Titanium ~A Bucky Barnes Love Story~

Chapter Twenty-One

"I'm not going to hit you," Bucky said. "Let's just... Take it easy."

Caden shrugged again, murmuring an okay. She got into her southpaw fighting stance, starting to bounce on her toes as she circled Bucky. "Bring it," she muttered through the plastic.

Bucky got into position, throwing a light punch which Caden dodged easily. In an instant, she threw a left hook, connecting beautifully with Bucky's jaw.

The unexpected force through Bucky backwards a few steps. He rubbed his sore mouth, spitting out some blood.

Caden took out her mouth piece. "I didn't say I'd take it easy on you," she quipped, her dark eyes shining with mischief.

"You know," Bucky said, moving his jaw in a circle and loosening his arms up dramatically. "I take it back, all of it."

"All of- WOAH!" Caden yelped, thanking heaven she was flexible enough to bend backwards and narrowly avoid Bucky's unexpected counter punch. She quickly jumped away and out of reach, smirking. "That's what I'm talking about," she said, replacing her mouthpiece and motioning for Bucky with her gloves. "Bring it. Again."

~~~

One punch. It was off center. But that was all it took.

"Ooph!" Caden grunted, stumbling backwards as Bucky's gloved fist, his left fist, connected with her brow.

"Caden!" Bucky shouted, flinging his gloves off and running over to her.

Caden moved her hand away from her throbbing head, watching as a drop of liquid rolled down her black glove and splashed red onto the ring. Another she felt rolling down her face, spreading into her eye lashes.

"Ow," she murmured, wiping the blood from her eye lid.

"Caden," Bucky ripped off his remaining gear, kneeling down and taking Caden's face in his hands. "I'm so sorry."

Caden looked up at Bucky. "You weren't kidding about taking it all back, huh?" She joked, grimacing in pain.

Bucky examined the cut above her eye, shaking his head. "This was a bad idea. I knew it was a bad idea from the beginning."

Caden sighed, picking herself up. "Help me out of the ring, there's a first aid kit on the side."
Bucky nodded, moving aside the ropes so she could climb down. As soon as she was out, he rushed over to the small white box with the red X on it, picking it up and showing it to Caden.

"Is this it? What do you need?"

"Give me some disinfectant wipes and some butterfly bandages," Caden murmured, holding a finger above her right eye in order to keep the blood out. "Thanks," she held out her hand for the supplies as Bucky walked over.

"Let me do it," Bucky said. "Please."

Caden hesitated, before looking up at Bucky's earnest face and realizing the fact that he needed to do this. "Okay," she said. "Just dab the cloth over the cut, it will clean it and should wipe up any blood as well. There's also a blood clotting agency in it. Then put a couple butterfly bandages over perpendicular to the cut."

"Got it," Bucky said. He took her face in his hands again, gently beginning to dab away the blood by her eye, working up to the cut.

"Shit!" Caden hissed under her breath. "That stings."

"I'm sorry," Bucky whispered apologetically. He quickly finished with the wipe before placing two bandages across the cut, sealing it shut. "There, how does that feel?"

"Great, one hundred percent better," Caden smirked.

"I'm so sorry, Caden," Bucky said quietly. "I must have over calculated my swing and-"

"Shh," Caden placed the tips of her fingers over Bucky's lips. "It wasn't your fault, and it definitely wasn't the first time it's happened."

Bucky sighed, grasping Caden's fingers in his own. "I know, I just... I hate this thing sometimes," he said as he motioned to his metal arm. "It hurts so many people. Even you. Several times." He ran his thumb over the now-permanent knot atop Caden's wrist from the nightmare incident a few months ago.

"Stop it," Caden commanded, placing her other hand in Bucky's metal one. "Right now."

Bucky sighed, looking at their hands, intertwined in his lap. Slowly, he brought her hands to his lips, kissing them softly before cupping them on his cheeks. "When will I be normal again?" He asked.

Caden leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on his forehead before resting her own forehead on it, running her hands through his now short hair. "You already are."