Hope and Dream

17.

One week.

ONE LONG AND AGONIZING WEEK.

Katie gave a moan as she fell back against the mats in the training room. She winced in pain and glared at Sam, the biggest smirk on his face.
"Always anticipate your opponent." Sam said with a shrug.
"I'm not a super soldier, you know." Katie grimaced.
Sam took a deep breath and helped her to her feet.
"Neither am I." Sam said.
Katie winced in pain and placed her hands on her waist, taking a deep breath.
"Thanks for training with me." She said, a smile on her lips.
"Yeah, why did you want to start training?" Sam asked.
"I thought it'd be useful." She said. "Plus, with a certain someone avoiding me..."
"He avoids everyone." Sam said. "Bucky tends to close himself off."

Her thoughts went to that night with her legs wrapped around his waist as his lips crashed on hers in a ravenous need.

"It just gives me something to do." She said, dropping her shoulders.
Sam couldn't help but smile. Without even looking, Katie knew that the wheels in his head were starting to turn.
"He's not avoiding you..." Sam started.
"He is, Sam." Katie said with a sigh.
Her phone started to ring, and she immediately ran over to the bench to answer the call.
"Hello?" Katie anxiously asked.
"Hey, Dr. Maxwell, It's Maggie." Maggie said.
Maggie was Katie's favorite nurse at the hospital, so naturally she had been calling with any updates...or lack there of.
"How's Sarah?" Katie asked, knowing what the answer would be.
"Still unconscious." Maggie said. "Vitals look good, but the burns on her body... It's gonna be a long road. Just thought I would give you an update."
The line disconnected and she shut her eyes, a single tear falling down her face.

"John will pay..." Glacier said.

"All good with your roommate?" Sam asked.
Katie gave a jump and nodded her head. The only thing the team knew was that there was a fire and Bucky went with her so she wouldn't be alone. Nothing was ever said about Glacier, the brothers...or anything else from the night.
"Still in a coma." Katie said. "If she wakes up, her life...she's going to have a long recovery."
Sam nodded and took a deep breath, walking up to her.
"Have you gone to see her?" Sam asked.
"I'm actually going in a couple days." Katie said. "I have to report to Dr. Raynor."
Katie picked up her bag and gave Sam a smile. A small, weak smile, but a smile none the less.
"Thanks for the ass kicking." She said with a wink. "I'll get you next time."
Katie gave a small laugh and headed out of the training room. She just wanted to be back in her quarters, not having to think about anything.

*******
Bucky was just coming in from a run when he saw her leaving the training room. He couldn't keep his eyes off her.

Ever since that night, he had gone out of his way to avoid her. He had gotten too close and...he knew that he would never be good enough.

That didn't mean he still didn't look. He would steal a glance at her whenever he got the chance, only looking away when she felt his eyes and looked at him.

Bucky took a deep breath and headed towards the training room. He needed to punch something or start throwing his knives. When he saw Sam cleaning up, he gave a groan out of frustration. He knew a conversation was coming...and one he definitely did not want to have.

"Speak of the devil and he appears." Sam said.
Bucky cocked an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Bucky asked.
Sam gave a chuckle and shook his head, continuing to clear the mats. Bucky walked over to the punching bag and started wrapping his hands in tape. He even wrapped his metal hand...a force of habit.
"Saw Katie leaving..." Bucky started.
"Oh, so you DO still notice her." Sam said.
Bucky pretended to ignore the statement as he continued to wrap his knuckles. Sam gave a sigh and looked at him.
"Why are you avoiding her, Buck?" Sam asked.

"I'm not avoiding her." Bucky said.

"Really?" Sam asked. "So, that's why you leave the room whenever she enters? That's why you haven't spoken to her at all? Been cold around her..."
Bucky couldn't help but smirk at his words, but he turned it into a cough.
"What happened that night, man?" Sam asked.
Bucky took a deep breath and walked over to the bag and started punching it.
"Obviously something did." Sam said. "Something happened and it spooked you."

Bucky threw a punch with his metal hand and Sam noticed the ceiling where the bag was connected cracked.

"Sam..." Bucky started, pleading with him not to continue.

Sam rolled his eyes and took a deep breath.
"She's been training like crazy." Sam said. "Any idea why?"
Bucky tried not to show his surprise as his fist connected with the bag.
"She wants to train?" Bucky asked.
He ran his flesh hand though his hair and took a deep breath. Sam gave him a hard stare and crossed his arms over his chest.
"You know she got a call about her roommate when we were done." Sam said.

Bucky couldn't help but feel jealous that it was Sam who was training, but he played it off.
"She's still unconscious." Sam said. "Have you even asked her how she is? You were there that night..."
Bucky took a hard, deep breath and went back to punching the bag.
"I don't know what the hell happened, but I know something did." Sam said. "Buck...what..."
Bucky became so agitated that he punched the bag so hard, it went flying off the chain and into the nearby wall.
"I kissed her!" Bucky yelled.
Sam's eyebrows raised as Bucky hung his head, not out of shame...

All he wanted to do was grab her and take her.

"You..." Sam started, a smile forming on his lips.
Bucky glanced up at Sam and rolled his eyes.
"No, stop thinking what you're thinking..." Bucky said.
"You don't know what I'm thinking." Sam said.
"Oh, I know what you're thinking." Bucky said.
"I'm not the one with the cyborg brain." Sam countered.
"Well, at least I'm not a birdbrain." Bucky deadpanned.
Sam couldn't help but give a smile as he shook his head.
"You're so clueless." Sam said. "Go talk to her."
Bucky rolled his eyes and started taking the tape off his hands.
"I can't." Bucky said.
"Why not?" Sam asked.

Bucky took a deep breath and...well...he didn't really know how to feel.

"Look..." Bucky started, trying to convince himself. "I'm not good enough, especially for someone like her. I've done horrible things in my past."

Bucky took a deep breath and looked at Steve.
"I don't know if I'm worth all this to you." Bucky said.
Steve took a deep breath and shook his head, needing his friend to hear him.
"What you did all those years, it wasn't you." Steve said.
Bucky gave a sad smile and looked at Steve.
"Yeah...." Bucky said with a sigh. "...But I still did them..."

"I can't put her through that." Bucky said.
"Everyone has a past, Buck." Sam said. "Some great, some horrible. It's what you do with the here and now that counts. Live in the moment. If you feel something for this girl, ANYTHING for her...don't waste any time. If you think you can find happiness with her..."
Bucky gave a genuine smile and nodded his head. Sam smiled and gave him a pat on the back.
"Go get her then..." Sam said, a smile on his face.
Bucky took a deep breath and sprinted out of the training room, to her.

He had come to realize...he would always run to his girl.