Don't Hide | Bucky Barnes |

19

The room is cold, the smell of bleach assaulting my nose. Thunder crackles outside, the sound humming through the empty house.

I've been trying to sleep for hours now, but the memories packed within Ana-Maria's house are almost too much for me to bear. The nearest flight I could book back to my own apartment in the States is tomorrow morning, so for now I'm stuck spending the night here.

"Nick Fury, what sort of mission did you give me?" I breathe, my mind flitting through through the past few weeks. No matter how much I convince myself that it's a good thing to leave, I know deep in my gut that I don't believe it.

I know that I'll miss Barnes.

I'll miss the way he always seems to understand and the way he somehow manages to make me feel not alone. I'll miss the adorable, slightly flirtatious personality that cracks through when he lets his guard down and even the way he tries to be strong through everything.

I'll just miss him.

I huff, turning over to my side and pulling the covers of the bed closer. I shove the thoughts from my mind, willing sleep to come to bring morning faster.

Eventually, it does.

•••••

How could everything go so wrong so fast?

My suitcase lays by the door, long forgotten. I have no doubt missed my flight by now, but I don't really care. My focus is captured by the television resting in the living room.

One that announces that the Winter Soldier just bombed the Sokovia Accords signing in Vienna.

"That's impossible," I breathe, pulling a hand through my blonde locks, "He hasn't left Bucharest"

Fear grips my heart when the program further details that King T'Chaka of Wakanda was murdered in the blast. I immediately know that someone will find Bucky and come for him. The governments of every country at that meeting will no doubt place a large, blaring target on his back. Even I can see that he's been framed, though.

If they do this, they'll kill an innocent man.

I feel my heart pounding in my chest as images of bursting flames and shattering glass flood the news. What's more, half of the Avengers were there. I gulp, knowing Bucky Barnes' life of solitude is over.

As if on cue, my phone rings with Nick Fury's name on the screen.

"Fury, he didn't do that. Bucky wasn't there" I blurt out as soon as I accept the call.

"I know, I believe you," Nick responds, exhaustion clear in his tone, "But the entire world doesn't know that."

"This is bad" I remark, bringing a hand through my hair.

"It's definitely not good"

"Well, what do we do? We have to do something" I push, waiting anxiously for the voice on the other line to tell me what to do.

"Dawn," he begins, and I already know I'm not going to like what he has to say.

"What is it?" I hesitantly ask. I hear him sigh.

"I think you should stay out of this"

My stomach drops, my brows furrowing in confusion. He told me not one day ago that he was ready for me to intervene and help. What has changed?

"You're joking, right?" I announce, quickly moving to push back on this, "Fury, I can't just abandon him! He needs help, he needs someone to prove that he's innocent"