My Kingdom Awaits
Colony: Catalean. December 17, 2197.
Catalean was the most visited colony of them all. Mostly because the Trading Market, where the travelers, ravangers, wasteland rangers and whoever was brave enough to walk through Desolation visited, whether it was for business or pleasure. Bucky remembers not being aloud to go, the market being too crowded and by people deemed dangerous. The locals avoided the place, with the exception of those who had or handled businesses there. Because of this, it was filled with places people rented to rest for the night before going back to travel – motels, bed & breakfasts, hostels – and a lot of restaurants and bars. It was the closes thing to a city from the Old World the new one had.
Bucky grips the steering wheel as they cross the tall tower that marks the colony limit, similar to the one in Arcadia, and his fingers twitch almost nervously when he feels Jane’s gaze on him. Jane, who had been looking outside the rolled down window for the past two hours after asking him to roll the windows down, reminding him that he had told her about the salt in the air. She frowns, swiping the strands of hair falling on her face as the wind enters the window, she was no longer wearing her heavy boots, feet naked against the seat. Bucky licks his lips, feeling the faint taste of salt on them.
“When we get there, we should find a place to eat first” Bucky hears her chuckle, “What?”
He glances at her, cocking an eyebrow when she doesn’t answer. He wasn’t hungry – yet – but with his fast metabolism, he knew that it wouldn’t be long until he started feeling his stomach too empty. He isn’t sure there is any food left, they had eaten almost everything they had left the night before.
“I was thinking getting a place to sleep should be out priority” Jane says, sighing happily, “Oh, Bucky, a bed and a shower”
Bucky smiles, feeling the same relief despite feeling anxious at the same time. Jane reaches for his arm, where the cut was already healed and taps him softly a few times before leaning back again. Bucky shakes his head softly, trying to look back at the road instead of staring at her with a questioning look. The night before he had asked, like many times before, why did Jane keep touching him, kissing him or hugging him, and she had actually answered. Because I want to. It echoed in his head a few times, before he finally processed it. He remembers the feeling of having her in his arms, embracing her body against his chest and the smell coming from her hair and skin. If Bucky had been brave enough, drunk enough – or at all – he knows that he would have kissed her, told her that he felt a lot more than he had said. He swallows thickly, wondering if Jane meant something else too.
“What’s happening?”
He looks ahead. There is a short line of cars, and he realises they look similar to the one he and Jane drive, more Ravangers trying to enter the colony. What is strange, is that instead of being aloud to enter freely – and fast – there is a few men dressed in black, asking everyone to pull over, Bucky sees the man infront of him roll the window down and one of the men in black lean in to talk to him. Jane accommodates on her seat, rolling her window up as she looks at one of the men in black with narrowed eyes. She looks nervous, and he is about to tell her not to worry, when someone knocks hard against the glass of the window. They exchange looks, before Bucky rolls down the window like the man infront of him – who had already left – had done.
The man doesn’t say anything, he just glances inside like he is looking for something and Bucky sees Jane tense next to him making him feel the need to reach for her. There isn’t nothing in the backseat, they had put everything in the trunk and the man doesn’t look like he wants to check that. After a few seconds, he leans back and gestures Bucky to keep going. Throwing once last glance at him, Bucky rolls up the window and starts driving away slowly.
“Was that it?” Jane asks.
Bucky licks his lips, “I guess”
Jane purses her lips, “They didn’t even ask for our ID cards”
“Maybe they don’t care” Bucky answers, “A lot of people come to Catalean, but no one ever stays"
He doesn’t tell her he never left the colony, she already knows that, and she doesn’t ask anything else. Jane reaches towards the backseat, and his eye dart towards her backside, she was wearing a second pair of jeans she had shortened and they hugged her body perfectly, and he can’t help but let himself stare for a few seconds, gazing at her milky white tights and slender legs. Bad timing. Terrible. Bucky grimaces, feeling the familiar pang of arousal between his legs, and grips the steering wheel focusing back on the road. He needs a shower, to rest, to be away from Jane for a while. Jane acomodates back on the seat and holds his ID card against his chest, he frowns and takes it.
“Just in case” Jane says, and he nods.
“Does it look like you remember?”
Despite having ask the same question three times already Bucky doesn’t answer, gripping the steering wheel this time and glancing at her. She presses her lips together and nods, understanding that he wants her to shut up. Jane glances around as they drive slowly through the streets of the most crowded part of the Catalean colony, very few cars driving in the same direction even though Jane had seen at least five trying to enter the colony about twenty minutes prior. Catalean was a lot more overwhelming than Glassmere had ever been, and it made sense since it was at least three times bigger, the roads seem to be endless, splitting in different directions. People walking the streets, crowds and small groups gathering in the corners. The citadel is beautiful, tall buildings and pavement roads, several stores with shinny neon signs inviting them in.
But she can tell Bucky is driving them further from there, for the way buildings and stores disappear behind, and she can see more houses and small businesses. Maybe it’s because he doesn’t want to be in a the main part of the colony – his survival instinct, not to say paranoia driving him – or because he wants to be closer to the other side of the colony, where they would need to go through to find The Cinders. Just like in Glassmere, where she told him they could stay closer to the limits so they could leave as soon as the sun was out. Jane stares outside the window for a long while, wondering why can’t she see the ocean, like she thought she would, but she can smell the salty air even with the windows rolled up. It’s when she realises the citadel had been left behind them that she decides to speak again.
“At least tell me you know where we are going” She says, turning to Bucky again.
Bucky sighs heavily, “I’m getting us closer to the coast” Jane cocks an eyebrow, “It’s… near where I lived”
Jane straightens in her seat, “You lived right next to the ocean?”
“Kinda” Bucky he glances at her, “I lived in- they call it the Cove, it’s near the coast but not as… Nice, I guess”
“Oh” She bites her bottom lip.
Bucky had told her he remembered most of the things from Catalean. But he had avoided personal details of his life, with the exception of Steve and the adventures they had together. Jane leans back on her seat, drumming her fingers against her legs as she considers asking Bucky, again, if Catalean still looked like before. After all, it had been almost ten years since he had been taken. The car suddenly comes to a stop and Jane turns to scowl at Bucky.
“I’m starving” Bucky says.
Jane pouts her lips, “Me too”
“There’s a restaurant right there” The man points a head, a neon sighs that reads ‘open’.
She stares for a few seconds, “Shouldn’t we move closer to the coast like you said?”
His brow furrows, “We are”
Jane turns to look around her, and when she doesn’t see anything, she rolls the window down. She had been looking outside the window paying too much attention at the buildings and the people, that she hadn’t realise they were already away from the citadel. She looks around at the broadwalk, that extends for miles left to right, but ahead she can see only sand. The was starting to hide in the horizon, but she couldn’t seen it hiding behind the ocean like she had pictured.
“Where is the water?” She asks, “The ocean, I thought-“
“Low tide” Bucky cuts her off, “Look, we should stay in one of the motels here, eat something and then just rest”
Jane opens her mouth and closes it again before nodding. She feels tired too, and the idea of a warm meal and a soft bed to sleep keeps her from arguing about anything else, it truly is all she needs at the moment. And a bath. Jane runs her fingers through her hair, feeling it greasy and sweaty, before tying it with her hairband. Bucky turns off the engine and unbuckles her seatbelt, like she wasn’t going to do it herself, and then opens his door. Jane blinks in his direction, before he offers a small smile and closes the door. When Jane leaves the car Bucky is already walking away from her, like he is in a hurry, and she looks around before walking towards him. for a second she considers going back and taking her satchel, where the dagger and the gun are suppose to be, but Bucky talks before she can suggest it.
“Before you ask” He says, a small smile splitting his face, “I do remember this broadwalk”
Jane looks at him suppressing a smile. He returns the gesture before he puts a hand on her back, guiding her towards the building in the corner. Jane frowns slightly and Bucky looks at a couple of passers-by who laugh amongst themselves ignoring them, before before he walks towards the glass door a few feet from them, and she follows him, both entering the building at the same time. The lighting is dim, and the place is almost too crowded, but Jane’s stomach churns when the smell of food fills her nostrils and she doesn’t really care if they have to eat standing up. Next to her, Bucky seem to catch the smell too, because he inhales deeply a few times and looks around to see where is it coming from.
“Welcome to Shell’s Kitchen”
A young woman cocks an eyebrow at them, and Jane doesn’t miss the way she looks at them up and down.
“Table for two?”
Bucky clears his throat, “Yes, please”
“Follow me” The woman says, gesturing them to walk behind her, “We have tables on the patio, the salon is packed, is that okay with you?” it comes out in a overflow of words, and when she turns both of them nod, “Name’s Jessica, by the way”
Jessica guides them through the crowded salon, and Jane’s eyes dart from table to table, looking at the plates over the white tablecloths. Her mouth waters embarrassingly as she looks at the food – shrimp, fish, fries, chicken? – and it isn’t until she bumps into Bucky’s shoulder that she realises she was distracted by it. Jessica had been talking too, something about the low tide and fishermen, and Bucky manages to make casual conversation about it. She purses her lips as Jessica pushes the door infront of her, guiding them to the backyard of the restaurant. There are a few empty tables, the cold breeze from the night sending shivers down Jane’s sweaty back, the place is illuminated by thousand of string lights and she can see the sun is completely gone, making the sky look golden, purple and pink.
“Romantic, eh?” Jessica winks.
Bucky frowns, “We aren’t-“
This time Jane doesn’t say anything, but he turns to her as if he was expecting her too.
Jessica crosses her arms, “What’s the story then?”
Jane opens her mouth.
“A very long one” Bucky says, before she can come up with anything, “Can we sit?”
The woman shrugs, an amused look on her face when she reaches for one of the chairs in the table next to them and gestures Bucky to sit. Jane chuckles, and pulls a chair out infront of Bucky, taking a seat. Jessica gives them the menu and tells them she would come back in a few minutes. When she finally leaves, Bucky lets out a somewhat relieved breath and buries himself in his menu, while Jane glances at him a few times at him, before settling her gaze on hers.
“What is it?”
Bucky could almost hear the gears grinding inside Jane’s head as her eyes move up and down the menu. He had seen her wrinkle her nose, pout, gnawed her bottom lip, and bite the inside of her cheek several times for the past three minutes or so. It was almost adorable but also very annoying, two things that Jane could surprisingly be at the same time. He closes the menu, not bothering in pretending to read it anymore, and slides it away from him over the table, before he rests his elbows on the table and leans towards her.
Jane blinks at him, closing her menu slowly.
“Something’s on your mind”
She cocks her head, “Tired, I guess”
It wasn’t the response he was expecting, they were both tired and both knew that. Bucky licks his lips, and he is about to ask again, when Jane clears her throat and looks around before she speaks again.
“Is this a fancy place?”
He is taken aback, but glances around a second later, “Doesn’t seem like it”
“It’s expensive”
Bucky looks at her, her eyebrows are knitted in something he is sure is worry. He glances at the menu again, and sees the amount of credit next to every meal. Jane is concerned about how much he can afford. They hadn’t had the chance to use his credits before, and Jane had never asked if he had enough or any at all, even when he said that her ID card had half of what was his, she hadn’t asked. Bucky suppresses a smile, not feeling ofended at all, and Jane tilts her head confused.
“Don’t worry about any of that, Jane” He finally says, “I got us covered”
Jane hums.
“I don’t mean to be rude “ Her frown deepens, “But how?”
“Savings” Bucky explains, “I wasn’t going to venture into the New World with nothing in my pockets” he scoffs, “I’m not dense”
Jane dimples at him, and then she opens the menu again, “Okay, then, since you are rich…” She trails off and Bucky snorts.
His eyes linger on her for a few seconds, from her unruly curls that now seemed to be cascading endlessly down her shoulders and lower back, to her worn out face and tired brown eyes, to the drop of sweat rolling down her collarbone. And he is so tired too, that he doesn’t realise he’s staring until the droplet disappears between her breasts. Romantic, eh. Jessica’s words echo in his head, but he knows there is nothing romantic about the thoughts he is having about Jane in that moment. He runs a hand through his face, feeling the scratch of the stubble when he rests his hand in his jaw. He tries distracting himself by looking at his surroundings, the fresh nightly breeze, the moon already halfway up and the distant sound of the waves. The tide wasn’t going to be low for too long, he thinks, wishing that the sea arrives soon so Jane can see it for herself, maybe they could take a walk on the beach.
See? Those are the kind of nice, proper thoughts regarding Jane that he wished he limited himself to.
“So what’s our story?” Jane asks, closing the menu again.
Bucky blinks several times, “Story?”
Jane nods, “You told the waitress that we had a long story” she rests her chin on her hand, “What is it?”
“Don’t know” He answers, “Don’t think it matters”
“What if someone else asks?”
Bucky shrugs, “We don’t have to answer”
“What if it’s one of those guards?” Jane pushes, and this time her tone is strained somehow, “I saw a couple more outside, they… They don’t look friendly”
Bucky sees the concern look back in her face. He sighs and looks around, leaning in towards her once again.
“We can’t tell them the truth, obvi-“
“Obviously” Jane interjects and Bucky cocks an eyebrow, “You are a fugitive Legionary and I was some sort of slave”
He grimaces, and Jane manages a smile, “Fine, sure, whatever” he scratches his jaw, “We are both fugitives by the way” he adds.
Jane smile widens.
“So…” She continues, “What about pirates?” She suggests.
Bucky can’t help but bark out a laugh, “What is it with you and pirates?”
“Treasure Island?” Jane shrugs, then waves a hand when she catches his confused look, “No pirates, fine”
“Desolation Rangers” Bucky says after a few seconds, “The closest thing to pirates there is”
Desolation Ranger – not to be confused with the Ravangers – was the name people gave the ones who traveled through desolation to look for Old World relics. Unlike the Ravangers they didn’t travel in a large group, normally they were alone or in pairs, and they didn’t steal from other colonies.
Jane chuckles, “Okay, okay” she then adds, “So I, a Desolation ranger, rescued you from Arcadia and took you with me to a world of danger and adventure,
“You rescued me?” Bucky laughs softly.
Jane smiles softly and reaches for her glass of water, “I’m not sure yet” she whispers into the rim of her glass, and it’s so quiet he is sure she didn’t mean to say it out loud.
“Are you two ready to order?” They turn to find Jessica smiling at them.
Bucky clears his throat and nods, leaning back on his chair and ignoring the way Jane’s eyes dart from him to the waitress. He doesn’t miss the strange glance Jessica gives him either, but does ignore it. Before she leaves with their order, the woman leaves two glasses of water on the table, and Bucky grabs his glass, drowning it in a matter of seconds as Jessica finally leaves. He catches Jane yawning, her head resting on her hand, as she looks around distractingly.
Jane says, “I hope we can get a nice place to stay”
“I would take any place as long as it has a bed”
She smiles, “True”
A pause follows, and Bucky can tell Jane wants to say something, or ask him something else. The table Jessica had given them was small and under it, their knees almost touched, he could feel her knee jump up and down anxiously, and she is drumming her fingers against the wood. Jane looks around, and when her gaze lands on him, she quickly looks down at her palms. He rests a hand on her jumping knee, starting to get annoyed and Jane jumps slightly before looking at him again.
“Stop it” He says.
Jane chuckles, her shoulder relaxing to his touch, “Sorry” she says, “Sorry, I was…”
“Two hundred eighty two thousand sixty eight credits” Bucky says, and Jane frowns, “Three to four fights every week, of every month, for nine years“
Jane’s brown eyes soften, before they turn apologetic, “I didn’t mean to… Offend you”
“It’s not that, you just- Bucky sighs, “I don’t like it when you look so worried”
A small smile pulls from her lips, “I guess we both got used to you being the one brooding all the time”
Bucky chuckles softly, “I guess we did”
When he looks at her, her smile softens and he realises they are both leaning towards each other, and when he feels her squeeze his hand he remembers he still had it on her knee. Jane’s skin bristles under his palm, and he wonders if it’s because of the chilly breeze blowing or because of him. He spreads his palm almost without meaning to, his thumb feeling the smooth skin of her inner tight, her flesh warm under his fingertips as he wonders if it’s possible a comforting touch can turn into a different kind so quickly. Perhaps it could in the state he is in, the same one he has been since he woke up curl up against her and hard between them.
“You are going to love the chowder”
He takes his hand back as if he had been caught doing something bad, and he catches Jane scowling at Jessica, as the woman puts two small bowls between them.
“Smells good, right?”
“Yeah” Jane offers a smile, “Great”
Bucky leans back on his seat, rubbing his palms against his jeans almost nervously. When Jessica finally leaves, throwing a strange look and a smirk in his direction, he looks around distractingly while Jane eats in silence, and once he starts eating he realises there is a different kind of hunger he needs to satisfy.