Variation - W.M.

Chapter 60 - January 3, 2017

"So, how are you feeling today? Murder-y?" I asked from my spot against the metal frame.

"No" Bucky answered emotionlessly and I pouted.

"Come on man, I need more than that. Use improv rules, no and..." I prompted. He just stared, clearly unamused. I sighed loudly, shaking my head. "This is not how you make friends, Bucket."

"It's Bucky" he deadpanned and I waved him off, pushing myself up to my feet and beginning to wander around the small space.

"It's almost been two weeks, why are you still in this thing?"

"I'm dangerous."

I snorted amusedly at the idea. "Not right now. You're just a one-armed, slightly weaker version of Steve."

He scowled at me but we both knew it was true. After being brought back to the compound his metal arm had been confiscated, although I had seen it in Tony's lab and knew that it would have been near useless if he had been allowed to keep it.

The silence I had come to associate with Bucky set in and I paced back and forth across the cell, feeling Bucky's eyes on me as a question swirled around my brain.

"What" Bucky asked, finally growing tired of my rapid movement. I slowed to a stop, leaning my back against the wall close to the super-soldier and sliding down it to sit on the ground. He had gotten used to me gradually sitting closer after each time I stood up.

"What's it like? Coming back from being the Winter Soldier?"

The man stayed silent and I sighed, assuming I had hit another dead end in my attempt to talk to the man. I made a move to get up before a hand was placed on my shoulder, stopping my actions. I nodded, settling back in place and letting the silence overtake us as I waited for Bucky to formulate his thoughts.

He finally spoke after a few minutes, his voice low. "There's a period I don't remember anything but then it starts coming back; all the things I did. They feel like someone else's memories but I know they aren't. I know I did them. I see all those people I killed and I wish I hadn't but I did."

I let out a small "ah" with a breath, pulling my knees to my chest. I had never killed someone; never been the reason that someone took their last breath, but I had seen enough bodies to last me a lifetime, enough blood to drown me, and I shuddered at the thought of being forced to do something like that. To be a part of the abrupt and violent end of someone's existence.

"It wasn't your choice" I whispered, feeling tears fall down my cheeks as if I myself was experiencing the memories of his missions.

After that the silence returned, yet it seemed far more suffocating this time as my mind dared to imagine the innocent faces that the man beside me had been forced to kill; been ordered to gun down without a second thought.

"Ollie?"

I looked up at the owner of the voice, catching sight of Steve, eyes wide as he looked between me and Bucky. I wiped the tears off my cheeks and stood up, hesitating for a second before shuffling over and crouching down in front of Bucky, hugging him tightly. He stiffened and made no move to hug me back but he didn't push me away either.

I sent him a little wave before leaving the cell and starting for the elevator. Steve glanced back at Bucky before following me, waiting until we got into the elevator before asking "what was that?"

"We talk sometimes" I answered softly, pressing the button for the living floor before entering my code.

"Since when?" Steve asked incredulously and I chuckled, shrugging.

"I brought him a Christmas present and then I just kept visiting because I feel like it's my fault he's in that cell. I've only been down there three or four other times besides today but he's pretty cool." I did my best to wipe the rest of the tears from my face and noticed Steve's concerned look. "He didn't do anything. I asked a question and the answer was rough."

"What question?"

I held a hand to my mouth and mimicked a zipper. "That's for me and Bucky to know." The elevator stopped at the floor and I climbed off, Steve beginning to follow. I shook my head, pushing his chest despite the fact that it did nothing to move him. "Go back down and talk to him, he might not show it but he enjoys your company."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Steve asked hesitantly, retreating back into the elevator slowly.

"I'm good, I promise" I nodded, although I held a hand out to prevent the doors from closing. "Just get him into a room. Living in a cell isn't okay for him. For anyone, for that matter."

Steve smiled and nodded as I removed my hand, allowing the doors to start closing again. "I'm working on that."

I grinned, watching the doors shut in front of me before spinning around. If Steve was back, that meant Wanda was as well and I believe I was due for a kiss right about now.