Chapter 10
Three months of happiness and simple missions. Bucky felt like his skin was going to shake off his bones.
Oakleigh had done rounds of dialysis to clean his blood from her system. She had a horrible migraine after the procedure but woke the following morning feeling better than she had since waking up to Bucky.
As far as Bruce could tell, there were no more cells that weren't hers in her body. He was confident that she was now perfectly fine and should experience no more complications. Bucky was happy it was such a simple fix.
Ozwald was still out there, and as much as Oakleigh knew, they were not looking for him. Steve and Bucky had FRIDAY continuously run software to search for him. Wherever the weasel was hiding out, he stayed away from any camera or facial recognition software.
The team continued to go on missions, usually in smaller groups. Some would go, and some would stick around. When Oakleigh complained to Bucky, he told her this was how things usually were. They did not all run out the door whenever there was a problem. Stark would asses who needed to go and would assign the right people. No one was sticking around to babysit her.
Not that she had much time to spend with anyone who did stay behind. Stark had been great at getting her into a medical program. Field experience was great, but from being a patient in Bruce's lab, she knew technology and the medical field had advanced way beyond her limited knowledge.
She took her courses at NYU Grossman school of medicine with a shadow. Oakleigh swallowed her complaint at having a SHEILD agent attending her classes with her; she knew she was already pushing Bucky's boundaries.
She had already been attending classes for a month and already was swamped with homework and knowledge, which was great because it gave her something to focus on instead of worrying about Bucky. He and Steve had destroyed two more Hydra facilities.
"I have study group tomorrow, so I won't be able to be here when you get in."
Bucky felt his shoulders tighten; he pressed the phone tighter to his ear. Oakleigh had explained to him that in her classes, the students were encouraged to form study groups with their peers to help them stay on track.
"What time will you be back?"
The line went silent as she juggled things on her end. Bucky had called while she had been walking to her next class, wanting to try and catch her before he got on the plane. He could hear other students talking in the background and the sound of cars driving around.
"I am hoping before 11, but last time we went into the morning. I don't want to make any promises."
"How is Devin working out?"
"For a spy, he doesn't do a great job of blending in."
Bucky rolled his eyes; Devin was top of their class and passed every ring Bucky made him just through before allowing him to guard his girlfriend.
"Devin is an agent."
"Same thing. Either way, he's fine. Stays out of the way mostly. He does have a bit of a staring problem, much like you do."
"I don't have a staring problem."
Oakleigh snorted, "Oh please, even back in the day, every time I would look at you, you were already looking at me."
"There isn't anything wrong with admiring my girlfriend." Steve shot him a small smile.
"Oh yea, nothing sexier than being caked in mug, sweat and blood."
"It worked for you." She snorted.
"That's disgusting. Get back safe ok? I have to get to my next class."
"Be safe."
Oakleigh checked her watch, she had ten minutes to walk, and there was a coffee cart along the way. Perfect!
.
"Leukemia?"
"Are you asking me, or are you telling me?"
Oakleigh watched as her study mates went back and forth, exchanging cue cards.
"Telling you, this guy has cancer."
"Correct, and we should probably end there; O's been tapped out for the past twenty minutes."
"Sorry." She smiled; her phone had been vibrating in her pocket for the last hour. "My boyfriend gets home tonight; I'm anxious to see him."
Janice smiled at her. "Awe, that is so sweet. Let's definitely get out of here then; we can pick up tomorrow after classes."
Daniel and Rob nodded in agreement. "Sounds good; I think my coffee buzz wore off at midnight."
Oakleigh really liked her group. Rob and Janice came from the same hometown; they were always in competition together. Daniel was from New York and was a spectator in their arguments, much like she was.
"Cya tomorrow."
Oakleigh made her way out of the library, Devin following a couple of feet behind her like a creep. She saw him take out his phone when they exited the building, probably telling Stark or Bucky her movements like she was the queen or something.
Getting into the bulletproof SUV, Stark insisted she drive to and from class; she quickly pulled onto the road. Her phone rang as soon as she pulled onto the main road.
"Figures you're still awake. Steve keeping my side of the bed warm till I get home."
"I had to kick him out. You know he's a snorer."
Oakleigh laughed; as much as the blonde liked to deny it, he was a snorer.
"How was the mission?"
"Fine, we managed to get to three facilities. It feels like it's never-ending. Still no info on Ozwald."
"I thought we weren't going to obsess over him."
"I haven't stopped thinking about him, O."
Oakleigh adjusted her hands on the steering wheel. "He is not worth it. All you are doing is working yourself up over something you can't control."
"You asked me to put it to the back of my brain; I tried to do that. He's a threat to you; I can not 'wait and see' what happens when he does decide to show his face."
"I have a question." The line stayed silent. "What happens with him once we apprehend him?"
More silence.
"I'll be home in forty minutes; the streets are clear."
"Well, it's the middle of the night."
The streets were quiet; there usually were fewer cars and many more people walking from bar to bar or travelling by train underground.
"I expect you to be bright-eyed once I get there." She lowered her voice. "I missed you."
Oakleigh smirked, hearing the long inhale on Bucky's end of the line.
Luckily everyone was asleep or in their own rooms once she returned. Oakleigh stopped at the kitchen on her way up, her heart racing as she waited for Bucky to come for her. He knew he had FRIDAY alerted him as soon as she pulled onto the property. Devin probably had also sent him an update before heading to his own room.
When she did not make her way to their room in a reasonable amount of time, she knew he would come looking for her.
She heard his footsteps, he could have approached silently, but he wanted to tip her off that he was there. Startling her was the last thing he wanted to do.
"You should know better than to sneak up on someone holding a weapon Sargent." His arms slid around her waist, pressing his chest into her back.
He pressed a kiss to her ear, nuzzling his nose into her neck, inhaling deeply.
"You're cruel." He told her. "After all your teasing over the phone, you're going to stop into the kitchen to cut apples?"
"Energy is important when planning to engage in physical activity."
Bucky snorted. "You don't even like apples."
"No, but you do."
Oakleigh took a small slice of green apple and held it over her shoulder. Bucky took the fruit into his mouth, licking her finger along the way.
His felt hand lazily played along the seam of her jeans, toying with the button but not popping it open. Oakleigh's thighs clenched, her breath hitched, and her hold on the knife tightened.
Bucky smiled into her neck. Sliding his hand down her forearm, he took the knife from her placing it on the cutting board.
"Get your butt upstairs." He pulled back from her ear, moving from her body.
"There you go giving orders again." She shook her head.
Bucky watched her with his trained gaze as she turned to smile up at him. A piece of apple in her hand, she put half of it in her mouth, sucking the juice from it before taking a bite.
"But if you insist." She raised her hands in surrender, turning and leaving the kitchen.
She knew Bucky followed her, but she could not hear his footsteps trailing her this time. Excitement tightened the muscles in her stomach, and she could feel her panties sticking to her.
The elevator door closed behind them, and Oakleigh smiled, feeling Bucky's hands at her hips, backing her against the wall.
"Mmm, you taste like apples," Oakleigh told him between kisses.
Bucky snorted. "You are ridiculous."
Once they were in the room, things slowed. Oakleigh climbed on top of Bucky, ditching her jeans on the floor. She unzipped his pants and pulled them down his legs, grabbing hold of his boxers before he could flip her to her back. He tensed when her mouth swallowed around his head.
His back flopped down onto the mattress as she played with him, licking, sucking, stroking. She knew him as well as he knew her, and as much as she wanted to get him off like this, when he reached to pull her up his body, she let him.
He wrapped his arms around her, his cock pressed between their stomachs. He played with her bra strap, the black and deep blue lace peeking through.
"You wear this to class?"
Her panties were a solid black but did not cover much and were also lace. He could feel her juices leaking out the sides of her panties, could smell it. While the look of her in her panties and bra made his balls ache, they did not look overly comfortable.
"I mean, I wore those clothes over it."
He cocked his brow at her. Natasha had taken her shopping several times after their first adventure out. They picked up clothes and underwear; this was definitely a new pair he had not seen before.
Oakleigh rocked her hips against his, her clit rubbing against the base of his cock. She hummed at the feeling, loving having him back in their bed. It had only been two weeks, but it was hard for her when he was not here.
She had been trapped in a bedroom away from him for years, and she was reminded of her time underground when he was away.
"I missed you." She trained her lips from his ear down his neck until she got to the end of his shoulder. "I like it best when you're here."
He hulled her up his chest, sliding her panties to the side and sinking her down onto his. Oakleigh's head fell back, the ends of her hair tickling his thighs.
"What here?"
She clenched down on him, panting slightly. He brought her lips back to his, letting her sit on him while they made out. Bucky felt the change in her mood. As much as Oakleigh loved him, she did it more with her actions and in roundabout ways while speaking.
He felt it the entire time he was gone, in her texts and in her voice when they called each other. She did not like being here without him, alone in their bed. She never voiced it, but he knew she was feeling the loss of him and Steve. He had felt it, too, while he was away. He missed having her in arms reach. Not able to check in with her, watch her, or steal kisses when he wanted.
"I don't like being away from you either," Bucky told her, licking into her mouth.
She sighed into him, her body relaxing as she settled in his lap. Her body accepted every last inch he wanted to give her. Bucky unclasped her bra, tossing it off the bed toward his abandoned shirt.
Oakleigh laid her arms over his shoulders, her hips rolling, lifting up a couple of inches to come back down again. He groaned, feeling his head bump against her cervix. He watched her forehead wrinkle at the deep angle. She repeated the motion, bringing her lips back to his.
Bucky groaned. He had one hand behind him on the bed; the other wrapped tightly around her waist. He thrust with her, meeting her every time she slides down him. Earning sweet little mews from her lips.
Her hands played with the hair on his head, scratching his scalp lovingly and grabbing the hair in her fist when he pushed up a little too forceful and hit her cervix. They continue this way until they are both damp with sweat. Oakleigh vibrates and convulses with her orgasm and trembles against him, cuddles her to him and lays on his back, bringing her down on his chest.
Her legs bracket his sides. Bucky planets his feet on the bed, thrusting shallow and gentle until she started to fuck him back. Tremors dying down and hips moving with purpose, her hands pressing into his chest so she could rise off of him, sitting fully in his lap. Bucky holds her hands in place, letting her play and bounce on him. Watching her eyes flutter closed and only for half a second did his mind flutter back to her bedroom in Siberia.
His back on that rug, her eyes closed like she imagined they were in a better place. Her hands pressed into his chest, her squeezed tight around him, her hips only leaving his for a moment before coming back down.
Sitting back up, her nipples rubbed against his chest, Oakleigh's eyes fluttered back open in surprise. Bucky nipped at her lower lip, placing her around back around his shoulders. Oakleigh hugged him as they rolled, and he placed her down into the warm blankets.
Oakleigh brought her legs around his lower back to hug him fully, encouraging him to lay his full weight down on her.
'I'm killing him.' Bucky thought, answering Oakleigh's question from earlier.
"What happens with him once we apprehend him?"
After what Ozwald planned and half succeeded in doing to this perfect girl below him, Bucky would not be apprehending and bringing in anyone.
Bucky rested his forearms down on the bed, feeling his balls jump and tighten. He pressed his lips against her cheek, heart melting when he heard her sigh contently into his shoulder.
Her body tensed beneath his, and she muttered, "Fuck." He came inside her, triggering her to come again.
Her grip loosened on him, her legs falling to the bed. Bucky rolled to the side, exhaustion from the weeks away hitting him all at once. Even though he had a team he trusted to go on missions with, he still stayed alert, unable to relax the entire time. Only getting a collective seven hours here and there when Steve forced him to. Even then, it was fit full, nightmares screen like a movie in his mind.
Now, with Oakleigh cuddled into his side, sleep pulled him under, and he let himself go without a second thought.
Oakleigh slept for a couple of hours, waking up around seven in the morning. Bucky was dead to the world as she slid out from under his arm; taking a quick shower, she pulled on some spandex shorts and a comfortable sweatshirt.
On a typical day, Steve would be up training right about now. Oakleigh wanted to catch him before he left for his run. Unlike Bucky, Steve and Sam would have actually taken their turns and gotten a good amount of sleep. Steve had ratted Bucky out to her during one of their phone calls.
"Hey, university girl." Steve smiled at her as she walked into the kitchen.
"Late start Steve? I half expected you to have been up since four."
He rolled his eyes. "I slept in, figured no one would be up for a while. Sam went home for a couple of days to see his sister and nephews; Bucky won't be up for hours."
"I have to start getting ready for class soon; I needed to talk to you."
Steve stopped puttering at her tone; he nodded toward the patio. Oakleigh followed him out there, taking a seat across from him.
"Did something happen while we were away?" Oakleigh shook her head.
"I know you and Bucky are still looking into Ozwald." Steve's eyes dropped from hers. "Eventually, he is going to show up; when he does, I know Bucky is not planning on bringing him in."
"He's talked to you about it?"
"No, I tried to bring it up earlier, and he didn't answer me; he just went quiet. You know him just as well as I do, better than I do. Even if he hasn't told you, you know he doesn't plan to arrest Ozwald. He'll want to deal with him, not lock him up."
"We have been tracking him, looking in every facility for leads, but nothing has popped off yet." Steve ran a hand over his mouth, thinking. "I know he has plans, but he hasn't discussed them with me. If I had to guess, he knows I won't be totally on board with whatever he's planning, no matter how much Ozward deserves it."
Oakleigh nodded. She may have an ally in Steve yet. "I need you not to be. Killing him is not going to fix anything, and it won't make Bucky feel better, even if he believes it will. Bucky could get locked up for going after him unprovoked. I need him, Steve. Not locked away in some cell at some hidden SHIELD facility, I'm probably not even allowed to visit."
"I don't think anyone will be able to stop him, O."
"Stop looking for Ozwald, Steve. Pause the search, get FRIDAY to delete the data and start again. I don't care. Just stop. I'm scared for him, ok. You guys are all I have, and I'm not going to lose either of you because of stupid Hydra." Oakleigh played with her sleeves. "They took all our lives in one way or another once; they don't deserve to take our second chance."
"He checks in with the search every day."
"And you don't think that's a problem?"
"I didn't say it wasn't a problem. I am saying that he'll notice if he is not getting updates."
"Then send him fake updates! I don't care how you go about this, as long as it's done. I asked Bucky to leave it alone three months ago, and he didn't. He just kept looking behind my back, so now I'm doing what I have to do."
"I love Bucky too, O. I don't want to see him hurt, in jail or otherwise. This situation with Ozwald, it's messy. You were hurt, and Buck he just wants to fix it, even though he knows whatever he does to Ozwald won't undo the past. I think it's also triggering him; he mentioned Gavin the other day. The threat of him being out there, the threat to you, the thought he might get the chance to do it again. It's become an obsessive thought in his mind."
"And we are going to protect him from himself."
Steve stared at her. "I can slow down our data search and re-survey a few countries. But once we have a location, you know Bucky will drop everything."
"We can't let Bucky get the location first. Tony or Fury, someone has to get that notification first and be moving before Bucky even has a chance to hear about it. If Ozwald is locked up, Bucky won't have a chance at him."
"Alright. Fury and Stark have already had their eyes on the situation. They know Bucky is actively looking. I will make it so Bucky still gets updates but will change it so when there is a positive ID, the information does not get sent to him."
"Thank you. I know you don't like this, that even though it's what is best, you feel like you're betraying him."
"I just want him to have peace."
"He will. We all will."
