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

Fifty-Seven

"Christ on a cracker, you look like you were dragged through hell," Sharon greeted Steve and Bucky at her front door.

"Right?" Steve teased, "I told Bucky that he needed to get more sleep."

"Ha," Bucky deadpanned, following Steve inside the Carter home and closing the door behind him.

"Seriously, though," Sharon's brows were still furrowed with her concern, "What happened? I thought you were going to some hoity-toity art academy."

"See," Bucky widened his eyes to get his point across as he used wild hand gestures to show that he was agreeing with their friend.

Steve rolled his eyes and gave Sharon the same excuse that he gave Bucky. Mainly, because it was true, "Hazing."

"Huh," Sharon crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes as she studied Steve. Steve averted her gaze and ran his hand through his hair. They came for the box, not an interrogation. Finally, Sharon said, "I bet I could take 'em."

"As much as I appreciate that," Steve trailed off, giving the grand staircase a pointed look.

"Right!" Sharon snapped out of her calm demeanor. However, the rigidness that replaced her easy-going mood, flipped Steve's stomach like a light switch. Visibly more nervous, Sharon started leading them up to the second story of her home. Pausing on the steps, she turned back to face the boys and asked, "Are you going to be able to carry it out?"

"I think we can manage," Bucky answered before Steve could, causing Steve to wonder just how large this wine cabinet was.

Almost as though Sharon could read Steve's mind, Sharon winked, "Luckily we have such a strapping, stud here, huh?"

With a playful swat to Steve's bum, Bucky replied before he could. Flirting as he insinuated that Steve was the one Sharon was talking about. Even adding an earnest, "We sure are!"

Steve shook his head at the comment, all the while, Bucky chuckled behind him. Of course, Steve preferred his laughter over his screaming. Bucky's screaming and frightened whimpering had haunted Steve throughout the night. Even with Uncle Thor using a smidge of his powers to ease Steve back into slumber, Steve couldn't shake the fear that settled back into his bones in the morning.

There was nothing that Steve wouldn't do to keep his friends safe. To keep Bucky safe. Especially Bucky.

More and more, Steve was starting to wonder if there would be a way to use his powers to help them. To protect them. The way that Uncle Thor did. Maybe if he went through with --

"Okay," Sharon announced, securing the ladder and taking a step back. Out of the way, Sharon gestured up to the attic, "All yours."

"You're not joining us?" Steve questioned with furrowed brows.

Glancing up at the ominous attic, Steve started to think that this might be a bad idea. That they should've had his uncles go with them. Only, Thor had an interview at The Mad Scientist: Coffee and Oddity Shop. And Loki was nowhere to be found once Steve and Bucky woke up. Hildy could've been helpful. If her date, Carol, hadn't made breakfast.

"As much as I would love that..." Sharon trailed off, averting her gaze from the attic to the floor while she held herself.

Clapping a comforting hand on Sharon's shoulder, Bucky reassured, "It's okay."

Sharon nodded, but her teeth remained in her lower lip as she worried. Steve glanced back up at the attic. Taking in a deep breath, Steve steadied himself and started up the ladder, with Bucky right on his heels. And when Bucky playfully patted his bum, Steve didn't even attempt to feign annoyance. Instead, he was relieved to have his boyfriend and best friend there with him.

Once they were on level footing, Sharon called up the opening, "It should be on the left. I covered it up with a floral sheet to try and... cheer up... the space...?"

Steve turned around to look for the floral sheet. The attic was dimly lit, the complete opposite of how the Odinson's attic was. Of course, it made sense for them to be different since the attic had been transformed into an apartment for Hildy.

Next to the window, Steve spotted a pink sheet dotted with tiny white flowers. It was an old sheet and Steve immediately recognized it as the one that used to resign on Sharon's twin size bed before she upgraded. The same soft, cotton sheet that Steve had experienced his first kiss with Sharon.

Stomach knotting at both the memory and fear of the wine cabinet, Steve started heading over. Realizing this, Bucky quickly tried to fall in step with him. Stumbling over his feet until he grabbed onto Steve's wrist to steady himself. But kept his grip all the while they crossed the room.

The closer they moved, however, the tighter Bucky's grasp became. Worrying Steve even more. Glancing over at his boyfriend, Steve asked, "You okay?"

"Yeah," Bucky lied. Taking in a deep breath, he repeated, "If it's in Teddy, it's not in the box."

"Oh, so you do listen to me," Steve mocked, trying to lighten the mood. When he still didn't get the reaction he was hoping for, Steve added, "And here I was thinkin' that you were only with me for my looks."

"Well, your looks do keep me interested," Bucky deadpanned. Giving Steve a sideways glance, Bucky made sure to give him a reassuring wink, just in case he didn't pick up on his teasing.

Of course, Steve could spot Bucky's mirth from a mile away. So ingrained in Steve that it might as well have been coded straight into his very DNA. Still, Steve played his part and rolled his eyes. Feigning annoyance, just like always.

Finally reaching the covered wine cabinet, Steve reached out with a shaking hand. Pinching the sheet between his finger and thumb, Steve took in a deep breath and pulled the sheet off the cursed piece of furniture. Only --

"Where's the cabinet?" Bucky questioned with wide eyes, looking at the old jewelry box that sat where the wine cabinet should've been. Noticing that hanging from one of the hooks was a locket opened to show two pictures: Teddy's old kindergarten school photo, and Bucky's. Fear striking right into Bucky's heart seeing his mother's gold locket.