Trying Your Luck - Bucky BarnesxOC

Part 58: Histories

The flight is long. She can't sleep. Oeznik changes her bandage one more time with roughly five hours left to go before they get to Kansas. He's been great company, making sure that she eats, stays hydrated, and most importantly, he's someone to talk to. Otherwise, it would just be her for 18 hours alone with her thoughts. The idea of that is horrifying. They sit in front of a small chess board. He's kicking her ass. She used to be good at this. She was in the chess club in high school. It was the least punk rock thing about her.

"May I ask how old your father is?" Oeznik's gentle voice cuts into her thoughts.

"He's 75. My mother is in her late sixties."

"You said he has dementia?"

Shannon nods.

"My wife," he whispers, capturing one of her pawns. "She passed away of the same thing."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay."

"That's not why my dad is in the hospital, though. He fell and hit his head."

They play in silence except for small curses when one of them messes up or loses a piece. Oeznik curses in a mixture of Sokovian, Russian, and English. He teaches her a few phrases. She honestly doesn't know what she would do without him here to take her mind off her father. Halfway through their game, her phone rings. Bucky. Shannon picks up.

"Hey, you!" She tries to sound as chipper as possible but judging by Bucky's soft growl on the other end of the line, it's not working.

"Hi."

His voice is hushed and low, the way it is when he's around a bunch of people. She strains to hear background noise, but can't manage to pick anything up.

"How's it going?"

"Bad," he snarls. "Got stuck with Walker and Battleaxe."

"It's BattleSTAR!" Shannon hears a male voice in the background.

"Whatever," Bucky growls.

She puts Oeznik's King in check and he immediately moves away, smiling at her.

"So this has turned into a big, friendly reunion --" she hears him pull the phone away followed by his voice in the distance. His thick, aggressive Brooklyn accent shines through and Shannon's stomach does a backflip. "It's none of your business who I'm talkin' to."

"This whole thing is a shitshow." His voice is instantly closer and clearer on the other end of the line. She's quiet and Bucky sighs. "I'm sorry. I'm taking up all this time and space. How are you?"

"Good. Oeznik and I are playing chess. He's kicking the absolute shit out of me."

Bucky's laugh is the balm her nerves need right now.

"I didn't know you played."

"Yeah. I did in high school. Do you play?"

"Never had the patience for it. Steve did, though."

She smiles softly and hears Walker on the other end of the line.

"Hang on, Shan." He pulls the phone away again. John almost yells something. It's faint, but he sounds angry. Her stomach tightens. She knows that Bucky can protect himself and her presence there would do nothing to ease the situation. If anything, it would make things worse for him, but she can't help but feel like she should be there. "It hasn't been ten minutes, John. Just sit tight." His voice sounds close again. "Sorry."

"He sounds hostile."

"Yeah. He is. I should go. Text me when you land."

"I will. I love you, B."