Blue || Bucky Barnes

73. Boogie Man

Leia stands beside Tony as they watch the hearse drive away slowly, carrying Happy's coffin. The ceremony was beautiful, so beautiful, not a single dry eye was left in the room. Leia looks up at Tony and he reads the guilty expression on her face instantly.
"It isn't your fault Leia." Tony whispers wrapping an arm around her shoulders securely and comfortingly. There's press stationed over the other side of the road. Tony can't help but think how disrespectful the act is but there really is nothing he can do about it. But if they are going to be there he's determined to show them that Leia isn't a bad person.
"Let's go inside." Pepper suggests, she too noticing the impending paparazzi. With the hearse long in the distance the mass of people turn and walk back into the venue.

Leia doesn't know 90 percent of the people who attended the funeral, but she isn't all that fazed as she just stays beside Tony the whole time. He introduces her to many new faces and she manages a smile for them because frankly she's thankful for the interactions, they're distracting her from her personal thoughts.
"Tony!" A tall man approaches them with a sympathetic look on his face.
"Diego... it's good to see you." Tony's lips form a tight saddened smile as they embrace.
"Your speech was lovely, really moving." He compliments. Leia catches a slight Irish accent though it's deeply faded. He's tall and broad and dressed to the nines in a perfectly pressed suit.
"Thank you... this is Leia by the way. Leia Callahan, Diego Armstrong." Tony introduces her to the unfamiliar man.
"Ah, a pleasure to meet you." Diego offers her a stunning white smile while shaking her hand.
"Nice to meet you too." Leia's eyes subconsciously search his face... it's a habit. My goodness he's attractive. He appears to be younger than Tony, perhaps mid forties. You can tell his hair used to be dark as small pieces still remain, surrounded by dark silver grey hair, almost a bit like salt and pepper. Their friendship intrigues Leia slightly more than any of the other people Tony had introduced her to throughout the day. "How exactly is it that you two know each other?"
"Well I-"
"Oh Tony and I, we go way back, 2013 was it, something like that." Diego grins almost proudly. "He invested in my company."
"One of the only ones I actually went through with." The men share a chuckle. "So what're you in town for, I thought you were based in London these days?"
"Oh god, it's been a while hasn't it. I opened up a factory in downtown New York. The company's been expanding which I'm sure you're glad about. The London cellar wasn't cutting it, so we decided to branch out. As the CEO I can make those kinds of decisions." Diego sends Leia a flirty wink.
"So you're in the wine business?" She questions.
"Not wine, my dear, spirits!" He corrects.
"I see, I now understand Tony's interest in investing." Leia's joking dig makes Tony and Diego laugh.

From across the room Bucky spies their interaction and, though he'll never admit it, jealousy courses through him. He leaves the woman who was essentially talking at him and stalks over to the small group wrapping his arm slowly around Leia's waist. The action makes her smile up at Bucky.
"Hello, Diego Armstrong." The man holds his hand out to shake the new additions hand.
"Bucky." He offers the man a tight smile laced with jealousy, shaking his hand firmly.
Tony speaks up quickly hoping to avoid the outbreak of an awkward interaction. "Well hey, why don't you come over to the compound later, when all this is over. We can catch up in not such a uh, difficult setting?"
"Yeah, that would be great. It was nice to meet you both." Diego smiles that bright smile once more before bidding them farewell.
"He was nice." Bucky says to Leia through a tight, almost sarcastic smile.
"I suppose." Leia shrugs as Tony's attention is stolen by yet another attendee of the funeral, and he walks away swiftly to converse with them.

With Tony gone from her side for the first time in the afternoon a touch of anxiety begins to settle onto Leia's shoulders. She looks around the room and can't help but notice all the unfamiliar faces. Despite the fact that there are several people that she can recognise her brain is solely focused on those she doesn't. She catches a glimpse of Steve and then Sam but her eyes keep darting from unfamiliar person to person. Her eyes settle on the familiar red locks and she feels some form of comfort.
"I'm gonna go talk to Wanda." She announces quickly going to walk off but Bucky clasps his hand around her wrist gently.
"Hey..." He looks at her with kind and caring eyes. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." Leia musters a fake smile and Bucky sees right through it, but he doesn't push it, letting go of her wrist.