Notes: A very, very belated Happy New Year and Christmas and Hannukah to anyone that celebrated! I'm so so sorry for skipping out on updating these past few weeks, but my family made impromptu travel plans and the rest was history. I know it's Sunday and I don't usually update today, but I couldn't wait 'til next Saturday to get this chapter out. Normal updating schedule from this week on, and I can't wait for you guys to see where the story's gonna go. Thanks for sticking around, and I'd love to hear what you guys think so far. Much love,
- M
Chapter 10
On the ride back to Aleppo from Abu Jurayn, the car had been filled with an uncharacteristic silence. The miles and miles of travel weren't punctuated with Sam's witty jokes or Mia's unrelenting laughter, nor did Nat give the two super soldiers a hard time like she usually did. It was simply quiet. And the reason for that was now they had a time and a place where they knew the deal was going to happen. Suddenly, the entire situation was very, very real.
The bug planted in the Ambassador's office worked as it was intended, and could be accessed from anywhere in the world. Because it didn't require the team to be within a close vicinity, they decided it would be best to head out of town as soon as the team collected Mia and Bucky from the mansion. Mia wanted to peel herself of the traditional dress that she'd been wearing, not because of discomfort, but simply because she wanted that experience to be well and truly over.
The team were about half an hour through their journey before the Ambassador and Varkey began their conversation. During that time, they talked about several things, one of which included Mia. The entire team's ears perked up at the sound of her name, and from what they'd heard, the Ambassador had taken more than a liking to their comrade.
"I used to believe that you did not bring your wife to these events for her safety, Ambassador. But after tonight, I am beginning to think that the women of my country may have a part to play," said Varkey, with a smile evident in his voice. "Was she married?"
He scoffed. "Her partner looked like her farmboy. I have never seen her at an event before, she says she was from out of town. But her eyes told me what she really wanted...and had that idiot not been around, I would have bent je preko mog stole odmah."
The entire car was filled with the men laughing through the bug in his office, and Mia noticed that both Nat and Bucky grew tenser at those lasts words. Being the only ones that understood Serbian, Mia asked them, "What did he say?"
In the front seat, Bucky kept his gaze resolutely down at his feet, but even under the faint light that was streaming in through the car window, she could see his jaw clenching tersely.
"Nothing important," said Nat quietly.
Mia sunk back into her seat and decided it was better that she didn't know. She'd heard enough of what that man had to say for an entire lifetime. It was within the next half an hour that the men in the office began talking about the deal and where it would take place. The team now knew that it would happen in the Old Museum situated on the outskirts of the city, 2 days from then. Varkey decided that 9pm would be the best time to carry out the deal, as it would be less likely for them to be seen, but in reality, that was exactly what the team had been hoping for. The cover of night was where Cap and his teammates were most comfortable, and it gave them every chance to complete this mission perfectly.
It was almost 1 in the morning when Steve announced that they were only 15 minutes away from entering the outskirts of Aleppo. It was almost exactly when he said it that everyone shot up in their seats as they heard the engine start backfiring from the car. All subtle signs of sleep vanished in an instant, and Steve grew increasingly troubled as to what the hell was wrong with the vehicle that should have lasted them the trip.
"What's wrong?" asked a concerned Nat.
"I don't...I don't know." The more that Steve tried to accelerate, the slower the car was travelling, until it came to a complete halt right in the middle of a battered highway. Sam stuck his head out of his window to make sure the coast was clear under the moonlit landscape before getting out and heading towards the bonnet.
Steve quickly followed suit and Bucky tagged along, leaving Nat to check the tyres and the mufflers, but not before telling Mia to stay put just in case.
"The tyres seem fine. How's the front looking?"
"Engine seems fine, not too hot. There's no smoke, and there was at least a quarter tank of gas left."
Mia stuck her head outside of the window and watched the team sort through potential parts of the car that could've been a problem for them. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Sam suddenly said, "Where'd you find the car?"
"It was from an old garage on the other side of town. Hadn't been used in a while, by the looks of it."
"I think that's the problem. Some of the gas we were running on must've dissolved to dirt. It's happened to my Mazda before."
Mia laughed quietly for the first time that night as her head lulled out of the window. "You drive a Mazda, Sammy?"
Sam looked up seriously. "Abso-fucking-lutely. Best car there is."
Steve added, "He's right, y'know."
"Whatchu got against Mazdas?" asked Sam.
Mia stifled a smile at the memory that surfaced in her head. "Uh...no real reason, I just...I kinda—Well, not kinda, but I...sorta trashed one with a...baseball bat once."
Steve and Sam's reactions were filled with surprised, while Nat quirked a grin and Bucky seemed just a tiny bit impressed. "You trashed one? Why?" enquired Sam.
"Does this have anything to do with that ex you told us next to nothing about?" chided Nat.
Mia nodded. "Yep."
Silence ensued as the others realised Mia wasn't about to spill her guts at the moment, and so Steve closed the bonnet before turning to his team. "Looks like we're gonna have to walk it from here."
"What, all the way to Biriva? That's 9 miles, Steve. You sure you don't wanna set up camp for now and leave at dawn?" asked Sam.
Steve shook his head. "We can't risk it. We'll deal with squatters if we see 'em. Until then, we'll just follow the path and stay close to the trees. Should be there in a few hours."
Bucky had been wearing his shirt and trousers under his thobe, so he simply took that off and was on his way to unpacking the car of their equipment. Mia, on the other hand, was still clad in a 10 pound dress that was about as comfortable to wear as a corset, with heels on that made walking 49 times harder.
"Uh...Nat?". Nat hummed in reply. "Uh, do you think I could...get changed before we head off? There's no way I can walk in this," said Mia as she gestured to her dress.
Nat nodded. "Fellas, take a hike for a few minutes. We'll whistle when we're ready."
They all looked at Nat in mild confusion before seeing the semi-apologetic look on Mia's face and nodding in approval as they set down the road. She breathed a sigh of relief and took off her shoes so that her feet were directly in contact with the rubble on the road. "Oh my...God, wow that's better."
Nat smiled as she helped her out of the tight crop. "How you feelin'?"
"Like I could do well with never wearing a traditional dress again."
Nat smirked. "At least you looked good."
"Yeah, I'm glad I got the attention of every 60-year-old in the room. Maybe we can have our wedding on Bingo Night at the retirement home, it might score us a few free meal coupons."
"Hey, people grow old, not blind. You can't really blame them."
Mia shivered. "I know, but it was just him. He was...sickening. And God, every time he'd touch me I felt like I was gonna combust."
Nat laid her hand on her shoulder and turned her around. "Hey, what you did in there wasn't something small. This is about your people and I know it wasn't easy. But you held yourself together and the team's all the better for it."
Mia felt a lump grow in her throat at hearing something like that being acknowledged by Nat. If she'd ever wanted to make someone proud, even more so than Steve or Sam, it was her. She'd been a role model for her since forever, and this wasn't something she took lightly.
"It wasn't me. I...There's no way I could've been around those people if he hadn't come with me."
Nat grinned. "Yeah, I gotta say, you and Barnes make a good team." Mia reddened instantly, regardless of the fact that what Nat was saying made complete sense. Perhaps that's why. "He trusts you too, y'know. He might even be a little protective of you."
Mia laughed shortly. "Well, that's his job so..."
Nat shook her head. "Not in that way."
Mia looked up at her and felt her lips part, about to question her. But before she could say anything, Steve yelled out from a distance, "Are you guys ready?"
Mia yanked on the shirt that was in her hand and buttoned up her jeans. "Ready!"
The two women set off with their bags in line with the rest of their team, leaving the car behind to rust away as the others did. They were on set for a long walk ahead of them, but Mia was fine with that. If anything, having that time to just be at one with the nature around her and what was left of her county was a balm to her fried nerves. She didn't know when she'd get to be back here again, and knowing that the deal would take place in less than two days meant that their exit from Syria would come shortly after that. But even so, she found herself missing her other home back in the States. She missed her brother and friends, and even her aunt and uncle. Although she wasn't about to deny that the company she was currently in couldn't have been much better.
X
"I told you we were supposed to take a left," said Sam as he rubbed a hand over his tired face. "The board two miles back said that Aleppo was on the left."
Nat shook her head. "That's only if we were gonna take the main road, which we can't. We're going the right way, Wilson. But if you need one of us to carry you, just say the word."
Sam muttered something under his breath along the lines of 'freakishly fit Russian ballerinas' and 'ain't nobody ever listens to the black guy'. Bucky and Mia trailed slightly behind the other three as they walked quietly, seemingly lost in their own thoughts and unprepared to break the silence.
"Eat your words, Wilson. We're here," said Nat.
And true to her word, the team had finally arrived back at their vantage point, looking the same as when they'd left it in the early hours of the previous morning. The team was tired and it was high time that they got some rest, but it seemed that Mia and Bucky were experiencing a different type of exhaustion. For Bucky, it was from the weight of knowing what they had to do in order to stop Varkey and his allies from wreaking havoc in the country, but for Mia...it was simply the gravity of the situation. How on Earth did she get here?
It wasn't long before all 5 team members were holed up in the same half-demolished house, with Sam volunteering to stand guard for the remainder of the night. Mia fell asleep almost as soon as she hit the makeshift bed, and Nat got in a quick nap before she'd have to rise at dawn. Unfortunately, sleep didn't come as easily for the 2 super soldiers, who regardless of being in each other's company, didn't have much to say at all.
The reality was that the future of an entire country was incumbent upon them. One slip up, one tip off or one wrong move from their part could send the whole nation under nuclear bomb-fire within days. The idea that they would be responsible for millions of lives was dawning upon them as the sun rose, and the next day would be filled with all the planning and preparation necessary to see to it that they didn't fail.
X
"She can stay here, can't she? It'll be far from the Museum and there's no way they'll be able to trace her back to here. We'll come and get her once the hit's done," said Sam as he nursed a cold cup of coffee.
Steve shook his head, "We need to keep her close. We can't come back here after the mission, it's too risky if someone follows us."
"How about someplace close to the Museum? There are a few warehouses and sheds there, she can stay put until it's done," said Nat.
"And if something goes wrong? Or if someone sees her?" asked Steve.
"She won't get spotted, she'll be hidden. And besides, she knows how to defend herself if one or two hot-shots try to get near her. They wouldn't be expecting it either so she'll have the advantage," reasoned Nat. "C'mon Steve, where else could she go? She'll probably want in on the mission as it is, don't let her feel like a liability."
Steve huffed out a breath as he leant against the shattered kitchen bench-top. "Alright."
As soon as Steve spoke, Bucky came walking into the room having showered in a nearby well that was filled with rainwater from the week before. His hair was wet and slicked back, with his clothes still as dusty as they'd been before. "So, what's the plan?" he asked.
"We picked up an internet signal today, so we're trying to get the blueprints for the Museum. We're gonna set ourselves up before they get there. Buck you're gonna be sniper." Bucky nodded. "Nat and Sam are gonna take care of the guards from the ground level and I'll deal with the Ambassador and Varkey."
"Where's Mia gonna be?" Bucky asked quietly.
Steve hesitated, so Nat replied. "She'll be in an old warehouse next to the Museum. It'll be fine, we'll give her a gun and she can stay hidden until we're finished."
Bucky's frame grew tense at hearing that. "You're gonna leave her by herself, 10 metres away from those bastards?"
"We don't have a choice. There's not enough time to come back and get her from here, we need to head for the Jordanian border as soon as we finish the job."
Bucky shook his head and spoke firmly, "He's gonna have his guards all over the place, you know what they'll do if they see her. Oni trakhal zhivotnykhI."
Nat straightened up. "Which is why she's gonna stay hidden until we come and get her. No one's gonna lay a hand on her, Yakov."
Bucky could feel his blood pressure rising at the thought of what someone from Varkey's security detail would do if they found her, alone and without protection. He knew these people, he knew how they worked and what they were capable of. It was all well and good for as long as she was in their sights and he was able to know of her whereabouts, but in this situation, she'd have to deal with dangers alone. That idea didn't sit too well with him, and it only got worse when she walked into the room.
Mia rubbed her eyes as she walked down the stairs, having just woken up and feeling all sorts of hungover without having had a sip of alcohol.
"Morning guys," she said quietly.
Sam replied, "It's 3 in the afternoon, M."
Mia's eyes widened. "Wow, why didn't you wake me?"
He shrugged. "You needed the rest, kid."
Running a hand through her hair, Mia came to a halt when she saw Bucky with a strained look on his face, matched with Nat's uneasy expression. The thick air of discomfort in the room told her that she'd walked in on a serious conversation.
"Is everything...okay?"
Steve replied, "We were just planning the mission."
"Oh, okay."
When no one from the team elaborated any further, Mia decided that it'd be best to bow out and let them resume whatever highly important conversation they'd been having before she came. "I was thinking I might take a shower—Well, not a shower, but a bath in the well." Everyone looked at her blankly. "Would that be...alright?"
Nat nodded. "Take your tooth piece and radio with you. Try not to be too long, though."
"Yeah, I'll be quick."
Mia went and grabbed the devices from a nearby table and glanced one last time at her team. When her eyes glazed over to Bucky, she found him staring resolutely at the ground and with his jaw set. The brooding thing is nice and all but Jesus Christ, why the seriousness?!
Mia grabbed a fresh tank top, jeans and a change of bra before she headed out of the back door and into the tree-littered plains that served as the house's backyard. The best thing about the property was that it was mostly closed off, and regardless of the fact that the interior had been thrashed about, it still possessed all the natural beauty of a rugged landscape.
The well that she was going to bathe in was less than a minute's worth of a walk from the house, and it was surrounded by fine shrubs to partially shield it from the sun. There were pebbles and stones that were scattered around it and Mia tried not to dance about too much as her feet made contact with their searing heat, peeling off her shoes and clothes as quickly as she could.
The minute that her body made contact with the cold water, Mia felt the stubborn ache from her bones dissipate and work its way into her knots. The well was shallow to a point that she was just tall enough to stand up in it with only her neck and above visible. She took out her hair and let it soak in the water, revelling in the effect that it had on the barrage of heat that hit her head. It was, in a word, satisfying, and the subtle sound of nature around her only sought to heighten the experience.
She stayed like that for quite a while, and although Nat had told her to be quick, it was simply too comfortable to hasten. She'd managed to wash her hair as best she could and was now massaging her neck in a way that prompted her eyes shut. She was so enamoured by the feel of it that she barely registered the rustling of leaves behind her, with her back being the part of her that was directly hit by sunlight.
Bucky had been told by Steve to go and retrieve Mia because they'd gotten word of a commotion arising in the city centre. It could've been a riot or something much simpler, such as a community gathering, but either way, Steve needed Mia to go down there and decide whether it was anything that might affect their plans for the next day. Nat had lost their internet signal again, so Steve instructed her and Sam to seek out higher ground to get it back and retrieve the blueprints for their attack. With the other members busy in their own tasks, it went without saying that Bucky would be the one to tag along with Mia.
As he walked the same path that she had to reach the well, he knew that he couldn't speak too loudly when he called her name just in case there were any squatters nearby. The short trail ended when he came to a large rock that had her old clothes bundled up on it, with her fresh ones laid out carefully. He intended to step around a big bush to simply call her name and tell her of the plan, but a traitorous synapse in his brain allowed him the indulgence of looking at the well while she clung to its edge, with her back to him.
The first thought that came to mind was that he'd surely seen a moment like this in a movie before. A vague image was prodding at his mind of an actor and an actress in a similar situation, from a moment that had been stored a lifetime ago. And while there wasn't an exact memory of it, that feeling remained as he allowed himself to really look at her.
The sun was shining down harshly on her already bronze skin, with the defined curves of her back exhibiting her figure in a way that he'd never really seen before. Her locks were pushed to one shoulder and the water covered her body from the waist down, leaving only a glimpse of the parallel scars he'd noticed on the plane. Her hand was currently kneading at her left shoulder, seemingly trying to work out a knot, and for reasons that were beyond his understanding, the sight left him feeling a little more flustered than he cared to admit. If he had to be honest, he'd had more than a few of those moments since he'd known her, some of which had occurred only a few hours earlier.
He was pulled from his intent gaze when she brought a handful of water and splashed it on her face, rubbing her eyes and about to turn around in the water. Realising that this went above and beyond what his moral compass allowed, Bucky turned his back to her and let out a surprisingly shaky, "Mia."
Mia yelped at the sudden noise and, for some reason, tried to gather the water around her to cover herself. Using clear water to hide your chest? Your ancestors would be proud, Mia.
"Oh my God! Bucky? What—Is everything okay?!" she asked as her back remained turned to his with her hands concealing herself.
He cleared his throat. "You...you need to get out, we have to go to the city." He might have over-compensated a little bit when he added a very macho, "So...hurry up."
And with that, he set off back towards the house and willed away the very unwelcome thoughts that graced his mind, leaving an equally stunned, embarrassed and confused Mia to get dried up by herself.
In a record 2 minutes, Mia was back inside the house and had slipped on the only other 'girly' piece of clothing she had bought on the trip, which was a shin length Turkish dress that Mel had gotten her from her last trip. It was of a deep, faded scarlet colour, with a slim waistline and a flowing skirt that was embroided with tiny mirror beads, along with traditional Turkish patterns along the rim. Mia had worn it more times than she could count, so it'd lost the shine of a new dress. Luckily, that's exactly why it was most fitting.
With a shawl in hand and all of her communications devices with her, Mia leapt out of the front door and found Bucky waiting for her. "Ready," she said.
He nodded and looked her over once. He hadn't seen that dress on her before, but he skipped over a thought in his head that pointed out just how much she suited traditional clothing. He cleared his throat and began walking, prompting her to fall into step a little behind him.
"So, where are the others?" she asked, still looking at the ground.
"Wilson and Natasha went north to get a satellite signal. Steve went to the Museum."
She nodded. "And...And why are we going to the city?"
"Satellite images picked up a gathering. We need to know if it's gonna interfere with the mission."
Mia looked up at him as he walked a step ahead of her, with his mouth in a firm line and that troubled look still on his face. The whole team had gone through so much since they'd arrived here, but none more so than Mia and Bucky. Although he wasn't exactly a man of many words, he was being a lot more prompt and short with his replies that day. He had a perpetual frown stuck to his features, and Mia began to fear that she might have been the one to bring about this sort of mood. Deciding to take a liberty that he might be okay with, she clasped a hand on his right forearm before coming to a halt.
Bucky looked at her in surprise as he felt her timid fingers on the surface of his coarse skin. She looked hesitant, unsure even, but he stopped alongside her nonetheless and listened as she spoke with wide eyes and uncertainty in her voice. "Have I done something wrong?"
His expression softened. He hadn't expected his silence to be taken as anger, but it seemed that Mia wasn't sure what else to make of it. He let out an inaudible sigh and spoke truthfully, very aware that her palm was splayed just above his wrist.
He swallowed. "The team wants you to stay near the Museum during the mission." When he didn't get a reaction from her at that, he elaborated. "In a warehouse. Alone."
Mia laughed softly. "Is that...supposed to be a problem or...?"
The look of disbelief on Bucky's face was instant. Without so much as a word, he dropped his arm and began walking, his pace quicker than it had been before.
Mia's face fell immediately as she watched him walk away, a stutter in her heartbeat prompting her to go after him. "Buck—Hey, wait! Bucky!" Her pleas fell on deaf ears as he took long strides in the tall grass, breathing growing steadily uneven and mind swirling with memories from decades ago where fate had dealt him a similar blow. None of them understood, none of them.
"Bucky wait, please." She was now walking in a backwards fashion right in front of him, with her hands hovering above his chest as if that would somehow stop him. "What's wrong with that? I'll be safe, Bucky plea—"
He grabbed onto her wrists as he had done the night before and bore his gaze into her own, with regret and ferocity evident in it. He spoke in a voice just below a shout, "You don't fucking know these people. If they find you, they'll call ten other guards to have their way with you, and then leave your body for the crows. You thought that bastard last night was bad? You haven't seen what these men are capable of. I have. I wasone of them."
Mia's brain was rendered utterly speechless as she stood, still in his hold, but she couldn't let it end there. "If there's one thing that I know, it's what these men are capable of. I've lived amongst them my entire life. And you're a goddamn liar if you tell me you're anything like them."
Bucky let go of her wrists. "You don't know what you're talking about." He began walking again, but this time, at a slower pace.
Mia's mouth fell open. "Oh, I don't know what I'm talking about? I know that you've kept me out of harm's way this entire mission, that you've done absolutely everything you can to make sure I'm not in any danger."
Bucky listened without reacting, simply walking ahead and ignoring her words for fear that he might actually believe them. That didn't stop her, though.
"How can you expect me to believe that when all you've done is protect me?" Mia paused and still trailed a few steps behind him. "I know I'm a burden for you, that you feel guilty every time you look at me."
Bucky stopped in his tracks and turned his head to her, looking on incredulously. "What?" he asked softly.
Mia swallowed. "You...I know that's why you take care of me. Because you...you feel guilty about how we met. But...," she looked down as she rubbed her palms together nervously, hating the sting that came with what she would say next. "It won't be your fault if I get hurt. You don't have to worry about me. I...I don't want to be a burden on you anymore."
Bucky's mouth melted into a deep frown at those words. He'd begun the mission expecting to have next to nothing to do with her. She'd translate for the team and do what little they asked of her, but he didn't think for a moment that he'd end up being painted an entirely different image of her, one that left him wanting to shield her from all the harshness that this place had to offer.
He didn't know whether it was because of her similarity to the woman he'd known in his first life, or if it was because of her own self...but he'd stopped seeing her as just another member of the team.
And he didn't really know when that had changed.
That's why it rendered him speechless when she called herself a burden and tried to assure him that he needn't worry about her, that he could be relieved of his efforts. The truth was, he didn't feel protective because of his guilt. If anything, he was a little selfish in his wish to keep her safe, to keep her alive. They hadn't been around each other for very long, but the feeling that he got when he was with her...it was painfully familiar. And the idea of an enemy getting their hands on her shouldn't have affected him the way that it did, but his reaction spoke differently.
Bucky cleared his throat lowly and looked down as he said, "You're not a burden."
Mia laughed humourlessly. "You've had to baby sit me this entire mission, Bucky. You'd have been better off with Steve and Nat, devising strategies and putting your skills to use. But instead, you've had to watch me cry 20 times and wake me up whenever I've had a nightmare."
Bucky shook his head lightly, surprising even himself with what he was about to say. "I wouldn't change it."
Mia's head shot up and her lips parted slightly, not expecting to hear something like that come from him, especially not in a moment like this. She was about to say something, something that might have changed whatever it was they were dancing on the brink of, if it was even anything. She could've spoken words that would jar him, maybe something that would make him realise just what this meant to him. Maybe she might've said something that would bring her out of denial as to what she was beginning to feel.
...But alas, things didn't work that way.
The sound of loud clattering filled their ears as both their heads shifted to the direction of the city centre that lay a few hundred metres away. Bucky took on a concentrated look and Mia waited for his call. He simply glanced back at her, and she understood to follow him, walking towards the city and away from the sunset that was only an hour away.
The sounds of people hollering and shouting came from 20 metres in the distance. This was probably the gathering that Steve had told them about, and while they were cautious as to what it could be regarding, the unusual sound of laughter and scrambled chanting gave them the idea that this wasn't a sombre occasion.
Bucky was the first to make his way from behind the buildings and onto the pavement of the main city lane. Mia followed, and she could hardly believe her eyes as she took in the sight in front of her. The smile on her face was immediate, and her heart filled with the kind of excitement that she hadn't felt since forever.
The first sight they were met with was 2 dozen women clapping rhythmically and lightly dancing to a song they were all chanting. They ranged from very young to quite old, all clad in rugged clothes and dusty shoes, but faces painted with carefree smiles that were rare in this part of the world.
Just behind them was a large crowd that consisted of teenagers and young children, all jumping with their hands draped across one another's shoulders, chanting something in Arabic that Mia had to hear a few times before understanding. There were men in the background who were standing in small groups, some starting a large bonfire and others collecting food that had just been delivered from the UNICEF trucks that Azim had been running. Bucky looked around with guarded curiosity, wondering what on Earth could have warranted this type of celebration. But soon after, Mia dispelled his queries.
She heard a few men conversing nearby. "A town north from here was given complete asylum by the German Government today," said Mia over the roar of the crowd. "They're saying 'thank you God for saving our families'.
Bucky drew his brows in confusion. "Did they know those people?"
Mia laughed a little. "No, the town's on the other side of Syria."
"And they're still celebrating?"
Mia nodded and looked up at him. "If one part of the country aches, everyone feels it. And if one part rejoices...then it's a victory for them all." Mia smiled a little, recalling memories from long ago. "It's always been that way."
He'd never heard of a country like that, of people like that. He found that every day he spent on this land, surrounded by its nature, he was learning something new. He was discovering things that just couldn't be realised in the States, and he was a little grateful that he had a chance to see this, regardless of how terrible the circumstances were.
Mia knew that it would be in her best interests to keep a low profile for the time that they were there, but the energy of the people was intoxicating. There was food sizzling on the far corner of the lane, with men gathered around and hard at work preparing the night's hot meal, the second one that the people would have had all week. There were women who were furiously kneading at some dough, the ingredients for which had graciously been delivered as a rare gift from the higher ups. Some were tending to the stove on which they were warming up the bread, and others were adding the finishing herbs to crisp it to perfection.
Mia had thought that they would do a round or two of the gathering and make sure that there was nothing too out of the ordinary, meaning that their plans for tomorrow wouldn't be interrupted by the impromptu event. But somehow, things never went as planned when it came to Miriya, and it had gotten to a point where it really shouldn't surprise her anymore.
The sun was in its final stages before setting, painting the sky with a deep pink and tinging the air with a gorgeous dye. Bucky was walking parallel to Mia on the other side of the lane, sifting through the locals and taking in the environment. Mia's shawl was wrapped lightly around her head, so she didn't expect anyone to take too much notice of her, let alone recognise her. But as she neared the end of the street and stood close to a group of seated women, she heard her name being called over the mix of sounds.
"Miriya! Miriya!" said a feminine voice.
She turned around and found none other than Samara waving at her with a large smile, getting up from her seated position and earning a few confused stares from the other women.
Mia broke out into a smile as she walked towards her, opening her arms to engulf her in a bear hug that consumed the little, old lady. "Khaala! How are you? How have you been?"
"You see the people, they are happy today, and so am I. But never mind that, how are you, my dear? Have you eaten? Come, there is still plenty to spare." She took Mia by the hand and exhibited a surprising amount of strength as she dragged her to a stall nearby. Before Mia could even begin to protest, she had begun calling out her brother's name. "Azim! Azim! Look who's back!"
Oh dear God, please save me from the spotlight.
Thankfully for her, not too many people were concerned by her presence and so they continued on with their own tasks. But Mia couldn't explain the warmth that spread through her veins as she saw Azim wipe his hands on a towel and let out a smile at the sight of her.
"Ah, and the prodigal daughter returns." He brought an arm around to hug Mia, as she closed her eyes and revelled in its comfort. "I didn't think you would come back, Miriya."
She laughed softly. "Well, I couldn't let you have a party without me."
He nodded his head. "We are grateful that so many people will be saved. The German government has been very kind to us."
"They have. And hopefully others will do the same."
He shrugged. "We shall see."
Samara poked her head in between the two of them charmingly. "Miriya, where is that boy of yours? He said he would be here to bring you back."
Mia was about to come up with every excuse in the book, but Azim's keen eye beat her to the punch. "He is there," he pointed. "Yaqub!"
Bucky's ears pricked up at hearing his faux name, and he hadn't even noticed that Mia had been apprehended by the two siblings. Putting on a small smile, he walked towards them from the left side of the lane, wafting his hand in front of him to dispel the smoke from the barbeque being cooked just metres away.
Samara clapped her hands in happiness. "Ah, Yaqub! I was afraid that you wouldn't keep your promise."
Mia still couldn't understand how good his Arabic was, regardless of the fact that he probably hadn't lived in the Arab world for very long. "I couldn't do that."
"How long are you here for?" asked Azim as he clapped a hand on Bucky's shoulder, thankfully his right one.
"I'm afraid we are leaving now. It's a long journey to Junyad."
Samara gasped audibly. "Nonsense! The entire city is celebrating, you cannot leave now."
Mia chimed in. "It'd be better if we left now, khaala. The roads would be clear of soldiers."
She shook her head. "It is almost nightfall, and there is little travel you could do at this time as it is. You will stay for a meal and that is final."
Although Mia knew it probably wasn't wise to do so, she couldn't help but feel excited at the idea of spending time amongst her people, especially in a way like this. It was a happy occasion, a time in which they were surrounded by singing and laughter. Her mind was urging her to go back to base with Bucky, but her heart was willing her to stay.
Apparently Bucky had a similar idea in mind, so he nodded and looked over at Mia only to find her waiting for his reaction warily. She didn't know whether he was okay after their heatedly honest conversation during the walk there, but when he let out a small reassuring smile and nodded lightly, she felt an indescribable weight lift from her shoulders.
"Come, Miriya. You must meet the others," said Samara as she guided her back to the group. Mia turned back and shot her teammate an apologetic smile, before keeping up with Samara's rapid pace. She would have to be unbelievably convincing in her role as a full-blooded Syrian when she met other people, so she prepared herself as they all looked upon her curiously.
"Ladies, this is Miriya. She came from Junyad a few days ago. Miriya this is Laya, Nazyah...". Mia smiled fondly at all the women she was introduced to, adoring the way that they responded in kind. They were currently seated on makeshift seats made of logs with some cooking food and others eating it. She sat down and spoke to them in her language, trying to recall the last time when she did something like this, if ever. They asked her about her family and her city, wanting to know more about the place she supposedly hailed from, and Mia couldn't stand the thought of lying so blatantly. So instead, she described her real hometown to them, without giving it away. She talked about her parents as if they were still alive, and she spoke of her brother as though he was only a few miles away.
A lot of the women she was surrounded by were of her age or a little older. The surprising thing to Mia was that even though they had grown up in a different world to her and had experiences that she couldn't fathom, the basis of what they felt was the exact same. Some ladies talked about their husbands or their children, complained that they never listened to them or that their in-laws were giving them a rough time. Amidst talking about the war and how they were coping, Mia could hardly believe how normal some of the conversations were.
"—and I understand that he has to work, but he leaves before dawn and comes back to us so late at night. I barely see him anymore," said the woman sitting on Mia's right.
"If he comes back after you have fallen asleep, then when do you both get some time to yourselves?" asked an older lady.
"We don't! Between getting food for the children and trying to process our visas, we haven't had time in over a month!"
Almost all the women gasped collectively, and Mia was trying to hone in her features. A month?! Imagine if they knew how long I've gone without some 'alone time'. Man, some of these 50-year-olds are getting more action than me.
"How have you survived?"
The woman shrugged and continued as though she were talking about the weather or margarine spread. "It hasn't been easy but...I've gotten through it."
"He can't just abandon your needs like that. You should confront him!"
All the women surrounding her let out a combined shout of agreeance, and Mia joined in. Just because she wasn't gettin' any, doesn't mean that she would want her fellow sisters to go through the same hellish torment.
"Is he here right now?" asked Samara.
The woman turned around and tried to spot him among the sea of men. A few moments passed and she replied, "Yes, he's standing with my cousin."
"Then tell him how you feel, tonight! Don't let this linger on any longer. It is not healthy, physically or mentally. This type of thing can cause much strain on a marriage," said Samara.
The woman let out a helpless laugh. "I can't just tell him, khaala."
"What nonsense, of course you can!" She spoke over the shouts of agreeance. "He has every right in the world to be satisfied, but so do you. And if he is neglecting your needs, then it is your right to tell him about it. What harm can come out of this?"
The woman seemed to mull over the thought for a little while, and Mia waited with anticipation. The food in her lap was all but forgotten as she watched the woman get to her feet, sling her long brown hair over one shoulder and dust off her old but beautiful dress. All eyes were on her as she zoned in on her husband, prepared to make her statement boldly and with all the confidence that a wife should possess. The women began to cheer her on as she shot them one last nervous glance, all yelling in Arabic and urging her to be brave. She smiled a little and took the first step, followed by the second and the third. And within moments, she was walking towards him without turning back.
"Ladies, look away so he doesn't think we've put her up to this," said another woman.
The entire group looked down at their laps before letting out a few laughs and resuming their eating. Samara was called away by someone, leaving Mia without a buffer. But regardless of how little she knew these ladies, she couldn't help but feel safe in their company.
...That was, of course, until they started asking some deeper questions.
Mia was taking a bite into the deliciously fattening bread that some of the older ladies had made, when the young woman she knew to be Nazyah addressed her.
"So Miriya, do you have a husband back home?"
Mia chewed slowly and replied, "No, I don't."
A few girls let out surprised gasps. "But why? You're so beautiful!"
Mia laughed lightly, brushing off the compliment. "Well, that's very kind of you but I just have to wait for a man to think the same thing now."
"Surely there's someone. If not a husband, then maybe a relative that you're fond of? Maybe a close friend?" asked Laya.
Mia shook her head, hating that there was in fact a face that came to mind. And it wasn't the sort of thing she'd been having trouble brushing off before. But then so much had happened since she'd known him, and she couldn't help but think that so many things had been exchanged between the two of them, without a single word being uttered. If she was being honest, she'd never had that before.
...But it was silly, and even more than that, it wasn't remotely possible. She would pin it down as delusions on her part and leave it at that. Best not to even entertain such an outlandish idea. "No one."
"Well, if you were staying here for a little longer then perhaps we could have helped you out with that. There are many young men here looking for companions, strong honourable men." Nazyah leaned in, "And easy on the eyes too."
Mia let out a laugh and shook her head, not believing that amidst a warzone, this was the trending topic to discuss. But nevertheless, girls will be girls.
She was about to continue on with her eating, being the ever-fatty that she was, when one of the girls on her left frantically shook her forearm along with someone else's. Alarmed and automatically assuming the worst, Mia turned her head and asked, "What's wrong?"
The 20-something-year-old girl simply stared with wide eyes at whatever was in her line of sight and asked mostly to herself, "Who is...that?"
Mia's head swivelled around, as did the other girls', and she shouldn't have been particularly surprised when she found all 10 or so heads pointed at a tall, dark-haired and slightly bearded man who was standing in the middle of a conversation with Azim.
As the other girls looked on with wide eyes and slightly agape mouths, Mia stifled a laugh and couldn't help but wonder if she'd have had the same reaction at seeing Bucky for the first time, had he not almost choked her to death. He sure was something, though. And before Mia could catalogue the things that were undeniably attractive about him, the girls did it for her.
"My God, look at his face."
"No, no, no! Why is the beard hiding his jawline?"
"Shush! The beard suits him, it goes well with the hair."
"I want to run my hands through his hair so bad."
"Why is he wearing gloves?"
"My God, look at his legs. I bet they'd be good for—"
"I'm gonna go talk to him!" exclaimed Nazyah. Mia had been laughing along until that point, where she snapped her head in the girl's direction, her previously warm feelings towards her dissipating into thin air.
"But you don't even know who he is, Nazyah," said Laya.
She shrugged. "He's talking to khaalu Azim, so he must be from out of town. If that's the case, then he's probably travelled for a long time and I bet he wouldn't mind some company."
"We all know what you mean by company, Nazyah," said another woman as she giggled softly.
"Well, men are men no matter where they come from," she said slyly.
As Nazyah began to get up from her seated position, Mia couldn't decide whether to politely tell her that she was here with him, or to send a flying kick to her face with all the force of a lifetime's worth of training. As much as her blood boiled at the sight of a smug Nazyah swaying her hips a little more in her short dress as she walked towards Bucky, she knew that this wasn't the time nor the place to draw attention to herself. She'd simply have to sit back and wait to see what happened.
...And remind herself that dislodging people's limbs wasn't acceptable in today's society.
While Mia's face was visibly becoming redder, Laya leaned in and said to a few of the girls, "Who wants to bet that's the last time we'll be seeing her tonight?"
"It's not fair! She gets all the boys from here and she gets the foreigners?!" complained one of the girls.
"It's not like we stand a chance in front of her, anyway," quietly said a girl named Elissa.
Mia turned towards her. "What are you talking about? You're gorgeous."
Elissa's face sparked up a little, and Mia wondered how long it had been since someone had told these girls something like that. "You all are."
"But we're not that," said Laya as she pointed towards Nazyah, who was still only hovering near Bucky, but hadn't actually interacted with him yet. "It's hard to get people's attention when you're competing with people like her."
Mia quietened at that, understanding completely what the girls were getting at. But it saddened her nonetheless. Insecurities and jealousy were universal, she supposed. And before she could get a few words of encouragement in, the girls all pointed in Nazyah's direction, waiting for the mystery man's reaction upon seeing her.
Unbeknownst to Mia, Bucky had been talking to Azim about something she could never have expected. If he was being honest, there wasn't a cell in his brain that had actually believed that Azim would piece things together. Sure, there was a possibility of it happening, but as far as the likelihood went, it wasn't very high. Even after being on this planet for almost a century, Bucky found that some things still surprised the shit out of him.
"I know who you are, Yaqub."
Bucky stilled. Azim was cleaning his dirtied glasses on a tea towel and had a smirk on his face as he continued.
"For the last 7 years, I have been visiting Junyad at least twice a month every month for ration deliveries. I confess, I didn't piece it together at first, but when I thought back and realised that I had never seen you nor Miriya even once before now...it all became a little clearer."
Bucky's jaw was set and his eyes never faltered from Azim's. They were in a highly crowded area, so there was no real way of getting around it. But he would wait and see what the older man had to say first, before taking measures that he really didn't want to take.
"Although I must say, your Arabic is very convincing. But it was not the Arabic that is spoken in these parts of Syria. I lived in Yemen for a while, and the more I thought about it...the more I couldn't shake the idea that you were not from here." Azim looked up at Bucky and shook his head. "I don't know which agency has sent you, and truthfully, I don't care. I just want to know if she was brought here against her will."
Bucky didn't need to ask who he was referring to, and something about the sadness in the man's eyes told him that he was fearful for Mia's safety for a much more personal reason. "We're not who you think we are."
"Are you not here to gather intelligence for a foreign government? That would be the most likely reason."
Bucky shook his head slightly. "This country is at the mercy of powerful people who don't care for it. We're here to stop that."
Azim stared him down, trying to find dishonesty in his eyes as well as his words. He repeated softly, "Was she brought here against her will?"
Bucky shook his head. "She came to protect her country."
Azim let out a breath. "Does she...does she have a family here?"
He shook his head. "They were killed."
A sombre silence ensued between the two of them, backgrounded by the roar of people laughing and children singing. It was hardly the conversation he thought he'd be having tonight, but Bucky's gut told him that this man could be trusted. And all that he said after that only confirmed it.
"You needn't worry about me sharing this with anyone. That is not any of my concern." Azim paused before saying, "But you have been entrusted with her. Protect her, Yaqub. Her parents may not have asked you to do so, but she was once someone's daughter."
His eyes were now shining with tears that Bucky wouldn't expect to see from someone as ebullient as Azim. Perhaps there was a story behind his concern for Mia, a child or a wife lost. There may have been regrets attached to his worry for a person he didn't even know. And just as Mia had managed to remind Bucky of someone he'd once known...perhaps she had done the same for Azim.
"Do you have a daughter?"
Azim smiled sadly. "She was very beautiful." He laughed a little before saying, "Although, I never would have let her near handsome young men such as yourself."
Bucky himself laughed softly at that, and apparently that was when Nazyah found it best to bring herself into the conversation.
"Khaalu Azim! How are you?" she said, with an overly bright smile on display as she stood between the two of them.
Azim nodded, seemingly a little annoyed by her presence. "I am well, Nazyah. And you?"
"Well, I'm happy that we're celebrating tonight." She looked towards Bucky, as though she were waiting for him to immediately fall to his knees in worship at the sight of her. Instead, he was doing his own appraising, but of a different kind.
She was undeniably beautiful, that went without saying. Her hair ran past her shoulder and was of a base brown colour that complimented her green eyes with exuberance. Her face possessed all the symmetry that was associated with attractivenes, and Bucky had no doubt in his mind that she had reaped the benefits of such God-given beauty.
"And, you are?" she asked coyly.
"This is Yaqub," replied Azim a little gruffly. "Yaqub, this is Nazyah."
Bucky nodded and kept his eyes lowered, thinking that this would be his cue to leave.
...Unfortunately, he was wrong.
"So, are you from nearby?"
Bucky nodded. "Junyad."
"Ah. And how long will you be with us?"
Bucky was about to reply with a short, succinct answer but apparently Azim had more of a problem with her than he did. "He will leave tomorrow," he said bluntly.
Nazyah visibly saddened at the sound of that. "Oh, that's not very long." Whether it was because she was oblivious to Azim's presence or she just didn't care about it, Bucky didn't know. But she didn't have a problem leaning in and placing a hand on his right forearm, before saying quietly, "Well then, you should make the last night a memorable one."
Before Bucky could even formulate a response, Azim butted in, "He has a fiancé, Nazyah."
Her face fell. "A...fiancé?"
Azim nudged Bucky subtly, so he cleared his throat and replied, "Yes."
Azim was suddenly called away by someone, and so that left the two of them alone among a sea of people. Bucky looked around awkwardly, being in a position that he really wasn't used to being in. Nazyah, however, figured she may as well try her luck. What did she have to lose?
"Y'know, I'm sure your fiancé wouldn't mind if you had a house to rest in tonight. My one is just down the street." She stood in front of him so that there was barely any space separating them. "It gets a little crowded out here at night, so it might be a good place if you wanted to get some rest."
That was really toeing the line.
Bucky tried to evade her without seeming harsh, though the unimpressed look on his face was a dead giveaway. "I think I'll be fine out here."
She laughed. "Oh, come one." She brought a hand up to scrape the side of his clenched jaw. "You look so tense. I just think you need some rest, is all."
The entire time that they had been speaking, Bucky hadn't noticed that Mia was watching from afar, inwardly aching for him to stop Nazyah's advances. She couldn't explain why she wanted him to completely shut her down, but all she knew was that her heart was hurting a little more every minute that he stood there and entertained her. That sentiment was heightened exponentially when Nazyah brought a hand to his jaw and ran her thumb across it, saying something that Mia couldn't lip-read.
She looked away and felt her breathing grow a little, hating that he did nothing to stop Nazyah and loathing that she even cared in the first place. She began aggressively tearing the bread in her hand to pieces, eating them with tenacity and finding solace in carbohydrates like she always did.
Stupid green eyes and brown hair. She could've gone after anyone, but no, she had to pick him. And that idiot's not even doing anything!
"Miriya?" asked Elissa from behind her.
-stupid beard and tanned skin. You know what? He can do whatever the hell he wants. Watch how little I care.
"Hey, Miriya?" asked another girl.
-hope he has fun contracting genital herpes. I should just walk back to base right now and leave him to have his fun. Should've known better than—
"Miriya!" said Elissa as she shook her arm, pulling her from her aggressive eating and berating thoughts.
"Yes?! Yes?"
"Are you okay?"
Mia smiled a little too widely. "Absolutely! Why?"
The girls looked at each other a little confusedly. "You were just..a little—Never mind! Come," Elissa grabbed her hand. "Samara's calling us."
Mia thought to look back and sneak another glance at her occupied partner, but decided better of it as they hurried towards where Samara was. She was fooling herself into letting this be a bigger thing than it was. Her and Bucky...they were teammates, and they worked well together. But what promise had me made her that gave her the right to feel jealous? When she thought about it, she didn't even know that much about him. His life was independent of hers, and what he did was up to him. The answer was simple, and so she'd have to accept that.
The 10 girls found Samara standing near the bonfire with an Arabic drum known as the 'duff' in her hand. It was tattered and rather old, but she played a few beats and sure enough, it sounded as good as new. The combined confusion on the girls' faces brought a cheeky smile to Samara's, making her say, "Tonight is a night where we enjoy, my darlings. Laya, bring the other women and the children."
The girls were giggling amongst themselves when Samara began to play a simple beat, leading them to make a sloppy circle around the bonfire. "You are the youth, my dears. Make your voices loud when you sing, and give your people something to smile about." Her smile became downright mischievous when she followed that up with, "And when you dance, remember who's watching."
The sound of laughter emitted from the girls was perhaps one of the most contagious things Mia had ever heard. She found herself between Elissa and a girl who couldn't have been older than 16, clapping along to a song that she didn't know. Samara played the duff beautifully, with an infectious energy that saw people turning their heads towards the sound within a matter of minutes.
"This is one we all know, ladies. Remember, loud and clear!"
The circle around the fire was now filled by almost 50 women; young, old and somewhere in between. They were all clapping and singing along to a song that had people coming to watch them in hoards. Laya was the first to begin the steps of a traditional Syrian dance, letting her dress sway hypnotically from one side to the other. A few women were quick to learn and joined in with her, letting the sound of the music fill their heart with contentment and their expressions with smiles.
The men whistled good-naturedly and some even sang along, standing in a crowd and watching a scene unfold that their eyes hadn't beheld in what seemed like a lifetime. Some fathers cheered on their daughters as they sang along, while some husbands looked at the wives like they were they only things they could see. The children that had joined in held hands with some of the older girls, being taught some dances that they hadn't seen before.
One little girl clasped onto Mia's hand when the group began to do the dabka, which was a series of steps done in a circle by all the women while their hands were joined. She smiled up giddily and Mia, and she felt her heart promptly melt into mush at the sight. She sang along to a song that she'd grown up with, about a blushing bride on her wedding night and how beautiful she looked in the moonlight. Some of the words were messed up and the girls were having a tough time standing up straight with all the laughing they were doing as they danced, but God it felt amazing.
Bucky had managed to leave his unwanted temptress right as the music began to play, and he couldn't have been more thankful for the timing. He made his way over to the crowd of a few hundred people, and tried to get a glimpse at the women who were dancing around the alluring flames that burned bright at their centre. The men around him began clapping as well, with some of them holding their children on their heads and others nudging each other, pointing out beautiful girls and how much they'd love to dance with them too.
He snaked around towards the left side of the crowd to where there were fewer people, and managed to find a slightly obscured spot at the corner of an alley just a few metres away from the scene before him. The young ladies were all similarly clothed in skirts or dresses, with their hair cascading down their backs. Their shoes were off as they danced atop the sandy concrete with their arms draped around one another, each smiling brighter than the next.
But even among the beauty that was in front of him, his eyes sought her out almost immediately. Her dress fluttered every time her leg came up in a step of her traditional dance, with her long hair rippled down either side of her shoulders. She was hand in hand with a girl who wasn't older than 5, looking up at her as though she was everything she aspired to be some day. She tried to mimic Mia's steps, but failed on more than one occasion and stumbled about, leaving his teammate in a fit of laughter as she sang along indecipherably.
He'd seen her in a few situations by now. He'd seen her angry and hurt, even afraid, like she had been after she'd seen the dream. He'd seen her ravenous with hate, just as she'd been the previous night after spending her time at the mansion. Earlier that day, he'd seen her worried when she was in the middle of an argument of sorts with him, perhaps wrapt with anxiety that he would be upset at her. But this...he'd never seen her like this.
There wasn't a trace of sadness on her face. Her head was thrown back and her eyes were crinkled almost shut from her smile, with the most gorgeous sound of laughter falling from her lips over the beat of the drum. She was surrounded by blue eyes and green eyes, even grey ones. But in that moment, with the flame reflecting her skin and the dust sweeping up to haze their midst, he couldn't take his eyes away from her brown ones.
Just a few hours earlier, she'd been surrounded by millions of dollars worth of dresses, jewellery and food alone. She'd gotten a chance to walk among the rich and the influential, people that she'd never had the opportunity to know otherwise. Those people had the power to move mountains with their resources and pockets, and everything they did was dictated by abundance and luxury.
...And here she was, standing toe to toe with the poorest people in the East. Her clothes were dust-ridden and the soles of her feet were cut from the rubble she walked among. The people around her sported tears in every piece of clothing they owned, and lived under rooves made of palm leaves. They were easily pleased, with the sound of a drum and slurred singing being the reason for their contentment. He knew that she was aware of the truth of this place, that a missile could land on these people without a moment's notice, and that those companion's and their stories would cease to exist with them. There were no guarded fortresses, nor was there any protection from lurking threats. And yet, none of that mattered to her. Bucky knew that he finally had a chance to see her live out this feeling; a feeling of unhinged, fleeting, consuming happiness.
"You don't see that in Brooklyn."
Bucky jerked at the sound of a familiar voice behind him, wondering how the hell he hadn't heard him coming. "What the f—Steve."
He was standing on the adjacent corner of the alley that Bucky had been leaning on, and had put on a hoodie that obscured most of his face. Bucky relaxed his frame and tried not to make it obvious that he was talking to anyone as Steve continued.
"So, the gathering was a party."
Bucky hummed in agreement. "A town got liberated up north. They're celebrating."
"Any heat?"
Bucky shook his head, with his hands now in his jean pockets. "No, it was pretty quiet." Oh shit, actually wait...
"Azim knows."
"Azim knows what?" asked Steve, voice a little panicked.
"Enough." Bucky paused. "He's not a threat."
"How can you—"
"Steve." He turned his head slightly, now facing the shadow of the alley. "He's not a threat."
Steve let out a breath of air, obviously not too keen on continuing a conversation with such stakes at their very unsecure environment. The two elapsed into silence, with the rhythmic beating of the duff changing as the new song took on a quicker pace.
"She's beautiful," noted Steve. Bucky didn't respond, but by God he couldn't agree more. "She's really taken to this place."
"They're her people."
Steve turned his head so he could see Bucky's profile, and the way that his eyes were trained on Mia unwaveringly. He'd been with his best friend through every girl he'd ever liked. He'd seen him go through the stages of interest, and then denial, and then ultimate acceptance that he was unwittingly falling for them. He knew which signs to look for and around which time they'd come into play, but with Mia...it'd all been a little mixed up.
With her, it had begun with him keeping his distance and a wary eye out for her. Then as time went on, he grew a little protective of her presence, a little more interested in keeping her safe. Steve knew that when his friend had seen her just before the party, there was a flicker in his eye that hadn't been there since 1944. He hadn't heard how Bucky reacted when he saw Mia dancing with other men at the mansion, but he knew him well enough to guess. His fears of her getting hurt and his anger when that possibility came to light had all added up, and for Steve...he'd never seen his friend look at someone the way he was right now.
"It'd be good if you talked to her, y'know."
Bucky snapped his head to look at Steve. "What?"
"Mia. You should talk to her."
"About what?"
Steve let out a short laugh. "You're not foolin' anyone, Buck."
Bucky shook his head as though his friend was delusional. "You're outta your mind."
"I don't think so. Actually, I think you agree with me."
Bucky snickered softly. "I think your head's fucked up from getting pounded by that Frisbee of yours."
"Probably. Doesn't change this, though." Bucky quietened, unsure whether he should verbalise the thousand thoughts that were racing through his head, or simply keep them hushed and unaddressed for the little time they had left. Thankfully, Steve spoke for him.
"She feels the same, y'know."
Bucky shook his head, not willing to entertain that thought for even a second. "You're wrong."
"It's obvious, Buck."
"You don't know that," he reasoned.
"Anyone with a pair'a eyes and half a brain can put it together when she looks at you the way she does." Bucky could feel his breath becoming uneven, just at the implication that his words were true. It should've made him happy, or at least satisfied to know that.
Instead...it scared the fuck out of him.
"It can't be that surprising, Buck."
"S'because it's not true."
"It's true, Barnes," said Natasha through the earpiece. Bucky had forgotten entirely that she was even able to listen in on their conversations, let alone was privy to something like this.
"Get out, Natalia."
"No." She sounded like she was eating popcorn as she continued speaking. "It's boringly obvious."
"That's right," nodded Steve.
Bucky rolled his eyes, still aware that people might think he was talking to himself. "She's never said anything."
"Because she'd be scared to fucking death that you'll reject her," chimed in Sam, eating a similarly crunchy snack. "Think about it, would you wanna confess your feelings to you?"
...This motherfucker has a point.
"It doesn't matter. I'm not interested."
The three teammates on the earpiece groaned in unison and began spilling out their disapproval.
"Man, I call bullshit. That is—"
"—had an aneurism when you saw her in that dress, Yakov. She's too blind—"
"—gotta say something to her, Buck. What's the worst—"
As he continued to try and zone out the ramblings of his teammates, Bucky's frame became rigid as he noticed men joining in on the circle of dancing women, linking hands and singing along to the music. There was a young man on Mia's left who looked charming in his own right, dancing comically and making the girls around him laugh cheerily. Mia herself let out a few giggles, but was more focused on the child still clinging to her right hand and taking her chance at a few different steps.
"Why'd Barnes go quiet?" asked Nat.
Steve poked his head out from the alleyway to see what he was staring at. His lips curled into a smile as he said, "Someone's dancin' with his girl."
Bucky shot a stern glance his way before copping another earful.
"Jesus, grow a pair and claim your woman, boy! Whatchu waitin' around for?" asked Sam.
"Fuck off, Wilson."
Before anyone could further the idea of Bucky Barnes actually dancing in front of a crowd, he perked up at the sight of Azim calling Mia to come towards him. He could see how much she didn't want to leave, as she reluctantly let go of the child's hand and placed it in the man's to keep the circle unbroken. He looked on after her as she walked away, and Bucky figured that the hot-shot had probably thought he'd get lucky with her tonight. Fucking idiot.
When Mia caught up with Azim, she wiped off the light sheen of sweat from her forehead and fixed her hair, rested both hands on her hips and tried to catch her breath. They were standing towards the back of the crowd, where there weren't too many people, and Mia couldn't understand why Azim had called her there in the first place.
"Is everything okay, khaalu?"
Azim had a partially ripped cotton bag with him, seemingly filled with many things. He looked at her without his usual glasses, and Mia saw a tinge of sadness sewn into his features.
"Yaqub told me you were leaving tonight."
Mia let her shoulders sag in genuine disappointment. Among the dancing and the cheering, she'd forgotten that this was, in actuality, her last night in Syria. By tomorrow, they'd be driving to the border as soon as the mission was complete, and that would be that.
"Yes, khaalu. I'm afraid so."
He looked down to the bag in his hands and seemed to mull over a question before finally posing it. "Were you..." He looked up. "Are you from here, Miriya?"
Mia was taken aback by that and was about to reply when he added, "I spoke to your friend." He laughed a little. "He makes for a convincing Syrian."
Mia's mouth was agape and she didn't know whether he was joking or if there was seriousness to what he was saying. "I'm...I—"
He laid a hand on her shoulder and smiled that warm smile he always did. "Fear not, habibti. Your secret is locked in my heart. But I wish to know if this," he pointed to their surroundings, "...if Aleppo is your home."
Mia suddenly wished that she had Nat or Steve in her ear, telling her what to say and how to say it. But for some reason, she hadn't been hearing any chatter from her earpiece the entire night, and she didn't think that was going to change within the next few seconds. She figured that if there had been a serious problem, Bucky would've already whisked her away by now.
...Unless, of course, he was busy with the temptresses of Aleppo...
Throwing caution to the wind, Mia took solace in the truth and nodded, "We lived near Biriva."
He brought his hand down from her shoulder and asked, "And your parents' names?"
She swallowed. "Ta...Tanya and Joseph Alfiyan."
Azim tried hard to attach familiarity with the names he was hearing, and he was sure he had come across them before. But after a lifetime's worth of meeting new people and helping countless, his memory had been known to fail him.
"Did you know them?" she asked softly.
He shook his head. "I'm afraid it was another life, Miriya."
She nodded understandingly, unsure of what to say from there on. But a thought came to her mind. She wanted him to know that she wasn't forsaking them, that she wasn't here to simply show her face then leave. This place, her home...it all meant so much more to her than that.
"I'll do my best to help the people here, khaalu. I promise."
He smiled as he ran a hand through his small beard. A few moments of silence were broken by his wobbly voice, saying something that comforted her beyond measure.
"I don't know why you're here, Miriya. But I do know this," he said as he brought a hand to clasp hers tightly, a feeling that she couldn't help but revel in. "Nobody walks into a warzone unless they think what they're doing is right. And Miriya, I have faith that whatever you do...it will only be for the betterment of your people."
She couldn't control her shiny eyes and quivering chin at hearing something as simple as that. She looked down at their joined hands and nodded her head, smiling a little as she thanked him.
Bucky walked in on the scene unfolding just as she did so, and he didn't like the fact that she had to leave. But, it was time.
"Mia."
She turned her head to find him standing there with an apologetic look, still speaking in her native language. "We have to go."
She nodded. "I know."
Azim didn't hesitate to bring his arms around her in the sort of hug kids adore from their grandparents. She clung on, hopelessly wishing that she'd get this feeling again someday, if not from her own uncle then from a person like Azim who she could believe in. But if this was the last time, then she was grateful.
"Here. I have some leftover food for you two." He held out the bag and said, "You are too thin, Miriya."
She laughed. "Alright, khaalu."
"And you," he turned to Bucky. "Don't waste your time with the Nazyah's of this world. And don't...don't take her for granted," he said pointing to her.
Mia's lips parted and she felt her heart swell, even more so when Bucky replied, "I won't."
The men shook hands and gazed at each other, seemingly speaking without uttering a word. It perplexed Mia, but now was not the moment for her mind to wander.
"Tell khaala that I'll miss her." She tried to extend her time, stretching each second to last a little longer. "Thank you, khaalu."
He nodded, raising a hand to wave them goodbye. Bucky held her forearm and began to snake her through the crowd, trying to find the quickest way out of the street as possible. Mia glanced back a few times at the man who'd helped her so much during her time here, and it left her heart in pieces to know that they may never meet again.
On the way, Mia caught one final glimpse of the bonfire and the women now dancing lazily around it. Some men were still singing and others were hugging the women in their lives, swaying to the music. Mia only tore her eyes away when she felt Bucky's gloved hand slip into hers, still moving swiftly through the people. Her gaze left their twined fingers in time for her to see Nazyah's reaction when she saw them, hand in hand. Her face had fallen and sheer annoyance took over as she sent the most chilling of looks Mia's way.
Fuck. Yes.
It wasn't long before they were at the buildings which lead to the grassy plains they needed to walk across. The second their feet left the concrete, both Mia and Bucky let out a sigh of relief as their bodies remained close, with the moonlight guiding their way. It was bittersweet, to say the least...but it wouldn't have meant what it did if it lasted forever.
And now...now it was time to finish the mission and save her people, once and for all. They would have to battle Hell and high water, but after seeing the joy that the people of Syria deserved, she wanted nothing more than to make it happen.
X
Bent je preko mog stole odmah – Have her bent over my desk right now
Oni trakhal zhivotnykhI – They're fucking animals