'Till The End Of The Line

Untitled Part 2

Another day. Bucky woke to the sight of crimson orange tearing into his room, illuminating the often dark corners. Sliding out of bed, he stepped out into the crisp air, feeling the slight chill of the stone floor on his bare feet. Watching the sunrise intently, his heart began to smile. Towards the East, at the point where land and sky touched, Bucky could see the burning sun emerge from behind a sloping field. The clouds danced with touches of tea rose orange on their edges, contrasting the strong streaks of orange and pink littered across the sky. He observed the beauty and simplicity of this scene, before feeling a gentle hand slip into his.

"Natalia" He spoke softly, with a slight grin on his face. This caused Natasha to smile; she hadn't seen James happy in a long time. "Beautiful, huh" She said, following his gaze across the rolling hills. "Have you spoken to Steve?" At the mention of his name, Bucky tensed and bit his lip, turning his head away from Natasha. "No." His voice cut like glass and he walked back into his room, pushing back his newly-cut hair with his fingers. A frown showed itself upon his brows as he paced within his room.

Natasha sighed and walked over to him, her voice slightly stern. "Look, James, you can't just pretend nothing's up. He worries about you, and i'm pretty much the only person you talk to round here so of course, i'm the subject of his interrogations." She received no response, only a cold silence. She crossed her eyes and pouted at him slightly. "Fine. Ignore me. Wanda says breakfast is up. If you can bear it, come and eat." With that, she brushed past him and left the room.

"God dammit.." Bucky muttered under his breath. Throwing on a t-shirt, he left the room and casually made his way downstairs and into the kitchen. "Mornin' Buck" Steve smiled at him whilst sipping a drink as Bucky entered the room. Man he loved it when Steve smiled at him. "Uh, hey Steve" He smiled awkwardly and sat next to Natasha, who was pouring him a glass of water. "Sleep well?" Steve's attempt at conversation was flattering, but it didn't get him very far. "Yeah, uh i slept alright thanks, you?" Bucky summoned the courage to look him in the eyes as Steve watched him from across the table. "uh-huh" The two then exchanged an awkward smile, but thankfully Natasha intervened and passed Bucky a plate.

After breakfast, Bucky got changed and was about to go into the gym, before being stopped by Steve in the hallway. "Buck" His words were soft as he gently placed an arm on Bucky's shoulder to stop him from leaving. "What's going on with you? You've been distant. I'm worried." 

"Nothing Steve, i'm fine" He replied, chuckling softly to cover the lie.

"Don't lie Buck. I know you"

"I'm not lying Steve" Bucky rolled his eyes slightly, looking to the ceiling.

"Then look me in the eyes and tell me that." A silence passed between them and Bucky looked up at Steve, his stomach turning over and over a thousand times. He cleared his throat and looked directly into Steve's blue eyes, studying the hints of green that surged through them as they looked back at him desperately. All of a sudden the words escaped his mouth and his throat began to tense, panic erupting from his chest.