Complicated Love (Bucky Barnes x Reader)

Chapter 27: The Shooter

"How was Peggy?" I asked as Steve walked towards the motorcycle I'm currently sitting on. I found out where Peggy was staying through one of her daughters. I visited her the other day and wanted to give Steve a chance to talk to her by himself.

"It was nice," he says and I hand him the keys. "Did she forget you? Like mid conversation?" He was trying not to be hurt, I could tell.

"Yea, that's what Alzheimer's will do to a person. It sucks," I say, recalling our conversation. "She told me how much the SSR was stressful without me. Always having to deal with men trying to get into her way." This made Steve smile and he got on the bike.

"I have one more stop. I think you will like this place," Steve says and starts to drive. We made our way through the city, stopping at a building at the end of the city. We both got off the bike and made our way inside.

In the distance, I could hear someone speaking and we followed the voice. We got to a room, seeing it full of people and Sam up in front of everyone. They were all listening to this one girl speaking in the audience.

"The thing is I think it's getting worse. A cop pulled me over last week, he thought I was drunk. I swerved to miss a plastic bag," she says. "I thought it was an IED." This must be some group therapy for PTSD. Possibly for veterans. Was coming here to see Sam or to get into this group?

"Some stuff you leave there, other stuff you bring back. It's our job to figure out how to carry it. Is it gonna be in a big suitcase or in a little man-purse. It's up to you," Sam says to everyone in the room.

The group meeting ends soon after that and Steve and I wait for Sam to finish saying his goodbyes. "Look who it is. The running man and the ice queen," Sam says, and I nod my head as a hello.

"You might want to watch out, when her ice side comes out it's scary," Steve says, and I let my powers flow through my body, knowing that my eyes will turn an icy blue, just to freak Sam out a bit. "Funny, cut it out or you will scary the poor man away."

"She will have to try harder than that," Sam comments, giving me a smile. I look down to the ground quickly, unable to make eye contact with him when he is trying to flirt with me.

"We caught the last few minutes. It's pretty intense," Steve says, diverting the conversation.

"Yeah, we all have the same problems. Guilt, regret," Sam says.

"You lose someone?" I ask, lifting my head back up.

"My wingman, Riley. Flying a night mission. Standard PG rescue op, nothing we hadn't done a thousand times before, till RPG knock Riley's dumb ass out of the sky. Nothing I could do. It's like I was up there just to watch," Sam says and I give him a sympathetic look.

Steve and I both say sorry and Sam says, "After that, I had a really hard time finding a reason for being over there, you know?"

"But you're happy now, back in the world?" Steve asks. Steve and I have been trying to find our purpose since skipping 70 years. I have always submerge myself in my work, but it has not been the same. Maybe Steve wants to retire. Maybe I should.

"Hey, the number of people giving me orders is down to about zero. So hell yeah. You two thinking about giving out?"

"No, I don't know. To be honest, I don't know what I would do with myself if I did," Steve says.

"Ultimate fighting?" Sam asks, and we all laugh. "It's just a great idea off the top of my head. But seriously, you could do whatever you want to do. What makes you guys happy?"

Bucky. He was what made me happy. In the 40's, I was either working, spending my time with Steve or going on dates with Bucky. Now, I just feel like a piece of me died when Bucky fell off that train.