THE PHANTOM ๏ BUCKY BARNES

Strangers in the Eye

There was 5 girls on the floor around you, groaning in pain and clutching their sides or heads. Some were unconscious or couldn't get up at all. Fengi had arranged for the Red Room people to meet you. It was 5 against 1, and you were the only one left standing.
Fengi looked proud and clapped at you, cheering in a way.

"You will be the most feared thing on earth." Fengi was overjoyed. "My paycheck will go through the roof!"

One girl on the floor, sat up on her elbows.
"You fight well." She said, lifting herself off the ground. You stuck out a hand to help her up, which she took. She grabbed you and pulled you close, whispering in your ear. "You have to escape."

She then let go and patted you on the back, as she turned to help the other girls, her slicked back bun shined. You pretended to not hear anything, but the words stuck with you.
As the day went on, you trained more and more, exchanging knowledge with the Red Room girls. They were sober people. Very serious, but they were nice.

Bucky didn't return that night, nor the next. He came back a few days later, a piece of ice in his hair.
When he arrived, you ran to him, holding the bars. He didn't walked towards you, instead just sat down at the back of the cell. You were confused, to say the least. He just sat there and looked forward with a look in his eyes.

"Bucky?" You called out his name, moving down the side of the bars to be in line with him. "Buck, are you okay?"

He didn't respond, and he didn't even look in your direction.  You started to grow worried, it was like he couldn't hear you.
You reached your hand out, trying to brush against his skin to get his attention.

"Bu-" The second your finger touched his knee, his metal arm grabbed your hand harshly. His body moved towards you, but there was no hint of emotion in his eyes. He started to bend your hand around in a way it shouldn't bend, you let out a pained sound, unable to escape his grip. "Bucky, stop!"

You looked into his eyes, but there was something different. It hit you that maybe Hydra did something to him, similar like they did to you. They took control of his brain. It dawned on you that, he would probably end up breaking your wrist. Your other hand grabbed on to his metal arm, trying to twist it away.

"Bucky, it's okay." It clearly wasn't okay, but you had to reassure him, just in case he could still see everything he did like you did. "It's okay. You're okay."

He didn't respond, just stared at you in the eyes. His metal arm wasn't letting go any time soon, so you let go of it and brought your hand to his face, placing it on the side. Your thumb caressed the side of his face.
"Bucky, it'll be okay."

His right hand flinched. Your eyes looked down to it as you thought of how to snap him out of the trance.
You grabbed his hand, and started to draw circles in his knuckles. For a spilt second, his eyes darted down, but they returned back to your wrist. You slowed the drawing down, trying to put it as a calm state.

Bucky's eyes trailed down to his hand, staring at it. His grip on your wrist loosened, but didn't let go. You continued on drawing circles on his knuckles. Bucky's breath grew heavy and he let go of your wrist, his hand shaking a small bit as he pulled it back.
His eyes went to his metal arm, he squeezed the fist of it, glaring at it.

You could feel something wrapped itself around your pinky. You looked down to your hand to see Bucky's pinky intertwining with yours. His head was down and he didn't meet your eyes. You took your wrist back, holding it to your chest.
It hurt, and you could see it would be bruising soon. It felt like it was bleeding as well.

"Bucky?" You breathed out, his eyes flashed to yours. Emotions welling up in them.

"I-" Bucky was trying to think of something to say, unable to make noise. "I'm sorry."

Neither of you spoke for the rest of the night, but your pinky fingers stayed intwined.