EndlessGalaxies, thank you for your review! Strap in, because I have so crazy plans for these OCs!
April2016, Thank you! I'll try and update as quickly as possible!
NOTE: I have literally gone out and bought an 80$ cover for my tablet just so I can write fanfics on my 1.5h commute morning and evening to and from school. If that isn't dedication, I don't know what is. Especially because I am paranoid as hell and don't want anyone reading over my shoulder, because by God, there are some passages in here I REALLY don't want prefect strangers to stumble on.
Enjoy!
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Steve and Bucky headed to the kitchen once Lianka had fallen asleep, where they proceeded to boil up some water over the small gas stove for coffee and for two of the dehydrated bags of food that had been packed for their journey. They ate mostly in silence, both pensive. It wasn't hard to tell that each was wondering just how all of this would play out: would the girl truly heal in just two days' time? Would baiting her attacker work? More importantly: was in smart to send her out in her weakened state to bait said attacker? Was it wiser to send her back to Wakanda and investigate all this on their own? What should their next move be?
They quietly consulted with one another over these questions but found no sure answer. When they were done, both men headed to the living room to check up on Lianka : she was sleeping very soundly, curled under those blood-spotted blankets, her brow furrowed slightly. Bucky walked up to her quietly and placed his human hand upon her forehead. At the touch, her eyes split open as though she hadn't even been sleeping, coming to rest, hard and unyielding, upon him. It took but a moment for the girl to recognize him and her eyes immediately shut anew as she sighed in relief and fell back into slumber. Bucky felt the unnatural warmth of her skin : she was running a slight fever and he couldn't blame her for falling right back asleep. However, he was somewhat taken aback at how aware she was of her surroundings : a simple touch was more than enough to pull her out of slumber, and the way she woke indicated that she was always on alert, always analysing… Bucky found he could relate. It was an exhausting way to live, but in the line of work of a spy or assassin, it was the only way to live.
He turned to Steve. « I'm going to go out and scout her apartment, see if I can find a lead while the tracks are relatively fresh. I'll grab us something to eat too, if I can. Some clothes for her as well… she can't run around like that once we're out of here. »
Steve nodded. « Be careful. »
Bucky smiled and rolled his eyes at his friend as he picked up the gun he'd previously put down on a nearby table, tucking it back into the waist of his pants. He got dressed in his warm coat and hat, before pulling on his pack, which was now lighter without the first aid kit in it. « Keep an eye on her. I'll try and send out a message to Wakanda and let them know where we stand. »
With that, the Winter Soldier was gone like a ghost through the only door leading into the basement.
For a moment, Steve felt a bit jealous of the fact that his friend could so easily operate in this unfamiliar environment, which gave him the opportunity to go out and at least do something… it was hard to stay put for the captain, who time and time again had favored action over inaction. But he found that perhaps it was not so terrible after all, as he found his gaze eventually falling onto the sleeping girl… she really wasn't unpleasant to look at, even with her swollen lip, black eye and bruised throat… there was a stubborn sort of beauty to her, which was accentuated by the permanent frown that played with her features as she slept.
Steve found himself lost in thought after a while, watching Lianka absently for what might have been two or three hours.
When she stirred and groaned, he was brought back to reality sharply and rose at once to get closer to her.
« Hey… » He said a tad awkwardly, not quite sure what to do.
Her sharp, blue eyes opened at his words and she gestured for him to give her a hand in sitting up, grasping at her head, which was obviously painful. Steve pressed a hand to her cheek, like he had seen Bucky do. It was warm, but he couldn't tell if that was normal… however, he felt a slight flush creep into his own face as her intense gaze crossed his.
« Hand me my bag, Captain. » She groaned, pointed a hand to the other sofa, against which a small pack was set.
Steve grabbed it and gave it to her. « You know… you can call me Steve, Lianka. »
She scoffed and grimaced as pain shot through her head. « Only if you call me Lia. »
Lianka rummaged through her pack, not waiting for an answer, and pulled out bottled water and a flagon of pills, two of which she threw into her mouth, downing them with several long gulps of water. When she was done and set everything aside, Steve was able to notice that her bruised lip and black eye were significantly less swollen than before. The mark on her throat had passed from an angry black and blue to a sort of purple tinged in yellow.
She noticed him staring. « Told you. »
Steve looked away, a bit embarrassed at having been caught, but she just smiled, amused. Lianka proceeded to check the IV bag she'd been hooked up to earlier, noting that it was now completely empty. She handed it to Steve and pulled the needle from her arm without flinching as he handed her gauze to press to the slight wound that was left behind.
« You want to eat anything? »
« Sure. » She pulled herself up from the sofa gingerly and he helped her stand for a moment while she regained her footing. When she felt steady enough, she pushed him back gently. « Go. I'll join you in five. »
Lianka proceeded to walked slowly, bag in tow, holding on to furniture and walls along the way for support, all the way to the small bathroom across the room. Steve let her go and returned to the kitchen, where he set water to boil on the stove.
The young woman joined him a couple minutes later, her face a bit wet, but a lot cleaner than it had been before. He noted that she still wore her tattered and bloody clothes, and that her leg was still bandaged, the pant cut off above the wound : she'd obviously just freshened up, perhaps not feeling quite well enough to actually shower. She walked up to the table at which he sat, limping slightly with every step, before settling down into a chair with a soundless grimace.
She gladly accepted the mug of steaming coffee Steve handed her and downed it so quickly he wondered if she had burned her throat. He offered her a second one, which she accepted with a nod. This one, she drank slowly, gently picking at the hydrated food he'd handed her, watching him more carefully now.
« So… » Lianka said softly between two bites. Her voice was notably less hoarse than earlier. « How did the two of you get dragged into all this? I was expecting someone from Wakanda, but not Captain America and the Winter Soldier themselves… »
« Long story, I guess. » Steve shrugged. « I've been on the run for almost a year. Have you heard about… »
« The fiasco of the Sokovia Accords? Yeah, I might have heard a thing or two… » She smirked wryly. « Just so you know, I support your view. You might have gone around parading as Captain America, but that does not mean you belong to the United States, or any government. Placing you under a single rule means they can use you against one another. Somehow, I doubt that's the whole point of being a hero… »
Steve chuckled, pleasantly surprised. « A woman after my own word. Well, after all that mess, I went rogue, but stayed in contact with Wakanda. They called in a favor. »
« And your friend? Last I heard, he was a wanted man. »
« He… » Steve hesitated. « Have you read the documents released about the Winter Soldier? » She nodded. « So, you know who he was before and how… how he was twisted by Hydra… made into their weapon. He got away from them, stayed under for a while, but it all came back to haunt him with what Zemo framed him for, with the attack on the UN in Vienna last year. In the end, we could prove he wasn't behind the attack, but the damage was done. I was considered a criminal, he had charges to answer to as well and… he… he hated knowing that he could lose control over himself like that… Wakanda claimed to have technology that could fix him, so we gave it a go. They woke him for this mission because he knew the terrain better than anyone. He isn't what Hydra made him to be… »
« Is he better now? » She seemed very curious.
Steve paused for a moment before answering. « As far as anyone can tell, yes. »
Lianka stared at him with those shocking eyes. « Sounds like there's a 'but' there… »
The blond man sighed and eventually shrugged. « It isn't easy to know… we haven't exactly tested his… his activation method. »
« So, you don't actually know if he can be used against you? » Lianka raised her eyebrows with scepticism, to which Steve felt a bit foolish, knowing full well that it would have been smarter to try and activate Bucky before the mission to see if it could still be done.
In the end, he sighed. « Look, I trust Wakanda and the technology they have applied. Besides, Hydra is gone… the last person to know those activation codes is imprisoned and cannot use them. »
Lianka finished her meal and looked at Steve with cryptic eyes. « Hydra has… had many secrets. They infiltrated so many organisations and if anything about them was true, it was their motto. 'Cut off one head and two grow back.' I wouldn't dismiss them just yet. »
« What makes you say that? » Steve asked suspiciously.
The woman sat back and shrugged. « A feeling. I've had to deal with them in the past. If I learned anything about them, it's that there's always another plan, always another secret… it never ends. You think you've uncovered something final, but it turns out it's just the head of a much larger, and much uglier snake. I wouldn't be surprised if they're behind this attack on me, and on the other spies. I wouldn't be surprised if Liev is one of their soldiers. »
Steve felt uneasy : he'd dealt with the organisation in the past numerous times. He knew that Lianka's words rang true : the conditions under which Hydra operated were vicious and ruthless and they were prepared to do anything to survive. Had he not seen Zola himself, his mind recorded on miles of tape, set on remaining operational even long after his physical death? Had S.H.I.E.L.D. not fallen to those bastards, infiltrated for decades, all their secrets laid bare for the world to see?
Lianka rose gingerly and Steve got up at once to assist her. She let him, placing her weight gratefully on his arm as he steadied her and helped guide her back into the other room.
« Where is your friend, anyways? » She questioned as she regained her sofa and curled under the bloody blanket.
« He went to your apartment to try and make sense of all this. Said he'd bring you back something to wear, too. »
She grimaced. « Real sweet of him, but I hope he won't get spotted by the jackass that tried to kill me. Would ruin our chances at baiting him… »
Steve smiled. « I wouldn't worry. Bucky's a professional… »
She thought on this for a moment and nodded before resting her head on the small pillow. It was not long before she closed her eyes and fell right back asleep and Steve regained his position on the nearby chair, watching her absently.
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He heard the door at the top of the steps leading into the basement creak open very quietly just as she did. Steve rose brusquely, a little stiff from his long time in the uncomfortable chair and she leapt from the couch, barely grimacing as she set sudden weight on her wounded leg. Steve glanced at her, but she shook her heard silently, drawing her gun. He activated the small forearm shields he'd been given in Wakanda and raised his fists, ready to launch himself at the door at a moment's notice.
Footsteps descended the stairs beyond quietly and the door swung open very suddenly to reveal a snow-covered Bucky.
The Winter Soldier took a step into the room, noting with some amusement the aggression with which he was greeted. Steve was already lowering his arms, the shields retracting, and Lianka activated her gun's safety as she placed it back down onto the sofa where she'd been fast asleep just minutes earlier.
« You two make the cutest pair. » Bucky teased as he set down two bags on the nearby table. Steve blushed a bit, grumbling something, but Lianka smirked wryly and came closer on careful, slightly shaky legs, walking with just the ghost of a limp.
Bucky raised an eyebrow. « You look better. »
She rolled her eyes at him as she rummaged through one of the bags, which contained clothes that were meant for her, but were not her own, obviously. She'd never seen them before.
« Told you I heal fast. » She nipped. « These aren't mine… did you not go to my apartment? »
« I did. » Bucky took a seat as Steve checked the other bag, which contained some sliced cold cut meats, potatoes and a few fruits. « Didn't want to take anything from it, seeing as your attacker might return. If he notices things are missing or moved around, he'll think you went back, possibly with help. Let's let him think you're unwell for now. »
« Clever. » She noted softly, her eyes sparkling. « Seems like you're more than just a hard-headed soldier, after all. »
Bucky did not answer, but sent her an amused, cheeky sort of grin, watching her with new attention as she turned around stiffly and limped to the bathroom. She was brass and audacious, and he found that he liked that about her… he liked it very much.
« Hey, doll… » He called after her as he remembered her leg wound. « I should check your stab wound before you shower, don't you think?»
She turned, an amused smirk playing with her lips, which had almost lost all the swelling to them. « Seeing as it isn't bleeding anymore, I think it can wait a moment. But you can have a look at it after, if you'd like. » She winked at him and turned away. « Right now, I need a shower more than anything… feels like I have blood on every inch of me. » She vanished into the small room.
Bucky glanced at Steve and noted that his friend was staring at him with a raised eyebrow, fighting with a mocking grin. He shrugged innocently. « What? »
« Do you have to hit on every woman we meet? »
Bucky grimaced. « Hey, you're not the one that was under cryo sleep for a year! Can't blame a man... »
« You're right. » Steve smirked. « I was just under cryo sleep for seventy years… so how is it I have a little bit of self control? »
The soldier barked out a laugh. « Stevie, for you it has nothing to do with self-control… it's just you being a shy poster boy. »
Steve rolled his eyes. «Jerk. »
« Punk. »
With that, he rose, punched his friend playfully in the arm and helped him carry the freshly bought food to the small kitchen. There, they sent the potatoes into the oven and boiled some water for more coffee.
« Did you managed to reach Wakanda? » Steve asked as they sat at the table.
Bucky nodded. « Yeah. Couldn't get into the details with them because of what they said about the connection being insecure, but I think I got the gist of our plans across. They stand behind any decision we make. »
« Anything new about the murders? »
Bucky shook his head, concerned. « Not a thing. No new murders, although I guess that's normal : the man who attacked Lianka, Liev, is probably waiting for her to show so he can finish the job, before moving on… » He glanced at his friend, but Steve said nothing more, obviously lost in thought.
Lianka spent a solid twenty minutes in the shower and after a moment of talking over their next move with Steve, Bucky decided to go back to the living room to grab the first aid kit in case she needed anything from it.
Just as he bent down to pick up the small box, he heard the door to the bathroom open.
Bucky rose and turned.
Lianka was walking towards him in slightly uneven steps, holding the dark pants he'd gotten for her in a hand, wearing nothing but a dark, long-sleeved shirt that revealed her collar and dropped low into her cleavage and lace panties that hugged at her hips. Both of which he'd also gotten for her. Her face was void of emotions, but Bucky could almost swear that there was an amused glint in those blue eyes of hers. He watched her approach, truly taking in for the first time her curves, the way her muscles were taunt beneath her skin, how, beneath her calm demeanor, she seemed to draw his gaze with animal magnetism. Even with her limp, she had a swaying, quiet manner of walking which was intriguing all on its own. She stopped just inches away from him and he found he could not quite control the way his breath had very suddenly accelerated.
« Want to check the stab wound? » She asked evenly, her voice betraying nothing.
He regained his composure and smirked. « Sure thing, doll. »
Her mid-long hair was clean and wet, falling onto her shoulders, and hiding the fading bruise around her neck. Her eye was still a little puffy, but her lip had completely lost its swell. Bucky kneeled before her in a slow, calculated sort of manner. Lianka did not move a muscle, following his motions with sharp eyes, but he could have sworn that her cheeks were just a shade redder.
She extended the long, strong leg that had been knifed, and he grabbed her gently by the hips with both hands, as if there was nothing to it, turning her a bit to allow the light from the ceiling lamp to better shine on her wound. Lianka followed his guidance without protest, but shivered pleasantly when his cold, metal hand met her warm skin, feeling the sheer, brute strength of his arms for the first time.
« I love your taste in clothes. » She dropped in a soft voice as he carefully examined the metal stitches around the wound. Bucky's eyes rose, coming level with the lace panties, on which they remained for just a moment too long, before leaping up to meet her cryptic, amused gaze.
«It was in style with what I found in your apartment. Thought you'd like wearing something that was alike. »
She cocked an eyebrow. « Oh? »
Bucky rose slowly to meet her, but he was much taller than she was… he soon found himself towering over her, smirk playing with his lips, as she had to tilt her head slightly upwards to train her sparkling gaze on his grey one. They stood so close to one another that he could feel the heat rolling off her skin.
« Also thought they would look quite good on you. » He admitted as an afterthought, his voice nothing more than a low rumble that raised goosebumps across her skin and finally caused her to bite at her lip as her breath hitched ever so slightly… it was the first actual reaction he managed to get out of her, her stoic composure flinching. It did not help that as he spoke, his metal hand had snaked along her leg, slipping beneath the black lace of her panties, pulling at them ever so slightly, as if he had a mind to rip them off.
The door to the kitchen opened suddenly.
« You two alrigh… oh! My bad… » Steve had begun entering the room, but upon spotting the half-naked Lianka, had instinctively shut his eyes and retreated back into the kitchen without another word. She watched him go with an amused grimace, before turning back to Bucky.
« Spacibo, soldat. » Lianka whispered, turning away from Bucky, who watched her go, his eyes stalling on the firm curve of her heart-shaped backside, with just a touch of regret at the interruption… the moment was gone, but he still felt a sort of flame between them, which was only accentuated by the coy smirk she sent over his shoulder as she entered the bathroom and shut the door behind her.
Bucky cleared his throat and took a moment to breathe in deeply, willing the sudden tightness in his pants away. When he felt a slightly more in control, he joined Steve in the kitchen, who greeted him with a look at was half amused and half annoyed.
« You're terrible. » He mumbled as Bucky sat at the table and pulled a bottle of vodka from the bag he'd brought.
The Winter Soldier scoffed. « I have no idea what you're talking about. »
Steve gave him a look of sheer exasperation and rolled his eyes.
Bucky downed a shot of vodka and shrugged innocently. « Was just checking her knife wound. »
« Right. And I signed the Sokovia Accords. »
The wry tone of his voice forced them both to smile. After a moment of just trying to fight the laughter that was rising between them, they burst into stifled chuckles and Steve even accepted a shot of vodka from his friend, simply glad that they were working together again and bantering as they were used to.
« But seriously, Buck… we're on a mission. I don't have to remind you to keep your head on straight… » His tone implied otherwise.
« I know, I know…. » The soldier shrugged slightly. « But for the time being, we're stuck here waiting, anyways… and there's just something about her… »
He cut his words short as the door to the kitchen swung open and Lianka stepped in, mercifully clothed this time. She sat down between Bucky and Steve, her face completely blank, as though not a thing had happened earlier. Bucky served her a shot of vodka, and Steve wordlessly prepared a mug of coffee, his face just a tad redder than it usually was. She noted this and only Bucky caught the cheeky little smirk that crossed her face as she discreetly glanced at the blond soldier.
« So. » Bucky said, drawing her attention to him.
« So. » She repeated with a coy smile, knocking back the clear liquor without as much as a wrinkle of her nose.
« Your leg looks well. » He added, reaching for the bag he'd brought earlier, which contained the sliced cold cuts and fruits, handing it to her so she could take something she liked. « We can probably take the stitches out in a couple days. You should still take a second dose of antibiotics tomorrow, just to make sure the infection doesn't set in. But you have indeed healed very fast… »
« In my defence, those Wakandan remedies really helped, soldier. » She smiled and bit into a green apple hungrily.
Bucky's mouth twisted slightly into a grimace. « You need to stop calling me that. I'm Bucky. »
« I thought your name was James. » She quipped innocently enough.
« Yeah… don't call me that… Bucky is fine. »
« Then I'm Lia. » She finished the apple and tackled a few cold cut meats. « I haven't had the chance to thank you both but feel like I really should. I probably would not have made it without your help. So, spacibo… both of you. »
Both men nodded, unsure what to say. But with that, Lianka started up a conversation and it was not long before any sensation of awkwardness seemed to vanish from their midst. Her voice was melodic now that it was no longer hoarse from the chocking she'd received and they found she had a natural way of connecting with people, easily getting even a taciturn Bucky to chat about what he remembered from his past, pre and post being the Winter soldier. They ate and drank and after a while she pulled out an old, battered pack of cards and they played a couple games. She told them about what her life had been like here after her parents passed away, how she'd schemed and planned her way across several governmental positions, finally ending in the presidential office itself, where she was currently also the mistress of the minister of Internal Affairs, which allowed her a privileged insight into the country's inner workings. Of course, all this was to benefit Wakanda, who could stay a step ahead of Russia thanks to her information.
When asked by Bucky if her minister might be worried about her sudden disappearance, she shrugged him off, saying they met only once a month, as he was abroad the rest of the time. Apparently, he was not due to return for another two weeks, by which time she hoped to have the whole mess cleaned up. Once the threat was eliminated, all she needed to do was show up, affirm she was still alive and well and find a believable story for what had happened in her apartment, something she was sure Wakanda could help her pull off in order to preserve her position.
She was so singularly laid-back that Steve had to admit he was impressed : she seemed to have brought down the life of a spy to a simple science, one which she knew back to front. But then he reminded himself that because she was a spy, of course she would seem laid-back and in control… just like he had seen Natasha be, countless times in the past. It most probably was just an image she projected, as her very nature had become, over the years, to pretend to be something she was not. The soldier found the idea to be very worrisome : he wondered how lonely it had to be to always be on the lookout, always careful of what emotion or aspect of yourself you showed, always thinking three steps ahead to remain safely in control of your environment, never truly yourself… and his gaze turned to Bucky, who, he realised, probably knew exactly what that must be like.
« Well, it's getting late. And I must admit I'm still pretty tiered, even with those meds helping me heal. » She rose and swayed just a bit on her feet, reminding both soldiers that she was not, in fact, as sturdy as they were when it came to be drinking copious amount of liquor. Bucky rose beside her and stretched lengthily, yawning in the process.
« Oldest gets first watch. » He quipped, turning to leave.
« But… you're older than me! » Steve called after his friend, getting up with a bewildered look on his face.
« Not if you count the years in and out of cryo! »
Bucky was already in the living room, so Steve only grumbled a response, which sounded strangely like 'jerk', before taking a moment to tidy up the table at which they had sat, obviously trying to figure if his friend was truly older than him by his count. Lianka's lips twitched slightly in amusement as she followed the dark soldier into the other room.
« There's a bed in the adjacent room, over there. Since I'm not dying anymore, you don't have to keep watch over me, and I'll be more than alright on the couch. » She announced in a neutral voice, hiding very deftly the spark of desire that burned within her. Something about the Winter Soldier really made her blood run faster… or perhaps it was her near-death experience that was putting the futility of life under a new light, reminding her that sometimes, it was good to enjoy the nice things before it was too late to enjoy anything at all… on the other hand, she knew that she could not afford proximity with anyone, not for the time being…
Bucky turned to her, sweeping dark hair from his eyes, which were not as good as hiding what he was really feeling.
« Only way I'm taking that bed is if you come into it with me. »
Years of experience in controlling her emotions allowed her to remain calm and in control of herself. « What? And leave your friend alone? » She fought with a sly, playful smirk.
Bucky crossed the distance between them in a single, huge step, and stopped before her, tall and towering. Lianka watched him with a look that she wanted calm, but her heart was racing just a little bit faster now… Bucky slowly, tentatively raised his metal arm, running those ice-cold fingers across her exposed collar bone, slowly inching up her throat and to her jaw. His eyes were dark and grey and filled with playful lust as he watched her struggle to remain composed. Lianka's hand came up slowly, grabbing the cold metal of his wrist in a soft, yet unyielding grasp as his fingers sought to sneak into her mess of drying hair.
« We could as Steve to join… » Bucky murmured in a low, husky voice, smirking slightly, watching carefully for a reaction, waiting for her to blush or falter… she did no such thing, smiling coyly instead as she forced his arm down. She applied almost no force to it, so really, he was just letting her win…
« How about you let me recover before asking that I take on two super soldiers? »
She nonetheless rose onto the tips of her toes, bringing her face closer to his, and Bucky found himself moving down to her, because she was just a tad too short to reach him… at the last possible second she averted her lips from his, her warm breath like fire over them, planting instead a very soft kiss upon his rough, unshaven cheek.
She pulled back slowly.
« Good night, Bucky. »
With that, she left him standing, feeling torn between amazement and frustration.
She vanished into the bedroom, shutting the door behind her without as much as a glance back and Bucky crashed into one of the two couches with a long sigh, defeated.
He distinctively heard muffled laughter from the kitchen, so he chucked a pillow at the closer door, grumbling. « Shut up, punk. »
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Review please, let me know what you think! I want a relationship to develop between all three before I take it further, because my brain just won't let me write it any other way!
Twists and turns ahead, now I need to make up my mind just how exactly the next chain of events are going to play out!