Frostbite |The Alternate Timeline

Mind Your Business

The sun was going to be up soon, and I didn't want to cause a fuss with my roommate. Though we had been doing a lot of that the last two months. It was tiring. I nudged the man beside me, forcing him to startle awake. He glanced around in confusion and mumbled something inaudible, closing his eyes again.

"Get up," I groaned. He jerked fully awake and stared at me and then the clock in disbelief.

"It's like six in the morning," he mumbled, slowly getting out of the bed. I did the same and pulled on my robe as he put his clothes on from the night before.

"Yeah, well, my roommate isn't the friendliest," I grimaced. We had been sharing a house in New York since coming back from being snapped. Everything had changed since then. Though nothing in my life had been normal for years now. I had gone from being a fugitive to being dusted for five years and now back home after being pardoned.

"Can't be that bad-"

"I really don't wanna find out and I doubt you do either. Can you just hurry up?" I snapped, growing agitated. He hadn't been nearly as annoying at the bar last night.

"I am. Damn, you're a crab ass in the morning- that why Captain America left?"

I tensed, my hands twitching at his words. His face shone with regret at what he had let slip out, but it was too late. My patience reached it's tipping point. A finger slowly pointed at the door behind him.

"Out."

"I didn't mean-"

"Get out!" I yelled, shoving him to the door. He fumbled with the knob, and it smacked open loudly.

"Seriously-" he tried to explain, pausing to face me as we entered the hall. I didn't care what he had to say.

"If you don't get out right now-" I threatened, herding him toward the front door. He hesitated, his face contorting angrily. He opened his mouth to say something snarky I was sure.

"I believe the lady told you to leave," a voice told him hardly, "I suggest you listen."

I blanched and glanced over my shoulder. Bucky was leaning against the doorframe that led into the living room. We must have woken him up because he was still shirtless, his hair tousled.

The guy gaped at him, taking in Bucky's vibranium arm and realizing who he was. Without another word, he dashed for the door and slammed it shut behind him. So much for getting him out stealthily.

"Well, good morning," he drawled, shuffling back to his makeshift bed on the floor. When I had promised Steve I'd look after his best friend, I hadn't realized just how mouthy he actually was. Our relationship had taken an interesting turn, both of us comfortable enough to call each other out on our crap. Though it did occasionally turn heated when that happened.

"You didn't have to get up- You know you have your own room," I reminded him, still unsure why he preferred the living room. The floor thing I got. He grunted, not even addressing my comment.

He plopped on the floor and switched on the tv, completely ignoring the couch only feet away. "You got home late last night- again."

"I didn't know I had a curfew, old man," I replied, moving farther into the room. He gave me a pointed look and just stared at me for a moment. He had a tendency to stare. I resisted the urge to avoid his eyes and stared straight back.

"You don't. But maybe you shouldn't bring home random men you meet. You're too good for any of them anyway."

"Wow, you act like it's an every night occurrence. I'm not a whore," I snapped, glaring at him. He groaned and his jaw twitched.

"I didn't say that and you know it, Melanie. I just don't think it's a healthy way of coping with things. And you're almost always out all hours of the night."

"Did your therapist tell you that? Did you mention your "amends" to her and how well that seems to be going? Maybe you shouldn't spout anything at me about coping. And maybe you should mind your business."

He scoffed and started flipping through the channels, "No, but maybe you should be seeing one, too."

I rolled my eyes at that, shaking my head, "I wasn't ordered by the government to, so uh- no. I'm fine." He knew I thought his therapist was full of it.

"Sure you are."

"Who are you to sit there and judge me? I don't have to explain myself to you, James," I told him frostily. He immediately grew annoyed, rolling his eyes at his name.

"I'm not judging you, doll." he retorted with a mocking smile.

"I told you not to call me that."

He didn't even bother to say anything; he just gave me another look and focused back on the screen in front of him. My eyes drifted to him as it grew quiet in the room. I hated arguing with him, but he seemed to know exactly how to agitate me. I sighed, moving across the room to sit next to him.

"I'm trying okay. Everything is just- its a lot to adjust to," I admitted, gazing at the display box situated in the corner of the room. Pepper had given me Tony's first arc reactor that she had gifted him so many years ago. Part of me had died that day. The day we came back; the day Tony had sacrificed everything, even his own life.

"I know, believe me, I do," he replied, meeting my eyes with a sad smile. Steve was gone, and I knew Bucky missed him more than anything. He had been his only family left.

"I miss him too," I murmured, grabbing his hand to offer some comfort. He squeezed mine gently and we sat like that for awhile, both of us comfortable with the silence.

Steve and I had found closure before the fight against Thanos. We may have moved on from each other during our time apart, but we had still loved one another. He had been my family, too. I was glad he had finally found the peace and happiness he had always wanted. It was just hard knowing I wouldn't see him again.

"Are you still going out to the lake today?" Bucky asked, glancing down at me.

I nodded saying, "You're more than welcome to come with me. It would be good for you to get out of the city for a bit."

"I told you, I don't think that's a good idea-"

"Pepper is the one who insisted, but its fine. I know it's- complicated."

Honestly, I had been surprised when he had agreed to move in together in the first place. He still felt guilty about what he did as the Winter Soldier, especially about my parents and Mr. Nakajima's son, who Bucky had befriended oddly. He still hadn't told the old man the truth about how his son had died, but I knew Mr. Nakajima meant a lot to him and he would eventually. He just had to work up the nerve.

With Steve being gone, I think we both just needed someone who understood what it was like. We had experienced a lot of the same things. We had more in common than I had anticipated, so the roommate situation had worked thus far. Or at least neither of us had killed the other yet.

I got back to my feet and stretched my back, yawning. The sun was shining brightly through one of the windows now, promising a beautiful day.

"I better go get ready."

"Did you even sleep at all last night?" he called after me with a disbelieving look.

I stopped in the doorway, pausing to answer him, "Sleeping isn't one of my priorities, you know that." At least not when there were people around. He rolled his eyes and finally laid back down in his bed.

"Yeah, well, it is for some of us."