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The Pen is Mightier! (penismightier) wrote in chaotic_library, @ 2015-10-24 21:41:00

[Bucky Barnes; R] The Righteous Side Of Hell: Chapter 1
Character/Series: Bucky Barnes, Cast; Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: R
Notes: Oh, you only wish it will stay this light and fluffy. Enjoy it while you can. (Mama's back! And there will be more Sam! And apparently, Sharon was a gamer at one point in her life. This can only end in tears for the author, I can feel it in my bones.)
Title: The Righteous Side Of Hell - Chapter 1: The Place When We Were Young
Author: yuuo
Word Count: 6018
Summary: Bucky stared over Bruce's shoulder, leaning forward slightly to see the small numbers on Bruce's notebook paper.


the grass was greener
the light was brighter
the taste was sweeter
the nights of wonder
with friends surrounded
-Pink Floyd

Bucky stared over Bruce's shoulder, leaning forward slightly to see the small numbers on Bruce's notebook paper. "Bruce, your handwriting is tiny."

"So you keep saying," Bruce said, scribbling numbers and letters down that only someone familiar with chemistry would be able to decipher. Bucky leaned back, turning to rest his hip on the counter next to Bruce, waiting patiently for him to finish. "Here," Bruce said, drawing Bucky's attention over. The notebook was offered to him.

He took it, looking over the numbers. "We need to start inputting right into the computer, you know that?"

"Then we can't take it home to work on after hours," Bruce protested.

Bucky cracked a smile. "We drive our friends crazy doing that." He turned his attention back to Bruce's calculations, the chemical equations that formed molecules that didn't look right to him somehow. His brow furrowed. "Would this have a long enough half-life? We're on the right track, but something seems off. Wwe need this stuff to last longer if we want it to not flush through Steve's system too fast." He handed the notebook back. "Want me to take a crack at it, or do you wanna keep this one your baby?"

Bruce took the notebook, pulling out his glasses and staring at the calculations in dismay. "You're right. That shouldn't have happened. How did that happen?" He sighed. "We're working on this medicine together for a reason." He put the notebook down next to Bucky's. "Your turn."

Before Bucky could even decide to grab his pencil, there were footsteps growing closer out in the hall, and both he and Bruce looked up in time to see Tony walk through the door of the lab, carrying a manilla mailing envelope. "Tony?" Bucky stared at him. "What're you doing here? I thought you were on your way to Cali."

Tony grinned, holding out the envelope. "Stopped in DC to get something before I left for awhile. This is for you."

Bucky stepped forward, meeting Tony halfway, and took the envelope. "What is it?" he asked, even as he was unwrapping the tie.

"Why do people ask that when all they have to do is finish opening things to see the answer to that question?" Tony demanded.

"It probably has to do with basic human psychology," Bruce said.

Bucky peered into the envelope. There was a folder inside, worn around the edges with a paper clip on the top end. He carefully slid the folder out, staring at the cover. "You got the Winter Soldier files back," he said, disbelieving, snapping his head up to look at Tony.

Tony buffed his nails on his coat lapels. "Told you I would." While Bucky tucked the files back into the envelope to keep them all together, Tony continued. "I know none of us feel comfortable with anyone but us having a copy of that. Personal reasons, ethical reasons, lots of reasons. Reasons all over the place. Which is why I left a hacking program there." He motioned to Bruce. "Bruce would know what sort I'm talking about. I hacked SHIELD's files onboard a helicarrier once with one."

Bruce raised his eyebrows. "You're looking for digital copies they might've made."

"Bingo," Tony said. "If I can hack through SHIELD's protocols, the rest of the government agencies are child's play. The program's still running, and it won't find any isolated copies left on USB drives or anything like that, but it'll track down copies in the system and permanently shred them, and look for any other sources the files might've been sent to."

Bucky felt his stomach drop into his feet. "Just in case the information got stolen or sold," he said, not really a question, more finishing Tony's statement.

"Yup," Tony said. "JARVIS here will ping you as soon as he finds anything. He'll let you know if there's any outgoing copies and how many copies are in the system. He'll also let you know when everything he can get to is shredded."

Bucky looked down at the envelope. "Those won't come back to hit you, will it?"

Tony shrugged. "Dunno. It shouldn't, but it might. And if it does, that's why I have an army of lawyers, and failing that, the team'll suit up, if that many hornets come out of this nest at us. I'm not gonna let any of us go to jail for trying to protect you. Besides, we don't want anyone stupid trying to replicate that project. It's potentially a lot of people we'd be protecting by getting those files out of everyone's hands. So don't worry about it. We'll be fine."

A long moment where a million thoughts (or what qualified as thoughts for him) zipped through Bucky's head passed before he took a deep breath. "Thank you, Tony. If you need any help and it's something I can do, let me know."

"Don't worry, I will," Tony said. "Anyway, my plane's waiting. I just stopped by to drop those off and let you know what was going on before JARVIS contacts you and confuses you. I will see my nerd pals in a month." With a grin wide enough to hurt cheek muscles, Tony waved and headed back out.

"He kicks a nest for us and then leaves for a month." Bruce shook his head.

"He works on his suits out there," Bucky said, distracted, not even really sure he's said anything. He leaned back against a counter, staring at the envelope in his hands like it might bite him, or was a bomb that required careful handling. "Never thought I'd see this again," he said.

"Is it a good or a bad thing that you have?" Bruce asked.

Sparing Bruce the briefest of glances, Bucky shrugged. "I don't know," he answered. "Honestly, I don't. On one hand, I'm glad nobody else has it. On the other, it's like that train wreck you shouldn't look at, but you do anyway. Only it's a train wreck I was the only survivor in. It's probably not healthy."

"You've had access to those files through JARVIS this whole time," Bruce pointed out. "It hasn't been a temptation so far, at least not that you've confessed."

Bucky shook his head, careful to hold the envelope by the corner to avoid bending the folder and its contents. "No, it hasn't. But it's not where I can see it. And-" he shrugged again. "I dunno, it's easier to ignore digital content than it is a hard copy of something. Might just be because I was raised and already working before computers came around."

"Do you want me to keep it somewhere where it won't be a temptation for you?" Bruce asked. "I can keep it in my quarters. I can get it for you if you need it, but it won't be immediately accessible."

That was tempting. It was sorely tempting, but it didn't feel right. "This belongs to me, I feel I should be the one to protect it. Like it's my responsibility, you know?" He looked over at Bruce.

Bruce tilted his head slightly, just a touch towards his left shoulder. "I can understand that. I shredded the files on my project, but I can understand holding onto them for personal reasons. That was a big part of your life."

"Still is," Bucky said, setting the envelope aside, on the counter adjacent to the one they had their notebooks on. "My entire job revolves around it. My main job, anyway." He turned back to their notebooks, picking up Bruce's to look at, although he wasn't really seeing the numbers and letters. "It was nice to not be carrying it with just Steve and I, but I'm not really keen on the government actually having it. It was a necessary evil, but..."

"But you're glad to have it back where it belongs," Bruce finished for him. He patted Bucky's metal shoulder. "You talk about this stuff pretty freely now. Which is good."

Bucky laughed, a sharp bark of incredulity. "You've read this and still say that?'

"Well, more than you probably used to," Bruce corrected himself. "I'm sure I could ask Cap how tight-lipped you were in the early days."

"He'd whine at you for hours," Bucky said. "He wanted nothing more than to help me, and I didn't let him. Didn't know how." He motioned at Bruce with the notebook. "But we're getting sidetracked. We have a problem to attack here."

"So we do," Bruce said, staring at the notebook like it was a hated enemy. "I hate to say this, but we might have to put that one aside and work on something else, instead. We're hitting a brick wall, we need fresh eyes on it."

Bucky studied the notebook, then closed it. "You're right. I have an idea. Interested in a trip to DC with Steve and the girls?"

Bruce blinked. "Depends on why, I suppose."

Bucky leaned back, tossing the notebook on the counter next to his own. "I got a friend in DC that I'm missing, wouldn't mind seeing her and tasting her food again. Nice woman, owns a restaurant called 'Mama's'. We can invite Sam to join us, spend the evening in town. We can get a couple hotel rooms, give ourselves a break from this place. Steve's starting to go crazy with that damn game."

Bruce pursed his lips together, slightly red-faced, clearly trying to keep from laughing too much. "He's determined, isn't he?"

Bucky rolled his eyes. "He's sworn to make it through one world without Sharon forcing him to use a continue. I keep telling him he's up against the ultimate evil of a woman and he won't win. He never did listen to me when it came to women."

Bruce chuckled and adjusted his glasses. "Well, it's not like any of us have anything to do that would prevent us from taking a one-day vacation. Would it be upsetting to make us tour the new Captain America exhibit tomorrow?"

Bucky made a face. "Might as well see what they got wrong about me," he said. "Why not. I don't think Maria's seen the place at all. She should probably get a chance to laugh at how old fashioned we were back then."

"I doubt she'll laugh," Bruce said. "She likes you too much."

"That doesn't mean some of what we grew up with isn't strange by today's standards," Bucky pointed out. He grabbed their notebooks and the manilla envelope, and handed Bruce his notebook. "Come on, let's go round up the others and see what they think of this dumb idea I just had."

Bruce took his notebook. "JARVIS, if we decide to head out, will you shut down my computer and the lab for me? If we decide against it, we'll be back down."

"Of course, Doctor Banner," JARVIS said.

Content that the lab would be taken care of, they headed out, pausing long enough for Bruce to lock the door.

Bruce pocketed his key. "So what put this idea in mind? It was rather abrupt."

Bucky shrugged. "I dunno. Probably the files. The last time they were in my home possession was when Steve and I lived in DC. And like I said, I miss that restaurant and the lady who owns it. She'd want to meet Maria, I think."

"Old girlfriend?" Bruce asked. "Most exes don't want to meet the current girl."

"Naw, not a girlfriend," Bucky said. "Would've been if we'd stayed in DC. Nothing ever came of it. I was too busy keeping my head down from the public to be able to even tell her my real name. Or talk at all. She never heard me speak until we made one last visit before moving."

Bruce shook his head. "I still don't understand how silence and a hat kept the press at bay for so long."

Bucky laughed. "Neither do I," he said. "Luck. I think if it'd happened any sooner, I might've had a panic attack and just ran and never come back."

"As opposed to running, then throwing yourself in jail," Bruce said as they waited at the elevators.

Bucky gave him a dirty look. "I ran out of the blast zone before coming back to deal with the fallout. Anyone with a bit of sense gets out from under the bomb as it's going off."

The elevator doors opened, let out a few people, then Bucky and Bruce stepped in to an empty elevator. Bruce pressed the button for the residential floor. "True, true," Bruce admitted. "So, do you think we only have to track down Maria? Sharon will probably be at your place with Steve."

"Probably," Bucky said. "Those two still have a touch of shiny new relationship syndrome going on. I'm starting to get replaced as Steve's shadow. I have to share his hip with her."

Bruce laughed. "The other woman's taken over?"

"I'm the neglected housewife," Bucky said, keeping his face and tone as dead serious as possible, although the desire to laugh was strong. "I cook, I clean, I get ignored in favor of the girlfriend. Shows you how grateful he is."

One of Bruce's eyebrows raised. "You do the cleaning, too?"

Bucky shook his head. "No, not actually. He does the kitchen, and we clean up after our own messes. We take turns with the rest of the housework. I just slave away in the kitchen."

"After how much you enjoyed cooking for Christmas, I'd have to say that you probably don't mind that much," Bruce said, looking at him. "And isn't Maria doing some of the cooking there now?"

Feeling caught, Bucky frowned. "It's not like she's over every night. She's learned to cook enough that she doesn't have to."

"And when she doesn't, you're over there," Bruce said. "It sounds like Steve and Sharon aren't the only ones with shiny new relationship syndrome."

The elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Bucky pointed out into the hall. "Out of here," he said with a growl that wasn't terribly heartfelt, more meant in jest. "Quit ruining my complaining."

"I wouldn't dream of doing such a thing," Bruce said, walking out into the hall. "Which side is your apartment on again?"

"The right," Bucky said, taking a slight lead. "JARVIS, where's Maria? She's in the building, right?"

"Yes, Mister Barnes," JARVIS said. "She's currently in her quarters."

"Thanks." Bucky stopped at his apartment door, waited for it to unlock, then led Bruce in. To his complete lack of surprise, Steve and Sharon were at that game again, Sharon still giggling like a demented hyena and Steve scolding her repeatedly and cursing her name. "Seriously, you two? Do you do anything else? You need hobbies."

Steve paused the game as they both looked back at him and Bruce. "Oh, hey Bruce." Steve set down his controller and pointed sternly at Sharon. "Unpause that game and meet instant death."

She scrunched her nose at him. "You like me too much to hurt me."

"Mario might be the hill we die on," Steve warned her, sounding about as serious Bucky did when he called him his boyfriend. He got up. "So what's with the visit? Did the lab explode?"

"Nope," Bucky said, walking down towards the couches. Steve took the hint and sat back down. "I had an idea for a one day vacation for the lot of us, including Maria. Mind if I borrow the screen?"

Steve motioned to it, glancing up at Bruce, who'd stopped behind the couches. "Go ahead." He looked like he was itching to ask what was going on.

"JARVIS, will you call Maria for me?"

The game screen disappeared, being replaced by the Avengers symbol on the telepresence system. A phone icon appeared below the symbol, then Maria's face took over the screen. "This is Hill." She paused. "I see the Avengers home committee are all gathered. May I guess that there are plans being made?"

Bucky smiled. "Always nice to see your face, dear," he said. "But plans are why we called you. Interested in taking a one-day vacation away from the Tower?"

"I'm intrigued," Maria said. "Where to?"

"DC," Bucky said. "I figured we could meet up with Sam, go to Mama's restaurant. She likes us, we haven't seen her since we moved here, I think she'd like to see that we're doing well. We can hit up some local sights, grab a hotel. Bruce suggested going to the remodeled exhibit in the Smithsonian. Apparently, they're done with renovations."

"The Captain America exhibit?" she asked for clarification.

Bucky nodded. "Which has been expanded. I want to see how much they screwed up about me so I can bitch at someone."

Steve looked up at him. "I doubt they got too much wrong," he said. "But I like the idea. I wouldn't mind Mama's cooking again, and we haven't seen Sam since your birthday."

"I'm in," Sharon said. "Even if I didn't want to, I have this lot to protect. I might actually get to work for awhile." She inclined her head in the general direction of the three men present. Bucky wasn't sure why Bruce was included in that. Did the CIA give her the job of protecting all the Avengers? Or maybe she'd just taken it upon herself. Who knew.

Maria quirked one eyebrow and tilted her head to the side slightly. "I caught up on the paperwork Tony left for me, and we just finished a project. The queue of upcoming ones has a blank spot in it. I can come. It would be rather nice to get away from New York as a group without it being for a job. When are we leaving?"

Bucky looked at the others, receiving shrugs, then gave a shrug of his own. "Any time, as long as we get to Mama's before she closes. But she's open until eleven, so that's a pretty big window of time."

"If we want Sam to come along, we might want to get there before that," Steve said. "Maybe we could leave as soon as we all pack an overnight bag. I can call Sam, see if he can meet us at Mama's."

"It shouldn't take long for us to pack a bag for one night," Bruce said. "We'll meet in front of the elevator. When everyone's ready, we'll leave."

With the plans agreed upon, the five of them went separate ways, all of them to pack, and Steve to make a quick call to Sam. He confirmed a meet up for five at Mama's. Within ten minutes, the group had assembled by the elevators.

There was a bit of debate about whose car to take, and who was sitting where- most cars accommodated five adults uncomfortably, more meant for two adults and three children. Bruce didn't drive. "Too stressful," he'd said. Sharon's car didn't have a back seat to speak of, and Maria's car had a smaller trunk that risked not holding all their luggage. Which meant taking Steve and Bucky's car. Since Bucky wasn't allowed to drive (Steve seemed to think that he'd always break the steering wheel when irritated by bad drivers, when he'd already proven otherwise, the jackass), he offered to sit in the back by the women.

He got a few suspicious looks for that, but he promised to keep his hands to himself. What, did they really think he'd do anything but enjoy being san- okay, maybe they should've been looking at him crossways. Brain, any time you want to stop thinking like a teenage boy, that'd be great.

It turned out that their suspicions weren't necessary anyway, as the women flat out refused to let him sit in the middle. "Too awkward with your shoulder width," Maria pointed out.

"Speaking of shoulder width, I'm not quite as broad as he is," Bruce said. "I'm not exactly an enhanced super soldier. It'd be best if I joined the girls in the back."

"I think I'm being conspired against," Bucky complained as they loaded the trunk with five overnight bags. "It's not like I planned on molesting anyone or anything."

Maria patted his shoulder. "We keep that private. Either way, you're sitting up front."

"It'd be weird for you to not be up front with Steve," Sharon added. "You two are the married couple around here."

"That has nothing to do with anything," Bucky said. "But I see I've been banished from sitting by my ladies, so I'll take the front and harass Steve."

Steve gave all four of them a look of great consternation, closing the trunk and clicking his fob to unlock the car doors. "Do I get a say in this?"

"No," was the answer from four voices that would've made a terrible choir.

That basically decided that.

The trip between New York City and DC was around four hours, depending on where in the cities the start and end points were. After traffic, it turned out much longer.

"Better let Sam know we're going to be a bit late," Steve said as they finally got towards DC's outer suburbs. "Traffic's heavier than I thought it'd be."

"It's the middle of tourist season," Maria pointed out. "You weren't expecting heavy traffic?"

"I forgot it was tourist season," Steve said, eyes on the road, but it wasn't hard to see his grimace. "We didn't plan this that well."

"Plans shmams, it's fun to be impulsive sometimes," Bucky said, although he knew he'd regret that as soon as they had to body surf over crowds to get anywhere.

Steve frowned. "I'll refrain from commenting on your impulses that get us into trouble. Are you going to make that call or not?"

Bucky held his hand out to Steve. "You're the one with the regular phone. And I am not digging into your back pocket for you."

"Damnit." Steve shifted, managing to wrestle the phone out of his back pocket and handed it over.

"This is why I wear cargos," Bucky said, scrolling through the contacts. "I don't have to sit on my damn phone or wallet." Finally finding Sam's number- "damnit, Steve, when are you going to reorganize these contacts?" "Never," "Annoying asshole," -Bucky hit dial and hoped that Sam would answer and wasn't in the middle of driving. Bucky strongly disapproved of talking on the phone while driving unless it was an emergency. Bucky telling Sam that they'd be late was not an emergency.

"Whose melodious voice am I about to hear?" Sam said upon answering.

"You'd better not be driving right now," Bucky said.

"Ah, the elder of the Wonder Twins. I'm going to guess this is one of two things. One, you're going to be late, or two, you're cancelling at the last second and it'll break my poor little heart."

Bucky looked at Steve. "Your friend is like you. A jackass."

"I collect jackasses," Steve said off-handedly.

Sam laughed in Bucky's ear.

"Don't you start, Wilson," Bucky said. "We're gonna be a bit late, maybe another thirty minutes. If you haven't left yet, don't. If you have, just tell the waitstaff that you're waiting for us. You'll get prime seating and royal treatment. And if you have left, you'd better not be driving."

"Relax," Sam said. "I'm at a gas station. I had to put fuel in my girl. She was empty."

"You are as weird as Natasha about your car," Bucky said. "We'll be there in about thirty minutes. Traffic is doing that thing that makes me clench my fist in rage again."

"Which is why you're not allowed to drive," Steve said. "I don't need to replace another steering wheel."

Sam laughed again. "All right. I'll just wait there for you guys. I kinda figured you'd be later than four hours anyway. Hope nobody minds if I order my drink while I wait."

"No, you have to suffer from thirst until we get there," Bucky said.

"Bucky, you're a sweetheart," Sam said. "Such beautiful words you're speaking to me. I may swoon. But I won't, because I have to drive now, and I don't need you yelling in my ear about talking on the phone while driving. I'll see you guys in about a half hour."

Bucky rolled his eyes as he hung up. "Seriously, Steve, where do you find these people?"

"Just remember," Maria said, and Bucky knew that if he didn't tread very carefully, he'd be sleeping on the proverbial couch for a week, "I'm one of 'those people' that Steve found and brought into your life."

Bucky looked back over his shoulder at her. "Yeah, but you're not a jackass like Sam. And you're a pretty lady. You can get away with murder, if you want."

"Nice save," Maria said. "Keep that up and I might just stick around."

Sharon, who was occupying the seat behind Steve, leaving Maria caught between her and Bruce, looked at Maria. "You have to stick around. Who else is going to distract him while I run away with Steve? Bucky gets grumpy if he's left alone too long."

Bucky scowled. "I'm not used to being alone, that's all," he said, turning back around. "I don't like my routines being messed with."

"Most people don't," Bruce said, risking life and limb to cut into a not-argument between Bucky and the ladies in his life. "Don't worry, I don't think even Sharon's feminine wiles could lure Steve away from you forever."

"Damn right," Bucky grumbled. "We're coming up on our ninety-third anniversary this September."

"Oddly specific."

Steve sighed with a flourish that was completely unnecessary. "We met in the first week of school back in '23," he explained.

"Almost a century and the bastard still hasn't made an honest man out of me." Bucky sniffed indignantly. "Not even an offer to."

Steve reached over, smacking the back of his hand soundly on Bucky's metal shoulder. He swore and shook his hand as if that might make the pain go away. "Bucky, I swear, I'm going to dump you on the side of the road one of these days."

Bucky couldn't help himself. He turned his head to look at Steve with a completely serious look, and in a tone as level as he could, said "if you do, we are never ever ever getting back together."

That seemed to amuse the backseat if the eruption of laughter coming from that general vicinity were any indication.

Steve did his best to give all of them pointed stares of confusion without taking his eyes off the road. "Okay, missed a joke."

Bruce was the first to compose himself. "It's a reference to a Taylor Swift song. It was popular when it came out several years ago."

"I didn't realize you liked Taylor Swift," Sharon said, clearing her throat sounding like she was swallowing back more laughter.

"I don't," Bucky said, making a face. "Everything she does is horrible. I just join the internet in making fun of her."

"I don't know if I'd call everything she does horrible," Maria said. "But her songs are certainly easy to make fun of."

"It's because they're catchy," Sharon said. "The catchier a tune, the more they're gonna get parodied and made fun of. I think my favorite example of that was Roll A D6."

Bucky turned to look at her, his seat belt cutting across his throat uncomfortably to do so. "What one was that?"

"It was a parody of Like A G6, which was a grotesquely popular and catchy song back in ... I think before Steve was found in the Arctic, actually. Only by a year or so, though."

Bruce raised his eyebrows. "Is that parody a gaming reference?"

Sharon grinned. "Yeah. I used to play, long time ago, back in high school and college. Then I joined SHIELD and got too busy and had nobody to play with." She got a perfectly wicked grin on her face. "I could run a campaign for you guys."

"No," Bucky said. "Not a chance in hell. Maybe if someone else was running it, but I do not trust you after watching you decimate Steve in Mario with a laugh to scare small children." Sharon tried to pout at him, but there was too much evil in her eyes, he saw right through it. "No. I want no part of it. If the others want to, that's fine, but I will not fall to your sadism."

"Well, you can watch and make commentary at the others," she said. "I don't think anyone would, though. I love you guys, but none of you strike me as the type to tabletop."

"How much math does it involve?" Maria asked. "You might convince the two nerds here to join if there's a lot."

"I am not a nerd," Bucky protested.

"There's a lot," Sharon said, ignoring Bucky. "Depending on what system you use, anyway. Some, not so much, some you practically need to know calculus for. There's more out there than when I was playing, I'd have to do some research and see what would work best for this group, but I don't want to bother unless I have commitment."

Bruce shrugged. "I wouldn't mind, I suppose. I've never been one for games, but it sounds worth a try." He glanced at Bucky. "If only because if we all agree, he has to either agree or sit out as the fifth wheel while we have fun."

"You're an asshole, Bruce," Bucky said. "Fine, if everyone wants in, I'll play and be as obnoxious about it as possible."

Sharon narrowed her eyes at him. "If you end up being a rules lawyer, I will have rocks from heaven rain down on your character's head."

"Which puts me back as commentator."

She glared at him with angry determination. "I will get you trapped in my world, just wait and see." Then she looked away as if something came to mind that hadn't before. "Actually, no, stay as a commentator. You're the type that would cause the apocalypse over an 'oops' plan and an unfortunate dice roll."

"This has happened before?" Maria asked, looking at Sharon. Bucky couldn't tell if she looked intrigued by the idea, or fearful of it.

"My team accidentally blew open the fabric of spacetime when we tried to make a small earthquake on the San Andrea's. We rolled a little too well on that."

Bucky stared at her. "Okay, now it's sounding interesting."

Sharon beamed. "Good. I will start planning immediately. I will not disappoint."

Conversation drifted as they made their way through DC's streets, until they entered a part of town that was familiar to Bucky, that almost made him homesick. He missed DC. He missed the too-small apartment, and the kitchen- okay, no, he didn't miss the tiny kitchen, but he missed a lot of the other little things, the routines, the dishes, the tiny bookshelf that didn't have enough room, that bitty dining room table, and the fire escape outside the window.

He was happy in New York, of course, with a new family around him and easily reached at all times, but sometimes he missed when it was just him and Steve. His world had gotten larger and accommodated more people, and sometimes it felt a bit crowded. He assumed he'd get over that.

Steve pulled up into the parking lot beside Mama's restaurant. "There's Sam's car," he said, parking next to it. "Hope he hasn't been waiting long."

"He can suffer," Bucky said, unbuckling and getting out once the car was shut off. "He didn't sit through traffic from hell in Baltimore."

"Aren't you a generous soul," Maria said once she'd managed to worm her way out after Bruce.

Bucky flashed her a smarmy grin. "That's why you started dating me, isn't it?" Her expression clearly said that she wasn't going to agree with him on that one. He shrugged. "Okay, maybe not." He offered her his arm with a theatrical flair, just to be a smartass. "How about you date me because I'm a gentleman?"

She may have rolled her eyes, but she smiled and took his arm. "I'm dating you because you make me smile. I think that's more important than opening doors for me."

"Hey, Bucky," Sharon said, drawing his attention as they made their way to the door. "You're keeping her, right? Because I think you might've found a winner."

Bucky looked at Maria, then back to Sharon. "We're trying for it. I wouldn't mind having this pretty lady on my arm a while longer."

"I'm starting to feel like a fifth wheel over here," Bruce said, looking amused at the shenanigans of his coupled friends, and not at all serious.

Sharon walked around Bucky and Maria to get to Bruce and draped herself on his arm. "Don't," she said with a smile. "We're all family here. No such thing as fifth wheels in families."

Bruce didn't seem to mind the affection, which Bucky found slightly odd. He didn't know how close Bruce was to Sharon, had rarely seen them interact outside of the whole group before, and Bruce hadn't crossed Bucky as one to enjoy physical contact. Not to the extent of a friend kidnapping his whole arm and being charming at him.

Steve grabbed the front door of the restaurant and held it open for them, distracting Bucky from his thoughts. "She speaks truth," he said as the others filed in, Maria having to let go of Bucky's arm to get through.

Two things jumped at Bucky's attention first; at their old usual table was Sam, who called to them with a 'hey!' and a wave, and second that the hostess was one of the ones they usually saw, a girl named Annamarie, and she was sporting a smile so bright that Bucky had a feeling even Mama might have trouble beating.

Annamarie turned back towards the kitchen. "Emily, get Mama. Captain Rogers and the Winter Soldier are here."

"I heard!" Maggie's voice came from the kitchen, and within seconds, the short redheaded woman whose smile did manage to beat that of the hostess came all but running out. "Steve! Winter!" Upon reaching them, she pulled them both into hugs, one at a time, all but throwing herself on them. "Oh, I've missed you two so much! It hasn't been the same without you." She stepped back, looking at the group. "And you brought me some friends! I've already seen to Mister Wilson's drink, come on, come on, everyone. Come sit down, I'll fix you up with drinks." She looked at the hostess. "Annamarie, get menus for everyone." She eyed Steve and Bucky critically. "Unless you two are going to make me do your usuals again. You'd better, I've missed making them for you."

Steve was smiling ear to ear. "Our usuals are fine, Mama."

Bucky tapped Steve's arm. "Steve? You don't answer for me anymore, remember?"

Steve stared at him blankly for a moment. "Oh, right. Man, this place takes me back."

"Me too," Bucky said. He looked at Maggie. "But yes, I'd like my usual. Haven't found anywhere else that has something similar."

"That's because it's a Mama's original," Maggie said with a beaming smile that she could light a room with. She looked over the others, then over at Sam. "Oh, honey, I don't think your usual spot will actually hold all these people. Lemme show you to a bigger table. Annamarie, would you clean up the table Mister Wilson's at right now once I get them moved?"

"Of course," Annamarie said. "Sorry for seating him in the wrong place. I didn't realize they'd be bringing an army."

Bruce chuckled. "Oh, this isn't the army. The army's missing five people. Don't worry, if we decide to introduce everyone, we'll give advance notice."

"You're welcome to bring them any time," Maggie said. "Any friends of Steve and Winter are friends here. Now come on, everyone come sit, get settled. Your friend's been waiting, and you can all introduce yourselves proper."