The Number One Rule

Chapter Nine

Sunday rolled around, and Y/N had finally recovered from her very drunken night.

Her interview had been bumped up to Monday at 9:30. She was stressing out trying to make sure she had all the papers she needed and letters of recommendations emailed over to her from the foreign agencies she had worked with.

However, for some reason, they had technical issues getting the documents uploaded correctly, and all it was doing was causing more stress, not to mention the constant thought of having to see Bucky again at some point and awkwardly bringing up Friday night.

"No, no, it's all fine," Y/N sighed, looking around for her laptop. She was still in her pajama shorts, her hair disheveled from raking her hands through, and her tank top sliding off her shoulder every two seconds, forcing her to fidget with it and keep readjusting it. "Have you tried doing it through SHIELD's framework? I don't think we've tried that yet." Her phone was pressed between her cheek and shoulder as she threw clothes around, trying to place the computer that she had hidden from herself.

"Um, one second. I can't find my laptop, so let me put you on hold," she said, putting a finger up, even though the person on the other line couldn't see her, and put it on mute.

She threw the sweater she had in hand on and rushed down the stairs. Her bare feet were heavy in her haste to quickly find the missing piece of technology. Once in the living room, she shouted for her mom.

"Ma, have you seen my computer?" she shouted, moving pillows, blankets, and coffee table books in panic.

In her panic, she didn't notice the guest sitting at the kitchen table watching from the entryway into the living room as she ran around like a madman.

"Dear, I thought you went out this morning. I didn't see you come in," Sarah shouted, walking into the room with a cup of coffee in hand and leaning on the threshold.

"Uh, yeah. I had coffee with a friend who had another possible job opportunity for me," she said in a rush. "My laptop, though. Have you seen it?"

She finally looked up. Steve was reading the newspaper by the kitchen counter, and Bucky was wide-eyed, watching her frantically trash the living room.

She froze, seeing the unexpected visitor as they each maintained strong eye contact with the other, both in shock and also in silent communication. But Sarah Roger's pulled them out of their entrancement.

"I put it on the charger in the study, Mini," she pointed her head down the hall. "I saw it was almost dead."

Clearing her throat and moving her line of sight to her mom, she awkwardly smiled.

"Thanks, Mom," she said before hearing a voice on the phone still in hand. "Uh, sorry. Yes, I'm still here."

She quickly moved out of the room and into the study, opening her laptop and continuing her phone call.

Sarah had turned back to the men in the room and shrugged her shoulders.

"Hmm, I thought she was out all morning. Must have been a quick meeting," she hummed, walking over to refill her cup.

"Doesn't she have an interview on Thursday? What other job opportunity popped up?" Steve said, looking up from the paper.

"Well, that one got moved to Monday, so she's stressing out. Something about the papers not coming through from the agency she worked with for her scholarship," Sarah explained. "And you know her. She always has to have a backup plan, that one."

Steve nodded before looking at Bucky, who was sitting back in his chair but staring dead into the living room.

"Hey, you good over there?" he spoke up, catching Buck's attention.