Chapter 9: Foundations

Mika forgot how incredibly quiet everything was at five-thirty on a Saturday morning. Her alarm was loud, and rude, and abrasive at such an early hour. She wasn't able to sleep well even before the clock started screaming at her - not because of nightmares, for once, but because she was afraid to oversleep and miss her time with Bucky. She was simultaneously anxious and excited to learn self-defense from him, which was another reason she could barely sleep. Her eyes felt puffy and her head cloudy as she sat on the edge of her bed and stretched, but her muscles were buzzing in anticipation. The light of her phone felt extra bright to her sore eyes, and she barely glanced at the news bulletins before just checking the weather and tossing her phone back on the bed.

Coffee, that's what she needed. She put on her slippers, softly padding into the kitchen on her way to the coffee machine. She paused for a moment at the freezer, grabbing a spoon that she kept in there and pressing it against her eyes to relieve the inflammation before continuing her venture. She turned the machine on, the little display telling her that it needed to warm up. She let out a sigh, going back to her bedroom to change out of her flannel pajamas and into something a little more presentable. She dug through the bin of clean clothes sitting in front of her dresser, trying to find the extra comfy black leggings that she made sure to put through the laundry cycle yesterday. She thought about going with an all-black motif, but decided she was too lazy to keep searching through the pile. Instead, she grabbed whatever sports bra and top that were readily available, and pulled them on.

Now a little more ready (but also a little more chilly), she went back to the coffee maker and popped in one of the plastic pods. She pulled out a disposable travel cup, placing it underneath the spot and pressing the correct button to fill it with blessed caffeine. Once it started pouring, she went back into her room to grab a sweatshirt. She ran her hands through her dark hair just enough to detangle it, then braided it into a thick plait. She quickly brushed her teeth, though realized that it would help minimally if she was planning to down her cup of coffee on their way to the gym. She shrugged her shoulders, though no one was there to see it, and decided that she shouldn't be held accountable for her actions before six o'clock in the morning.

She returned to the kitchen once more, taking the now nearly-full cup and adding sugar and milk to it. She popped the top on, and after thinking for a moment, took another cup and another pod and repeated the process. If the clock on the microwave was right (and she constantly made sure it was), then she still had a couple minutes before it was time to go. She didn't add milk or sugar to this one, instead just popping the top on it and putting it next to the first one. She slipped her shoes on, then grabbed her gloves and a hat, figuring it would be cold at the early morning hour. She tossed a couple water bottles into a bag, grabbing the two cups off the counter and making her way out the door.

Bucky was already waiting for her in the hallway, trying his best to look casual as he leaned against the wall. His hands were deep in the pockets of his jacket, and he had his signature baseball cap on. Mika could see the tense way he held his shoulders, as if he felt nervous or reserved about this meeting. She gave him the warmest smile she could muster this early, and extended one of the coffee cups.

"Good morning, I made coffee." she said softly, the hallway seeming extra quiet given the hour. Bucky eyed the cup warily, and once again looked like he was deciding the likelihood of poison being in it. With a determined set in his jaw, he reached forward and took the cup from her.

"Thank you." he said, taking a sip and immediately grimacing.

"What? Not a good blend?" Mika asked, the heat of embarrassment creeping up the back of her neck. Usually Bucky didn't wear his emotions so obviously like that.

"Sorry, just too sweet." he said, though he kept the cup close to him in an effort to be polite. Mika cocked her head to the side, confused. Coffee? Too sweet? She took a sip from the remaining cup in her hands, and immediately made a face that matched Bucky's - though this time, for the opposite reason.

"Apologies, seems I gave you mine on accident." she said, offering the cup of black coffee to exchange. He handed her back the original cup and took the second, though he stared at it for a few moments in contemplation. "I don't have cooties, I promise."

He looked alarmed, looking at her as if she'd said something offensive. "I think I missed something in translation." he said, and Mika was acutely reminded that Romanian was not his first language, as much as he tried to act otherwise.

"You know, the things little boys say little girls have, like germs or whatever." she explained lamely. She didn't think she'd ever have to explain the definition of cooties. He'd schooled his face back to its neutral state, but the way his eyes relaxed led her to believe that he'd realized what she meant.

"Oh. In my day, that's what we called the parasites that got stuck in your hair if you were out on the ground for too long." he explained, finally taking a sip of the coffee she'd handed him. His reaction was much more agreeable this time. She figured by "in my day" he meant his days in the military. This was the first time he'd said something borderline explicitly about his time before Bucharest, and while Mika wanted to question further, she held her tongue.

"Well, there you go. Six o'clock in the morning, and you already learned something new." she said, smiling. She gestured to the stairs. "Shall we?"

"After you." he said, nodding towards the stairs as well. Mika started down the steps, careful to keep her movements smooth so as to not spill her drink. The air was chillier than she thought it would be as they stepped out onto the sidewalk, but at least the air was still. They walked in silence save for the occasional sip of coffee and the intermittent sounds of nature. It was a comfortable silence, Mika decided. She still didn't know Bucky very well, but she knew that he wasn't someone who appreciated idle chatter. He wasn't one who needed constant discussion in order to quell any awkwardness. She was usually the opposite, tending to babble when she was nervous or to try and engage her companion. Maybe it was the early hour, or maybe it was the quiet confidence that Bucky carried as he walked beside her, but she didn't feel the need to converse. The sounds of their footsteps were enough.

As expected, the gym was nearly empty when they arrived. She handed him a card with a bar code on it, the name "Nicolae Adamescu" stamped on the other side. She have him a conspiratorial grin, nodding her head towards the scanner at the front desk. She casually walked up to it, scanning her card. He followed her lead, placing the card under the red light and waiting for it to beep. The kid sitting at the desk seemed half asleep, his head perched precariously on his hand. He gave them a wave as they walked by, but didn't really pay much attention to them.

Besides the two of them and the kid at the desk, the only other patrons were two elderly women in the corner, gossiping away while they slowly pedaled the recumbent bikes. They were too wrapped up in their own world to notice Bucky and Mika slip into the group class room.

"So, who is Nicolae?" Bucky asked as Mika started pulling mats from the side of the room into the middle. His tone was genuinely curious, and he was looking at the card instead of her, but she couldn't resist the opportunity to tease him.

"Just a friend, no need to be jealous." she said lightly. He cocked his head to the side.

"Why would I be jealous?" he asked, his face the careful mask of neutrality that he tried (and more often now, failed) to maintain. Mika paused, expecting a different comeback.

"Well, he...I mean, you...um…" she stammered over her words, trying to decide on a response. Bucky tried to keep the indifference on his face, but the corner of his mouth was trembling ever so slightly. He was messing with her. Mika let out a huff. "Do you try to ruin my fun? Or is it just a natural talent?"

"Little bit of both." he said, finally allowing himself to grin. Not having a retort, she stuck her tongue out at him, pulling the last mat into its place. She pulled her sweatshirt off, tossing it to the side and shaking her arms. She stuffed her hat and gloves into the bag. The chill still lingered, but she knew she would feel better once they started moving.

"Let's just get started, before I fall victim to more of your sass." she said sarcastically. Bucky shrugged, but she thought he looked rather proud of himself. He carefully pulled open his backpack, gently extracting a red journal from the depths. He turned to a page carefully marked with a green tab, his blocky handwriting systematically painting the paper. "Wow, very organized." Mika said, impressed. She hadn't thought he'd take their little lesson that seriously.

"I have trouble remembering things sometimes." he murmured, but he didn't look concerned about it. He said it more matter-of-fact than anything. Mika once again felt the heat rising on the back of her neck, but she cleared her throat and ignored the chagrin. She wracked her brain, trying to think of something to say, but luckily Bucky beat her to it. "Have you done any type of fighting before?"

She paused, trying to think of how to answer. "Minimally. My older sister taught me some things a few years ago, but...it didn't exactly stick." she explained. Bucky nodded.

"What did she teach you?" he followed up. Mika thought for a moment, trying to remember the things she'd walked through in their living room back home.

"Um...well, she taught me how to throw a punch," she started.

"That one stuck." Bucky said, one corner of his mouth lifted. She suddenly remembered the time she almost punched him.

"Yea, I had that one down." she agreed. "There were a couple kicks...but I honestly don't remember them." She looked at the floor instead of at him. She couldn't believe she'd let that valuable information and time slip away from her. She suddenly felt very weak and insecure, especially under his steady gaze. It made her anxious.

"Those sound like offensive moves, they're assuming you're face to face with your enemy." he said. He pulled his jacket off, laying it delicately next to hers so that they weren't touching. "You want more defensive moves, where you can use your whole body and the enemy's weaknesses to get free."

"Yea, I guess I don't need to start any fights." she said. When she originally asked him for lessons, she figured it would be more like the kickboxing class she used to take. Apparently, Bucky's knowledge went deeper than she realized. "Just finish them."

He gave her another grin. "Exactly." He pulled the glove off his right hand, stuffing it in his back pocket. The left hand stayed covered, and he slid the top half of it into his front pocket of his jeans for good measure. "You're strong, but more than likely the enemy is stronger than you. So, what would you do if I grabbed your wrist?" He reached his hand out, hesitating for a moment. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but held it back. Mika reached forward, placing her wrist in his palm. He held it very lightly, as if he was afraid to touch her.

"Is that how tight you're holding on? Easy." she said, twisting her arm and easily breaking free of his hand. She regained a little bit of her confidence. He gave her a smirk that bordered on mischievous.

"That works, if someone isn't trying." he said. Mika's jaw dropped, but she snapped it shut before he could notice. So much for building confidence. He held his hand out, once again asking permission. He looked more like he was requesting a dance, rather than to teach her fighting. This time, his grip was a little tighter. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it was noticeable.

Mika twisted her wrist again, but his hand stayed in the exact same spot. She furrowed her brows, twisting harder. Again, his hand stayed in the same place. She pulled, pushed, twisted, and spun every which way she could think of, trying to free herself from his grasp. She was getting a little anxious, her confidence sinking even lower. She let out a noise of frustration, which was the first thing that caused him to let go. His eyes looked apologetic, but she spoke before he could say anything.

"Okay, you made your point. So how do I get out of that?" she asked. She felt frustrated - not with Bucky, but with herself. She should be able to do better than this. He held his hand out, and she wasn't sure if she was supposed to give him her wrist again or to grab his. She held out her hand and let him make the next move, which was to lightly close his fingers around her wrist again.

"Pull me towards you, and grab your fist with your other hand." he said. She followed his instruction, pulling just hard enough to feel resistance from him. She made a fist, holding onto it with her opposite hand. "Now you have a closed chain. Bring your elbow up, and use your core and legs to pull out of it." She did as he said, and was surprised at how easily her wrist broke free. She stood up quickly, looking at Bucky out of the corner of her eye.

"Did you let me out of that?" she asked suspiciously. He perked an eyebrow.

"I wasn't holding as hard as I can, but I wasn't trying to make it easy." he replied. He held his hand out again, but didn't reach for her wrist. She wondered if he was going to silently ask for permission every time. "Here, try again."

She placed her wrist in his hand, noticing that he was holding a little tighter this time. She slowly moved through the technique, trying to commit the instructions to memory. She had to put a little more force into the move this time in order to free herself.

"That felt better." she said, and he nodded in agreement. Again, he held his hand out. Again, she put her wrist in it, his fingers tightening ever so slowly. She went to make her move again, but this time, he stopped her halfway.

"Your elbow needs to be higher." he said. His prosthetic hand left its pocket for the first time, and he gently touched her elbow to show where it needed to be. With the glove on, she really couldn't tell the difference. "There. That gives you a more longitudinal force."

"Got it." she said, glad to have the instruction. They kept going through it, time and again, until she felt confident in the motion. She would still need more practice, but it was a start. "Should I...try it with the other hand?"

Bucky didn't say anything for a while, and she was almost expecting smoke to start coming out of his ears from his mind working so hard. He opened and closed his mouth multiple times before taking a slow, deep breath. "I don't know if I trust this hand that much." he said, referring to his metal prosthesis. Mika had to keep herself from smacking her palm to her forehead.

"What about reaching across?" she asked quietly. She felt bad for insinuating that he had to use his left hand. His expression changed, as if he hadn't even thought of that option.

"The angles would be wrong. But for the sake of practice, it will work." he said decisively. He held his hand out again, and this time she put her right wrist into his palm. As he'd expected, it was hard to move correctly given their awkward position, but they managed to get a few rounds in so she could get the hang of it. Given the reaches and how they were situated, the move actually tangled her further with him rather than creating space, so she tried to focus on the technique rather than her actual success with the motion.

"Out of curiosity, what should I do if they grab across like this?" she asked. His face sank into an expression of concentration, his hands miming out the action.

"Pull up and out, then use your other hand here while you turn and break their wrist." he said. Mika's eyes widened.

"Whoa, 'break their wrist'? I'm strong, but I don't think I'm that strong." she said.

"You're stronger than you realize." he said, his face very sincere. She held his gaze for a moment before he dropped his eyes, shuffling his feet for a moment. "Here, try it."

She put her wrist in his hand, trying to follow his (vague) instructions. He shook his head, telling her to go back to her original position. She moved back, and he pushed her hand the way he wanted her to turn. He paused, flexing the fingers of his prosthetic limb a couple times before reaching slowly for her other hand. He showed her how to drive her hand into his wrist, then gently touched her hip to get her to drive with her legs. She tried the action again, but he still was not satisfied with the way she pushed with her free hand. She gave it another go, but he told her she wasn't using her legs enough.

"Can you just show me?" she asked. He shook his head.

"No." he said curtly. She didn't know why she was still surprised by his short responses.

"Why not? The visual will help me learn faster." she pointed out.

"I'd rather not break your wrist." he stated, as if the answer were obvious. She scoffed.

"You won't hurt me." she said confidently. He let out a humorless laugh of his own.

"You have more faith than me." he replied. She remembered a few minutes earlier, when he'd mentioned that he didn't trust his prosthetic arm, and once again internally smacked herself. She scolded herself to be more cognizant of what he was saying, and how she responded. Bucky was always honest with her, but he held himself back from saying everything he was thinking. She knew if she paid just a little better attention, she could probably fill in the blanks.

"Walk me through it, once more." she said. She was determined to get this right, to show him that she could do it. She wanted to show herself that she could do it. She was slowly recovering from what happened to her, but embers of anger burned deep in her heart. She wanted to be her own hero next time.

She put her wrist in Bucky's hand time and again, carefully walking through his procedure and adjusting as he instructed. She still wished she could see him perform it, but based on how delicately he moved his left arm, how hard he seemed to concentrate to not hold her wrist too tight, she understood why he wouldn't.

"I think you've got it." he said, after her probably hundredth attempt. "Try it faster now."

"What?" she asked, taken aback.

"Try and really get out." he said, as if he hadn't just taught her a technique to break a wrist.

"But what if I hurt you?" she said. He let out the closest thing to a laugh that she'd heard from him.

"You won't hurt me." he said, grinning in a borderline impish manner. It was if he was sharing a private joke, but she wasn't in on it. "Go on, try it." he said, and once again, he held his hand out.

"Okay, but I'm not paying your hospital bills if I shatter your arm." she said lightly. He kept his grin, holding her wrist a little tighter than he had before. Mika gave an experimental tug, and his grip held fast. She hesitated, still afraid to injure him. In an effort to provoke her, he kept his grin and started pulling her towards him. She resisted, digging her heels into the floor, but he kept steadily pulling, as if he were a conveyor belt. With one final breath, she pulled her arm back, rotating with her body as she sent her hand just behind his. She didn't connect quite like the wanted to, and her balance was off, but she was pleasantly surprised when her wrist broke free of his hand. She was not so pleasantly surprised by the shift in gravity as she felt herself heading towards the floor.

Bucky's left hand shot out to catch her, his fingers clamping around her upper arm. She hadn't been able to feel the metal earlier, but she certainly felt it now as it pinched her skin. She let out a noise of shock as she was righted, both feet firmly planted on the floor. Bucky instantly let go, taking a few steps back so quickly that she wasn't sure she'd seen him do it.

"I'm sorry." he said. His neutral mask had cracked, showing an inkling of despair underneath. "I'm sorry. Are you alright?" he was clenching and unclenching his fists, his eyes colored with concern. He didn't step nearer to her, though the way he stood said he wanted to - he kept the space between them as if there were something to fear from the closeness.

"I'm fine, really. It just surprised me is all, didn't hurt a bit." she insisted. She wanted desperately to rub the skin where he'd grabbed her, but held herself back. She didn't want to make him any more distraught than he already was. "See? Look. Not even a bruise." she said, decisively stepping towards him and showing her arm. He put one foot back, but otherwise didn't make a move. His breathing was slow, as if he were trying to control it. Mika gave him her most award winning smile, trying to convince him that he hadn't hurt her in the slightest, even if she could still feel the ghosts of his fingers around her arm.

"I think that's enough for today." he whispered. The sun was starting to peek through the windows, though there was still no foot traffic on the sidewalk outside.

"I agree, I'm starving. What are we doing for breakfast?" Mika said. She stretched her arms over her head, finding that her muscles were actually pretty tired from their work this morning. She went and grabbed her sweatshirt, pulling it on. Bucky stood rooted to the same spot, his expression one of vague uncertainty. She picked up his jacket, handing it out to him. "What? You should realize by now that I center my life around food."

"It occurred to me." he said. He still hadn't moved, and slowly reached out to take the jacket from her. He seemed afraid to touch her again.

"Smart man. So, what shall it be? Breakfast is the least I can do, after your help this morning." she said. She grabbed her bag, not bothering to replace her hat and gloves. She did pull out the water bottles, holding one in Bucky's direction. He gingerly took it from her, nodding his thanks.

"I'm fine. Thank you." he said quietly. He still hadn't moved from his spot, just watching her move. Mika felt bad - he really hadn't hurt her, and besides, it was an accident. Accidents happened. She didn't know how to make him feel better; her initial reaction to her friends being upset was physical affection, but she knew that would just make him even more uncomfortable. She didn't know if verbal affirmation would help, but figured that it was her best option at this point.

"Please? I'd really like it if you joined me." she said, fixing him with her most innocent gaze. "Even if it's just for coffee back at home."

As per usual, he took a few moments to respond. Mika wondered what went on in his head that he took such lengths before speaking. He had his moments of quick wit and casual responses, but once the conversation was anything of substance, he always chose his words incredibly carefully.

"Coffee sounds good." he said finally. She smiled brightly.

"Perfect! Let's go, before my stomach eats itself." she said. He nodded, slipping his jacket on. He finally moved from his cemented spot, putting his journal back in his backpack and following her towards the exit. Once they were on the sidewalk outside, she purposefully slowed so that he was walking beside her. He still seemed conscious of the moment they had earlier, carrying himself stiffly and purposefully keeping his hands stuffed in his jacket pockets. She tried to appear as relaxed as possible, trying to tell him through her body language that he hadn't hurt her, and that she wasn't afraid of him. She tried to think of something - anything - to say that might ease the tension, but nothing came to mind. He seemed to ease up on himself as they walked, his shoulders loosening and his steps becoming less robotic. He even let his right hand fall from its position in his jacket pocket, letting it casually swing as he moved. The left one stayed firmly in its place.

She dug through the pockets of her bag once they reached the front doors, but she couldn't find the cool metal of her keys. She let out a groan, putting her hands over her eyes for a moment.

"No keys?" he asked. She could actually hear just a little bit of amusement in his voice.

"They're right in their little spot on the island." she said, pulling her hands away. He was giving her the face that he often used when he thought something was funny, but was trying really hard not to show it. He pulled his own keys out of his pocket, scanning them to unlock the front doors before holding one of the doors open for her. "My knight in shining armor." she said, before realizing that he may not appreciate the comment. Luckily they had to climb the stairs, so she didn't have to look at him.

"I wouldn't go that far." he said, the plates of his prosthetic clicking as he adjusted his arm.

"You are missing the horse. And possibly a sword." she said. "Although, I could be wrong. Do you have a sword in your apartment?"

"Not a sword, no." he said, actually letting out the smallest chuckle.

"Not surprised. You seem like one of those guys who's prepared for everything. Like Mary Poppins, but like...if she had a love child with GI Joe." she said, laughing at her own joke.

"I don't know who either of those people are." Bucky pointed out. He seemed more confused by her odd references than offended.

"Dammit Bucky, what am I gonna do with you?" she said with a fake sigh of exasperation. She looked back to see him shrug in response. He wasn't quite watching her, he seemed to be more focused on the back of her legs. "Are you staring at my ass?"

"Trying to make sure you don't fall." he replied, making her bust out laughing.

"Never heard that one before. Good cover, though." she said. She turned back again to see his brows furrowed.

"But that's really…" he stopped, and she saw on his face that he realized she was kidding. She pretended to fall back, and in a second his hand was on her back, pushing her gently back onto her feet as he looked gave her a side-eye.

"You are something else." she said, shaking her head as they reached the top floor. She pulled two bobby pins out of her hair, kneeling in front of her door. A moment later, she noticed that she couldn't feel Bucky's presence behind her, and she turned to see him slowly moving towards his own door. "Ah ah, you said you would have coffee with me. You gotta be a man of your word."

"As you wish." he said, taking one step closer to her. He still kept that respectful distance between them.

"So you've seen The Princess Bride?" she asked excitedly, the lock in her door clicking open finally. He gave her a confused look.

"No?" he replied, unsure. She let out another sigh.

"I swear." she said to herself. She gestured for him to come in, dropping her bag and kicking her shoes off. She ambled into the kitchen, turning her coffee maker back on and turning some music on via her phone and the speakers on the window sill. He was still by the door, eyeing her pile of shoes. "You can leave yours on, that's just a habit of mine." she said. He nodded, stepping further into her apartment. He looked like he didn't know what to do with himself. Mika's heart went out to him - it was moments like these that she really realized his situation. She didn't know what she would do, if she was alone in a new city, a new country even. She put a mug under the coffee spout, then went a cleared off one of the bar stools at her island while it poured. She gestured for him to sit, and he followed her instruction.

"Thank you." he said as she put the mug in front of him.

"Don't worry about it. It really is the least I could do." she said, putting another mug under the spout and a new pod in the machine. Once her mug was full, she brought it to the island, leaning on her elbows so that they were across from each other. "Thank you, again. For helping me. On more than one occasion."

"You're welcome." he said formally. She realized she'd given him a mug with flowers painted all over it; it looked out of place with his strong countenance. The picture made her want to laugh, but she held it in. "You did well today. You're a quick learner."

She rose her eyebrows, surprised at the comment. "Thanks. Helps to have a good teacher." she said. She got the feeling that he didn't hand out compliments very often.

"Your sister wasn't helpful?" he asked. Mika gave a humorless laugh.

"No, Raisa was not quite as patient as you are." she said, remembering the nights in the living room - and the verbal fights that came afterwards. She knew her sister was just trying to help them, but they often had trouble communicating. "She was very...passionate. And expected perfection."

Bucky nodded. "The toughest teachers often do." he said. He looked down, his eyes showing that he was in the place where his mind wandered. He shook his head, looking back up to her. "Where did your sister learn?"

Mika knew Bucky was just making conversation, that he didn't realize exactly what he was asking. She really did enjoy his company, and didn't want to scare him by getting overemotional. She swallowed, trying to make her voice light. "She was in the military, special forces. I don't know exactly where she worked, it was some sort of international thing. When she got out, that's when she decided me and Nicoletta needed to learn. I think she just needed a project of some sort."

He nodded, as if it was an expected answer. Then came the question she was dreading. "Where is she now?" he questioned. His voice was soft, as if he already knew the answer.

"She's, um," she cleared her throat, taking a long sip of coffee. "she's no longer with us."

Bucky looked down at his cup, the sadness the most transparent expression she'd ever seen on his face. "I'm sorry." he whispered. She nodded.

"Thank you." she said. They were silent, and for the first time that day, she felt uncomfortable with it. She needed to change the subject. She thought of asking about his siblings, but remembered how vehemently he'd told her that he never went back home. Talking about his past was not something that would improve their situation. She cleared her throat again. "What are your plans for today? Now that you've gotten your workout and good deed in for the day?"

"Groceries. Some reading. I've got work tonight." he said, going through the checklist in his mind.

"Sounds like you'll need a nap, too." she said. He shook his head.

"Not much of a napper." he replied.

"That's a shame, I find naps to be one of life's greatest treasures." she said, finishing her coffee and rinsing her mug out. He finished his as well, delicately handing her the mug.

"Thank you again, for the coffee." he said, going to the door. It was sudden departure, but Mika didn't mind. This was possibly the realest conversation they'd had, and it was a lot to deal with so early.

"Thanks again for your help." she replied. "Do you...can we do this again next week? Please?"

He paused by the door, staring for a moment. "Sure." he finally said, giving her a definitive nod.

"You are the best!" she sang, feeling relieved. "So I'll see you next week, if not before then."

He nodded again. "Next week." he reiterated, opening her door and slipping out into the hall. The door was nearly silent when he shut it behind him. She could barely hear through the thin walls as he walked across the hallway and let himself in to his own apartment.

Mika took a deep breath, trying to calm the jittery feeling in her stomach. She pulled her phone to her, opening her Facebook and going to her sister's page. She felt like a dumb girl in a cheesy movie, but she didn't care. It had been a long time since she'd seen her face. Messages from months and years ago were plastered on her Wall, the authors detailing how much they missed her. Mika finally let one tear fall, brushing it away as quick as it came. Trying to make you proud, she thought to herself. She wasn't sure if she believed her sister could hear her or not, but she still found herself talking to her every now and then. She shook her head and closed the app, pulling herself back before she got too sad. She went to call her younger sister, but figured she would still be asleep. She settled for opening a text, sending a quick message to her.

Miss you. Love you.

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