TIME STAMP: PRESENT
"Are you two done arguing?" Walker asked as soon as Bucky and Kai met him outside.
The witch didn't reply but rolled her eyes, realizing it wasn't worth it. "Most people here are somehow connected to Valentina or John Garrett."
"Garrett? wasn't he dead?" Walker asked, raising an eyebrow.
"He was defeated by Coulson and Fury a few years ago but is anyone really dead in this fucking shit show?" Kai grunted, pressing her hand against her forehead.
"And Grant Ward or Rumlow? They were his right arm." Bucky questioned, remembering when they encountered Rumlow, and how everything went wrong.
"Thankfully Ward is dead. Rumlow has gone missing, no one knows where he is." Kai shrugged, looking at the paper. "Somehow it doesn't mean things are easy."
"So, we have Garrett who was associated with Hydra. And we have Valentina who is... no one knows." Walker frowned.
"She's the director of CIA so it means she works with the government, but she's not trustworthy," Kai added, tilting her head. "Plus, she betrayed her husband or, well... ex-husband, when he was trying to help Wakanda."
"How do you know all this?" Walker asked curiously, and Kai fought the urge to look at Bucky, as he was the reason she knew everything.
"Valentina has been trying to get me to work with her for a while, remember? So, I know a lot about her. And about other subjects too."
"Should we be concerned that they might be acquaintances? Valentina and Garrett?" Bucky finally asked, trying to get Kai to even look at him.
"Either one of them is questionable so I'd say that it's not a good thing. Valentina wants power and for me to change the past, and Garrett was part of Hydra, which supposedly got destroyed, so that's pretty much what he also wants."
"We're what they want right? Super soldiers." Walker tilted his head, scratching his beard.
"Valentina wants her dirty job done without messing her pretty nails and Garrett... Well, he wants people he can control."
"Sounds like we're just the right people for him to do so." Bucky bit his tongue, huffing some air out.
"So, now what? We get inside and try to see if someone tells us anything?"
"You two have the facility to blend amongst those men since a lot of them were from the Army. I'm gonna have to choose another tactic." Kai shrugged, wondering a bit.
"Should we be worried?" Bucky asked, taking a step forward in her direction.
"In Valentina's words, I'm the most powerful witch alive. No need to worry. I'll play the confused girl looking for a company to drink around the bar." Kai smiled a bit, while Walker nodded, and Bucky frowned.
"I don't like that tactic."
"It's a mission, James." Kai said softly, taking a deep breath.
"See the bright side, Bucky. At least you two already fought enough for today." Walker tried to make a joke, but Kai raised an eyebrow while Bucky fought the urge to not snap.
Once they were back at the club, Walker and Bucky went in opposite directions while Kai walked over to the bar, adjusting her hair so it fell out of her neck, allowing her to show more skin. She usually hated those types of missions, but they had to do unlikeable things to get an easier way out.
"I'm sorry to bother you, you look a bit lost around here." A man, close to her look-alike age said, grinning at her. "Maybe I can give you a hint?"
"I was wondering what I'd order, indeed." Kai grinned back, faking a chuckle. "I'm Cassandra."
"George." He smiled, gently grabbing her hand and kissing it. Although Kai smiled, pretending to be embarrassed, she wanted to throw up.
While the conversation was going on with Kai and George, Walker was talking with another man, and Bucky was... trying to control himself to not get Kai out of that situation. He didn't like when a man was close to her while he didn't remember her but now that he did, he couldn't stand the idea for too long. He couldn't even stand watching her smile, although it was fake, for a man who wanted to take her out.
Clenching his jaw repeatedly, he struggled to tear his gaze away from the table where they were seated, but he just couldn't do it. He thought he might go crazy for being unable to complete the mission, but the truth was that having spent so much time apart from Kai, it physically hurt him to see her with someone else, even if it was just for show.
He tried—he really did try—to keep himself together. Eventually, he found himself walking over to the table. Once Kai noticed him, she widened her eyes in warning, urging him to back off. But he simply couldn't bring himself to do it.
"I have been looking everywhere for you, sweetheart," Bucky said, resting his hand on Kai's waist as soon as she stood up. Kai chuckled nervously and looked over at George.
"I hope we can continue our conversation at another time." She grinned and he grinned back.
"Well, you do have my number, Cassandra. I hope you call it."
"Come on, Cass. We have to go." Bucky said in an almost disgusted tone by the way the man was throwing himself at her.
Once they were away from the table, they started to walk over to meet Walker, waiting until they got his attention.
"Cassandra? Really?" Bucky frowned.
"You ruined the mission, again." Kai pointed out, not mad at him.
"He was all over you." Bucky complained, pressing Kai's waist a bit closer to him.
"And I was all over him." Kai teased, glaring into his eyes. "As part of my mission."
"I'm not going to say I like it. I'm not your owner or anything but you're my-"
"Your what, James?"
"You're mine, that's it."
"You know if it was any other man that said that to me, I would be throwing up or fighting him." Kai frowned.
"I'm sorry I ruined that part of the mission, I just... Remember how pissed I got when Walker flirted with you?" He started, grumbling. "I didn't even know you enough back then, but now I know who you are and what you are to me."
"So, now what?" She whispered, looking into his eyes.
"I know you love me and that I do feel something incredibly strong for you. Can we ... can we try it out?"
"Try what out, James?" Kai asked, knowing he didn't like to express much of his feelings to anyone, but also knowing that he would do it for her.
"Don't make me say it." He grumbled again, watching her raise an eyebrow and smile. "Fine." He complained, sighing. "Would you like to go out for a drink, Miss Kai?"
When Kai grinned, Bucky smiled back, rolling his eyes. "I'll consider your offer once we figure out what Walker knows since he's walking toward us with a giant smile." She chuckled but leaned a bit more to his touch.
"That better be a yes." He teased her, caressing her waist.
"It's a shut up and don't ruin anything else." She teased back.
YOU ARE READING
ineffable memories / / bucky barnes
Fanfictionkai has been around for many centuries, while james has only been around for one, yet their paths have constantly cross. when kai is recruited by valentina, she isn't aware that the whole universe will be at risk because of her secrets.
