ineffable memories / / bucky barnes

[ twenty - four ]

TIME STAMP: PRESENT

After their work was done in the club, Walker told Bucky and Kai what he had talked with Sharon about and although Bucky had to believe his word, Kai didn't, so she confirmed things through text without them knowing. They had free time to spend considering their real mission would be tomorrow and there was nothing there for them today, but none of the trio wanted to spend their night drinking in a club filled with criminals – which was ironic as hell coming from them.

"So... do we get back to the headquarters? Get over the plan?" Walker asked once they got back into the car and although Bucky wanted to reply, Kai anticipated his answer, and in order to stop their potential bickering, she put herself in the middle of the conversation.

"Yes. We'll get over the plan now that we have Sharon's information." Kai said in a tone that didn't allow any complaints and although Bucky squinted his eyes, he couldn't help but feel something close to fire on his chest. She was fierce and it was driving him crazy.

"Can I just say something?" Bucky asked in a teasing tone to Kai but then got his posture back together once he remembered Walker was still there. "I think it's better if we don't go to the headquarters to discuss our plan."

"Why? Isn't it supposed to be the safest place for us?" Walker asked, raising an eyebrow, while he put his seatbelt on.

"You think someone is out to get us." Kai mumbled, looking through Bucky, who nodded slowly – after all those years she could understand him with just one look.

"Who would want us dead?"

"Who wouldn't?" The former couple replied in unison, slightly scaring Walker.

"Well, Yelena wants you dead but other than that..."

"It's not just Yelena," Kai said quietly. "Valentina too."

"What? Why are you here then?" Bucky screamed at her, making her roll her eyes. "I thought she just ... had something against you."

"Is that really a necessary question?"

"No." Bucky grumbled.

"Hum... Back to the topic, why exactly does Valentina want you dead?" Walker asked confused.

"Because I predicted her death a few years ago. She still thinks I'll able to change the trajectory of her life but that's not how it works." Kai shrugged.

"You said to kill you there would have to be under pretty specific circumstances." Bucky frowned, not even minding that Walker was there. He'd find out anyway.

"Exactly," Kai mumbled and after a while, she spoke again. "Why do you think she recruited you?"

There was a long silence after that question and although Kai was looking outside of the window, Bucky couldn't take his eyes off her. For about 3 minutes, Walker could stand the silence but then he figured that it was a very complicated subject and that they needed to focus on something else.

"I don't want to ... interrupt anything but it's getting late so maybe we can finish reviving the plan and then we go to just get some sleep before we may or may not walk into our deaths tomorrow?" Walker frowned, rubbing his neck.

There was another minute of silence before Kai replied. "That's probably the best."

Bucky and Walker did all the talking about the plan which Kai just nodded and added some comments here and there. Once they were done, Bucky drove to the headquarters and although he tried to reach Kai, she was faster to disappear in that space they shared with others.

Walker spent his day training one-to-one combat with Bucky while Kai just stood in her room, trying to revive some of her old spells – spells she hadn't used in years. They probably wouldn't need it, but she wanted to be prepared for everything.

Once the night came, the man returned to their rooms, getting ready for the big night and although Kai was feeling utterly tired, she got as nice as she could. Her hair was brushing against her shoulders while her dress, the same blue one she used years ago with The Winter Soldier, fell on her like a glove, causing a bit of mixed feelings.

The last time she had worn it, she was starting to reach through The Winter Soldier, but at the same time, it was also the time they got caught and tortured. That wasn't so bad for Kai because violence was all she knew since the 1800s but the memory of him being hurt because of her slashed her insides.

The three of them would meet at the bar separately, to not cause any type of suspicion but deep down, all of them felt like there could be something wrong. Walker was the first to arrive and he got himself a table close to the bar where he could watch everything. Bucky arrived shortly after and managed to get a table close to Walker's but soon he understood that Kai would have no table.

Once she got into the club, Kai looked around pretending to admire the space when in reality, she was just looking for her partners. It wasn't until she moved closer to the bar that she could see them and although it was crowded, she could feel that some men – and women – looked at her gracious walk, envious of her.

Walker thought the blue dress was beautiful and fit well but James Barnes had his mouth slightly open ever since he caught her glimpse. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen and (once again), he was ready to screw all the mission just to be able to be close to her.

Putting a strand of hair behind her ear, Kai politely asked for a drink as she scanned the club, finding exactly who she was looking for. She took a mental note of where the man was sitting and with who, and once she looked over at Bucky's table, to let him know by nodding that she had something, he was still looking at her like he was under her spell.

Their eyes locked and he gave her the most honest smile she had ever seen on his lips and although they were surrounded by people and standing apart, Kai had hope that he was feeling the same thing as her: an undeniable connection.