Chapter 2
While they wait for their food Rebekka learns that Yoris son was killed while working abroad for a consulting company and she doesn't miss how uncomfortable Bucky suddenly becomes at the subject.
Not that he's particularly relaxed at any other time. But she can't really judge him - it's truly not a nice subject. And she's the one that brought it up by asking about the old mans family. Luckily Mr. Nakajima quickly changes the subject, asking Rebekka about her day at work. She gladly tells him about her new project and the customers she had to deal with today.
"That's just awful.", the old man says, when she talks about the two men, who treated her like some little, stupid secretary earlier. She shrugs and smiles.
"Don't worry. I have to deal with situations like that all the time. I know how to handle assholes.", she ensures him, making him chuckle and nod.
"I am sure you do, Ms. Lewis!"
And she really does. The two men were probably questioning their entire existence, when she was done.
"Please, call me Rebekka. We are on first name basis already, aren't we?", she asks. Yori nods and smiles.
While they sit in the restaurant Rebekka also doesn't miss all the female attention Bucky gets. Every woman and girl turns their head, sneaking at least one quick look at the man.
And she really can't blame them, because he is in fact quite handsome. She'd be lying if she said anything else.
On their way back home Yori suddenly stops in his tracks.
"Is everything okay?", Rebekka asks him a little concerned. He turns to her and nods quickly, smiling.
"Yes! Of course. I just remembered there is something I need to take care of.", he says.
"Do you need any help?", Bucky asks immediately, but the old man shakes his head.
"No, no!", he refuses and gestures for them to keep going. "Get home, you two. I'll be just fine."
He doesn't even let them get out another word before he turns on his heels and walks around the next corner, leaving Rebekka and Bucky behind in utter confusion.
"Well, that was just weird...", she states, starting to move again. Bucky nods with a frown on his face, but doesn't say anything.
They walk quietly, until she can't stand the silence between them anymore and speaks up.
"Do you like 'Game of Thrones'?", she blurts out, not knowing what else to say, since they already went over todays weather and their day with Yori in the restaurant. Bucky looks slightly confused about her question.
"What game is that?", he asks, obviously completely clueless and she can't hold back an amused giggle.
"It's not a game. It's a TV show!", she explains and after a moment she adds, "You should watch it sometime! It's one of the best shows ever made." Bucky looks not the slightest bit curious, but shrugs and nods.
"Okay, yeah..", he says. Rebekka huffs and ellbows him softly in the side.
"Don't get so excited.", she chuckles sarcastically. "Do you have HBO Max?"
He shakes his head and looks completely confused. And she makes a decision in that moment. She stops in front of him, hindering him from opening the door to the lobby of their place.
"Okay. You will come to my flat on friday and watch the first few episodes with me. I wanted to watch it from the beginning anyways, since I didn't get to watch the final season yet, due to not existing for five years and all.", she states and looks at him expectantly. He looks slightly taken aback.
"Uh, okay..?", he says after a moment, which makes her smile.
"Good. I wanted to go get some snacks tomorrow. What do you like?", she asks, finally letting him open the door and holding it for her as she walks into the lobby.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. I don't know... Just get whatever you like.", he tells her. She raises her eyebrows, but shrugs and nods.
"Okay."
His loss, if he doesn't like what she gets, then.
On friday she is on the phone with Jason, while shopping for snacks after work.
"Your smoking hot neighbour is coming over to watch Game of Thrones with you and you seriously have nothing better to do than buy snacks?!", Jason almost shreaks into the phone, making Rebekka pull a face and hold the phone away from her ear a little.
Sometimes he is a little overdramatic, 'letting the gay show' she always jokes.
"Yes. Bucky's just coming over to watch TV, not more. I didn't plan on jumping his bones, Jay!", she states, grabbing two bags of microwave popcorn.
"I'm disappointed in you, Lewis..", her best friend sighs on the other end and she huffs.
"Because I want to get to know him before I maybe jump into bed with him?", she asks.
"Yes!", Jason stresses and she shakes her head in amusement. "You know his name and he's obviously single. What else do you need?", he continues. Rebekka rolls her eyes at him and throws another bag of Reese's into her shopping basket.
"I only know his first name is probably Bucky. But I doubt anyone would give their child a name like that, so it's most definitely not even his real first name. And I don't even know a last name..", she informs him and he groans.
"I would jump him the first chance I get, if I were you. Just saying.", he states and makes her scoff.
"Trust me, I know, J. But I'm not you..", she tells him.
"Oh, come on! Live a little. You're 27, Becks!", he groans. She smiles and shakes her head.
"Yeah, technically.. But I didn't exist for 5 years, which only makes me 22, in case you forgot. And I plan on not hooking up with him, since I think I could really like him. And I could really use a friend here, other than Alexis, before I jump into something head first.", she says. "Also, who says that I can't still jump his bones, as you so poetically put it, after I've gotten to know him?", she adds.
"...okay, you got a point there..", Jason gives in, making them both chuckle. "But I still want a detailed report of tonight!" Rebekka chuckles.
"And you'll get it. Tomorrow."
Back at her flat she quickly showers before she unpacks all the snacks she bought and starts filling the potato chips and hot cheetos into bowls. She puts one bag of salted popcorn into the microwave and brings the first round of snacks to the living room.
Just as the microwave signals the popcorn being ready someone rings and knocks on her front door. After opening the microwave and throwing the unopened bag of popcorn into another bowl she quickly goes to open the door.
"Hey!" She smiles at Bucky.
"Hello.", he says and smiles back the slightest bit. Rebekka steps aside and waves for him to come in.
"Come on in.", she smiles invitingly and he walks past her slowly.
She closes the door behind him and points towards her couch, telling him to get comfortable, while she gets the rest of the snacks.
"Wow...", he says, sounding a little overwhelmed, when she comes back with the bowl of popcorn and two bottles of water.
"Sorry.. I didn't know what you like, so I got a bit of everything that I think belongs to a TV evening.", she explains nervously.
He quickly shakes his head.
"No, it's nice!", he reassures her and she smiles.
She places the bowl and the bottles on the couch table and lets herself fall onto the couch next to him with a bit of space between them, pulling her legs under her.
"Did you have dinner?", she asks and he shakes his head again slowly.
"No, not really.", he says. She nods and turns towards him, waving her phone.
"Pizza, then?", she asks suggestively and he nods, shrugging softly. So she opens her delivery app and asks him "What kind? Large or medium?", while scrolling to her favourite Pizza guy.
"Peperoni. Large.", he says and she raises an eyebrow without looking at him.
"Boring.", she scoffs, but puts it on the list anyways.
"What do you get?", he then asks and she looks up.
"Spagetthi Pizza.", she says, grinning at his confused face.
"People put spaghetti on pizza?" He sounds slightly unsure.
"Yep! You can have a bite, if you wanna try it.", she offers and he pulls a face.
"I don't know.. but thank you.", he says, but she insists.
"Hey! Don't knock it 'til you try it." He sighs and gives in.
"Good. Okay, anything else?"
He shakes his head, so she places their order. Then she grabs the remote and turns on her TV.
"Ready?", she asks, when she opens HBO Max and Bucky nods.
While watching the first episode she occasionally shoots him a quick sideway glance, trying to figure out if he likes the show, but his face doesn't give anything away. Not one single emotion.
Halfway through the first episode the doorbell rings, making Rebekka jump slightly. She quickly pauses the show and starts to get up, but Bucky is faster.
"I got it.", he says and when she opens her mouth to protest he adds, "You got the snacks, I get the pizza." She nods, but still gets up.
"Toilet.", she simply explains, when he raises an eyebrow.
Coming out of the bathroom she sees Tom, her usual delivery guy, stand in the door with Bucky, who's currently getting out his wallet to pay for the food.
"Hey.", Tom says, when he spots her behind the guy. He looks a bit intimidated, making Rebekka hold back a laugh and wave at him with an amused smile.
"Hi, Tom.", she greets him back.
Seeing Bucky next to the delivery guy makes her realize how trained the guy really is. Tom is tall and not really on the skinny side, but it looks like the other guy could crush him singlehandedly.
"There you go, man.", Bucky says, handing Tom the money. The guy smiles and and thanks him for the tip before leaving with a slightly awkward wave, which Rebekka returns.
"You know him?", Bucky asks, while carrying the pizza boxes to the couch. She grins and nods.
"Yeah, Tom and I are very close.", she tells him, "He brings me food at least three times a week."
He stops before sitting down and looks at her and then the couch and pizza boxes with a questioning face. As an answer she lets herself fall onto her spot and grabs one of the boxes from his hands.
"Oh.", he says, sitting down as well. Rebekka nods.
"I think you kinda scared him a little..", she chuckles, switching one of his pizza slices with one of hers.
"Yeah..sorry.", he says.
She giggles and toasts her pizza slice in his direction. "Bon appetite."
They eat and continue watching Game of Thrones in silence, until Bucky finally tries the slice of her pizza.
"Oh, wow...", he mumbles with wide eyes, making her grin.
"Good, right?", she asks and he nods, taking another bite. She notices he only took off his right glove to eat and curiousity takes over.
"Hey... What's up with the gloves?"
He stops chewing for a second, looking at his covered hand and straightens his back.
"Bad circulation...", he slowly says after swallowing, but doesn't meet her eyes.
"Mh.", she hums, not really convinced, but letting it slide for now. After all she invited him over to show him the show and maybe make a friend, finally. She figures that he'll tell her more about it when he knows her better. He doesn't seem like the type of guy that just spills his thoughts and worries out in front of a stranger.
Soon enough the credits of the first episode start rolling and Rebekka looks at Bucky.
"So? How do you like the show so far?", she asks, trying to get him to talk again, since he seemed to be zoning out after her earlier question. He raises his eyebrows and looks at her, nodding slightly.
"It's good, actually. Just a little... graphic sometimes.", he says, making her chuckle.
"Oh, boy, you have no idea what you're in for.", she grins, but quickly changes the subject. "Who do you like the most?", she asks and he thinks for a moment.
"The dwarf.", he then states.
"Tyrion. Yeah, he's cool.", she agrees.
"Who do you like the most?", he asks back and she smiles.
"Arya." Bucky looks surprised.
"The little girl? Why?", he asks cluelessly.
"You'll see.", she just says and smiles.
They spend the rest of their evening watching three more episodes of the show, until Rebekka has trouble keeping her eyes open. Bucky has tried some of the snacks and apparently he likes the Cheetos and Reeses best.
"I should probably go...", she hears him mumble, when her eyes fall shut again. She quickly snaps them open and sits up straight, swearing under her breath.
"Yeah, uh, sorry...", she says tiredly, rubbing her eyes. "We should-" She gets interrupted by a yawn, before she can finish her sentence. "We should do this again.. I mean- If you'd like to..?", she finishes and he nods with this little smile, that is just so him.
"I'd love to.", he agrees, making her smile too.
"Okay.. same time mext week? Or maybe on sunday?", she offers and he nods again.
"Sunday's fine by me."
She walks him to her door, but he stops just before opening it and turns towards her with a frown. At first she's slightly confused as to what he'd do. But then he speaks.
"I should help you clean up.", he says. She raises her eyebrows and shakes her head, yawning again.
"No.. don't bother. I'll do it tomorrow.", she tells him, her hand still in front of her mouth. "If I stay up any longer I'll miss my class tomorrow at the gym."
He looks like he wants to insist, but Rebekka grabs past him and opens the door, before he can do so.
"Goodnight, Bucky.", she says friendly, but determined. He nods slowly and steps outside into the hallway.
"Night, Rebekka. Sleep well.", he says and she smiles and nods.
"You too."