Part 12: graceland too

                                    

                                          
18  WARNING MINORS DNI

They lie on the fold-out bed. Bucky watches Alice as she traces small lines on his chest. They haven't bothered to change back into their clothes since they played Go Fish on the kitchen floor. The cards are still scattered on the black and white tile while the sun rolls in through the window illuminating the entire apartment. It's 8:00am. Alice hasn't slept a wink, and neither has Bucky. She sent Sapphire a good morning text. 
Still at Bucky's.
Good. I know I maybe overreacted, but I love you, Ali. 
It's all good. You were looking out for me. I love you too. We're going to have breakfast, shower, and I'll be home later today.
Jeff will be here. We're doing afternoon drinks. Margaritas? Maybe a little at home double date with your man? ...He IS your man, right?
Lol I guess? Idk, a lot happened last night idk if I wanna be all like "what are weeeeee". Seems desperate? Maybe i'm reading too much into it.
Well with everything you've been thru you better lock it down
She assumes Bucky isn't going anywhere after last night, but she's been wrong before. 
Right now, she's just trying to enjoy the present. They're watching Saturday morning cartoons. When Alice landed on one of the old Bugs Bunny cartoons, Bucky insisted they keep watching. The joy in his face was palpable. She wonders just how much of the world looks completely bizarre to him now. 
The cartoon still plays in the background, but he's staring at the ceiling now, just listening to the audio and chuckling at the occasional joke. His right arm is wrapped around her waist while his left hangs off the edge of the bed. He still treats it as a threat. She notices he only touches her with it when it's covered up. 
"I never knew someone could be so gentle," he whispers.
She lifts her head.
"What do you mean?"
"The way you touch me. It's so... soft. You've been like that since the day we met." He sighs softly. 
"Well, yeah. I'm not going to punch you in the face to say hello. That seems pretty offensive." 
He chuckles and squeezes her waist gently.
"I'm just not used to it. Hydra kept me in isolation, mostly, unless they were doing experiments or wiping my memory."
"Nobody treated you kindly?"
He shakes his head.
"It was beatings, mostly. That's the kind of touch I got used to. So, the first time you grabbed my arm when you were on stage, I got nervous."
"You looked scared." She kisses his chest. "I'm sorry, Buck. If I had known--"
"It's okay." He laughs. "I thought you were going to hit me -- not that you would, it's just... that's what I was used to for 70 years."
"Someone must have been nice to you at one point or another."
He takes a deep breath and runs his metal hand through his hair.
"There was a nurse. She was in charge of giving me some kind of injection... I couldn't tell you what it was. But she came into my cell regularly--"
"Cell?"
He nods.
"Yeah."
Alice feels pain swelling in her chest and she kisses his shoulder.