Attachment Theory - Bucky BarnesxOC

Part 33: astra inclinant, sed non obligant

The rest of the night is quiet. They eat dinner with Sam and Steve while they watch movies. Pizza and beer. Bucky seems relaxed as he drapes his arm over Alice's shoulder. His eyes are bright and he watches the movie with curiosity. They decided on another Star Wars movie. Steve keeps asking questions and Sam, Alice, and Bucky keep shushing him, but it doesn't work. They just started the damn movie and he's already going in with the questions.

"Wait, why is that guy there? Who is that?"

"That's Leia as Boushh," Bucky replies.

He knows the name of the bounty hunter because Alice gave him her tablet. He wound up on her kindle and downloaded a bunch of Star Wars books, burning through them within a few days. He can tell her everything there is to know about the extended universe now. Alice listens, only getting slightly lost when he describes plotlines to her, his blue eyes wide with passion. She loves to listen to him talk about the things that excite him. It's a way to assert his real personality, and it makes her so happy to see him excited about something.

He's a big fucking nerd. She adores it.

"What? Who's Boushh?" Steve whispers. "I don't understand what's going on."

"She's disguised as him because they're going to get Han Solo," Bucky replies.

"Who's that?"

Sam smacks his hands on his thighs and glares at Steve.

"Are you even watching the damn movie?!" He snaps. "Because we're all here–" he makes a circle with his hand. "In this living room... and you're... not on our level. I need you to get here, Rogers, because I don't wanna answer questions all damn night."

Alice is laughing so hard she's leaning into Bucky whose shoulders are shaking as he tries not to audibly laugh at his best friend. Steve sighs and runs his hand through his hair.

"I am, I just... there's too many people to keep up with! What's that worm thing?"

"Oh my God!" Bucky, Sam, and Alice sigh in unison.

"What?! Buck, how do you get this stuff? This doesn't exactly seem fair."

"He likes science fiction," Alice informs Steve.

Sam grabs his phone and googles something, thrusting it into his hands.

"What's this?" Steve asks, scrolling through it.

"The Wikipedia entry for Return of the Jedi so you can stop annoying me. Don't read my texts."

"I'm not gonna!" Steve exclaims. "Geez..."

They decide to turn in a little early following Bucky's outburst in Bruce's lab. Bucky reads, Alpine lying on the chair next to him, while Alice snuggles up against his chest. He looks down.

"Thanks for having my back today."

She smiles.

"I always will, Bucky."

"You want me to read to you?"

"Please?"

He nods and she begins to drift off to the sound of his voice.

☽ ☾

Alice wakes up in the middle of the night to the sound of someone rustling through their bags. She rolls over. Alpine is gone from her chair and she sees a large hulking form in the form of her boyfriend, fully dressed in his tactical gear, his metal arm glistening in the moonlight. Dread begins to fill her stomach like lead and she swallows hard. Whatever's happening is not good. Bucky's movements are somewhat frantic as he digs through a bag and holsters guns and knives in his pants. Alice looks over at the clock, still somewhat confused and scared. It's 3:00am. She sits up.