I took a breath and pulled back so I could assess the damage. Bucky's eyes fluttered open and a grin spread across his face slowly.
"That – that was nice," Bucky smiled.
"Yeah, that was really nice," I smiled back. His hand caressed my arm. I felt a memory tingling at the edges of my mind and I shoved it back. I couldn't slip up; I'd realised that too young, I couldn't stop flexing that muscle.
"So what do you want to do now?" I asked suggestively as I traced the veins on the back of his hand. Bucky stammered slightly and stumbled over some vowels before I laughed. "Well I'm heading to bed, you can join me, or you can go to your own bed… I know you have your appointment to get your arm back tomorrow… I don't mind."
I offered but I knew he wouldn't take me up on it. I could see it on his face. Too much, too quickly. His eyebrows crinkled with sadness. I squeezed his hand and leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek. He briefly closed his eyes.
"Sorry Ava, I just can't. Please don't think it doesn't mean that I don't–"
I cut him off: "I know." I smiled and leaned to give him another kiss. Our lips brushed together, my lips tingled as he bravely ran his tongue along my bottom lip. I could feel myself shudder. It soon started to escalate and I found him pressing me back down into the sofa. My dress hitched up to accommodate him squeezing between my legs. I stilled my hips as they threatened to grind against him. Slow and steady – more importantly I had to go slow. I held his weight on one side with my arm to allow him to retain some space due to the imbalance caused by the lack of one limb. His kisses were eager yet reserved like he was scared to hurt me.
"Knock, knock." A voice said from the doorway. I sat up abruptly which pushed Bucky off me. I sighed as I realised it was Steve not T'Challa. I looked off the edge of the sofa to see Bucky on the floor. He was laughing. I threw a pillow at Steve and watched it slide off the supersoldier.
"Steve you scared the shit out of me," I said as I got up to help Bucky off the floor. Bucky found it pretty amusing. He was still laughing to himself until he made eye contact with me.
"Sorry Ava, I did actually knock first," Steve shrugged. "I just came to say that T'Challa wants to speak to you and I also had to make sure Bucky actually went to bed not stayed up all night with you." Steve playfully punched Bucky's arm. Bucky shifted uncomfortably at the suggestion. I on the other hand found it funny. Here was Steve thinking his buddy would be getting laid, and his buddy had turned down the offer.
I smirked as I sorted myself and made myself look presentable. I slipped my feet back into my high heeled boots.
"You look really nice Ava," Steve commented as he took in my outfit. "We'll walk you to T'Challa's office." He nudged Bucky and Bucky looked up at me through his hair. He was embarrassed.
"I should think so after interrupting our date," I grinned.
The walk to T'Challa was slow and almost painful. Steve wouldn't shut up about the latest mission and how Tony was being too stubborn about the whole accords thing. I sighed. Not only did I not give a crap about the accords, I cared very very little about Tony Stark. I occasionally looked over at Bucky who was walking on the other side of Steve. He was always looking ahead.
When we reached a stop. Bucky looked at me straight in the eye. My core lit up slightly with the intensity of the stare.
"So… thanks for walking me," I smiled at both of them. "Bucky," I stepped closer to him. "Thanks for the dinner," I leaned in and slid a hand around the back of his neck. If Steve was going to spoil my night, I was sure going to make him uncomfortable. I pulled Bucky's head down to meet mine in an overly passionate kiss. I felt his arm wrap around me as he pulled me closer.
After a full minute, and several coughs from Steve, I pulled back.
"Bucky, thanks," I said before turning to walk in the door to T'Challa's office.
I looked over my shoulder to see Steve staring at Bucky shocked. Bucky just shrugged – he was grinning though.
The meeting with T'Challa was boring. T'Challa was a stickler for rules and lists. He had ran through recent events on the mission I'd accompanied and what I'd learned from Bucky's memories.
"I think it's developing well," T'Challa stated and typed onto the screen in front of us.
"Yes, it's been easier than I thought. I am being careful though because I can't imagine absorbing the triggers with no side effects," I said. "I've only removed one so far and look what I did to those guys."
"Yes, we can't have this getting out of control so you will now have to attend weekly excursions and relevant missions," T'Challa nodded. "I have heard of other developments which I hope will not interfere." He turned to face me. "I understand why but I don't want this to affect the removal of triggers – that's not why I brought you here."
"I understand," I whispered.
"However, Ava I am not telling you to stop. I know that doesn't work and to be frank, I would rather you were both occupied," T'Challa smiled. "Also I want to see you happy and he might do that for you. I know you have both been through similar experiences… Anyway what happens if you reach your limit? What is our plan for that eventuality?"
I sighed. I knew T'Challa wanted to discuss every possible outcome. As I said, he was stickler.
"I would either need a controlled burst, like that mission, or you would have to subdue me," I said simply. T'Challa took my hand. "T'Challa you have to protect yourself and everyone here. Whatever it takes."
I smiled at him. He smiled back sadly.
"I will make sure it doesn't come to that, Sanctuary. I will protect you. You are an asset I can't afford to lose," He said. "I will make sure of your safety." When T'Challa said that I believed him. I could trust him as headstrong as he is (trying to kill Bucky wasn't a high point), he was loyal and dependable. T'Challa was authentic.
I finished the meeting with T'Challa late. Around 12pm. T'Challa had a lot of things to cover, particularly trigger and memories related. I walked back to my room with my boots in hand and paused as I walked past the living room. Someone was watching TV loudly. I leaned in to see dark hair peaking over the top of the sofa. Bucky.
"Knock, knock." I said in a mock-Steve voice. Bucky turned sleepily to look at me.
"I thought you were getting an earlier night on Cap's orders like a good soldier," I joked as I flopped down next to him.
"I can't sleep," Bucky said as he stared at the TV. "Television numbs my brain."
"It would be less damaging for me to just knock you out," I chuckled as I leaned into his side and snuggled down a bit. "I'm exhausted."
"What did you and T'Challa talk about?" Bucky relaxed slightly.
"You – among other things."
"Really? What in particular?" Bucky asked.
"Well just your triggers and the consequence of that," I said as I closed my eyes.
"Oh," Bucky tensed again.
"Stop it. It's not your fault. It's just this thing I have, it has consequences anyways. To remove the trigger it fills me up with a lot of energy that I could unwillingly blast out," I said. "What those guys did to me makes me a weapon if I don't control it."
"We have that in common," Bucky chuckled.
"Well not really, you have to just not hit people in the face and I have to make sure I don't screw everyone up in a mile radius. If I hold my thing in, I don't just get sick. I erase people's memories and I erase the people inside. I leave people human vegetables." I stated as calmly as possible.
"You never told me how you got your gift? I assume it's not a mutation," Bucky asked as the TV cast a blue glow over his tanned skin.
"Well it is and it isn't. Before Hydra got their hold on me, I was telepathic. I could just see memories, I couldn't alter them or remove them. I would see flashes of images. I was essentially a very talented 6 year old psychic," I paused remembering my grandmother making me sit in front of tarot cards at her stall in a dingy market. "They found me and took me from my grandmother. My parents both died when I was young. I was never told how they died but I could tell it was a car accident. Hydra put me through tests for years and years. I was their lab rat. They alter my brain and injected me with shit that I couldn't even tell you. I started to develop the gift I have now when I had been there 3 years. It got stronger and stronger. They piled me full of drugs and supplements. When I was 10, I was made to fight for the first time. Up until that point, I had been ejecting my energy on small animals which already felt cruel. Then I was forced to use it on another person like me. They hadn't developed like me. They could suck energy out – as much as they needed but they couldn't remove it. I was ordered to destroy them. I focused so much energy on them. I can still remember crying when I watched my power crush their brain… so yeah it is and it isn't."
Bucky sat next to me silently. "I guess we both have reason to hate Hydra."
"Yeah, we both do." I whispered.
"I'm sorry Ava…How did you get out?" Bucky whispered. He cuddled into me and his arm was rubbing mine.
"I killed everyone," I said. "I killed the whole base I was in. They pushed my power too far and filled me with too much. I was vomiting daily. They were filling me up with so much and obviously it was for an attack but I didn't make it out of the compound they were keeping me in. I just blew up and everyone just crumpled."
"Shit," Bucky whispered.
"Yeah, I was 18 when I got out," I said. "But let's not talk about this anymore. I can't deal with your puppy dog eyes while you feel bad for me."
"That's fine with me," Bucky said. "I do not have puppy dog eyes."
"Yeah, whatever." I cuddled in and felt sleep take me.