dream on, little diamond ✣ 1970s bucky barnes au

[ ch. 2 stone fox ]

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Well, I think it's time I share a bit about the man known as James Buchanan Barnes, a leader with international mystery and insane generational wealth from a long line of fighters with filthy talents and shameless, lets call them, habits. His ascension to the top of the Romanian Mafia alongside his father within a decade of joining the organization at seventeen was puzzling and terrifying to most, especially those that witnessed what he did to rise so quickly.

The raven haired man is known for his natural ruthlessness, his talent with turning off his emotions for small pockets of time to get the difficult shit done, and his ability to sell anyone on just about any idea. It's no surprise men fell into line quickly before his father, George, died in an attack at a holiday party a few years back. Now, growing up the way James did left little room for him to be flexible for the sake of others. He was never told no, those that found themselves the giver of such a response when it counted weren't likely alive to tell the tale, like I said...ruthless. But you know the saying, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree...even if the apple feared the tree it's entire existence.

Monsters aren't born, they're created, and that remains true with James Barnes. The reason the man was so capable of turning off those emotions is because as a child he had to, for the sake of his sister. See, George Barnes was harsh, demeaning, and about as abusive as they come in Romania. He was also violent, and Bucky took to brunt of it for his Mother and twin sister, Rebecca. He was strong by shutting it off, and now he can't survive without doing so. He rose with violence and a sharp wit, even a man of few words can sway a crowd with the right ones.

Men like that, they have plenty of enemies, but they also have many allies. But, in true Barnes fashion, Bucky only trusted three people entirely. First is his twin sister, Beccs, who is running the entire Romanian underground alongside her husband, Paul Vasile, who James only partially trusts. The pair produced salt in massive yields while transporting jewelry and cocaine worldwide alongside it.

The second is Sam Wilson, a friend of a friend who happened to be the most honest helping personality James had ever experienced. He quickly became the right hand man to Bucky as he was already a gemstone expert. Once settling in Los Angeles, Sam is the reason Bucky jumped into the jewelry business in America. Saying it's an easy way to transport millions worldwide without anyone thinking twice about it.

The final person, who also held the most trust, was the man that actually saved Bucky's life twelve years ago, Steve Rogers. Bucky swears that Steve decided to visit Romania before going home to America after the war, because fate decided it. The blonde showed up inside of James' small town's train station the day the raven haired mafia man with sad eyes was ready to end it all with a step in front of a train. It was Steve that grabbed his left arm and pulled him back before he met his end, changing the trajectory of both of their paths in an instant.

Why was James ready to die? Well, friend, that's a story for another time.

So, back to today, it's a hot summer afternoon in late July, the sun shining down on James, his face brooding and his azure gaze covered with black Rayban shades. He sat on a bench somewhere near a main plaza where rock music played quietly in the air around him. His hands rest on his powder blue fitted trouser covered lap tapping to the beat he hears, as his thin white button up short sleeve shirt suddenly feels too thick. He unbuttons the top of his shirt as he checks his watch for the third time in the past two minutes.

"Lookin' a little bugged out there, Buck." A tall blonde with fluffy hair and a perfectly tailored beige two piece with a bolo tie stands beside him with a beaming grin as he lifts his shades from his ocean eyes, resting them in his pocket.