The Agent and Assassin (A Winter Soldier Love Story)

VIII

Authors Note: Listen to the song while you read. I thought it was a good song to describe Bucky and his past at this point. I thought the song and the music video captured the relationship between Bucky and Nicole. I hope you guys enjoy. Don't forget to comment and vote. I could always use feedback.

Nicole's Point of View

Bucky was leaning against the hospital wall when I finally managed to drag myself to the door. There wasn't any pain in my arm, yet, but the last thing I wanted to do was put any additional stress on it. The nurse also left me a sling in the bag with the gauze but there was no way I was gonna do that single handedly.

"I could use a hand here if you don't mind," I said, holding the sling out to him.

"I'm glad to see your sense of humor made it through the night," he said as he slipped the sling over me neck. I set my arm in it and he tightened the strap to keep it secure.

"Thank you Mr. Barnes," I said with the most obnoxious voice I could muster.

He gave me a small smile and reached down to grab my bag. I could see something in his eyes changed as he did. The playful nature and banter that we were having melted and he was pulling away again. "We should go," he said and started to walk out. This time I followed behind him.

He was still so hard to read. One second, his rough exterior was falling away and he was acting like any another guy on the street, while at other times he was lost in his own mind. James Barnes from 1943, and the Winter Soldier seemed to be garnering for his full attention and his mind was still too scrambled to make a choice. It was going to be hard for the both of us. He had to choose who he wanted to be, and I couldn't necessarily make him who he was. It would make things easy for the both of us if he got to a point where I wasn't having to guess which side of him I was going to get.

We walked out of the hospital into the bright light of the morning. He led the way to where he had parked the car the night before, but cut me off before I could get into the driver seat.

"I can drive, you're in a sling after all," he said, his voice flat and unemotional. Something had gotten to him and he was pulling away again. Somehow I had to reel him back in.

I just nodded and went around to the other side. He opened the door for me, and even shut it after I had gotten in. He threw the bag in the trunk and then got himself into the driver seat. We both just sat there in silence for a few moments before he turned on the car.

"Where to?" He asked.

I honestly hadn't thought about where we would have headed after the motel, but I guess at this point, the only option that made sense was to head to my apartment in the city. I really didn't want to keep bouncing around motels. The motel had been a last minute choice and thank god I had done it or else I may have had to bring him back to my place the other night.

"I'll give you directions to my place," I said. He nodded and began to drive out of the parking lot. I gave him a few basic directions, before returning to our silence.

I couldn't help but think back to the night before. I wondered what he could have been dreaming about that had caused him to act out and attack me. I could only assume he was reliving a mission he had been on. In the past, that was where my nightmares had stemmed from. But what kind of mission would he be thrashing around like that? He seemed more interested in escaping from something or someone. I had to many questions and not enough answers about the man sitting next to me, and yet here I was letting him know exactly where I lived. God I better some kind of promotion for this.

I looked at him trying, and failing to keep his hair out of his face.  "Here." I took off the hair tie that was around my wrist and handed it to him. "Tie your hair back with that."