ineffable memories / / bucky barnes

[chapter one]

At a bar in Brooklyn, Kai's eyes flickered through the entire space as danger was lurking outside. The stranger sitting by glanced around too, trying to find out what seemed wrong, but none of them found anything specific. Kai has always been smart – one of the few traits that nobody could take away from her – and that meant that she knew when danger was close.

Despite the few hints of alcohol, she decided it was wise to get out of that place by herself, which could solve or add more problems to the equation.

She was a woman in 1943. No matter how many years she had lived, men always had a way to exert themselves over anyone who wasn't a straight white man.

And that meant: more problems.

"Oh, gorgeous, leaving already?" the strange man sitting by her side at the bar asked, standing up. When Kai didn't answer, his ego got hurt, which made him grab her arm. "I thought we could have some fun."

"You thought it wrong."

Please, let this be the end. Side note: It wasn't.

"Who do you think you're talk-"

"Hey, what's this?" Another man asked, putting himself between the two of them. "Shouldn't you be working, Dickson?"

"I'm sorry, Officer Barnes. I was just trying to talk with this nice young lady."

"Who are you calling-"

"Get back to work, Dickson. She's with me, aren't you, doll?" the blue-eyed man asked, smiling a bit at Kai who had to hide her frown.

"I was afraid you'd take even longer to get here. Shouldn't keep a lady waiting for so long, Officer Barnes."

Kai didn't like to be saved but, in this case, she was glad that someone showed up so she played along with it. Bucky scoffed at the attitude, but eventually smiled, waiting for the two of them to be alone before actually asking what he had in mind.

"Are you looking for any kind of trouble, miss...?"

"I could have handled it but thank you." Kai tilted her head a bit. "You're Bucky Barnes, aren't you? 107th regiment?"

"You know a lot for a woman who I never met before." He added before Kai could take the wrong conclusions.

"Who says we never met?" Kai smiled a bit, testing his limits.

"I think I'd remember if we'd met."

"I wouldn't know." She shrugged, looking around. "I was waiting for someone."

"Oh."

"No idea who they are, though. The note said they had information on what I'm searching for."

"You're a journalist?" Bucky asked curiously.

"As if that was highly possible for a woman in 1943." Kai scoffed.

"What kind of subject are you writing about?" He read between the lines and answered according to it.

There it was: the moment of truth.

She could tell him how she was trying to find a loved one. She could even tell him that eventually, she'd write about him and Steve Rogers. There were so many things that could be said.

"Goodnight, Officer Barnes. Thank you for helping me out." She offered him a soft voice, filled with appreciation.

"Well, goodnight ..." Bucky trailed off, waiting to see if the name would be revealed.

"Kai."

"Kai." He nods, smiling a bit. "Will I see you around?"

"Probably more than what you think."