Wings, Metal, and Frost

Back in Action

"Bucky, Sam didn't know that it would-" She began. 

Bucky whirled around and looked up at her with shock. "You knew he gave away the Shield?" 

"Yes, but he didn't give it away to be handed off," Ellie replied and gestured towards the TV. "He wasn't ready." 

"You knew?" Bucky repeated. 

Ellie shut her mouth, realizing her fault. Bucky gave her a bewildered look and turned back around to stand. 

"Bucky, I didn't tell you because Sam and I knew that you wouldn't have handled it well," Ellie tried to explain. Maybe that wasn't the best way to explain their reasoning, Bucky is not a fragile object. 

Bucky let out a half-hearted laugh as he walked towards their bedroom. "You were right about that!" 

Ellie pursed her lips and waited for him to come back into the living room so they could continue to talk. She wasn't going to follow him and bicker. He was walking away and she would respect that. When she realized he was probably wanting to be alone, she walked to the kitchenette to eat something for breakfast. Ellie was about to pour herself a bowl of Froot Loops when Bucky walked out of the bedroom fully dressed and headed for the door with purpose. Ellie set down the cereal box and followed him. 

"Where are you going?" She asked. 

"To talk to Sam," Bucky answered. 

Ellie rushed out of the kitchenette and slipped past Bucky to block the door. Bucky stopped walking before he ran into her and let out an exasperated sigh. Ellie held her arms out to either side of the door frame. Bucky gave her a skeptical look with narrowed eyes. It was a childish move she was playing. Ellie returned his skepticism with a stubborn expression and lifted her chin. 

"Ellie, come on, move," Bucky said as he nodded his head to the side. 

"Make me," she shot back. 

There was a split second where Bucky's face showed amusement before he covered it with impatience. Ellie knew she shouldn't have said "make me", because that's exactly what he did. Bucky grabbed her waist, lifted her from the ground, and set her to the side. He reached for the doorknob and Ellie quickly turned the lock. Bucky blew air through his nose with frustration. 

"You don't even know where Sam is," Ellie pointed out. Bucky looked down at her. He was admitting defeat. "Besides, I have the car keys and I'm the one who drives." 

Bucky's lip twitched at her stubbornness and the fact that he loved her regardless. He glanced away for a moment before he nodded stiffly. 

"Great," Ellie finished. She paused for a moment and put her hand under Bucky's chin to turn his face towards her. "Bucky, I am sorry. I did not tell you that Sam gave up the Shield because I did not want you to have to worry about that on top of everything else going on. I realize that was a bad decision and you have every right to be mad."

Bucky gazed down at her with a soft expression. "I accept your apology. I'm not mad at you..." His brows lowered on his forehead. "I'm mad at Sam." 

Ellie pursed her lips and nodded. Well, she can't change that fact. 

"Okay, let me get dressed, and we..." She pointed between them. "Will talk to Sam." 

~~

Bucky was silent for the entire drive and so was Ellie. She was thinking about what she would say to Sam. Bucky was thinking about how frustrated he was and was not carefully choosing his words. Ellie parked the car outside the Air Force base and as they got out, an M.P nodded at the two, recognizing that they were friends of Sam Wilson. As they entered the base, Ellie glanced at Bucky.