Don't Hide | Bucky Barnes |

26

Have you ever said something and wished you could unsay it the moment you did?

This is one of those moments.

"He did what?" Bucky growls, standing abruptly. A bit of confusion stirs through me and I glance to his now-free metal arm. They must've let it out of the metal contraption while I was reliving that memory.

"Bucky, it's not your fault" Steve pushes, trying to calm his friend down.

"How is it not?" He muses, pulling a hand through his hair, "If this had never happened to me, she would never have had that happen to her"

"Well technically you and a group of other murder machines"

"That's not helping, Sam" Steve interjects.

I huff, not liking the fact that the three of them are talking as if I'm not here but also that Bucky's blaming himself for something he could never control.

"Buck seriously, don't beat yourself up on this one" I interject. He clenches his jaw and turns his head so to not have to look at me.

"Hey, look at me" I instruct, my voice gentle yet firm. When he still doesn't, I take a few hesitant steps toward him. I reach out and softly turn his face forward, dropping my hand once his eyes are locked with mine.

"This wasn't your fault" I assure, my words simple, "And for the record, I wouldn't go back and change it for the world"

I don't know what I expect him to do, but it certainly isn't what comes next.

His eyes soften and his hand reaches up and gently turns my chin so that my right cheek is more exposed. I feel my breathing almost stop and my heart stutter when his runs his thumb gingerly across the deep purple bruise on my cheek. I watch his eyes drag downwards to my neck, my breath hitching when his hand drops to lightly graze over the tender skin. A shiver runs down my spine at the contact, confusion stirring within me.

"Maybe," he concedes finally, raising his guilt-ridden eyes back to mine, "But this is my fault"

I know he refers to the bruises that litter my skin and I know that there's nothing I can say to persuade him otherwise. Instead, I reach up and grab his hand, pulling it down and away from the bruises he left. Warm tingles shoot through where my hands hold his, leaving my heart pounding in my chest.

"No" I simply state, my eyes communicating a thousand more words.

"This is touching and all, but if you guys are done gazing into each other's eyes, we have a mission to do" Sam interrupts.

My cheeks immediately flush to a light pink and I drop Bucky's hand, taking a quick step back. Bucky looks over at Sam with look that screams the word 'seriously', but I don't catch it as my eyes turn to the floor. I clear my throat, trying to brush off what just happened. I look up just in time to see Steve slapping Sam's arm. Hard.

"Ow!" He objects, Steve just shaking his head at the man. I can't help the laugh that bubbles out as I observe the two banter.

"Nice going" he mutters to him, just loud enough that I hear.

"Looks like we've got a plane to catch to Siberia" I announce, bringing everyone's attention back to the mission.

"How do we do that? We're only the most wanted people in the world right now" Sam reminds. I pause, biting my lip as I think.

"I know an airport in Germany that has a quinjet in a hanger, we could get to that" Steve suggests, looking between all of us. I nod, knowing that could work.