Hello Sergeant (Bucky Barnes)

real or not real?

James' POV

"What are you guys talking about with such serious expressions?" Sarah asked, coming up behind us and putting her arms around Jace. He flipped her over him so she was in his lap. "You're getting better at that one!" She patted his cheek and slid off his lap to sit between us. "I almost didn't have to cooperate to clear the couch."

He snorted. "Show off. You could flip over like that with out using your hands."

She shrugged, "So?"

"You're not normal," Jace said, smiling.

"Normal is just a setting on the dryer. Who wants to be normal?"

"I don't know, but I'm sure someone somewhere does. Ready to watch the movie?"

"Yup... wait - I didn't make popcorn yet!"

"I'd like to learn how to make it," I said after a moment. "I'd like to learn how to use the kitchen."

Sarah gave me a big grin. "Sure, James. I'll show you how to run the microwave."

"Micro-what?"

"My-crow-wave," she said slower, enunciating for me. "It's what I use to cook the popcorn, among other things." She hopped up and pulled me to my feet, holding my hand while pulling me to the kitchen. I heard Jace muffle a laugh, but ignored him, focusing on Sarah instead. It still amazed me how my metal arm didn't bother her. She seemed to prefer to hold that hand over the other, actually.

I listened to her explanation about the microwave and pushed the buttons she told me to after placing the package of popcorn inside.

"Will you show me how to run this as well?" I asked, pointing to the stove. It looked a lot different than the one I remembered from my youth.

"Sure. We can cook together tomorrow." She smiled at me before reaching up on her tiptoes to get the large bowl we had used for popcorn the night before out of the cupboard. It bobbled off the tips of her fingers before falling. I grabbed it before it fell, leaving imprints of my fingers in the thin metal. She took it from my hand before I could try to get them out, flipping it to see them better.

"Sorry," I muttered, looking away from her. I put my metal arm behind me, closing the hand into a fist.

She put her hand on my face so I would look at her. "It's okay, James. It just has character now." She ran her hand down my cybernetic arm, pulling it towards herself. I closed my eyes as I felt her touching my arm with both of her hands, exploring it and opening my fist.

"Why are you not afraid of me?" I rasped, her touch affecting me more than I wanted to admit.

"I haven't seen anything in you to be afraid of, James. Are you afraid of me?"

"No," I smiled. How could anyone be afraid of her, as beautiful as she was?

"You should be. I could have killed you the first time we met." Her smile faded. "I could have killed you just now."

I looked down to see a knife at my neck, the tip hovering just above my jugular. I hadn't even seen her move. She lowered it and tucked the knife back where it came from.

"Don't underestimate me, James. I'm more than just a pretty face." The microwave beeped, and she opened it and pulled the steaming bag out. I watched as she shook it before dumping it in the bowl.

I looked at her with fresh eyes. Not many could have managed that move on me without me noticing. "Like Natalia?"

"Better." There was no arrogance in her statement, only calm assurance. She threw the empty bag away and handed me the bowl as we walked back into the living room. "You can watch us spar sometime."