Bad Company Blues - Bucky BarnesxOC

Part 5: i have emotional motion sickness

A/N: MORE TENSION! And content warning for mentions of violence against women.

The cab drives up to Bucky's apartment and comes to a stop across the street. He looks out the window and snarls.

"Goddammit."

There's someone waiting outside. He's big, burly, blonde, and Bucky knows that Natasha hired him to intimidate Bucky. The last time he went toe to toe with someone Natasha hired, Bucky wound up with a loose tooth and two black eyes. Eden made fun of him for weeks for getting the shit kicked out of him by a guy who was 5'5". It's not Bucky's fault the guy surprised him, and was a fucking black belt.

He sighs. Natasha can't even leave him alone all the way from Cuba. Bucky owes her $50,000 in alimony. It's not his fault life is expensive as shit and Eden keeps stealing his marks. She won't even split the money with him. He does most of the work, Eden's just an opportunist - like a vulture, or a hyena.

Maybe Sharon did him an economic favor by pairing them together. At least this time, Eden can't take his hard-earned money.

Once they catch Rumlow, he'll be rid of Natasha forever, and forever can't come soon enough.

"Hey, driver? Can you keep going?"

The man looks at him in the rearview mirror.

"You said this was your address."

Bucky sighs.

"Yeah, I'm not ready to go home yet."

The driver turns around, a twinkle in his eye and a sly smile on his face.

"You want me to drive you back to that cute blonde's place?"

Bucky scoffs.

"No. Why?"

"Saw the way you were lookin' at her."

"Just drive," Bucky snaps. "I'm not paying you for conversation, or to be a fuckin' voyeur."

The driver chuckles and turns back around, revving up the engine.

"Where to?"

"Hyde Park."

The driver nods and speeds toward his destination after Bucky gives him the address. He lights a cigarette, watching people trickle out of bars and stumble into the street, laughing and tripping over each other. He had a pretty good night with Eden, all things considering - and it takes a lot for him to say he had a positive interaction with her. He thinks they've maybe had two in the year that they've known each other. Tonight, and once in the kitchen at work when they nodded at each other briefly before going their separate ways. They could have killed each other at that restaurant, or in the parking lot, or on that mission.

He still feels guilty, even after giving her Natasha's coat and letting her keep the money. Bucky has a feeling that guilt isn't going to go away any time soon. Great. Another thing for him to live with.

The cab pulls up to a nice apartment near the University of Chicago. Bucky looks up at the window on the top floor. The light's still on. He pays the driver, tips him double what he would normally, and gets out, almost tripping over his feet in the process as he stumbles up to the building. Bucky wanders inside and up the stairs, knocking on apartment 8. Sam opens the door with a whiskey in his hand. Bucky can see Steve sitting in the living room. They're smoking cigars and playing cards.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sam asks.

"Natasha's got some guy camped outside my place."