Leave Me Broken [Winter Soldier] II

Simplicity [Chapter 1]

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation."

Plato

March, 2016

          "Are you sure about this?" Bucky was hesitant, his knuckles white, revealing that he was actually a bit scared. Not a lot could scare a man who had seen and done the things he had, and so that flicker of minor fear in his eyes revealed to Ophelia that he was nervous, and it did not do her any favours. A glimmer of sun shone through the window, illuminating Bucky's face, and the emotions plastered on it.

         "Yes," she replied, her hands sweaty at the palms, and she too revealed her nervousness. If she let him catch on to her nerves he might not go through with it, and Ophelia was determined. There was a lot in her life she had been determined to do, and had not accomplished all of them. But she imagined, now after just under two years, that she had all the time in the world. "You've been wanting me to do this for a long time."

          "Well, public transit did get a lot better over the years," he joked, though it wasn't an incorrect statement by any means. In the passenger seat, Bucky had already put his seatbelt over his broad chest, clipping it in and making sure it was secure. He'd taught some women how to drive a long time ago, back before the war had even started, but it was different now. Ophelia hadn't a clue how it worked, but he had gone over and over it in the last few days once she began pestering him about it.

         "Would you rather me wait until you are out at work, then?" she asked, in an obviously playful way. Her accent bounced through the small car. "I will go by myself?"

          The old road they were on was vacant more often than not, and Bucky had specifically chosen it to teach Ophelia how to drive. The car was one he borrowed from a fellow he worked with; Bucky mostly did odd jobs to stay under the radar at first, but once he began to feel at ease and safe within his own mind, he found a factory job. It paid well enough, was a night shift job, which meant he rarely worked with more than a few people at a time. 

          Ophelia didn't have a hard time finding work, given that she didn't have to hide a major body part each day, hot or cold. At first she struggled to find one that paid cash under the table, or one that she could stick with. Now, she worked as a waitress, something that required no previous skills and work experience, but was far more difficult than she imagined, and she still struggled at it; the quick paced environment was always startling to her, and the way people spoke always made her wonder if she would ever catch up with the world. But she had a natural inclination to know exactly what would make every patron happy. 

         Still, there was so much in this world that she didn't know.

         "I'm just messing with you." He half smiled, showing that he was also only half telling the truth. She had gotten to know him too well to not be able to read his thoughts without having to get inside his head. He pointed at the keys dangling from the ignition. "Alright, you remember what I taught you?"

        "Brake, clutch, gas pedal," she repeated his earlier words, her hand moving to the key. "The clutch is my best friend."

        "Sure is," he replied. "Now start the car, keep your feet on the brake and the clutch."

         She did as she was told, and the old car rattled to life. It sounded as though the muffler was about to fall off, and if she hit any pot hole it would be left behind. Bucky had told her that everyone's first car was like this, and that she should feel more at ease with an older, rusted vehicle. Shakily, she pushed the gear shift into first, and began to release her foot off of the clutch and the brake. As the car began to shudder, threatening to stall, she slammed her foot back on the clutch. Cursing under her breath and not daring look at Bucky, who she thought might be laughing at her struggle, she focused and tried again. Switching her feet, loosely removing her foot from the clutch and fully removing her foot from the brake, she began to give it gas, revving the engine.