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The Brooklyn pier was always very busy during the hot summers, full of young men and strong men who worked on the boats, unloading objects and cleaning decks, and by young women who went there to flirt with those young men, as well as couples who enjoyed the sun to walk along the small wooden anchoring bridges and remember their youth. One of those boys was Bucky, in his early twenties, happy while the summer of 1937 burned his bare back and the sweat soaked as he lifted heavy boxes into ships.
He smiled at a group of girls in white dresses who chuckled as Bucky mopped his forehead with a rag and pulled on his shirt, the suspenders draped over his thighs as he winked at the girls and walked off the dock, greeting the sailors and location workers. The work here was done and five dollars worth of coins dangled in a small purse inside the pocket of his brown cloth pants, the money he'd earned after five days of hard work. He stopped at a diner place and drank a free glass of water, courtesy of the house, while giving a seductive smile to the waitress behind the counter.
“Won't you want anything to eat, Bucky? Maybe a juice or a candy? ”- she batted her eyelashes and pushed the yellow scarf over her brown hair, while blushing and smiling at him. Bucky smiled again as he finished a second full glass of water, tapping it carefully on the counter.
“Not today, Annie. Maybe another day.” -He waved at her and left, taking a shady path, running a little and using a coin to buy a red apple from an old man's stall.
He took a shortcut around the next corner, passing through a narrow alley lined with houses huddled together, interconnected by clotheslines filled with children's clothes and by stray cats that leapt from one parapet to another with great agility. He jumped over the wall at the end of the alley and landed in a vacant lot that he soon traversed until he came out on a different block, on one of the richer blocks. Not that a millionaire or anything like that lived there, it was just a little more upscale area, with bigger houses surrounded by gardens, quiet streets and men in suits. Bucky rarely went there, and if he did it was only to deliver a newspaper or mow a lawn. Mrs. Maggie always gave him biscuits whose packages would cost two weeks of hard work on the docks. Walking slowly, he admired the decor of a garden until he heard a beautiful, calm sound, floating in the air to his ears. Finishing the apple and tossing the crumb into an uncapped garbage can, Bucky walked in search of the sound, curious for the melody he had never heard before.
He turned left and passed two or three frets until he noticed that the sound had faded, then turned and retraced his path, this time turning right on the branch, noticing that the melody had increased. Putting a hand to his sweaty forehead to shield his eyes from the sun, he searched until he noticed a figure a few houses ahead. Walking slowly, as if wanting nothing, he stopped in front of a large two-story house, with a green and well-kept garden, surrounded by a low wall of red bricks. On the porch of the house, standing barefoot on the varnished wooden slats, there was a young man perhaps two or three years younger than Bucky. He wore pale blue linen pants with the hems rolled up to the calves, a plain, clean white shirt unlike Bucky's grimy sweat-soaked shirt with sleeves pulled up to the elbows and pale brown suspenders. His back was to Bucky, as if he were in the middle of completing a circle on the porch, and his back was stretching the thin fabric of his shirt.
Bucky stood there as the boy turned and his breath left him as he saw the violin in the other's hands, the melodious sound spreading across the garden and making Barnes lean over the low wall, admiring the expression of concentration on the boy's face, jaw clenched and brows furrowed as he hit a particularly difficult note, slender fingers tightening on the violin strings as his arm moved to grip the instrument's bow. Bucky listened for an indefinite time, listening to the calm and beautiful music that floated in his ears and soothed him as he admired the different expressions that passed over the boy's pale face.
After what minutes or hours had passed -James couldn't tell- the music stopped and the boy took a deep breath and relaxed as he lowered the violin, before widening his eyes at the sound of someone clapping. His eyes focused on Bucky, who clapped and whistled as the boy blushed.
"Bravo! So that's the sound of angels?” - he smiled at the boy, just a small touch of seduction in his eyes , which could very well be mistaken for something playful - it just depended on the person's interpretation and in those times Bucky couldn't be careless. The boy raised an eyebrow and turned to put the violin in a dark suitcase, closing it and starting to walk into the house. -" Hey, wait! I wasn't making fun of you! "
The young man looked at him over his shoulder, a cute little pout on his lips, and turned around, placing the case on a wooden bench and facing Bucky with his chin up but with curious eyes.
"Can I know who are you?"- Bucky noticed a thick accent in his voice, but not heavy enough for the words to be incomprehensible. He smiled and responded in a cheerful, inviting voice.
“James Barnes, but you can call me Bucky. And who would you be, who blesses my ears with such beautiful music?” – 'almost as beautiful as you' Bucky completed in thought, as the other boy walked a little farther to the end of the porch, letting the mid-afternoon sun hit his light brown hair, making it almost blond. With the light touching him, Bucky identified an angelic face, pale skin streaked with spots, and doe eyes that stared at him curiously.
"You still haven't answered my question, Mr. Bucky."- the boy said as he approached a little closer, still looking sheepish, like a rabbit that watches a possible predator from a distance. Bucky adopted an even more relaxed posture, with his arms crossed over the wall and his face resting on them.
“No Mister, just Bucky. And to answer your question, I don't know. I heard beautiful music and came to check it out. I wasn't disappointed." - he gave a playful wink, again trying to find out if the other would interpret correctly; if he noticed that Bucky was flirting with another man and wasn't happy, he could run away as fast as possible and hope someone didn't knock on his door and take him away. The boy noticed the wink and a small blush crossed his cheeks as he approached even more. -"And, if I may ask, what is the name of such a beautiful...musician?"
The other man gave a small smile at the compliment and his features reminded Bucky of a cat.
"Andrea Marowski, at your service." - he gave a little nod with his head turned to the side like a puppy and Bucky felt a pang of affection in his chest.
"Andrea..." - he tasted the name on his tongue, feeling every syllable and every sound. -"Beautiful name, but I feel I won't be able to pronounce your last name... is it foreign? I felt a little accent."
Andrea seemed more relaxed and approached the wall, placing both hands on it and propelling himself up, sitting there. Bucky smiled and copied the movement, his legs dangling into the garden.
"It's Polish. I'm from Poland, but I lived in the US for the last year, so I still have some accent."- he replied and played with a loose strand of his pants.
"And what does a Polish musician do in the humble neighborhood of Brooklyn?"- Bucky grinned with all his teeth, fixing his suspenders and tossing his hair back to look more presentable.
“I had been in London since the beginning of the year, but I got an offer to give a presentation at a high class party a week from now. This house belongs to a friend of my mentor.”- Andrea pointed to the house and looked up at Bucky, catching him inside those honey colored irises. Bucky absorbed the information and realized with a little pang in his heart that Andrea would only be here for less than a week. Before he could ask another question, an elderly woman in elegant robes appeared on the porch and called Andrea's name. -”I'm sorry, but I have to go in now. Nice meeting you, Bucky!”
He jumped off the wall and reached out for the other to shake. Bucky grabbed the hand and lightly ran his thumb over the back of the callused hand, smiling his best winning smile.
“It was a huge pleasure for me and my ears to meet you too, Andrea.”
Andrea blushed beautifully and walked away, waving awkwardly before running into the house. Bucky smiled to himself and left the way he came, a stupid grin on his face.
**
It was another two days before Bucky had time to get away from work, to the consternation of his colleagues and the sadness of the girls who expected to see him parading around shirtless. This time he stopped by Steve's house—who was away that summer for an arts class study—and washed his face, changed his sweaty shirt for a clean one, and brushed his teeth before making his way over to the Polish's house. He took another street and entered the beautiful block, hearing another violin melody again, which guided him until he saw Andrea on the porch playing a song slower than the previous one.
“Hello, violinist! Miss me already?”- Bucky smiled when he saw Andrea's lips twitch up as he continued playing with his eyes closed, and sat back on the wall waiting for the music to stop. A few minutes later, Andrea placed the instrument in the box and walked toward Bucky, squinting to see him.
"I can't say I missed you, but I admit I like the audience." - He smiled and sat down next to Bucky.
"When will your performance be?"- Bucky asked as he saw Andrea's face twist into an adorable grimace as the sun hit his eyes.
"It will be Friday night, and from there I'll go straight to Boston and then back to London."- he replied while sighing. Bucky noted with a shudder that today was Tuesday, so he would have a few days to spend with Andrea. Looking around, he leaned into the other boy with a mischievous look.
“What if we took a walk? So you can get to know the city.”- Andrea widened his eyes at Bucky, looking inside the house with fear. He seemed to think until his eyes got sad.
"Unfortunately, I can't. I have rehearsals with the rest of the band today and tomorrow.” - he looked really sad for not being able to walk around with Bucky, and Barnes did his best to keep the disappointment off his face as he smiled reassuringly at the other.
“Hey, no problem. We can spend the afternoon here if you want, until your rehearsal time.”- Andrea looked at him with bright eyes and Bucky made a huge effort not to lean over and capture the apparently soft lips in front of him in a kiss. After Andrea nodded, they spent the afternoon sitting in the garden, talking about everything and nothing, Bucky talking about Steve and the work on the docks, and Andrea trying to teach him Polish words until the old lady came again and said to the boy prepare for the rehearsal.
"I have to go. See you later, Bucky.”- he said goodbye as he got up from the grass and pulled James to his feet, who allowed himself to get closer than recommended before pulling away, his hand lingering a little longer before releasing the polish.
"Until later. Have a good rehearsal!”- Bucky smiled and blinked before allowing Andrea to enter before making his own way home.
Wednesday passed slowly without Andrea's music and Bucky woke up in a bad mood on Thursday morning, knowing he would have to work all morning and more if he wanted to go out in the late afternoon to see the other boy, but felt he couldn't fulfill the working hours. The morning passed through the sun and his sister brought him a sandwich wrapped in brown paper for lunch, which Bucky gobbled up excitedly before going back to his chores. A little later he decided to take off his sweat-soaked shirt, which elicited some excited giggles from a group of girls who had sat down on crates nearby; Bucky recognized two or three of them from hisold school, but he didn't have the mind to go out there and flirt with them.
"I see why your hands are so callused."
Bucky looked up from where he was lifting a heavy wooden box that he nearly dropped at his feet when he heard Andrea's voice. The Polish was standing up there in the street, hands in his pockets and a flush on his face from the strong sun.
"Hey , what are you doing here?"- Bucky didn't want to sound rude, but he couldn't hide his surprise when he saw the other outside the house. He deposited the box on top of the pile he had started and hurried over to Andrea, remembering to keep a respectful distance from him.
“Madame Marineen let me take a walk and I decided to come see you. Believe me, I spent a lot of time looking for you and getting lost until I finally found you, which surprised me to actually see you here. And what a nice surprise.” - the last part was said in a barely audible, accent-laden whisper as Andrea looked at Bucky's sweaty bare chest, who knew that if his skin wasn't already red from the sun, the blush on his cheeks would be extremely visible.
Bucky coughed in embarrassment and ran a hand through his hair, tossing the strands back as he looked into the boy's beautiful brown eyes.
"I'll take a while here, but if you agree, you can wait for me until I'm done, so we can take a walk in the early evening ..." - Bucky's heart was pounding in his chest and he saw the smile of Andrea fall down a bit.
“I'm sorry, but I have to get back before five. But I can stay here with you before I give the time!"
Bucky smiled and went back to work, Andrea sitting on a wooden box next to him as they chatted, the group of girls now forgotten as Bucky's blue eyes focused on Andrea's brown ones. They spent the afternoon like this until Andrea had to leave. The boy looked around before dropping a handkerchief to the floor, bending down to pick it up and waiting for Bucky to drop too; as James crouched behind the box, a confused look on his sunburned face, Andrea leaned over and placed a quick kiss on James' red cheek, standing up as if nothing had happened and tucking the handkerchief into his pocket.
“Thanks for taking my handkerchief. Goodbye Bucky.”- Andrea left the docks and crossed the street, making Bucky's mouth fall out of sight. He touched the kissed cheek, feeling the tingle on his hot skin and having to hold back his smile for the rest of the day.
**
Friday brought a weight to Bucky's heart, who knew that this would be the last day he would see Andrea. He took a deep breath and looked at himself in the mirror, wondering; he wore a set of pants, a crisp white shirt, and a brown button-down vest that was a little tight but helped prevail over his strong back and arms. He brushed his teeth and fixed his hair, putting on shoes and pulling on his threadbare blazer before heading out of the house, the sun still blazing above his head. He tried not to run, but he couldn't resist picking up his pace until he reached the Polish's house.
"Andrea!"- Bucky yelled and clapped his hands until the door opened and a well-dressed Andrea opened the door with a frown of confusion. -"What time will your presentation be?"
"At eight, but I have to be there at seven-thirty at the latest."- Andrea replied still with a confused face. Bucky did the math and a smile crossed his smooth face.
"Perfect! It's now three-thirty, so we have almost four hours before you need to come back. Let's go!” -Bucky yelled as he jumped over the wall and ran before pulling Andrea by the hand.
"Let's go where?"- Andrea's doe eyes were wide in confusion and Bucky smiled at him again.
"You're leaving today without even knowing this amazing place, and I can't let that happen, so we're going to take a walk."- Andrea looked at him like he was crazy, a little afraid. Bucky stopped pulling him and looked into Andrea's eyes, his hand still holding the other's. - “Look, I just want to spend these last few hours with you. I promise I'll bring you back at the right time, but please come with me.”
Andrea looked him deep in the eye before sighing and nodding, shouting something in Polish into the house, being greeted with something Bucky took as confirmation. Andrea let go of Bucky's hand regretfully, before starting to walk beside him out of the garden and toward the street.
"And where are you going to take me?"
Bucky smiled.
"You'll see."
Bucky took Andrea to various parts of Brooklyn, into alleys full of cats, and walked with him through the busy streets; the two ate lunch at a fried food stand and ate ice cream. James pointed to the buildings and shops, talking about the people who lived and worked there, about their stories and moments. The two chased after a dog and played with it until the owner called it back, and helped a lady carry some fabric bags to a store door. They were walking slowly down a quieter sidewalk when Bucky stopped.
"What's wrong ?" -Andrea asked with his head tilted to the side when he saw Bucky looking at a sign lit by a low lantern, the glow contrasting with the darkness of early six in the evening. Bucky dug in his pockets until he pulled out a bill of money and his eyes sparkled.
"Let's go."- he grabbed the other's wrist and pulled him inside, handing the note to a girl at the reception and receiving some change. Andrea looked around when he heard the music, seeing several young people dancing in the center of the room and others sitting at tables, drinking and eating. The lights were low and he couldn't see the features of the dancing people, but he heard the laughter and saw the long swirling skirts and open vests. He stopped when he felt Bucky's hand come down a little on his wrist, almost touching his hand.- “Don't worry. Nobody here is going to stare .”
Andrea then paid attention and saw that some pairs were formed by two girls or two boys and anyone who looked quickly would think they were just friends having fun, but Andrea noticed the affection that exuded from them. A livelier song started and Bucky pulled him into the crowd, holding him and spinning around the room, and soon his worry turned to laughter and gasps as he danced like there was no tomorrow. Andrea and Bucky lost track of time, dancing to song after song, from the liveliest to the slowest, with their bodies pressed together and the colonies mingling, hands sliding down arms and hips, lips touching temples and cheeks pressed together and then parting to leap and twirl as a livelier song replaced the slow music, their affectionate smiles broken by happy laughter and sniffles. When the last song stopped, Bucky glanced at the wall's watch and his smile dropped as his eyes widened in surprise.
"We have to go, it's already seven o'clock, I have to take you home." - he took Andrea by the hand and left the establishment, running in the darkness through shortcuts that only Bucky knew, until they stopped at the beginning of the vacant lot near the Andrea's house street. They both stopped there to catch their breath, their hands still clasped together, the sweat between them making them disgusting and sticky, but neither of them dared let go. After a minute or two, the guys straightened, facing each other in the dark until Bucky reached up with his other hand and cupped Andrea's cheek gently and slowly, before carefully leaning forward, giving the other boy time to back away, what didn't happen.
Andrea's lips were a little dry but still soft, and Bucky released his hand to grip Andrea's hip firmly, feeling the other sigh and wrap his arms around his neck. The two boys stood there, lips touching lovingly, tongues touching every now and then, chests pressed together as if they would never let go, barely audible gasps and sighs and low laughter. The two parted with regret, Bucky placing several little kisses on Andrea's cheeks and forehead, touching each of his moles and stroking the freckles with his fingertips.
“You are the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on, Andrea Marowski. I hope your angelic music blesses everyone's ears the same way it blessed mine.”- Bucky caressed Andrea's cheeks and kissed a lonely tear that ran there.
“And you will always be my fondest memory of this country, Bucky Barnes. May my music always reach you, no matter where or when.” -He leaned over and pressed his sweaty forehead against Bucky's, smiling. The two shared one last kiss before Andrea walked away and walked into the house, Bucky's eyes never leaving him. A few minutes later he got out and stopped by the car, violin case in hand, hair neatly combed and their eyes crossed. Andrea smiled and waved, getting into the car and leaving forever. Bucky wiped away a tear and clutched his chest, smiling despite the pain, and made his way home. He would have to go work early.
**
Zemo and Bucky were dancing in the living room of their apartment shortly after Zemo was released from the raft after a year in prison. He and Bucky had their bodies joined, Zemo's hand on James' shoulder and Bucky's left on his hip, the other hands linked close to their heads. The two men swayed in time to the slow music, dancing lightly without barely moving out of place, Zemo's head against the side of Bucky's neck and Bucky with his cheek resting against his partner's brown hair. Helmut looked up and looked into the James' blue eyes, drinking all the affection and love there, and smiled at him as they continued to swing, their lips meeting in a calm, loving kiss, hot mouths proving one to another before separating.
"Do you believe that people who are destined to be together will always meet?"- Zemo asked as they finished a spin, his voice low and calm.
"Absolutely, doll ."- James replied as he pulled Zemo closer and intertwined his fingers more tightly.
"How can you be so sure?"- Zemo lifted his face a little and Bucky lost himself in the spots of his partner's pale skin and brown eyes, kissing him on the cheek with all the tenderness he could have and smiled at he as 'Pier Boy', by Andrea Marowski, played on the record player and filled the room with the beautiful sound of a violin.
"Because I found you."