AN:

I'm so sorry for taking so long between updates T^T.

I cant keep up an update schedule anymore, though I do plan on posting up a new chapter New year's eve (NYC time.)

.

.

Chapter 29: Valeriy Ayers - Powdered Sugar

.

. ** .

.

"They have eyes in the sky. Human eyes…. Stick to the shadows. I got the cameras. They'll be everywh– Go!"

A door slammed into my back, and my face bounced off a solid chest of muscles.

'Ow? My eyeballs…. I need more comfortable glasses.'

Bucky stood there, staring out the door. Eyes wide. Breathing short. He even took the tiniest step back.

"Hey, hey, Bucky. I need you to stay with me," I told him, pulling every trick that just might calm him down enough. "We need to move. Just stay with me, Bucky. We've got this."

The mess of Pacman ghosts were like ants, systematically swarming around on the glass's lens. Some of which were descending upon us. Their numbers growing by the second.

"Now," Eve snapped in my ear.

We didn't have time. I could see it in the way the ghosts moved. Our window was closing. Fast.

My hand slid down the hard surface of his cybernetic and grabbed his fingers. Turning on my heel, I dashed for the fence. Leapt down the steps and hoped that Bucky followed me.

'Waka waka waka waka waka waka.'

We had time. A bit of time to get away from the safehouse. Hopefully far enough that the safehouse wouldn't be compromised. Wouldn't hear the end of it from Eve if it were.

At a little tug on my hand, I squeezed down on his. A quick glance over my shoulder and it seemed that he didn't spot something that Eve hadn't.

'Waka waka waka waka waka waka.'

As long as we kept to the shadows, the chopper would have a hard time seeing us. The patchwork of greys made that more difficult. Harder to spot than a solid mass of black in a humanoid shape of clothing.

I let go of his hand to pull on my glove to stop any trace of me being left behind. Grabbed onto the edge of the fence, hauled myself over and made sure to roll into my landing. My ankle pulsed in protest, but I continued to run for the next fence. At least Bucky's Pacman was keeping up and not still in the safehouse backyard.

'Waka waka waka waka waka waka.'

The ghost avatars were closing in on us. Things will be tricky now.

"Hide."

It'd be cutting it close, but I could take advantage of the cautious pause before they move into an open backyard. I could make it over the next fence just as the men in there turn their backs to –

'Oh fuck, I'm in a bloody dream. I'm not going to make it. Damn shi –'

The straps on my pack yanked my whole body backwards into a hedge.

'This… is a little awkward…' I thought.

From how intensely he glared holes into the guy walking past us, Bucky was a little more than focused on that and not where his hand was. On my chest, pinning me against a tree.

'You know what, wasn't I on bloody nerve blockers during this? What the fuck brain?! Why can't you get that bit right?!'

My movements were almost as numb as it was that night.

"Did I…? Did I just get shot through the bloody head? That didn't happen! Fucking damnit!'

Back to the jumping fences.

Yay….

'Oh, you've got to be kidding me! I slipped and died on a fucking pool toy?! Where's the fucking pool!? I hate you, brain!'

"They know about you," Bucky whispered in my ear.

"Oh well?" I shrugged.

'Not a bad place to restart.'

"…Are those Pacman ghosts…?"

'Waka waka uh oh waka waka shit waka waka….'

The disapproval on his face could burn itself into my one eye as the other watched possible escapes routes close by the second.

"Ye-yea –!"

'There wasn't even! Eve didn't see this guy! Oh… this…. This is in the wrong fucking spot…' I couldn't help but think with my toes barely touching the ground no thanks to the bastard yanking on my hair.

"Move, and I'll slice your throat," the words snarled into the side of my head with a bad case of coffee breath. "Where is the Asset?"

"The what?" I countered, buying time and searching for a way out of this shit storm. It be a dream but it still fucking hurt.

This guy wasn't exactly an amateur. The blade pressed right up against my skin. No wiggle room. I'd be bleeding out before I do a thing. So that only left me with my words until the blade moved enough for me to slip my arms in between. Probably….

"Don't play dumb, girl. The man with a metal arm."

"I have no fucking clue as to what you're talking about," I insisted and felt the blade slide into my skin.

My eyes snapped open at the almost inhale sound. That sound could only have been from the seal between rooms breaking. The shelf door's been opened.

I grabbed onto the taser as the remnants of my dreams slipped between my fingers and panic filled its place.

"Uh… Mr. Barnes is umm…."

Now a different panic bubbled up inside me. My hand let go of the taser in favour of searching the bed. Had to make sure that the blanket was somewhat in place or maybe find my shirt.

"He is… under your bed?"

"Bucky? What is he – Where's my fucking shirt? Ev – oof."

"I believe it's now on your face."

"No shit, Sherlock," I huffed, face still stinging from the slap.

The man under my bed had a powerful arm.

Crawling into my shirt, I spotted my shorts flying up. Once all dressed and properly covered up, I peered over the edge and spotted a terrified Bucky pacing under my bed.

His shoulders hunched high, close to his ears. His hands clenched and unclenched with almost every step. His breaths went in with gasps and came out in little puffs. His body was outright shaking.

Those blue eyes rapidly darted from one spot to the next. They locked with mine and he froze, staring up at me. So lost under all that fear.

I could practically hear the screams of 'help me' in his eyes.

"Bucky, come up. The aerial ribbons are – or you could just jump. Jumping works," I half babbled while wrapping him up in my big fluffy comforter.

"It's all… it's all a-a lie," Bucky muttered, his face burying down against my collarbone.

I gently combed his hair away from his face. Hopefully, it'd stop tickling my neck. Last thing I wanted was to shoulder check him in the face. That'd be bad.

"Who lied to you?" I asked softly, pulling him closer. "What am I even asking? Eve, what did you lie about?"

"In my defence, I was trying to avoid this very situation."

The words Cover his eyes flashed up on the window for a second or two. Small enough that I almost couldn't read it. Fast enough that I barely had time to make sense of the letters.

I used a deep breath to disguise my shoulder movement, and a small section of the window changed. The green trees turned white. Looked like they were covered in powdered sugar for another two seconds or so.

'Ah shit. So much for being July.'

I haven't even started thinking about how to warm him up to the idea of winter if we stayed here longer than I planned.

"How 'bout we light a fire and… eat a bunch of… hot things? P-Pizza? Or… hot… hot chocolate…?"

Bucky shook his head, curling up into a ball. One arm wrapped around me, half dragging me to him. Still, he shivered like crazy. If his body temperature weren't running so hot, I'd have thought he'd been outside in the snow for hours.

I did what I could. He told me to open the door when I wouldn't let him. He wanted to walk the dogs. I tried, but you made it impossible for me.

My fingertips dug in against his scalp, scratching lightly. My arms held him tight, hoping it'd let him know that he wasn't alone. Or with them in whatever hellish nightmare they forced him through.

"Breathe with me, Bucky. Come on. You can do it. Just breathe."

The first one was a shaking gasp. The second was better. By the third, his breathing evened out.

"There we go. I'm not going to let you freeze, 'kay? Eve, turn up the temp in this room. However high before killing my wall."

"Should I wake up Mochi then?"

"No. I don't want to be on Amber's bad side. I'll go find more blankets. Or not…."

Not when Bucky's arm clamped down. I wasn't going anywhere. Physically unable to get away. Emotionally unable to let go.

'Maybe pillows will help.'

I had plenty of those. Even if a few of them ended up on the floor when he jumped up here. Whatever it took to make him feel warm. Safe.

"Bucky? You asked me this before when I was scared. What do you need to feel safe? What can I do? I… can go melt the snow with… a flamethrower?"

"You're going to set everything on fire."

Two words: forest fire.

'Great, they're on the same page.'

"Fine, no flamethrower. I'll just… make a heat bomb or something? Yeah, I should be able to do a heat bomb. Just have to adjust a couple of the chemical thingies and – "

"No," the man in my arms grumbled against the nape of my neck.

Took everything I had not to twitch in a violent giggle fit.

"Can we…?" he started, his face snuggling ever closer.

"Whatever you want."

"Stay."

"Okay, I'm not going anywhere."

"Can we stay here…? Like this?"

"For as long as you want."

So here we stayed, wrapped up in limbs, pillows and a giant fluffy down comforter.

My fingers continued to comb through his knotted hair, untangling it all. My other hand massaged the stiff muscles on the back of his neck. The cast seemingly not bothering him at the moment, from what I could tell. But my bones weren't all too happy about the movements. My toes pulled up whichever pillows on the bed that weren't already piled atop of him.

Even grabbed the portable heated eye mask tucked between the bedframe and snuck it under the fluff mountain. Right up against his shirt. Wasn't too sure he'd like me shoving things into his clothing.

I couldn't help but hum some off tune melody by his ear. Maybe it could tune out some of the horrors in his head. I could only hope. Occupy as many senses of his and pray that'd pull him into this moment.

As the minutes ticked by, the shivering faded. Little by little. His tense muscles unfurled, and he sunk down into the soft mattress.

When my foot accidentally kicked his cybernetic, he tried to scramble away or shift the arm further back behind him.

I didn't let him go. I pulled him closer with all my limbs, rolling onto my back until he was half on top of me. Ease the pressure off his shoulder. That position couldn't have been any bit comfortable.

He struggled to back up, and I held him tight for a second or two before relaxing my limbs. Let him do whatever he wanted, and he still backed away.

"Valeriy, your ribs. They're –"

"Shhh. They're fine."

"I'm 111.6 kilograms… with the arm"

"The cast can handle your weight just fine," I countered, open palm pressed to his stubbled cheek. "It's pretty comfy like this too… Bucky?"

He hummed in response, eyes stuck to the windows.

Made me give them a quick glance for anything white. Just the clouds.

"Maybe we should… we should do something different when it's snowing? Instead of erasing all the snow."

"I did a fabulous job of it until he opened the door. Out there, I can't alter reality. Yet."

"How 'bout we…. When it snows, we go with… something opposite of snow…?"

"Punalu'u Beach. Oceanside. Tropical. Black lava sand. Opposite of here and snow."

At her words, the forest outside my window turned into an ocean. White waves broke over black sand.

"Would this work –"

"Inside Mount Nyiragongo. Magma. Glowing orange. Black rocks and ash. It looks hot. Opposite of snow."

It 'looks' hot was an understatement, and Bucky flinched at every random magma lava burp thing.

'They better have not shoved him into a volcano.'

"Great Barrier Reef. Below sea level. Coral. Fish. Opposite of up a mountain. No snow. Plenty of water."

The windows changed again from the violent reds and blacks to the colourful undersea world of corals and fish.

"This or back to the beach? Either of those work as an option? She's only trying to look out for you, Bucky."

"And I'm not the horrid person you see me as, Mr. Barnes. I have my priorities, and the chains placed on me makes accomplishing such tasks as protecting you more than difficult."

"She," said with a hand wave to the ether, "only wants to keep me from snapping and killing you."

"Can't say that it's not rather high on my list of priorities."

"You're not going to hurt me," I countered.

So much doubt casted down my way. He couldn't believe a word I said. "How could you say that after… after I…."

His fingers barely skimmed my neck where bruises were fading. Pretty sure the one he was tracing came from Zeph and his fucking hug blocking karate chop.

The underwater scenery changed and shifted back to the black sand beach.

He was more settled with the beach compared to the other two.

"I could have snapped your neck then," he practically snarled out. "22 days ago. In the car. With the librarian. Almost killed her too."

"But you didn't."

"Valeriy…" said so brokenly that the unshed tears threatening to fall got lost in all the hopelessness he embodied.

I reached up, moving as slowly as I could, and wiped away the little droplets clinging to his lashes. "Never said it's going to be easy, Bucky. If only these things were easy…."

His face leaned against my hand. He went with me when I gently tugged him down. His head tucked under my chin. His right arm wrapped around my left shoulder, snuggling in.

I held onto him with all I had. Maybe it'd ease the desperate need to hold himself together, all alone. "I'm staying right here. You can relax, Bucky. I got you. You're not going to hurt me."

"I don't want to hurt anybody," he mumbled.

"It's a struggle. But you're giving it your all. I'm still in one piece thanks to you."

And then he relaxed, sinking down into the bed with me stuck in between.

'Okay, so 111.6 kilos is a lot heavier than I thought….'

If it wasn't for the metal cast wrapped around my ribs, I'd probably have some problems with the breathing.

Laughter giggled out of me, mixed with a couple of chokes on the water splashing in my face. My little hand pushed at the water surface, trying to send back my own wave of water. My other arm rested on the rough pool tiles that lined the edge.

"That's not how you learn how to swim," laughed a man. "This is how you learn."

"Daddy? Wai –!"

A pair of large hands grabbed my torso, pulling me away from the safety of the pool edge. My nails raked against the rough tiles, catching on the grooves before I was sent screaming through the air.

My body slammed against the water, sinking immediately. My limbs flailed, clawing and kicking for the surface in front of my face. But no matter how I fought, I couldn't reach it.

'Hold up. Am I…? Why the fuck am I dreaming?! Damn it! Wake up! Fucking hell! I'm bloody drowning…. Fuck it! Bucky deserves better, you piece of shit! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!'

With a gasp, I shot up from under a warm cozy blanket.

'Success! Uhhh…. This is the Asian Pacific room…. Oh fuck. Damn it. Wake up! Val! You shit for brains! Wake up!'

With a gasp, I shot up from under a warm cozy blanket.

'Damn it this is the jet. Fuck! Wake up! Already!'

Fighting the invisible strings holding me in this place of my mind felt impossible. Nothing to punch. Nothing to scream at but myself.

"Why is your bed still moving?" Bucky's deep voice dragged me right out of the little nap. Or what I hoped was a little nap.

"Sorry, I believe I misheard the quest…tion…. Uhhh… sorry…." I wanted to crawl into a hole and never come out.

He seemed to ignore my outburst and said, "The swaying. Your bed should have stopped moving 158 seconds ago."

"Hmmm? My bed? Yeah. Umm, it helps me sleep? I used to pass out on trains and boats, or really bad plane turbulence. Eve, mind – Thanks."

The swaying slowed and would eventually come to a stop.

"I was curious if he'd turn green."

I could only sigh in response. No words. I have no words for Eve.

"Is that why it's 362 centimetres off the floor?" Bucky asked, probably trying to dodge another argument.

"No…. It… it used to be a lot lower. I didn't… feel safe and cut the ropes. Even added bells to the aerial ribbons…."

"Climbing up here isn't good for your hand."

"It's a loop. So I can hang on with one hand and Eve can pull me up."

"Would have been simpler if you left the pulley ropes long. I could have left the bed at this height when it's not in the ceiling."

"Yeah, no. That's not happening."

"Why do you have a wall of glowing mushrooms and flowers? Do they have homicidal vines too?"

"Ooo, those vines would be a fun security feature."

"You're not putting that in your bedroom," Bucky stated, staring into my eyes. His brow furrowed with a massive frown on his lips. He honestly thought I'd sleep in a room with that crazy ass plant.

"How lovely, I don't have to be the only sensible one around."

"Hahaha. Alright, fine. I won't, and that wall's all safe. Amber made it for me since…."

"In the case of a power outage, there would be enough light."

"Yeah… that…."

"I'll come running," Buck said softly. "If you're in the dark, I'll be there, Valeriy. You won't be alone in the dark."

Somehow. Somehow. I believed his words. They weren't sugar coated or lies dressed as promises. Those bright blue eyes held every intention of following through.

"Thank you, Bucky, but I'm the least of your worries at the mo – Bucky? What's wrong?"

He bolted up, his heart thudding against my fingertips. "Ixie and Zeph. I-I I left the door open."

"They're fine, Bucky."

"They'll freeze to death."

"They're built to handle the snow. They're fine. Worst comes to worst is they're running about the kitchen melting snow everywhere, and we'll have Eve whining about it."

"Oi, I do not whine, but yes, the two furry balls are caked in snow and are currently running amuck."

"You're really worried about them," I noted out loud as I pushed myself into a sitting position next to Bucky. "What do you want to do more? Stay here or hang with the dogs? They probably left a trail of melted snow all over the place."

He didn't say anything, but his forehead ended up resting on my shoulder. So I pulled the comforter back around him.

"All over the place is an understatement. I haven't put a dent in the cleanup with the mini mops. They erase any progress made."

"We have mini mops?" I asked, completely swept away by curiosity.

"Someone made a mop version of a Roomba. I have control over a polishing version as well."

"How many people did you slip with that?"

"On the record, zero."

I ran my hand from Bucky's soft hair to his lower back. Steady and obvious so he couldn't mistake my arm movements for a slap.

"Those two know how to take care of themselves," I assured softly. "They probably know this mountain as well as I do. They're fine. They're tough too. You never have to worry about the dogs or the doors here."

"Doors are not matters that should trouble your mind, Mr. Barnes. They're all under my control."

'And when you're being passive aggressive, you make them weigh a fuck ton….'

"The dogs are perfectly fine. They're totally fine being little shits."

The black sand beach scene on the windows turned into a view of the main room. Long trails of water crisscrossed the floor. The dogs still chasing each other in circles. Large silver pucks were slowly moving across the tiles, erasing the wet marks.

'…Fuck, the cushions need to be cleaned too.'

"Yeah, I'm not letting that bloody mess into my room."

"I should go clean them up before they get sick," Bucky mumbled against my shoulder.

"They have a grooming room… somewhere…. Eve will take care of them."

His arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer and closer until I was partially hanging over his shoulder.

'Okay. This hug is getting weird –'

A squealing giggle escaped me when the air whooshed past me. "Wha –? Where's the thing?" I asked, bouncing my hand up and down.

"I use my legs."

'What the hell does that mean?! 'I use my legs,' what?!'

"…Have you been jumping off your bed this whole time? Your ankle can't handle that yet."

'I… don't want to answer that,' I thought, but my head dipped in a nervous nod. "Just a couple of times?"

I expected a scolding, but he merely sighed and stared up at my bed. No signs of him letting me back on my feet either. Just kept me sitting on his arm.

"Can we lower it?" Bucky suggested after a minute or so. "For a couple of months. Until you're healed. I'll be outside of your room. Nobody will come in here…. Or I can carry you on and off."

"It's only a couple of times when I forget I'm broken. I'm letting my bones heal. The faster they heal, the sooner you're going to let me work on your arm."

He couldn't hide his distaste of that sentence, lips frowning as he walked up to the wall of bioluminescent plants. "I can live with how that arm is now."

The cybernetic pointer fingers even twitched as he cautiously poked at a blue mushroom. The first one Amber made me.

"Let me have my fun solving a puzzle," I countered to which he sighed at.

The next thing he poked at was a flower. A glowing green one that had which petals snap shut whenever they were touched. The cybernetic arm retreated so fast, I couldn't even catch the blur.

A quick turn on the ball of his foot and Bucky marched right through the shelf door, which Eve so kindly opened for him.

The dogs froze the moment we turned the corner. Stood frozen there and staring at us.

"Oh get off the fucking counter! The both of you! We prep food there!" I huffed.

Every time I tried to get my foot on the floor, Bucky would move his arm up a tad. Just enough to block my attempts.

Both dogs leapt off the granite countertop, landing with a thud each.

"Oh shit."

Reflexively, out of panic, I snapped the fingers of my right hand. The last thing Bucky needed was to be buried under all that snow encrusted fur. And I doubt I could handle their tackle.

The cast only made a clink sound while my bones wailed out a signal to my brain.

"Fuck! Oww…."

"Dumbass."

I tried not to move that hand anymore. Maybe the throbbing pain would stop. No luck.

Bucky's cybernetic came into my view. Almost closed around my metal coated fingers before he froze.

'Oh shit, the dogs.'

Unable to get onto my own feet to drag us away and with Bucky too busy clenching a mildly twitching fist, all I did was hide my face against his neck and waited for the pain to hit me.

Bucky barely swayed twice. One for each tackle of the dogs.

"Ughh, you're all cold and wet," I whined at the freezing wet fur on my leg. "Oh fuck! Zeph, Ix, go get cleaned up! Now!" Punctuated with a snap of my left fingers and a point in a random direction away from us.

A bark later, claws scrambled along the tiles, moving away from us.

"I'm brimming with confidence that I leave my children's lives in your capable hands."

"Then help me find a replacement already," I snarked, dusting bits of rapidly melting ice off Bucky and my bare legs.

"Easier said than done. There's only so much training and experience can bring to the table."

"…Bucky?" I waved my good hand in front of his face.

No reaction.

Just a blank ass stare into who knows what.

A quick glance around, and none of the windows showed the snow. Only black sand and water. I doubt Eve would be messing around with him.

"The norepinephrine and cortisol levels on his skin aren't as high as they were earlier, if that helps."

If Bucky wasn't so attached to the monitoring bracelet, I'd have ripped it off his wrist. Nobody needed their own feelings violated. At least, he didn't.

"My guess would be that you broke him. Again. He hasn't done this around the dogs. Only around you."

.

.**.

.

.

AN:

A thank you to Tinsela and the Anonymous Fifth Beta for beta-ing this chapter. ^^