder. "You knew exactly what my reaction would be," he argued, not wanting to move simply because his legs still shook from the post-coital bliss he currently basked in. He released her hands, placing both hands underneath her so that she wouldn't fall when he finally managed to stand on his own two feet again.

Her hands found his shoulders, one playing with the hair at the nape of his neck causing him to shiver in reaction much to his dismay. "Need a moment?" she questioned, trying to not make it sound like the challenge he knew it to be.

"Doll," he groused, but gathered his legs under him, lifted her, and carried her back to the bedroom while she laughed.

. . .

Bucky watched as she walked toward him across the roof of her building. The sun had just dipped past the horizon, leaving the sky a vibrant crimson that blended into purple and then indigo as you looked further east. The first stars and planets of the evening had become visible, making themselves seen through the haze of pollution.

They had spent many an evening up here during the summer. Eating the bounty she had grown in the nearby greenhouse, watching movies projected on a makeshift screen and drinking lemonade sweetened with honey from her hive.

It should have been just like any other night they spent together. But this time… this time he had a mission to complete.

He may have been dressed in jeans and a t-shirt instead of the distinctive uniform laden with multiple weapons, but he had no need of them for this. No, this task would be a simple one to accomplish and would only require him to play a specific part for a short time.

Only this time Bucky watched.

Locked in a glass-walled cage, trapped and unable to act. Only able to watch. To know with utter certainty he was powerless in this situation no matter how hard he might pound on the clear surface, no matter how loud he might scream and wail at the scene soon to play out before his eyes.

This time Bucky would see and hear and more importantly feel every moment of it.

Nienna smiled at him as she approached. No fear, no suspicion, no idea that the man before her was not her friend.

He waited for her to close the distance, gazing up at him as her hands came to rest on his hips, expectant.

He leaned in as if intending to kiss her, his hands coming up to cup her cheeks.

He smiled. Not Bucky. Him. The Asset. The Fist of Hydra.

And in that instant, she recognized him for who he was.

With a simple twist, he snapped her neck and let her now lifeless body fall onto the hard concrete of the rooftop.

Mission accomplished.

Bucky screamed.

The "No," was torn from a throat gone raw with the shouts that hadn't been vocal, with the sheer horror of realization of what had been done, with decades of unshed tears and pleas to be freed from the glass cage into which he'd been placed so long ago and only recently from which he'd believed he'd escaped.

And yet feared he had not.

His breath hitched in his chest as he stared blindly about his surroundings, oddly unfamiliar although a part of him knew exactly where he should have been. His heart pounding hard enough in his chest to cause the muscles to ache, he ran his left hand across his face, the metal cool against his skin, the disconnect between reality and the dream still lingering heavily upon his mind as he sat there panting trying to not dwell upon the images his unconscious mind had created for him.

Not a memory this time. No. A portent. A warning of what might yet occur if he continued on his current path.

"Bucky? Everything okay?"

If he had been the type to startle easily he would have jumped that proverbial mile, as usual, he froze for a long instant in an attempt to process what he hoped to be reality and not another torturous dream. "Ni?" he asked, voice faint and plaintive.

She set a hand on his arm, the right one, her palm shockingly warm against his surprisingly cool skin. "Hey, what's wrong?"

She shifted as if to sit up, but he didn't give her a chance, pulling her against his chest, wrapping his arms around her, and buried his face into the curve of her neck. "You're real. You're here. You're alive."

She didn't fight his hold upon her, if anything she leaned into it, wrapping her legs about his waist and arms about his back so that as much of her as possible made contact with him.

He kept repeating the words over and over again even as the image in his mind, her broken and lifeless in his arms presented itself no matter how hard he tried to shove it away, to find a darkened cabinet to shove it into, slamming the doors shut and locking it away.

The image refused to budge and even knowing it hadn't been him, hadn't been Bucky who had wrought that particular unhappy ending, the pain still fell upon his already tortured soul and only added to the penance he knew must still be paid. He whimpered, squeezing his eyes tightly shut in a vain effort to force his mind to white out the memory. He wanted to wail, to lift his head to the sky and rail against the vagaries of the universe, instead he simply whimpered and gave into the mixed tears of relief and desperate sadness.

He had no idea how long they remained in that position, her one hand running up and down his spine, the other cradling the back of his head, fingers gently sifting through the short locks in a manner he found oddly calming now that he had become aware of it.

He then realized she spoke softly to him and probably had been all along only he'd been too lost in his own pain to hear much less recognize the words.

"Shh. I'm here. You're okay." Over and over again with no change of intonation and seeming as if she would be willing to do it forever provided it gave him the comfort he needed.

He heaved in a massive breath, knowing he must look dreadful, and lifted his head from her shoulder to meet her eyes.

Her hands instantly shifted to cup his face. "Are you all right?" This time her tone was insistent.

"I'm fine," he mumbled, not because he was, but because he had to be. He had to be fine or he'd be a danger to anyone around him. Including her. Especially her.

"Liar," she stated but didn't press him on the matter. Her legs loosened their iron grip from about his waist, with him following suit and relinquishing the tight grip he'd had upon her so that she could lean over to turn on the lone lamp on the side table. "Let me get a look at you."

She encouraged him to lift his head a bit more and used her fingers to wipe the tears from his cheeks. "Nightmare?"

He went still, not able to answer her without risking it replaying yet again through his mind.

Her look turned serious and for an instant, he thought she was going to admonish him for not answering, instead, she untangled them from the bedclothes that had become twisted about them clearly intending to get up and leave him alone.

Which was about the last thing he wanted right now. He needed her there, with him, so that he could prove to his fractured mind that she was real, and that the images in his mind were the false ones, that her touching his cheek with a look of worry and concern upon her face was not some fantasy drummed up to keep some tiny hold upon his sanity.

"Ni?"

"Thought coffee might be a good idea. I doubt you want to go back to sleep right now."

He couldn't argue with the logic.

They had both fallen asleep wearing nothing but the clothes they'd been born in, the amber of the necklace catching the light as she moved to slide off the bed and grab some sort of covering before traipsing around his apartment in the early hours of the morning. He didn't look at his phone, but suspected dawn was not too far off.

When she turned around, her back to him, he felt the blood drain from his face. Her back, where his left arm had rested, crushing her against his chest, appeared to be covered in welts. The raised red marks quite obviously a match the pattern of his arm.

He had hurt her. Visibly. Unforgivably.

He choked on the sharp intake of breath causing Nienna to turn about to look at him.

"Bucky?"

"I have to get out of here." It would have been a shout if he'd been able to keep any air in his lungs, instead, it sounded like a harsh whisper. A growl of anger and discontent aimed at her.

She looked appropriately confused. "No, I'll get the coffee, you-"

"No. I can't be near you." This time he did shout, the words a harsh bark of warning. A frightened animal signaling the potential of attack.

"James, what-"

"No, damn it. I can't do this. I won't." He slid off the bed, hunting for his pants. He didn't need more than that to head outside and away from her. Away from any chance of hurting her again. Or worse. Possibly fulfilling the vision his sleeping mind had gifted him.

He stalked towards his bedroom door but she blocked his path leaving him standing there bouncing on his toes with indecision. Afraid to touch her and risk doing more damage and the absolute need to get away from her for her sake.

She held herself tall and proud. "It's your place, I'll go. Just give me a minute to put clothes on."

He wanted to argue, but as she still blocked his exit he nodded tightly and backed away. Climbing back onto the bed, sitting with his back against the hard wood of the headboard, sheet drawn up to cover himself as if he had any concerns about propriety at this point.

She gathered up a few scattered pieces of clothing and backed out of the room. She left the door open and just over five minutes later he heard his front door open and shut as she walked out of his apartment and his life.

He drew his knees up, arms braced across them and dropped his forehead onto the metal arm and simply did not move until the sun had long since passed above the horizon and began its daily trip across the sky.