𝙼𝚢 𝙴𝚞𝚙𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚊 ✰ 𝙱𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚢𝚡𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

Chapter 17

Y/n gripped the edge of the counter with one hand and Bucky's shoulder with the other as she tried to contain her laughter. "There's no way you're being serious right now. Steve?!"

"I promise, I'm not lying." Bucky shook his head vigorously. "He had a whole stash of extra newspapers. He'd ram them in the back of his shoes, and they'd be uneven every.. single.. time."

Y/n burst out laughing as she stared at Steve from across the room, imagining him all small and scrawny.

The empty shot glasses piled up on the counter after a few hours of reckless drinking led to their current state. At this point, time didn't exist. Tony's parties were rumored to never end, and this was proof. Nat had spent the rest of the night with Steve, who had been building up the courage to ask Nat out after having slowly fallen for her. Nat couldn't remember the last time she had felt this happy.

Thor, Steve and Nat occasionally took short glances towards Y/n and Bucky, who were both relying solely on the bar counter to keep themselves from tumbling to the floor.

"What have I done." Thor let out a sigh, running his hand over his face.

"Relax." Nat sipped her drink. "I think it's sweet. I've never seen the two of them so smiley."

"Oh god." Y/n's laughter died down a little, turning into a light chuckle. "Poor guy, you must've felt a little guilty that you got all the ladies."

"A little." Bucky bit his lip, the two suddenly bursting into another fit of laughter.

"I was never allowed to have a boyfriend, thanks to my mom." Y/n told him, tracing her finger around one of the empty glasses. "I wasn't even allowed to bring friends home."

Bucky smirked. "She sounds like a bitch. Sorry!" He added quickly.

She waved her hand. "Don't be. She was, and I still hate that whore, wherever she is. I remember she would hit me with the curling iron still on when she was pissed off. God, that shit burned."

Bucky's expression darkened. "Maybe because it was a curling iron? Why would she do such a thing?"

Y/n shrugged, keeping her eyes fixated on the ground. "I guess she just blamed me for my dad's death. He was shot in the chest. There was some vendetta these thugs had with someone else. They ended up killing the wrong person, they shot him. I was fourteen."

Y/n felt her head throb, the unpleasant memory clouding her thoughts once again. Why was she telling him this? She had never opened up to anyone about this part of her life before. Never this much.

"Y/n... I'm sorry I-"

"No, it's ok Bucky." She turned to him, giving him a weak smile. "It was so long ago anyways."

He shook his head. "We all have our own troubles. Time passing won't erase the fact that they happened."

Y/n slowly felt the the effects of the drink ware off. She ordered for another shot and downed it, letting out a shaky sigh.

"You know what." She laughed dryly. "I don't think either of my parents would even wanna see who I've become today. I mean, the lady was the one who sent me away in the first place. She wanted me out of her sight."

Bucky's eyes grew with concern watching as the laughter escaping her lipstick smudged lips becoming anything but joy.

"Don't say that." He placed two hands on her shoulders tenderly. "Your mother didn't deserve you in the first place."

"I remember it so vividly." She began. "She hadn't left any dinner for me, so she threw me a few dollars to grab something from the gas station. I sat there in the alley eating, without a single care in the world, other than how much I hated my mom and stepdad. I started walking home, and I saw those vehicles. I never knew my life could just crumble apart so quickly. No college, no future."