I Know What You Did in the Dark Ch 6

Steve

The phone call was an irritating sound as I hung my head in my hands. My dinner of Thai take out sat cold on the table. It had been, I think, three days since finishing the HYDRA file on Bucky. It was hard to wake up every morning. Natasha was right. That thread was attached to so much terror and I certainly pulled it hard.

Glancing at the caller ID, I saw it was Sam. Darkness was about to swallow me after I read all the death, hurt and pain Bucky had been through. With a weary hand, I tapped the answer button and said nothing.

"Steve? You there, man?" Sam's voice was excited yet scared at the same time.

"Yeah." It was a whisper of myself replying.

"I have news. Not good." Sam replied in a clipped tone.

I sat up suddenly alert, "What?"

"I think Bucky's heading to New York. I found some of his gear a few days ago. He had your address. Listening to the police scanners and Internet chatter, someone fitting his description tore up Union Station here in DC, heading northbound." He paused briefly and then asked, "You ready for this?"

Bucky is coming to see me, I thought gazing blindly across my apartment.

The news blindsided me with so many emotions that I didn't answer for, what I am sure Sam considered a long while.

His voice jolted a response out of me, "Cap!"

"Yeah. Yes. I am… I will be ready." I sputtered, blinking.

"You know he may already be casing your place." Sam replied, a protective edge in his comment.

A warm, brotherly feeling was beginning to fill my chest, "No. He would never… hurt me."

"He didn't hurt you. He tried to kill you, Steve." was the curt reply.

"Well, I can handle this." I retorted, getting annoyed that Sam felt I was unable to protect myself. I heard a train conductor announce a stop. I recognized it immediately, "Where are you, Sam?"

There was silence on the other end of the phone as I heard a train door slide open then shut and depart, "I'm a few blocks from your place." He sounded contrite.

"Sam." I said angrily.

"Now don't 'Sam' me. We are a team." he corrected me sternly.

My mouth opened and closed because I knew he was right. We were a team. I didn't ask him, but he volunteered. We made a team.

"Fine. You're buying the beers tonight for being such an ass." I shot back.

"Deal." he concluded and hung up.