freewilling | OPEN RP

[ bucky's gotten quite used to interrupting fights. normally, they involve steve, but it's not always a necessity; once he's started interfering, well, it became a habit of sorts, one might say.

so when the sound of a pissed off dame hits his ears, he looks up and begins to stride over to her rescue -- which, she doesn't seem to need. well, it's a refreshing change, and he's not going to say no to not bruising his knuckles again when they've only now regained their normal complexion.

but then, a crowd gathers, and that's never good. a man with his pride wounded in the privacy of an alley is one thing, a man humiliated in public, well, he's far too likely to call on his friends. oh well, steve likely would've gotten around to giving him an opportunity to color his knuckles shades of green and purple soon enough, anyway, he may as well come pre-prepared. he steps up to the pair. ]

Mind if I cut in, Miss?

[ he flashes her a smile, and hauls the oaf away by the collar of his shirt, and giving him a stiff kick to the back. he's giving him a chance here, beaten by a tall fella allows him to keep his pride. take it he urges in his mind, go. they all have problems enough without getting into a needless fight over actions that are indefensible. you've shamed yourself enough. he stares him down until he goes, and then turns back to the young woman who is entirely underdressed for the weather. he is, too, but a worn out old coat beats the hell out of no coat at all.

he should know. he's taking his own coat off now, and it's hardly any fun. still, he offers it to her. ]

You alright? Were you robbed? [ times are desperate, he knows, but gees! ]

[Everything happens so fast that, for a few seconds, Daisy just stares dumbfounded. Not because some guy stepped in 'took care of it', but because he wasn't just 'some guy'. He was Bucky Barnes. Bucky Barnes was talking to her.

Oh, right, he was talking to her.]

What? Oh, no. He was just--

[Daisy waves a hand vaguely in the direction the guy had walked off in. The crowd has broken up now too and the chilly air is settling its way into her bones, arms wrapping around herself.]

I'm okay. He was just being a creep.

[Bucky Barnes is offering her his coat. She's definitely staring at him for too long, it's hard to keep the surprise off her expression.]

I, uh--

[Daisy looks around again, trying to figure out what street she was on because it's very apparent now that she's in New York.]

What street am I on?

[And because that sounded weird...

Daisy leans in closer, as if a little ashamed but also finding it funny.]

I had a little too much to drink.

[ she's staring at him. why is she staring at him like that? he knows he's a good looking fella, but it's not that sort of staring - he knows that sort of staring damn well.

she's staring at him like - what? like he's some kind of ghost? maybe she's got family that got drafted, or just plain died, and he looks like him. it's a tale as old as time. a tale that happens more and more often in the city.

his eyes soften, and he wraps his coat around her.

in the cold, smells don't really travel as far, and his nose is too frozen to really function anyway, but he's pretty sure he doesn't smell any alcohol on her breath, her eyes seem clear, too. but who's he to bust her excuse? ]

You're on 100th. How about I walk you home, make sure no one else hassles you? Where do you live?

[Crap. Home. She was prepared for a completely different scenario here, and while she’s decent at thinking on her feet, she’s not as well versed with Manhattan in the 1940s.

Surprised when he puts his coat around her shoulders, Daisy doesn’t smiles politely as she thinks of what to say.]

Oh, you don’t have to do that. I’m staying at a hotel a few blocks away.

[How the hell did she mess up the settings so bad that she ended up here]

[ all it takes is one look at this girl for him to know she's not staying at no hotel - she doesn't even have a coat on, she definitely can't afford that.

it's a delicate offer he's about to make, he's very keenly aware of what it may sound like to a girl alone, particularly after the welcome to the city the other fellow tried to give her (she has to be an out of towner, no one in the city dresses like that), but she seems to know how to handle herself, so he's hoping that gives him an edge here. maybe she won't be as afraid to take a leap of faith. ]

If it's too far for you at the moment, I got a place you can sleep it off up the street.

[ there it is. an offer. he's not buying the drunk story, but he'll play along with it to get her out of this weather - and himself, as well, because he's not leaving a girl in trouble on her own, it's just not how he was raised. ]

My name's Bucky Barnes. [ he offers her his hand and his nickname, it just sounds less intimidating than 'james' and hardly anyone ever calls him by that name anyway. it's for official and parental use only, at this point in his life. he adds on an easy smile, trying to appear as unintimidating as possible. he's not going to hurt her and he knows it - but he also knows she has no way of knowing that, so he's trying to make it as easy as possible to take that leap. ]

[Daisy opens her mouth to tell him that she's okay, but, she really has no place to go. No money and the cold is really starting to get to her now as she hugs his coat closer to her body.

He introduces himself, despite knowing exactly who he is, she reaches a hand out to shake his hand.]

Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Barnes.

[There's no point of her coming up with some sort of alias, it's not like she's even alive for another 40 something years.]

Daisy Johnson, and you know what? I'll take you up on that offer.

[She won't stay long, she just needs to figure out what her next move was now that her entire plan was ruined.]

Pleasure's all mine, Miss Johnson.

[ he shakes her hand, and starts leading her towards his place. ]

Please, call me Bucky. If we run into anyone, I'll introduce you as my cousin from out of town.

[ for the sake of her reputation; a young woman coming up to a single man's rooms, no ring on her finger, he doesn't want to subject her to talk on top of the rest of her troubles, and, well, it's be weird if his cousin called him 'mr. barnes'. ]

Speaking of, where are you from?

Daisy.

[Well damn, the pictures and footage she's seen of him in the few history classes she went to didn't do him justice. When he turns, Daisy checks him out quickly before her eyes land back on his as she follows him. Eyebrows shooting up in surprise when he's quick to come up with a reason why she would be with him.

It seems a little extreme but she doesn't question it, maybe this is frowned upon? Daisy snaps out of her thoughts when he asks where she's from, almost slipping up and saying here.]

California. Guess I under prepared for the weather you guys have here.

[That's why she's without a coat, obviously.]

What about you?

Pleasure to meet you, Daisy.

[ he nods, smile still in place. it's hardly his first time being given the once over, and he'll be pretty disappointed if it's the last time, so he makes no comment on that.

extreme? hardly. in all honesty, it'll hardly do much, people will still gossip. it won't harm him, but he's got a sister, he's held her while she cried at vicious rumors spread about her too many times. even the fragile, obviously false shield of cousin beats no excuse at all.

and, while his reputation won't suffer from this - it still won't be pleasant if it came back to his mother. he's hoping that at this hour, they'll be able to evade most eyes. the benefit of a single man's rooms - they're not subjected to the kind of scrutiny the women's housings are. ]

You can say that again.

[ it's a long trip, the weather would've cooled a long time before she got to the city, but if all she could afford was the fare, he can see how she'd end up in this sort of bind. ]

Don't worry, we're just about there.

[ he's been colder, he's a new yorker, born and raised. the exhaustion of a full shift doesn't help, but it won't impede his temperament. ]

What brings you to the city? [ in such a hurry that she couldn't even pack a coat, or save up for one? why here of all places, all the way from california? if she had family, she'd be with them. something's wrong, something's bugging him. but he's got no right to her life's story, all he can do is offer a hand, it's up to her whether she takes it or not. ]

[Daisy keeps her head low, keeping the icy winds from hitting her face as she thinks about how she’s going to get out of this situation. Does she just go running back home with her tail between or legs? Or does she find a way over to Germany? Is there even a way to get there right now? Hell, she doesn’t even know if she’s anywhere close to the right time.

When he asks her a question that she thought might come up after his last one, Daisy pushes a few strands of hair out of her face. Schooling her expression to be a little mournful.]

A funeral. Guess I wasn’t thinking straight when I packed. What with my uncle passing away and all.

[ that certainly tracks. family situations can be complicated, and that probably explains why she's out on her own instead of with her family. ]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[ they reach his building, and he takes the stairs two at a time, holding the door open for her. ]

I'm on the fifth floor. [ he says, apologetically. there's a lot of stairs in their immediate future. he has no idea how she's doing physically, after her ordeal, and he knows ladies shoes can be a problem, so he's fully preparing himself to carry her up if she struggles at any point along the way. ]

[Daisy smiles a tight lipped smile, feeling a little guilty for lying to him about something like that. Not that she hasn't been lying to him about basically everything since they met though.

She's can walk in heels just fine, but she definitely prefers boots to them. Still, she makes sure she's holding onto the railing as she follows behind him.]

You live by yourself?

I do.

[ he wanted to move in with steve, but the stubborn punk insisted that he's fine on his own, that he doesn't need the rent help (which is absurd, of course he does, neither one of them has excess funds) and that bucky's work schedule is just going to keep him up.

that was a fair point. bucky takes every shift they give him, he gets in and out at all hours. ]

Don't worry, I just worked a double shift, you can take me.

[ not that he has any intention of hurting her, but it's a fair thought for her to have. he smiles back at her, to let her know he's very much joking in the sense of her having a need to do such a thing - but honestly, considering what he saw her do? he's not sure he's joking about her ability.

he's pretty beat.

he unlocks the door to his little apartment. not a whole lot in there; a bed, a radio, a secondhand record player and some records, bookcase, a closet, small kitchen, small table with two chairs, small bathroom, that's about it. but it is warm. he takes his shoes off and leaves them by the front door. ]

Make yourself comfortable. You want some coffee, or sleep?

[Smiling more sincerely at his joke, Daisy shrugs off his coat when they enter Bucky's apartment. Already a lot warmer from having walked up all those flights of stairs, Daisy fixes her hair a little. Not that it looked that great to begin with considering she didn't have the time or tools to properly pin curl her hair.]

Coffee would be great.

[Her blood is basically made up off of coffee. Maybe that's a problem, but not to her. Rubbing her hands together, Daisy isn't sure if it's better to sit or just stand awkwardly by the door.]

Do you usually pick dames up off the street like this?

[She's not actually concerned about him trying anything, which is why she feels it's okay to make a joke.]

Coffee, coming up.

[ he heads into the kitchen and fills the kettle with water, setting it on the gas to boil, and getting his coffee out of the cupboard. ]

Not a lot of dames like you on the streets.

[ he picks dames up all the time, but it's usually in a flirty manner, and if they came up to his rooms, it's usually with the intention of doing something inappropriate.

normally, the only dame who visits his place for perfectly innocent reasons is his sister. and she doesn't like coming in often either, on account of all his neighbors being equally single and very much not related to her.

he gets two mugs set up on the counter and turns back to see her standing by the door. while he waits for the water to boil, he walks up to her and relieves her of his coat, which he hangs up on the hook by the door, and ushers her inside. ]

Have a seat, you've had quite a day.

I'm not sure if that's a compliment or not.

[Daisy teases, allowing him to lead the way into his home before taking a seat at the small table. It's definitely small, but she can only imagine how expensive a place like this would go in her time. Still holding onto her purse, Daisy places it in her lap causally, as if there's not a gun in there.]

I've had better.

[Daisy admits. Only it's not because her make believe Uncle died. Spotting a newspaper on the table, Daisy turns it to look at the date while his back is to her. 1941. Oh, she fucked up. Big time. Maybe drinking wasn't a bad idea, but she's not about to ask him if he's got anything.]

You said you just got off a double shift? Where do you work?

[She talks casually, as if she's not on the verge of exploding from a whole mixture of emotions.]

Always take it as one.

[ at least, that's his policy. saves him on a lot of fights, to just willfully misinterpret insults sometimes. not that he's insulting her - but her situation isn't exactly a compliment, it's a whole mess that he'll try his best to help with, but he can only do so much.

he goes back to the kitchen to wait on the water to boil, and see if he's got anything to go along with it in his cupboard or fridge - score, he hasn't polished off the last of his mother's pie, so he goes ahead and cuts out two pieces. it's a precious treat these days, rations being what they are, but he was brought up to share what he has, and make do.

it's going to be a while until the water boils, so he leans his back against the counter and faces her. ]

I work down at the port. Are you headed back to California? Do you have a place to stay?

[ he thinks it's pretty clear he's not buying her hotel story, or the drink - now more than ever, she's completely lucid - but he doesn't need to rub her bad fibs in her face, they can just go ahead and gloss right over them, and deal with what is. ]

[Daisy's lips pressing together when he, subtly, calls her bluff. At least on the front of her not having a place to stay right now. She could've figured it out, but it might've been harder with no technology to help her in getting a room.]

Don't really have a plan, wasn't really thinking that far ahead.

[There's still anger brewing in her. She wants nothing more than to go through with her plan, but how was she supposed to do that now? She needs to get back home, but is that even a guarantee?]</small

You can stay here for now.

[ it's not ideal; he'll be sleeping on the floor, it's hardly respectable, and he doesn't really have excess supplies, but they'll make do. once he deems her safe, he can take her to his folks' place - they reacted well enough when he picked up steve, he can't imagine they'll be less receptive to a young woman in need, who just lost a family member.

they all know what that's like, and they weren't alone for it.

there's a moment of quiet, and then the water mercifully starts to boil, and bucky can busy himself making coffee. he brings her cup over along with the piece of pie first, sets both down in front of her, and lays a gentle hand on her shoulder. ]

Whatever's happening, you'll have a harder time going at it alone. If you want to talk, I'm listening.

I really can't take you up on that.

[Daisy shakes her head at his offer. This was a bad idea, agreeing to even come here with him. She should've just stuck with her story and went to a hotel. She feels guilty with how kind he's being to her, when her intention was to kill someone.

She also feels awful for him. He seems so nice, and yet she knows he'll become a killer soon enough he'll be manipulated by HYDRA to do their dirty work.]

I'll be okay, really. I've been through worse.

Isn't that all the more reason to stay?

[ get some help before things become worse? he heads back to the kitchen for his own cup of coffee and piece of pie, and takes the seat in front of her.

this is becoming a pattern with him, isn't it, gravitating towards stubborn people in need who won't allow themselves to admit they have needs, that it's not a sign of weakness but a sign of humanity?

well, he's got plenty of practice at this dance, he can do it with his eyes closed. ]

I'm offering, you can take me up on it. It's a question of wanting to.

[Pressing her lips together, Daisy looks down at the pie and coffee in front of her. She's even less hungry now than she was a few minutes ago as the guilt gnaws away at her stomach.]

I appreciate that, but, I can't.

[What if she let something slip? It could screw up the whole timeline. Fitz was going to chew her head off whenever she managed to get back.]

Of course you can.

[ whatever it is that's gone wrong in her life, beyond her uncle's death, he can tell it's big, it's weighing heavily on her.

she has no reason to trust him, and he's got no right to pry. that doesn't mean he can't call it like he sees it. ]

Whatever it is, you don't have to square up to it alone. I know you don't know me, but it doesn't seem like you've got anyone else around - might as well give it a try?

[Eyebrows rising up in surprise, Daisy opens her mouth to say something before shaking her head.]

It's not--

I'm just going where the road takes me.

[As long as that road leads to Germany, somehow.]

Haven't you ever wanted to just go somewhere without putting too much thought into it?

Sure, out on the town, or to Coney island.

[ he can be spontaneous, thank you very much. but leave everything and just go? no, never. he's got a family here, responsibilities. and he's never wanted to be on his own.

he likes people. they make life interesting. ]

You can't run forever

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