Buzzkill [Winter Soldier]

Chapter 41

Before the two of them went out and into the city to get any kind of furniture they needed for the first night in the apartment, Ruth carefully took the USB out of the compartment in her helmet and secured it in a zippered pocket in her jacket. She was thankful the weather in Bucharest was mild compared to Washington D.C. so she could wear her jacket comfortably.

Heading out, they decided to stop at all the flea markets and second-hand shops they could until they found what they needed: A mattress, some dishes, some silverware, and some sort of bedding and/or blankets for each of them. Then, they would have to find food. The problem was, they only had so much money on them that if they stretched it would probably last a few months comfortably. But after that, they would have to do something to get by. Ruth knew as soon as she got to Sweden she would be able to access plenty of money for the both of them, but it wouldn't be the two of them in Sweden. It would just be her.

    At the first thrift store, they found a couple cooking utensils, two bowls, three plates, and a couple forks and spoons. They figured that would be a good start. Looking around to make sure they didn't miss anything, James spotted some notebooks. They were smaller, but encased in a durable faux-leather that looked nice. He debated whether or not he should get one. After all, he and Ruth only had certain amount of money that they would have to stretch for as long as they could. But maybe if he got this and could write down some of the voices in his head, the scattered memories, maybe then they would come together and make sense. He put the notebook back down and was about to walk away,

    "You should get it," Ruth said, still looking at the notebook. "It will help."

    James paused, then grabbed the notebook again.

    At the second thrift store, Ruth spotted two sleeping bags that looked plenty warm. In the corner there were a couple cheap, queen-sized mattresses to choose from. After paying for the sleeping bags and the mattress, the cashier marveled at James being able to pick up the mattress so easily and balancing it on his shoulder. He tried not to use his still-recovering arm as much as possible.

    "Yes, my fiancé has always been such a strong man!" Ruth replied to the Romanian woman before smiling her way out the door and down the street.

    Taking the large mattress up the multiple flights of stairs was beyond tiring. Ruth helped, but the worst part was that there was no food in the kitchen when they finally did get to the room.

Back down the stairs they begrudgingly went and back into the city. Along the streets Ruth and James walked past small restaurants, grocery stores, and small fruit stands. At they grocery store they picked up ready-made sandwiches, water, some chips, and a couple of candy bars they wanted to try. Because they were so hungry, they were just going to pass by the fruit stands for now and get back to the apartment so they could eat, but James saw that one of the stands was advertising plums and made Ruth stop. After taking a little too much time deciding which plums were the best, they bought a bag full and walked back up to the apartment. By the time they stepped through the door, the sun was just beginning to set. The serene colors painted the sky and the sun shone beautifully bright even as it slid past the horizon.

After they ate their sandwiches, chips, and plums on the couch, James grabbed both of the sleeping bags and laid them out on the mattress.

    "No one is sleeping on that tiny couch," James said, knowing that Ruth was going to object.

    Ruth dug around in her backpack and found a pen. When James turned around from setting up the sleeping bags, Ruth's hand was holding out the pen to him,

    "You should start on that notebook, even if it's just writing your name," Ruth smiled, trying to be encouraging.

    James took the pen and grabbed the notebook while Ruth put away all the leftover food in the small fridge and cabinets. They shared one of the candy bars that they both agreed was delicious, and left the other one on top of the counter.