The Fluffy Adventures of Yelena and Bucky

Part 3

    This chapter contains swearing. And breif suicidal and self-harmful thoughts (which I do not ever encourage. It is for the sake fo character developement and in my opinion it is a part fo the character that I don't want to leave out of the story).

   The Winter Soldier lay with his eyes open, puzzling over those two girls. The blonde one and the red-haired one, two of the best fighters out of all of the students.

   The one with the red hair had stared at him urgently, as if there was something wrong. Something important, and about him.

   He took a deep breath as he heard the lock on the door of his cell being picked. By the time a teenage girl stood in the empty doorway, he was already on his feet.

   "You have to remember," Natasha whispered carefully, her fingers twitching fearfully. "Please. I won't hurt you. I'd never hurt you. Not like they did..."

   Confusion whirled in his gut, sending mixed signals. One stood out though, taking over.

   Knowing when to keep his own mouth shut, he didn't shout or say anything, just shoved her by the neck against the cold cement wall.

   She gasped breathlessly, her fingers groping his metal fingers. She couldn't hide her horror. He always saw it in every face that looked at him.

   The spaces between the plates pinched her tightly, and she flinched hard. Suddenly, he was falling, falling into what felt like a memory but had to be a dream. A time that didn't exist, but did somehow.

  He was standing with her in the training room. The blonde haired one standing to the side, watching. Both had slightly shorter hair, seeming younger.

   Natasha didn't get the step, and he didn't blame her, so he showed it to her "just one more time, okay?" He showed her the arm movements again, slowly and patiently.

   "Do you understand it now?"

   "Yes."

   "Do it with me, then."

   She took a deep breath and raised her arms. "A little higher," he corrected her. She complied, then stepped closer to him and their arms locked as he blocked the movement. They were so close, and she gave him a small smile. Just as she pulled away, her hand caught on the parts of his arm as they shifted.

   "Agh!" She gasped and her face convulsed.

   Guilt bubbled up like the bile in his mouth. He'd killed so many without a second thought, but she made him feel so shitty with one simple expression of pain. Caused by him.

He let out a soft gasp.

   Natasha still squirmed under him, struggling for breath, and wanted to die suddenly. He yanked his arm away from her, wishing he could tear it off, rip it apart, and melt it down.

   She coughed and gasped, keeling over in pain. His heart raced. What if Karpov heard? He shook those thoughts away and knelt down beside her, afraid to touch her. Natasha finally looked up at him, her neck bright red.

   Despite everything, she found the strength to reach out with a shaking hand... and touch the side of his face. I could never be that brave, he thought.

   "D-do you remember?"

   His eyes lowered to the ground. "I remember enough. Let's... let's go, Natalia."