Mosaic (Bucky Barnes X OC / Winter Soldier x OC)

Chapter 22: Valeriy Ayers - Kitchen Sink (Part I)

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"Still okay?" I asked Bucky, watching him carefully while trying to use his body to block the bright lights of the eyewear store behind him.

Those blue eyes seemed to assess each and every person in our surroundings. The entire food court at my back. From the feel of it, he's more stressed now than when Hydra was closing in. He'll tire at this rate.

"Let me know if it gets uncomfortable," I added. "We'll head back, and I can pop by later for groceries."

"V-Val, I can handle this much," he huffed stubbornly, stress leaning just a hair's width into annoyance for a breath. Annoyance at my constant checking in since we stepped foot into West Edmonton Mall, and his stumbling with my alias, Valentina, which he just shortened to what basically everyone else calls me.

With a shrug, I stole another couple of fries from the massive spread of fast food items between us. At least one from every place in the food court. Whatever I felt like getting, eat my fill and Bucky would finish the rest... somehow. That was his idea and at the rate the food was disappearing, he'd probably manage before the food got too cold.

'Probably shouldn't be filling him with fast food...' now that I thought about it. 'I should probably get healthier foods at T&T...?'

"What's next?" Bucky asked, munching on the last of the foods. Chips coated with cinnamon sugar.

"There's a fun candy shop here, if I remember. Probably still around. Wouldn't mind some sugar to munch on the last leg of the trip...."

"That's all?" Blue eyes reading me like an open book.

A sigh couldn't help but escape me. I had to shake the tug of panic that I would be read. 'Note to self, work with Eve to weed out what's left of my tells.'

"I was hoping to buy some... ummm... undies...? May have destroyed mine when I tried to figure out the washing machine...."

Instantly, he put down those sweet chips and surveyed the people of the food court again. His cheeks turned a shade or two pinker. I could practically see it written on his face of how he's trying to come to terms with the notion of shopping alongside me in such a store.

'Never took him for someone so shy about semipublic nudity.... Wonder what he'd be like if I took him to the water park with how swim suits have changed.'

Part of me hopes that it's just how he was and the world almost a century ago was just that different or it was some quirk he developed as of late.... And not something to do with his time at the hands of Hydra.

"I can do that by myself, Bucky. You don't have to literally watch my back. I'll call if anything seems off."

"...Okay."

'And to avoid him covering every little kid's eyes...'

"I'll be awhile? So maybe you'd be interested in searching through some movies?"

That caught his curiosity.

"There's an H.M.V. here. They have a bunch of music too. I think the R.V. has a fancy C.D. player? Sure is hooked up for it... if the speakers all over the bloody place has something to say."

He gave a little nod.

I beamed him a grin, gathering up the empty trays and stretching out an arm when he tried to take some from me. Almost made a game of it, snatching up trays before the other and getting them to the rubbish bin.

Not even a minute into our walk when Bucky stopped in his tracks. A manmade lake.

'And there's that beautiful posture of his.'

His version of a grin, I guess.

But this time, he seemed to be fighting himself in taking steps forwards. Flinching a tad when I held onto his hand.

"Let's walk about the pirate ship," I chirped excitedly, tugging on those calloused fingers.

"We... can go on that?" He sounded so hopeful, while struggling with changing his path to go towards it.

"Yup. There's a little bridge."

"But...."

"We've got plenty of time, Buddy."

That's when he finally relented, letting me pull him towards the little bridge onto the ship. Halfway across, Bucky's strides grew, quickly over taking mine. Still his hand clung onto mine, pulling me along behind him as he explored the little area.

Ropes tied off the upper decks at the back but the front deck was open to the public. Bucky walked up with a bounce in his step. His eyes so bright as he took the fake surroundings in. His hand tightening just a fraction around mine. And when he turned to face me, the corners of those lips were tipped upwards.

I could almost see his face under that damn mask he wore. Not quite the happy grin he had while teasing about Devon so many nights ago.

Just a slight smile.

But a smile nonetheless.

One that crinkled the corner of his eyes.

'Note to self, when all this is over, bring him to a real old ass ship.'

His left hand reached out for the railing, but paused. So I rested the back my hand on the painted wood. The hand he held. His fingers curled away, first touching the railing before holding onto it with my hand stuck in between.

'Yup. Most definitely get him a chance to take the wheel of a real old ass ship....'

It's peaceful. A little pause. Even Bucky took a break from assessing the threat level of everything in the surroundings.

It wasn't long before he let go of the railing, but not of my hand. Even as he walked away from the fake ship, and when my arm started to tug from not being able to keep up, he slowed his pace, falling in step with me.

"We shouldn't stay too long...." Bucky said softly with a dash of disappointment.

"Maybe when this is all over, we can come back? There's a few new things here that look fun."

"...I'd like that."

'He doesn't think he'd get to come back here....' Going by his voice.

I led him inside the two story H.M.V. and showed him around the store. Told him about looking up reviews on his phone.

A plushie of an Ewok caught his attention. He stared right through it. Pretty sure he was remembering a teddy bear by how he didn't have terror in his eyes, and hopefully not something he came across when working for Hydra.

When he finally snapped out of the memory, I asked, "You'll be alright here?"

Bucky gave a nod, busy scanning the room.

"I'll call if anything pops up for any reason, and you do the same. I'll meet you back here when I'm done, 'kay?"

Another nod.

"I'm going to need my hand back, Buddy."

His hold tightened just a fraction before he let go. He shoved his hand into his hoodie pocket, mirroring his cybernetic.

Sending one more smile, I walked out of the store and headed straight for Victoria's Secret. 'And that takes care of Bucky.'

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Author's Note:

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