It's 2025, two years post blip and photography student Rosie Dylan is still learning how to rebuild her life. She's just trying to get to graduation and make enough cash to pay her rent. But then Captain America leaves her an unexpected voicemail.
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A/N: no warnings this time around but I haven't proofread because it's late. If you see any mistakes, no you didn't. I'm really happy with how this chapter turned out considering wrote most of it whilst trying not to fall asleep so please vote and comment, it means a lot when you do!
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Rosie spends the next two days getting to know New Orleans a little. She goes for morning walks and then when she's back at the hotel, she explores their function rooms, gardens and any other areas where Sam and Mia might want photos taken. Some have better light than others and by the time she's visited each space, she has a neat list of each one with notes of the light situation and specific areas of the room that might make a nice backdrop.
She wants to take this job seriously. It's great that she's built such a good rapport with Sam so quickly, but he's still a client. One that, if she does this right, could put her name on the map.
With exploring and planning, Rosie has kept herself busy and in all honesty, she's doing anything to not think about the way Bucky almost kissed her. Or the text message she received later that evening that nearly gave her heart palpitations.
She's never received attention like it. Let alone from a man like Bucky. He's devilishly handsome, even if it pains her to admit it. And he has something about him, she can't put her finger on it. But he just oozes a certain kind of charisma that feels like he's casting a spell over her. Reeling her in. No wonder he has no issues getting laid.
He treated her with such softness after Sam left too, it almost made her forgive the shitty attitude. She gets it, though. He experiences violence and bloodshed far more than most, he wouldn't be human if that didn't determine his mood.
Joel calls her the night before brunch. She still hasn't replied to Bucky's text. Only part of her feels bad for leaving him on read but she's not impulsive. She has to weigh everything up. The pros and cons, the circumstances, and the possible consequences of going along with it. She tells herself that just because she's somewhat attracted to him, doesn't mean she reciprocates his strong feelings. And she spends her time alone trying to convince her heart of that.
"I nearly kissed Bucky Barnes!"
That's the first thing she says when she answers the phone. She's curled up on the bed, cosy in her pyjamas and plush fleecy hotel robe. There's a beat of silence from Joel on the other end of the line and then laughter.
"It's not funny, Joel. He and Sam took me for beignets and coffee the day I got here, Sam had to leave and then it turned weirdly intimate. It felt like a date."
"What's so bad about that? People would kill for a date with the Winter Soldier."
"He's the White Wolf now, dumbass. And this is serious, Joel! He walked me back to the hotel and it rained, like the heavens literally opened, and my dress went see-through so he gave me his shirt—"
