THE CHAIN, B. Barnes daughter

44. i dont deserve you

YALL NAT AND SEV IN THE FLASHBACK I MADE :(

SEV DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THOSE
kids were talking to Zemo. If it were her at their age, she would've already run away crying. Standing next to her dad, she watched the interaction unfold with wide eyes.

"Couldn't be me," she muttered under her breath.

"Oh, I know," Bucky said, a slight smirk tugging at his lips.

"Starting to feel like a dead end," Sev jumped at the sound of Sam's voice. She hadn't realized he was behind them.

"What the hell is he doing?" Bucky asked, referring to Zemo's antics with the children.

After a few more moments, Zemo returned. "Cute kids," he remarked nonchalantly.

Back at the building, Sev collapsed onto the couch beside her dad, exhaustion washing over her. The lack of sleep wasn't helping, and she leaned her head on his shoulder, barely tuning into the conversation.

Zemo approached with tea, but Bucky was in no mood for pleasantries. "That little girl, what did she tell you?" he demanded.

Zemo hesitated. "The funeral is this afternoon," he finally said.

Sev sat up, giving Zemo a puzzled look. "You know the Dora's coming for you any minute. In fact, they're probably lurking outside right now," Bucky said, his voice low and threatening. "Keep talking."

"Leaving you to turn on me once we get to Karli? Hmm, I prefer to keep my leverage," Zemo replied coolly.

Bucky sighed, frustration evident. He stood, yanked the cup of tea from Zemo's hands, and threw it against the wall, shattering it. He got dangerously close to Zemo's face. "Wanna see what someone can do with leverage?"

Sev and Sam stood almost simultaneously. Sev placed a gentle hand on her dad's shoulder, lightly pushing him back. "Take it easy," Sam said. "Don't engage him. He's just gonna extort you and do that stupid head tilt thing."

Sev noticed Zemo adjust his head to a normal angle when Sam pointed it out. "Let me make a call," Sam said, walking away.

"Want some cherry blossom tea?" Zemo asked Bucky, seemingly unfazed.

Bucky twitched. "No. You go ahead," he said, grabbing Sev's arm as they walked away.

Bucky's grip on Sev's arm was firm but not harsh. They found a quiet corner of the building, away from Zemo's piercing gaze. Bucky's shoulders were tense, and Sev could feel the agitation rolling off him in waves.

"Dad, you need to calm down," Sev said softly, looking up at him with concerned eyes.

Bucky took a deep breath, trying to shake off the tension. "I'm fine, baby. Just... frustrated with Zemo."

"No, you're not," she insisted, taking his hand. "You're stressed. You're angry. Talk to me."

Bucky sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just don't want him getting into your head, Sev. He's manipulative."

"He's not getting into my head. I'm more worried about you," Sev said firmly. "You've been through so much, and seeing you like this... it hurts."

Bucky sighed, looking away. "I just don't want you to see all this, to be around people like Zemo."

Sev squeezed his hand. "I'm tougher than I look. And you've been through worse. You're stronger than this.."

Bucky's gaze softened as he looked at her. "You're always so worried about me. I should be the one worrying about you."