The Night We Met | Steve / Bucky

thirty-one - medicine

Tucked away in the green mountains of western Ireland, sat a small wooden cabin. A small porch greeted guests - if there were to be any. An open plan living and kitchen area with one bedroom and bathroom off to the right. The furniture was basic - quaint. There was not much livable about the cabin. The windows were boarded up - darkness filling the cabin constantly. Liquor bottles flooded the floor and the countertops - most of which were empty, some half-drunk, others unopened. Bottles of pills filled the kitchen cabinets, pills spilled on the floor and the coffee table. 

Disconnected from civilization, the outside world and anything around, Katherine Stark lived out her days. She wore her familiar grey sweats and plain shirt from Wakanda. She was frightening pale and gaunt. Strands of her hair was tied up to a bun on the top of her head, the rest hanging low. She had bags under her eyes - she looked tired all of the time. She couldn't sleep - her body wouldn't allow it.

Katherine shuffled her feet from the bedroom to the kitchen - it felt like noon. She kicked the glass bottles on the floor that got in her way. The clunking of the glass sent pains to Katherine's head. Katherine squeezed her eyes tightly for a moment before opening them and grabbing the first bottle that reached her hand - a bottle of whiskey. It felt like a whiskey day. Katherine twisted the cap off, taking a glug. She reached up and opened the cabinet above her head - the only contents being pills and salted crackers. Katherine took the bottle of pills, spilling three or four into her palm and throwing them to the back of her throat. She continued to guzzle down the whiskey. 

As the pills slid down her throat, into her system, a thud was heard from the fields surrounding the cabin. Katherine peeked her head around from the kitchen to the living room - there shouldn't be sounds unless it was the local wildlife, but that was rare. Katherine furrowed her brows as she expected another sound to follow but it didn't. She shrugged taking another sip of the whiskey in front of her. The liquid burned as she drank, but it felt good. She felt lighter - numb. 

Katherine threw the cap of the bottle across the countertop, knowing she was not going to need it. All of a sudden, a loud thud was heard, sunlight filling the room. Katherine immediately shut her eyes as the sunlight burned. She managed to squeeze her eyes open revealing the front door of the cabin had been violently pushed open. A large figure stood in the doorway. Katherine looked to the figure, rolling her eyes. 

The figure wore a suit of iron that Katherine knew too well. "What do you want, Tony?" Katherine spat, sipping her whiskey, making her way to the living room and sitting down. 

Tony removed his mask, revealing his face. A face Katherine hadn't seen in nearly half a year. Tony expected a greater reaction, but he was thankful to bare witness to Katherine. "That's it?" Tony asked, looking around at the state of the cabin. He looked on disgusted at the sight of the liquor bottles - the smell of alcohol burning his nostrils. "Yeah, I'm doing good. Thanks for asking." Tony looked to his younger sister who sat unamused on the couch. Tony walked forward, noticing empty bottles of pills on the coffee table. He picked up the bottle, examining it - they were unlabeled. 

Katherine exhaled, "What do you want?"

Tony put the bottle back on the coffee table and standing up straight. He looked to his sister, feeling slightly sick to his stomach. "Well, Kat. When I didn't get an update from you or from Wakanda and T'Challa had no idea where you were, I figured you went MIA." Tony miffed. "Not an easy find, by the way."

Katherine still didn't look amused. She took another swig from the bottle in her hand. Tony reached over and grabbed the bottle from her, "Hey!" Katherine jumped up looking to Tony. Tony threw the bottle through the ajar door. The bottle landed in the grass in front of the cabin.