Red Thorn

Chapter 23

Late 2016

It had been just over six months since the team had left Bucky in Wakanda and neither Red nor the Captain had breathed a word to each other since. Though it didn't help that Red had taken off mere days after they had returned to the Compound with little to no explanation and if her siblings knew anything, they were keeping very tight lipped about it. Something that seemed to only anger the Captain more.

But, today was the day that Bucky was returning to the Compound and Steve couldn't have been any happier. A 'Welcome Home' banner was strung across the lounge he shared with his fellow supersoldier, a delicious spread of all Bucky's favourite cakes and drinks could be found on the coffee table and 40s music was playing on the stereo. A true hero's welcome home from the war. The one Bucky never received. That neither of them received.

"This is--"

"It's too much, isn't it?" Steve asked, worried he was overwhelming his friend. "I'm sorry, I just--"

"Stop panicking, punk," Bucky chided. "I was going to say amazing."

"Oh good." Steve rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "I was worried it would be too much."

"It's not, thank you." Bucky cracked open one of the beers. "So where's your girlfriend?"

"Who? Red?" Steve shook his head, a light chuckle escaping his lips. "That woman is definitely not my girlfriend. I'm not sure you could even call us friends anymore."

"What did you do now?"

"Why do you always assume I am the problem?"

Bucky smirked. "Because you are clueless when it comes to women."

"Maybe." Steve looked longingly into the beer he'd just opened. "But it's kind of hard to say something wrong when you haven't spoken to each other in six months."

"Since Wakanda?" All the joy faded from Bucky's face as a terrible thought crossed his mind. "It's not because of me, is it?"

"No," Steve assured. "She's the one who chooses to keep these secrets. To keep lying to us about these different parts of her life. Natasha says that it's to protect these people that she's hiding, but why would they need protecting from us? I thought she trusted us."

Trusted me...

"From what I saw, she does." Bucky sighed. "But even Hydra was scared of the Red Thorn, which says a lot. That is a mantle you carry for the rest of your life. She will always be that assassin, the same way I will always be the Winter Soldier, at least part of me will. It doesn't matter whether you had a choice or not, those deaths and all of those terrible things you did, they stay with you. Especially the pain you didn't mean to cause all because for a moment, no matter how short, you cared about something, or someone, other than your own survival."

"What are you getting at, Buck?"

"She hides it well, I'll give her that but Red clearly cares a lot. If not she wouldn't be an Avenger. None of you would." Bucky perched himself on the arm of the couch. "But have you ever stopped to think that the reason she still has all these secrets is because she has this innate need to hide the things she cares about? To protect them."

"From what?" Steve snapped. "From us?"

"From the dangers that come with being associated with her," Bucky said, his words heavy as he too, felt every single one of them.

"Well either way it doesn't matter because she took off not long after we got back and I have no clue if or when she's coming back."

"She'll be back," the brunette assured.