James Bucky Barnes, the former soldier, doesn't think he's got any gentleness left in him. But Grace Juniper Cunningham, the former child prodigy, strongly disagrees.
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"𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘐 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯."
"𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴�...
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Nat took me on the rest of the tour that afternoon. She showed me conference rooms and lounges and whole floors of scientific development. She was eyeing me carefully the whole time, looking satisfied with every spark of memory that came back to me.
She seemed especially pleased when the break room on the twenty fifth floor reminded me of the time she tried to teach me how to spy in the ceiling vents in there.
"And then we came down in that conference room when FRIDAY ratted us out!" I remembered. "Aw, and I didn't know how to jump down, so Thor was like 'fall into my arms' and he caught me. That was how I met Thor! I remember him now."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course you'd remember that. You said it was the best thing to ever happen to you."
"I think it was at the time. I felt so graceful when he caught me. He carried me all the way to the lab."
"I know. It was gross to watch."
"Then every time I saw him for a while he asked if I was lost and if I needed to be returned to the clouds where I came from. I'm feeling fluttery just thinking about it."
"Remember Barnes?"
"Hm?" I said, snapping out of my recollection.
"Stop thinking about Thor. Barnes would carry you wherever you wanted. Walking anywhere is a choice for you."
"Aw!" I said. "I miss Bucky. Can I text him again? Did you schedule any time for that?"
"There you go. That sounds more like you these days," she said. "And no, you can't."
But a few minutes later, when we arrived in the training room, he was there, sparring with Steve. Or, he was sparring with Steve. It ended when we walked in, as Bucky seemed distracted by our arrival, suddenly stilling, head snapping toward us.
"Grace," he said, expression hinting at a smile.
"Hi," I said, full of butterflies.
"Come on, Buck," Steve complained, although he didn't actually sound bothered. "It'd be a cheap shot if I hit you now. It's too easy."
"I know," Bucky replied, still looking at me. "I never would've let my guard down if I thought you'd take a cheap shot."
I tried to walk toward Bucky, but Nat yanked me back by the arm and steered me away, past him.
"I tried to train you in here for weeks," Nat told me. "That's the memory I'm trying to bring back."
She took me to the other side of the room, toward another mat.
