The First Avenger AU - Apple Pie Life? That's Boring

"Whiskey if I need something hard and fast. Rum's too dark for me, and scotch tastes weird," Bucky hummed contemplatively, "Vodka...that's something I kind of have to choke down or mix with something. Bourbon, though, mmmm...in the winter I am all over the bourbon eggnog. It's a relaxing kind of drink for me. Steve doesn't mind it, either, but he enjoys the scotch more and he told me about something new he tried, but for the life of me I can't remember. Sad he can't enjoy getting drunk anymore, but hey, more for us, right?" he smirked, "It's still too early to go drinking, my father would kick my ass into next week, so...ten? The Landmark Tavern? Pete's Tavern? Or...would you rather somewhere close to you?"

"Pete's Tavern is close by." Teresa smiled brightly. "Ten. You better not be late."

~

Nine-thirty and Bucky was still reeling about how she said Pete's Tavern was close by. That meant her home was within walking-distance just like the bar. /That/ he hadn't known. Giddy and ready to get himself completely smashed, he grabbed his long coat and sauntered for the door.

"Just /where/ do you think /you're/ going?"

Bucky froze and then whipped around to see Rebecca, "I thought you went to bed!"

"It's nine-thirty at night! Where are you going?!" Rebecca crossed her arms.

"Keep your voice down, I just have a date!" Bucky shushed, "Teresa and I are meeting at Pete's Bar. I just wanted to leave early enough."

"/Teresa/ huh? The doctor lady?" Becca teased, stepping closer and nudging her brother's arm, "I was wondering when I would start hearing about your escapades again, Bucky."

"I don't think this will be much of an escapade," he admitted, staring at his shoes, "I have a high respect for her, and want to get to know her. More than one-date type of get to know," he clarified.

Becca stared at him, a little bit in shock, "That's...not like you."

"A lot of things are 'not like me' now that I'm back, Becca," he murmured, "You'll have to understand that sooner or later."

"I..." she frowned deeply, "Just take care of yourself? Don't come home too late. Who else will answer the phone if Steve calls again?"

"Ha...right," he hadn't even told him about it, and he felt bad, "I'll do my best. Thank you."

With her nod of approval, Bucky headed out to meet the special lady at the bar like he promised, getting there with five minutes to spare.

Despite the dim lighting of the bar and the smokey atmopshere, Teresa stuck out like a sore thumb. She wore a navy blue dress that went to her knees, a slit at the breasts that barely showed skin, and short shoulder sleeves. Her hair pinned back in victory rolls and the rest of it tied off at the back. She wore an orange-red lipstick and her eyes roamed the bar until it landed on Bucky who was coming over to her with a confident stride and a burning smile. She had been saving him a spot at the counter.

She really, really hoped not to fuck tonight over. "Well aren't you looking like a cat's meow." She grinned brightly at him. "I thought for a moment I got too dolled up."

"Aren't you hotsy-totsy yourself! Those gams are the finest I've ever seen," Bucky purred as he slid into a stool beside her, "Navy blue looks keen on you." He raised his hand to the redheaded bartender who almost dropped his shaker, "Hey, Sam!"

"You're back home! Been wondering when you'd come around to the bar again." Sam said as he approached the couple. "Let me see if I remember your order. Double whiskey on the rocks? Or are you going for something a little more since you have company?"

"A regular?" Teresa leaned against the counter, putting her hand against her cheek. "Is this where you always take your dates?" She teased.

"I've been to a bunch of places around New York," Bucky admitted, "Yet I always end up back here. Sam's a great guy, even if he's a bit off his rocker," he smirked at Sam's offended look, "I don't usually take my dates to the bar unless we miraculously make it passed two, but...this is nice. New life, new start. I can certainly enjoy some giggle water if I damn well please on my first date, especially if the lady mentioned it first," he winked. He looked at Sam, "I'll take a nice, smooth Sidecar to start with tonight, Sam, followed up with the Stinger, but I'll take the whiskey after that. I'm going to work my way up."

"You better hope your lady friend is nice enough to help you home." Sam laughed and turned to Teresa. "What will you be having?"

"A Manhatten and after that probably a martini. If he gets drunk, I might as well cut myself off at two." Teresa smiled and watched as Sam turned away to make the drinks. She looked at Bucky and smiled. "It almost doesn't feel real, does it? Being home."

"Not really, no," Buck agreed as he focused his attention back on her, though it had never truly left at all, "Things look familiar, but at the same time I look at them and don't recognize them. It feels weird being in here, and it's my favorite pub...though.../Sam/ when did you plan on making Fiery Wave a real deal? War or no war, dancing will always be my thing." He gave her a sheepish smile, "I'm sorry to keep jumping like that on you, it suddenly popped in my head and for some reason, even at home, if it's on my mind it's out my mouth because I feel...worried I'll forget it later."

"When Nix gets off his ass to be a manager for it." Sam replied a he handed them their cocktails. "Since apparently I'm the distraction in this date, I'm going to leave till you signal for another." He gave Bucky a playful look. "You're supposed to be wooing her, not me kid." He left after snapping his bar rag at Bucky.

Teresa only laughed. "It's alright." She pulled the drink close. "I haven't cut a rug for a long time. I don't know if I remember how. Maybe if someone's willing to teach I might have the capacity to learn." She grinned at him. "I still wait sometimes for all of it to be a dream and I'm trying to catch at least five minutes before someone's prepped for surgery."

Bucky's brows furrowed sympathetically, "I'm...very sorry. You must've seen enough blood to last you three lifetimes, and now being a doctor for SHIELD you're more than likely going to see plenty more. Steve and I are reckless, though I have a little more impulse control than he does and try to keep him from jumping in to quickly...and I really need to stop talking about Steve. This date is about you and I..." he felt bad and gave a shallow laugh, taking a drink of his Sidecar, "I lost my touch at this, Steve's going to laugh at me." He didn't realize he said that out loud.

Teresa could only smile sympathetically. "If he asks, I'll tell him that you knew how to knock me off my feet. It's alright. He means a lot to you. He was the first thing you asked about when you woke up. Wanted to make sure that he was alright."

Bucky's cheeks were splotched with embarrassed color, and he looked at her through his thick lashes, sheepishly smiling at her, "He means a lot to me in so many ways. Perhaps when we've gotten to know each other a bit better, I'll tell you more about our dynamic," he took another long swallow, half his drink already gone and he enjoyed the burn in his throat and the way his stomach bloomed with warmth, "Tell me...a little bit more about yourself? You have a sister?"

"I do," Teresa smiled as she took a sip of the Manhattan, careful not to move the cherry around at the bottom of the drink. "She's a good few years younger than me. If everyone's flighty in their memory, she has a very risky heart. Not one guy can hold her down, you know? We all worry she might catch trouble, but so far it hasn't happened."

"Then any guy that happens to catch her attention is a lucky man, she sounds like me before the war," Buck snorted and rolled his eyes, "What's her name? Perhaps sometime later I could met her. You already met my sisters after all."

"Alexandra. Alex for short or Al." Teresa smiled brightly. "I bet you two might get along. Not tonight, of course. She's more than likely knocked out on the bed. Since I'm out and about, she's waiting for me." She smiled gently as she took another drink. "More or less to see if she needs to revenge my honor or if I was making things up. I don't date...much."

"Well, unless you want to, she won't need to 'revenge your honor'," Bucky felt his face heat up. Since when did he blush at those kinds of lines? "I'm glad I was able to get you to agree to a date, anyway. I must've caught your eye something fierce, huh? Was it my charming good looks?" he joked, batting his eyes at her playfully.

"Your respect, and the way you smile is a bonus." Teresa smiled as she leaned in. "And if that was an attempt to tell me that there's a second date to this, I'll accept."

Buck gave her a breathless laugh, "Yes...a second date. That sounds lovely. Movies? I'll let you pick when and what movie," he promised, feeling giddy and he finished his drink, waving at Sam for the next drink when Teresa was finished with hers, and once their drinks were replaced Sam disappeared again, "What made you want to become a doctor? The classic 'saving people' or something else?"

"It was like that at first," Teresa mused as she took her martini and swirled it in her glass. She knew to wait for a little bit, let the Manhattan sink a bit before topping it off. "I was content to be a nurse, so at first I went to school to be one. But I got bored. I wanted something more. I wanted to be trusted. I wanted to be able to show that I could handle the challenges. Not a school wanted to accept me until I met Dr. Knight. He took me under his wing and taught me everything that I knew. I've been apart of Kerica's family since then and hers apart of mine. When war happened, I signed on. At first I wasn't believed. They had a fit that I wouldn't name myself as a nurse. But, they needed doctors and nurses. They couldn't afford to be picky. People were dying without good care and if I was good enough to be named doctor, well...they would just have to take a chance."

"Good, because I wouldn't want any other doctors taking care of me and Steve," Buck said with conviction, "I trusted you back there to take care of me, and you did. I watched you take care of your other patients for your last week there, and they trusted you and you didn't let them down. You are an /amazing/ woman and even now I still trust you. I am grateful for all of this," he grinned at her, "I am grateful for you in my life."

Teresa blushed and looked away. She wasn't used to that type of compliment. She was also flattered, and honored that Bucky Barnes, Sergeant of the Howling Commandos thought so highly of her. High enough to put Captain America's care into her hands. She heard stories of the two of them and the loyalty to each other. "I'm grateful for you too." She smiled gently. "But now it's my turn to ask you something." She grinned as he straightened up. "What is the one thing you like now that you're home? And what's the one thing you don't like?"

He gave that some deep thought. As the song overhead changed he smiled at her, "Listening to the new music and watching the new movies that came out the last couple years. That's what I like. My family and I sat down last night and had a movie marathon." He nodded to himself, and then thought about what he didn't like about being home. He clicked his tongue and grunted, "My bed. It doesn't feel right. First night since Steve stayed over, Becca found us huddled together next to my dresser. Last night I was already awake when Steve called me at three on the morning. I am hoping tonight will be better."

"I'm surprised you don't call him." Teresa was frowning. "Are your nightmares not that terrible?" She would have thought that out of everyone, Bucky would be calling Steve frequently to make sure that he was home, and safe. That Steve would only be having nightmares of the moderate type. "I hear the same complaints about the beds. Way to different. What type of movies do you watch? Sci-fi? Westerns?"

"A different slew of them, we each got to pick one," Bucky shrugged, "Of course there was at least one Sci-fi in there from my dad, especially after he got all 'mechanic' mode on my arm, and Becca picked the Western," he laughed softly, "Surprised Sam didn't make a comment about it yet. As for my own nightmares...Steve knows I won't call him for them. We talked plenty on the phone, so I did share, but that was only because he called first. I'm just...too stubborn, I guess."