Winter's Ballerina-WINTER SOLDIER FANFIC

eight

"If you're broken I will mend ya, and keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on."
-Ed Sheeran; Lego House

Russia-1945
(Vera)

I was awake at 5:30 am, and as soon as my eyes opened I knew there were 26 other girls waking up now too. If you are here at this school, you will wake up at 5:30 every morning. Eventually it becomes pure instinct. I crawled out of bed and changed out of my nightdress. I chose a simple black leotard and skirt for today paired with pink tights. I selected a pair of pointe shoes and stuffed some cloth scraps into them. I sat them down on my nightstand before I went into the bathroom to finish getting ready. I pulled my hair back in a low bun and secured it with a few pins. Then, I washed my face and applied some mascara and blush. That was it. I was done. I walked back to my room and grabbed my shoes off the nightstand. I carried my shoes out and set them down on the table. I looked around the room for any signs that James had been up and just left already, but everything looked untouched. I walked back down the hall to check the door to his room and saw it was shut and the light was off.
"James? Are you in there? I am supposed to be teaching you ballet now!" I called while knocking. Silence responded. Sighing I jiggled the handle to see if it was unlocked. When I heard it click I knew it was.
"James? Are you decent? I'm coming in." No reply again. I didn't want to invade his privacy and I was a little scared to enter like this considering he could probably kill me. But I was tasked with teaching him and there was pressure from Madame B and Hydra. Both were willing to use deadly force if I didn't comply.
Finally I just opened the door. It was my worst nightmare; James was still asleep on the bed.
"Oh no! Oh no, no, no! I'm going to be in so much trouble!" I mumbled to myself. I glanced to the clock on his wall and immediately regretted it. The clock read 6:30, which meant we were supposed to be in the studio now.
"James! You have to wake up now!" I yelled desperately. When he didn't budge, I began to panic.
"James!!" I yelled as I grabbed his shoulders and shook him. Fortunately that got a reaction. Unfortunately, it was a violent one. Before I could even process what was happening I found myself with a metal hand around my neck, three feet in the air.
"J...James. Please!" I managed to cough out. This seemed to wake him up. The metal fingers flexed and I was dropped. I lay in a heap on the ground coughing. I glanced up and saw he looked confused.
"It's okay. I'm okay. That was my fault. I shouldn't of startled you, but we were already late and..." I trailed off, not really sure where I was going with that.
"It's not okay. I could've killed you! I'll make it up to you, Vera."
I merely nodded as I stood up shakily.
"Yes, you can make it up to me right now! By getting dressed as fast as you possibly can." I said gesturing to the black leggings and white tank top he had tossed aside last night.
"When you're done meet me out here, okay?" I suggested before I left his room and went to grab my shoes. I was still lacing my shoes up when he came out. I was tying the final knot when I heard him come up behind me.
"Ready?" I asked, although I knew his answer.
"No."
I motioned for him to follow me up the stairs. We left the basement and resurfaced in one of the girls' dormitory areas. This one was for the younger girls, ages 5-15.
"This way." I motioned and led him to the entryway. Once we got there I opened a pair of fancy glass doors that revealed a room with a wooden floor and lots of mirrors. My favorite place in the world. I pushed James inside and shut the doors.
"Now we begin."

———————-

"I don't know about this Vera." He was referring to the new lift I wanted him to try. After six full hours in the studio he now had a general grasp of most of the technique a male ballet dancer learns. He could do most turns, leaps and jumps, so now we were onto lifts.
"You know what to do. Just lift me and extend." I told him again.
"But what if I drop you?"
I rolled my eyes. "I'll be fine. Trust me."
He nodded, but still looked apprehensive so I placed his hands on my waist and fixed his shoulders. Then I jumped. I could feel his hands tense around my waist then relax. He extended his arms all the way above his head and I released my back and head. It felt truly incredible. For a moment I became Odile again. I let my arms dangle freely so they were just gracing his shoulders.
"When do I put you down?"
'Never please!' I said in my mind.
"Oh, now is good."
So I was set down. Gently, my feet touched down back onto the wooden floor and soon the rest of me followed.
"That wasn't so bad was it?" I asked. He'd acted like he could've held me up there all day.
He shrugged, "You don't weigh much."
I could see that something else was bothering him though. He was keeping a great deal of distance between us and he seemed almost afraid if I got too close.
"Look, about this morning James, it really is okay." I assured him.
"No! Vera, it's not." He snapped, making me flinch slightly.
"We're supposed to work together here! Eventually they even want us doing missions together, if it works out. I didn't want to hurt you and I don't want to do it again." He ranted for a while, and I didn't say anything for minute.
"Then don't." I began.
"What? I don't..." James protested.
"Promise you won't hurt me ever again." I whispered, drawing in a shaky breath.
"No." For a moment I felt my entire body tense with fear.
"I will promise to never let anyone hurt you ever again, including myself."
And that was the last time I ever feared the Winter Soldier.

—
"I'm outta touch. I'm outta luck. Pick you up when you're gettin' down."
—

Phew! And I can officially say that this was the LAST chapter to take place in 1945! Yay!! Next we will be in 1947(ish)! Remember still laying the groundwork on their relationship!