[1] 𝘿𝙀𝙑𝙄𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 | 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨

✰ 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐭𝐰𝐨: 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞

➸ 2015
📍ROMANIA
Bucharest
tw: talks of mental illness
╰─────────╯

THE STREETS of Bucharest that morning were empty, not as busy as they were the day before.

That morning was nothing special. Galina had woken up with a jolt nightmare to find Bucky cooking in the kitchen.

She hopes he didn't notice.

They had gone to a couple of stores already including a small department store.

Unfortunately, Bucky hated everything that Galina tried to pick out for him so as of right now the haul consists of a shit load of blankets, some small pieces of decor, and an artificial plant that she insisted to get.

"Are you not scared?" he asks as they walk down the quiet street. He was holding all of the bags much to her dismay.

"Scared of what?" she asked back, crossing her arms around her body as a way to conserve some heat in the cold weather

"Of being recognized." he clarified. "You weren't...uneasy in the stores? I know I was."

"I'm scared shitless." she admitted. "But then I remember I have weird mind powers and I can just like...manipulate peoples heads."

"Do you like doing that? Going into peoples minds? I remember you used to not be able to control it."

"Yeah." she scoffs out a small laugh, shocked that he'd remember that. "Yeah I uh...it's gotten better. Some people's thoughts are louder than others but...no, I don't really like it. I don't like having to cause harm to anyone....if I don't have to."

"Me too." he related, swallowing thickly. "Do you think i'll be able to stay under the radar for a while?"

"I mean, every-time I remotely got close to catching you for the past year, you migrated across the country over night so i'm sure you'll be okay." she reassured. "The only reason why I was able to find you is because I have nothing better to do with my life."

"Ouch?" he feigned confused pain at her words, not sure if he should take it as an insult or not.

Galina lightly rolled her eyes at the man. "What I mean, is that since i'm benched, I have extra time on my hands. Everyone else is running around fighting Nazis and then once they get back, barely have the energy to even peel off their gear...which means they aren't gonna have the energy to keep a 24 hour surveillance on you like I have."

"You sound like a stalker." he quipped, a faint grin on his face.

"No, I sound like a concerned friend." she corrected with a hmph and a turned up nose.

"Friend." he repeated this word, testing it one his tongue. "I haven't had a friend in a while." his head hung as his jaw clenched.

"That's why i'm shocked that you're not more...timid around me." she found herself confessing. "I thought you'd be uncomfortable."

"I am, slightly...it's weird having normal conversations and...speaking." he shrugged his burly shoulders a bit.

"We used to talk a lot on missions I remember." she commented. "Might be why you feel more comfortable talking around me rather than someone else."