Gravity - B. Barnes

-14-

TW: mentions of suicide attempt and psych hold,

It took four days for Kat's phone to go straight to voicemail, and Bucky's gut twisted with panic. He quickly dialed Sam, hoping he'd be able to answer.

"Buck. You finally get your shit together?"

"Sam, have you talked to Kat?"

"Not since I was in town. Why?"

"She's not answering her phone and it's going straight to voicemail."

"Well, she probably blocked you."

"It was ringing until today."

"Wait, you called her? So does that mean-"

"I beat some sense into myself, yes. Sam-"

"Give me a minute. Let me make some calls."

And with that, Sam hung up, leaving Bucky to pace his apartment while he waited. The second his phone rang, he answered, not even bothering to see who it was. "Anything?"

Bucky heard Sam sigh from the other end of the line. "Lucy said Kat's phone died and she'd-"

"Lucy? She's staying with Lucy."

"Buck, don't."

"I have to go."

"Bucky-"

He hung up the phone, grabbed his helmet, and took off.

~<>~

"Alright, I'm coming! Stop!" Lucy dragged herself down the hallway toward the front door, still hungover and sore from her galivanting the night before...and that morning. The banging on her door was incessant and was only making the pounding in her head worse.

As she flung the door open, Bucky spoke, knowing he would likely be unwelcome. He and Lucy had never gotten along. "Where's Kat?"

"Oh, hell no! No. Go. Get. You're not hurting her again." Lucy moved to close the door, but Bucky was stronger and faster, sliding a foot in the doorway and placing a hand on the door itself.

"I just want to see her, make sure she's okay."

"Of course she's not okay, asshole! You threw her out on the street and broke up with her."

"That's not what happened." Bucky pushed the door open more and slid inside, Lucy's feet sliding across the floor under his superior strength.

"You broke her heart and stomped all over it. Get out!"

"Not until I see her."

As soon as he was inside, Lucy's hands were on his chest, trying to push him out the door. When that didn't work, she quickly switched to beating him with her ineffectual fists. "No!"

"If she doesn't want to talk to me, that's fine. I just want to see her myself."

"She doesn't want to see you." Lucy pushed him hard but only managed to send herself reeling backwards.

Bucky resisted the urge to cross his arms, trying to remain as non-intimidating as his giant form allowed. "I think that's her choice."

Lucy pointed at him. "I'll call the freaking cops, you psycho! You're trespassing."

"Who the hell are you?!" Bucky and Lucy both glanced up at the male voice coming from the end of the hallway. A tall, trim man with no shirt and boxers came stomping down the hall. "He bothering you?"

Bucky shook his head. "I just want to see Kat. Lucy's all yours, pal."

"Who's Kat?" The guy glanced at Lucy. "You got a roommate or something?" He stepped closer to her, his fingers sliding across her ass as he whispered. "We could've had a three way. That would've been-"