Never Safe

Chapter Twenty

Bucky had Natasha and Steve come over. He hoped you would talk to them, if not him, about who you encountered whilst at the compound.

Around the time they were expecting you home, there was a rapid knocking at the door. Bucky answered, but it wasn't you.

"Pete-"

"Seriously, what the hell! You were supposed to be fixing this! I thought you could fix this on your own but clearly not because now it's just gotten worse-"

"Peter" Bucky interrupted. "What are you talking about? And where's y/n?"

"She quit the basketball team."

"She what!"

"Yeah, what?" Steve frowned.

Peter suddenly realised that he and Bucky weren't alone. "Oh, hi Cap- Captain. Miss Romanoff."

"Y/n quit basketball?" Steve questioned. "She's been doing it for like ten years. She can't just quit."

"Why did she quit?" Bucky asked, even though he was sure he knew the answer.

"When I asked, she told me it was because no one cares about basketball."

"She thinks that?"

"Apparently, that's what you said to her?"

"You told her no one cares about basketball?" Steve asked.

"No! No, I said I didn't care about basketball-"

"What" Nat scoffed.

"I didn't mean it. Obviously, I care about her, and her basketball. I just-"

Bucky stopped when he heard keys in the door. You opened it and were about to walk straight to your room, but Bucky yelled.

"Where the hell have you been!"

You were startled for a moment. You looked around the room and spotted Peter, Steve and Natasha.

"Y/n! Now don't you dare just ignore me! Why did you quit basketball?"

You looked up at Bucky and muttered "It doesn't matter."

"No, I'm done with this attitude, okay? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. What else do you want me to say?"

"Nothing. No one even cares about basketball."

"Okay, you know that's not true."

"It is. You told me so yourself."

"Yeah, okay, fine. I did say that. But I didn't mean it. I care so much about basketball."

You scoffed. "Sure you do."

"I do."

"Then why would you say you didn't?"

"I... um-"

"No, you don't have an excuse. Because you do mean it. Because you wouldn't say something like that if you weren't at least thinking it!"

"Y/n-"

"I don't give a fuck about what you have to say!"

"I care about your basketball y/n. It's as important to me as it is to you."

"Fine, you wanna talk about it? If you care so much, why don't you come to my games? I've been playing basketball for years but you have never been to a single one!"

"I can't go to your games."

"You could at least pretend you want to!"

"I do want to!"