Later Doll (a winter soldier fanfiction)

f we don put on ice it ” he explained as I just turned around which only cause pain to bounce into the back of my head and a sense of drowning clouded my throat, I began to fall but I captured easily but him. ”Come on, doll, lets get you safe ” he suddenly picked me up bridal style and whisked me away.

….

We came to an apartment building to which the stranger placed me on my feet, he turned me towards him ”think you can climb the fire escape? ” He asked as I nodded slowly, he jumped towards the ladder, and grabbed it before pulling it down, he stood before me as the ladder came clanging down while he stared down at me and I turned away, hoping he didn notice the blush on my cheeks and nose. ”You first, ” he said as I slowly began to climb.

I looked down at him ”don look ” I whispered knowing I always wear shorts under my skirt.

He chuckled ”I have seen it all before ” he mentioned as I shook my head.

Began climbing faster up ”well, you haven seen mine, ” I said as I got a laugh in response.

The only sound that could be heard was our footsteps against metal stairs as we climbed the fire escape, passing by windows of apartments with families, young couples and elderly people enjoying the evening night, we didn go too far up when he pulled open a window and helped me into it:

A familiar voice called out ”you know we have doors, use it ” he stopped as we walked in, there stood Mr Roger in a tank top and a pair of briefs ”Tamara ” he said as I smiled, realising how rough I must look. ”Are you ok? ” He asked as he pulled me to the couch.

The Stranger cleared his throat ”you two know each other? ” He leaned against the couch, the room was bare except for a couch, two armchairs and a tv in the corner.

”Mr Roger and I met at the diner, he ordered twice his weight in food ” I smiled at the man I spilt my emotional baggage on. ”Wait, he is the womaniser roommate? ” I asked as the stranger looked at Steve with big eyes.

”I might have mentioned your affairs ” Steve stood to his feet and scattered away ”Ill just get the first aid kit ” he whispered.

We sat in silence for a moment as he just stared at me, I realised the consciousness of following this stranger home, a man I have never met yet something drew me to him and something does, I have to follow:

”Now that you know my whole dating history, its only fair that I know yours ” he moved to sit next to me as I looked at my fingers.

I cleared my throat ”thats a forward, Mister, I don even know your name ” I whispered as I looked up at him.

He chuckled as I watched his eyes sparkle in the dimly lit living room ”well, I didn have much of a choice really ” I rolled my eyes at his statement ”but I would love to know yours ”

I shook my head and looked out of the window, towards the apartment that stood just across the road ”Tamara Johnson ” I turned back to him ”and you? Sir ” I asked as we just stared at each other.

He presented his hand to me ”James Barnes but everyone calls me Bucky, Tamara Johnson ” my name rolled off his tongue and through his lips, like honey, even the little smile at the end of it seemed like he was hiding a sweet secret.

Steve appeared again interrupting the staring contest James and I were cooking up ”Tam, the kitchen has better lighting ” he said as James stood, taking the first aid kit from Steves hands then grabbing mine and pulling me towards the small pale yellow kitchen.

I looked down at the leather jacket and then turned to Steve ”May I borrow a Shirt or something ” I asked as James answered.

”In the basket, get one of my shirts ” he whispered as he prepared the cotton, bandaids and anything else needed, Steve nodded and wandered off, James suddenly turned towards me, grabbing my waist and lifting me onto a nearby table where two chairs stood under a window, I gasped at his suddenness but was confronted by those blue eyes that kept himself stationed between my legs, his eyes on my lip. ”Does it hurt? ” He asked as I shook my head, my adrenaline was running, and I felt nothing.

”I feel nothing, ” I whispered as James nodded slowly.

”Your adrenaline is running, you will feel it tomorrow ” he whispered as he dipped the cotton ball into the strong-smelling liquid when Steve placed a t-shirt, boxers and a pair of socks on the table, accompanied by a glass of water and an aspirin.

”I was thinking you should stay the night, with a head injury like that ” he looked at the dried blood staining my hair. ”I am worried about a concussion ” he answered as James stared at me to answer.

I struggled for a bit before hammering out ”I couldn , I will be missed ” I mentioned but Steve shook his head frantically.

”Your father works the gas station at nights, stay, you can sleep in Buckys room ” Steve suggested as I struggled once more ”it has a lock ” he mentioned as I nodded silently under Jamess glazes.

He murmured in a deep growl ”this might hurt a bit ” he softly touched my torn lip with cotton balls, and the soft material caressed my lips before a sharp pain followed. ”Sorry ” he murmured as continued with an intense stare at me me me my cut.

Steve leaned against the counter ”so what happened? ” He asked as I looked at James who answered.

He growled as if playing the event over again in his mind ”she got jumped by four **ers in an alley, I was walking by when I saw it ” I watched Steve flinch at James choice of words.

He couldn contain himself ”language ” he whispered scratching the back of his head.

I smiled but the pain caught me in a sting ”but they were **ers ” I said as James cracked a smile.

”Shh ” he whispered ”don talk, ” he said as he applied a bandaid to my lip and then moved me so I was sitting sideways on the table and he had a clear view of my head.

I voiced up again ”they didn jump in the alleyway, they followed from the diner to an alleyway ” I cleared it up as James face moved to look at me.

His eyes hardened ”you willingly walked into an alley? ” He asked as I nodded.

”The alley is short cut ” I smiled as he shook his head like what I did was wrong.

Steve just exhaled with a sigh of relief ”I am just grateful Bucky found you in time, I don even want to think what would have happened next ” he expressed as my eyes darkened, I knew exactly what would have happened, I could see it on the newspaper now four boys gone missing.

I don know how long I was staring into space, replaying the incident in my mind and what wouldve happened if James didn show up, another nightmare to add to the list ”hey ” James deep rustic voice called out, ” you ok? ” He asked as I nodded slowly.

”Just tired ” I smiled sleepily as he moved towards me, grabbing me and placing me on the kitchen floor. He moved away like he didn want to, he gently gave me the t-shirt that sat on the table before grabbing my hand and pulling me towards his room ”where is Steve? ” I asked as I looked around the rooms we passed going toward his.

”He went to bed, he felt out of place ” James brushed it off like it was normal.

”Why? ” I asked as we stopped at the door.

”You were out in space and I couldn help but stare, you have a very expressive face ” he whispered as he open the door to an almost empty bedroom, with a bed, closet, cardboard, and a few pictures on the wall and books on the side table.

I stared at the humble room with a bit of jealousy, I mean I would be jealous of anything person who had their room, I turned towards him to find him placing a part of shorts that were in a silky fabric, It looked like one of those boxing short men used in the ring, he then moved towards the door:

He showed me the keys that hung from the keyhole ”here are the keys, if you need to use the bathroom, its the door to the right and Steves bedroom is to the left ” I nodded as he stared at me for a moment before turning around to leave.

”Thank you ” I whispered as he stopped, nodded then kept walking.

I don know how long I laid in the bed, smelling his scent which smelt like balsam, sweat and a type of musk I couldn recognise just smelt manly, I couldn sleep, not because of the smell, this smell could lull me into a peaceful sleep, not because of the two strange men who shared a room next door but this sense of repeating the event that took place earlier, what if James didn interfere, I didn want to think about what will happen next.

A soft knock sounded at the door, I thought I imagining the sound but it came again, I moved to look at the door and a piece of paper slipped under the door along with it was another knock, I pulled myself from the bed and moved to the door, picking up the paper:

You up for a bit of cocoa? ”

It asked I let out a little giggle before moving to the side table where a pencil sat, I picked it up and wrote:

I don like cocoa I pushed the paperback under the door.

”What kind of person doesn like hot cocoa? ” I heard a growl of a voice sound from the other side of the door, I unlocked the door to find him staring at my note.

”It makes me sick, ” I said as he stared for a moment, his eyes dilated and glistened under the kitchen light. ”What? ” I whimpered but he shook his head and steered towards the kitchen, I followed him silently.

The kettle whistled as we sat at the table by the window, I stared at the apartment building across the way when James placed a cup before me with the sweet scent of tea waffling up into my nose, I wrapped my fingers around the comfort and looked up at him staring back at me:

”I thought you wouldn be able to sleep, especially with all that happened, ” he said as he pulled the hot cocoa closer to himself.

”Yea, its been a long night ” I expressed as I stretched my arms, awkward silence deceased upon us ”so, you are a boxer? ” I asked, playing with the silk fabric

of the shorts.

”Oh, yea ” he nodded as if the whole conversation would make him shy ”Yea, I am a boxer at the YMCA, I won my first championship ” after the words flew from his mouth he brought them back with a bit of hesitation ”I…umm…I try to get Steve into it but he doesn fight unless there is a reason ” he explained as I nodded sipping my sweet tea ”so how long have you known Steve? ” He asked cautiously.

I sat thoughtfully for a moment ”weve known each other for more than a year now, he got me the job at the diner, I used to clean lecture rooms ” I explained as he nodded softly deep in thought.

”How is it now? ” He asked as if my pathetic life was the greatest thing in the world.

”To be honest, better ” I nodded slowly ”at least I have a name now ” I explained as he frowned softly.

He was dumbfounded for a moment before pressing on ”What would you have liked to do? ” He asked, the light shone in his eyes and I knew, he was a dreamer, most of them are.

”I wanted to be a dressmaker like my aunt ” I expressed, staring dreamily into the night sky ”she had this little shop, on the corner of a busy street in Queens ” I explained ”it was filled to the brim with fabric, mannequins, thread, sharp scissors and beads of every colour ” I could picture the scene in my head ”you couldn even see the floor…she would sit and draw and sew, embroidery every bead in its place, women would come from all walks of life to that dusty old store in Queens ” I realised I had opened a case I didn want to explore.

He smiled at my openness and the passion that sparkled in my eyes ”thats amazing, does she still own that store? ” He asked as I pulled the tea to my lips.

”No ” the word felt like an omen in the air ”she died at thirty-nine, too young in my opinion, ” I said, wanting him to see I don like opening up, even if he did it so easily, I must be losing my mind or maybe its the head injury my body was paining to cure.

”Oh, ” he whimpered as I stare at his saddened expression ”what happened? ” He asked softly.

”She was killed by her husband, shot in the chest ” I expressed with a lack of emotions.

”Im sorry ” he expressed, the look in his eyes was evident enough that he was hurt to hear it.

I felt a sense of ill intent settle in my chest ”you shouldn apologise, you didn pull the trigger ” I expressed as his eyes switched to my words.

He smiled with hope filtering his eyes ”but its still a good dream ” he conveyed sipping his hot drink.

”It is good but its just a dream ” I smiled

”But what if it wasn … ”

….

My eyes adjusted to the darkness surrounding me, I closed them trying to hold onto that memory but I couldn . Suddenly an ill feeling settled in my gut and I realized what time it was, I stood rapidly and rushed about the house, making sure food was ready for Pa, and that the medicine stood ready to be swallowed with a glass of water, I braided my hair into a french braid, grabbed my holsters that held my heavy loaded guns, daggers and whatever needed for this mission; I slipped on my leather pant, jacket and boot, making my way to the door.

I pushed it open before looking back at the small empty apartment, hoping I see it again.

I walked down alleyways avoiding any sigh of the public but I knew he future show would grab their attention, so I could slip through the cracks without suspicion, I came to a darkened alleyway where a slick black limo sat, waiting like a predator in the night, I moved closer ignoring the sickening feeling every time I see that smug machine. I slipped into the back seat, a man sat in the leather seat car with a shadow nicely positioned to cover half of his face:

”Good evening ” his voice with German ancestry as I nodded softly ”your mission will be stated after you sleep, now just accept it ”

A needle was pulled into my neck as I closed my eyes, welcoming the sweet comfort of darkness.

….