Gravity - B. Barnes

-10-

AN: Trigger warning - abuse, assault

"Happy birthday, KitKat!"

"Sammy, you remembered!"

"Of course I did. I'm your best friend aren't I?"

"Something like that," she laughed.

"You got any big plans?"

"Nothing huge. I took the day off, Bucky made me breakfast in bed, and then he took off muttering something about plans and surprises."

"You guys have been together a while now. What is it, two? Three months?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess so. Hadn't really thought about it. It just kind of...happened."

"Well, you both seem pretty happy. I'll have to come visit soon."

Happy wasn't a word either of them applied to the last number of years of their lives, but during the past several months, it began to feel true. Now that they were "courting" as Bucky called it, the two were almost blissful. They still lived apart and they were taking things very slow, but they often spent nights together and spent most of their time together.

"Yes please! That can be my birthday present!" There was a knock on the door. "Ooh. I think Lucy's birthday delivery has arrived. I gotta go. Text me some dates and we'll make it happen. Love you, Samantha."

"Love you, KitKat. Happy birthday!"

Kat put her phone on the kitchen counter by the hallway entry as she headed to the door with a spring in her step and swung the door open. She hadn't even bothered to check the peep hole in her excitement.

"Happy birthday, Katherine."

Her face fell. "Max..."

"You didn't think I'd miss your birthday, did you?" He grinned at her wickedly and she tried to slam the door on him, but his foot blocked the door and he shoved his body weight into it.

She lunged for her phone, but Max caught her hair and yanked her back to him. She shrieked but it was silenced by Max's hand over her mouth. She was panicking, her breathing becoming fast.

"Imagine my surprise when I saw you at Whole Foods all those months ago. Took me a while to track you down and you were out when I paid a visit. Did you get my flowers? And then you move and I find out you're with another man. I thought you knew you were mine, Katie girl."

She had to get to her phone and call someone. Anyone. She stomped her foot into Max's and when he bent forward, she kicked him in the groin. He crumpled forward, pulling her down with him, her head smacking into the hardwood floor. She was dazed for a second before she staggered to her feet and ran into the kitchen, grabbing a knife. She could feel something warm and sticky on her forehead as she reached across the counter toward her phone.

Max's shout of "Bitch!" and a chair flying through the air caught her attention and she pulled back, moving away from the counter and closer to Max to try to avoid being hit by the dining room chair.  It clattered to the floor, breaking a cabinet and knocking over the mug she'd had her coffee in that morning.

"Stay the hell away from me." She held the knife in front of her, trying to edge around Max to the door or her phone, but every step she took he copied. She was cornered. Shit!

He smirked at her, hands raised. "Come on, Katie. Didn't you miss me?"

"I always hated that name." She lunged at him with the knife, but her nerves had her movements jerky and sloppy. He easily sidestepped and grabbed her arm, pressing her into the counter and smashing her hand into the hard surface to break her grip.