Prologue:

It was late, near midnight, and there was still a considerable amount of people on the platform, waiting for the last train home. He observed with the mindfulness trained into him and the paranoia that came with being a fugitive.

She was rocking subtly on her feet along to whatever beat played through her headphones. She'd notified him with the curiosity of a people-watcher and the awareness of a young woman alone at night in the city.

It was mostly quiet, save for the muted sounds of city life. So, the soft, desperate mewling noise was almost as loud as a gunshot. She wasn't sure how she heard it through her music; she didn't care.

He almost started at the mew, eyes scanning the tracks until they landed on the small form cowering in the middle. A kitten, somehow not dead yet.

His ears picked up the low thurm of the approaching train. Not yet, but soon to be. He sighed softly, considering for a moment jumping down to rescue the kitten. He knew he'd make it off safely, but banished the thought anyways. It'd bring unwanted attention.

She heard the approaching train and took a second to glance down the dark tunnel, guaging how far away it was. If she moved quickly, she could, just possibly make it down and up again. Another brief glance around showed no one else inclined to rescue the poor thing.

So, she tucked her phone safely into her jacket pocket and-

Movement flashed as another of the waiting passengers carefully leapt onto the center of the track, moving towards the kitten, delicately avoiding the electrical coils. Lights appeared in the tunnel, indicating the train was twenty seconds from stopping.

He tensed; she'd never make it out.

The train came into view.

Ten seconds.

He didn't know he was moving until he was gripping her tightly around the stomach.

Five seconds.

He vaulted out of the tracks a half-second before the train was on them. As sloppy a jump as it was, he tumbled, pulling her with him as they rolled to a stop.

Some of the other passengers took a few seconds to gape; most just climbed onto the waiting train without a glance. The train was gone in the next moment, leaving him on the dirty ground with her on top, blinking down at him with a decidedly startled expression.

It was then that he realized he'd taken his hand out of his pocket, exposing the metal; that he realized her jacket and shirt had ridden up in the tumble, and the cold metal rested on warm skin; that he realized she wasn't flinching or crying or panicking; the he realized how entirely inappropriate their positioning was, and he quickly moved her off him.

The edges of her lips curled up in what could have been a smirk, but the corners of her eyes crinkled, too, softening it to an amused grin. "Thanks." From within her jacket came another new, this one softer and tireder, and they both looked down at the tiny black-and-orange head poking out.

She ran a finger gently over the kitten's head before looking at him again. He stared back, flinching when she darted forwards. He was quite a bit taller than her, and she had to stretch up, and he froze when her hand came in contact with his chest, fighting the instinct to subdue her.

Her lips were warm and gentle on his cheek.

She stepped back, giving him another small grin before disappearing up the stairs back to street level. It took him a moment to realize that they had missed the last train. They'd both be walking home, it seemed.

She was gone by the time he reached the surface.

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Hi, guys! This is my first ever venture into the Marvel universe, so I'm excited and a little nervous. This is a Bucky/OC story, post-TWS, not CACW compliant.

I have a fascination with characters of a broken nature that need to heal, hence why I've latched onto Sergeant Barnes ;) this story starts a few months after the end of TWS, and instead of going to Romania, Bucky stays around D.C.

I know the prologue is short, but the chapters are somewhat lengthy :)

Disclaimer: only my OFC and the kitten are my creation, nothing else.

Read and review!

Kisses!