Secretive - Bucky Barnes

46 || The bond

[Nova]
»Nova, have you lost your mind?« I hear him scream, my eyes opening immediately like waking up from a dream. It does not even feel like a second I have had to rest before his voice cuts the air like a knife, Tony's anger not really hidden. »You could have died!«

Breathing out loud, I blink leisurely. He took off his suit, good that. Now Mister Stark himself stalks towards us madly, annoyedly, wearing only a dark coloured shirt and equally dark coloured skinny jeans, the only bright aspect on him several bandages and plasters. Sweaty as I am, I stand up from the root I took a seat on. »It takes more than a burning building to kill me, Stark.«

He shakes his head in disbelief while I knock off dust and ashes from my blazer. It does not even have a scratch – fascinating. Crouching next to Natasha and checking her up for a pulse and any signs of life, he stretches his right hand out to me, handing me his phone. 

Even before I take it, it is the rhythm of his breath that I recognize him by. »Steve's been the fool to take the call. He tried on every single one of our phones, but you know Steve.« Tony grumbles while tapping something on his wrist – some technology, probably to call the others, tell them about our whereabouts. 

Knowing that soon enough there will be paramedics here for her, I distance myself from the scenario, ensuring no one else hears. I ignore Tony's comment; of course he would call, he is worried. And as I know him, he does not give a single damn about how inconvenient the time is until he knows what he wants to know.

A last looking back to Natasha, a last making-sure there still is a heartbeat while Tony examines her body for injuries, probably to be able to later on tell the medics where to start first.

»Hi« I mouth hesitatingly, glance hovering above the far, brown field and the far, black sky. Once more, I cannot help it but smile about James's stubbornness.

Hearing him sigh is almost like feeling a load falling off my heart as well. »I can't let you alone for twenty-four fucking hours, can I?«

»I'm still alive; obviously, you can.« I counter, rather mockingly than seriously.

»What did you think running into that building? Everyone will know one of your powers has to do with fire. You know that, don't you? It's unlike you to change your opinion as fast without no one around to touch your soul. Doesn't matter anyways. Primarily, please, tell me how you are. I've been worrying since you called me.« James trembles over his own voice, his worries and fears clearly illustrated through the phone.

And here we are again; another of the numerous reasons I love James for. He knows of my qualities, of my abilities. He did not worry as much about the fact I ran into a burning building, but about the fact I did not want the others to know. And there are barely things I appreciate more in this world than his trust and belief in me.

I shiver once involuntarily about the fact there is someone in this world knowing me as much as he does. »Turns out I'm simply not as endlessly blessed with power as I thought. I'm exhausted, that's all. Don't worry. What about you? Where're you?«

»On my way to you with Banner. Should be an hour, perhaps. Tony's getting the medics into the hotel; he doesn't want official hospitals or something alike involved.« The airplane roars once in the background as to emphasize his phrase, although there probably just has been a gust of wind.

»Here? Didn't you find something?«

»No, nothing. We were on our way anyways since you called and I got that bad feeling about you.« And for the last sentence, I can literally see the grin on his rather small but full, rosy lips. »I'm still up for that kiss you promised, you know. Turns out we're getting it sooner than expected.«