Leather
It was the day after their small adventure to the roof. Bailey and Bucky were having a relaxed afternoon playing scrabble to pass the time. Bailey was winning by a considerable amount to James's frustration, when the familiar whoosh of the complex door sounded. Steve stepped through, his face like thunder.
Both Bailey and Bucky tensed, they looked at each other and knew why he was here. Natasha promised she wouldn't speak to Director Michaels but made no such promise when it came to Steve.
"Can I speak to you in your office please Dr Johnson?" He asked, his voice as serious as his face.
Bucky's mouth hung open, he was shocked at the way he was speaking to Bailey. "What's wrong Steve?" he played dumb.
"I need to speak to Dr Johnson."
Bailey cleared her throat and rose from her seat, she brushed down her skirt before walking into her office. Steve closed the door behind them.
He wasted no time, "What do you think you're doing risking Bucky like that?"
"I guess you've bumped into Natasha." She said plainly.
Steve was furious, his jaw was clenched and you could visibly see the tension at his temples. "Yes I did, and I'm in two minds about speaking to Michaels about your field trip."
Bailey's stomach flipped, "Steve, listen to me please before you fly off the handle-"
"Fly off the handle!" He cut her off, "Like it would be a complete overreaction? He could of left Bailey. I could have lost him again."
Bailey pressed the side of her head, feeling a stress headache coming on hard and fast, "He would have smashed his way through out of the complex if I didn't remove him from the environment he was in." She explained, "I weighed out the possibilities and what I did last night was the only viable option."
Steve was stumped for a moment, "What do you mean?"
"He was in a bad place last night, he was really struggling. Bucky was going to be all Winter Soldier on the apartment, he went punch the TV and take down the bookcase but he was managing to stop himself, only just though. He needed somewhere to breathe so I took him to the best place I could think of."
He sighed, "You should have called me." Steve was still looking at her sternly.
"There was no time." Bailey shrugged.
"What was he like up there?" His jaw relaxing.
"Much better. His panic attack stopped and he calmed down. He opened up and we talked it out."
"He didn't try and leave?"
"No, I trust him and he trusts me. Do you trust him Steve?" Bailey challenged.
Steve stayed quiet and then changed the subject, "You're on your last warning with Michaels aren't you?"
"Yes." She said and crossed her arms defensively.
"Then you better start doing things by the book with him."
"I am," She leaned back to sit on her desk. "In fact, this morning I dropped off a report to request reintroduction into the community. I want to start James visiting supermarket, parks, museums, things like that."
Steve wasn't so sure, "Hmm."
Bailey sighed once again, "I swear Steve, I wouldn't do anything to risk Bucky. I only want what is best for him."
Steve sighed too, he dropped his guard, "I can see that, I just worry... Have you heard back from Michaels?"
Bailey shook her head.
"I'll head up and put a good word in."
Steve left and Bucky interrogated Bailey when she returned to scrabble, she played it off like he wasn't as mad as he actually was. She didn't want Bucky to be feeling any guilt.
Just before Bailey left the complex for the night, her phone rang.
Like always, to wind him up, "Dr Johnson speaking." She answered.
"Save my goddamn number Johnson," Michaels said. "I read your report and I grant your request."
"Thank you."
"However," he continued, "Rogers will be tailing you, just to keep an eye on things."
Bailey looked to her shoes and fidgeted, "Right, okay, fair enough."
"Anything else whilst I'm on the phone?" He asked.
"When can we start it?"
Bailey was so relieved that this was allowed, she was a little shocked by the Director's leniency but understood the precaution with Steve.
"Whenever, as long as you inform Steve and email me the exact details of when and where."
"Agreed." She nodded, "Goodbye sir."
"Bailey," He stopped her, "Before you go, how is Josie?"
She gritted her teeth, her voice was cold "Just the same." she managed, "Thank you for asking."
She hastily hung up the phone and shoved it into her pocket. Bucky obviously had been listening as the adverts were on the TV, he always switched channels when the adverts played.
Bailey picked up a pen lid from the kitchen counter and threw it at the back of Bucky's head.
"Hey!" He said as he turned around to see her.
"How do you fancy a small trip out tomorrow?" She asked, "Above board this time."
Bucky kept his face indifferent, "Sure." But Bailey could tell he perked up at the thought.
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Bailey dug into her handbag, "Ah-ha. Here," she said and threw a pair of balled up leather gloves, "I thought you might want a pair for our trip."
Bucky unrolled them and pulled one over his silver hand, "What, so we could match?" he smirked then looked her up and down.
"Obviously," she rolled her eyes, "Don't you want to be as fashionable and as cool as I am?"
He gestured to his outfit, a pair of black trainers, dark jeans, a navy hood with a black bomber over the top, the most typical inconspicuous outfit there was, "Look at me, I am way cooler."
Bailey laughed, "Are you ready to go Tom Ford?"
Bucky looked confused, "Who?"
She laughed again, "Doesn't matter. Let's go."
James stood up, "Hold on a minute." He disappeared into his bedroom.
Bailey spied a couple of stray feathers in the corner of his room left over from his previous outburst, his replacement pillows were memory foam rather than feathers this time. Whilst he was in there, Bailey took the chance to text Steve to let him know they were about to set off. She didn't want to tell Bucky that they were to be followed, she wanted the experience to feel as natural as he would allow it to feel. Bailey wanted him to feel a sense of normality in the city in the first time in decades. Bucky came back out with a black cap. He pushed back his hair and pulled it on low.
"Ready."
The two of them made their way out of the complex and into the lift. Bucky pressed 0. Bailey went to nudge him with her elbow but quickly stopped herself.
"If you ever feel overwhelmed and need to get out of there, just let me know. I can have a car pick us up in minutes." She explained. Bucky nodded, he seemed slightly anxious.
As soon as they walked out into the tower's main reception, James felt like all eyes were on him. Of course they weren't, people were too busy to notice him. Main reception was always full of people; staff, guards, business men and women, occasionally members of congress and the government. People carried on with their day; paying for their overpriced coffee from the machines, talking on the phone to their superiors, shouting down the phone to their assistants, hurrying to their meeting that started five minutes ago, or trying to book an appointment to speak to the Director at the front desk.
The further away they were from the tower, the more confident Bucky grew. He was no longer looking down at the sidewalk but taking in the sights of New York he hadn't seen in a while. The grocery store they were heading to was a few blocks away, and thankfully the weather was kind to Bailey and Bucky today. The sun was out but the air had a bite to it, Bailey's favourite kind of weather. She closed her eyes as she soaked in some of the sun rays.
Bailey was dawdling along the sidewalk, she loved to walk the streets during the day but never had the time to do it anymore. She opened her eyes again and found herself needing to quicken her pace to keep up with James who was a couple meters ahead.
"Everything okay?" She asked.
"Yeah, fine." He said then forced a smile looking down to her at his side.
They arrived at the store and Bailey picked up a basket. She encouraged Bucky to get whatever he wanted. It was an organic store, lots of unpackaged fruit, veg, and nuts in recyclable bags. He tossed in a packet of cashews absentmindedly. The two wandered down the aisle slowly. Bailey soon realised how distracted and agitated Bucky was, she was suddenly embarrassed at how wrapped up she was in their mundane fantasy trip to the shops.
"Bucky, what's wrong?" She asked.
He turned back to face her and stepped in close, he spoke quietly, "Don't look around, did you have anyone follow us?"
Bailey stayed still, still out of fear, "No, no, just Steve, I think he'll be outside the store just waiting on us."
Bucky looked over her head, "Well there were two guys that followed us from the tower, they have weapons. Then there were another two that were waiting outside the store and entered after us. I don't know who they are or what they want. We need to leave, now."
Bailey's body ran cold. "Okay."
James took the basket from her hands and kicked it so that it slid under the counter. He clocked an exit at the back of the store.
"This way," he said and grabbed Bailey's hand.
Bailey gasped and braced herself, her heart was in her mouth, but nothing was happening. Bucky didn't think, he just instinctively took her hand to lead her to safety. He dragged her down the aisle whilst Bailey looked down at her gloved hand interlocked with his gloved hand. Bucky still hadn't realised what he had done, he was too focused on getting the two of them out of there. He barged the back door open with his shoulder, it led to rickety, metal steps above an alley. With his bionic arm, Bucky ripped off one of the metal posts and bent it around the handle of the door so that it wouldn't open without force.
His voice was dark and serious,"Come on," He hurried her, still not letting go.
Bailey was speechless, this whole time she was so terrified of touching Bucky and the only thing she needed to stop that connection was a layer of leather. She stumbled down the last couple of steps, landing on her knees on the cobbles of the alley. Bucky grabbed her other hand and pulled her up.
"You're terrible at this."
They ran out of the alleyway and into the street where they steadied their pace not wanting to bring anymore attention their way. Bucky tugged her around the other side of the block to take the longer, more complicated route back to the tower. Bailey thought how it was the best idea she had ever had to wear flat shoes today, as she had to make two steps to every one of James's strides.
"Are you sure you didn't have us followed?" He snarled.
"I'm sure, the Director said just Steve as back up!"
Bucky looked over his shoulder, whilst he was looking back and Bailey was looking forward, a large body suddenly stepped out in front of them from around another corner. Bailey gasped. Bucky automatically swung his metal fist around intending for it to collide with the jaw of the man who had stopped them in their tracks.
Steve caught his fist, "What the hell are you two doing?"
Steve looked down to their hands which were still united. Bucky finally realised what he had done and almost threw it away back to Bailey's side.
"People are following us." Bucky explained then looked around again.
"Yeah, Michaels's guards."
James's head snapped to Bailey, "You said it was just Steve."
"It was meant to be just Steve," She spat back. "What's going on? Did you organise this?"
Steve's cheeks flushed pink, he looked to his feet awkwardly.
Bailey scoffed, "So I've got the Director AND you trying to do my job better than me? Great idea Cap, send undercover guards on us, that won't trigger him!"
Bucky pressed his lips into a flatline, feeling uncomfortable with this whole interaction.
"Go on, call him." Bailey pointed to the phone that was in Steve's pocket, "Tell him we're on our way back." She pushed his shoulder and shoved past. "Come on Buck."
James looked up to his friend, "Didn't you trust me?" he asked, hurt.
"It's not that I don't trust you Buck, it's that I care." He said in a small voice.
Bucky's face grew despondent before deciding to follow Bailey who was already halfway down the street.