Necessary Good, Unnecessary Evil | No rest For Wounded Souls [Bucky Barnes]

Under My Skin

"Birds sing after a storm. Why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever sunlight remains to them?" 
-Rose Kennedy

****

Bucky's POV

I drag my feet out of the bedroom, looking around and noticing Nova is not here.
She didn't come back to bed yesterday, but apparently, she slept on the couch.
I check the bathroom and the rest of the house, but she's gone.
A post-it on the fridge eases my concern, and I sigh.
At least now I know where she is.
"I'm with Okoye in the Capital. Get there by nine, N." I read in my mind and open the fridge to find another bowl of fruit.
"Who's Okoye?" I frown, trying to remember if we met anyone with that name.
My stomach growls, and I shrug. "Yeah, let's see if there's something else,"
I grab two eggs and some bread and find a pan surprisingly quickly.

****

I walk around for a few minutes, asking for direction and getting weirds looks from the locals.
At this point, I'm pretty sure I lost the right turn a couple of times.
I turn right, arriving in what seems to be a big market, and it's surprising how many things they sell.
My eyes stop on a stand, various jewelry hanging and reflecting colorful lights.
I notice a small Snake ear cuff with two small green emerald eyes.
"Do you take USD?" I ask the old man sitting behind the stand, and he frowns.
"Man, that's all I got on me." I sigh, and he shrugs, starting to read his book.
"There anything I can do?" I wonder, and he looks up, annoyed. 
He opens his mouth to say something but stops.
His eyes stop on my metal hand, and he smirks. "Come with me, boy." He says, standing up.
I follow him, and he stops in front of a black truck. "Can you lift this?" He nods at the truck, and I nod.

I place both my hands under the vehicle and lift it on, holding it balanced on its side.
The man gets down and works on something that I can't see.
After a few minutes, he stands up, and I set the truck down. "You still have to pay, young man." He point's out, and I knit my brows together. 
"I thought you didn't take USD," I say, and he smirks.
"Since you helped me, I'll go to the bank when I get back home." He states, and I scoff, giving him the money.
"Is this for you?" He asks, putting away the money.
"A friend," I correct.
"You get gold and emeralds to a friend? She must be a special friend." He scoffs, retrieving a black silk bag.
"Her birthday is close. She skipped a few." I mutter, and he nods.
She skipped ten birthdays, and I want to do something for her.
He puts the golden snake in the bag and hands it to me. "Thanks," I say, sliding it into the pocket of my jacket.

I hear kids laughing and hear a familiar laugh between them.
I follow the sound and find Nova sitting on a bench with a few kids making a ball float over their heads.
The kids jump around her, trying to catch the ball. One of them climbs on her shoulders, and she giggles, holding up her hand to keep him from falling.
"Hey, Bucky!" She chirps, noticing me.
I walk to her, and the kids stop playing, staring at me.
Nova stands up, and a kid hides behind her. "It's ok, he's a nice guy too," she smiles, squatting down next to the little girl.
"You could have left directions," I scoff, and she scratches the back of her head, smiling.

"Sorry, I should have asked Okoye," She chuckles, and I shake my head.
"It's ok. I made it to you anyway, right?" I smirk, stepping closer to her.
"Okoye told me they're waiting for us. A few tests to start researching a hypothetic solution to our problem." She mutters, and I nod.
She sighs and puts on a smile, "alright, little fellas," she clasps her hands together, "it was fun, but I have to go."
"Are you coming again tomorrow?" The little girl asks, grabbing her sleeve.
Nova looks down and gets to her level, "I don't know. I'm sorry."
She nods and wraps her little arms around Nova's neck, catching her off guard.