LEGACY: a bucky barnes story

Chapter 30 - флирт

"солдат." [soldier]

"Soldat."

"солдат."

"That's what I said, soldat."

"Almost: солдат."

"Oh my God, солдат!"

"Perfect."

I smiled. Bucky taught me Russian in spurts throughout the day, taking breaks to walk about the safehouse grounds. On our walks, he would quiz me on the Russian words' meanings. First, I learned their meanings, then I butchered pronunciation until I became proficient.

"останавливаться." [stop]

"Oh God, that's a doozy."

"It's an important one, it means 'stop', remember. останавливаться."

"Ostanaviv—can you say it slower?"

"Ostanav."

"Ostanav."

"Livat-see-ya."

"Livat-see-ya."

"Ostanav-livat-see-ya. Now, put it all together."

"Ostanavlivat'sya."

"Yes! останавливаться."

"останавливаться."

Bucky beamed, and my whole body began to flush pink.

I cleared my throat. "Is any of this... triggering? Someone speaking these Russian words at you?"

"Yes, and no. If you'd said the actual trigger words first, then maybe. But it's almost... therapeutic, I guess; reliving these words without Hydra's bullshit."

"Like reclaiming the words, the hold they had on you?"

"Sort of, although that's a bit dramatic."

"That's exactly what you just said, but with different words."

"So, it's not exactly what I'd said."

"Yeah, but—"

"Different words."

"Oh my God."

"You gotta be more specific."

"God, who knew you were this annoying," I laughed as I hit his arm, careful to avoid the bionic one. He laughed and turned away, twisting to face me as he playfully shoved me back. As the laughs slowed, our eyes met in a brief, deep embrace before each pulling away in brooding inhibition.

Bucky broke the silence. "I think that's enough for today," he spoke in a soft voice.

"Oh, yeah... sure." I deflated as he left. My stomach burned watching him leave. I knew I couldn't stop the dawn of the truth.