𝐒𝐀𝐌 & 𝐁𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐘 : 𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔

28; Ready For The Fight

Tense and ready to fight. His hands kept the knife loose; a tight grip was bad for combat. He stood in the center of the room. Some people thought it was better to be in a corner; but the security of a wall behind you was a lie. Easier to back you up and boom, you're dead.

Bucky would know.

Not Bucky. It would know. The winter soldier. It knows everything, and it's memory leaks into Bucky's brain when he's in fight or flight mode..

He picked up his feet, and started a slow dance around the room. Circling like a cat sizing up its prey. Alpine had already hid out of place, like he had been trained and prepared.

A deep breath entered his lungs and he calmed the tension deep within his body to take in his surroundings. A familiar smell burned his nose; gun powder. A soft ringing spilled into his ears, clogging them up, almost like water stuck after a swim. Someone was here, they were nearer than he thought. How could he have been so stupid?

His breath hitched and he stood a little taller, opening his eyes and scanning his apartment.

Bucky noticed a shelf was cracked open, and his mattress laid slightly farther to the left than usual. A streak on the ceiling fan, clear as day in the dust. Whoever was here didn't cover their tracks very well. That narrowed it down quite a bit; it wasn't anyone from Wakanda, two women from the Dora Milaje would be standing in the kitchen. They would've made a joke about the lack of seating, and crack a smile before going into their mission..

No. As he listened, he heard two sets of footsteps, one sliding along the fire escape and one sinking towards the door.

A brow cocked. Only two of them.

Only two?

That meant it wasn't hydra, and it wasn't the X-Men. It would've been nice, to see Logan, but he wasn't that lucky. Bucky never felt that lucky.

Sharon was still on the phone; he could hear her breath, as quiet as it was. It was heavy, like she had climbed stairs. His head cocked. Bucky's building didn't have an elevator. Well, it was there but it didn't work. Does it count as an elevator, if it doesn't do its job?

He heard something whip through the air, and stepped gingerly to the side. There was an initial moment of shock; he didn't feel the pain in his cheek, instead, the warm blood oozed from an open cut on the side of his face. It started at his ear and ended on the edge of his cheekbones.

Bucky's fingertips rolled along the tender skin; that was going to hurt later. He didn't hear it, the front door slid open, with a creak like it was aching from old age. From the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of her.

Blonde hair that had grown out since the last time they met. Her jaw was so tense it looked like it was about to snap. He felt that feeling, it was hard to say what it was. It was haunting, like she was a ghost, creeping up on him. It made Bucky feel cold. Frozen.

She smiled, and approached oh so slowly. Sharon brought a hand up, cupping his cheek and offering a smile; "James."

The way she said it made his stomach churn, he could feel the burn of vile bubble up in his throat. He swallowed it down. It didn't sound the same as the way Sam said it. Sam Wilson said James like it was a song, like he was presenting a previous work of artwork. It was sweet. It had a taste to it, like brown sugar and cinnamon. It felt like he was saying something more; I call you by your real name because I know you. I know you.

When Sharon said it, it left something in his mouth. Like he had stuffed a giant handful of warheads in his mouth, and they never sweetened. The longer you kept them in, they started to burn through your mouth. It felt empty. cold. Her words sounded like nothing and everything all at once. It was a threat, Bucky knew that.

"You're going to do something for me," Sharon hummed. She ran her fingers up the side of his face, and slid them through his hair. She messed with brown locks until they spilled out of his hair tie and came falling all around his face. "You're going to hold still."

" Why would I do that?"

"That's a stupid question, James." Sharon replied with a knowing grin.

She was right. He knew. It was everything he was afraid of. Bucky nodded, as something came behind him. It was a man, who wrapped his hand around Bucky's throat, and slid a needle into his throat..

" My monster, I've missed you." His voice whispered against Bucky's ear.

Bucky stayed still. He stayed calm. Until the substance was spreading through his veins and he was starting to lose his balance..