The Pursuit of Perfection (A Bucky Barnes Fanfic) [Sequel to Winter Is Coming]

Chapter 11: Backfire

"I don't want anyone seeing my fire until I burned them with it." -Cameron Conaway

***

            Bucky runs into Steve as he's coming upstairs from getting the mail.

            "Where you heading?" he asks.

            Steve grins. "I'm going to one of Sam's seminars."

            "Really?" Bucky smiles. "That's great!"

            "I'm looking forward to it," Steve adds. "I'll see you later."

            Bucky is still smiling when he sets the mail on the counter and pours himself a cup of coffee. He goes out on the balcony; the weather matches his mood. It's sunny and warm, but not too warm, and there's a slight breeze, a gentle zephyr.

            "You're smiley today," Harley comments as she joins him.

            "Steve's going to Sam's seminar," Bucky tells her. "We made an impact on him."

            Harley wraps her arms around his waist. "Of course we did." 

            "Bucky! Bucky!" Steve slams on Bucky's door, pounding furiously, hoping he's home. "Bucky!"

            The door opens. "Hey! What's wrong?"

            Steve is out of breath from yelling and running all the way here. "It's Harley-she's in trouble!"

            Bucky doesn't say another word, simply sprints down the stairs, leaving Steve to shut his front door and scurry after him.

            "Where? What happened?" Bucky lets Steve run (in increments so as not to upset his asthma) so he can show him where to go.

            "I don't know! We were walking home, and she said she wasn't feeling well and collapsed! I tried to wake her, but it was no good!"

            "She's breathing, right?"

            "Of course, of course." Steve leads them down an alley and behind a convenience store.

            "For future reference, don't leave her alone when she's unconscious. Bad shit can happen," Bucky tells him. He sees Harley passed out near the brick wall and hurries over, checking her pulse and breathing. Bucky racks his brain; Harley doesn't have any kind of health issues. What could've caused this? "Let's bring her back to my place."

            "Good idea."

            Bucky carries her carefully back to his house, noticing the heat of her skin as they walk. It's fiery-almost like she has a fever everywhere. As he lies her on his couch, he asks Steve, "What could've caused this?"

            Steve shrugs, feeling her forehead. "She's burning up. You don't think she's doing drugs, do you?"

            "Harley wouldn't." Bucky knows she tends to drink away her feelings sometimes, but drugs have never been a choice for her. "Why do you ask?"

            "It's just that...a few days ago, I saw her inject something into her veins. It was bright orange, so I didn't think it was a drug, but I couldn't think of what else it could be."

            Bucky frowns. Before he can say something, Steve continues.

            "But it might not've been her. I only saw it from a distance, and now that I think about it, the woman had light hair..."