Demons ━ Bucky Barnes [1]

17 ━ TOO HUMAN

"We need a place to lay low," Steve said and Sam looked over to him. His expression was rightfully wary, but mostly concerned.

  "Everyone we know is trying to kill us," Natasha added, looking up to make eye contact with the man.

  Realizing the severity, Sam pressed his lips into a thin line. "Not everyone," he replied. Sam stepped aside, gesturing for the group to enter.

  Andy gave him her best effort to smile before they entered the house. "Thank you," she spoke softly.

  Once inside, Sam lead them to two spare bedrooms and showed them to the washrooms. Andy thanked him once more before he went off to the kitchen. While he wandered away, she heard him muttering something about a 'big breakfast.' Her stomach responded mournfully.

  "I can sleep on the couch. You two can have the bedrooms," Steve offered. He kept glancing over at Andy, clearly hovering.

  However, she ignored his gaze. Instead of seeking comfort, she made her way over to the farthest room. Inside, she found a bathroom connected to the bedroom and took a much needed shower. When she was done, Andy took to exploring the room, straying from the windows as she glanced around the spacious area.

When she'd finally had enough of the half-hearted distraction, Andrea left to find another one elsewhere. Once she stepped out of the room she took a large breath, not completely ready to let everything sink in. She wandered over to Natasha's room in hopes that it would help her evade her thoughts.

  Though, before she could enter, Andy heard Natasha speak, "Do you think she'll be okay?"

  Andy hesitated, waiting just outside the door for Steve's reply. It came only a few moments later. "I don't know... and even if she isn't, how could I keep her from going after them?" The question was clearly rhetorical.

  "It might do more harm than good to stop her," Natasha agreed. "But, she needs us. If she wants to go after HYDRA, I'm going with her."

  "We both will," Steve said.

  The conversation seemed over after that. Not that Andy wanted to stick around to hear more. Her own resolve was fading, with the support of her friends being the only thing still holding her together.

  Their support made her weak in a way that somehow still felt okay. Andrea had to turn back to her room as the tears came. She didn't want them to see. Andy didn't need their comfort, because what she had heard was enough.

  It was enough to finally allow herself grieve and cry in peace.

Whatever HYDRA had done to her— whatever they had made her into— it scarred her. Andy was fragmented and all those jagged edges left raw and open wounds. But, they were wounds that could heal.

  Because she had Steve, she had Natasha, and her team. HYDRA could take her home, but they couldn't take the support of the people who loved her. HYDRA couldn't destroy her while she was still breathing. She wouldn't let them.

Curled beneath the blanket on her bed, Andy's tears slowed. The sky was dark and she let her heart feel filled with love instead of loss. It was the undoing of those barriers that likely left her unguarded to the memories.

Drifting off to sleep, Andrea was at peace. It wouldn't last, she knew it wouldn't. She was just too human.

At first, it was all darkness, quiet and calm.

Then, there were screams. Shrill sounds that struck her coldly, as if made by a banshee. It terrified her. Andrea's own cries joined in with theirs. In the dream, she covered her ears in a weak attempt to silence them.