Do You Trust Me? // Bucky Barnes

13

Bucky

"He's - erm - you're..." Ava was staring at Steve with wide eyes as she wrapped her fingers around the cold metal of Bucky's arm as he tried to pass her. He wasn't sure she even registered that she was clinging to him as he stood staring at her hand while she stared at his best friend. "You're Captain America."

Steve laughed one of his easy, light chuckles that Bucky had been missing over the last couple of months and Bucky shook his head a little as he tried to pull his arm away. Ava only clung tighter to him.

"No, that's him." Steve pointed a wooden spoon at Sam before passing it over to Talia.

"Right." Ava nodded as Steve stepped around Talia; pressing a swift kiss against her hair before moving to the refrigerator. "Sure. Yeah."

"Wanna let go now, Hall." Bucky could hear how his voice was gruff and short when he spoke and he watched as Ava's eyes snapped to his face before dropping to where her dainty fingers were wrapped tightly around his wrist, her knuckles turning white with the strength of her grip.

"Oh. God. I'm sorry." She pulled her hand back and up to her chest, as if touching him had burned her, and her eyes snapped back to his. "It's just - that's Captain Rogers. Captain - I - shit - I joined the army because of him. Well, because of my dad actually, but also because Captain Rogers was kind of like the legend, you know. Brooklyn kid with heart. Dad was from Brooklyn too."

She was rambling and a soft peach blush seemed to peek out from beneath her skin as she spoke, her eyes glued to Bucky's face, and he knew she was watching his lips as they curved into a small smile. He couldn't help it. She was excited and staring at him like he'd just organised a meet and greet with her favourite singer or something. He liked the way her eyes sparked with energy when she was excited.

Another chuckle pulled her eyes away from Bucky and he took a deep breath, stepping away from her and over to the small couch shoved in the corner of the room. He didn't need to be so close to her.

"I'm so sorry," Ava whispered again. "But I really thought you were dead and - just - I'm sorry I should stop talking."

Bucky watched as Steve passed Ava a bottle of water and moved back to Talia's side. He watched as Ava watched the two of them together before dropping her eyes to the bottle in her hands and twisting it as if nervous. He watched as she glanced to Peter and shifted slightly so that she was closer to him now that Bucky wasn't standing directly behind her. He watched as she twisted to look around the room and her eyes settled on his for just a fraction of a second before she looked back to Steve.

"It's okay," Steve spoke softly and Bucky watched how Ava's shoulders seemed to drop slightly, as if she were trying to force herself to relax. "The rest of the world thinks we're dead. We're happy with that. Obviously the people around here know that we're here, but most of the people who live around here are like us - ex-agents who wanted out, and everyone keeps their business to themselves here."

Ava nodded and Bucky couldn't help but smile as he registered the comfort Steve was offering her: her story was hers and he wasn't going to force it out of her. Typical Steve; adopting the strays and never asking questions. Parenthood was making him too soft.

"Okay." Ava nodded again, putting the water bottle on the counter and squaring her shoulders. "I mean sure. This is normal."

"Ava?" Bucky watched Peter slip his hand into Ava's and squeeze gently - offering her reassurance and comfort. "You okay?"

"Yeah, Little Bug. It's just..." She looked to Peter now and a wide smile broke out over her face. This smile was something Bucky hadn't seen on her before and he wasn't prepared for it. In fact, looking at her grinning with so much raw happiness, taking in the way her eyes crinkled and her nose scrunched, drinking in the fact that she had a small dimple in her left cheek that dented when she beamed like that, he knew nothing would have ever prepared him for that smile. When they'd interrogated her he'd thought she might be beautiful when she smiled. Now he knew without a shadow of a doubt she was the most delicate beauty he had ever seen. And that was terrifying. "That's Captain America."