Hellfire & Brimstone

Self Control

They are about to shoot me!

I screamed one more time... "NO!"

"Jess! Holy crap!" I could hear Bucky's voice as I stood as still as possible. I felt warmth that seemed to radiate from my chest. The muscles in my arms felt tight from tensing up through that memory. I stretched them out to my sides and I heard Bucky again.

"Jess! Stop! You're going to cause damage." He was trying to get me to calm down. I slowly opened my eyes and I saw Bucky, he was looking up to me. Up to me?

I turned my head slowly to see my surroundings. Just across the way was a small glass window, it allowed just enough of an idea of what my reflection was. I took in the bright light of the fire that my body had ignited in. How Bucky was right, I did look like I had wings. I couldn't tell how big I was, except that Bucky was looking up to my face. I looked to my right, to examine my hand and there I was a bright fiery wing, instead of an arm. I looked back to Bucky as he ran for the extinguisher.

I was not about to get sprayed again, I thought of everything that caused me joy. I thought of How much I loved Bucky. How I looked forward to being in his arms everyday and how I loved to wake up next to him. I thought about his lips on mine and the embrace of his arms after he had a long day. 

Nothing was working. I was frantically searching my mind. Bucky was already at my feet and he started to spray. The white cloud went up and engulfed me, but the fire didn't cease to blaze. I closed my eyes as Bucky threw the extinguisher to the ground. I thought of every moment that Bucky and I had together. The first time he held me, as we escaped the prison I was being held in. I thought our first time sleeping next to each other, the first time we made love. Nothing was diminishing the fire within me. 

I gave an exasperated sigh, which my ears betrayed me and heard a loud screech. I took a slow deep breath and suddenly I saw Bucky's finger drawing a large circle on my palm. I took another deep breath and felt his finger draw a medium circle within the space of the large circle. Again a slow deep breath exited my lips. I saw his finger draw a small circle inside the medium circle. I took a slow deep breath and I opened my eyes. It was just in time to watch Bucky's metal hand hold my right hand firmly in his grasp. The flesh of my palm facing up and the soft point of his first finger made contact with my palm. I took a slow deep breath and felt my body collapse. 

Bucky's arms wrapped around me and carried my safely back to our room. I slept for several days straight. If anyone had reported the sighting, we didn't hear anything about it. I stayed in for a few weeks, just in case. We opted to not practice on the roof top anymore, as it was no longer safe to be out in the open. 

Bucky had found a few abandoned warehouses that we might be able to use, but it was undecided as to if that was going to be possible. 

"Maybe we could hold off for a while?" I asked, as I selected a few apples from a cart and told the cart attendant, "O să iau astea." Bucky had taught me a few Romanian words and statements. He was a good teacher and I was a willing student. 

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye as he picked a few plums from the adjoining cart. He handed them to the attendant and turned to me. "I suppose a break isn't a bad idea." He took the bag from the attendant and put his right arm around my shoulder. He handed me his bag, which I put with my apples in a small canvas sack I was carrying. 

We were less then a block from the carts when we stopped to cross the street. He glanced beyond me to a newspaper stand. I looked over and the attendant was staring at us. I felt my heart race and looked to Bucky. He leaned down and kissed me, which I returned. The kiss was soft but quick. When I opened my eyes, Bucky was breaking away from me and heading over to the stand. I turned and watched as the attendant ran away. I was confused by his behavior and came up behind Bucky, placing a hand on his lower back.