Death Where is Your Sting? - B. Barnes

Chapter 12

Ray hadn't let Bucky anywhere near her the rest of the night. He sat up with her, as she refused to let herself sleep. He'd made her hot chocolate, like he always did, but she wouldn't touch it.

Bucky watched the sun rise over Brooklyn as he decided he couldn't take it anymore. He grabbed his coat, told Ray he'd be back, and went off for a run.

While the run got the restlessness out of his system, it was far from refreshing. His mind ran as fast as he did, circling around Ray and how to help. Realizing that he liked Ray - far more than he should - and he had to find a way to show her she wasn't a monster.

As he drew his keys from his pocket at his door, he hoped he'd return to Ray's cooking and a better mood. He didn't.

Ray was up, reading through files again, and she didn't even acknowledge his arrival.

"Did you eat?"

No answer.

Bucky shook his head, looking in the fridge for something - bacon! "It's freezing out, in case you were wondering."

Still nothing.

"What are you reading?"

"Trying to find something useful about the Power Broker. The sooner I do, the sooner we can all move on."

"You mean disappear. Again."

"Exactly."

"You can't run forever."

She finally looked at him in defiance. "Watch me."

Bucky slammed the pan on the stove as Ray went back to the files. Fine. If she was going to leave, then he would be the loner he'd always been. He'd done his part. He'd saved her life and helped her remember. He'd done enough. Clearly she was done with him, so he'd be done with her.

Finished cooking, Bucky took the plate of food to the kitchen table, sitting across from Ray. Ray's mouth had been watering at the smell of bacon, so when Bucky sat, nothing but bacon on the plate before him, she reached for a piece. But Bucky pulled the plate away.

"What the hell, Barnes?"

"Oh it's Barnes now? This is mine. Find your own food."

"It's one piece!"

"And I'm hungry." He pulled the plate out of her reach completely. He'd taken out the bacon to cheer her up, but now he was mad. No - Hurt. She'd used him for answers only to leave. He was alone again.

Ray's muscles were coiled tight, having not left the apartment since the warehouse for fear of being found. If it was a fight he wanted, it was a fight he'd get. She stood. "Let's go then."

"What?"

"Come on, you want to fight, let's fight, get it all out."

"You'll lose."

"We both know I can take you down."

"The Reaper could, but not you."

That lit a spark in her. "Try me."

Bucky scoffed and returned to his plate, which made Ray even angrier. He'd challenged her and then discredited what she was capable of. He should be afraid of her. Why the hell wasn't he? Did he have no sense of self preservation? She, on the other hand, was terrified. She's just have to give him a reason to make her leave. She walked behind Bucky and wrapped her arm around his neck, trying to cut off his air.

Bucky dropped the plate, livid that Ray couldn't seem to leave well enough alone, to listen to him. He grabbed her arm, stood, and bent at the waist, hurling her from his back onto the table. She grabbed hold of his arm, rolling and twisting his arm painfully, using it as leverage to turn herself around and kick him in the stomach. He stumbled back a step and grabbed her ankle, pulling her to him. He lifted her with both hands, slamming her to the ground beneath him.