“See ya next week, same place, same time, right?” Sam grinned at Yana as she stacked the uncomfortable folding chairs into the neat rows along the back wall of the V.A.
“You know it Sam. I'll be back again next week.” Yana wiped a hand over her face, swiping dust and sweat from her brow “I've been far from good but good is overrated, and I hate it. I'm glad you talked me into coming along.” waving to the ex-paramilitary man Yana made her way to the door, slinging her satchel across her body, the weight thudding dully against her hip.
* * *
Laying back against a sprawling oak tree Yana watched as Steve and Sam ran laps around the park lands. Avengers Compound was a breath of fresh air in comparison to the situation she had come from. Near constant abuse and gas-lighting by her ex-husband and family left her wondering who she was, what could she possibly give to the world when she was so broken. When the opportunity to work with Tony Stark and Bruce Banner came up, Yana jumped at it. Moving across the continent to work with the earth's mightiest heroes was a dream come true.
Leafy shade and a gentle breeze had Yana drifting off in a light doze, it had nothing to do with the hangover she assured herself. Tony had insisted on celebrating her first independently published article on Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in the 'Superhero Community'. Yana thought back to the evening before, with Tony and Bruce by her side as Sam extolled the virtues of her article. Steve read excerpts aloud and Bucky watched on as Yana and Tony got progressively more drunk.
Sometime around three am Bucky had enough and was going to turn in, looking for Yana to say goodnight he found her slumped against Tony on the kitchen floor.
“And that's why we are only ever honest with each other when we're high, or in this case drunk.” Tony tipped his glass towards Yana's before swallowing the last of the scotch. “If I'm being real, it takes a lot of liquor just to be myself, I'm nearly never sober when I leave my shell, if I didn't drink like the proverbial fish, I don't think Steve and I would ever see eye to eye. Or maybe its like you said in your article, Alcoholism as self medication to dull the emotional dissonance.”
“Tin Man, the poor girl is dead to the world. Let her sleep without your introspective rambling.” Bucky knelt and lifted Yana into his arms, standing as though she weighed no more than her morning coffee mug. “I'll make sure she gets to bed safe, you go talk to Stevie, he might be in an honest mood too.” Leaving the communal area Yana tightened her grip around Bucky's neck, nuzzling into his shoulder mumbling ”Not 'sleep, but thank you.”
Laying her on top of the covers Bucky removed her slippers and loosened the belt on her shirt dress, before ghosting a kiss over her forehead. Stroking the back of his fingers down her jaw Bucky smiled as he turned to leave. Her voice slurs as he walks away “I wonder if this all there is sometimes. Everything just feels like yesterday, and tomorrow's never far away. I want to go against my better judgement, its not like me to rush in, but I wonder if I could make my best mistakes with you.”
Pausing at the doorway Bucky flicked the light off. “Its only a mistake if I say no when you ask me when you're sober.”