Butterflies (Bucky Barnes Daughter)

TWELVE

The shadows of 3 figures danced along the floor. A man, holding the sleeping body of a child and a woman. They walked side by side through the cold underground base, the woman sticking to his side closely. 

"We need to take her to the doctor to get checked out" a guard spoke reluctantly, scared of angering the man. He paid no attention to the man and kept his head facing forward, continuing through the halls.

"We have a doctor, I will check her out" the woman answered. No one dared to move close to them. Guards and doctors lined the hallways, watching the man carrying his sleeping daughter.

The cell door was already open when they arrived, they walked in and shut the metal door behind them. He moved towards the cot and placed Mila down, tucking her into the thin sheets. Yana walked over to the pair, a sad smile on her face. "I'll check her out in the morning, right now she needs rest" the woman spoke, looking at the man. 

He looked at her and nodded slowly. Moving towards her, he felt flushed, like hot water had been poured over his head. A small blush crept up her cheeks, leaving her face a glowing pink. "Uh, thank you, for today, helping me find her" he stuttered. He wasn't used to talking this much. Normally he wasn't allowed to talk, she let him talk, she treated him like a human.

"Of course. I wanted her back too, she is something special that's for sure" she looked at Mila's sleeping body. The two watched her chest rising and falling in a smooth, soft rhythm. It calmed them both down, he let the weight off his shoulders, she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Can I ask you something" she whispered, keeping her soft voice down, afraid of waking the small girl.

He froze, no one ever asked him anything, they just told him what to do. "Uh, sure, sure" he stuttered again.

"What do you want me to call you? I know these people call you Soldier and Mila calls you Papa but no one refers to you by your name". It was a simple question, one with a very simple answer. Only he had no idea what his name was.

"I don't know what my name is. They don't tell me anything". Yana felt a wave of nausea wash over her. These sick people kept everything from him, he was some sort of caged animal to them. She wanted more than anything to grab his hand, take Mila and run away from this hell hole. But they can't, no one can escape this place.

"I read your file, when I was brought here. I couldn't read the whole thing, only bits and pieces but I can't remember much, only your name". She looked at him with a hopeful gaze. She wanted him to have something that was his, truly and completely his.

"Really, you know what my name is" he pivoted his body to face hers. She nodded at him, the corners of her mouth turned up into a small smile. He hesitated, not knowing if he was allowed to know this information. The last thing he wanted was for Yana to get hurt because of him, he was beginning to care for the woman. "What is it" he mumbled, keeping his gaze stuck on the stain on her shoe.

Yana took both hands in hers and held them together. She stepped forward, closing the space between them. She leaned in and whispered in his ear. "James" Yana pulled away from the side of his face, her gaze stuck on the stain on her shoe. 

"I would like for you to call me James" he whispered. Yana looked into his ocean eyes and smiled. 

"Okay" she breathed. Yana let her hands drop to her side, smoothing out her wrinkly skirt. She walked to the door, stopping before knocking. "Good night James" she said in her silky voice that brought an unfamiliar feeling to his chest. And with that Yana knocked on the steel door and left the room. A smile on her face, and the ghost of one on his.

***

It had been a few days since Mila was reunited with her papa and Yana. She was very closed off, still hurt by the whole Yelena incident. Mila found it difficult to talk to anyone, do anything and eat anything. Yana had done the tests the morning after she returned. Nothing was wrong with her and she still had a few days before she had to get her injections.