chivalry → bucky barnes

||Chapter 16||

THIS ONE IS LONGER THAN USUAL BUT ALL I'M GONNA SAY IS: D-R-A-M-A...

-------------

Leah walked into the lab and looked around. This was it, the day Steve would go from his little and weak self to the super soldier only Avery and Leah knew, at this point, would thrive to become Captain America. Leah followed all the precautions she and Howard had discussed until the doors opened and the rest of the team flooded in.

'So nice to see you again.' Abraham said hugging her softly.

She nodded at the rest of them until she saw Peggy walk in with Steve.

'Good luck.' She said to him before he removed his shirt and hat.

'Lee-' Someone called making her spin around.

Howard had his back turned and held out his hand before glancing over his shoulder and beckoning her forward.

'Lee?' She repeated with a grin.

He flashed her a smirk before taking her hand and leading her over to another set of buttons.

'You just need to press the buttons like we discussed, got it?' He asked.

Leah looked at the buttons then back to him.

'Oh yeah-' He said rummaging in his pocket and pulling out a pair of sunglasses.

'You might need these.' He said slipping them onto her face.

She blushed at his touch but he returned back to his spot as if he didn't notice.

'I promise everything will be fine.' Leah told Peggy as she nervously watched.

Howard and Abraham got the project running and Leah instantly knew she needed to concentrate on her job.

'More power-' Howard said twisting the wheel.

Leah took this as her cue to press her button. A light began emitting from Steve's chamber until he screamed.

'Turn it off!' Peggy yelled.

'No! I can do it!' Steve shouted back.

Leah shakily pressed another button after a nod from Howard and, finally, the project was complete. Peggy came running down along with the other observers and arrived at the scene first, soon joined by Howard.

'Oh my-' Leah breathed out when she saw Steve's now insanely toned body.

Howard was in awe of his own work so Leah walked over and patted his shoulder.

'You did good.' She said smiling.

He looked over at her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

'Right back at ya-' He replied smugly before a gun shot went off.

Leah's eyes went wide when she remembered that, if things went like the movie unlike they had already, Abraham would be killed.

'Abraham-' She huffed out as she did a spin.

Peggy had her gun pulled already when Leah saw the bullet heading towards herself.

'Leah, watch out!' Howard called before diving and pushing her under a nearby table and taking the bullet himself.

Leah felt the tears fall from her eyes. Howard Stark had just taken a bullet to save her.

'Howard-' She sobbed out before she heard a grimace.

She looked up and saw Howard looking at her worriedly.

'Shh-' He said unzipping his jacket slightly to reveal a bullet proof vest.

She smiled through her tears but shook her head anyways. How was this guy always prepared? Leah looked around and saw that Steve was gone as most of the others were.

'Dr Erskine-' She mumbled as she cautiously crawled towards the fallen man.

He wasn't moving and that's when Leah knew that she was in a boat load of trouble.

'Leah-Leah, it's okay.' Howard said trying to get a sobbing Leah to pull away from the fallen doctor.

She took one look at him and cried some more.

'Shh, it's okay now.' He hummed pulling her into his embrace.

She felt the hole in his jacket right near his heart and pulled away so she could look him in the eyes.

'Y-You could have died.' She whispered.

'Even if I did I'd be happy knowing it was for you.' He replied.

She blushed but looked back at his chest.

'You're kind of stupid.' She muttered.

'I know.' He said pulled her back into his embrace and rubbing her shaking back.

'They're gone.' Peggy said out of breathe as she walked back into the room.

'What about Steve?' Howard asked, caressing Leah's hair all the while.

'He chased after him but whatever you did to him worked, he's really fast.' Peggy said before she saw Abraham's lifeless form.

'Oh my-' She said kneeling next to him.

She said some more but Howard gave her a look as if to silence her once Leah's sobs became more and more frequent. Howard lead Leah to the car where Mr Jarvis was waiting and drove her towards her home.

'Are you alright?' Howard asked after a moment.

'I guess.' She replied.

He frowned before telling Jarvis to stop the car.

'Leah, look at me.' He insisted.

She looked at him and he wiped away her tears with his thumb.

'I never realized you were close with Abraham.' He mumbled.

Leah laughed lightly catching Howard of guard.

'I wasn't it's just-' She paused when she remembered how foolish it would sound to explain.

'-never mind.' She replied meekly before looking away again.

'No, tell me.' Howard said cupping her cheek and forcing her to meet his brown eyes.

'It's a really long, confusing story.' She said shyly.

'I've got time.' He replied with a half smile.

'Jarvis, take us back to the estate.' Howard said before taking Leah's hand to reassure her.

'We can talk over dinner.' He said sending her a half glance.

She blushed at the thought but rubbed the top of his hand with her thumb to show she liked the idea.

---------------

♡Social Media♡

➳Instagram: @sabrinademelo.wattpad

➳Twitter: @DeMeloWattpad