Vices & virtues // Bucky Barnes

IV

Must've been a deadly kiss
Only love can hurt like this
Only love can hurt like this
Your kisses burn into my skin
Only love can hurt like this

 Paloma Faith, Only Love Can Hurt Like This

  The days flew by really quick. Living at Barnes Manor turned into a short vacation for me. I don't remember the last time I slept so well. No nightmares, no insomnia, just falling into the silk sheets at night and waking up in the morning. A fresh routine, including trainings with Bucky and Sam, reading a lot, walking through the garden, just hanging out with Wanda and Pietro, trying the chief's cuisine and gaining more and more strength. Both mental and physical.

   Sure, I had to call my mum a lot and reassure her that I am doing fine. I even had another breakfast with Bones and visited ICEBERG for a few times so Nat wouldn't go feral during these days, but this place brought me a strange comfort and utter peace of mind.

   Barnes, to my surprise, turned out to be a gentleman. We spent, in my honest opinion, quite a lot of time and got to know each other a little. We had the same taste in books and movies, music and sense of style. His attitude fitted mine like a glove, with the same witty biting back of everything I said, snarky comment or just a glance that was saying more then words. Yeah, me and James, we were getting along from the very beginning, except the moments we were getting into verbal fights. And they happened a lot.

   I was out in town with Sam that night. We took the motorcycles and roamed the city until midnight, stopping for a soft drink at a random bar, when I saw them.

   Steve. For the first time since the roof accident, I saw my ex fiance and my heart skipped a bit, especially when I noticed a tall, skinny blonde draping herself over his arm. They were all bubbly and giggly, he and his shitty friends, and her above them all. I didn't knew the girl, she had to be a new thing, but just the sight of them made me feel nauseous.

- This motherfucker. - I murmured, immediately forgetting the drink. - Samuel?

- Huh?

- Do you see that or I'm hallucinating?

- Do I see wh... Oh. Yeah. Shit position, Blair. - He sipped on his lemon tonic. - Wanna beat the shit out of her? I'll hold him back.

- No, I don't want him to know I'm around. Let's go back. - I decided, feeling that my blood starts to boil as Steve leaned down and kissed the blondie. She was really pretty, though.

- Didn't you want your vengeance?

- It can't be rapid, Sam. It has to be planned, cold and cruel.

- You know, Buck will get pissed soon. You're having a spring break while he's having a breakdown over not hunting Rogers down. - He pointed out as we approached our bikes.

- I'll talk to him about that. - I spat back, starting the engine.

   Riding through the misty city right beside Sam calmed me a little. The lifestyle I was just getting used to started to fit me and my needs. I was collected and composed until we parked the machines in the garage and stepped into the hall, where James greeted us with a glass of whiskey in his hands.

- Hello, sweet birdies.

- Sup there, Buck? - Sam tried to talk back casually.

- Ya know, I'm wondering who the fuck allowed Blair to take my motorcycle and get two fucking speeding tickets in a span of three hours.

- Oh, sorry about that. I'll leave the money on your desk. - I shrugged it off, trying to pass him by, but I was stopped by a metal arm swinging right before me and blocking the way.