Return to Sender {bucky barnes/winter soldier}

009 : Override Controls

'Don't stop.' Bucky thought to himself as he ran down the streets of New York. He could feel that the person behind him was gaining. Running faster, he dodged the attacks. The sound of torn mailboxes being thrown at him and landing on the pavement echoed behind him as he continued to run. Suddenly he stopped, two separate paths and one large field ahead of him.

Without glancing back, he knew the person was gaining on him. In a split second decision between which two paths he would chose, he decided to run to the right. As he ran down the narrow hallway he looked behind him to see a blurry figure chasing him down. Speeding up he ran down the hall but stopped in his tracks to see that he was now above a very steep cliffside. 

Standing on a platform that ended only a couple feet away from him, he looked down at the ever growing darkness below. Suddenly a fear that he had repressed for years started to enter into his mind. His eyes widened as he clutched on tight to the ground below him, looking behind him to see the figure getting closer. He closed his eyes tight waiting for impact.

Waking up in a panic, Bucky opened his eyes to see a frightened Mila beneath him. His arm embedded in the metal flooring of the jet inches away from her head. Immediately he jumped backwards, confused as to what had happened.

"Wha- What?" He asked pushing himself away from Mila. In her eyes she could see how scared he was, scared of himself.

"I- You were sleeping in the back, I told the others that I would check on you while they got food. You- you were saying things." She tried to maintain a cool composure to not feed into his fear. "Then you started yelling and your arm kept jerking you around. So I went to wake you up, but you rolled me over and- well, yeah."

Bucky sat in the corner looking at the hole in the floor. "It was so real." He whispered still trying to make sense of what had happened. His eyes began to soften, but he was still terrified of hurting her. He looked at her just a couple feet away and stumbled backwards.

"Hey hey hey. Bucky. I can call you Bucky right?" Mila pushed herself up and slowly made her way over to Bucky to comfort him. He watched her from across the room and turn himself to the side to put distance between them. He took his hand off the side of the wall and face her, still silent. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

"I can't." He began. "I don't want to hurt you. I don't- i don't know why- i just don't want-" a tear rolled down his cheek as his breathing quickened." Mila cut him off. "You don't want to hurt me, I get it. I understand." She walked towards him slowly to not startle him. It was like he was a deer in the woods and she was trying not to scare him away. "You won't hurt me Bucky. I know you won't."

As soon as she got close enough, she wrapped her arms around his body, enveloping him in a tight hug. "I had my fist inches away from your head. I could've killed you-"

"-but you didn't."

"If I didn't wake up..." He trailed off.

"You had a nightmare. It happens." She comforted him.

"No. This was different. I can't control it. I- you have to get away from me." He attempted to push her off, but she stayed and continued to hold him.

"Bucky, you won't hurt me and I'm not going anywhere. I trust you." Mila reassured him, rubbing his back in an attempt to calm him down. After hesitating, he loosened up and hugged her back, pushing his head into her shoulder. "You're okay. See? I'm okay. You didn't hurt me." His grip tightened on her as he realized that he wasn't a threat at the moment. Her touch softened him as he broke down in her arms.

"What were you thinking about?" She pried softly.

"Nothing." He spoke quickly and defensively before giving in. "Something I haven't thought about in years. I'm sorr-"