Time Unchanging

Chapter 16

Bucky and Clint sat for a moment. It almost made the soldier scream in frustration. The archer wasn't moving. Had he shared too much? Did Clint not believe him?

"What was it like?" Clint asked.

The question shocked Bucky, who inquired, "What?"

Clint fidgeted with his chin. "You're obsession. What was it like?"

Bucky could see that Clint genuinely wanted to know. He wasn't moving because he didn't believe him. Clint stayed seated because he just didn't understand how Nat could think along those lines and become enamored so fast or so hard. As much as it made him uncomfortable, Bucky knew he needed to share more so the other man could understand the situation Eva was in without any inkling as to what was happening.

Bucky stared off to the side as he recounted, "Honestly, I just wanted things back to the way they were before the war." Flashes of the forties played in his mind. "When Steve was skinny and I needed to protect him. When I was last safe. I thought it was love." He played with the label on his beer. "Raynor helped me see I was just looking for a way to escape reality by projecting onto Steve." He could see Clint's concern for him. "But it felt real at the time." Bucky chuckled. "He didn't complain about any of it though."

Clint joined the laughter. "I bet. So, what happened?"

Bucky became serious again. "We talked. And our friendship is better than before. He's still my brother." He stood up and went to the door. "But Nat is going beyond what is acceptable." He looked back at Clint, who seemed to finally grasp the severity of the situation, even if he wanted to deny it. "She is on her way to a point of no return."

Clint went up to him, the sad agreement registering on his face. "Let's get Steve on board. If one of us is always with Evelyn-"

"It's worth a try." Bucky could see how the plan could work, but also how bad the consequences could be. "But if Evelyn starts to get uncomfortable, we do something else."

As neither of them wanted her to be spooked by either Nat or themselves, Clint happily agreed to the arrangement. They knew they had to start now if they had any hope of stopping the other former assassin. Both were praying they weren't too late in stopping the madness.