He adjusted his shirt's cuffs uncomfortably and stared blankly at their buttons. He knotted and unknotted his fingers and stacked and re-stacked his books.
"Excuse me, Sergeant Barnes?"
He looked up to see a girl not old enough to drive. She had on a tee shirt with simple black writing that said 'TEAM BUCKY' on it. She had a crooked smile and one of his books stolen from the stack and held against her stomach.
"Yes, that's me. Please, it's Bucky."
She extended her right hand out to him and he realized it was a prosthetic limb. He stood and shook it without hesitation.
"Bucky," she repeated, "My name's Frankie."
"Hello Frankie."
Bucky noticed a parent to her left back, smiling proudly at her daughter. Bucky nodded meekly to the mom.
"Would you mind signing for me?" she extended his book toward him.
"Not at all." He reached into his pocket and withdrew a sharpie. After opening the first page, he began to write a scribbled message to her:
Frankie —
The difference between heroes and villains is that heroes decide to take their battles and become better from them. Always remember it's up to you to be the hero or the villain. I believe in you.
— Bucky
He closed the book and handed it back to her.
"How much?" her mother asked him.
"No cost, please," Bucky replied kindly.
"Thank you," Frankie said after reading the message. "You're my hero."
Bucky's heart pounded with pride in his rib cage. He'd never thought he'd be someone's hero. He figured with writing his autobiography that the backlash would be negative. It still might be, but hearing a positive comment like that from just one person made publishing worth it.
"Well," he said, "You're mine."
YOU ARE READING
sporadic | avengers
Fanfictiona collection of random avengers one-shots. no main character. no main plot line. just our favorite group of crime-fighting friends doing everyday things. • { disclaimer : I do not own the marvel franchise, the characters, movie/comic/novel plot line...
