What Fades Away

chapter 7: day 'n' nite

cw: blood, violence, emotional distress

“Oh my god.” 

“I know.” 

“OH MY GOD.” 

“Can you stop saying that? I already heard you the first time you said it” 

Mara lays face down on Kate’s bed, face hidden amongst long brown hair still a little messy from her meeting with Bucky upstairs. Kate is seated on her small sofa, jaw hanging open. Mara immediately came to her sister after she left the conference room and told everything. There’s nothing that happens to either of the two women that the other doesn’t know about immediately afterwards. 

“I just….I have no words.” Kate stammers out. 

She is in shock, even though she totally lost the bet with Peter on how long it would take. Kate thought Mara had a little more control, but Peter had been around both of them. Their emotions made the hair on Peter’s arms stand up every time Mara or Bucky were in a room together, like something that was about to explode. He knew it was only a matter of time. 

Yelena walks in, without knocking as usual, and flops down on the sofa. She throws her feet into Kate’s lap and almost in the same second Kate stands up, causing Yelena’s bare feet to hit the cushions with a thud.

She just sits there with a smug smile on her face, making a mental note to go check and be sure Bucky hasn’t spontaneously combusted. Yelena saw Mara fly past her room as the older woman came off the elevator and knew immediately what had occurred. Now she was just here for the details. Bucky was too much of a gentleman to kiss and tell. Usually. 

Kate takes a spot on the bed beside Mara and rolls her over. Mara has her eyes closed. 

“Mara, you’ve been here for two weeks. Two. Weeks. You’ve only known him for three. This is insane!” 

Mara presses the heels of her hands to her eyes. 

“I told you that I know. I know it’s fast and it’s stupid and it’s not at all what needs to be happening right now.” 

“But it was good, right?” Yelena says with a smirk. 

Mara opens her eyes, a flush coming over her entire body as she remembers. A small part of her is glad Bucky pulled away when he did, because she was about to do something that would really make Kate go off the deep end. Mara’s shirt still smells like him, leather and mint and something that is just specifically Bucky Barnes. 

“Oh my god, yes. Like where did he learn to do that? He was held captive for 75 years up until like eight years ago. Men who have been with women their entire life can’t even manage what he accomplished.” 

“Ew.” Kate makes a face as Yelena laughs out loud. 

“Probably porn.” 

“I didn’t need that mental image, Yelena. Thanks for that.” 

This time it’s Kate’s turn to hide her face. Yelena can’t stop smiling and Mara stands up, vibrating with adrenaline and whatever else Bucky activated in her. 

“I should go talk to him right?”

Yelena and Kate say yes and no simultaneously, causing Mara to groan. Before either of them can defend their case, Mara’s phone starts to ring. She had forgotten it was even in the pocket of her sweater. It’s an unknown number, but other than spam calls no one ever calls Mara unless it’s for an emergency. She picks it up after a few rings. 

“Hello? Oh, hi Alexander.” 

Kate’s eyes get big and she starts waving her arms, shaking her head violently.