𝐀 𝐓𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 |𝐒. 𝐑𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬

8 | a walk to remember

༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈•༶

( a walk to remember )

༶•┈┈┈┈┈┈୨♡୧┈┈┈┈┈•༶

Toni had a durability of a dead rat — at least that's what she always said about herself. When she was young she was never interested into any sports  or outdoors activities. She always preferred to stay inside, either in her garage or her lab and busy herself with work that actually had an importance. In her eyes all sports were absolutely useless. That mindset followed her into adulthood.

So she really shouldn't have been surprised to find herself barely keeping up with the rest of the soldiers. Those men were trained to be able to walk such long distances but she wasn't. And now she was really regretting making herself an agent instead of a nurse.

Steve had multiple times laid down the offer to carry her, whether bridal style or on his back, but she had refused. Despite her previously jokingly saying he should carry her if she couldn't walk anymore Toni didn't want to accept.

Her muscles were burning, her feet were aching and she was pretty sure she couldn't feel her legs anymore but she was determined to keep walking until they reached the camp. She wanted to prove to herself that she could — than she was more than just her suit.

They stopped multiple times for short breaks and even if it was just 5 minutes Toni thanked whichever god was listening for every one of those 5 minutes.

But it was none of those things that made that walk one she would remember for a long time. It was something entirely else.

Toni was completely at the back of the group as they kept a steady walking pace. She was walking alone after willingly falling back. Well, she was walking alone until a certain Sargent decided to fall back as well and walk with her.

"Steve wanted to check on you." Bucky explained, "But I told him I'd do it."

Toni hummed, keeping her gaze fixated on the back of the head of the man walking in front of her, refusing to look at Bucky.

"If you keep staring at him like that he's gonna have holes in his head by the time we get back." Bucky continued, trying to start the conversation despite it being painfully obvious that his companion wasn't interested in one.

"Funny, aren't you?" Toni said finally, giving in to the attempt with a glance in his direction.

Bucky straightened his posture, looking somewhat relieved that she had spoken to him. "I can be. Didn't know you wanted me to be funny."

"I don't want you to be funny, James." She said the second after he was finished speaking. "I don't even want you to walk with me. I was fine walking alone."

"So you say," Bucky replied, causing her to scoff and roll her eyes. "You look tired, in fact you probably are. Every time we make a pause you look incredibly relieved. You most likely can't feel your legs and if you can then you probably feel like you're walking on thorns."

Toni caved in, turning her head to the side to look at him and raising one of her brows in questioning manner.

"What?" He said, lightly shaking his head. "I've been there too, you know. All of us have. You're not the fist and you certainly won't be the last person in the army to feel that way."

Toni gave him a small nod, once again choosing to remain quiet. But that didn't stop Bucky from continuing to talk, if anything Toni was pretty sure it made him talk ever more.