𝓲𝓷𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓷𝓲𝓪𝓬 ❖ 𝓫. 𝓫𝓪𝓻𝓷𝓮𝓼

C H A P T E R (3) - C L U M S Y

[TW: unconsensual touching]

Cassie's night had been filled with tossing and turning, something she had expected yet hated nonetheless.

Eventually when the clock struck 3, she succumbed to the restlessness and threw herself out of bed. The cold air wafted over her goosebump-filled skin, sending a small shiver down her spine. With a slight twitch of her limbs, Cassie rubbed her arms roughly in an attempt to warm them up.

It didn't do much as she gazed out the window, an unusual occurrence appearing: Bucky's light was on. Peering inside, she couldn't see him anywhere. She narrowed her eyes, then a sudden movement in the street caught her attention.

She glanced down at the street to spy Bucky strolling on the pathway, seemingly no care in the world as his head dawdled from side to side. Confused, Cassie grabbed the nearest jacket to her bed and hung it over her shoulders, exiting the home as quietly as she could as to not wake her brother.

After making it out into the street, Bucky's figure was merely a silhouette in the distance. He was getting further away, but with the soft moonlight shining down, Cassie could still make out his sauntering body.

She tilted her head as her feet began walking after him, her mind taken away from the cold breeze lingering in the street.

After a few minutes, she was hot on Bucky's trail but still refused to call out, yet she couldn't decide whether it was out of fear from the dark or the cold restricting her throat. Either way, she didn't call out to him.

Cassie silently cursed herself as she walked by a shadowed alley way, silhouettes of garbage bags and other objects leaving an unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach.

A sharp tug of her hair pulled Cassie out of her thoughts, a loud scream erupting out of her mouth. A cold hand was quick to cover it, cutting the scream off as it was muffled against the calloused skin.

She was spun around abruptly to be met with the face of one of the men from yesterday: one who had tried to beat her up.

Cassie was pushed up against the brick wall harshly, a sharp pain aching the back of her head.

"Fancy seeing you here." He muttered angrily, keeping a hushed tone as to not attract attention for anyone strolling around at this time.

"Let me go!" She shrieked after he removed his hand from her mouth.

"And why would I do that?" He laughed, his disgusting breath hitting her nose.

She clenched her jaw and tried her best to remove his grip from her, but it was useless. She threw kicks and punches but the man simply punched her in the bruise on her stomach, causing her to fall to her knees immediately. The pain ached badly and tears began to sting her eyes.

She was pulled up from her knees roughly by her shoulders, once again being shoved into the wall. She flinched at the pain in her head as she felt a hand on her thigh.

Cassie was quick to throw the hand off, only angering the man more. His grip returned on her thigh, only this time, she couldn't remove it. He was holding on too tight for her to move, and she closed her eyes at the situation.

One hand was held over her mouth and the other was suggestively stroking her thigh, making her breathing heavy and panicked. She couldn't scream, she couldn't attack. She was stuck.

Cassie gave in. She had no way out and she was trapped. Pain ate at her strength and her legs were beginning to shake under her own weight, she couldn't hold herself up anymore.

"Tell your boyfriend," the man spoke firmly, "That this is his fault."

Cassie silently cried, letting the tears stream down her face. If she hadn't have been in that harsh situation, she would've defended Bucky. She would've made it clear that they were just best friends since childhood. Yet none of these things mattered to Cassie now. She couldn't even talk. Then, a voice from the entrance of the alley halted her tears.

"Don't touch her."

Bucky.

Cassie let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, yet the mans smug face didn't falter. Instead, he moved back slightly to reveal the grip he had on her thigh.

"Too late." He smirked.

Something inside of Bucky snapped, he threw himself at the man. He continuously punched him and didn't stop, not until Cassie gripped his shoulder. The man was on the floor, limp in Bucky's arms, but he was still breathing despite the amount of blood on his face.

"Bucky...stop." she whispered quietly as the tears fell.

Her soft words broke Bucky, stopping his attack on the man. Instead, he turned and let her fall into his arms. She couldn't hold herself up, and Bucky had to carry her home. He supported her under her neck and knees, letting her tears soak his shirt.

Cassie didn't notice her surroundings change, all she saw was a blur of buildings and Bucky's determined face every so often.

Bucky opened the unlocked front door of the Rogers' house and made his way quickly to Cassie's room, not caring to see Steve. He placed her down gently on her bed before covering her with a blanket for warmth.

Cassie looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and he looked back down at her with nothing but rage and anger.

"Did he...Did he touch you?" He murmured, not meeting her eyes.

Cassie shook her head slightly, it wasn't exactly a lie.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." Bucky whispered repeatedly, throwing his hands through his short hair.

He paced around her room as she watched from a sitting position on her bed. She didn't know how to calm him down, yet she still needed to try.

"Buck, I'm okay. It wasn't your fault."

He scoffed in her direction before he leaned against the wall opposite her and slid down.

"Why were you out there?" He asked.

Cassie gulped, knowing that if she told him, he would only blame himself more. She internally debated whether to lie or not: she could say she was going on a walk, couldn't sleep. Not entirely a lie. But it wasn't the truth either.

Bucky noticed her hesitant expression and put his head against the wall harshly.

"You saw me leave, didn't you?"

Cassie nodded slightly, and he didn't even need to see her to know. He began to stand up and only got to the doorway when her faint voice sounded behind him.

"Please stay." Her voice spoke, laced with sadness, fear and guilt.

Her words halted him, playing with the guilt he felt in his heart.

"I can't." He mumbled in response.

Cassie managed to get out of the bed, ignoring the pain that she felt everywhere. She tripped slightly, and Bucky had just about enough time to catch her before she hit the floor.

"You're clumsy."

"So I've been told."

The pair laughed softly, careful not to wake up Steve. Neither wanted to worry him.

"Now go to sleep." Bucky whispered.

"You know that won't happen..." Cassie trailed, "Stay."

Bucky looked down at her in his arms, their relationship was strictly platonic and had never crossed that line, and now she was asking him to stay with her for the night. He thought to himself that the traumatising event she had been through had possibly messed with her head, that she would've asked anyone to stay.

So reluctantly, he nodded which pleased Cassie to the point where a soft smile marked her vacant expression. She slowly dragged him the few steps to her bed and pulled him onto the bed with her, the warmth of his body drawing her in. Bucky wrapped his arm around her protectively, allowed her to snuggle her head into his chest.

Within minutes, perhaps even seconds, Cassie's eyes had closed. Bucky had even pinched himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming: Cassie was actually asleep.

Although he wasn't in the most comfortable position, he avoided movement at whatever cost. He wasn't going to wake her after she had struggled with sleep for God knows how long.

So he instead let his eyes close slowly after adjusting to the uncomfortable position.

Cassie was asleep, and that's what mattered.