Magic & Desire (Clint Barton Fan Fiction)

Chapter 19

"How's everyone lookin today, Doc?" Clint asked Bruce, who was sipping coffee at a desk.

"Steve just woke up and Sergeant Barnes is still unconscious." Bruce put his coffee cup down and took off his glasses. "I'm kind of not wanting Barnes to wake up yet. Not until Thor gets back from Asgard at least."

"Well, I can see why." Clint nodded his head lightly. "But blondie might not be back for a few more days. Barnes wasn't that hurt."

"I might have put a tiny sleeping spell on him." I sighed out, hating that I was feeling a little guilty for it.

"Why would you do that, Shyla?" Clint looked at me with wide eyes.

"He's the freaking Winter Soldier! Do you want him killing you in your sleep? He can do that. I've seen him do it before. I was doing it for the safety of the whole Tower. He's unstable and I needed to rest before I came face to face with him again. I wouldn't have been able to stop him last night if he tried to kill anyone. I saved Steve and I practically saved all your asses." I held my hands up. "Sue me."

Bruce sighed gently and went back to his coffee for a moment.

"Oh, by the way." He looked to me and continued. "Steve wanted to see you."

"Me?" I raised my brows. "Why me?"

"I told him what happened."

"Why the hell would you do that?" I threw my hands in the air and groaned.

"Go see the man, Shy." Clint nodded in the direction of the tiny pods that held the Winter Soldier and Captain America.

I sighed out and bit my lip as I left his side, going for the room with Steve. He was watching tv, but didn't seem to interested in it. I leaned awkwardly against the doorway, arms crossed.

"How're you feeling?"

Steve's eyes met mine and he shifted a little in the bed.

"I'm alive. And I've honestly never felt better."

"I'm sure that's a lie."

"Kinda." He chuckled nervously. "Uh, I just want too —,"

"Don't." I cut him off, letting my arms drop to my sides as I shook my head a little. "Don't do that. I don't want you to thank me. It was nothing."

"But it was. I know I haven't been the nicest person and I know we don't get along. You didn't have to save me."

"I don't want to get all cheesy." I sighed out. "But you're Captain America. I can't just let you die."

He grinned a little, but then looked through the little window that allowed him to see into the pod beside him. The Soldier was in there. He was sleeping. He looked calm and serene, two things I had never seen on his face before.

"You know him?" Steve asked, drawing my attention back to him. I looked back to the Soldier and nodded my head softly. "How?"

"He was my combat trainer." I looked away and gathered myself again. "I was told you know him too."

"He was my friend.... before all this." Steve spoke quietly, sounding hurt and broken almost.

"What's his name?"

Steve's eyes flickered up to meet mine and the corners of his lips turned up in a little smile. I knew his name but I wanted to hear Steve talk about him.

"James Barnes. But everyone called him Bucky."

"Bucky." I repeated, looking back to the window. "He doesn't look like a Bucky."

"He isn't Bucky right now. He-He nearly killed me and....." Steve trailed off, shaking his head lightly.

"It's what they did to him." I told him. "HYDRA."

His jaw locked for a moment and he turned his head to look to Bucky.

"That's why I plan on taking HYDRA down."

"So do I, big guy."

•*•*•

Everyone gathered in the kitchen to eat something and discuss what we would do with the Sol—Bucky. I picked at the scrambled eggs on my plate as I listened to them talk.

"Shyla?" Clint nudged my leg with his.

"Hmm?"

"Tell them about Bucky." Levi said. "About the missions."

I quickly glanced around the table and then put my fork down so I could lean back in my chair.

"I don't want to."

"Not what you did. How you did them." He explained. "How he was with you."

"Were you two a thing?" Natasha asked.

"No." I shook my head immediately. "No. Far from it. I just helped him sleep at night." Before I could get anything else out, Tony bursted out in laughter. "Shut up, Stark!"

"Continue, Shyla." Steve told me.

"I can't read his mind to get information on him personally since he can't remember shit, but I can read his mind and when he sleeps, he had really, really bad dreams. So I casted a spell to help him sleep through the bad dreams."

"And the agents who were with her never remembered because she'd put another spell on them for that." Levi added. "Point is, he trusts her. He might not remember Steve, but he remembers Shyla and that can make him less.... ya know."

"That's if he hasn't been wiped since then." Wanda spoke. "They may have wiped him between however many years ago Shyla knew him and now."

"We're going to have to take that chance." Steve shrugged his shoulders. "We can't keep making him sleep."

"We can if it's good sleep." I said. "HYDRA's deprived him of sleep for how many years? He's getting nearly twelve hours of sleep. That's a hell of a lot."

"How much longer can you keep the spell going?" Levi asked me. "With Thor being the big muscle now and he's gone, we need to hold off. But I don't want you hurting yourself."

"I can keep it going for a few more hours."

"Take the spell down in an hour." Steve told her. "I don't want him put under anyone's control anymore."

I started to say something, but Clint put his hand on my knee and squeezed harshly.

"Ouch!" I yelped and smacked his arm.

"Oops. I don't know what I'm grabbing at." He chuckled a little.

"Asshat."

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