Author's Note: 😏
It's not hard to find a bathroom. They don't even have to leave the party. The bathroom is dimly lit with soft purple and blue lights when they step inside. There are more neon purple lights adorning the counter and outlining the mirrors. She doesn't even have time to admire the aesthetics of the room before Bucky presses her against the wall and attacks her mouth with his. Shannon moans softly, her hands flying to unbutton his pants.
"How much time do we have?" He whispers.
"I don't know. We'll --"
They're cut off by the sound of a toilet flushing and someone stepping out into the bathroom to wash their hands. Bucky pulls her into a nearby stall and gently covers her mouth with a gloved hand. Her eyes go wide, and she stifles a giggle as she continues to unbutton his pants and slip her hand inside, running her fingertips up and down his cock. Bucky's eyes flutter closed, and he bites down on his lip, rolling his hips toward her in desperation.
The bathroom door slams shut, and he lets her go, opening the stall door to peer outside. Shannon checks the second stall while Bucky locks the bathroom door. She leans up against the counter, biting her lip and staring at him with a big smile on her face. He practically sprints across the room for her and kisses her hard and fast. She moans as he nips at her jawline.
"Turn around for me?" He asks softly.
Shannon nods, both hands pressed against the counter, and tilts her hips back. Bucky hikes her dress up, bunching up the fabric so that it sits at her waist. He gasps softly at the sight of her lacy red panties. They're a high cut and show off most of her ass.
"Jesus... You're keeping these, right?" He asks.
"If it gives you that reaction? Definitely."
He pulls them down and Shannon steps out of them. Bucky slides a finger through her folds and watches as she throws her head back, moaning softly.
"I'm ready," she hisses.
"I can tell. We have to be quick. Is that okay?"
"Uh-huh."
The tip of his cock teases her entrance, making her ache. Slowly, he fills her up, stretching her. Shannon's head drops and he reaches forward to lift her chin, forcing her to look at herself in the mirror.
"Don't look away," he breathes. "I want you to see how beautiful you look."
The moan that tumbles from her lips is otherworldly. Bucky isn't rough with her. He fucks her slowly, with passion and softness. He's preferred this kind of love-making lately. Shannon doesn't mind. He's so sweet, cradling her and whispering sweet nothings in her ear as he nibbles on her ear or bites down gently on her shoulder. He tells her she's the most beautiful woman in the world, how much he loves her. He compliments her body, worshipping her with words and soft touches.
Their romp in the bathroom is no different. Bucky holds her gently, yet firmly as his hips rut against hers. Shannon watches him in the mirror, chewing on her bottom lip as he moans quietly and whispers a string of sentences in what she assumes is Russian. She can't understand them, but they sound beautiful. She arches her back and presses herself harder against him, trying to get him as deep as he can possibly go. Bucky grunts and moans, low and gravelly. It sends shivers up and down her spine, goosebumps forming on her skin. She can feel herself coming. It never takes long when she's with him. Her legs begin to tremble and Bucky's pace speeds up. He can feel it too. He reaches forward and gently grabs her hair, wrapping it around his metal fist. Slowly, he pulls her back so that her back arches and her palms remain on the counter. Her orgasm isn't a tidal wave, but rather a gradual, yet powerful release that pulses through her body, melting each muscle and simultaneously igniting every nerve. Bucky fucks her harder, growling and whimpering until she feels his release and he collapses on top of her, kissing her bare shoulder.
"Sorry that was so short," he laughs.
Shannon turns her head.
"Buck, it was amazing. It doesn't matter how long it is, it's always amazing with you."
They clean up and creep out of the bathroom, hand in hand. They barely make it back to the bar before Sharon runs up to them.
"I found Nagel."
"Okay," Bucky says. "And?"
"We have to go. Now. There are bounty hunters on your tails for what happened with Selby."
They rush out of the party and drive to an industrial area that's filled with shipping containers. Shannon holds Bucky's hand the whole way as they walk through huge steel walls.
"Madripoor could give New York a run for its money," Sam says as they try to find Nagel's location. Sharon leads the way.
"They know how to party," Zemo agrees.
"With that bounty on your head, the longer you're in Madripoor and the less likely you're ever leaving."
They stop and Sharon turns around.
"All right. He's in there. Container four-two-six-one. I'll keep an eye out while you guys talk to Nagel. But hurry. We're on borrowed time."
"Shannon, stay out here with Sharon," Bucky tells her.
Sam, Bucky, and Zemo grab earpieces as Sharon grabs Shannon's hand and thrusts a pistol into it.
"You know how to use one of these?"
"Yep."
"Good."
Sharon hands her an earpiece as the three men disappear into the container. Shannon and Sharon crouch behind a shipping container to keep a lookout.
"What are we looking for?" Shannon asks.
"Anyone with a weapon."
"Got it."
"You're surprisingly cool with all of this," Sharon remarks.
She shrugs.
"I guess I just feel safe? Hard not to when your boyfriend is a Super Soldier with a metal arm."
Sharon chuckles.
"Fair enough."
Shannon looks around. The place is quiet. For now. It's mostly her and Sharon glancing around and occasionally making eye contact and sighing with relief.
"Can I ask you something?" Shannon says after a long silence.
"Is it about Sam and me?"
"Yeah."
"Yeah, I thought it might be."
"Are you guys...?"
Sharon shrugs.
"I think we both want to be, but that's a conversation for a time outside of this. I never want to get in the way of Sam doing his thing. I always thought he was cute, though."
Shannon laughs and nods. The first time she met Sam, she couldn't help but notice just how handsome he was.
"Have you two ever...?"
Sharon nods and laughs.
"Once."
She doesn't elaborate. Shannon doesn't push. She barely knows Sharon. Sure, she's been kind to her, but she doesn't want to push boundaries. That's not her style.
"I don't mean to pry or anything."
Sharon smirks.
"It's not prying. You and Bucky were definitely not subtle last night in the kitchen, though."
Shannon covers her face with her hands.
"Sorry."
"It's all right." Sharon sighs as they look around for any possible intruders. It's quiet. So far. After a while, Sharon's voice cuts through the silence. "Who's this ex-husband you're running from?"
Shannon groans.
"Ugh. He's a piece of shit. His name is Will Ryder. He works for the GRC."
"Don't know him."
"His real name is Kyle Watson. He's got mafia connections. He threatened to kill me at work, Bucky stepped in and saved the day, but unfortunately, he's posted bail and he's a free man until his trial next month."
"Kyle Watson, did you say his name was?"
"Yeah."
"Blonde hair? Blue eyes? Loves a navy blue suit?"
It's a generic description, but Shannon nods regardless.
"Does he have a tattoo of a cat head on his right wrist?"
Shannon's eyes bug out of her head.
"Yeah."
"I know of him," Sharon replies. "He's been to Madripoor a few times with his boss, Ilya. They bought some Van Gogh's from me."
Shannon sighs.
"I don't know why I'm not surprised. He hid his entire life from me."
Sharon glances over at her and offers a half-hearted sad smile in return.
"Can't trust anybody these days—shit! Hide." Shannon hears the sound of footsteps and they run behind one of the shipping containers. Sharon taps her earpiece and hisses at the guys. "We have company!"
She turns to Shannon, who has already cocked her pistol.
"Stay back. I'll take them out from here."
She rushes a group of bounty hunters with a metal club in her hand and absolutely obliterates the small group of them with ease. All Shannon hears is the sound of grunting and bones breaking. Sharon rushes back to her, looking around frantically.
"You good?"
"Yeah."
"If you see one of them, don't be afraid to aim for the head."
Shannon's stomach knots. She's never killed anyone or even hurt anyone that badly, but Sharon seems to see this as all in a day's work.
Sharon taps her earpiece again. "We've got every bounty hunter in the city here. We've gotta go!"
Another man steps out of the shadows with a knife. They grapple. Sharon grabs his arm and twists it behind his back, snapping it like a twig. As Shannon looks around, she doesn't see a man creep up behind her and grab her around the neck with both arms – exactly the way Bucky said somebody would. Even in heels with an entirely fucked up sense of balance, her body remembers exactly what to do. She bends her knees and lowers her center of gravity, turns her head, and manages to step behind him, but her attacker is too fast and lets her go, turning toward her with his pistol raised. Shannon panics. It's either her or him. She raises her gun and shoots, hitting him in the knee. The man screams in horrendous pain and collapses on the ground, blood leaking out of his leg like oil. Shannon drops the pistol and covers her mouth.
"Oh my God! I'm so – you'll... you'll be fine! Just stay down!"
The man tries to climb to his feet, but Shannon kicks him, clipping him in the chin with the heel of her pump. His head whips back into the steel and he passes out. She laughs and looks around.
"That was awesome!" She grimaces, realizing what she's done. "Ohhhh, God, I hope you're not dead--"
"SHANNON!" Sharon shouts. "THE COAST IS CLEAR, FOLLOW MY VOICE!"
Shannon grabs the pistol off of the ground and sprints toward the sound, abandoning her high heels near the unconscious body of the bounty hunter.
"Can't run in these things anyway!"
Sharon grabs her by the hand and pulls her into the shipping container. They run through a second door and up a set of stairs that leads to a laboratory. Shannon looks around and sees Bucky standing in front of a man in a chair. He sprints toward her.
"Why aren't you wearing shoes?"
"Long story," she mumbles.
"Guys, we're seriously out of time!" Sharon shouts.
All Shannon hears is a gunshot, followed by a scream from Sam. When she turns around, the man in the chair is dead, blood leaking out onto the floor. Sam and Sharon run for Zemo and slam him against the wall.
"What did you do?!" Sharon hisses.
There's no time to process the moment because the next thing she hears is a massive, ear-splitting explosion that knocks them all onto the ground and sends an alarm blaring. Before they fall, Buck grabs her and shoves her onto the ground, protecting her with his body. Shannon screams, her adrenaline pulsing. She can't tell where the fuck she is and she's so terrified, it feels like she can't breathe. All she can feel is the gun in her hand and Bucky's body on top of hers.
"Shannon? Talk to me!" Bucky's voice calls out from on top of her.
"I'm here. I'm okay," she chokes out.
Bucky is already on his feet, checking for an exit.
"Anybody see Zemo?" Sam groans.
He gets all of them up, grabbing Shannon and picking her up off of the ground so that they can run faster. They make it out just in time to see the entire shipping container get blown to smithereens. The sound is overwhelming, and Shannon plugs her ears. Her dress is ruined, and she's covered in soot and ash from the explosion. Her knees are skinned, blood pouring down her legs. Bucky shields her from gunfire as they huddle in a mass of broken and warped metal from the rest of the bounty hunters.
"All right! Wait for my signal!" He turns to look at her. "You may have to kill someone."
She doesn't have time to respond before the shooting starts. Bucky acts as her shield, telling her when to shoot and when to reload. It feels like she's playing some sick video game. She follows blindly as they dart for cover, peek out, and shoot toward the bounty hunters. Shannon only gets a few shots in while Sharon, Sam, and Bucky do the majority of the work. She's terrified. Her hands are shaking and sweat drips from her palms, making the gun slick. Her finger slips on the trigger and she resorts to dropping to the ground for cover.
"We have to get out of here!" Bucky hisses. "Come on!"
They try to find an exit, but they're outnumbered and have to retreat to another pile of warped metal. At this point, Shannon can't tell who is shooting at who. It's all a massive blur. Bucky is focused, alert, and his body seems completely at ease with the situation -- as though this is instinct. She ducks down, trying to take as much cover as possible. All she's trying to do is survive.
"YOU LIKE LIVING HERE?!" Sam shouts at Sharon in between gunshots.
"It's not terrible!" She offers.
Bucky shoots one of the bounty hunters in the shoulder and Shannon hears his scream before she sees him fall as she stands up and runs for cover again. She hears Bucky swear and he runs back to her, grabbing her around the waist.
"I thought we were going to go left!" Bucky shouts at Sam.
"You went the wrong way!" Sam screams.
"I was clearing the way!" Bucky counters.
"I came out first. You're supposed to follow me!"
"And where are we now?!" Bucky shouts.
"Guys!" Sharon screams. "Not the time! Shannon, I need your help."
Shannon slides right next to Sharon and they both shoot at one of the containers, trying to hit anyone... or anything. She tries to calm her breathing, but her hands are shaking so badly. Eventually, she runs out of bullets and sobs. Sharon hands her another clip and swears as Shannon reloads her gun.
"I'm out!"
"Here," Shannon says, handing her the gun. "You're better at this than I am."
Sam and Bucky are still screaming at each other.
"THIS IS A BARRICADE!" Bucky bellows.
"IT'S IN EVERY ACTION MOVIE!"
As Shannon runs to Bucky's side and Sharon keeps shooting, she feels something jagged and hot pierce the back of her left shoulder. Searing, twisting metal ripping through muscle and tendon. She already knows what's happened, she just doesn't know how bad it is. Instinctively, she reaches back to touch the wound and sees blood all over her hands. Her mouth drops open and her eyes go wide. Bucky and Sam look panicked and rush to her side. Her vision starts to blur and Bucky grabs her just before she hits the ground. He crouches, pulling her body close to his.
"No no no no no!" He roars. "Shannon? Shannon, you have to stay with me, doll."
She's dizzy. The earth whirls around her. Colors start to blur together and Bucky's face fades in and out of her field of vision. She reaches up to his cheek with a shaky hand.
"Buck..."
Before he can answer, everything goes black.
~~~
She wakes up on Zemo's jet with Bucky looming over her. Her eyelids flutter and she groans as everything slowly comes back into focus. It feels like waking up after a day long nap... or a coma. God, how long was she out?
"Sam!" Bucky yells over his shoulder. "She's awake!"
The relief in his voice makes her smile. Shannon tries to push herself up before she's reminded of the blinding pain in her shoulder. It feels like someone is twisting a knife and running it through her body all over again. The pain is so bad that goosebumps form all over her body and she wants to crawl out of her own skin. She cries out and Bucky grabs her.
"Hey, hey, hey! Easy, doll. Lie back."
"What the hell happened?"
"You got shot and passed out. Sam and I managed to stop the bleeding long enough to get you to Zemo's jet." His voice tightens and Shannon sees tears in his eyes. He leans over and kisses her. Shannon welcomes it, one hand wrapping around the back of his neck. "For a second, I thought you were going to bleed out."
She looks down at her right hand and sees it stained with blood.
"We didn't have time to clean you up," Bucky tells her. "I had to cut you out of your dress."
She looks down and realizes that she's in her jeans and a tank top. Her arm is bandaged down to her mid-bicep. Shannon looks up at Bucky. She doesn't have any words, she can only reach for him as tears pool in her eyes. He laughs, almost trying to comfort them both and leans down to kiss her.
"You're okay, Shan."
"I know, I'm just... I've never seen that much blood come out of my own body."
"I know," he whispers." "You're okay. Oeznik and I patched you up."
She laughs.
"I'm surprised Sam didn't supervise."
"Oh, I did!" Sam announces with a big smile as he strides toward Shannon with a sandwich and a glass of water. "Here, you need to eat. It's the one thing Zemo and I can agree on right now."
She turns her head to see Zemo floating back from the bar in the back of the plane and sitting down across from her.
"You gave us quite the scare, Miss Meyers."
She grimaces.
"Sorry about that."
"It's no trouble," Zemo assures her.
Shannon looks around, confused.
"Where's Sharon?"
"Back in Madripoor," Bucky replies. He's pressed against her as he helps her sit up. Shannon leans against him and winces, using his body for support.
"Oeznik!" Zemo calls. "I think Shannon's pain medication is wearing off."
"Pain medication?" She asks.
"Percocet," Bucky replies as Oeznik hands him two tiny white capsules. "Take these after you eat."
She nods and begins to stuff the sandwich in her face as Sam sits down in his seat, sighing. Bucky looks at him.
"You okay?"
"You mean aside from all of this?" Sam laughs. "Yeah. I just got a lot on my mind."
"Like what?" Shannon asks.
"Eat your sandwich," Sam teases.
She scrunches up her nose and makes a face at him. Sam laughs and turns back to Bucky.
"I'm just thinking about all the shit Sharon had to go through... and Nagel referring to Isaiah as the American test subject like Isaiah wasn't even a real person. It just makes me wonder how many people had to get steamrolled to make way for this hunk of metal."
Bucky sighs.
"Well, it depends on who you ask. That hunk of metal saved a lot of lives."
"Yeah, I get that, all right?" Sam sighs. "Maybe I made a mistake."
"You did," Bucky tells him.
Shannon's eyes bounce between the two of them as Zemo gets up to pour himself a drink.
"Yeah," Sam says, his eyes locked on Bucky. "Maybe I shouldn't have put it in a museum. Maybe I should have destroyed it."
Bucky's entire body tenses at the mention of it.
"Look, that shield represents a lot of things to a lot of people. Including me. The world is upside down. We need a new Cap, and it ain't gonna be Walker. So, before you go and destroy it, I'm going to take it from him myself."
"Bucky..." Shannon sighs as she shoves the last of her sandwich in her mouth.
Sam's phone rings.
Zemo comes back with cookies and tea, handing a small plate to Shannon. She thanks him and he sits down across from her.
"What else am I supposed to do?" Bucky asks her. "Look at all of the shit we've been through! I promised to protect you, Shannon. I failed."
"It's a shoulder wound, Buck."
"Yeah, and you could have bled out. I just... I want this over with. Once and for all. I want to stop Karli, take the shield, and end this -- so that we can go home and go back to our lives."
"I know, Buck."
He kisses her on the cheek.
"I just want quiet," he tells her. "And you, and Ace, and Alpine, and those terrible movies you watch."
She laughs.
"I want that too."
He kisses her softly. Normally, Bucky isn't into PDA, at least not around anyone other than Sam. But he seems to be making an exception right now. She can practically feel his relief bleeding into her.
"God, I'm so glad you're okay," he whispers, pulling away and brushing her lip with his thumb.
"Me too."
Sam hangs up the phone.
"They found Madani. Dead. She died in Riga, a city near the Baltic Sea."
Shannon raises an eyebrow. She must have missed out on a whole conversation.
"I have a place we can go," Zemo tells them. "I, for one, am looking forward to coming face to face with Karli. Oeznik, we're changing the course.
"I'm not gonna get shot again, am I?" Shannon asks as she pops the Percocet into her mouth and guzzles the rest of her water.
Sam laughs.
"Good to see you have a sense of humor about the whole thing, Shan."
"Someone has to."
Bucky wraps his arm around her and drapes a blanket over them both, letting her fall asleep in a drug-induced haze on his chest. The last thing she feels before she slips into unconsciousness is his hand swimming through her hair.