different » marvel ¹

thirty-four

   My fingers brushed small strands of brown hair away from his face. After moving him from the cryo-freeze chamber, little pieces had fallen out of place, casting minuscule shadows across his forehead.

I smiled contently as my fingers slowly travelled away from his hair and down to his cheek, my thumb carefully caressing the skin as I did so. He looked so young like this; no worries plagued him and no responsibilities hung on his shoulders.

"Hey, Bucky," I mutter, smiling to myself. "Shuri says that you'll wake up soon . . . I miss you." The words left my mouth in an unintentionally sad tone, making me sigh afterwards. I ran my hand through my hair, pushing it away and leaning back into the chair I sat in.

   It had been months since I had even seen him, and now that I had, it brought some peace of mind, but the feeling of longing didn't go away. I missed his voice and being able to have a conversation with him.

Odd how that worked out for you, Loki's voice echoed in the back of my head, causing the corner of my lips to turn up at the memory. It was odd. Bucky had been a part of my life long before I even knew him as I did now, and there was no way I had pictured it turning out like this. He was the one I wholeheartedly knew I could count on, he was the one I wanted to count on.

I leaned my head into the side of his chest, vaguely hearing his heartbeat once I did so. It brought a subtle comfort to me, and I closed my eyes, wishing that he never had to do this in the first place.

• • •

"And you'll let me know if anything happens while I'm gone, right? Y'know, maybe I should stay, yeah—" Shuri cut me off by grabbing my shoulders. A grin surfaced on her face that was accompanied with a small chuckle. I had been having doubts for the last few hours about staying, wanting to be with Bucky just in case he woke up or anything happened, but Shuri kept reassuring me.

   "I assure you, Mr. Barnes will be okay while you go visit your friends. If anything arises, I will contact you immediately. Don't worry," she said, rubbing my arm before turning me to the jet.

   I exhaled deeply and tried turning on my heel, but she laughed and kept me facing forward. "Raven, go. Your boyfriend will be fine." I tried to hide the deep red that crept up my cheeks at the word she used, but she grinned again and pushed me forward gently. "The coordinates are already programmed into the system, so you'll be on autopilot. To come back, you just have to select the home coordinates and it'll take you back here."

   "Even navigate through the barrier?" I raised an eyebrow. She nodded and ushered me onto the jet, taking my bag from me and tossing it onto one of the seats.

   "See you soon," she said, turning and stepping off the platform of the jet. "And have fun! But don't get caught by the authorities!" With that, the large door closed and the jet began to rise into the sky as I sat down. Her warning made me think of the Sokovia Accords that I'd almost forgotten about. Just something else to worry about, I thought.

I pushed a few strands of hair back, glancing around the jet for a moment. A dark grey cabinet drew my attention and I moved to open in. A sticky note was placed on it. Snacks and food was scribbled on the paper in broad handwriting, most likely Shuri's. I didn't hesitate to open it after that, quickly finding a bag of chips and water bottle that I took with me back to a seat near the front of the jet.

   My gaze fell to the large window in the front of the jet, seeing everything passing below me as the altitude increased, causing the small monitor below it the continuously update the information. A feeling of excitement entered me, causing me to smile giddily. Despite how much I wanted to stay with Bucky, I also wanted to see my friends; my unintentional, dysfunctional family of sorts. Letting out a comfortable sigh, I stuffed a chip in my mouth and continued to look through the window as if I were a child on a road trip.

   Soon enough, clouds eased around the aircraft, leaving visibility of the land below slim to none.

• • •

   "Shh." I began to stir once I heard the noise. Not opening my eyes just yet, but trying to become more aware of my surroundings through my other senses. Footsteps echoed across the floor, becoming quieter after a moment. I must have fallen asleep after a while on the jet, which wasn't exactly the best choice, but I was tired and it seemed like a good opportunity.

   "Be quiet," a new voice added in a scolding tone, making me peek one of my eyes open, but close it immediately after. A spark of familiarity rose through me, so I took a chance and slowly opened my eyes, carefully sitting up and trying not to draw any attention just incase I was wrong. I was still in the jet, but I now laid down across the small couch towards the back.

My feet hit the floor softly as I glanced up. I was met with the back of a woman with short, whiteish-blonde hair. I dismissed my earlier feeling of recognition, now knowing it was a mistake.

   Energy began to run in my veins, small signs of my powers beginning to show through as I stood.

A purple aura surrounded her figure as I flicked my wrist and lifted her into the air with my powers. My hand and arm mimicked a choking motion as I quickly moved closer and turned her to face me. "What the hell are—Nat?"