When we were still in the cover of the trees, I helped him take his jacket off so he didn't look as threatening out in public. He was only wearing a tank top underneath, and it was soaked with blood and grime.

"Okay," I said, "new plan. We're gonna follow the tree cover until we get to a clothing store. I'll run in and grab clothes for both of us, since I'm just a little wet and you look like someone who just killed a lot of people." He cringed and I gave an apologetic smile, but he continued walking in the direction we were headed before.

It took us about fifteen minutes before we reached the first store. It was a gas station, but it was also a convenience store. They had an ATM symbol on their sign, so I decided it was the best bet.

"I'll grab something to eat and carry our stuff in. I've got enough in cash to last us for a while, but I need to pull more out because I'm sure we're not staying here." He nodded. "You, stay here, okay?" He nodded again. "Is there anything specific that you want?" I asked him. He thought about it for a moment.

"A notebook." I was a little confused by his request but I nodded, making him promise to be there when I returned.

I pulled up the hood of my jacket as I entered, making sure my hair was covering some of my features. It was still damp, so it clung to my face in places.

I headed for the ATM in the back of the store first. I had several different bank accounts, two of my own and one that Tony had put money in when I worked for him. I knew the maximum amount people can withdraw a day is $500, but Tony and I's banks had made an exception in case of emergencies, like this one.

Our bank had made a maximum withdraw amount of $2,500. I didn't want to throw anyone off, but they probably knew that I had been involved in the attacks that had happened today, so they would probably be expecting it. I only used the card linked to Tony's, and I would use the other two somewhere else to throw Tony off. I knew he'd be trying everything to find me.

After I pulled the money out and slipped it in my wallet, I circled the store. I picked up a couple of shirts with 'I 3 D.C.' on the front, one in a small and one in a 2XL, because I didn't know what size Bucky would fit in. I grabbed a black backpack with a clip on the front- there would probably be a lot of travelling on foot and we would need a sturdy bag- before grabbing a notebook. I picked up few pens as well, and had to grab a basket to put everything in.

I threw in a couple of pairs of sweatpants and a dark green hoodie, along with a baseball cap before heading to the front of the store. There were a lot more people than there would usually be in the store, and the cashiers at the front looked way out of their element. No one paid me much attention as I was walking around.

I walked through the aisles of snacks, realizing I didn't really know what he liked. I grabbed a few small bags of chips, and two one-liter bottles of water before heading to the small cooler at the end of one of the aisles that held fresh fruits, grabbing a small container of mixed fruits and a bag with a couple of plums in it.

I checked over the items I had picked up, I headed to the front, keeping an eye out to make sure there was no one suspicious in the store. Most people were just milling about around the televisions, and I assumed they were waiting for any news coverage of the huge ships that had just launched into the air and destroyed each other. So far, the news anchors were still miles away from the scene, having been denied any closer access.

I headed for the checkout, and the girl that helped me barely paid me any attention. I spun around the small rack of sunglasses to my right, grabbing a couple of pairs and placing them on the counter, as well. The girl- Sarah, her name tag said- decided to try and make small talk with me after a few more moments of silence.

"First time visiting D.C.?" She asked, folding the shirts and moving to put them in a plastic bag.

"Uh, you can just put that all in the backpack. And yeah, we just saw whatever happened out there, we're heading back home now." She nodded and laughed slightly.

"I don't blame you. I'd skip town too if this was my summer vacation." I didn't reply, and she told me my total.

I pulled out my wallet again swiped my card, bypassing the debit option and just hitting credit instead. I didn't want to spend the cash I had gotten out yet, and if Tony checked my bank records he would already know this was where I had stopped to pull money out.

The girl handed the bag back to me over the counter before speaking again. "Thanks for stopping by! I hope you guys have a better time wherever you're headed." She gave me a sad smile and I thanked her before rushing out to where I had left Bucky.

He was still standing in the same exact spot, and I contemplated asking if he had even blinked since I left. I set the bag on the ground, crouching and reaching in for the shirt. I stood up straight, ripping of the tags and size stickers.

"I wasn't really sure what size you wear. Or what you like, honestly. I just kind of went with it." He reached for the hem of his tank top, pulling it off and leaving him shirtless.

My breath caught anxiously as I took in the wounds that littered his torso, landing on where the metal of his arm fused to the skin, and I spun around quickly. "Okay, so, people typically give warnings if they're about to take their shirts off."

I held the shirt out behind me and he grabbed it. He took a moment to reply. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." He said quietly. I turned my head slightly, making sure he had pulled the shirt over his head before I spoke again.

"It's not that I'm uncomfortable," I stuttered slightly, trying to figure out how to explain myself. "It's just my brother- he's really protective- I haven't been with a guy since, uh, before I joined special forces. And you know how that ended- at least, you did. I'm not sure if you still do…" His face contorted and it seemed like he was thinking back.

"Things still aren't clear." He said. I nodded, swallowing hard before he spoke up again. "Did you get the notebook?" I nodded in reply, crouching and pulling it out for him to see before pulling out the jacket I had gotten for him and tossing it to him.

"We'll have to find a way to cover up your hand." I gestured down to the metal appendage and he nodded in agreement, "Just keep it in your pocket for a while." He slipped the jacket over his shoulders, it fit him well. I sorted out the items in the bag before pulling out the sunglasses, handing a pair to him and slipping mine on.

I stood up again, slinging the backpack over my shoulders and clipping it into place before looking back to Bucky, giving him a small smile.

"So, where are we going first?"


Alright so, it's been a while, and I know you guys have been waiting for this. I've been having a lot of trouble with my classes and I lost five chapters of the second story in this series so I took a bit of a break from everything. This is technically the last "chapter" of the story, but I also have an epilogue which I'll upload immediately following this! Otherwise, I will probably be taking a small break and completing more of the second story before I post it. I'm sorry that I've been so inconsistent with my uploads! Thank you so much for putting up with me, and I PROMISE I will be back with the second story! I love all you readers!