Jo: Well you know how it is, I jump from comedy to romance to tragedy, its just how I be and Bucky and Jo's story can be a little tragic. My B.
Oddball: Aww chibi bucky and Jo! That's exactly how I pictured it too, never thought someone else would xD. Ugh Fifty Shades of Grey, girl that isn't sex that romanticised rape. Please update yourself on some good movies and books, not this Twilight-centric crap. Omg Civil War. My body does not feel ready, I am both nervous and excited, mainly because I am not close to being done with this story yet and I need to finish it before the movie because I dont know whom Ill be shipping after the movie. Be as protective as you want my dear, in fact ill supply you with arms. I think unless you are some overlord, everyone is a prisoner of Hydra, order only comes with pain right? Anyway ill be revealing more of Jo's time at Hydra once the story moves on. I hope you like this chapter too :D.
Yay two updates in two days. Ill try to get more out this week but I can't make any promises.
xx
SSC
Please review.
"Aw yeah."
Bucky didn't know how long he stood at the entrance to the large empty room within the bunker, leaning against the archway and watching her, but he knew it didn't stop being amusing.
Joanna was beyond ecstatic about her legs working properly again. She couldn't seem to stop expressing her happiness in the form of dance. Bucky didn't know much about music in this century, well…he didn't know much about the world. However, he was good at gathering clues, spotting patterns. When it came to music, Joanna was one big blueprint.
Hip hop was the term for the upbeat, rhythmic tunes that she enjoyed so jovially. He liked watching the way her entire body moved, taking up the entire space as her feet skidded across the floor. Her movements were most random but fascinating, especially when she began to sway her hips in the most mesmerizing fashion that had him a little weak at the knees and hard elsewhere.
Bucky crossed his arms over his wide chest, attempting to seem indifferent to her antics. His crystal clear eyes continued to rake over her athletic form. Joanna had dressed down to the fiery orange sports bra and black tights. The ends of her dark tresses were wet with sweat that glistened over her tan complexion.
It was all so familiar, he knew he had seen her train before, several times, mainly because she looked to be in her element, a fierce warrior that didn't see a battle only a playground.
He chewed the inside of his cheek contemplatively; he wished he could see the world in such a way.
"Man it feels good to be back on my own legs again." Joanna sighed out in gratification; grabbing his attention. His gaze darted back to the woman and Jo had turned to face him. She was grinning wide in that dazzling way that stunned him for a moment.
"I can finally build back the stamina I lost in prison." She declared.
"It's hard to believe you didn't put up a fight." Jack responded reminding Bucky of his presence. In truth the Winter Solider had forgotten that Jack was seated in his wheelchair, observing Joanna testing out the new addition to her leg. The scientist was taking notes on an A4 sized, spiral bound book. He had the stationary open across his lap but his attention was focused on the female.
"Oh I did, but their drugs were stronger." Joanna mused, her enthusiasm had dropped considerably.
"Helped numb the pain, though."
Jack's playful grin softened in concern. Bucky was intrigued as well.
"What did they do to you in there?" He asked gently.
Joanna shrugged and then brought her arms above her head for a long stretch.
"You know…what they usually do to people like me." She mumbled in a blase manner.
Bucky was quick to notice the way the man's face dropped in disappointment and slight hurt. Clearly the young man had been expecting the woman to open up to him, but at the same time he didn't seem all that surprised by the lady's nonchalance.
Jack nodded, muttered something inaudible under his breath and wheeled off towards the furthest wall of the room.
Buchanan's cool gaze drifted back to Joanna who twisted at the waist, seemingly unaware of Jack's retreat. Feeling confrontational he decided to leave the comfort of the entrance to approach her.
"Subtle." He grumbled reaching her.
"What?" Joanna responded lazily.
"How you avoid talking about your problems, I can really tell you are over it." Bucky groused his voice thick with sarcasm.
Joanna stilled, surprised by his blunt sardonic statement, then she slowly turned to face him. A smile of pure awe was frozen on her face, but her eyes shining haughtily.
"That's a lot coming from the man with ninety-nine problems." She bit back lightly, clasping her black, bandaged hands on her hips.
"But I can't remember each one." He reminded.
"Lucky." She teased. His eyes narrowed, he couldn't tell if she was reminding him of his insecurities out of spite or whether she was genuinely envious.
"So you tuck it all away in some corner of your mind?" He demanded. She nodded firmly. Bucky stepped closer to her, practically towering over her.
"You know its all going to come back in a flood and its going to hit you, hard." He warned. He had learned that the hard way in a midst of chaos. He didn't want to think about that day, or Steve. The gut-wrenching guilt that pooled in his stomach had returned, he didn't know how to make sense of it.
"I have outlets." Joanna stated stubbornly pushing back the despair and bringing about his annoyance.
"Like what?" He demanded hotly.
"Like this."
Bucky's eyes widened in shock when Joanna aimed a roundhouse kick right to his face. His instincts kicked in and he jolted into action. He ducked down and pushed off the balls of his feet and took several steps back. His feet spread apart to make a strong foundation as his arms bent up in a defensive maneuver.
"Oooo." Joanna whistled in amusement, her eyes were glimmering, impressed by his quick response.
"Almost got you there, hun." She taunted and began circling him like a hawk does to its prey. Bucky kept a steady eye on her, careful not to turn his back on her.
She flashed him a row of her gleaming white teeth. The smug playfulness in her grin disarmed him. He pushed back the awareness of his throbbing heart and instead focused on the fight she had catalyzed.
"Don't tell me age finally caught up to you, old man." She jeered. He scowled and shot forward.
Joanna dodged and blocked his attacks with an ease he was not expecting, it was as if she was extremely accustomed to his attacks. His enthusiasm to hurt her died down, he didn't know when but it somehow became a source of entertainment.
She was a talented fighter, he had seen flashes of her potential earlier but never at such a force. He learned quickly that Joanna was best with her legs. She was fast, a speed he had seen once before, but of course she couldn't reach the stamina of Captain America, but she was still close.
Amidst the several punches, kicks and blows they threw at each other, Bucky studied her other responses. She was studying him, her eyes darted about in a haste, accessing an attack before it arrived. He decided to test her a few times, spinning out his routine assaults and trying a new approach.
He did knock her hard every time he switched tactics, but the attempts were more taxing when she had already learned his new move brilliantly fast. They had worked each other up into a heavy sweat. The power in his attacks had begun to dim and he retreated to blocking.
Joanna aimed a hard punch to his face that Bucky caught easily. She quickly attempted to use her other arm which he also restrained. They were stagnant in a battle of strength as she attempted to regain her arms he had trapped between her fingers.
Bucky smirked clandestinely, arrogant in her troubles. She grinned and he was confused, why was she so smug?
Joanna suddenly leaned forward and kissed at the air just before his lips. He heard the smack of her lips as if they were on his skin. His cheeks flushed and he hadn't realized the shock had caused his grip to soften.
Joanna didn't waste time and ripped away from his grip and punched him hard in ribs. Bucky gasped out in pain and then she delivered an equally painful blow to his left side before pairing the combo with a sharp kick to his chest.
Buchanan stumbled back, clutching onto his side, breathing hard and blinking rapidly to rid of the pain that dulled his senses.
"I forgot how easy it is to distract you."
Bucky was bent over and panting, his knees shook but he refused to fall. Scowling from the blow of her attacks and words, he straightened his posture and aimed his fiercest glare at the female.
The power in his death glare died the moment his gaze fell upon her face. Beads of sweat littered her face, despite her exertions the cocksure glint in her eyes and winning smile was too charming.
He continued to scowl, ignoring the heart that raced for her.
"I forgot how cocky you are." He grumbled under his breath, wincing a little from the ache in his upper body.
She tilted her head to the side, her grin thinned down to taunting smirk as she studied him with her ebony eyes. She raised one dark winged brow up at him and pinned him under her state.
"Is that all?" She asked, her raspy voice was sinfully taunting. He didn't know whether he was aroused sexually or vengefully.
Her grin widened seeing the fire burning in his eyes.
"Come on, I'm getting sleepy over here." Joanna feigned a yawn into a tight fist, antagonizing him further.
Bucky pushed off his feet again and their dance of prowess began again. Joanna dodged and avoided his attacks but her gaze was steady on his most dangerous appendage, his metal arm.
Even though Bucky remembered very little of their time together, Joanna recalled every detail. His left arm had always been his backup. The right human limb was always on the attack, the one that grabbed the knife or pulled the trigger. Joanna had only seen him use his powerful arm when fighting a super, someone who needed the extra strength around.
She was trying to provoke him into tapping to that resource but he refused and she knew why. Her face was a haunting reminder of the hurt he had caused that night. It had only been four days since the incident. She still carried the pooling cuts and purple bruising.
She saw that each time he was tempted to use that arm, when the metal digits twitched, his clear eyes would flicker to her scars and his motivation to hurt her would drop tremendously.
She didn't know if she should be impressed or insulted. She chose to be astonished but Joanna had always been a fighter, she was trained by the best and she expected nothing less.
A heavy grunt left her lips when he managed to pin her up against a wall. He weighed her to the concrete surface with his metal arm across her chest. She panted, struggling against the load of his limb. Within milliseconds, she realized that it was a useless attempt and focused on aiming an attack to his side with her free arm.
Bucky anticipated the blow and easily caught her arm once more and slammed it to her side. She groaned from the jolt of pain, heavy rasps of breath left her lips as she raised her gaze to meet his.
Joanna knew a losing battle when she saw one. Sure she could have used up all the tricks he had taught her, or she had learned along the way. She could have head butted him, rendering him dizzy for a few moments before kicking him ferociously in the abdomen; anything from Krav Maga to Sambo in order to get out of his hold.
But it was hard to fight back when all she could think about was how handsome he looked up close. She knew it was a little twisted to be turned on by someone who looked livid, but Bucky wore his anger best. So she chose to continue baiting him.
"You used to be good at keeping me up." She teased once more. She expected a snort or one of his signature scowls. Instead, he stared at her for a moment, studying the mischief in her gaze before the emotion began to reflect in his blue eyes.
"To which way are you referring?" He murmured in a silken innuendo that sent shivers of delight down her spine. She was breathing hard from more than just the physical exertions.
He saw the feelings he had stirred no matter how hard she had tried to hide them. Strands of his dark hair fell over his crystalline eyes that were dancing with roguish intent. The banked sensuality in his glance nearly disarmed her. Waves of longing flooded her body, warming her skin, she had forgotten how much she had missed how he was, how they were.
She bit her lower lip. They were reaching dangerous territory where her mind would automatically let loose all the painful, wonderful memories she had of them just to torment her. She needed to take control of the situation before she submitted in more than just the battle.
Veiling her fear behind a look of sultry wickedness, she leaned in while holding his stare and said.
"I think you mean vice versa, hun."
Bucky hadn't realized he was smirking until the muscles of his face abruptly relaxed from the shock. He stiffened at the honest suggestion in her words. She wasn't wrong and it irked him that he knew how much he wanted her, more than how much the intensity of his need confused him.
She found opportunity in his moment of stun to get out of his hold by kneeing him right in the abdomen. Bucky grunted from the pain and instead of trying to soothe the pain like his instincts told him to, he used his arm t block the second blow she aimed to his face.
He grabbed her in time and held tightly before bending forward and tossing her over his shoulder. Her back made hard impact with the ground and Bucky heard Jack yell out in the background. The man had been observing their battle and was highly entertained when Joanna was thrown to the floor.
Bucky ignored Jack and moved towards her. He was panting hard the same as her. They were both spent and weary from a fight that would clearly have no end. He was amused by this; it was more than just a battle of stealth and prowess. It was wit too.
He stood beside the bend of her waist as she struggled to even her breathing. Her eyes were pinched shut, experiencing the last waves of pain that throbbed through her body. He was a little remorseful and wondered if he had injured her.
His broad body had casted a shadow over her under the powerful white lights on the ceiling above. He stretched out his arm in assistance and she looked at him from beneath lazy slits.
Joanna jolted into a seated position at a rate he wasn't expecting. The sudden movements startled him; it was as if something had randomly stung her.
"What is it?" He was quick to demand, urged by her concerning ways.
She shook her head to dismiss his worry but he noticed how she was eyeing his glinting arm.
"Nothing." She insisted lowering her stare to the ground.
"I'm fine." She murmured. Bucky frowned, she was lying. He wanted to question her but she reached for his arm and gripped his open palm tightly. The question left his mind at the feeling of her warm touch. He grasped sternly and pulled her up to her feet.
"Great workout, Barnes." She commended while pinching at some ache in her knee. He eyed her unsurely, wondering if she was masking her pain once more.
She flashed him a reckless grin that drew his attention away from her leg. She smiled and patted him on his left pectoral in hearty thanks.
"Let's incorporate weapons next time." She suggested and returned her hands firmly to her hips.
"You can't take me in hand to hand combat, how are you going to manage weapons?" He taunted a ghost of a smile playing at his lips, deepening the creases around his mouth.
"Um, rude." She chimed, her eyebrows furrowed in displeasure. She strolled past him, purposefully ramming her shoulder into his as she continued on his path.
Bucky found himself staring after her once more but watching the sashay of her shapely hips like a man desperate for mercy.
"You smell." Joanna was hit in the face with a fresh, clean, white towel and Jack's blunt statement.
"Thanks, Jack." She grumbled while wiping her damp face into the dry, coarse material. She made her way out of the gym with him trailing behind her. She felt strange walking away from Bucky, especially since the sexual tension that stirred between them usually ended up with them behind closed doors.
She had felt him watching her, like invisible hands stroking her body. She ached for his hands, sure one of them lacked the sensual, warm touch but she didn't mind, she wanted more than just his body and that made it worse.
"Jude has this shampoo that smells like water lilies, amaaaazing." Jack announced grabbing her attention from the brooding soldier.
"Yes, I am into that." She chimed in excited for a shower and indulging in some girly products. She was reminded of the list of hair products her hairstylist had recommended her to buy. Joanna loved to indulge in ways to pamper herself. She was excited for her next chance to spend the day in a salon.
"So, things are looking good." Jack mused slyly.
"Yeah I know, you guys have hot water right? And those jets? I specifically told the contractor I wanted jets in the tub." Joanna rambled on oblivious to the implication in his tone.
"Not that." Jack scoffed. "You and Winters."
"What about us?" She demanded, trying to seem cool about the inquiry.
"You were flirting again." Jack teased and then chuckled. "Well, I assume that's how you two flirt."
"I prefer to call it having sex with my clothes on." Joanna boasted bawdily.
"Nice." Jack laughed at the enthusiastic way she pumped her arms. "But it's good right."
"Yeah." She mumbled with a dazed smile, but the moment of bliss fell when she was reminded of her insecurities. "But I'm wondering if it's a good idea to interact so much with him before taking him to the professor. What if something I do or say ends up bringing back all his memories."
"Isn't that a good ting?" Jack questioned tentatively.
"No." Joanna stated while shaking her head firmly, her expression grim."There has to be an order, something happened in the past that he—If he remembers it too soon then it's not going to end well."
Jack didn't know what Joanna implied with her words or what lurked beneath her hesitation. But Jack had a faint idea to what moment she was referring. He knew how to clues together, he always loved puzzles and Joanna was a big one.
Jack had a strong feeling something terrible had happened that first time Joanna attempted to rescue Bucky from the hell hole that was Hydra. Trying to save her was what got her locked up in the first place, Jack knew this because he was there desperately trying to escape in the chaotic distraction that Joanna had caused, allowing Jude and him to run free unnoticed.
She had saved their lives but in turn lost three years of hers.
