Winter's Veil || BUCKY X FEM!OC

*CHAPTER 11*

A/N: so sorry about the super long wait, but oh well :)

I stepped out of the shower, quickly wrapping a towel around me as I scurried over to the dresser in my bedroom, flinging on a fresh set of clothes instead of the ones drenched in sweat littering the expensive floor.

I never made it to the common room where my lunch was probably still sitting, my appetite had been swallowed up by the questioning looks boring into me as I left the arena earlier. Instead, I decided to take full advantage of the huge TV in my room, eventually deciding on The Office; a show that became one of my favourites growing up. I used to catch snippets of it in those old electronics shops that had every TV imaginable on display. I would stand idle for hours, just staring up at the screens until the owner eventually chased me out brandishing an outdated phone that looked more like a cinder block.

I sighed as I plopped myself on my bed, now that I wasn't about to pass out, I was able to feel the way the mattress sunk around me despite my light frame. It was obviously way more expensive than all the money I've earned in my life, plus more, but I guess for Stark this was the bare minimum for an almost-convict like myself. I was still trying to adjust to the lavish lifestyle the group lived, the millions spent for their pleasure and they didn't seem to even bat an eye.

I flipped my damp stringy hair over my shoulder as I crossed my legs, settling into a comfortable position and fully prepared to stay like that until Captain America came knocking on my door to escort me to dinner.

Just as my mind had settled, a soft knock came from my door.

I twisted out of my position to a crouching stand, despite the burn in my legs from this morning screaming at me to stop and melt into a puddle. "Hello?" I called, my voice quivering, making me internally cringe as it echoed around the blank room. My thumping heart flooded my ears, filling the empty silence.

The door swung open to reveal the brunette, Wanda, carrying a steaming bowl filled with a soup that smelled divine. She had a nervous smile painted on her face, eyes scanning my semi-crouched-standing position in front of my bed. I quickly straightened my back, coughing awkwardly as I folded my arms over my chest to hide my rapidly rising and falling chest.

I instinctively leaned closer to inhale the elevated flavours of roasted vegetables with hints of paprika and lemon. My stomach betrayed me and growled loudly, which she heard, making her chuckle. My cheeks heated and I took a step back, lowering my gaze to the floor in hopes of looking uninterested.

"You weren't at lunch, and I thought you may be hungry, so I brought you some," She said with a soft sokovian accent, awkwardly holding the bowl of soup before a red mist engulfed it, floated through the air and settled neatly on my bedside table.

My mouth dropped open as soon as the mist encapsulated the woman's hands "What the fuck was that?!" I choked out, my jaw nearly touching the floor as I stood agog.

Her demeanour instantly changed, shoulders pointing inwards as she lowered her face to hide herself. I couldn't tell whether I should be impressed or terrified, but I definitely felt the electricity buzzing in my veins at the thought of someone else with powers.

I'm not alone.

"You have powers too? what can you do?" I blurted out, unable to contain my astonishment. Curiosity blazed in my dark eyes, begging her to answer my question.

She clasped her hands tightly together, trepidation forming in her eyes and creasing her eyebrows. "Telekinesis and telepathy," She said nervously, flinching slightly when her answer hung in the air, as if afraid that it would make me disgusted in her. In truth, it did the exact opposite, I had never met anyone who shared anything remotely similar to me; and even if we had vastly different abilities, I was enthralled by the effortless control she had over her magic.