911 | james barnes

011

11:05am, May 5, 2013

New York City, New York

"Lady Violetta!" Thor called, his arms struggling to hold the clothes piled within them. His vision was obscured by the fabric, causing him to stumble into a small table, more clothes splayed out upon its surface.

"Don't try to fight it, it only gets worse." Steve commented, trailing behind Thor, six bags of clothes and shoes on each arm. The two superheroes followed after the small girl, watching as she pulled nearly every piece of clothing from the racks, piling it onto Thor. Natasha was walking with her, grabbing everything Violetta missed. The girls giggled like high schoolers after the older assassin whispered something into her smaller counterpart's ear.

"Okay boys. We're finished. Can you take them up to the counter for us? We'd really appreciate it." Nat suggested, cocking her eyebrow when neither of them moved. They scurried off, Steve trying to pick up any stray clothes Thor dropped on his rampage toward the counter.

"You're doing really well, you know." Natasha commented, slowly walking toward the counter to join the others.

"What do you mean?" Violetta replied, staring up at the redhead with innocent gray eyes.

"It took me a lot longer to get used to... this. To being normal again. I don't think I had a real conversation with anyone for three months after I left the Soviets." She continued, reflecting on the time she had spent completing S.H.I.E.L.D. missions back-to-back, scared of what would happen if she had time alone.

"I, uh. I don't know, it's weird. I just feel like this is my only chance to be a kid again before the world tells me I need to grow up. Madame Bouffier was so strict and expected so much from me, that I kind of already grew up. I didn't have a childhood. I trained combat fifteen hours a day and ballet for the other nine. I never played in a playground, or had a pet, I never got to run around with friends or go to school. And now I have three years before I'm expected to go back to being an adult. I have thirteen years of my childhood to get back, and I'm not going to waste that moping around because of what I lost." Violetta replied, finishing her rant as the two arrived next to Thor and Steve, both of them looking at each other with wide eyes.

"I'm proud of you, kid. You're the best thing that's ever come out of that damn Academy." Steve told her, a patriotic hand gripping her shoulder tightly. His crystalline blue eyes stared into hers, and all of a sudden she felt as though she belonged. Looking down at the hand on her shoulder, a memory flashed through her brain.

"AGAIN!" Madame Bouffier screeched, walking past the mat Violetta was sprawled out across, a heavy body leaning over the top of her. The sound of a door slamming startled the man, causing him to jump back in fright. Violetta's eyes narrowed, the usually cold and relentless Winter Soldier was sat staring at the floor, a look of pure fear in his eyes. His breathing became heavier as Violetta slowly moved toward him.

"Soldier?" She questioned, her voice meek and scared. His eyes snapped to hers, wide like a deer in the headlights.

"I- I'm sorry. I'm so so sorry!" He wailed, tears brimming his eyes as he collapsed to the floor. Sobs racked his body, his muscular frame convulsing with every heart wrenching sound that tore from his throat. Violetta moved closer toward him, a delicate hand resting on his shoulder. He turned toward her, blue eyes looking at her, fueled by indescribable emotion. In a flash, he tugged her to his body, her knees falling awkwardly on his lap as he hugged her torso close to his, his breathing slowing to match hers. For hours, they stayed in each other's company, no words were exchanged, only fear and comfort.

"Tchaikovskaya!" A voice shouted, startling Violetta out of her daze. Looking forward, she saw three sets of eyes staring at her in concern. But she couldn't see any of them, all she could see were the steel blue eyes that belonged to her mentor, The Winter Soldier.