Destruction ━ Bucky Barnes [2]

21 ━ LOVE & PIZZA

DESTRUCTION.
( chapter twenty-one. )

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  ANDY WATCHED BUCKY WITH care. He stood guard at the window, eyes following every shadow that passed the room. It clearly made him nervous to be here.

  And yet, he still came.

  She would have laughed at the nobility of it, if it wasn't so dangerous. Not that she could bring herself to scold him. In his position, Andy would have done the exact same. With a lot less subtlety, too.

The brunette leaned back against the spare bed, wondering at how they were meant to spend their time. He knew she was alive and safe, so where did that leave them? And what did it mean for the rest of this tenuous relationship?

  "How long do you plan to stay?" She asked, forcing out the question. The answer didn't truly matter. Andy already knew they didn't have long.

  Bucky never moved from the window, but his gaze fell. "I don't know," he admitted. "I didn't exactly come here with a plan."

  She tsked, "We have the phones for a reason." It was a weak reprimand.

  He glared, but kept his eyes on the ground. "Yeah, because a dead person can answer the phone, Andrea."

  Andy scowled, though she was comforted by his mockery. It was more bitter than she was used to, but not enough to annoy her. Time had changed them both. Made them more patient.

  Outside of his embrace, the fantasy of staying by Bucky's side quickly faded. Andy knew she couldn't, not with the threat of Ultron still in play. It was selfish to put Bucky in danger over her own desires.

  Ones that she doubted he shared.

  "I have to let the hospital complete their tests," she started to say. Bucky turned to face her. "I need to get back to my team."

  "After they did such a stellar job protecting you last time?" The question was a clear judgement.

  "Protecting me wasn't their job," Andy argued. "I was meant to be their protection, and I failed."

  "Then, what are you going back to?" He demanded, challenging her as their eyes met.

  Now he was pissing her off. "If I don't go back, they die— we all die." Andy tried to keep the blistering anger out of her voice. Her fingers were already curling into stubborn fists.