Bucky squeezed his eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his nose before shooting them open again. The soft rocking of the plane was doing nothing but pushing him closer to sleep, something he couldn't risk in such a confined space. He glanced back at Kagome, curled into herself as she slept; book open across her hip with her head propped in her hands. He wondered why she hadn't made her way to the bedroom at the back of the jet they were told about.

Rocking to his feet he slowly inched his way to her, picking the book up carefully so as not to disturb her. 'Pride and Prejudice still a favorite then.'

He dog-eared the page, an action that always horrified her, and set it to the table in front of her seat.

Pierce settled in front of Bucky, hands folded together as he leaned closer. "Kagome was merely distracting you with that name; you're the Winter Soldier."

Bucky nodded, eyes darting around the room, "why her?"

"Her usefulness has extended past its due date; should Rumlow fail again I trust you can take her out, whatever means necessary. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

Bucky cleared his throat, rubbing his eyes and shaking to clear the memory before hefting Kagome in his arms and taking her into the bedroom. Unlike the time in the alley, she curled into his chest with a sigh, right hand stretching up before falling over her face with a mumble.

Settling her to the bed he backed up, eyes drifting to the free side of the mattress before shooting back to the sleeping priestess. Did he dare risk it? What if the nightmares were too much and he—moving back out to his seat, he rifled through his book bag and took out the knife before heading into the room.

His pillows became a barrier between their bodies, swinging his legs up and settling into his side, knife clutched to his chest. 'Five minutes, that's all I need…' his eyes closed faster than he wanted them to, relaxing as sleep claimed him.

Kagome stretched with a yawn, she hadn't meant to fall asleep three hours into the flight, when had she moved to the bedroom? A puff of warm air on her side drew her attention, head moving to find the source before smirking. Brown hair covered Bucky's face, a pillow over the upper part of his back with his metal arm tossed over the other.

She bit her lip, he wasn't touching her but she still didn't want to risk waking him. Pulling her arm up, she glanced at her watch and covered her face; she wasn't prepared mentally to deal with Sesshoumaru yet and with one hour until his plane landed them at his private runway she was starting to get anxious. Raking her fingers through her hair, she blinked at the ceiling with a sigh; whatever he had planned wasn't going to be great.

Bucky shifted and drew her attention, his own eyes blinking open in confusion as they furrowed before he tossed himself to his back and sat up.

"Sleep well?" Kagome followed his lead and sat up, pressing her back to the headboard as she lifted a brow, amusement shining in her eyes.

"For once."

"Good," Kagome smiled softly, eyeballing the knife in his hand before directing her attention to the metal appendage. Her fingers reached for him and brushed against the surface, aware of his eyes on her as she examined the small bit she could see. "Sorry," she pulled back with a blush. "I was just um… did you—can you feel that?"

Bucky dropped the knife to the sheet under him, cupping the metal hand in his flesh one and turning it over thoughtfully. "A little."

"Oh."

He could swear he heard disappointment in her voice with that one syllable; feeling his own mounting with hers.

"Can I see it?" she asked softly.

Bucky mulled over her question, glancing up quickly before giving a nod. His hands grabbed the bottom of his shirt and tugged it overhead and settled it to his lap. Kagome gasped, hand flying to her mouth as tears sprang to her eyes; it was one thing to see it in a battle, but seeing the base and where they had attached it to his skin was something she wasn't prepared for.

Scooting closer she inspected the seam carefully, tracing where the metal met his skin carefully. 'These scars look like he clawed at the arm,' her eyes darted to his face at the thought.

"Red star?"

"The Soviet's claim to me."

Kagome pursed her lips, tapping the middle of the star before trailing her hand down over the length of his arm and gripping his hand. She flipped his palm up, tracing over the small grooves meticulously; Bucky inhaled sharply, with the narrowing of her eyes she looked to be memorizing every line.

Pulling back, Kagome settled her hands in her lap; watching him pull the shirt back on. "Thank you for trusting me enough to let me see it."

"Why shouldn't you get a look? With how many times I've tried to kill you…"

"That wasn't you, none of that was. You're safe now." Kagome tilted her head.

Bucky looked up, almost painfully as he drew a shuddering breath. "Tell that to my head; maybe I'm still just him… their perfect killing machine lying in wait."

Kagome bit her cheek watching him glare down at the appendage that wasn't his before gently placing her palm flat to his chest. The steady thrumming of his heart made her smile, grabbing for his right hand and placing it where hers was moments ago. "Still human… as I suspected."

Bucky's eyes flickered, her hand overtop of his as they sat in silence before he pulled his hand from under hers. "Tell me about Sesshoumaru?"

Kagome dropped her hand from his chest with a grunt, "he's the older brother of Inuyasha, Daiyōkai of the west—a position he has always and will always continue to be too serious about. He demands perfection in every aspect of his life and truth be told he kind of scares me a little."

"I've been told he respects me… maybe that's true, I haven't noticed a change in him since we met other than he doesn't try to kill me on sight anymore. He's got this poison in his body that he can direct to his claws, I've been on the receiving end of it a few times…" Kagome fell back, crossing her ankles as her hands laced behind her head. "I imagine he's going to put me through his paces as soon as we touch down."

Bucky leaned back against the headboard, arms draped over his bent knees as he held his knife between his hands. "Were you ever scared of me?"

Kagome blinked hard, shoving herself to sit up.

"As the Winter Soldier… did it scare you?"

"Not exactly," Kagome watched surprise fill his face as he lifted it to stared at her. "I knew it was you. That look in your eyes though, on the highway when you were stalking towards me; that scared me a little because it was your body walking towards me-but those eyes..."

Bucky's eyes softened, glancing away quickly as the plane bounced slightly. "Guess we're landing."

"Ahead of schedule too," Kagome glanced down at her watch. Worrying her lip she dragged her hands over her face with a groan, she really hadn't prepared herself to face the Dog Lord again, not after the Boshin War. Her hands flopped to the mattress before tossing herself from the bed, hair flipping to cascade down her back, "lets get this over with."

Bucky swung his body over the side, fixing the knife sheath to the waistband of his pants and trailing behind her to the small living area. Kagome shoved her book in the duffel bag and zipped it closed, tossing it over her shoulder; Bucky's hand closed around the strap as he strode past, swinging his bag to his shoulder as he ignored her look of surprise, taking her bag was the least he could do for her.

"Do you always sleep with a knife?'

"Gun, I figured knife was the safer bet this time," Bucky answered softly.

Kagome hummed, fingers drumming on the doorframe as she stood in front of it. She could hear the stairs being rolled to the door, the pilot bustling from the cockpit silently and swinging the door open before stepping to the side with a bow, "Lord Sesshoumaru has instructed me to have you report to him in his office."

Kagome braced her hand against the wall as she toed her shoes off, hand gently brushing against Bucky's arm before glancing down at his feet expectantly with a smirk. He obliged with a huff, shooting his eyes to hers in mild annoyance.

With a soft giggle the priestess shook her head and grabbed her bag from him, "thanks for bringing it inside. If I remember correctly, his office overlooks the pond on the western wing of the house; which is…" her brows furrowed, he had added onto the home in the centuries she had last been here.

"This way." Bucky stepped onto the wooden floor and began walking, "I'm trained to always know where I'm going and where I've been… one of the perks of being Hydra's weap—the Winter Soldier."

He caught the look in her eyes, changing his words swiftly as they walked down the hall. Kagome bit her cheek angrily, eyes dropping to the floor before lifting to the door in front of them; the blue crescent moon across the French style doors staring down at them.

"Is this it?" he questioned, she hadn't specified how far down the wing the office was.

A slight nod was his answer, shifting her bag higher on her shoulder before knocking. Silence greeted her, knocking a second time against the ornate doors, 'he's being a prick on purpose now.'

Metal knuckles rapped the third time, scurrying footsteps across a carpet before the door began opening. Dropping her duffel, Kagome lifted her hand on reflex, fingers curling around a two-headed staff before yanking it fully from the room.

"Unhand that you insolent wench! How dare you bring your human filth before Lord Sess—"

A crack resounded through the wing, the priestess shouldering the staff as she stared down her nose disdainfully to the man at her feet. "Always a pleasure, Jaken."

"You useless woman, give that back righ—"

The staff landed a second time on his head, Kagome exhaling before returning it to her shoulder.

"Enough the both of you."

Kagome stiffened as the voice purred from the room, unconsciously leaning to the body at her side. The staff dropped to the carpet with a muffled thud, Jaken claiming it and scurrying from the room.

"Are you two going to stand outside my office or are you going to come in?"

Bucky moved first, standing a step in front of Kagome as he calmly regarded the silver haired man behind the desk. Molten gold eyes stared hard into his, eyes glancing down to the metal hand sticking out from under the sleeve before his lips quirked upwards. "I had heard you were a mere ghost, I see now that's inaccurate."

"You must be pleased," he was speaking now to Kagome. Tilting his head, he folded his hands overtop his desk. "Priestess, since when do you hide?"

A soft curse left Kagome, moving to stand beside Bucky as her spine stiffened straighter then he had ever seen. Her fingers shook lightly, curling them into her palms to keep from becoming more noticeable.

"Of course you have been hiding for years… I never took you of all people for a coward." Sesshoumaru stood, crossing the room to a bookshelf and running a claw down the spines.

"I'm… I'm no—"

"But you are; you hide behind your Sargent, you run instead of taking care of your enemies, you're hiding behind a barrier right now." Sesshoumaru found the book he searched for, flipping through it before setting it to the desk. "Tamper it down now or I shall make an example of you."

Bucky stiffened… Sargent Barnes… his body shuddered, multiple voices calling him that name. He hadn't heard it in years, but still Zola's voice stood out among the crowd.

Kagome glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, his hands clenching and unclenching quickly before allowing her small barrier to fall. Biting the inside of her cheek she turned her gaze to stare at the legs of desk. "I—"

"Was not given permission to speak." Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed pink, a warning she knew to head. He reached a hand forward watching her flinch before curling a lock of her color treated hair around his finger, "I will bring in someone to fix this immediately; it looks ridiculous."

His finger trailed lower, ghosting over her jaw and down her neck before looping around the chain and rolling the jewel in his fingers. "While you're here, every morning at 4am you will report to the dojo since you have neglected your training; if this is unacceptable you are of course more than welcome to go stay at the shrine."

"4am is great," Kagome agreed quickly.

Sesshoumaru stepped back, glancing between the two humans as he clasped his hands behind his back; "while you are both here you represent me and my lands will dress accordingly. Measurements will be taken and clothing bought for you and placed in your rooms; what you do in your spare time is your business, but from 4am until 7am your time is mine." His last statement was exclusively for Kagome, staring hard at her before spinning on his heel and striding for his desk.

"You may both leave now," Sesshoumaru waved a hand at them absently. "Oh yes and welcome home, Kagome."

Kagome muttered a soft thanks as her body sagged, flinging herself backwards for the door as she dragged fingers through her hair, hands trembling. "I'm so sorry Bucky, he—"

"Does he always talk to you that way?"

Kagome gave a slight nod, hefting her bag to her shoulder as they trailed after a silent Jaken. "Are you okay?" she asked, watching his face carefully as she wrung her hands together.

"Fine." His response was dismissive, hands still clenched into fists.

"Your rooms… don't destroy them." Jaken turned between the two; eyes bulging before hobbling back down the hall they had come from.

Kagome slid her door open, tapping the wood with her finger and directing a small smile at Bucky as he stood in the hall. "If you need anyt—"

"I don't like him," Bucky tossed his bag just inside the room; eyes shifting before they met hers. "I don't like the rank."

"Rank?" Kagome mumbled thoughtfully before it clicked, Sesshoumaru had called him Sargent. "I'm sorry, I'll talk to him… I'—"

He held his hand up quickly, cutting her off. "Can you say it?"

"The rank?"

"The whole thing…"

Kagome brushed a strand of hair from her face in confusion, "um… alright? Sargent Barnes…?"

Chocolate eyes closed, exhaling sharply, the voices back but softer; swallowing hard he pursed his lips and cracked his eyes open, staring into her concerned blue ones. "Again, please…"

Kagome gave a soft nod, repeating his name until he held a hand up again. His face didn't look as white as it had on the first or second calling of his rank and last name, breathing steadily evening out. Her stomach rolled, heart lurching; they hadn't even scratched the surface of the damage he had been put through.

"Priestess!" Jaken called her from the end of the hall, drawing her attention, "time to fix your hair!"

Irritation flashed over Kagome's face, turning to Bucky nervously, would he be okay? As if reading her mind, he nodded at her, gesturing down the hall, "I'll be fine. Go, before the other one comes for you instead; I'll be here."

Kagome nodded and tossed her bag into the room; casting one more glance at the brunette before making her way to where the small toad demon waited.