As Christmas approached near, Jackie missed her mother dearly.
She sought to keep herself preoccupied throughout the month, and especially during Christmas break. She packed, organised and donated boxes of her mother's belongings, and even got her own spring cleaning done in December. Afterwards, when her apartment looked much barer and open, she cleaned it thoroughly and rearranged the furniture. Jackie cleaned her office, organised all her work files, and stayed up to date on all her emails. She met up with her close friends before they went off to their families for Christmas and planned out all her work and leisure activities for the month of January. Everything was in order.
However, when Christmas finally arrived, Jackie woke up to the lonely heartache over the absence of her mother. Nevertheless, she knew better than to fight it, so she called her uncle, her family, and her friends. She spent the rest of the day reading, cooking her mother's favourite recipes, and playing music, as she bestowed kisses to a very reluctant-Mephisto.
Around 1AM at night, Jackie was still wide-awake, having dealt with the morning blues of Christmas by drifting in and out of sleep till almost noon. She was seated on the couch and about to play an action-movie when her phone buzzed with a text from Bucky.
"Merry Christmas to you too."
Jackie had messaged him merry Christmas in the afternoon, and he had replied when Christmas was technically over. She shook her head but with a small smile.
She had kept in touch with Bucky occasionally, after their trip to New Jersey. A couple of weeks ago, he had texted her "How are you?" and she had replied "I'm doing well, but work is always busiest before Christmas. Really need a break. How are you?" and he had replied with a curt "Fine."
Jackie really didn't know how she could salvage a conversation as thrilling as that.
Just as Jackie was considering how to – and if to – reply to his latest message, he sent another text.
"Do you want to go to Central Park?"
Jackie gazed at her phone screen in amazement for a moment and then read the time again. It really was after midnight. Looking out of the window, she noted that at least, it wasn't snowing as it had been earlier. She sighed and looked down at Mephisto for an answer. He merely mewed and went back to rubbing his orange fur against the sofa, his tail gently caressing her leg. Jackie wondered if there would ever come a time when the inner working of Bucky's mind made any sense to her. She wasn't sure if she wanted it to – considering what an unchartered territory it seemed from the outside.
"Okayyyy, but won't Central Park be closed? It's midnight, in case you forgot."
Her phone buzzed again after a minute.
"Don't worry about that"
Bucky sent a thumbs-up emoji along, and – what Jackie assumed was on accident – a cricket bat. He followed it with a "Please send your address."
Jackie was certainly not reassured by the conversation so far. It sounded somewhat unsettling and for all she knew, one of Bucky's many nemeses could have his phone. It was of course, an irrational thought, but Bucky's invitation wasn't very conventional either. Darkly, she had a fleeting thought that should she disappear, who would really fret anyway? Jackie pushed it out of her mind, as swiftly as it had appeared.
After replying to Bucky, she changed out of her pyjamas and into a pair of black woollen pants, and a light brown, bonded, faux fur coat. She kept her maroon, woollen pullover on, underneath. Jackie grabbed her small, yellow, crossbody bag off the entrance coat rack and carefully placed an envelope inside. She left a few snacks for Mephisto in his bowl (a Christmas treat. As if he hadn't eaten all her meal leftovers, from every recipe she'd tried out this week) and refilled his water.
After a while, Jackie's phone buzzed again, with Bucky saying he'd arrived. She grabbed her house keys and went down to the basement to meet him.
The chilly, stale air of the empty parking lot was almost eerie, in the dead of the night. Bucky stood in the open space, wearing a black ensemble of all-black boots, pants, his usual, woollen coat, and a white knitted jumper. Along with a navy-blue scarf that hung from his neck. His coat collar was upturned as he rubbed his gloved hands together. His face shone paler than, usual under the white basement lights.
"Look, it's Edward Cullen," Jackie pronounced as she approached towards him.
Bucky scowled, "Who?"
"Never mind,"
He gave her a pointed look but didn't persist.
"You really have great timing for taking a stroll, Barnes." Jackie's voice echoed across the empty parking lot. "And how'd you get here so fast?"
Bucky looked down at his boots and hesitated, so Jackie knew to expect something odd. "Well, I may have tracked you down already,"
"Are you telling me you were in my basement this entire time?" The list of concerning things that Bucky did, was only getting longer and more troubling.
"I'm kidding," In a bizarrely, friendly way – Bucky elbowed her in the arm, as he smiled. He didn't notice that it was with his metal arm, but fortunately, Jackie only felt a strong nudge, since it was cushioned by both their coats, but she winced anyway.
She pulled out her phone. "I'm going to call an uber,"
"Oh, I bought my bike," Bucky gestured towards a heavy, black motorcycle, parked a few feet behind him.
Jackie shot Bucky a concerned scowl. And to think that the night was just getting started.
By some miracle or another, Jackie and Bucky managed to reach Central Park in one piece.
There were no warm, fuzzy feelings or shyness at the physical closeness of holding onto him because Bucky drove manically.
As they meandered through the roads of New York, Jackie's only solace was that she was the one with the helmet, while Bucky had simply wrapped his scarf around the lower half of his face to shield him from the snowy, air. She was sure that was a safety violation on its own, without Bucky's over-speeding, but to Jackie's surprise, no one apprehended them.
Giving credit where it was due – Bucky was an expert driver.
He always maintained a skilled command over his bike. Even as it swerved and skidded, he was able to avoid an accident in the nick of time. But the problem was that he left it to the last second to save them from an impending crash, instead of simply driving within the speed limit. There were moments where Jackie could merely scrunch her face and close her eyes, predicting her death, right there and then. But she never found her voice to yell or scream.
Getting off at the park gate, Jackie unwrapped her arms from around him and slid of the bike. Her hands were numb from the biting wind, and her legs wobbled for a minute as she regained her balance. Taking off her helmet, she gave Bucky a wide-eyed look of shock. "You nearly killed me,"
However, as soon as she'd stepped off the bike, the ride suddenly seemed less terrifying, and the memory of fear, faded and dulled in Jackie's mind.
Bucky barely noticed as he pushed his bike to the side, to keep it out of view of the pedestrians. Innocently, remarking "What?"
Jackie shot him a glare as they both walked towards the entrance. Jackie could spot the soft glow of streetlamps and Christmas lights from inside the park, but the tall gate was locked shut. The fence next to the gate was shorter, but still stood around ten feet tall.
Bucky grabbed the iron bar and with one foot pressed against it, he smoothly leapt over the fence in two strides, landing silently on his feet.
"God, I wish you would understand the Edward Cullen references," Jackie whispered under her breath, as she grabbed the bars and slowly began climbing the fence. She reached the top, without any trouble but climbing down was tricky. It took her a minute to slowly twist her legs over the thick iron spikes at the top and cautiously make her way down. Bucky patiently waited at the bottom.
Once safely on the ground, they walked towards the Christmas lights that shone from deeper within the park. The scenery was breath-taking, and Jackie felt as though she had entered a snow globe.
The trees and benches along the path were cloaked in a blanket of snow, as was the ground. Wires of fairy lights were delicately wrapped around the park fence. Streetlamps warmly lit the icy path ahead, and an enchanting silence hung in the air. The only sound between them was that of their feet on the fresh snow beneath. The sky above them was illuminated in a hazy shade of yellow, from the lights of the nearby skyscrapers, but as they walked deeper into the park, it turned into a dark blue. Jackie felt safe in the midst of the twinkling lights and serene, snowy surroundings.
However, the weather was still freezing cold. Jackie's breaths came out in clouds and her legs felt stiff. The fence-climb had also left her a little sore, and she knew it was a sign she could exercise more. Numb from the cold, she dug her hands into her jacket pockets and as their path curved, revealing a decorated Christmas tree standing in an open space, off the path.
"Oh, I almost forgot!" she removed her hands from her pocket and carefully took out an envelope from her bag. "Merry Christmas, Bucky. Well, belated Merry Christmas,"
Confused and hesitant, Bucky accepted the envelope and opened it slowly. He took out the photograph inside and gazed at it for a few moments before an affectionate smile spread across his face. He let out a light chuckle and looked back at Jackie.
"You stole the picture,"
"Stole is negative word. I simply passed on its ownership,"
It was true, Jackie had stolen the photograph she and Bucky had seen at the house in New Jersey – right out of its picture frame. It was the one of Bucky's sister, Rebecca as a young woman, sitting on the sofa, surrounded by her family. Jackie figured that Bucky's family had kept it long enough.
Bucky shook his head in fond surprise as he stared at the faded photograph in his hand. It was a thoughtful gesture; dishonest, but thoughtful. He appreciated having a token of his lost family – and not the rich, uptight family of his great-niece – but his Rebecca's immediate family. Bucky hadn't had the chance to see her grow old, and fall in love and have children, but this was the next, closest thing. Especially since he didn't have any plans to visit Margery again.
He carefully tucked the photograph into the concealed pocket, inside his coat. There was a twinkle in Bucky's gaze, and his smile was warm and grateful. Perhaps, for the first time since Jackie had known him, he seemed wholeheartedly open, and ardent. His expression was content and relaxed.
"Thank you, Jackie. It's kind of you. It's wrong – but kind,"
Naturally, to avoid the awkwardness of accepting thanks – especially from Bucky Barnes, Jackie quickly brushed it off. "Oh, as if you're a patron Saint of morality,"
She felt a twinge of worry as soon as the rash words had escaped her mouth, and part of her scrambled to find some way to undo her mistake. Luckily, Bucky wasn't fazed.
"Touché, Summers. I'll let you get away with that one… only because of the gift."
It seemed that Bucky had read her own unease already, so Jackie gave a resigned smile and continued walking. However, Bucky didn't move. She turned to him quizzically and he snapped back into reality and joined her pace.
"I didn't get you a Christmas gift," he realised.
"No, you didn't"
"Now I feel bad,"
"As you should,"
Bucky suddenly stopped again, looking out at the ice that spread out wide and open, next to their path. Far off, Jackie could make out the dark silhouettes of trees, surrounding the clear land and the giant skyscrapers behind them illuminated the ice in shades of red and blue.
"Wait here, I'll be back in five minutes," was all Bucky said and when Jackie turned towards him questioningly, she discovered that he had disappeared.
Wonderful. So, Bucky had abandoned her alone in Central Park in the middle of the night, and that too – in a relatively dimly lit area. Jackie gazed out as far as she could see, but there was no trace of Bucky, so she took a deep, cold inhale in, and waited. Besides the rhythm of her own breathing, there was no sound to be heard around.
It was clear that the walking path Jackie and Bucky had been on, was very recently cleared, because one step off it – Jackie found herself almost calf-deep in snow. Nevertheless, she trudged slowly off the trail and towards the ice-rink.
As she approached it, she noticed the tiny fairy lights wrapped around the snow-covered ice rink railing, and around the snow-covered branches of the far-off trees on either direction of the rink. Although Jackie didn't skate, leaning against the ledge, she could tell by the scratches on the ice, that the rink had been used only a few hours ago. They glimmered and reflected the skyscraper lights in an entrancing way. And to think the rink wasn't even artificial, but instead, a frozen summer pond.
In exactly five minutes, Bucky suddenly appeared again. Noticing Jackie's silhouette in the shadows, he approached her with his feet dragging through the snow. She didn't hear him coming until he coughed behind her on purpose to avoid giving her a heart attack, there and then. When she looked back, she could only make out his figure against the streetlights. The lights beckoned her to come back to where her ankles hadn't been soaked in snow and the pathway was warmly illuminated. Jackie gazed out at the city lights above her; she couldn't imagine what Bucky had been up to.
"Sorry for running off," he huffed as he got closer, and Jackie could make out large brown bag in his hand. "Merry Christmas," He handed the bag to Jackie, who frowned curiously.
Peering inside, she gazed back up at Bucky incredulously. She had many questions but the first that came to mind was: "How did you get these?"
"There's a shop right outside the park. It was closed, but I took the liberty of dropping in,"
"By dropping in, you mean you broke in,"
"I didn't break anything, Jackie. I left the money on the counter. You're welcome. Geez,"
Jackie couldn't help but chuckle in amazement. Inside the brown bag were two pairs of ice-skating shoes.
"You sure do run fast," she muttered as she pulled out the shoes that she assumed were hers, and handed the bag back to Bucky, who took out his own. "Except, I can't skate,"
The last memory Jackie had of ice-skating, was when she was 11 years old, and her mother had brought her to Central Park during her Christmas break from school. They ate churros afterwards and sent postcards to her relatives. Jackie recalled ice-skating a couple of times when she was even younger, but she had never done it without her mother's hand in her own. Her stomach did bellyflop.
To her astonishment, Bucky had already changed out of his shoes, and into ice skates. "Well, I do." He pulled himself smoothly over the ledge and landed on ice.
Jackie's head was spinning, as she tried to grasp what was unfolding in front of her.
"You ice-skate? As in…. you're –"
"Yeah, I mean, where else did you think I got the name 'Winter Soldier' from?"
That drew a laugh from Jackie, at how unexpectedly lame the joke was. She put on the ice skates and awkwardly pulled herself over ledge and onto the ice, firmly keeping hold of the barrier to avoid slipping. So far so good.
Bucky had already glided away. At first, he was uneasy and cautious, but after one round – his movements became more graceful. He was quick-footed and light on his feet with only a minute of practice. He floated back to Jackie who was still pressed to the ledge.
"Are you going to stay here the whole time?"
With a resigned sigh, Jackie slid along the barrier, keeping hold of it with both hands and slowly pulling herself along the ice.
"When did you learn how to skate?"
"Not with HYDRA, if that's what you're thinking,"
Jackie smiled up at the sky, the cold night air prickled against her face.
"Back in the day, I worked at a mechanics shop near Central Park. So, in the winters, I'd come here during breaks, and I even tried to teach Steve once…" Bucky chuckled softly as he reminisced. "He had terriblebalance. But this was a good place to hang out,"
Jackie's curiosity was satisfied with the explanation, but as they came across a bend, she knew she had to step away from the ledge and stand on her own. It was certainly time, and she reminded herself that she had skated before in the past, and definitely better than this. How hard could it be?
It was incredibly hard. As soon as she pushed herself and let go of the ledge, her legs buckled underneath and dropped to the ground, her arms flailing in all directions and she cursed loudly. Landing jaggedly on her palms and knees, she was aware of Bucky looming comfortably above her, amused and easy. He could've easily stopped her fall. A determined energy rushed through her veins, and she pushed Bucky's helping hand out of the way and clumsily stood up by herself.
For the next few minutes, Jackie shuffled and struggled to keep her balance. She could sense that Bucky was expecting her to ask for help, but she vowed to never give him that satisfaction. No matter what. Thus, he would casually and skilfully skate a full round, and come back to where she was – barely making any distance.
"You look like you're having a great time," Bucky's eyes shimmered in the icy reflections of the city lights.
Avoiding eye contact, Jackie finally felt as though she had gotten a grasp of her movements, and she ignored Bucky to fully focus on her balance. As she plunged forward, her ankle slipped outwards as did her leg, and she tumbled downwards – a small shriek escaping her lips and her body tense in anticipation of hitting the cold ice against her body.
Bucky did swoop in but only to grab her arm and Jackie landed hard on her butt. She succumbed to laughter as she sat in defeat, her arms resting on her knees propped in front of her. Bucky laughed too but he still bent over and helped pull her up again. Their voices and the crushing echo of ice was loud against the silence of the park.
"You're never gonna make a full round at this pace," He offered Jackie his arm, which she nervously accepted, and she was jolted forward as Bucky glided forward.
Trailing along, Jackie expected to fall any second, and the cold rush of air wet her eyes. Her curls fell across her face and often into her eyes, and she fretfully pushed them out of the way. Somehow, she managed to remain upright for the most part, but she was aware that despite Bucky's initial confidence, he too occasionally struggled with his balance now that Jackie was at his side and with both her hands hooked around his elbow. It didn't help that he hadn't practised for many decades.
It didn't help that Jackie may have intentionally pushed him a few times, as payback for the moments when Bucky had craftily twisted out of the way to let her tumble down and crash into the ice alone. However, for the most part, Jackie found it much more enjoyable to skate with support.
After numerous falls (which Bucky usually managed avoid somehow), continuous cursing on both sides, yelling and laughter, they eventually threw in the towel. Jackie threw herself back on the untouched bed of snow near the ice rink, were the ground sloped upwards. So, she wasn't lying completely flat, and could still see the skyscrapers. Her body felt sore from all the falling and she knew she would have bruise marks later, to show for it.
After a moment, Bucky also joined her and they lay in silence for a minute, slowly catching a cold.
"In my time, this place was crowded all winter. People would bring their families and their dates. It was where all the action happened, like when Steve got into a fight with a guy who stole a hotdog," Bucky paused to beam fondly. "Whereas, when I came here the other day, only a handful of people were skating. It's such a shame how things lose their value,"
"Spoken like a true hundred-year-old,"
Bucky smiled again but it was a smaller one, and with a hint of sorrow.
"A lot of things have changed, but the essence still remains. There's so much more to do now. But people still skate, and hike and dance. But of course, we can't compete with the roaring twenties. I bet you lived at the dance clubs,"
Bucky laughed comfortably. "Dance parties weren't really my thing, but I was definitely a good dancer," there was a hint of a laugh, as Bucky tried to boost his own self-confidence.
"Hmm, well it's unfortunate I can't cross-check that …"
"Since everyone I knew back then is dead," he completed Jackie's sentence bluntly.
"Yeah basically," Jackie briefly scrunched up her nose in anticipated tension, but they both remained relaxed.
After a long moment, Bucky spoke up again but this time, his tone was flat and monotonous.
"I just wish I had lived and passed in my own world. With the people I knew. It's exhausting to live past them. I'm not supposed to be here,"
"What makes you think that?"
"Everything. My past, my over-extended life. Hell, sometimes I wonder if maybe I deserve to be haunted by the memories of everyone who was killed by the Winter Soldier, because I might be the only one left who remembers them."
Jackie was momentarily relieved to hear Bucky attribute the blame on the Winter Soldier, and not directly himself. But that was a short-lived relief. Bucky's tone was still sombre and low. The coldness of the snow was seeping through Jackie's coat, but she didn't want to disturb Bucky's thoughts. He continued:
"I've seen so many people breathe their last breaths. Been the only person with them in their final moments, who knows how they died. When you see it as many times as I did, you can tell the bad apart from the good. You can tell who saw it coming because they deserved it, and who died righteous and innocent,"
Jackie quietly gazed up at the sky lights, her breath leaving in clouds of fog. She could feel her legs going numb. Besides her, Bucky exhaled softly, and she took a deep breath before replying calmly:
"I suppose at the end of the day, we can't control how and when we die, and neither are we meant to. But maybe we can build our life in a way that whenever our final moments do come, we're reassured that we lived the best we could. And cherish the time we had,"
Bucky mused over Jackie's words for moment. "Yeah. Ultimately, all that matters is that I am here right now, I exist. I can't fight that…" He paused and then tentatively added: "Well, I could but – "
"We get it Bucky; you can fight anything. Please don't prove this one, my God…"
Bucky laughed gently, it was warm and infectious, and Jackie joined in. A light, fuzzy feeling flowed through her body, as her stomach heaved up and down and she bent her legs towards it. She wasn't even sure why she was laughing; the conversation had been far from humorous, but she could feel all the tension that she had held in her body the past few weeks, melt away into the bed of snow underneath.
Snowflakes fluttered down from the dark sky, onto her face, and Jackie blinked to get them out of her eyelashes. She and Bucky both instinctively got up to change out of their skating shoes. It was best to leave before they got caught hypothermia, or in the midst of a snowstorm.
The ride back to Jackie's apartment wasn't as perilous or alarming, as the first one. Perhaps Jackie was more prepared, but it felt as though Bucky had taken note to drive more slowly and safely this time around. Although, he was still always above the speed limit.
Once they reached her basement, Jackie felt relieved now that her stomach finally had a rest from all the bellyflops and twists. Once off the bike, she took off her helmet and brushed the snow off her coat.
The basement was the coldest it had ever been, as if the ride back had already been freezing enough. Jackie shivered as she checked her phone to find it was almost 3 AM. Bucky remained on his bike, his gaze fixed on the ground, lost in his own thoughts. He suddenly looked worn out and exhausted and she realised that being on the front seat – Bucky had faced the harshest wind and that too, without a helmet.
"Hey, do you wanna come up for some tea or hot chocolate? Before you drive off into the coldest night,"
Bucky blinked out of his thoughts as he accepted his helmet back. He scanned the eerie, empty parking lot for an answer. It was clear he was reluctant to accept the offer.
"I should probably get back,"
Jackie smiled at him softly. "I promise I make the best hot chocolate in the world. But no pressure, if you wanna call it a night,"
Bucky grinned softly, giving in. "Alright, I gotta try that for myself,"
Once upstairs, Bucky entered her apartment sceptically, following her movements as she removed her shoes and left them at the entrance, hanging their coats and her bag. Jackie noticed him shifting uncomfortably at being barefoot in only his socks and slid him a pair of house slippers that she kept for guests at the entrance.
Mephisto noticed the presence of a stranger in the house, and after rubbing himself against Jackie's leg protectively, he eyed Bucky suspiciously and kept his distance. Jackie noticed suddenly how small her apartment looked with Bucky inside. His tall and upright presence took up so much space around her, which she wasn't very used to. Jackie went to the kitchen and taking in his surroundings, Bucky obediently followed, unsure of what he was meant to do.
Jackie herself wasn't sure how to entertain a guest at nearly 3 AM, so she took out the food she had cooked earlier and offered it to him. There was baked ravioli lasagna, half-eaten honey garlic salmon, and a calzone. Jackie was uncertain about how the calzone had turned out, so she discreetly pulled it to her side of the kitchen island. Bucky seated down on the stool across from her and inspected the tupperware dishes. He settled on the ravioli and Jackie placed the dish in the oven.
"Sam really hates me,"
The unprompted proclamation came out of nowhere and hit Jackie like a truck. The night of the explosion came rushing back to her all at once, but she managed to remain expressionless, except for a slight frown as she kept her eyes averted from Bucky's. She was debating whether he expected her to probe further, when he himself added:
"I was horrible to him, and said many – regrettable things," he cleared his throat. His voice was calm and collected, showing no hint of emotion. Thankfully, he didn't care to meet Jackie's gaze either. She felt her heartbeat slow down.
"Have you apologised to him?"
"No," Bucky paused bluntly. "I can't,"
"Why not?"
"I know it can't be fixed with an apology. I just don't know what to do with all the anger… and where to put it. If it's not for me, then it goes to someone else. And that's him, I guess. Also, I still resent some of the decisions he's made,"
"It's okay to disagree with someone, or even part ways if those disagreements mean so much to you. But you can't control his decisions, only your own. And your perception too,"
"Thanks doc," Bucky murmured, but it wasn't sarcastic like last time at the café. His countenance was pensive as he stared at the marble kitchen island. It seemed as if he agreed with Jackie, but just not enough to follow through. Jackie felt it was best to let it go. Outside, snow gently piled onto her windowsill.
"I did reach out to him recently, but he doesn't want anything to do with me anymore, so that's… that,"
The oven bell chimed, and Jackie carefully took the steaming dish out, and placed it in front of Bucky. He occupied himself with putting food on his plate and she was aware that this was the end of the conversation. Bucky helped himself to a large portion and ate incredibly fast.
Once he was finished, as was the preparation of Jackie's signature hot chocolate, she handed Bucky a pile of board games to choose from and sent him to the lounge. It was easier for her to clear her mind alone. She grabbed a wooden tray and arranged two small plates with forks, her homemade raspberry pie, and two steaming mugs of hot chocolate, on it and left the kitchen.
In her lounge, Mephisto was comfortably cuddled up on the single sofa, licking his paws as Bucky eyed him curiously, settling down on the loveseat. Jackie placed the tray on the coffee table next to a game board set up by Bucky. He had chosen chess.
Jackie quickly went to her bedroom and changed out of her pants and into the pair of pyjamas she had on earlier. She then returned to comfortably sit down on the floor across the coffee table and Bucky's sofa. He gave Jackie a judgemental look.
"It's much more comfortable this way, trust me,"
Hesitantly, Bucky joined her on the fluffy, beige rug, with his back leaning back against the loveseat. His posture opened up as he propped his arm on his knee, his metal hand no longer hidden by a glove. He was at ease and comfortable.
At last, the game started.
To say Bucky cheated, was definitely an understatement. He made up his own rules that he insisted had always been part of the game, much to Jackie's competitive fury. There was a cunning spark in his eyes, and it was hard to predict his choices along the game. He took a bite of raspberry pie and shook his head in disapproval at Jackie's chess move.
"No way, you can't do that – "
"Bucky! –"
"I don't care whatever rules you Gen Z kids have made up, but you can't do that,"
"Firstly, I am not Gen Z, and no one changed the rules – you're literally cheating,"
Jackie felt her cheeks flush in aggravation, and the apartment's cosy atmosphere was getting too warm for her to stand in such a heated game. She had tied her hair back into a loose ponytail to keep it out of the way, so she could keep her full concentration on winning. Jackie knew she was an exceptional chess player, and nothing was going to sway her. Not even Bucky.
"What are you doing?" she scowled at Bucky's pawn piece which he moved three boxes ahead.
"That was my golden move,"
"Your what?"
Bucky pursed his mouth to keep his expression as grave as possible, but his eyes darted along the board artfully.
"Yeah, on your 50th move, you can move your pawn like a castle piece,"
Bucky struggled to keep himself from smirking, but Jackie shot him a glare that sobered him up and he quickly moved his pawn back two places.
"That's what I thought." Under her breath Jackie whispered 'asshole' much to even her own surprise. With his heightened sense, she was aware that Bucky had heard her, but by now she had been up way longer than usual, and her competitiveness didn't allow her to care about anything besides winning. In the corner of her eye, she could see Bucky raise an eyebrow and smile innocently at Mephisto – who didn't empathise with him any more than Jackie did.
Nearing the end of the prolonged-game, Jackie grew weary from her own drive to win, and she let her heavy head rest on the table, as the game dragged on. She spontaneously chuckled when Bucky unknowingly making a regrettable move, after pondering over it for many minutes. His eyebrows furrowed at her amusement, aware that this was a signal of his own demise, but he eventually smiled too, and they both laughed across from each other for no apparent reason. Mephisto merely twitched in his sleep, curled up against Bucky's crossed legs.
Jackie too, could feel a wave of drowsiness overtake her, as the dim lights around her burst like stars in her squinted gaze from beaming. She felt cosy and light, and as she rested her head back against the velvety seat of the single-seater sofa behind her. She stretched out her hand and mechanically pushed her chess piece forward to replace Bucky's. That caused him to groan exasperatedly, and Jackie found herself laughing again. As did Bucky. The world around her became hazy and soft.
Her eyes felt strained, and she slowly closed them, not to sleep but simply to rest them for a while. Anyways, it was Bucky's turn, and Jackie already knew he had nowhere left to go. Nevertheless, he would still take a long time to make a move. Perhaps she was being too tough on him, he had after all – finally given up cheating. She could hear a gentle clicking of chess pieces against the board, as Bucky tried different moves but to no avail. Jackie knew that victory was hers.
Yet, the sound came to Jackie from a distance, as if she and Bucky were far apart from one another and Jackie was no longer in her apartment anymore. She tried to open her eyes again, but her eyelids felt overwhelmingly heavy and everything around her had dimmed. She just wanted to rest for a few seconds more. Time faded away and Jackie fell into a deep and restful slumber for the rest of the night.
When she awoke, her quiet apartment was brightly illuminated and Mephisto was strolling on her stomach to ask for breakfast. Jackie blinked a few times, squinting at her sunny surroundings, as she sat up against the sofa. She had slept on the rug – which was certainly comfortable enough, but there was a sofa cushion under her head and her throw blanket over her body. She rubbed her eyes as she recollected her thoughts and recalled the events of last night.
Last of all, Jackie looked at the chess board and noticed something bizarre. Half her chess pieces had been moved off the board.
Bucky had won the game.
I loved writing this chapter, so I hope you enjoy I'd love to hear your thoughts so far Xx (Unrelated: I have an interview this week, so wish me luck!)