Sweet Like Arsenic (B. Barnes) ✔

28 | home

I couldn't figure out Lilith. I prided myself for being a self-proclaimed 'people reader': Bucky had too much guilt for his own good, Leo was an insecure brat, Casper lived in Adrianna and I's shadows and tried to prove himself... the boys were easy to figure out, but Lilith was still I mystery to me.

Casper and Lilith cancelled their plans for the day. We sat around the dining table, having dinner. We were an odd bunch—an ex-Hydra agent with metal manipulation powers, a man from the '40s with a metal arm, ex-Hydra power couple without any powers, and our prisoner.

"What's gonna happen now?" Bucky asked, his metal arm slung casually over the back of my seat, his hand playing with my hair and brushing against my shoulder occasionally.

Lilith shrugged. "Casper and I actually planned to stay here for as long as we can, until—until something pops up."

"We're sorry for ruining your little vacation," Leo said from the end of the table, "but you deserted Hydra for this life. The two of you had important roles in Hydra, but your selfishness resulted in the situation you're all in now."

"What situation? Don't forget that you're the person who got captured. We could easily kill you and leave your body in the middle of Milan, far from where you live—oh wait, you don't even have a home unless you count the sofa you slept in at my place." Lilith fired back, jabbing her fork at the Greek man.

"What's that supposed to mean? Were they friends?" Bucky whispered to me, watching the small girl sitting opposite to him.

"I dunno, they know each other from before, that's all."

   My brother was watching Lilith and Leo carefully, not knowing if he should intervene or not.

   "What do we do with Leon?" Lilith asked no-one in particular stabbing at her food.

   Casper shrugged. "We could bring him to Shield, I suppose."

"And be locked up for the rest of my life? Please, don't do this to your friend." Leo said, shaking his head. "What if you just let me go? You'll never have to see me again."

"You'll just go back to Hydra, no way." Lilith answered. "We're bringing him to Shield, full stop."

And just like that, Leo's fate was decided over dinner.

A day later, two superheroes came knocking at our door. Natasha brought Casper, Lilith and Leo away and back to New York. Only Bucky, Steve and I remained.

   "So, what now?" Bucky asked me as we sat on the sofa, my head on his shoulder. Steve was over at the dining table, reading the newspaper.

   "I honestly don't know." This was the first time I was out of a plan, but there was nothing to plan for.

   "We can stay here for a while, travel the world, anything. We're finally free." Bucky wrapped his flesh arm around mine. "So, what do you say? Should we catch up on all our missed time?"

   Steve turned to look at Bucky. "I'll be happy with whatever you want."

   "We do whatever makes you happy." I reached up to squeeze Bucky's hand, sitting up.

Bucky smiled at me, a real smile that reached up to his eyes and made the skin around then crinkle. He leaned forward to give me a light kiss on my jaw.

"Whatever makes you happy, makes me happy." Bucky said into my hair.

   A few days later, Steve left us, but not before making Bucky and I promise that we will be back for Christmas dinner at the Avengers compound.

   As we left Milan, I finally realised that I had left Hydra and what I thought was my family, but leaving just meant that I gained a new one. Hydra had made Bucky and I, even Leo suffer, but we made it out alive, finally free for the first time.

A/N: THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER OF MOLOTOV COCKTAIL!!

(A vote would be deeply appreciated!)