A/N: Hey, everyone! A lot has happened since I last updated, mainly BLACK PANTHER FINALLY CAME OUT AND IT'S BEEN OVER A MONTH AND I'M STILL SHOOK AND INFINITY WAR IS COMING A WEEK EARLIER THAN EXPECTED AND WOW I'M THRIVING. Uni is still kicking my butt, but I'm still here, still shipping the heck out of Jess and Bucky. I hope y'all are enjoying your spring break (or have enjoyed, or will enjoy, I don't know your lives so y'all should PM or review more often it's too quiet on your end!)
Also, welcome to daniethornhill, HydeHijacktGackt, basilbeast, LeafyBee, lek99, and Ceyllena! Hope you stop by more often!
Hippolover: I've granted your wish-sorry it's a little late :)
"You're never babysitting again, Buckaroo," Sam quipped, holding up an ice pack for Bucky's head. His wings rested against Bucky's legs in desperate need of repair. The bird had managed to fly up and pull Bucky and Jess out on one wing alone. He was only mildly impressed. Sam's annoyance alone must have been a hell of a fuel tank.
"I wasn't babysitting," Bucky mumbled as he narrowed his eyes at Sam. They sat quietly in the brightly lit lobby as the doctors and nurses rushed around them. He's never seen the medical bay so packed and chaotic.
"Housesitting, whatever, man," Sam pressed the pack harder against Bucky's temple, making Bucky hiss. "Whoops, sorry."
Bucky shook his head and smacked Sam's hand away to hold the pack up himself. He wasn't too beat up; a few fractures and burns here and there and just enough bruises to turn him into Barney for a day or two. He was more concerned about the other guys.
"How are the others holding up?"
"You mean Jess?"
"No, I mean everyone else."
"Man, you couldn't let go of her once I pulled y'all out."
Bucky's grip on the ice pack tightened, releasing more of the coolant to the surface. "She needed help walking."
"Her legs seemed to be working just fine to me."
"Why are you even here, Sam?"
"To keep you company, knucklehead," he replied, smacking the back of Bucky's head lightly. He sighed and rose from the bench before offering his arm for Bucky to take. Bucky grunted, but took it anyway. The pain in his knee should go away soon, but for now he'll take the crutch.
"Where are we going?" Bucky hopped along with Sam as he guided them through a wide hallway. All the rooms were filled and occasionally a nurse would pop out, a few giving the pair a hard glare.
"To answer your question," was all Sam said before turning the corner and pushing Bucky into the first open room.
A curtain partly covered the view of the bed, so Bucky hung back quietly as Sam strolled in.
"Knock, knock," Sam greeted, tapping his fist against the wall twice and stopping at the foot of the bed.
"Who's there—oh," came her croaky voice that dropped once she laid her eyes on Sam.
"Relax, I'm only transport," Sam chuckled at her. He pointed his thumb behind him, in Bucky's direction, before clarifying, "for him."
Bucky knew that was his cue, but his feet kept him planted where he was. Unable to step forward and, going by how lightheaded he suddenly felt, unable to breathe—he just stood there, frozen. Sam whipped his head around and rolled his eyes before giving him a look and mouthing, "Get your dumbass over here."
Bucky grunted, his jaw clenching and stomach ready to jump out his throat. For fuck's sake, Barnes, what the hell is going on with you, today?
With a sigh, Bucky put one foot forward and willed himself to move. The pain running all over his body was something he could really focus on at the moment. Better that than whatever the hell was going on that had nothing to do with the burns, breaks, and bruises.
"Heeey, there he is," Sam smiled, a shit-eating grin spreading across his face. He finally moved to the side and Bucky's eyes met Jessabell's. He stood there taking in the sight of her and she lay there taking in the sight of him and he really wanted to punch that grin off of Sam Wilson's face. She looked as exhausted and torn as he'd ever seen her and yet she still brightened up with their presence.
"Hi," Bucky managed to say, nodding at her.
"Our breakfast got cold," Jess said, her expression softening into a smile.
"I think Clint ate it," Bucky answered in return.
"Oh, yeah, right." Her face was washed clean, drying in the sterile environment of the hospital. There was a thin film wrapped around her burned arm that pulsed with a sickly green liquid.
"How's the arm?"
"Gross, but it'll heal soon," Jess said, lifting it up slightly to give him a better look. The liquid had started to dissolve the charred skin and Bucky could see flecks of new, pink flesh pushing through.
"Yeah, you wouldn't want to end up with one of these," Bucky mumbled, shrugging the shoulder and clenching the fist of his metal arm.
"Ah, Jesus Christ," Sam whispered beside him. Bucky saw him shake his head as he wiped a hand down his face. He suddenly felt the warmth creep up on his cheeks and he swallowed hard.
"Why not? I'll get it in red, like 3-PO," Jess grinned.
Sam groaned quietly, muttering, "Jesus, I can't watch this." Bucky turned towards him with narrowed eyes. He only stared back, unimpressed, before yanking the ice pack out of his hand. "Hey, let me get you a new one, seems like it's getting a little too hot," he said, his tone dripping in sarcasm at the end.
Bucky growled low enough so only he could hear. "Thanks, Samuel."
"My pleasure, Buckaroo." Sam turned, dunked the still frozen ice pack into the trash, and left the room with a last wave to Jess.
"That was weird," Jess said, making Bucky turn to face her again. She shifted in her bed and grimaced at the pain it must have caused. She caught the concern that flashed across Bucky's face and blinked, looking at him pointedly. "I'm okay, Barnes," she reassured before nodding at the chair beside her bed. "You can sit if you've got nowhere else to go."
Bucky limped over to the chair and plopped himself down, taking too much care to appear casual. Already his thumb tapped against the fist of his metal arm in rhythm to the beep of Jess's heart monitor. He noticed it went up a few beats the moment he sat down.
"Hey, Bucky?"
"Hm?"
"I feel terrible."
"You do look like it."
Fuck, what the hell. It was true, but that's not what he meant.
"Jeez, alright, well, I mean like, emotionally," Jess chuckled. She stared up at the ceiling, her eyes squinting against the white light above. She made a point to stare at it and avoid his eyes.
"Bucky," she started, her voice low and serious. "I'm not—I don't think I regret it. If anything, I'm more upset that I don't." Her hand went to her injured arm and she flinched at her own touch. She kept her hand there and rubbed it back and forth across the film, making the liquid pulse even harder. "I know I should, I want to, but I can't. My mom, my life, and … Rex."
Her voice cracked with the last word, her lip trembling. Bucky sat there silently, watching her shaky hand rub back and forth. He didn't know what to say to this. He could've come up with something if it had to do with brainwashing and torture, but this was something else. They gave her something to care about and protect in such a dark time and took it away in an instant.
"Bucky?"
"Hm?"
"Okay, sorry, you don't have to say anything, I just wanted to make sure you're listening."
Bucky sighed and pulled his chair closer to the bed. The screeching tore her gaze from the ceiling and her heavy eyes rested on his. They darted all around Bucky's skin, heating up each spot as her eyes couldn't choose a scratch or a bruise to study.
"You're really hurt," she frowned, her hand finally stopping.
"It's nothing," he mumbled. Jess narrowed her eyes at him, unconvinced. "It'll all heal faster than your arm."
"Okay," she nodded, biting down on her lip. They were dry and chapped, so her teeth pulled back enough skin to make her bleed. Bucky huffed and turned to the drawers next to her bed. There should be some petroleum jelly in there.
"I didn't regret it," he muttered, so low because part of him didn't want her to hear. He never did. Finishing off every last shred of the old Hydra didn't foster an ounce of regret in him. But it didn't fix any of his problems either.
Bucky already spotted the bottle he was looking for, but his metal hand kept rummaging through the drawer. In his periphery, he could see Jess turn her head and look at him with heavy lidded eyes as she sucked on her bleeding lip.
"Is that bad?" she asked in a whisper.
"Yeah, maybe," Bucky muttered, finally pulling the bottle out. He uncapped it and offered it to Jess, who took it with her good hand. "But at least there's one less of them out there."
"Is that what you tell yourself?" Jess asked, her voice cracking again. She frowned at the bottle in her hand, her expression turning sour. "Is that what I have to tell myself?"
Bucky shrugged. "It could all be worse."
Jess chuckled emptily. "Worse how?"
"Clint could be dead."
Jess raised a brow at him jokingly, smearing a coat of the ointment over her curling lips.
"Okay, I could be dead."
She shrugged with a roll of her eyes.
"First fight turned you dark."
Jess scoffed at his comment and handed him back the bottle. "I guess you're right." She wiped her finger with her blanket and pulled the fabric over her body, curling up as if to sleep.
"I should go—"
"No, no, stay," she started, raising her head despite the pain as Bucky got up to leave. "Please, stay. Well—you know—if you want." She tried a smile and rested her head against her pillow.
Bucky wasn't sure if he wanted to. Whatever the hell he was feeling was somehow telling him to stay while also telling him to get the fuck out of there before he says something real stupid. He stared at his tapping finger for a moment. He had nothing better to do.
"They keeping you here long?" Bucky asked, his lip curling slightly at the new smile that spread across her face.
Jess shook her head. "Once this heals, I'm off." Her smile faltered and she looked away, biting her lip again. "I guess I'm going back home."
"Ah," Bucky nodded. With the telepath locked up and his brother dead, there was no reason for her to stay here. Now, she can go back to her old life, her real life. "That's good." Bucky cleared his throat. A knot had formed out of nowhere and he cast his eyes back down to his hands. His finger tapped slowly now, coming to a stop.
"Oh, yeah, good," she said. There was a hint of disappointment in her voice, but he must have imagined it. Nothing was keeping her here.
Fuck, it's only just been two days.
"Wanda's gonna miss you," Bucky muttered still fighting through the lump in his throat. He rubbed his hands together slowly, feeling them tremble slightly. "You made her real happy."
How did this happen?
"Yeah, I will, too," Jess sighed. Bucky could see her shift uncomfortably, picking at the seams of her bandages. He fought back the uneasiness running through him and forced himself to look at her. "Maybe telepaths have their own version of long distance calling?" Jess chuckled at her own joke and finally noticed his lingering gaze. "And maybe she can pass on a message or two," she added more definitively, her eyes immediately darting away from his.
"Someone's gotta keep Clint on his feet," Bucky muttered. She smiled weakly at him, focusing her gaze at the wound on his temple, her lips twisting as she studied it. She huffed and looked away again, thumbing the sticker that sent her heart beat to the machines beside her. He almost chuckled at the action before he caught himself.
Shit, you really had to go this far, Barnes. There were people before her that caught his eye. But they never lasted, even in the best and brightest of circumstances. Bucky had a feeling she was going to stick no matter how hard he tried to forget for his own sake.
It didn't matter. She's got eyes for someone else.
"Well, Bucky, if you ever get out of here—"
"Jess?" Bucky craned his neck, annoyed at the interruption, and found Steve strolling into the room. He sighed, raised his brow in greeting, and pushed the curtain out of the way to give Jess a better view.
"Cap!" she grinned, "Long time no see!" Bucky lifted his chair off the ground quietly and moved to the side to give Steve his space. He noticed that she noticed.
"You're looking pretty good for your first fist fight," Steve nodded, steadying himself with the rail of the bed. His torso was wrapped in bandages and his arm in a sling, making him look puffy rather than his normal muscular self.
How the hell did Steve get better at smooth-talking? All the contact he's had has been with a bird, an assassin, and a spy. Every single one of them way out of his league. The tables have indeed turned.
Bucky slumped against his chair, scratched his chin against his metal fist, and watched the pair's exchange. Jess seemed so much more at ease with him, the obnoxious giggling and blushing aside. Steve certainly had no interest, he's got a girl of his own. And, yet, Bucky thought they made much more sense together.
Not that it mattered anymore. She'll be gone soon and he'll have to forget her. For once, for his own sake, he needs to forget.
No fucking way. Jess wasn't an incredibly perceptive person, but she could have sworn she saw Bucky Barnes blush. She was just about to ask him to visit when Steve came in. It was a dumb idea even if he could.
"Yeah, Clint really stuck that landing on the landing," Jess nodded, only half-engaged in the conversation. Bucky moved his chair away from them, watching, but looking bored at their conversation. He pouted behind his metal fist.
Steve looked pretty banged up and—according to Wanda—it really was most of his fault. Apparently the man had a thing for getting beat up.
"We should've been there, some of us should have stayed behind," Steve droned on, his apology creasing the lines on his forehead. His beard was getting a little extra and his blond hair a little too long.
Jess shrugged before tilting her head at Bucky. "Yeah, I think we held everything down just fine all things considered." Well, Clint got a little useless in the end, but he was knocked out cold.
"Right," Steve breathed, raising his brow. "And about your release—"
"Oh, boy, that's a nice word to use—"
"—Sorry, you heading home," he tried, his hair flopping around when he shook his head. "There are some—complications."
"Sorry, what?" Jess blinked, leaning forward before realizing how bad of an idea that was for her neck and arms and everything in between. "Complications?" She saw Bucky's ears perk up at this and he leaned forward, too, before stiffening and trying to maintain his "casual" look.
"Uh, Buck," he turned to his friend, before tilting his head towards the door. "You mind?"
Before Bucky could stand, Jess stopped him and said, "No, he can stay, I want him to."
Steve's eyes darted between her and Bucky before nodding slowly. She caught another quirk of his brow that was meant for Bucky, but it didn't bother her as much as his shift in tone did.
"Sorry, I don't mean complications. Some of the Wakandans, they're… they're curious about you," he explained. He tried to cross his arm with the other, but remembered his sling a little too late. What should have been a scream of agony in a normal person's healing process was a little grunt instead.
"About me?" Jess quirked a brow at him.
"About your powers." And there it is.
"Okay, cool, do I have a choice in this?"
"Short answer is technically," Steve winced.
"Cool, okay," Jess nodded, mulling over her technical-but-we-all-know-rights-don't-mean-much-anymore choice.
"I'll give you a chance to think it over," Steve nodded, stepping away from her bed.
"Well, I could stay here and annoy all you guys as a proper guest then. That's a pro, right?" Jess joked half-heartedly, her eyes locking on Steve, but peeking at Bucky through the corner of her eye. She thought she saw his lip twitch up, sending another blush up her cheeks.
"Huh, right," Steve gave her a tight smile, something in his eye telling her that wasn't completely right. Her own forced smile loosened at his answer and she instinctively tried to push into his mind.
Steve's widened eyes made her stop. She's sure she'll get her answer later, but she didn't like to be kept in the dark. "Sorry," she mumbled at him, shaking the hair out of her face.
Steve raised a hand to wave off her apology and turned to Bucky, who was looking a little more alive than when Steve walked in. "Buck, there's a debrief in ten, let's get going," he informed him, nodding at the door.
"Right," Bucky muttered and he pushed himself off his chair. His bruises must have been healing super quickly there was so much red on his face.
Steve headed out of the room first, returning her salute and wishing her a quick recovery. He waited outside for Bucky, pretending to study something down the hall, but Jess could sense his focus was still inside the room.
Bucky made sure the chair was right back where he found it. Jess knew his legs moved much quicker than that. "Hey, Bucky?"
"Hm, yeah?" he dropped the chair down with a thud.
"If you've got time later, do you mind stopping by again? I've got… questions… about the thing." She did. If anyone knew about how the Wakandans handled what was basically a human—or in her case inhuman—and in his case superhuman?—experiment, Bucky would know.
"Uh, sure," he muttered with a nod before turning to the door. "I'll—uh—see you later."
"Bye, Buckaroo."
He turned, glaring at her, but the grin on her face softened his eyes a little. She waved before pulling the covers over head. Damn, she needed to sleep. Too much shit has happened and these new things tacked on to that, well, her head really will implode if she thought too long and hard about it all.
The debrief, as per usual, ran way too fucking long. Bucky's part didn't come in until the very end of the meeting, so he mostly sat there toying with Sam's wings while the others yakked on. T'Challa sat at the head of the table, clad in his Black Panther armor as he listened to Sam's account of the rescue.
"Bunker 5 is damaged and repairs will take a few days. Scott is down there supervising the clean up," Sam dragged on, trying to avoid the more pressing topic of conversation. "We're hoping to move into a temporary safe house right at the border within the night—"
Sam paused when T'Challa raised a hand to him. Bucky immediately stopped his fidgeting, pushing Sam's wings out of his lap.
The king's expression remained stoic when he addressed them.
"I'm afraid that will not be necessary," T'Challa said. He leaned forward from his chair and Bucky could feel Steve tense behind him. Wanda's gloved hands tightened around each other, her red mist emitting from her palms before she quickly pulled it back in. T'Challa looked up at Steve, nodding once. "Rogers, I believe you have something to say."
"Nat's safe houses have been checked and they're ready for move-in," Steve sighed, pulling out his phone. He placed it on the center of the table and a hologram map popped out, red diamonds dotting over every other country. "We just have to pick a place."
"We're leaving?" Wanda asked, her eyes roaming all over the map. She asked the question, but she didn't seem to be looking for an answer. She stopped at a diamond lighting up the middle of Scotland and Bucky noticed her own eyes light up.
"We've overstayed our welcome," Sam nodded with a heavy sigh. He noticed his wings had moved from their place near his legs and he threw Bucky a quick glare. Bucky shrugged in return, looking as innocent as possible.
T'Challa nodded once and Steve grabbed his phone again. Bucky turned and held out his metal hand, asking for it. His heart skipped a beat when Steve slipped it into his palm, the evasive feeling of freedom within his grasp.
"I'm afraid this is the last incident my council and I can tolerate," T'Challa explained, appearing firm, but sighing in disappointment. "Fortunately for you all, the amnesty negotiations are coming to a close."
Amnesty. Yeah, right. At most, he was probably going to get some sort of house arrest. Eventually, the others will be able to walk free once public interest settles down. But for the man with the face of the Winter Soldier? Probably not.
Bucky huffed to himself as he scrolled across the map, looking at the places he could go. His stomach churned at the thought of leaving this place, but he knew he couldn't keep hiding out here. Freedom was a fickle thing, something that was always out of his grasp, but now everything was starting to align in a way that it will actually be given to him.
"The documents stating the conditions of your respective agreements have been sent to your communicators," T'Challa noted, rising from his chair with alarming grace. Everyone in the room stood with him, nodding their heads down out of respect. He took his mask from where it sat on the table and held it carefully with his claw. "I will see you all for the signing."
Sam and Steve murmured their goodbyes as Bucky and Wanda nodded their heads. The door opened for T'Challa and he stepped into the hall quietly, Ayo leading the way out through the glass doors. Bucky watched their towering figures go, the communicator in his pocket suddenly feeling a lot heavier.
"So, anyone else down for Hawaii?"
"Sam."
"What? It's got nice, tropical weather. Nothing bad ever happens in tropical weather," the bird shrugged. "Wanda, back me up here."
"I kind of want to go up north," the glint still in her eye. "Somewhere quiet."
"What about you, Buck?"
Steve had moved to Wanda's side, eyeing the phone still in Bucky's hand.
"Tropics seem nice," Bucky mumbled, glancing over a different group of islands near the equator. It wasn't really a change of scenery, but some other place that had little part in international affairs would be nice.
"We should talk about it when the others are around," Wanda said, pushing herself off the chair. She stretched her back out, cracking it in the process, before turning to the door. "I'm going down to the wounded unit," she said, giving a wave.
"Clint was transferred to recovery," Sam reminded her.
"Oh, I'm not going for Clint," Wanda said with an edge to her tone. Steve sighed and motioned for his phone back. Bucky gave the map another once over, committing it to memory, and slid it across the table.
"Then, you're out of luck, Jess's booked," Sam informed her, smugging at Bucky. Damn, Steve.
Wanda raised a brow at Bucky. He chose to stare at his hands instead. "Oh, is she?"
Sam snickered beside him, hiding behind his hand while Steve turned red. He better be blushing and not holding in a laugh.
"Come on, guys," Steve said in a mockingly mediating tone. "This is completely inappropriate after what just happened—"
"I take checks, but I prefer cash," Sam quipped as he stood from his chair. His hands went to Bucky's shoulders and squeezed them. "They grow up so fast," he cooed into his ear.
"God, are you people twelve or something?" Bucky shook his head and shrugged Sam's hands off. He stood from his chair and joined Wanda at the door. She gave him a knowing look. "God, you saw this coming didn't you?"
"He didn't deny it. Sam, you owe me five," Steve muttered behind them.
"Don't blame Wanda, security cams are every where, Buckaroo," Sam said, pointing up at the ceiling. He pushed past him and opened the glass door, the cool air slipping inside. "But it pays to know a psychic."
"I hate all of you," Bucky groaned.
Steve patted Bucky on the back with a smirk and followed Sam outside, the pair going down the hall towards more meeting rooms. Wanda was already making her way to the elevator, a skip in her step that sent a new surge of annoyance through Bucky. These people are the worst.
The elevator ride was quick and Bucky trudged behind Wanda in a mood. They were being ridiculous. Nothing was going to happen. She was going to go back home and he was going to wherever Sam and Steve decide to take the team. She can go free and live out a normal life, but Bucky knows he'll never be completely free, even with this amnesty deal. A normal life will never be on the table for him.
An obnoxious alarm pulled Bucky out of his thoughts. It was coming from down the hall, blaring just outside Jess's room. Wanda stopped in her tracks, her eyes distant. She was picking up on something, but Bucky wasn't going to wait to find out. He grunted against the pain that shot up his legs as he sprinted across the short distance to Jess's door.
"Jess?!" Bucky breathed as he ripped the curtain out of the way. She was covered in a sweat, breathing heavily, as her closed eyes darted around. He was about to wake her when a force pushed him to the side and Wanda walked in, her hand stretched out towards Jess.
"Jess, it's a dream," her voice echoed in the room, the smoke from her hand drifting around Jess's head. Her magic calmed her breathing and erratic eyes and Jess came to, drowsy and disoriented.
Her eyes went from Wanda to Bucky and she groaned, her hand going up to her temple. "Well, fuck." Her fingers massaged the area, her brows furrowing. "Is there a button?" she pointed up, indicating to the blaring noise.
"It should stop once your heart rate stabilizes," Bucky said. She was still at 180, but it was slowing down. She wiped the sweat off of her face and looked up apologetically.
"Bad dream," she mumbled.
"Still?" Wanda asked, concerned.
Jess shrugged. "I guess traumatic events do that to a gal." She rested her head against the pillow, her usual bright smile gone. "I never asked, is Clint doing okay?"
"Yes, unfortunately," Wanda frowned, crossing her arms. She chose to lean against the wall behind her, placing Bucky between her and Jess. He didn't like this.
Jess smiled weakly, shaking her head at Wanda. "Great."
"Not for him when he wakes up," Wanda said, rolling her eyes before tossing her hair over her shoulder. The glint in her knowing look shined even more.
He was in for a bad one once Clint and Scott find out.
"The guy fought bravely. I mean he was thrown around like a rag doll, but a noble one," Jess nodded, grinning again before a flinch flashed across her face. Her eyes flicked to his and she saw him notice. She just shook her head before darting her eyes down to her wringing hands. He thought he caught a smile crinkle her eyes, but he must have imagined it.
Wanda huffed behind him and he knew it was at their exchange. "Brave or not, he's such an ass, but an ass who I should check up on."
Fuck, this was it, a cue.
"You go ahead," Bucky said. It sounded like a god damn gurgle once he managed to choke it out of himself. "I'll stop by later."
"Okay!" Wanda blinked, a smug spreading across her face that rivaled Sam's. She gave a wave to Jess before shoving her hands into her pockets. "Later, Jess." She threw another knowing look at him before winking discreetly and slipping out of the room, her hushed laugh echoing in the hall.
"So, like, do you need an escort every time you visit or are they just hovering?"
Bucky turned to Jess with a wince and pushed the chair to her side before settling himself down. "Both," he answered, leaning back against the cushion.
"Why would you need an escort?" she quirked her brow, her expression finally softening. She was tense before, Bucky just noticed from the way she seemed to relax now. "More importantly," her voice went low, "why are they hovering?"
Bucky blinked several times, his lips parted as he opened and closed his mouth looking for an answer. "Uhhh… they—uhhh..."
"Oh, god, are we back on square one with the trust thing again?"
"No!" he blurted out quickly, knowing that their initial suspicion of her had caused distress. "I don't think so." He scratched the back of his neck as her eyes narrowed at him, but still not at his own pair. Why did she rarely ever make eye contact with him?
"Is it like an overprotective thing?" she tried.
"Yeah, yeah, they are," Bucky nodded. It was true. Bucky couldn't so much as go take a peek at the sun without Steve sending someone from the team outside with him.
"You're not a child."
"I'm painfully aware."
The idea seemed to actually frustrate her, her voice getting harsher. "I mean, I get it, but jeez, how do you have the patience?" she asked.
"You went through puberty," Bucky shrugged. It was the same thing.
"Yeah, I had one mom, not five," Jess laughed, rolling her eyes as she rubbed at her bandage. It was starting to itch more. That's good, that means the nerves are restitching themselves. "And she wasn't a telepath or a soldier or whatever the hell Scott is—it's bothering me I still don't know." Her tongue clicked as her expression twisted, looking at the door in thought. "Shit," her eyes widening funnily as a thought occurred to her. "Is he the red guy with the cape?"
"What? Who? Oh—fuck, Jess," he let out a breathy chuckle. He closed his eyes as he let himself laugh, let himself enjoy the warm, fluttering feeling in his chest. He hoped it wasn't some freak heart attack.
"Then who?!" Jess giggled, propping herself up on her good arm. "Tell me Bucky Barnes or I will tickle you into submission." She wiggled her fingers threateningly at him, raising her brow with a smug. Bucky gave one last huffed laugh before deciding to try something.
His eyes flicked from her gaze to her lips before catching her eye again and locking their gaze. At first she snorted through her giggle, before realizing Bucky wasn't planning to look away. She froze then and the muscles of her cheeks twitched as they grew a patchy pink. The twisting feeling tightened in his stomach as her cheeks got redder and redder and Bucky was sure more than a minute had passed but he's only counted to six so far in his head.
Oh, for the love of God this better be what's supposed to happen. Otherwise he's only trusting Shuri when it comes to his arm.
"Um, just kidding," Jess managed to say, turning away, flipping her hair in an attempt to hide her face. It barely did, the dry knots stuck to the newly formed sweat on her face. She went back to scratching at her arm, going quiet.
Bucky blinked, turning the other way, eyeing her health monitor. There goes her heartbeat again. "They'll take care of you here," he mumbled, watching the incessant peaks come one right after the other. The blood rush would probably be good for her arm anyways.
"No freaky mind experiments?" she asked jokingly, but her expression was heavy, half-expecting that to be the truth.
"Not here," Bucky shook his head. "They've got the best people." The corner of his lip curled at his first memories here, how excited Shuri was at the task of rebooting his mind. Wanda had vehemently refused any sort of tests on herself and Shuri found her powers much more interesting than Jess's.
She took a heavy breath and nodded before looking up at him. She couldn't meet his eyes anymore, instead focusing somewhere around his beard area. Sam said that the grey hairs were fine and showed a classy masculinity. Shuri said something about rat whiskers. He should've listened to her.
"I suppose you turned out okay," she shrugged, feigning indifference. He raised his brow before crossing his arms. His metal arm whirred, still repairing the damage from that fire breathing inhuman. "I'm kidding, you're a proper hero." Her lips pursed as she tried to suppress a smile, making her look funny, but her bright eyes gave it away.
Bucky didn't know what to make of her comment. "I—uh—I don't know." He shrugged stiffly, feeling his forehead crease. This was the second time she called him that. It just doesn't sound right.
"Aww, Bucky," Jess sighed. "I'd love to see the day you'll see that."
"Hmph," he shrugged again, shaking his head. Now she rose her brow at him, gnawing at her lip before settling back in her bed.
"A woman stopped by looking for you earlier," she mumbled. Her gaze went down to her hands. "Had some funny looking eyebrows, but really pretty."
Bucky leaned forward, curious. He didn't know any women. Aside from a few Dora Milaje, the mothers at the village, Shuri—nah she's a kid and so is Wanda actually—so who? Unless it was her.
"Did she look… scary?" Bucky couldn't think of a better word, sue him. Jess narrowed her eyes at him and Bucky tried to lean back into his chair as casually as he could. His neck never felt so stiff.
"Sort of, I mean there were two Glocks attached to her thighs and glow sticks at her back like they were samurai swords, but really all I could focus on were her eyebrows—"
"Shit."
"What?" Jess raised her brow, not in suspicion this time. "Who is she?" She rose from the bed a little too quickly and her eyes glossed over before Bucky's arm shot out and wrapped around her shoulders, cushioning her slump. She twitched away from his touch briefly and used her arm to support herself instead. Bucky's flesh arm went back to his lap as quickly as it could.
"Nothing," he shook his head. She only came when it had to do with the amnesty deal. It really is happening.
Jess huffed, blowing a stray hair out of the way. "Doesn't sound like nothing." She sat up slowly and Bucky adjusted the bed for her as she massaged her arm. It looked even better, but her veins had a strange dark blue tint to them. It must have to do with her ancestry.
"You don't know her."
"Well, she seemed to know me," Jess shrugged. "It was kinda weird."
Bucky nodded. Of course she'd do her research. "Yeah, she's like that."
"It made me very uncomfortable," she added.
"She has that effect on people."
"Bucky, you're not answering the question," Jess narrowed her eyes at him again, boring a hole straight into his nose. It's fine, he couldn't really look her in the eye either. "Bucky—"
"She's—uh—she's… a woman," Bucky muttered. Jess was right, she was "weird" and how they knew each other was "weird" and a constant reminder of something they both would rather forget.
Jess nodded, almost sympathetically. "Ahh, so like an ex?"
"No!"
"Well, you're forcing me to make assumptions, so!" Her hand flew up, palm open to the air, as she shook her head with widened, impatient eyes.
"She's—she's a—"
"Okay, nevermind," her hand went up to stop him. "It seems like it makes you too uncomfortable."
"I was about to tell you," he looked at her, slightly annoyed.
Her ears perked up at this, a little smug spreading across her face. "Okay, good. This whole—" she made a motion with her good hand, waving it at him circles—"thing is distracting from the void of my emotional trauma, please continue."
Bucky furrowed his brow at her words, confused and concerned at the same time. When she rolled her eyes at him, Bucky sighed. He'll mention it later.
"I knew her as a child."
Jess's head tilted in question. "She was frozen, too?"
"No, not me as a kid, her as a kid, but she doesn't age right either, the goddamn Russians got a hold of a version of the serum, but hers wasn't as effective as mine or Steve's," Bucky explained. He was never this inarticulate. Something about this conversation is throwing him off and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Sounds kinda creepy now, Barnes," she commented as she made a face.
"She's not an ex!"
"Okay, thank God," she muttered, out of relief. Something in her expression made Bucky think it wasn't just out of the morality of it all.
"I helped train her to be an assassin, of the covert Russian kind," Bucky continued.
"Oh," Jess nodded, slowly. "Oh—oh!" Her face twisted in all sorts of ways as one realization after another dawned on her. "Oh, boy, that sounds heavy."
"Yeah," Bucky nodded back, his eyes darting down to his now folded hands. His thumb tapped at the end of the other. He doesn't know what to say next. Any more, and he exposes who she is and what they've done and Bucky did not want any of that known to Jess. For some reason or another.
"You don't have to go into specifics," Jess mumbled and Bucky's gaze flashed up just long enough to catch her eye for a brief second. The contact made him freeze, his stomach wanting to jump out his throat again before she quickly looked away.
"You read my mind," Bucky half-joked, a part of him disappointed that she couldn't meet his eyes again. He knew he'd scare her off somehow eventually.
"Nah, just the sweat going down your forehead." He heard a smile in her voice. "Not even your long ass hair can hide that."
"The kids liked it," he mumbled to himself, patting it with his metal hand.
"No, it's nice and soft and all— wait—l" Jess paused, her head doing a tilt again. "Kids, what kids?"
He thought he said that to himself. "The… children."
"Bucky, that's a synonym, not an explanation."
God, she really needed her answers, didn't she? But Bucky really needed to figure out how to keep his mouth shut in front of her. Normally, being as quiet as a dead guy came so naturally to him, but with her? She had so many damn questions.
Yeah, that was it, the questioning.
"What is it, some forbidden child you had in your Hydra days?"
"No, God no," his eyes widened at the idea, horror flashing briefly across his face. "The—uh—village kids, they—their families helped take care of me." He was really sweating now. He was not used to this. But as much as her questions made him uncomfortable, Jess herself didn't. Strange, but something about the way she regarded him made him feel almost safe, in a way. And that in itself was a comfort he isn't familiar with. Not with just anyone.
"Oh, aww Bucky, that's cute." Bucky looked up from his hands finally and found her grinning at him, the corners of her eyes crinkling. He wasn't really thinking, but Bucky went for it anyway and pulled at his collar, exposing the necklace that scratched at his skin every damn day. The fangs shined under the hospital light as Jess's eyes brightened at the carefully melded bone and vibranium.
"They—uh—made me this."
"What does it say?" she asked, indicating at the glowing dark blue inscription across the plated chain.
"Oh—uh—'White Wolf'," pointing at each letter as he answered. Jess nodded, looking impressed as the glow danced around his neck, the vibranium catching what he felt inside him even as he couldn't quite understand.
Her expression brightened even more all of a sudden.
"What is it?" Bucky asked, feeling more aware of himself all of a sudden as she smiled up at him.
"It's just— that's like a superhero name," she said softly. Bucky groaned, stuffing the necklace back under his shirt as a pout formed on her lips.
"You gotta stop saying that."
"And you have to stop denying that, but whatever, in due time I suppose," she shrugged, feigning a dignified demeanor.
He sighed, shaking his head before muttering, "I've done too many bad things, too many mistakes."
"Well, you sure made up for mine," she said firmly, but it was clear she was reaching for words.
"No, you fixed yours," Bucky said, shaking his head. "Pretty permanently."
"Yikes, we're condoning murder now I see," Jess cringed. Bucky sighed and rubbed at his soft beard. If he kept talking, he knew he'll corner himself.
"It was self-defense; he would've killed all of us—"
"No, you can't make excuses for me, not after what I've done to you all," she murmured, interrupting him. Her face fell, looking off to the side as she remembered something. "I should've said something. I saw them coming."
"Next time, then," Bucky blurted out the words before he really thought about them. Next time? What next time?
"Huh, don't think I should be given that chance," Jess said, shrugging it off. She went quiet for a moment, her teeth biting her lip stopping her from speaking. When she finally spoke, her words came out rough. "I caused this rift."
"Rift? What are you talking—"
"She made it very clear," Jess said quietly.
"Who?"
Jess looked at him for a moment, then peeked out the door, and finally to her fidgeting hands. "Eyebrow lady," she answered, quirking her own. "Something about aggravating the 'delicate situation'. I—I didn't know you were so close to a clean amnesty deal."
Jesus Christ, he knew he should've stayed in case someone wanted to give her an earful. He thought it'd be Clint, but he probably sent Natasha in instead.
Bucky sighed, feeling that damn nerve in his temple that usually came with the dawn of bullshit. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed deeply before reassuring, "It would've happened eventually. We're all pretty volatile. None of them are happy here."
"Excuses, Bucky," she murmured, smiling sadly at him.
Bucky shook his head, looking at her just as sadly. "It's not an excuse, it's the truth."
"So, what happens now?"
"We find someplace else to stay," he shrugged, nodding to himself. He'll probably end up following Steve. That meant following Sam, too. He'll have to ask about those noise-cancelling earbuds Wanda mentioned to him the other day.
"So, proper freedom then," Jess murmured. "Got any ideas on where you're staying?"
Bucky shrugged, he probably shouldn't say. Knowing Steve, he'd want to go somewhere where he can "make a difference" which they all knew was code for "pick a fight". So, the Kremlin mainly?
"I'll just tag along with the others," Bucky mumbled. He had his own ideas, sure, but that's a luxury he doesn't deserve let alone afford. He'll need somewhere where he can blend in or at least stay under the radar. Having the face of the Winter Soldier sure complicated things.
"Oh, come on," Jess looked at him, narrowing her eyes. "You've got the whole world to see, where do you want to go?"
He shrugged, uneasy at the sudden twist in his stomach. "I don't do well on my own," he said quietly. Bucky let his gaze drop to his fingers as their metal tips scratched at the bed in front of him. He was expecting either a snarky remark or something blindly sympathetic, but got nothing in return.
"Well," Jess started after a beat, "I'm sure if you told the others—"
"It's not up to me."
"But it's your life—"
"It's not that simple."
"Is it? Or are you just making it that way?"
Jess's tone raised a pitch, a tone he noticed she took on when frustrated. She groaned to herself before letting out a breath. "I—sorry—I just mean—it's not fair."
"Maybe not, that's just how it is," Bucky said through gritted teeth. In a way, this is his penance. Not having a normal life, not feeling completely free. It wasn't his fault, but the Bucky Barnes that lived before Hydra got a hold of him died a long time ago.
"Well, if you're ever in the mood for warm, humid weather," she said, her cheeks going pink again, "You're—you—all of you—are welcome to stay at my Ma's place. I mean technically it's mine now, but it was her money and land. Land makes it sound big—it's pretty cramped to be honest, so maybe half of you could visit at a time? I doubt Clint would want to come, so that's one less person, I guess…" she trailed off slowly, realizing she was rambling again.
Bucky scratched the back of his neck, feeling the warmth of his skin under his fingers. "Yeah—uh—thanks. I'll pass it along," he nodded with a cough.
"Cool, okay," Jess smiled sheepishly at him before turning her attention back to her arm. The device did a damn good job at healing the skin. The flow of fluid began to slow as her new pink skin completely replaced the charred layers from before.
"Your arm's almost ready," Bucky mumbled, nodding at the device as she flexed the limb slowly.
"You make it sound like it's cake in the oven," she chuckled to herself lightly. She reached over the other side of the bed, rummaging through a sack sitting on a small table. Bucky didn't notice it until now, but it had a familiar design. "The nurse dropped this off earlier," she explained. She made a triumphant noise when she found what she was looking for. "Told me to turn this on once the machine stopped." Bucky watched as she pulled out a single kimoyo bead, an early prototype of Shuri's going by the bulky design and weight it seemed to have in her hand.
"It's a communicator," Bucky said. "Just hold and think, it should be new enough for that."
"Jeez, and I thought you'd be the old person when it comes to tech," Jess joked before scooting herself closer to Bucky. She stopped when she noticed him tense up.
He's not used to this. It's strange. Or at least a strange feeling.
Bucky shook off the churn of his stomach and forced his chair closer to the rail of the bed. She seemed to relax from this.
"This better work or this telepathy shit was all for nothing," Jess said, closing her eyes and focusing. The bead's light began to flash as it searched for the signal. They weren't too far from the main lab—this bead must be old.
"9-1-1, what's your emergency? Do doo doo doooo—"
"Shuri, for the love of god—"
"Bucky? What are you doing there?" The grains of vibranium shot out of the bead and shaped together to form a live bust of Shuri's head, making Jess yelp, jump, and drop the bead on her knees. "Ant-Guy said—whoa, okay, woman calm down."
Jess had kicked the bead to the end of her bed, causing Shuri's vibranium head to distort in an alarming manner.
"What the shit," she muttered under her breath, leaning down to get a closer look at the bead from the safety of her covers. It was funny to look at as Shuri frowned up at her impatiently.
"What is it? Never seen a genius come out of a bead like a—a—wow—like a genie in a bottle—hold on, I need to write that down and fix it into a real joke before I forget—"
"I won't forget such a bad one," Bucky muttered.
"Say that sentence again and notice the irony in it, white boy," Shuri said, the grains shifting so she can roll her eyes at him. Why did he even try—as she would say—roasting Shuri? Even Sam or Clint couldn't get anything at her. Not that they'd dare try.
"What is this?" Jess breathed, still looking suspiciously at the bead.
"Really? This freaks you out?" Shuri asked, raising a brow. He could imagine her crossing her arms as she paced around her lab. "Have you met you?"
"Well, I've met me and gotten used to me—this I don't understand."
"Just your basic hologram—nothing special here, but you on the other hand. We don't understand people like you, yet," Shuri said, waving off Jess's own amazement. "But now that you're close to a full recovery, we can get started. With your consent of course." Bucky could hear the excitement in Shuri's voice. It would have been concerning if it was anyone else.
"Right, so uh," Jess glanced at Bucky briefly and he looked at her with widened eyes. If he did anything else, Shuri would definitely catch on and he'll never hear the end of it. He's got a reputation to uphold. It wasn't much, but it was there.
"I can explain everything when you get to my lab," Shuri said, nodding up at her with a smile. "This was just an introduction to give you a taste of real Wakandan tech. To be honest, maybe you shouldn't—"
"Nope, I'm curious now—When and how am I getting to your lab?" Jess asked, excitement building up in her voice now.
"I've cleared you with the staff and asked a Dora to escort you," Shuri said, returning her eager smile. "Bucky, you might as well come, I've got something for you."
"If it's another prank with Scott I don't want—"
"No! Scott's doing his job, not being lazy like you as I can see," Shuri said, tilting her head at him. "Now, hurry up, Aneka's at the lobby waiting for you two. Shuri out." She held up a peace sign, covering her face before the bead flashed once and sucked the grains back in.
"Oh, boy," Jess muttered, grabbing the bead from the end of the bed. She shoved it back into the sack beside her and regarded the device around her arm with annoyance. "How do I get this off— oh, okay," Jess nodded as the device stopped pumping and detached from her arm before folding in on itself. Her uninjured hand smoothed over the new skin carefully.
"That's neat," Bucky muttered. Neat? Who the fuck says neat?
"It is!" Jess grinned. She pulled down the sleeve of her dressing gown carefully over her arm. "Should we head down to the lobby then?" she asked, tugging the sack onto her lap. She draped the strap over her shoulder as Bucky got up from his seat, nodding.
He waited as Jess made her way to the end of the bed, wobbling slightly as she stood up. "Um, Bucky—oh, okay there you are." He caught her once the dizziness hit with full force, propping her up by her waist.
"I might need your help," she said, scrunching her face up in embarrassment.
"Yeah," Bucky let out a breathy laugh, adjusting his metal arm around her as she slipped on her sandals and found better footing. "We'll hop off together," he tried, cringing at his own attempt at a joke.
She laughed anyway, wrapping her arm behind his to place a hand over his metal shoulder. "Okay, Bunny Barnes," she said, making her voice dopey and comical. "Let's go."
"Let's go," he repeated, leading the way into the hall.