Red Star ✴️ Bucky Barnes X Reader

12: Trying to Remember

After dinner, T'Challa returned to his room while the other three left for the elevator. Once they got to their rooms, Steve reached for his door handle and turned to the other two with a smile.

"It's nice to have good days again." Steve sighed.

"It really is." Bucky remarked back. "You turning in old man?"

Steve chuckled. "Hey, don't call the kettle black."

"Then I'll just call him old," Bucky retorted, turning to see Bowman's reaction. She just stared into space.

"Well, this old man is going to bed. See you in the morning!" Steve waved at the other two before retreating into his room.

Bucky smiled at his old friend before turning to Bowman. She seemed to be spacing out since dinner and hadn't been her normal sarcastic self since she ate. Just before her fingers wrapped around her door handle, Bucky's mouth acted faster than his brain.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She turned to him, surprised.

"What do you mean?"

Bucky's brain started stammering for an answer. "Well, uh... You seemed a little out of it after dinner. Just making sure you're not stomach sick or anything!" He laughed, hoping his joke would cover his concern.

She was about to brush it off as nothing, before deciding to say screw it and letting go of her door handle with a sigh.

"Do- or I guess, did- you ever have moments where you felt something, and it just... Like... It felt like home, but you don't know what that even means?"

Bucky stopped for a second, soaking in her words. "You mean... Like, when you're interacting with something and you think 'this is familiar', but you have no idea why?"

"Exactly!" She beamed, glad someone else understood her. "Well, the thing I had at dinner... That tasted like... Well, I dunno. Something I've had before."

"Pierogi?" Bucky responded.

"Yeah, that! It... I dunno, it just feels familiar. I can't put my finger on where I had it though."

Bucky nodded, taking in that information. "Well, maybe doing some research about it may bring up some results?"

Her eyes brightened. "You think that would work?"

Bucky nodded. "Here, we can go back upstairs and see if I can borrow a computer or something to use."

She grew giddier and giddier as he spoke.  "That sounds amazing! Do you think that would really work?"

Bucky shrugged. "Possibly. Anything is worth a shot."

"Well then, what are we waiting for!" She beamed, running back to the elevator. Her superhuman abilities allowed Bowman to get a steady lead before Bucky processed what was happening.

"Hey!" He yelled. "Get back here!"

She merely laughed back. "Catch me if you can!"

You really pulling that card? Bucky thought to himself. Just watch and learn doll.

Before long, Bucky was running right next to the supersoldier, and seconds after, he was ahead of her by several feet.

"HEY!"

"Catch me if you cannn~!" He teased, turning around to run backwards just to boast of his abilities.

"Not fair!" She squealed back, hoping his hubris would allow her to catch up.

Bucky barely beat Bowman to the elevator door, nearly slamming into the back of the elevator before stopping herself.

"How is that even possible?" She panted, resting her hands on her knees while Bucky punched in the floor number.

He looked over at the tired girl with a smirk. "You may be a super soldier, but I've been one longer."

"Yeah, yeah," she dismissed him with the swish of her arm before she bent back over in her tired state. "Man, I haven't trained in ages."

Bucky leaned against the elevator wall, a small smile tugging at his face as he observed the supersoldier's plight. "Maybe you and I need to spar again. That's get us both in shape real quick."

She turned to face him, a similar half-smile creeping onto her face. "I know you're joking, but that's actually not a bad idea."

"I'm not joking, Bowman." He retorted, picking at his nailbeds. "It'd be good to get some training in, especially before the Raft Raid."

She nodded, having gained most of her composure back. "Raft Raid. I like that name. Operation: Raft Raid!" She joked, holding her hands out as if she were presenting a banner. "It's got a nice ring to it."

Bucky just chuckled. "Operation: Raft Raid. Can't say I hate it."

"Oh, don't even with me Barnes," she joked, coyly slapping the back of her hand against his shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah!" He rolled his eyes as the elevator met the floor with a ding.