How do you heal?

Chapter 23: It Is What It Is

Mid March 2015

Annie and Bucky sat in a booth at Maude's. The little bar had become a part of their weekly routine. When Annie had returned last November Tony had forced her to start taking days off. So Saturdays and Wednesday evenings were hers to do with as she pleased. Since Bucky's sessions with Dr. Raynor were held on Wednesdays Annie would ride with him into the city and window or book shop until he was done and then they would head to Maude's for dinner. From the outside the bar looked like a rundown hole in the wall that shouldn't be operational but the inside was well maintained with plenty of seating and a small stage for karaoke, open mic nights and local bands, and the burgers were amazing.

Much to Annie's delight, Wednesdays were for Karaoke. She had just sat down from her turn on the stage to Bucky saying, "I still can't believe you have turned down every band that has approached you here, you're amazing up there AND I know you write. Why don't you just go for it?"

She groaned. "Sarge, we have had this conversation. First off the writing is just for therapeutic reasons not public consumption. And messing around and singing someone else's song for fun is one thing, to get up and do it for the actual purpose of having people enjoy it terrifies me. Plus, my dad and brothers are the showmen and watching their bands growing up cemented my desire to just hang in the crowd. I couldn't live up to them."

"You mentioned your dad taught you to play guitar but you never said he was in a band too." He said as he took a big bite of his burger.

"Oh yeah," she replied before taking a sip of her beer. "That's actually how he and Tony met."

"Tony was in your dad's band?" He asked around a mouthful of food.

Annie snorted. "Oh god no! No, Tony was in Ohio for some tech convention or something in the big city about an hour north of where I grew up. At the time my dad was just in a local cover band playing bars kind of like this. Tony being Tony had a little too much to drink after his speech and a few hours and a taxi ride later he ended up at the place my dad was playing. From what my dad says Tony danced, drank and flirted until he was nearly passed out at the bar. As the band was packing up at the end of the night I guess the bartender was going to call the cops on Tony because they couldn't get him to tell him where he was staying for a cab. My dad stepped in and said he would take care of it. So he threw Tony in the back of his car, took him to a diner and sobered him up enough to get a hotel name out of him then drove him back to the city."

"So they met once?" Bucky asked, confused.

"No, Despite Tony being a general butthead, especially back then, he is a big softie and he takes care of the people who take care of him. The next morning he called the bar, explained the situation and asked my dad's name and what he had been drinking. That afternoon he showed up at my dad's house with a ridiculously expensive bottle of whiskey and they split it on the porch while they talked. From that day on if Tony was doing any kind of cross country travel he showed up with a bottle and spent a day or two hanging with my dad. Dad always invited him to holidays as well and for the most part he would show up."

Just then a slim, well endowed brunette walked up to their table and laid her hand on Bucky's shoulder as she spoke. "Hey Bucky, Allie, how's everything tasting, do you need refills?"

Bucky moved out from under her grip as he replied, "Uh hey, Kat. No, ANNIE and I are good on drinks. We are actually almost done so if you could just bring us the check please?" He looked at Annie as he emphasized her name to the waitress and noticed she was trying very hard not to laugh.

"Sure thing, Buckaroo, I will be right back with that but if you guys need anything else before you go don't hesitate to wave me down!" The waitress, Kat, replied as she swatted playfully at his arm before walking away with an obviously purposeful sway to her hips.

When Kat had moved several feet away Annie burst out laughing. "You really think it's that funny?" He said as he rolled his eyes at her before finishing off his drink.

"Oh come on, Buckaroo, you have to admit it's a little funny. I mean we have been in here weekly for months and she has not given up. Honestly I admire her moxie, you sure you don't want to give her a chance?" She replied.

Bucky cringed at her use of Kat's nickname for him. "Hard pass, I'm more than satisfied with my current situation and have no interest in anything else." In the months since Annie's return they hadn't exactly talked about their relationship or put any labels on it. They just were what they were. Around the compound they had kept things as normal as possible and with Thor moving in full time and the hunt for Loki's scepter no one asked about the sultry glances, stolen kisses or the fact that Bucky now slept in her room every night. Everyone except for Nat of course who had definitely rubbed it in Bucky's face that she had been right.

Annie's cheeks flushed and she smirked. "If you say so, Sarge."

"Seriously, it doesn't bother you when she does that?" He asked.

"Why would it?" She replied furrowing her brow.

Bucky cocked his head at her. "I don't know, doesn't it seem disrespectful? You're not jealous?"

Annie let out a sharp laugh. "She's no one to me, as long as she doesn't spit in my food it really has no effect on my life. And as for the jealousy," she said, finishing off her own drink. "I learned a loooong time ago it's not worth it. Upside to a happy marriage I suppose. You are either in it or you aren't and my jealousy or another person's actions aren't going to change that." A soft smile crossed her lips as she met his gaze.

He shook his head in awe. "Fair enough, Sweetheart."

Just then Bucky's phone rang.