Chapter Text
It was another cold November night. The snow blanketed every corner and the sidewalk was dangerously slippery. Ana furtively made her way home. With one hand she was clutching the lapels of her coat while the other was carrying two full grocery bags.
Steve is going to be mad, was the mantra on repeat in her head. The thoughts only hurried her even more, forgetting for a moment all the horrible stories of people getting jumped in dark alleyways. All of this is because of a stupid nap.
Her lack of sleep from the day before caught up with her, and she eventually fell asleep on the dinner table. Before she knew it, it was eight pm and the dinner wasn’t ready yet. She had hurriedly grabbed the first clothes in sight; a plain coat and her blue jeans and rushed out of the flat.
Just as she was praying for today’s traffic to be terrible, she lost her footing and slipped on the frozen pavement. The heavy jug of milk had only weighed even more, dragging her down quicker. As one last resolve, she flailed her arms around blindly grabbing an empty garbage can but to no avail. She fell on her front, the impact blinding her for a moment.
Amongst the ruckus, she failed to notice the macabre scene that was hidden within the alleyway.
Two men were holding a third one by his arm, pinning him steady while the victim was hunched over. A mixture of blood and snot was coating his face, as he was pleading for dear life. Another man, with a stature of a bodybuilder, was leaning against the grim walls of the tight alleyway. He watched the scene unfold with a vague sense of boredom. Suddenly, the badly beaten man noticed the presence of a passerby and seized the opportunity to wail his lungs out for help.
Rubbing her numb face, Ana’s attention snapped out of her daze to notice the battered man. Her brain was still trying to process the scene when finally her nerve endings caught up, sending an immense wave of pain through her face. Screaming bloody murder, Ana held her broken nose, helplessly looking around as her fight or flight instinct kicked out.
Jumping into action, the bigger man reached for a blade safely tucked into one of his goons’ pockets, the glint ricocheting off Ana's face as she watched him plunge it in the man’s sternum, ending his suffering once and for all. Not even bothering with retracting the knife out, the murderer hurried toward Ana.
Ana, with her feet frozen on the muddy puddle she had fallen in, tried to stand grabbing sides of the pavement but failed. Her pupils turned into small slits as she watched in horror as the man approached her with heavy calculating steps.
“Madame,” he called with a calm tone, “Are you alright?” He asked.
Gripping her fists tighter, Ana shut her eyes as if that would make the person before her disappear. She waited for a smack to the face or a shove down the ground, but it never came. She cracked her eyes open to find the man invading her personal space, a confused frown on his face.
The dim lit streetlights were casting a shadow on him, making his figure even more menacing. Yet, within her blurry vision, Ana discerned the vibrant icy blue of his irises, molten with specks of grey, drawing her in with a soft gaze. Forgetting her situation for a moment, she stared at her perpetrator, lips slightly agape, huffing out sharp exhales of the chilly air. Blood was thrumming against her ears, rushing to her head and heating up her face.
“Miss, Are you alright?”. He had repeated, his voice penetrating the thick veil dulling her senses.
She snapped back to her frantic state. The man was still hovering over her, his face dangerously close to hers,
“I mean you no harm, don’t worry. But I am afraid you hurt yourself.”, he added, hoping to soothe her nerves.
“I am sorry… I didn’t mean to”, she stammered. “Please don’t hurt me”, she pleaded.
He chuckled then tapped her cheek with the rough pad of his index finger. “Don’t worry, little bird, I am not planning to do that. That man right there did something bad,” he said, a brow cocked toward what’s left of the bleeding man, “hence, the punishment. But you didn’t mean to snoop, did you?” he said, stroking away some strands of hair from her face.
Ana fervently shook her head no. “I didn’t mean to… I slipped and fell”
“Rumlow” the man suddenly growled. “Get me some tissues”, he ordered.
“What’s your name?” he asked, his voice shifting back to calm.
Ana hesitated for a moment, compelled to tell the man her name, all the while her instincts screamed at her to keep her mouth shut.
“It’s fine. You don’t have to tell me.” he whispered. “But I have to warn you, your nose was displaced. If you leave it this way, it’s gonna swell and that’s nasty to treat. You’re lucky, though, I can fix it for you. You think you can let me help you?”
Dumfounded, Ana stared at him, watching him as he wiped the blood off her cheeks.
“Answer me, doll. You think you can handle it?”
Ana slightly nodded her head, her eyes never leaving his gaze.
He tipped her face. “Use your words, Babygirl.”
If she was blushing before, her cheeks were red hot now.
“Yes, sir”
“Okay, don't scream though. We don’t want to alert any neighbors. Close your eyes and take a deep breath.” He advised.
It was funny how compliant she was, because not even a second later her eyelids were squeezed shut.
“Okay one, two-”
She bit her lower lip to sustain the pain. Cleaning the remaining blood stains on her skin, he swiped his thumb over her lower lip, freeing it from the chewing.
“Good girl. You can open your eyes now.” He praised her. “Now can you stand up or do I have to carry you?” He asked in a half joking way but with a glint of worry.
“No I can walk, sir. I don't want to impose. Thank you sir. I promise I won't bother you again” she said, scrambling to stand up. The cold muddy water staining her jeans sent shivers down her spine.
The man was surprised at her change of behavior.
“Wait here…Hey!” The man growled. Ana, who was halfway around, froze in her place as she felt the guy’s hand on her nuque. “Stay,” he ordered.
Shameful, Ana looked down, sniffling.
“Rumlow, something in Russian”
Rumlow disappeared for a moment, while the man removed his jacket and grabbed Ana’s hand dragging her past the dead man’s body and deeper into the alley.
“Take off your pants.” He ordered her. Before fright settles on her face, he holds up his jacket up to her waist, shielding her lower half from the world. Rumlow returns with a pair of padded pants.
“Doll, I ain’t letting you freeze your ass off. Put this on. Dont worry, no one is looking.”
Ana shivered, her hands shaky as she pushed her jeans off. Her mind was still shut down, hanging on every command that left the man's mouth. She watched as he turned his face away. How can a man so violent and so domineering, behave so gentlemanly and be this kind. Unless it was all an act, one which Ana gullibly believed.
Maybe she chose to overlook the violence, but the guy murdered a man.
She slipped on the padded pants, finally feeling how cold she was.
“I am done”, she whispered, her voice barely being heard.
“There. That's a good girl. Now you are going to let me help you get all your groceries back home-”
“No, please I can’t. I am so sorry but I will be in so much trouble-”
The man shushed her, cupping her face.
“How about a deal? Since I can't let a lovely doll roam around this late in the dangerous streets of Gotham, you will let me accompany you back to your home. In exchange, I will tell you my name. Does this seem fair to you.”
Not understanding the correlation between the two, she watched him as Rumlow handed her boss her groceries in a new plastic bag with her muddy pants folded neatly on top.
“Let's go.” He gently pushes her out of the alley with a hand on the small of her back. “I will see you at the warehouse, boys. Take care of this mess.”
Ana walked with her head low, praying she won't be recognized by any friend of Steve. Rumors travel fast.
“So you live around here?” The man asked.
“Yeah two blocks away, next to the park.” She said making sure she was walking two steps behind him.
He hummed. “So what do you do?”
The man was walking comfortably, conversing as if he wasn't stabbing a man to death ten minutes ago.
“Uh… I am a stay at home wife but I occasionally paint.” She didn’t want to lead the man on since he was still in a flirty mood, and not to calm her this time.
“Wi- Painting, huh? I am sure you are good at it.”
“I try.” She responded. She didn’t dare to look up to judge his reaction to the wife part.
“Well, here we are.” He handed her the grocery bag. “Thank you for your help. I am very grateful, mister…”
“Sergeant Barnes. But you can call me Bucky”.
“Thank you, Bucky.”
The minute Ana was home, she abandoned the groceries in the hallway. Chucking her dirty jeans in the washer, she removed the padded pants, folded them then hid them in the back of her closet before scurrying to the kitchen to get started on dinner.
Steve was back home late that night. Thank god. But that didn't rest her mind. Usually when Steve is late, it means something wrong happened at work. And that wasn't a good omen.
He slammed the door open. Another bad sign. Not wanting another earful about her not doing her duty as a wife, Ana made her way to the entrance to take his jacket off and help him with the lacing of his boots.
“Good evening” she greeted. He did not spare a look toward her, just grunted and patted her hair when she finished unlacing his boots.
“Do you want me to draw you a bath?” She asked, head bowed down to avoid staring at his directly into his face.
“Yes. None of those flowery bath bombs though.” He curtly ordered before disappearing in the bedroom.
Not long after, Steve’s booming voice could be barely heard among the sound of running water.
“Why the fuck there are there tracks of mud in the closet. Is this a house or a pigsty?”
She rolled her eyes. He won't stop nagging now.
Steve was meticulous, everything has to be perfect. Not even one crease out of line.
Out of the blue, a large hand in her hair snapped her out of her bubble.
“How many times did I tell you to answer me when I call you.”
Steve wasn't angry, he was just looking for a way to blow off some steam. This could go well or turn into another beating. Staying calm, she put the bathrobe she was folding away and bowed her head down.
“Yes, sir.”
"Go clean it up.” he ordered, unlatching his grip from her scalp. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop a painful whine, and just as she was turning around a hand on her neck. “Wait a second. Turn around.”
Steve was a complex man. Yet, they have lived together enough that she can predict most of his reactions. This situation was too intricate and conditional, though.
“What the fuck is that on your face?”
“I fell, sir.”
“Report to me what happened in detail. Now.”
“I was out getting groceries for dinner when I slipped on the snow, sir.” She hated when he talked to her like that. She didn’t mind being docile but she hates when he addresses her like any other subordinate.
“Put some makeup on, I am not married to a mangled street rat. Be careful with your two left feet next time.”
“Okay sir.”
It was a shocking contrast between how a random stranger reacted and how her dear husband, who mind you was vowed to protect and care for her, was indifferent to it.
As a final inspection, Steve probbed the bruising on her face with a finger and asked: “Does it hurt?”
“No Sir. I will be fine.”
He shrugged. “Get out of my face now. And clean the damn closet flooring.”
Huffing, she dragged her bare feet to the bedroom closet. Steve is kind. He used to be but he rarely shows it. It wasn't his fault though. Ana blamed the damn two tours he spent in the war. It had changed him to a different person she barely recognized.