The Hurt And The Healing: Bucky X OC

Chapter Fifty Two: Terms Of Engagement

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Mara bellowed loudly enough for Bucky to hear from the bedroom. He started and tried to push himself up, but his hand slipped on the quilt and he fell onto his side with a hiss of pain. He rolled back and listened to the sound of her chewing someone out.

"Mara?" he called, hoping that she was okay. Her shouting seemed to be of the rage-fueled variety, which was safe for her and dangerous for whoever was the target of her ire. "Mara?" he repeated as loudly as he could.

A minute later she stormed into the room, eyes flashing and face flushed.

"That idiot. That brutto figlio di puttana bastardo. Of all the stupid, selfish, arrogant-" she turned and shouted out to the hallway "Fanculo i tuoi parenti morti, tuo nonno, tua madre, e tre quarti del tuo patrimonio!"

"So you ran into Zemo," Bucky said mildly. Mara whipped around and laughed harshly.

"Oh I ran into him. And the little piece of shit-" she exhaled sharply and sat down in the chair beside the bed. "I'm not even going to tell you what he said because it is so- so-" she pressed her hands over her mouth like a muzzle.

"I'm genuinely curious as to what could have pissed you off this much," Bucky said dryly as he sat himself up in bed.

"If I repeat it then I'm going to get even angrier," she muttered through her interlocked fingers.

"Did it relate to me?"

She nodded.

"Now I really want to know."

Mara glared at him and Bucky smiled at her in return. One of his strange smiles that stretched his cheeks a bit too far but did not make his eyes crinkle nearly enough and seemed to creep everyone out but her. After a half-minute-long staring contest she broke and genuinely laughed.

"Fuck you," she chided through her laughter.

"'Fraid the doctor hasn't cleared me for that yet, darling," Bucky replied. Mara looked up at him in shock and Bucky let the silence drag on a moment too long, enjoying the sight of her being flustered by his directness. "But when the time comes I'll remember that you said that."

"Oh you- you-" Mara groaned and buried her face in her hands as Bucky laughed.

"Speechless? You?" he teased and Mara shot him a look.

"I've already threatened to murder one man today," she warned and he waved away her comment.

"You can't kill me. I'm too endearing," he reminded her. "Now, what did Zemo say?"

"It's ridiculous," Mara warned and Bucky shrugged.

"So is everything that comes out of his mouth. Come on, tell me."

"He-" Mara paused and collected herself.

Holy hell, she really is pissed, Bucky thought. Most of the time Mara burned through her rage after a few strings of expletives and some rude hand gestures. But she still looked close to imploding and it had been a whole five minutes since he first heard her shout.

"He suggested that you kill Movoniv," Mara finally stated. Bucky stared at her. "As in, be the Winter Soldier again and take him out."

"Well shit," Bucky managed to reply. Mara nodded, eyes locked on him.

"I told him it was stupid. Told him that you were weeks away from being healed and that after everything you had gone through there was no way you were going to go back to that dark place," Mara explained. "I also told him a few other things that Nonna would have washed my mouth out with soap for if she didn't agree with me."