Flickers | Bucky Barnes

Sharp Object

She knew something was up the minute he came into her room and asked her to cut his hair for him. She didn't need to pester him or casually mention the length of his hair for him to acknowledge that his hair was quite long. In fact, since they had been staying in Wakanda she hadn't paid much attention to his growing locks that now were a little bit longer than the first time she met him under Hydra's control. It wasn't that she minded the extra length he grew; it wasn't as if she had any business in the matter. She would notice he would always move the long tendrils out of his face as they clouded his vision. So she would assume the most logical thing to do would be to cut the brown locks. But now they were living in intense heat. As he stood in the doorway of her room leaning casually against the frame, she didn't question the peculiar request that was like pulling teeth with him. Instead, she motioned for him to enter her room.

He was sitting in a sleek metal vanity chair shirtless, with a towel flung across his shoulder, as she ran her hands through his damp locks with her fingers and a comb. Her scissors and clippers were on the marble countertop.

As she wove her fingers through his silk hair from where she stood behind him, she watched as his shoulders slightly relaxed with his eyes closed as he slightly leaned into the movement. For some reason, she found cutting his hair now seemed surprisingly intimate.

Karina believed maybe it was because it seemed he trusted her enough to have a sharp object near him. The closeness could also be felt from the proximity of their bodies. As she stood behind him, she could feel the heat his body emitted as if he was a furnace. Even with his height being reduced by sitting, to properly cut his hair, she still needed to brush up against his arms to reach certain areas.

The camaraderie could also be attributed to the fact they had come so far in their relationship. They had formed a bond that happened to be irreplaceable.

Yet, despite all of these thoughts that were running through her head as she parted his hair in sections to make an even cut to his luscious locks, she wasn't stupid. James was clearly trying to butter her up for something. He wouldn't just come out of the blue requesting her to cut his hair without some sort of reason.

She smelled bullshit when he gave her the generic answer that he just wanted it cut. He could have at least supplied her with it was getting in the way of things or it was time for a change. Something had prompted this slight makeover. And before he left this room, he was going to tell her.

She was now standing in front of him; his eyes were still closed, as she ran her hands through the sides checking for any unevenness before she declared herself done. A part of her felt marginally guilty that she was jumping to some conclusion that he was lying to her or there was some alternative motive for him wanting something as simple as a haircut. But living with enhanced individuals – spies – she had become suspicious if someone decided to try a new flavor of coffee.

She swallowed her guilt as she opened her mouth and knew she would ruin the serene mood. "So what really prompted you wanting to have a makeover? Got a hot date I don't know about?" She tried to sound casual even as she threw in a joke, but the accusation was prominent in her voice.

His eyes snapped open, blue and violent, and they stood wordlessly at one another. She raised her eyebrows motioning for him to spit it out, as despite being a highly lethal trained assassin living and being his friend for two years, his poker face had turned to shit when he wasn't actively trying to keep something from her. But nothing could have prepared her for what came out this very beautiful man's mouth.

"I'm going back under stasis." He stated slowly gauging her reaction with each word.

She couldn't hide how her body stiffened and her grip around the scissors tightened. She thought this was his version of an April's fool joke, but it wasn't April 1st and she knew he wouldn't joke around with something like this.