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

Chapter 24: Bucky Barnes - Hot Chocolate (Part II)

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The toaster oven rang and I had to open the door. I placed the cinnamon bun and made my way back to Valeriy. Settling down on the upper petal on her left. The one that wasn't being used as a table. It was close enough if she wanted to reach out. But far enough to give her some space.

"Here."

She tried a smile. Took the plate. Sat it down next to the steaming mug.

Without having to turn her head to look, her hand wrapped around Zephyr's snout. The smile on her face made me wanted to run. I knew what it meant. Pain.

"Don't for a second think you can steal my shit, you sneaky little bastard," she hissed in his face. A cruel grin pulling at the corners of her lips.

"Does that stupid brain of yours actually think we wouldn't find out about the two bodies you left twenty blocks away from the targets?!"

Various words were punctuated with a stomp to my stomach.

"Or have we turned it to mush so much so that you can't even remember that you went off protocol!?"

Gloved fingers roughly tangled into my wet hair. I couldn't find the strength to lift myself up. The chains on my wrist too heavy to fight against. The other wouldn't move no matter how I tried. Anything to ease my weight off the grip on my hair.

All I could remember of that face was that twisted smile and the promise of pain behind it.

"Pathetic excuse of a weapon. Can't even function properly."

A crunch hit my ears before pain bloomed from my nose. I couldn't breathe. Choking on my own blood.

" – you're going off narrative with him."

"Not like the dumb dog can remember anything."

I couldn't help myself. I grabbed Zephyr and hauled him up above my head. Out of her reach. "Plea... please don't.... Please...?"

That was when her mask disappeared and all that was left was confusion on her features.

"...Bucky... I'm not going to hurt Zeph.... Seriously?! Bucky's trying to protect you and you're bloody tail whacking him in the fucking face!?!"

I tried to tell her that it was fine. That none of this bothered me. But there was fur stuffed into my mouth every time it opened. So I did the only thing I could, and placed the white dog on the lower petal on the other side of me. Safe and away from her reach.

But Zephyr just ran right back to her. No longer trying for the bun. Tail still wagging. Curling up on her lap.

She neither hit him, nor did she push him away. Her fingers just scratched at his ear while her exhausted eyes stared up at me. Just for three seconds before they went back to the holograms. To the target. Searching for potential threats.

'She's not them,' I had to remind myself, trying to unclench the tense muscles of my jaw.

"Sorry," she started, "I didn't mean to remind you of something... unpleasant.... Zeph and I... we just fell into old habits. He can be a sneaky little – he tends to chomp on food."

That was true. Learned that with dinner. And with the cinnamon buns. Managed to finish one before I could stop him. And again, with the blueberries. Took 41 minutes to wash the purple off his white fur.