The Chilling Adventures of Steve Rogers: Book One (Magical Hydra Horror AU)

Fifty-Two

Hanging up his phone, Bucky slipped it into the pocket of his black joggers sweats. When Bucky had dreamed about this exact predicament, he always imagined sneaking down the hall and the staircase. Even planning in great detail how he would strategically skip over the spots that creaked on his way right through the front door and out of the house. Now that it was actually happening, Bucky had to come up with another plan.

After all, he had absolutely no intentions to cross Not Teddy's path. Especially not as he stood just outside of his room in the hallway. And definitely not while the day's activities lingered in the air and clung to Bucky.

So, Bucky shrugged out of his robe and threw open the window. Slipping the screen out of the frame, Bucky stuck his right leg out first. Never having done this before, Bucky straddled the frame for a moment to catch his breath. Trying desperately to muster up what little courage he currently had left in order to climb down the trellis that leaned against the side of the house. Winifred's beloved rose vines wrapped around the wooden frame and Bucky tried not to smoosh them on his way down.

Tried being the operative word. Whether he succeeded was another matter entirely and one that he hoped his mom wouldn't notice.

Once sturdy on the ground, Bucky rushed over to Steve. Wrapping Steve up in his arms before he could even properly greet him. But that was a greeting in its own right as Steve clung tightly to Bucky too while he lifted him off his feet. Really though, Bucky just needed to feel Steve in his arms to see that he was actually there. That this wasn't a trick. That he was real.

Needing to see Steve's face, Bucky leaned back and immediately paused. Remnants of dried blood was still dotted around Steve's face and had stained his naturally porcelain pale skin red. Bucky's eyes darted from one spot to another as his panic and anger rose. Blood dried nostrils, busted lip, black eye. It was all adding to Bucky's need to protect.

Bucky's jaw clenched as he gently cradled Steve's face in his hands. Trying to school his anger, Bucky asked through his teeth, "What happened?"

Steve bit his fat lip, but winced when he broke the scab of the fresh cut, causing Bucky's chest to clench. He knew that Steve could handle his own -- hell, he made sure that Steve could as he taught him how to fight -- but Bucky didn't like seeing his boyfriend bloodied and bruised. Especially not knowing what happened.

Finally, Steve answered, "Hazing?"

"Hazing?" Bucky questioned, snapping his mouth closed and grinding his teeth. People were purposely putting Steve through pain just to initiate him? Hell, no. Fuck that. Bucky Barnes refused to stand by and let this happen. Whether Steve could handle it himself or not, Bucky didn't care. Right then, all he wanted was to know, "Who? Who do they think they are? What are their names? How dare --"

"Buck," Steve interrupted, reaching up to cup Bucky's face. Soothingly, Steve stroked the side of Bucky's jaw to calm him down as he reassured, "It's okay. They're not going to do it again."

"They better not."

"They won't," Steve sounded so sure. And when Steve was this sure about something, Bucky knew that it was true. For one thing was always certain about Steve, he meant what he said. Always.

Taking in a deep breath to steady his nerves, Bucky rested his forehead against Steve's and closed his eyes. Steve was the one that Bucky could always rely on. The only person who could lift Bucky up while grounding him at the same time. If Bucky was a kite, Steve would be the tether.

Stroking the back of Bucky's hair, Steve quietly asked, "You okay?"

Shaking his head, Bucky brought Steve even closer. Nuzzling his face in the crook of Steve's neck, Bucky breathed in Steve's scent of lemon and lavender and, underneath that, deeper there was that something that made Steve, Steve. If Bucky could bottle that scent, he'd make it a detergent so he'd fall asleep feeling safe and loved.

"Buck?" Steve whispered, "Babe? You're kind of scaring me."

Scaring Steve? Oh no. Nope. That just wouldn't work. Bucky couldn't scare Steve. Couldn't even think about it. Even back when they were just friends, it had always felt bad. Never had an issue teaming up with Steve to scare Teddy, or Sam, or even his uncles. But scaring Steve felt downright blasphemous.

Pulling back, Bucky pushed Steve's messy hair off his face and pressed a kiss to his forehead. Dropping his arm, he took Steve's hand in his and suggested, "Let's go for a walk."

"Okay," Steve agreed, squeezing Bucky's hand. Something behind Bucky caught Steve's eye, and his gaze drifted over.

With his back to his house, Bucky stiffened. Rigidly, Bucky was aware that something was watching them, and he knew that they needed to go. Needed to leave before it could hurt Steve the way it had hurt everyone else this afternoon.

"Everything okay with Ted--"

"Hey," Bucky swallowed thickly and tugged on Steve's hand, "Thought we were going on a walk."

"We are," Steve confirmed, following Bucky down the driveway to the street, even as his eyes drifted up to look at Not Teddy in the window.