AN:
The couches at Soteria can get rather complicated to explain. If you get confused, I have a picture up on my tumblr (Link can be found on my profile. FF is censoring it).
This chapter was beta-ed by the Anonymous Second Beta.
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Chapter 24: Bucky Barnes - Hot Chocolate
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This place was so silent.
Nothing man made beyond the glass that surrounded me. The glass was thick enough to block any noise from the wind, the waterfall and the animals.
The only noise my ears could pick up were the blueberry skins popping under the pressure of my teeth and the mechanics in the arm humming. Slightly louder than usual since we arrived here.
The dogs using my thighs as pillows didn't so much as snore in their sleep. The A.I. ghost hadn't said a word in the last nine hours. Valeriy… she hasn't left her room either.
Just the mountains and the sea of stars above.
Felt like another world.
So different from the bustling cities.
So different from hunting down a target.
So different from waiting to be picked up.
Without a sound, Zephyr woke up and the stairs lowered to the main floor. He scrambled down them. His nails scratching along each step.
Ixie still dead asleep on my lap.
Then a kitchen appliance below started up. Hums and clicks.
Lights and shadows painted the glass. The orange flames of a fire in the reflection.
57 seconds later, the swoosh of a shelf-door opening. The clattering of Zephyr's claws against the floor tiles. Traveling through the kitchen for 23 seconds.
Carefully, I slipped out from under Ixie's head, crawling my way to the ledge. Careful not to make a sound. Peered over the edge. A clear upside down view of the unlit kitchen below.
She stood there. Zephyr next to her. On the other side of the long counter. Unmoving. Arms crossed. Slowly shrinking in on herself.
A tiny sniffle could be heard over the crackle of burning logs.
An almost familiar pull had me pushing off against the floor and my body fell over the edge. A twist and a flip to keep my landing soft.
But she heard me anyways. Her head whipping around. Watery gray eyes honing in on me far too fast. A quick wipe against her arm to hide the tears. Shoulders straightened and squared off with me. Chin held up feigning poise. Lips parted to form words.
I shook my head. I wasn't going to force her to talk. But something inside me, nudged me towards her, around the long counter.
Zephyr lunged forwards. Ears back. Teeth bared. Growling for me to keep away.
Valeriy reached out, tapping twice on his hind leg.
It was almost instantaneous with how he calmed down. Sitting at her side. Tail wagging leisurely behind him.
She sent me a smile. Forced and broken. Before turning back at the sound of hissing from one of the kitchen appliances.
Chocolate filled the air. A hint of cinnamon and oranges.
I made my way along the curving counter. Made sure my footsteps were loud and clear.
"Would you like a c-cup of…." Her scratchy voice broke with a frustrated huff.
Reaching out, I took hold of her hand. Waiting for her to slap me for being out of line. Waiting for her to yank it away from me.
She didn't. Just a gentle squeeze in response.
"Is it…? Is it over?" I asked softly.
"The operation is…. But I still have a lot to do."
"You could use a break, Valeriy."
A huff, almost a laugh, escaped her before her head shook. "I'm fine."
"…You're not f – "
"I've wasted more time than I should by being stuck in closets or cut off from the Ayers systems. I need to make up lost time."
"You need food…."
"…." Her eyes darted to the side. To the steaming cup.
"Hot chocolate does not make a meal."
"I have to get on the work Eve talked about when we arrived. Only more will pile up."
"Just eat something," I tried, searching around us for something to eat. "They're cold now, but there's a couple of cinnamon buns left."
Baked from a tube. Same as the ones in the motorhome.
Her shoulder lifted in a shrug. "…Amber needs me right now."
"Can I…? Let me help with this, Valeriy. She's at the symposium at the moment, right? I can watch over her through the cameras."
At her nod, the entire room lit up with that blue hologram of that place. The same as 22 days ago. Except it was packed with people. Miniature people. About a quarter of the average height. Wandering about the many stalls of a large room.
Far too many. Most of which were constantly moving. Couldn't accurately count them all. Well in the thousands in this room alone. There were more in the floors above. In smaller rooms. Usually one to five people at one end facing the rest.
Roughly 6350 people.
One large person was marked in white. Likely the target. Wearing something similar to what I did five days ago. Though the features came off as male. Short hair. Full beard.
There were 7 marked in pink scattered about the area. All strategically placed. The A.I. ghost's assets if one of the faces had anything to say about that.
The one who helped us across the border. But not the Asian face I last saw. She had on the face of the redheaded library employee who taught me how to use a computer.
Even more people were marked in purple. 89 suits. Reminded me of the people who whisked Valeriy off in a limo. Likely the target's security team.
All of whom were strategically placed. Every movement of theirs dictated by where the target went.
The rest of the people were in gray.
'I can do this.'
With a deep breath in, I set my eyes back on the young woman next to me who was still scanning everything. An empty expression on her face. A tremor in her fingers. Cracks in the mask she stubbornly hid behind.
"Let's go sit down," I suggested, grabbing the mug of hot chocolate. Guiding her towards the fireplace and the odd flower shaped couch that surrounded it.
I kept a secure hold on her in case she stumbled on the couch cushions. She sat down on the lower level and with her foot, rather violently shoved a cushion off its perch on the higher level.
Exactly the same thing as what the dogs did when I was searching for a place to sit down and eat. This was the only place here that had a table-like surface that one could sit at.
So taking the signal, I placed the mug at the center of the petal. Had to block Zephyr's snout from dunking into the dark liquid. When that failed, the white dog tried burrowing into the tight ball Valeriy had curled up in.
When I tried to peel him off her, she stopped me.
"It's fine," she said, pulling a soft smile. "Zeph's just making sure that I know I'm not al – It's a habit of ours. Nothing to worry about."
"…I'm going to go grab you some food and then we'll sit here and watch over the tar – your friend. Make sure nothing happens to her."
"O-okay."
I moved away slowly. Slow enough for her to change her mind. Slow enough for her to stop me.
When she didn't, I quickly plucked a plate from the cupboard and a cinnamon bun off the counter.
Barely managed to stop myself from punching the toaster oven when its door dropped open.
Couldn't help but stare up at the ceiling.
The A.I. ghost.
This was her first movement since the angry screams.
Used the metal hand to toss the bun inside.
The door wasn't closed. I had to close it myself. Had to pick the setting myself.
Waiting for the rods to warm, I chanced a glance at Valeriy. She had wrapped herself around Zephyr. Her hair glowed red in the fire light. So similar to blood running down fresh snow.
The toaster oven rang and I had to open the door. I placed the cinnamon bun and made my way back to Valeriy. Settling down on the upper petal on her left. The one that wasn't being used as a table. It was close enough if she wanted to reach out. But far enough to give her some space.
"Here."
She tried a smile. Took the plate. Sat it down next to the steaming mug.
Without having to turn her head to look, her hand wrapped around Zephyr's snout. The smile on her face made me wanted to run. I knew what it meant. Pain.
"Don't for a second think you can steal my shit, you sneaky little bastard," she hissed in his face. A cruel grin pulling at the corners of her lips.
"Does that stupid brain of yours actually think we wouldn't find out about the two bodies you left twenty blocks away from the targets?!"
Various words were punctuated with a stomp to my stomach.
"Or have we turned it to mush so much so that you can't even remember that you went off protocol!?"
Gloved fingers roughly tangled into my wet hair. I couldn't find the strength to lift myself up. The chains on my wrist too heavy to fight against. The other wouldn't move no matter how I tried. Anything to ease my weight off the grip on my hair.
All I could remember of that face was that twisted smile and the promise of pain behind it.
"Pathetic excuse of a weapon. Can't even function properly."
A crunch hit my ears before pain bloomed from my nose. I couldn't breathe. Choking on my own blood.
" – you're going off narrative with him."
"Not like the dumb dog can remember anything."
I couldn't help myself. I grabbed Zephyr and hauled him up above my head. Out of her reach. "Plea… please don't…. Please…?"
That was when her mask disappeared and all that was left was confusion on her features.
"…Bucky… I'm not going to hurt Zeph…. Seriously?! Bucky's trying to protect you and you're bloody tail whacking him in the fucking face!?!"
I tried to tell her that it was fine. That none of this bothered me. But there was fur stuffed into my mouth every time it opened. So I did the only thing I could, and placed the white dog on the lower petal on the other side of me. Safe and away from her reach.
But Zephyr just ran right back to her. No longer trying for the bun. Tail still wagging. Curling up on her lap.
She neither hit him, nor did she push him away. Her fingers just scratched at his ear while her exhausted eyes stared up at me. Just for three seconds before they went back to the holograms. To the target. Searching for potential threats.
'She's not them,' I had to remind myself, trying to unclench the tense muscles of my jaw.
"Sorry," she started, "I didn't mean to remind you of something… unpleasant…. Zeph and I… we just fell into old habits. He can be a sneaky little – he tends to chomp on food."
That was true. Learned that with dinner. And with the cinnamon buns. Managed to finish one before I could stop him. And again, with the blueberries. Took 41 minutes to wash the purple off his white fur.
"I may or may not be holding onto a four year old grudge over a cookie. And yes, it's over a fucking cookie, but the one bite I managed before this little bastard stole the rest was bloody amazing."
"…Couldn't you get another cookie…?" I asked, treading lightly having seen a flash of anger twist her lip.
'She's not them.'
But this was a lot of anger over a cookie.
She shook her head, sighing heavily. "…Devon managed to save one from when his friend dragged him into baking…. One. Just the one…. So, yes, I'm holding a petty grudge but there's no way in hell I'm letting that bloody shit repeat. And yes, I will bite you too if you try taking this bun back. It's mine now."
With that, she finally took a bite of food. As she chewed, the anger faded and the teasing disappeared. Exhaustion took over. Her movements took effort. Forcing herself to take bite after bite.
'She's not them.'
So I reached out. Curled my fingers around hers. Held onto her hand.
Those exhausted eyes glanced down. A tiny smile touched her face. It wasn't a mask she tried to wear.
Her fingers weaved between mine and tugged. Pulling until I moved. Until I slipped from the higher level to the spot next to her on the lower one.
Zephyr messily kicked out against the cushion to make room. Still curled up on her lap.
"Where's Ixie?" she asked.
"She's sleeping upstairs."
"How did you even find your way up there?"
"…I… climbed that," I said pointing at the long piece of fabric hanging off the ceiling.
It drew a small laugh from her. "We wanted a fireman's pole, but the parents would frown if they found a stripper pole. So we went with the aerial silks…."
Maybe she heard her name. Maybe she didn't. But claws clattering on tile echoed over the fire. In one movement of stepping down to us, Ixie settled down. Mostly using Zephyr as a bed and my knee as a pillow.
"You can shove – I mean move them if it's too cramped," she mumbled around the last bite of the cinnamon bun.
There wasn't enough room for the three of us, let alone four.
But somehow, this weight didn't seem constricting like with the metal restraints.
This was… comforting.
Warm.
Slightly familiar.
Valeriy shifted. Pulling up on my arm. Untucking her legs from under Zephyr. Leaning her back against my side. Watching a different direction of the holograms. Resting my arm over her shoulder and atop her curled up knees. Letting go of my hand in favor of the barely steaming mug of hot chocolate.
When I tried to move my arm back, she pressed down with her forearms. Stopping me for just a second before easing off on the pressure.
A pause passed between us.
Neither moving.
And then her head tilted to the side, resting against my shoulder.
So I left my arm there. Wrapped around her. Tucked just under her mug of hot chocolate.
We kept searching the feed for anything that could cause a problem to the target. Just a comforting silence between us. Nothing but the fire's snaps and crackles.
And a couple of sniffles to my right. Valeriy made no notion that it was coming from her. But every time, I held her a little tighter.
Letting her know if she wanted to talk I was here.
Letting her know that I wasn't asking and forcing her hand about the issue.
Letting her know that she wasn't alone.
Neither of us said anything when Valeriy started maneuvering my fingers. Curling them into a fist. Pulling them straight. Pushing them apart. All with no rhyme or reason.
Reminded me of her nervous fidgeting, so I let her be. Whatever she wanted to do, I wouldn't stop her.
She moved onto kneading at my bones. Drawing senseless patterns on the back of my hand. Tracing the lines of my palm. Following them down to my wrist.
I tried not to shift away from the tickling sensation. Did my best to stay relaxed. To not pull my arm back. To not shrink into a ball to protect all vulnerable spots. To not crush her with a ticklish jerk.
The target was always within arms' reach of four of their people. She could be pulled in whichever direction at a moment's notice.
People were even discreetly herded away by the third ring of security, crowding people to move on.
I had to wonder if they had a hand in the banners decorating the wall of windows. They limited visual access points from the outside.
Whoever was managing this detail left nothing open. The moment there could be an opening forming, people were moved to correct it. All bases were covered.
"That man," I pointed out, pulling the image of him closer.
And the clearer his face got, the more something inside me churned and twisted.
"I've seen his face before. He's… he's…."
I couldn't place him. Couldn't conjure up a voice as to why I've seen him. Nothing more than a glimpse and a white coat.
"…I've seen him…."
His hologram flashed red and faded from the feed.
Three assets marked in pink weaved their way through the crowds. Close to where that man was last seen. Before they too, disappeared.
There wasn't a single twitch from Valeriy. Her head stayed on my shoulder. Her hand still holding onto my fingers.
When I glanced down, I found her eyes shut. Asleep. Curled up in a tight little ball around my arm.
"Zephyr, mo – "
"You don't want to finish that word…."
"…I just wanted to straighten her posture…."
"...I can't find a way for you to do that without absurdity involved…. If you don't mind, Mr. Barnes, please keep an eye on her. I see stupidity on the horizon."
"What should I be watching – "
Ixie suddenly got up from her sleep. Scrambled over to the pile of firewood before sinking her teeth into a log. A swing of her head later, the log flew into the fire. She threw another log in before curling back up right where she was. Atop of Zephyr and I. As if she never got up in the first place.
"…Wh-what should I be watching for…?"
"….I'm going to go back to… in Val's words, moping. Good day."
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AN:
It's a shorter chapter, since I split it. The second half of this is ugly. Been rewriting this. But this was a fun little moment to write. A bit of the old Bucky peeking through (mother hen mode).
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Thank you to everyone who's stayed with me so far! All the favourites, follows and reviews brighten up my day. (I check them like a crazy person).
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