Soul Stealer ~ (A Bucky Barnes Love Story)

Let Me Introduce Myself

I gave Okoye a wide berth because the look on her face made me want to run screaming in the other direction.  She embodied the phrase "if looks could kill" to a tee.  If that particular talent wasn't focused on me with the intensity of a tomahawk missile it would have been cool, but it was, so fuck that.

Taking a deep breath, I strolled back to the party like I wasn't about to vomit all over the gown Tony spent a small fortune on.  The grand ballroom was a sea of vibrant colors, and sparkling jewels, all swaying back-and-forth in a hypnotic motion.  Unfamiliar music flowed from the corner of the enormous room where a band was rhythmically strumming a quartet of instruments, a sea of women dancing around them with bells attached to their hands and waists.

"Everything alright Venus?" Steve asked, his voice strained.

I plucked a glass of champagne from a tray as a waiter passed, downing half the glass in a single gulp.  The bubbles burned my nose, and I fought the urge to cough all over the millionaires standing near me.  Once I regained my composure, sort of, I placed the empty glass on another tray while surveying the room.

"Sure, everything's peachy.  The Crown Prince of Wakanda is here, and I'm pretty sure he wants to kill me."  There was a distinct growl in my earpiece that could only belong to one person, Bucky.  I rolled my eyes, feigning boredom while searching the crowd for my target.  "Well, technically his bodyguard wants to kill me."

"Not helping," Tony sing-songed, "Cap, did you bring a muzzle?  I think we might need it."

Bucky continued to voice his displeasure, non-verbally of course, as I leaned a hip against the bar.  The bartender asked if I wanted a refill, and I shook my head, turning to face the crowd.

"Target at your three o'clock," Nat informed me.  My eyes skirted to my right, and the Widow hissed in my ear.  "Don't look at him.  Turn around.  Give him your back."

Swallowing hard I complied, turning slowly until I was staring in the opposite direction.  It was impossible to quell my rising nerves so I didn't even try.  Instead, I focused on the details of the mission. 

Catch the billionaire's eye.

Get him alone.

Kick his ass.

Steal the codes.

I may have been skipping over some key details, but that was all my frazzled brain could remember at this point.  Bucky's unhappiness was roiling over me like boiling water, drowning out any other emotion either of us might be feeling.  It was a minor miracle he hadn't stormed in here, killed everyone, and carried me out like a caveman. 

I tried to soothe his anger, but his tumultuous emotions were too heightened, too intense.  It was like trying to drive on a highway packed full of stalled cars. There was simply no room for anything other than his ferocity at the moment.

"Bucky please," I begged in a rushed whisper. 

The bond quieted almost immediately, and I released the breath I was holding, and not a moment too soon. 

"Are you enjoying the party?" a heavily accented voice asked from directly behind me.  My initial reaction was to recoil, but I managed to plaster a fake smile on my face as I turned slowly to face him.

He was shorter than I realized, his head stopping at my shoulders.  A fact, he seemed extremely pleased about since it put him eye level with my boobs.  He had a neatly trimmed, jet black goatee that matched his stylish black hair.  It was cut short on the sides, but long on enough on the top to create an effortless wave.  His suit was immaculate tailored, and fit his short, stocky body like a glove.