Chapter Text
January 5, 2016
A hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. She was powerless to stop herself from being pulled into the nearby alley. As soon as her wrist was released, Rose pulled out her sidearm and aimed at the potential assailant.
"It's you." Mystery man breathed out.
Because of the darkness of the alley, Rose couldn't make out the man's face. But she didn't need to. The glint of a metal hand clued her into his identity.
"I don't want any trouble. I'm just passing through. And I certainly don't want to shoot you. But I will if I have to, Barnes." Rose threatened.
Bucky didn't seem to hear her warning.
"I thought I was hallucinating that day." He continued, taking slow steps toward her.
She flicked the safety off, keeping the gun trained at his chest even as the distance between them lessened. Rose pressed the gun into his chest, unadulterated fear keeping her rooted in place.
"I thought my mind made you up." The super soldier whispered, reaching out with his flesh hand to gently caress her cheek.
She looked up to find his steel blue eyes staring her down. The intensity of his gaze secretly scared the living daylights out of her. It made her want to run away and never look back. Yet she couldn't find it in herself to look away let alone run.
She filed that thought away for her to analyze another time.
"Rose."
Hearing him say her name took Rose back to an earlier time in her life. Where she made the choice to give a lost and damaged super soldier a chance to forge his own path and reclaim his identity, even as her own world fell apart.
"There's a section about Bucky Barnes at the Smithsonian. It's part of their Captain America exhibit. I think it'll be a big help to you."
"... I think so too. Thanks Rose."
"You're welcome James. See you around."
"You remember." Rose mumbled in disbelief.
Suddenly realizing the position they were in, Rose stumbled out of his grasp and took a step back.
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion, even as she put her sidearm away.
"Of all the people to remember, why me?" She questioned, crossing her arms.
He looked away and mumbled out his reply. The brunette rolled her eyes in annoyance.
"Unlike you and your buddy Rogers, I don't have enhanced hearing so mind repeating that?"
Bucky cleared his throat and repeated what he said, barely loud enough for her to hear.
"You uh, you chased after me and patched me up. Even helped me figure out where to begin my search. I didn't get anything like that back when I was held captive by those Nazi squids."
The younger woman blinked in surprise. She did not expect that answer from the super soldier. Rose mentally smacked herself for that line of thinking.
"Your reason for remembering me is the kindness and compassion I showed you that day after all those years in captivity. Am I reading that correctly?"
Bucky nodded in confirmation.
"It also helps that you never sold me out."
"That's sweet and all but what makes you think I won't sell you out now?" Rose challenged, staring at him with a bemused expression on her face.
"You just said that you were only passing through." He pointed out flatly. "Besides, that gun you pulled out earlier ain't SHIELD or HYDRA issued."
Rose scowled while fighting off a shiver unsuccessfully.
"Is this what you do nowadays? Lurk in dark and freezing alleys, waiting to prey on unsuspecting women?" She snapped at him unhappily, quickly rubbing her forearms with her hands to emphasize her point.
It finally occurred to Bucky that they were standing in a dank and poorly lit alley in wintertime Bucharest which probably wasn't the best place for them to talk in. He walked past her and dragged a weakly protesting Rose along to a nearby cafe. Bucky ushered her inside and led her to a secluded booth near the back of the space.
Seeing as she had no other choice (brainwashed or not, engaging Bucky Barnes in combat was a suicide mission especially in her current state), Rose took off her coat and slid into the booth. She did a quick visual sweep of the cafe for other threats much like she's been doing for the past two years every time she entered a cafe. Satisfied that there none, Rose turned her attention to the super soldier walking up to the counter and ordering drinks for them.
Bucky returned a short while later with a mug of black coffee and a mug of hot tea that he held out for her to take. She hesitantly accepted the mug and waited for him to sit down.
"As you so helpfully pointed out earlier, a cold and dark alley in the middle of winter ain't the best place to talk." He explained awkwardly.
Rose nodded in agreement but stayed quiet. Bucky interpreted her silence as her willingness to listen so he continued on.
"I heard you make that call. The one that got Steve to the hospital, I mean. But I didn't know which side you were on so I bolted. Still, you chased after me. That was pretty stupid of you, ya know."
"When you watch a man with a metal arm drag Captain America out of the Potomac then dive back in for the shield, it's safe to say that he won't kill you if you try to help him." She interjected playfully, making Bucky snort into his mug.
"You know," Rose drew her own mug closer to her. "If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have gotten out of there alive. So thank you for warning me Bucky."
He looked away uncomfortably. Rose frowned at that, wondering what she said to make him react like that.
"It feels weird... Being called Bucky again after all these years." He admitted, noticing her reaction.
His response made sense. It's a name that's heavily associated with his past as a World War II hero and ally/ best friend of Captain America. A past that he's clearly still struggling with. Calling him the Winter Soldier is obviously the worst mistake she could possibly make so...
"How about I call you James instead?" Rose offered softly before taking a sip from her tea.
He mulled over it for a few minutes before nodding in agreement.
"That's fine with me. What about you? May I still call you Rose?" He inquired bashfully.
She looked around the room cautiously before leaning over her mug. Bucky leaned forward to humor her.
"Call me that when it's just us two. Otherwise, call me Vi."
"Vi?" Bucky repeated, testing out the name.
"Short for Vivienne." Rose elaborated.
"Alias?"
"I suppose so." Rose shrugged. "I figured it would be a good cover since I prefer using my second name. No one would suspect Vivienne Smith and Rose Matthews of being the same person. After all, I hate going by Vivienne."
"Where'd ya get Smith from?"
"It's my mum's maiden name."
"Hiding in plain sight. Clever girl." He observed, making her blush.
In the back of her mind, Rose questioned why she told him about the origins of her alias. That was a dangerous move on her part. She wasn't sure if this was actually Bucky or just the Winter Soldier in disguise.
But something deep inside told Rose that the man in front of her was genuinely Bucky Barnes.
"You mentioned a Jess and Jay before. Where are they?" Bucky wondered, idly curious.
The younger woman's mood turned sour at the mention of her older sister and their best friend.
"Probably back at SHIELD." She muttered bitterly into her mug.
Rose took a big gulp of tea from her mug, suddenly wishing she was drinking something stronger instead. Bucky took a sip from of his mug of coffee while observing the younger woman. It was now clear to him that something happened. Something severe enough that Rose left the organization and her loved ones because of it.
Bucky was acutely aware that it wasn't his place to ask. That wasn't why he approached her in the first place. So he instead got to the main reason he grabbed her in the alley.
"Why are you here in Bucharest?"
Rose drained the rest of her tea before answering.
"I've been travelling through Europe to find myself. Threw a dart and a map of Europe and it landed on Bucharest."
Rose gathered her things and began to slide out of the booth.
She needed to get out of Bucharest before SHIELD or HYDRA found her, job be damned. Hanging around Bucky Barnes increased the risk of either organizations discovering her location exponentially. Bucky might've escaped HYDRA for now but who knows how long that will last?
Then again, HYDRA and SHIELD were too busy fighting each other these days to pay attention to Rose or Bucky. She had no intention of sticking around long enough though so it was time for Rose to make her exit.
"As nice as this was, I should get going. Like I said earlier, I'm just passing through. Guess that makes us even, yeah? Thanks for the tea, James." She said before walking out of the little café, surprising Bucky.
The super soldier quickly chugged down the remaining coffee in his mug and followed after her.
"Vi, wait!" He called out.
Rose stopped in her tracks, her heart skipping a beat when he called her Vi. Bucky caught up with her and held out her abandoned coat. She took it back and put the dark coat on gingerly. When he didn't move after giving it back to her, Rose spoke up.
"What else do you want from me?" She asked him hesitantly.
"I'd like to get to know you better."
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Why?"
"I think you're an interesting gal." Bucky answered.
And beautiful. He added in his thoughts.
Rose stared at him for a long while, trying to gauge his sincerity. Bucky patiently stood there, hoping that she'd see him and not the Winter Soldier.
Logically, it was a terrible idea.
Allowing Bucky Barnes to get to know her (properly this time) was a sure-fire way of attracting all sorts of troublesome things into her life.
She stared at him thoughtfully for a moment before huffing in resignation.
"Alright. Fine." Rose agreed reluctantly.
For the first time in nearly a century, Bucky found himself smiling softly at a woman. Whether he was aware of it or not, the super soldier gazed at the mercenary with affection or perhaps even fondness.
If he keeps smiling at me like that, I'm gonna melt or possibly even attack his lips with mine. I'd best be cafeful. Rose thought to herself as she cleared her throat.
The super soldier snapped out of it and asked what she planned on doing next.
"I'm gonna stop by a letter box on my way home. There's something that I have to send to someone." She answered, patting her left coat pocket.
"I'll go with you." He insisted.
Rose waved him off nonchalantly.
"No need. I don't want to take up more of your night."
"I've got nothing planned anyway. It was either this or I lie in bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling." He joked.
That quip earned him a ghost of a smile from the brunette. Bucky automatically held out his left arm for her to take (a remnant of his pre-HYDRA self making its way to the forefront) before flinching. Rose looped her arm with his before Bucky could put it back down.
"Well, if you insist." She conceded reluctantly although Bucky clearly picked up on her teasing tone and found himself feeling more at ease.
As they walked through the (nearly) empty streets of Bucharest, Rose offered more insight about her whereabouts since their last encounter. She was careful with what she shared, something that Bucky respected and could relate to.
"Sokovia? I've been there. Nice place. It's a tragic loss but I guess Ultron was a big enough threat that it forced the Avengers to destroy Sokovia."
"Do you think they did the right thing?" Bucky asked curiously.
In spite of laying low, even he knew about the Battle of Sokovia and its aftermath.
"Had Sokovia fallen from that height, it would've wiped out the entire planet. As heartbreaking as it was, I believe they made the right call." She answered as they stopped beside a letter box.
Rose's right hand subconsciously slid down to grasp his gloved hand as she took out the cheery looking postcard with the stamp on it using her left. She reached out and lifted the letter flap then slid the postcard through the opening in one graceful movement. The young woman turned back to her companion.
"James? I'm done. We can go now."
He quickly looked up at her and his heart stuttered at the sight in front of him. With the gentle snowfall as a background, Rose stared back at him curiously. An adorably confused pout on her pink lips combined with her flushed cheeks from the cold weather made Bucky want to rush up and kiss her.
If it were the old him, he would've already done so. But the current Bucky wasn't too confident that she'd take kindly to that approach.
"Lemme take you home." He blurted without thinking.
Rose's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Excuse you?" She challenged.
Bucky realized his error too late and scrambled to make things right.
"Let me drop you off." He corrected. "I'll feel better knowing that you made it to your place safe and sound."
Rose bit her lower lip slightly, unsure of what to do. She glanced at her wristwatch and grimaced slightly. The late time meant that the usual thugs were out on the streets. The brunette was perfectly capable of defending herself if need be but after spending the day tailing her target, Rose needed a break.
"Okay. Take me home, Sarge." She conceded and began leading them away from the letter box, still oblivious to the fact that she was holding hands with Bucky Barnes.
The two of them stopped in front of Bucky's apartment building a short while later, surprising the super soldier. Judging by Rose's lack of reaction, she had no idea just how close her place was to his.
"Home sweet home." Rose announced sarcastically, dropping his hand.
Bucky walked up the steps ahead of her and opened the door.
"Why thank you, kind sir." She told him, dropping into a brief curtsy before entering the building.
Instead of leaving once Rose went into the building like she thought he would, Bucky followed her up the stairwell. He only stopped when she stood in front of her apartment door. She turned back to look at him.
"James, it was very sweet of you but you didn't have to walk me all the way to my doorstep." She pointed out bashfully.
He merely smirked at her before walking up the stairs past her. Rose looked on curiously, her curiosity morphing into surprise and embarrassment when he dug out his own key and unlocked the door of the apartment above hers.
"You live here too?" She asked while internally questioning how she managed to never run into him before that day.
"Yeah. I've been working night shifts so that might be why we've yet to be introduced to each other at HOA meetings." Bucky explained nonchalantly.
Rose nodded in understanding, still processing the unexpected turn of events. She turned away from him and finally unlocked the door of her apartment. The door was opened slightly before the brunette turned back to Bucky who was halfway into his own apartment.
"James?" She called out hesitantly.
Bucky peeked out at her.
"It was great to see you again. I'm glad you're doing better since the last time we saw each other." She told him sincerely.
The super soldier smiled bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck, unable to meet her gaze.
"Yeah. I'm glad that I got to see you again, Vi. I proved to myself that you're real and not a figment of my imagination."
Rose laughed softly before opening her door further.
"Do you wanna have breakfast with me tomorrow morning?" She offered.
Bucky nodded immediately. Rose couldn't hide her smile even if she wanted to. The super soldier's excitement was obvious and surprisingly contagious.
"You can knock on my door at 9am. I'll be awake by then." The brunette assured him as she impulsively walked up the stairs to meet Bucky at his door.
"Good night, James. Sweet dreams."
She pulled the unsuspecting super soldier down for a peck on the cheek before making a hasty retreat back to her apartment, the slam of her door echoing in the empty stairwell.
"Good night Rose." He replied quietly, gently rubbing the spot on his cheek that she kissed.