Crimson Love

Chapter Six | 1946

"Shit girl, you good?" Marcel asks as he lets out a chuckle and extends a hand.

"Yeah, just give me a minute." I laugh as I grasp his hand and he pulls me up off the floor.

"Evelyn." I hear Viktor's voice and I turn my attention to the gym doors.

My brows furrow when I see Bucky standing beside my father with an annoyed look on his face. He looks like a pouting teenager with his arms crossed as well.

"What's up?" I breathe out.

"James is starting in the gym today. I'll be in my office if you need me." With that my father leaves. 

Bucky is quiet as he walks to the opposite side of the room and starts on a punching bag.

I turn to Marcel and mumble a thank you when he holds out my water bottle to me. I take a long drink while wiping the sweat from my forehead and place my water on a bench before getting into a fighting position. Marcel nods and we starts. I immediately swing my leg around to kick him in the side. He blocks and pushes my leg down and throws a punch. I lean back and miss the punch by barely an inch before countering with my own punch. We exchange hits and blocks for a while until he manages to knock me off my feet.

I put my arms by my head and raise my legs to kick Marcel in the stomach before I jump back onto my feet. Marcel stumbles back and while he's at a disadvantage, I run at him and grab his shoulder while sliding my body around his. I maneuver myself onto his back and wrap one of my legs around his, getting him off balance and he crashes to the floor on his stomach while I sit on his back.

"I win." I declare with a grin as I get off Marcel and he rolls onto his back with a groan.

"I don't like training with you anymore, you never let me have a moments victory." Marcel complains as I help him off the padded but still hard floor meant for hand to hand combat.

I laugh and look up to my father's office. The room is made up of three solid walls and one glass wall that looks down over the gym. I see Viktor standing in front of the glass wall with his hands behind his back. My smile falters when I notice he isn't looking at me. I follow his line of sight to Bucky. He's working on a new punching bag. The one he was working with lays on the ground. He broke it off the chain. I look back to my father to watch him turn away from the window.

Marcel and I go another three rounds. I win all three and my father still has not spared me a single glance. I look over to Bucky when Marcel leaves to hit the showers. Bucky stops his assault on the bag and goes over to the one on the floor. He bends down and hoists the bag over his shoulder like it's nothing before leaving the gym. When I find the chance to talk to my father, I asked him about Bucky's weird found strength. I then found out that he was one of the men from the 107th. He was given a serum, the super soldier serum as Vasily calls it. It enhanced practically everything; hearing, smell, sight, strength, endurance, the list goes on.

The next time I'm in Bucky's room, he's beating up that same punching bag that's now propped up in the corner of the room.

"Hey Bucky." I smile weakly as I enter his room and close the door behind me. I don't need to worry about locking it. Two guards stand outside his door at all times.

"Hey doll." Bucky smiles as he takes a break from beating up the punching bag and wipes the sweat from his forehead with a towel.

I try not to stare as he strips off his sweat soaked white t-shirt. His flesh arm flexes as he raises the limb and pulls the shirt over his head. His hair is wet with sweat and strands of dark hair stick to his forehead. I can't help but let my gaze roam over his naked tone chest aside from the dog tags. His body looks as if the gods themselves carved him from stone. My eyes follow a bead of sweat as it rolls down the lines of his abs and the 'V' leading—. I go as red as a tomato and turn my gaze when I notice how low the sweatpants are on his hips.

I hear his exhausted sigh and slowly look back to him. He throws the towel around his neck and his head falls back as he lets out a groan and rolls his neck.

"I think I overworked myself." Bucky chuckles as he heads for his small bathroom completely unaware of the effect he has on me right now.

"You mind waiting for me until I'm out of the shower?" Bucky asks and looks back at me.

I stare at him dumbfounded and all I seem capable of is nodding like an idiot. Bucky sends me a charming smile before the door to the bathroom closes. I sit on his bed, my brain completely empty except for the mental image of Bucky. I hear the shower turn on. Bucky's naked on the other side of the door. Naked. Naked Bucky. Now I'm imagining him completely nude and I'm too flustered too stay here. I stand quickly and exit the door, the guards closing and locking it behind me as I hurry for my room.

________

"You have the potential you know."

Viktor stiffens and turn to find his father standing in the doorway of his room. Vasily fully steps into the room and gently closes the door behind him.

"What are you still doing here?" Viktor asks, his tone hostile.

"Do not be rude with me Viktor. I'm trying to be civil." Vasily snaps and then takes a deep breath. "I am harsh on you because I want you to be great. You have so much potential son and you...you waste it. These people here you have created friendships and relationships with, they are holding you back from your purpose Viktor. One day, Hydra will be yours. This legacy will be yours and you must be prepared."

"I don't want this! I-I like the people I have relationships with and I don't need you coming into my life and telling me how I should live it."

Vasily walks closer and puts his hands on Viktor's shoulders. "It's time you grew up my boy. You have a heavy responsibility that rests on your shoulders and it's high time you learned to act like a leader. You have been slacking for too many years now. You either get your shit together, or I do it for you. Your friends have to go. Leaders like you and me do not friends. We have people we trust and people we don't." Vasily says as Viktor simply stares at him.

"Those friends are eventually going to turn their backs on you my boy. I am trying to save you the pain of it. When they get jealous they will try to steal your glory and your power. The only person you can rely on is yourself. People will always leave you in the end Viktor. Just like your mother." Vasily adds and Viktor's breath cuts short as his father's words start to infect his mind.

"It's better to leave them before they can leave you. Don't let anyone close to you and you'll never get hurt Viktor. You do not deserve to carry that kind of pain and guilt." Vasily smiles grimly and turns his back, leaving Viktor alone in the room with his thoughts.