Hard to Love (Bucky Barnes fanfic)

Chapter 52

"You can't be serious."

Steve gives me a stern look with a shake of his head. "No."

"You really think whoever we're going after won't be suspicious of the two boulders of muscle trailing after them?" I retaliate, giving Steve an identical stern expression. "I'm going in alone." I state once more to drive my point into both their skulls

"What if you need help?" Bucky chimes in, leaning forward from the back seat of the car

I open my mouth to respond but the continuously increasing feeling of my veins being pulled in a direction makes me wince. The tiny action not going unnoticed by the two super soldiers

"We're going in with you, end of story." Steve broods. I let out an aggravated sigh

"No. You're not. Just stay by the car and keep lookout." I frown at both of them. Proving that I won't budge on my decision

"Doll please." Bucky sighs out in one last feeble attempt to persuade me

I bring my attention to him, his steel blue eyes emitting a tenderness that could melt my heart. I raise a hand to his cheek, cradling him while my thumb swiped over his short stubble

"I got this Buck." I half whisper towards him, hoping to the heavens he believes my words. "I love you." I offer in a softer tone

Bucky keeps his eyes locked with mine but turns his head slightly, kissing my palm. I grin, thanking the gods that the argument was finally over. It only lasted a couple minutes as Steve drove is in the direction I instructed before pulling over again when the tugging in my veins turned to a constant throbbing sensation. Twisting a bit more in my seat to fully face Bucky, I lean back towards him, kissing his lips with a silent promise of more to follow later. Steve turning to look away

"Love you too." Bucky breathed out once we parted. I offer a smile towards him before releasing my hold on him and opening my door

"Be careful Amelia. Signal if you need us." Steve calls from his seat

I shoot him a thumbs up, closing my door, and nervously strutting across the street. The pulsating feeling in my body growing rapidly along with my anxiety as I walked down the sidewalk, passing by a handful of people. All either on their phones, engaged in conversation with the person they were walking with, or keeping their head down to keep warm. Any one of them could be my target and I'd have no clue, the only indication being the thumping in my muscles

As I reach the end of the street, chewing on my bottom lip debating on which direction to head in, a chorus of people gasping and chatting caught my attention. I speed up my pace, curious to the alarmed commotion, and round the corner. Less than twenty feet in front of me stood a small crowd of various different people, all circling around something in the center of them. Their loud worried murmurs filling the air

Followed by a pained gasp and "it hurts! It hurts!"

The thumping in my veins increasing almost to the point where I can't stand it, wanting to fall to the ground as well and cry out in pain. Glancing around the intersection for any suspicious activity, I stride over to the crowd, forcing myself to move closer. At this point it felt like my skin was being pulled by the worlds strongest magnet, ready to tear off of me at any moment

I push a few people to the side allowing me to squeeze forward with an apology as I do. I notice one of the taller men pull out his phone and dial for emergency services. Placing my hand over his screen before he could press the green call button, I offer him a shake of my head before finally reaching the center

A thin, dark olive skinned woman lay on the sidewalk clutching her knees to her chest. Her tight dark curls spilling out from under her black knit hat and sweat adorned her scrunched up forehead. She had freckles splattered across her nose and cheeks, both also twisted into a pained expression. Based on appearance, I'd say she's roughly the same age as me, maybe even a few years older