the tables have turned | steve/bucky

chapter four

The thing about watching someone until you unexpectedly fall asleep is that when you wake up and they're not there, you start asking yourself if they were even with you in the first place.

That's exactly how I felt as I searched for a sign of Bucky's presence the morning I woke up from my deep slumber. I needed an indication that he was actually there with me, that I wasn't just imagining everything.

But as I examined the seemingly untouched residence, it became clear to me that if he was here, he wanted to make it look like he wasn't. I was scared to find out why.

I patted my pockets down for the cellular device that Tony Stark bought for me. I was going to call Fury. He always knew what to do in these types of situations.

After slapping my thigh and rear a few times, I realized that the cell phone wasn't there. It was missing, along with my wallet and keys. Once I peeked outside, I added my car to the list.

Shit.

_____

I ended up finding a few bucks in my jacket pocket, so I took the train to the new "S.H.I.E.L.D." headquarters, or whatever they called it now. It was a building that looked a lot like the one that the hellicarriers destroyed all those months ago in Washington. But this one was in the woods, just north of D.C.

The walk to the secret location took about an hour. When I arrived in front, I could see a head of fiery curls standing by the main entrance to the building. I heaved a sigh.

"Where have you been 'Cap?" asked Natasha Romanoff as I pushed through the front doors of headquarters. She wanted to know something specific. I heard it in her voice. We stepped into the elevator.

"Places." I bitterly answered.

Nat folded her arms. "For three days?"

I snapped my head up. "What?"

"'Cap, you've been MIA for three days. We tried calling, but no one answered. I even went to your house. I got a bit worried when I saw the broken window," she stopped there, though from her tone it sounded like she wanted to keep going.

The elevator came to a halt and let us out. We weaved our way through the busy floor, passing up all the chattering agents and the sour staff, subsequently reaching Nick Fury's office, which was a big room with walls that were made of glass overlooking the trees.

Nick was back at it under an assumed name.

"Rogers," Fury greeted as we walked in. He tilted his head. "Romanoff."

Nat curtsied, which made Fury chuckle. The rage inside of me was intensified. I wasn't in the mood for jokes or laughter.

"Where've you been, Rogers?" Fury asked smugly, rounding his rectangular desk.

"Places," Nat mimicked in a deep voice. I was guessing that that was her attempt at impersonating me. It was quite offensive, honestly. I threw her a heated glance. She smiled in response.

"You've been places for three days?" asked Fury, his one visible eye seeming shocked.

"I was asleep," I growled. The two stared at me, puzzled.

"Were you frozen again?" asked Nat, grinning. Fury made the ugliest noise with his mouth before he burst into laughter.

"No. I was at the safe house"-they stopped laughing-"I took Bucky with me"- Fury balled up his fists-"and he was acting real strange for the short time he was there. We fell asleep next to each other at the house, except when I woke up today he was gone, and so was my cellular device, car, and wallet. I'm guessing he took it with him. If my speculations are correct, he's probably with HYDRA as we speak, feeding them information."

Nat and Fury gawked at me. I was preparing for an elongated speech about recklessness on Nat's end, and then a threat from Fury, so I sat down on a rotating chair and looked back at them. But neither of them said anything for a minute. They just stared at me with their mouths open.

Fury's fist came crashing down on his desk.

"YOU TOOK THAT MOTHERFUCKER TO THE SAFEHOUSE?! I'M GONNA STICK YOUR PREHISTORIC ASS BACK IN THE ICE, ROGERS!!! AND THAT'S A THREAT!!!"

"Steve," Nat said in a calmer voice. "What were you thinking?"

I pursed my lips.

What was I thinking?

Fury was babbling on in the background about how he was going to kill me, meanwhile, Nat went over to his desktop and started punching in things on the computer.

I didn't understand that type of technology, so I just stared out of the window. It was a beautiful sunny day out.

My mind wasn't processing the situation at hand. Maybe I just didn't want to believe that Bucky would use me like that. But there was no explanation for his sudden absence and thievery....

I rubbed my eyes, sighing.

"Got him." Nat mumbled coolly, looking over at me from the computer.

"Well?" Fury prodded impatiently.

Nat stood straight, furrowing her eyebrows as she stared at the computer monitor.

"What is it?" I asked.

Nat finally tore her eyes off the screen. "He checked in to a hospital..." she blinked disbelievingly. "...using your name."