My Soldiers II Bucky Barnes

1- Home is where the heart is

"God damn it's too bloody muggy as hell out here", Tyla voices as she steps off of the back steps of her home onto the spikey dead grass with her headphones in her ears attempting to stretch away last night's sweaty sleep.

As it gets closer to the summer months the air outside starts to feel thick and damp almost making it harder to breathe outside once the sun comes up, but it was nothing that Tyla couldn't handle. 

This time of year there was no escaping inside of a cool home to hide from the heat, the old farmhouse that she called home may as well have been wooden slabs held together with thin tape. 

The small two-story building was almost always illuminated by the blistering sun through large slits between each of the flimsy splintering wall panels. Two bedrooms, one bathroom and a kitchen were all the building held but it was enough to keep her going and equally as busy making constant repairs. 

Although the house was extremely old it was home to her and her younger cousin Peter. She had taken Peter under her wing when he was orphaned at the age of 10 due to the loss of his parents, granted she wasn't any more ready to be an authority figure at the ripe age of 14. Seven years later she continues to provide for the now 17-year-old boy and loves him like he's her own baby brother. 

Today was going to be a warm one Tyla mentally noted as she made her way back up the three small rickety steps through the back fly screen-covered door, the bottom floor of the house was all open from the back door you could see the kitchen, living area and stairs leading to her and Peters bedrooms and bathroom. It wasn't much but it was home.

The young woman continues through the house to the kitchen watching the clock that hangs clicking away above the kitchen sink, the time reads 8:05. She was becoming impatient waiting, so she stopped her music and took out her headphones placing them on the bench. 

"I think you've had enough beauty sleep" Tyla mumbles quietly to herself as she mischievously shuffles over to the bottom of the old wooden staircase, grabbing the railing with one hand she stands on her tippy toes and extends her leg out in front of her body far enough to reach past two steps, with the help of her hand on the railing she pushes all her weight onto her front foot expertly clearing two steps with relative ease. She lets out a breath of air that she didn't realize she'd been holding and continues to do so until she silently reaches the island at the top of the stairs.

Three doors await her at the top of the stairs the door on the right wall was open and lead to her bedroom, the one in the middle was the small bathroom the pair shared and the final door, well that was Peter's room...Tyla's target.

Still, on her tippy toes, Tyla makes her way to the door frame that covers the left wall and presses herself against the door facing the small metal doorknob. With her right hand she reaches forward and grasps it, turning it as slowly as possible mentally begging it to silent as she did so. The door slowly opening with only a small whine from the old hinges. 

Once the target's bed came into view Tyla jumped from the door onto the bed landing on her stomach, yelling and screaming. After about five seconds of acting like a rabid animal she realized. There was no reaction, no yelling from the other party, no shock, nobody under her embrace. Terror quickly took the place in her mind that was just filled with childish excitement. Where was Peter?

Tyla shot upright sitting on just her knees scanning the small room that only consisted of a bed, desk, chest of drawers and a window...a wide-open window. Without thinking the frantic mother figure rushed over to the window and hung her torso outside of it into the hot air. 10 seconds at the window was all it took, Tyla felt warm wet tracks down her cheeks as she stood in her baby brother's room staring out into the world that he has now become all alone in. She couldn't do anything but hope that he could hear her so she called for the boy.

"Peterrrr" she screamed from the second-story window of the family house that now felt empty.

"Yeah?" 

Tyla spun on her heels and threw a punch at the voice that came from right behind her, the owner of the voice dropped to the floor in a heap of messy limbs narrowly avoiding her fist.

"Geeez Tyla watch where ya throwing your hands. You almost copped me right in the face. I'm lucky my spidey senses kicked in or that would have really hur..."

The young boy was cut short when a pair of arms grabbed his pulling him off of the floor and into a tight embrace.

"Woah...are you okay Ty?" Peter asked in a slightly concerned voice. He got no immediate response as Tyla pulled back from the hug not letting go of his upper arms, looking him up and down checking that he was in one piece. Sure enough, he was.

She wasted no time as her hand reached around slapping him on the back of his head further messing up his curly short brown hair.

"Tyla wha...what was the for" the boy asks still overly puzzled with the whole situation.

"Don't you dare scare me like that again!" she pleads stopping to take in a shaky breath, "I thought someone had taken you, or you got up and left" she explained fighting back tears, not of sadness but of pure fear.

"Come on Ty breathe for a second" he pleads taking his elder back into his arms, "For one you and I both know I can defend myself and wouldn't be taken that easy. Two I would never leave you behind, you are my big sister, my mother I would not be here without you. You know that right?" Peter rambles attempting to calm down Tyla that is still in his embrace. 

"I'm sorry Peter, I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions or hit you. It's just with you going out and helping the all-mighty Avengers I worry that someone is going to find your safe place and catch you and me off guard." she continues looking up into his eyes, it's ironic how he's a whole head taller than her despite the 4 year age gap.

Peter pulls away from the hug and pulls her away from the window with him sitting on his bed and pulling her to sit next to him.

"Tyla I know you have taken it upon yourself to be my caretaker from a very young age and I am always grateful and don't want that to change, but you need to know I am strong enough to take care of myself and you in case of any type of attack.."

"But-" the older woman attempts to cut him off.

"No. listen to me Tyl..." he tries again.

"No you listen here Peter Parker I am here to keep you safe okay, I am here to keep you healthy and happy as well and I will continue to worry about you until I am on my last breath...Understand?" Tyla explains with a deep force behind her words hoping to get through to the teen.

Peter sighs with playful defeat "Yes Tyla I understand" the boy answers

"Good now get your little Peter tingle ass downstairs so you can help me with making us some breakfast spider boy" she teases speed walking out of the room and towards the stairs

Peter bolts upright at her antics "oh it's on now. Don't be dissing my spidey senses...and it's spider MAN old lady." he yells in her direction as he chases her down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Just like that, all was back to normal...well as normal as it ever really got in the Parker household.