Hello, Who is this?

16) Dinner and a Date

Bucky pulled Riley to the garage, more excited than she had seen before. He threw his leather jacket over her shoulders and told her to put it on and zip it up. When she was done, she looked up to see him next to a beautiful looking motorcycle. "Remind me to ask you about this beauty later, when we aren't running late to dinner with my family." Bucky smiled at her before climbing on and reaching his hand out to help her only to have her ignore his help and swing her leg over effortlessly. Bucky found himself smiling wider at how much she continued to surprise him. When her hands wrapped around his middle and secured her to him, his breathing hitched. When she gently slid her hand under his shirt for a minute, he was pretty sure he forgot how to breathe. She giggled and pulled her hand out and placed it back over his shirt again before reminding him about dinner. "If we are late, I am so blaming you Doll."

She smiled before using the intercom in the helmet, "I let it slide once Mr. Barnes. I won't continue to do so. I am not a doll, pet, toy, or any other type of possession you or the other boys can think of. I know you hadn't heard this prior so I am trying to be polite. I won't be next time."

Bucky raised an eyebrow at the authoritative tone Riley had while telling him he couldn't call her doll. He thought about all of the options he had ready to call her and decided to have a conversation about how to choose what nicknames she was okay with. "Riley, how would you feel about sitting down with the rest of your mates and deciding what nicknames you are okay with? I want you to be comfortable with whatever we call you and I know none of us want to have to censor what we say to you."

"That sounds like a good idea Bucky! Left up here and it is on the right."

Once they were parked, Bucky took a moment to hug his mate close to him. He loved how she relaxed against him. Loki was taller than him and it was always amazing to be held by his mate but enjoyed how soft and small Riley was against him too. As he held her, his hand slid from her shoulders down her back where he felt her stiffen and his heart dropped when her breathing changed to a dangerously fast and shallow pace. He dropped his hand and bent down to meet her eyes. They were distant and shifting like they were looking for something. "Riley, Ry, baby please... I am right here. We are by the bar. We are going to see your uncles and Logan. Please Riley, sweetie. Focus here for me baby. Come on darling. We are here for you."

Riley was still fighting through the fog of memories and pain while remembering to keep the wall reinforced due to muscle memory. As she reminded herself of the present, some things were still painfully clear every time her eyes closed. Each blink brought a face and a terrifying laugh that accompanied every memory of pain. She had always mouthed off because it caused the agents to lose control and bring her some relief as she passed out from their beatings. She felt like she was clawing at smoke as she fought to clear her head. She reinforced the wall as she felt her lungs burning, her vision getting black spots before familiar arms were wrapped around her. Her uncle telling her that if she died, he would bring her back and kill her again. Had it been anyone else, she would have been terrified in that moment but those words from her uncle, they snapped her back to reality as she let out a shaky laugh. Riley began gasping and coughing and she found herself sitting on the curb outside the bar. Tiny, the bouncer, was standing at the door behind them with a concerned look on his face but he knew better than to comment. Bucky was standing next to Jack as he watched Riley sitting between Logan's legs with his arms wrapped around her. Her uncle was kneeling in front of her talking to her. It sounded like he was threatening and Bucky might have responded negatively had it not brought her out of the panic attack. He felt so helpless. How is it that he can't feel her emotions? What is happening? He decided to talk to Banner about it tomorrow. Tonight, he wanted to focus on Riley and making sure she knew how important she was becoming to him.