Words: 2525

Warnings: none

SUMMARY:

Bucky returns to normal life after being a part of Avengers team. One day, on the street of New York, he meets a young woman. He doesn’t know yet, that this meeting is gonna change everything he used to know.

Authors: Beast & Cass 

The city was a vast, intricate, labyrinth
of noisy, streets and alleys. He could hear the incessant honking of the
vehicles even before the sun rose. Impatient businessmen who had to get to the
office, mothers who had to leave their children at their schools, facing the
puzzling challenge of navigating through the crowd of parents and children;
even some of the teachers who had stopped at the local bakery to get a bagel or
two before their morning classes. After every person had reached their
respective destination, the traffic congestions cleared significantly as if
humungous snakes had eaten their fills and were retracting back into their dark
and eerie caves.

Walking down the street, Bucky could smell
the fresh batch of sweet and spicy rolls being baked for the lunch hour rush.
To him, it was a clear sign of the city slowly waking up.
He anticipated to see what the new day would bring for him. Maybe a new reason
to run again. Maybe an accidental meeting with someone he used to know before.
Or maybe even hope…

She was runing as fast as she only could.
“Sorry!”
That was all she could say, pushing people out of her way, no metter who it
was. She was only focused at running away from cold claws of danger.

This young woman has been betrayed by her
own family, her life full of happiness and prosperity has changed into an
elopement.

Whole city was waking up, when she was
still running, all people and smells that were catching her attention before.
were now meaningless.
All she craved was safty… A place that will be safe enough to lost
S.H.I.E.L.D’s agents that had order to find and capture her because of what she
was.

She could feel her heart pounding inside
her chest, every breath, and every step was her little prayer.

Suddenly she bumped at well-build man, and
trying not to fall onto ground, young woman instinctively caught both of his
arms. One of them felt normal, like a flesh, but the other was cold and firm.
She quickly looked around and then her glance stopped at the man.
“I’m so sorry, sir.” Woman said trying to catch her breath.
She moved away from man and continued to run.

Bucky has been taken out of reverie by
surprise.

Trying to secure the woman from falling
down, he caught her elbows and hold her firmly in the place.

“Not a prob…” he even didn’t end
his sentence, because girl has rushed to escape.

Bucky shook his head in disbelief,
murmuring something in Russian under his breath. He continued his walk down the
street, but it wasn’t long before he has been stopped again.

The familiar uniform has showed up on the
horizon and within few seconds a tall man stopped next to Bucky.

“Excuse me, have you seen a young
woman? She had grey hoodie and black pants on?” man asked, looking around.

Bucky hesitated for a moment.                
First of all, he was afraid of being exposed. Secondly, he had seen a dread in
the eyes of young woman from few minutes before.

He shook his head slightly.
“No. I haven’t. Sorry.”
He was glad. He had sounded as firm as it was necessary.

Other man thanked shortly and ran further,
leaving Bucky in the middle of sidewalk.

Street was a terrible place, everyone could
see her.
For sure this weird guy told Agents, that he has seen her… And for sure he had
shown them direction.

Woman quickly jumped into alley to hide
from the crowd of main street. Maybe now she will lose them..

Girl pulled hood onto her head and started
walk slowly, looking around. Everything was so… New for her.
This was first time in her entire life, when she had to run for her life, she
couldn’t believe, that her own family wanted to get rid of her.

Her family was too high settled, their fame
and good reputation was more important than love to their daughter.

Young woman looked around and took a deep
breath, she had no idea what to do now. This whole place was filthy.
She flinched, when she stepped into mud.
“God… How could I end up like this.”
She whimpered and continued her walk.
She saw stuff, that were really far away from her standards. She used to spend
her time in beautiful places, where everything was gorgeous and expensive, but
right now she was surrounded by mud, homeless people, rats and stray animals.
From woman in dress she changed into a woman wearing the hood and trying to
escape from death.

In the same time, Bucky has made quick
shopping and headed back to his flat.

He was renting a little apartment on
Brooklyn.
It had one larger room, little kitchen and the bathroom. Nothing else, but it
was enough for him to survive.

Bucky entered his hideout and first steps
he headed to the kitchen, where he placed shopping bags on the table’s counter.
Then he walked back to the front door and man made sure he had locked them.

Bucky flopped onto the old couch, not even
taking off his leather jacket. He pulled a box of cigarettes out of his pocket
and he lit one, inhaling deeply with a smoke.
He couldn’t stop thinking about that young woman. Somehow she caught his
thoughts.

Cold wind made her shiver, she also wasn’t
used to such situations.

She took a deep breath and tried to think.
What to do now? Where to hide? Is this the end?

Bucky ended his cigarette and he laid down
on his couch.
Looking up at the ceiling, he was thinking of his previous life, when he used
to be part of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Now, nothing was the same anymore. Because of his arguments with Tony Stark, he
has ended being the enemy number one to everyone. Even to Steve…

Bucky didn’t realize, when he fell asleep.

She was tired, trying not to sleep was too
hard. Her eyelids were really heavy, but before she even could close her eyes,
she saw familiar uniforms somewhere in the crowd.
“No..” She whimpered scared and got up only to quickly run away.

Young woman ran into skyscraper, she tried
to knock to many doors, but most of flats were empty at this time or people
were simply ignoring her.

She tried on every floor, everytime it was
the same: people’s ignorance or emptiness.

Finally, she got onto 13th floor.
She started banging into door from local F9, which were close to the lift.
“Please! Help me! I need help! I beg you! Show some mercy!” Her voice was
nothing more than mix of fear and sob. “Please… I beg you..” Woman whimpered.

Bucky growled deeply as he has been woken
up from his dream.

Cursing under his breath, he walked to the
door and opened them wide.

“What the fuck you…” he had
been snapping for a second, but became silent shortly after. “What the
hell.. I remember you..”

She blinked, looking at man, he was like
three times bigger than her.

“I… I remember you too..”
Woman said and wanted to run away but she heard group of people, knocking and
checking doors on lower floor.

She shivered, terrified, and looked back at
man.
“Please… hide me… I beg you, don’t let them get me.” Woman whimpered, grabbing
his arms in act of desperation.
Her sight was full of fear and sadness.

When the footsteps get louder, she simply
ran into man’s flat, not paying attention to him.

Bucky blinked in a disbelief.
“Wait… What…” but before he has ended his sentence, the woman
just entered his flat without asking about his permission.

“Who do you think you are? I don’t
need any extra trouble” he hissed, closing the door.

“Please… Please, sir… Please… hide me,
protect me. I’m begging you.”
She whispered full of pure fear and panic, woman even fell onto her knees.

Her breath stopped, when she heard knocking
to the door.
“Oh… God… No…” She said quietly and quickly hide in man’s bedroom, not even
saying a word.

Bucky looked at her with a cold gaze, then
he improved his jacket and went to open the door.

“How can I help you?” he said
firmly as he opened the door.

Tall man, dressed in a S.H.I.E.L.D uniform,
gave him a little nod.
“I’m sorry. We are looking for a young fugitive. Have you seen a not too
tall woman with long dark hair, dressed in a hoodie?” man asked simply,
looking directly at Bucky.

Barnes made a grimace, like he would be
thinking deeply.
“No. I was only in the shop today. I haven’t seen anyone. No one as you’ve
described” he said calmy, but in his firm tone.

Other guy nodded slightly and thanked him,
he simply walked away, knocking to another door.

Woman stood close to bedroom’s door,
listening to every word.
She had hope that this man won’t tell them she is in his flat, he didn’t want
to have problems.

She felt guilty for putting him into such a
situation, they were complete strangers to each other and she made him deal
with S.H.I.E.L.D agents, even when she shouldn’t, but her fear and panic were
too huge to think rationally.

When man closed main door, she slowly left
his room.
“Um… Sir, I want to apologize for this. I shouldn’t do this… But my fear of
those people is too deep to behave rationally. I really should look at your
safety.” She explained slowly, taking off her hood.

Young woman looked slowly around.
“You have… nice flat… here.” She said, flinching.

Bucky was measuring her with cold glance,
his hands on his hips. “Sorry? Is that all you want to say?” he
hissed loudly, taking two huge steps towards woman. He stopped in front of her,
his face a few inches from her. “Who? Are? You?” he syllabized every
word, looking straight into her eyes.

She blinked and whimpered, shielding herself with her arms, when angry man got
closer to her. “I… I am Elizabeth… Elizabeth Bonnet… I am an art
student..” Woman whispered, even more scared. Right now she was more
afraid of him then of agents. He was visibly enraged and he had her at reach of
his fingertips.

“I didn’t ask about your name” he
simply pushed her aside with his shoulder, passing her by and flopping on
couch. “I’ve asked WHO are you. If S.H.I.E.L.D is after you, then it means
you’re not only an art student” he pulled out pack of cigarettes and lit
one.
Bucky put one leg on the other, leaning his back comfortaby on the couch. He
inhaled with choking smoke, then he exhaled it, using nose. “Don’t stay
like that, Miss Bonnet. You can take a sit. Don’t worry. I am not gonna hurt
ya.”

She let out unhappy sound, when he pushed
her aside. She turned around, rubbing her shoulder. “I do not know, what I
can tell you. They said that…. I’m a mutant.. but.. I did nothing against
them.”
Elizabeth coughed softly and waved her hand trying to blow away smoke, then she
looked at the couch. “Um… thank you, sir.”
She nodded and politely sat on the edge of the couch.

“Now I’m gonna tell you, what will
happen next.”

Bucky was focusing on the ceiling. He
didn’t even look at the woman sitting next to him.

“You can stay here. However don’t
think I’m doing this, because you took me with your begs” he chuckled
darkly, puffing his cigarette. “I’m doing this, because I have my own old
things to S.H.I.E.L.D. and because I know, how huge assholes they can be.”

He sounded a bit too antipathetical then he
had wanted.

“I have only one condition. Or maybe
two. First, you can use any thing you will find here as your own. I don’t have
problems with sharing my hideout with you, but you won’t be stepping into my
way if not necessary. And second, I need to know everything about you and you
special abilities.”

Bucky
rose from the couch and took his jacket off. The metal, bionic arm has gleamed
into the sunrays falling into thw room through huge window.

“As you can see, I am not an ordinary
person too.”

She listened to him, nodding her head at
his every word.
“O… Okay, sir and I understand, sir.”

Elizabeth bit her lips. “I… I don’t know
what to tell you… Stuff just start to float around me… and I have no control
over me.l sometimes.”
She said and shrugged.

Young woman jumped a bit scared, when he
got up from couch and took off his jacket, she looked at him with her eyes
opened wide.
“That’s why your other arm felt different, when I caught it this morning.”

He rolled his eyes, ending his cigarette.
“Yea. Probably that’s the reason.”

He went to the kitchen and came back
holding two oranges. Bucky handled one to the woman.

“I don’t want any objects to fly
around my place, okay?” he gave her a serious look. “Otherwise you’ll
be kicked out.”

He took a careful look at her. She was so
young. And she looked like a real dame.

“Hope those conditions aren’t too low
for you, Madame.” Barnes switched to his ironic voice. “And now. I
gotta go for a bit” brunette sighed lazily and went to the hanger, taking
his jacket off. “I’m gonna lock the door. Don’t let anyone in. And rest. I
bet you’re tired.”
After those words, Bucky just left.

She slowly took the orange he has offered
her.
“Thank you, sir… I can try to not make them fly… but I told you already, I
can’t control it.”
Woman looked at him a bit scared.

She frowned softly. “This comment was
redundant, sir. I am not gonna answer at such an unnecessary question.”
Elizabeth muttered, feeling offended.

Woman watched him and nodded slowly.
She sighed heavily, when he closed the door. She wasn’t used to such places.
This man tried to be ironic, but he was right, this place was way low beyond
her standards, but she couldn’t say no or run away. She had to accept those
conditions and try to fit in and live with this man in peace.

She was thinking about this for some time
before she slowly fell asleep.

---

Bucky stood watching the line where heaven touched earth. His wide eyes
witnessed the resounding glowing collision. Sparks lit the sky and blood
poured, as the glory of paradise descended further behind the seam of the world.

Barnes sighed deeply, wrapping leather jacket more around his shoulders. He had
spent whole day by walking around the town, thinking. Mostly about the new
situation he had been pulled into. He wasn’t sure, what to do and what to
think.
Bucky felt small as he glanced over his shoulder and saw his shadow slowly
shrinking towards his feet. He looked back to the line, only a few bright
streaks remained to signal heaven’s passing.
The sun had set.

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