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

Fifty-Eight

Quickly, Bucky dropped his grasp from Steve's wrist. As his eyes darted around the attic, Bucky pulled Steve under his arm. Making sure to protect his petite boyfriend the best that he could. Knowing that he couldn't let it get to Steve. Knowing that he'd rather drop dead right there than let anything even think about harming Steve. Knowing that he'd rather die than cause Steve harm, himself.

A chill shot down Bucky's spine, and he held Steve just that bit closer. Bucky advised, "We need to get out of here. Now."

"Why?" Steve asked, careening his head back to look up at Bucky.

With his heart beating erratically in his chest, Bucky explained as best he could, "This doesn't feel right."

Voice tight, Steve attempted to ease the fear from Bucky. Teasing, "I take it that's not the wine cabinet."

"Shar," Bucky called, as he started to rush across the room. Steve tripped over his feet, but Bucky kept a firm grasp on him. Debating for a moment if he should pick Steve up and toss him over his shoulder. Instead, Bucky questioned, "Sharon, did you move the cabinet? It's not --"

A loud clang, and the attic door slammed shut before they could reach it. Bucky skidded to a stop and pulled Steve back to himself. Panting, Bucky dropped to his knees and pushed at the door in the floor. However, it wasn't opening.

It didn't even budge.

Banging on the wood, Bucky yelled, "This isn't funny! Open the door!"

A long-fingered hand curled around Bucky's broad shoulder, causing him to fling himself away from the touch and knock over Steve in the process. Heart racing, he watched as Steve sat up. Steve held his elbow and looked up at Bucky with furrowed brows, "What...?"

Look at what you did, echoed in Bucky's head. Steve took his hand from his elbow and grabbed onto the side of an old rocking chair. Blood colored Steve's hand, and now the dusty wood of the chair. Bucky's stomach roiled as the voice claimed, You hurt him. You're a monster.

"Buck," Steve ambled over to his boyfriend. Blood dripped down his arm as he gestured for Bucky to join him, "C'mon."

"We gotta get outta here," Bucky warned, crawling back over to the door. As Steve went to push on the door, Bucky informed, "It's locked."

Or at least, it had been locked.

Easily, Steve ran his hand along the seam of the door and finally pushed the door open, allowing the ladder to fall to the floor. Grabbing onto the rungs of the ladder, Steve gave it a shake to make sure that it was steady and gestured for Bucky to go first.

Bucky's brows furrowed and he shook his head, "No. How'd you...? It was...? This doesn't... feel right."

Steve looked down through the exit to the second floor, checking to make sure the coast was clear. Looking over at Bucky, Steve placed his feet on the ladder rungs. Before he could start moving though, Bucky grabbed Steve's shirt and harshly yanked at the fabric as he questioned, "What are you doing?!"

"Leaving," Steve answered, his face scrunching up as he reasoned, "The cabinet's not here, and we need to find it."

"But -- doesn't this feel --" Bucky paused, bit his lower lip, and tried again. More adamant as he finally stated, "This is a trap."

"Maybe," Steve shrugged, agreeing, "But we can't just hide up here. We gotta make sure that no one gets hurt."

Bucky knew that Steve was right. Yet, looking at Steve's bleeding elbow, he still asked, "But what if you're the one who gets hurt?"

Glancing at his injured arm, Steve shrugged and looked back up at Bucky, "What if I do? Doesn't change that we should do what we can to help others."

Bucky glanced at the second floor of the Carter house. It seemed darker than it should've, and Bucky realized that Sharon wasn't standing where she had been. With his brows furrowing, Bucky briefly changed the subject as he asked, "Where's Sharon?"

Steve blanched and glanced down, realizing that Sharon wasn't there. Returning his gaze to Bucky, Steve said, "We need to leave. Right now."

Nodding, Bucky reluctantly let go of Steve's shirt and eyed him as he headed down the ladder. Only moving downward, himself, once he knew that Steve was safely on the ground. Debating whether he should just hop down the rest of the way when he felt it was taking too long to make his way down. Before he could make up his mind though, his feet touched the floor and he quickly turned to face Steve, not wanting to lose him.

"Sharon?" Steve called out as they rushed down the hallway. Still calling as they quickly ran down the staircase and moved from room to room.

When the bedrooms upstairs, and the rest of the house turned up empty, Bucky shuddered. Thinking back to Winifred's locket hanging in the jewelry box in the attic, Bucky feared that he knew where Sharon might be.

Bucky's mouth feeling like it was full of bubblegum as it stuck together, he guessed, "We need to go to my house."

A flash of an unrecognizable emotion crossed Steve's face when he looked up at Bucky. But as soon as Bucky noticed it, it was gone, and Steve agreed, "Let's go."