Mosaic (Bucky Barnes X OC / Winter Soldier x OC)

Chapter 19: Bucky Barnes - Cinnamon Buns (Part III)

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42 bodies. 19 children. 6 women. 10 men. 6 dogs. And a cat in a tree. Visible at 0823.

None of them familiar. None of them armed.

Though 4 were armed with various random objects. A ball. A handful of grass. A half filled bag with some sort of brown pellets. A toy mouse hanging from a stick. All of them staring at the cat in a tree. Likely they were the ones behind all the screamed "Mr. Fluffles!"

I couldn't be sure if that was everybody in the area. There could be more bodies.

The cameras had their limits. Even if I could move them about and they had a feature to locate heat signatures, I couldn't be sure. There were places to hide.

Hydra could be here.

They're everywhere.

I couldn't risk leaving the motorhome. Even with the cuttlefish octopus skin based mask on.

Only took one slip and all this would be over.

"...Bucky?"

Grab Five-seveN taped to the bottom of the table. Shoot between the eyes. Target incapacitated.

I spun around and found Valeriy meandering her way towards the front while hiding a yawn behind her hand.

"Something sure smells scrumptious.... Are those –?" she managed before keeling over in laughter. "Oh shit. Hahaha! Laughing. Bad." But she couldn't stop.

With a frown, I walked to the kitchen area, peering into the oven, and found nothing laughable. The cinnamon buns weren't burnt. Nor an exploded mess. They were starting to look like the picture on the tube. Minus the icing.

Nothing to laugh at.

And yet, Valeriy was still curled up in a ball. Rolling sided to side. Hands searching for anything to grab onto. Gasping desperately for air.

"It hurts," she giggled. Tears disappearing into her hair.

Kneeling down above her head and ignoring her hand grabbing onto my sweatpants, I tried to help her up without breaking another bone of hers. "Breathe with me, Valeriy."

Pale gray eyes opened.

"Three."

Stared at me.

"Two."

Blinked.

"O –"

And all the laughter started anew.

'Is there... something on my face?'

Checking my reflect on any of the black glossy cabinet doors, I found nothing. The same as the last time she saw me 6.5 hours ago.

'I don't understand....'

Couldn't even figure out what to do to help her.

"Of all –" she gasped. Her breathing barely hitching into giggles and a wince. "Of all the things you could have picked in the fridge, Bucky."

"Was I not supposed to make them?" I asked. Gut twisting and churning.

Valeriy shook her head with a grin. "I bought that as a joke? Kind of? Maybe? Your codename among us. Cinnamon Buns. It's what you ordered practically any time you visited Marshmallow's bakery with Gramps. Or at least that's how the stories go?"