DRΣΔMS

five

his throat went dry at the sight of the woman in front of him, eyes so wide he felt like they'd pop out of his head. his blue eyes bore into her own, unable to mistake the striking familiarity and love that he saw swimming in the depths.

"james," she says, again, this time as more of an affirmation than a question. his name on her lips has his own eyes beginning to burn, and he barely registers that he was walking up to the woman until he grasped her wrist with a surprising gentleness and dragged her away from the observing eyes.

they found a secluded room on the floor beneath the one the festivities were taking place, locking the door behind them before he's turning to face the woman that haunted his dreams.

"kari," he breathes, the oxygen practically leaving his lungs as his eyes rake over every inch of the woman in front of him. she grips his hand, the one he realized was still holding her wrist, and takes his hands in her own as she stares into his drowning blue depths.

"james."

"kari."

they murmured each other's names like that, as if to see if they truly were holding onto each other like they had over seventy years ago.

kari couldn't help the desperate tone in her voice, releasing his hands from her surprisingly tight grip to bring them up to cup his face with shaking hands. he had let his stubble grow out since they'd last seen each other, though she couldn't be surprised; he'd mentioned wanting to grow it out a few times during their time together.

"how are you... how are you here?" he whispers, cupping her own cheeks in a feather light touch.

"i'll explain if you do," she murmurs, drawing a quiet chuckle out of the teary eyed man. but seeing the hesitant look on his face, she goes to retract the statement, only to be cut off.

lowering his gaze, he explains in a low voice, "i was... i fell off a bridge during a mission back then. when i woke up, i was in a hydra base, where they brainwashed me and turned me into their- their personal killing machine. they made me a super soldier like steve. they'd- they'd put me in cryo freeze for however long they needed, and would take me out for training, more brainwashing, or an assignment. steve woke me up — more like he saved me, really — when he, nat, and sam took down hydra a few years ago."

the two of them were silent for what felt like hours, until kari smiles lightly and taps his cheek in a gesture he was all too familiar with. it almost makes his heart melt at the pure affection in the gesture and the look in her eyes, and he presses his forehead to hers in search of comfort.

"when i remembered you, i thought you had died not knowing what happened to me."

the softness in her features makes the burning in his eyes intensify, but kari rubs her thumbs beneath his eyes to wipe away the few tears that escape him.

"you remember what i told you last we saw each other, yes?"

brows furrowing in confusion, he thinks back to that night before nodding slowly in answer.

a heavy breath leaves her lips before she smiles nervously. "i believe it's time i tell you, my love."

his heart swells at the familiar term of endearment, but his confusion heightens at her nervousness. "what's wrong?"

"nothing, james, it's just... i'm not usually the one who reveals this particular secret, when it comes to this."

he releases his feather light grip on her cheeks to hold her hands comfortingly, and the two smile softly at each other as he murmurs, "i won't judge you, doll. you know i never could."