Another World || Bucky Barnes

"And who is withholding important information here"

He hasn't slept all night. After Klivien fell asleep, he got up, quietly put on his gun belt, and slipped out of the bunker to scout. He knew the time was short and they wouldn't be able to do it in the morning. She must have been tired, so he wanted her to sleep.When he returned, the approaching dawn had already flooded everything with gray and the interior of the bunker became visible to him. He walked over to the sleeping girl to wake her up. He knelt beside her mattress and hesitated. He was tempted to extend the moment. 'I won't be able to see her like this soon. If it ever does'. She had her cheek pressed against the blanket and she was sleeping with a slight smile on her lips. She had undid her hair before going to bed, and now those amber curls were strewn over her shoulders and around her head. He thought how nice it would be to slip a hand into it. Push them away gently. Wake her up with a caressing stroking on the face and neck. He looked down at his metal prosthetic hand, and all that beautiful dream was shattered and replaced by a chill in his chest.He woke her with a shake on the shoulder.

- It's time - he said in a terse, cool tone.

She shook herself quickly and began to get ready. By this time Barnes had unfolded the map and was sitting in a kneeling position, bent over it. 'Was he even sleeping?' she asked herself. In a moment she got an answer to them when she learned from him that he had made a night reconnaissance. She was angry with him, but they didn't have time to argue, so she kept it to herself. They had two roads to reach their destination, and the plan was to get there from both sides. Route A was full of guards, but Bucky assured that they were inexperienced and poorly equipped. Route B led through the forest around the fence. He announced that he would go through the woods. She agreed willingly. It seemed less risky.

He went first, and as she started toward her destination, she paused to watch him leave. Then she saw a distant plaque on a pole between the trees. It was a mine warning. A normal human would not see the text at this distance, but her senses were far superior to human ones. She cursed and ran after him. She caught Bucky right next to the wall, just before the enormous searchlight began to move the beam of light across the area in which they were located. He heard her and turned away. He frowned angrily at the sight of her. She hit the wall right next to him and they both pressed into a large crack in the fortifications so they wouldn't be flooded by a beam of light.

- Get out of here! - he growled through his teeth. In his mind's eye, he could already see her being torn to pieces by the blast of a mine, and he felt alternately hot and cold. 

- I won't let you get into the minefield, you asshole! - she gasped in between faster breaths. She was furious with him. He had given her a less risky path, and he was going to risk his own life. And it's a trick.

- Cheater. You must have known the forest is mined. I saw the sign from half a kilometer.

'She panicked, does she care about me?' flashed through his mind. He hoped he wouldn't notice the sign. Damn her!

- So what? We stick to the plan. Go back to A - he said firmly and started to move, but she grabbed his arm and yanked him to face her.

- No way. You will go. I can do better here.

She, too, sounded determined. She was still holding him in place, surprisingly tight. She held his arm against her, and he couldn't push her away, even though he knew he should. Her idea was crazy. The beam of light had moved away from them for a good while and it was the last moment to move before the next lap of it.

- I do not agree - after these words he looked her closely in the eyes. They looked really scary when he was agitated. She saw a muscle in his jaw twitch. She wanted to hit him. 'What a stubborn donkey ...'

- You hide important parts of the plan from me, and now you're slowing us down with your stubbornness - she tried to use an emotional move, but he turned out to be not very susceptible to them.

- I said no - he said sternly.  -I've dealt with the mines before, I know how to avoid them.

Bucky's tone of voice became calmer now, as if he wanted to translate something to her rather than command her.

- Liar - she didn't believe him at all. It is impossible to guess the location of the mine without the appropriate instrument.

- Kliv ... - he sighed softly, almost pleadingly. His eyes looked at her with such concern that it made her shiver. A totally inopportune moment for such a reaction.

- I'm lighter, quieter and faster than you - she started the discussion. Their faces were close together and she could feel his breath. They talked about the modifications to the battle plan, and yet their whispers were passionate now. The heartbeat pulsed in their temples, but they blamed it on their life-threatening excitement.

- You've got zero combat experience, doll. I am a soldier from the Second World War.

- Can you fly? - she blurted out, risking revealing too much, but he gave her no choice.

'What kind of question is that?' She was starting to piss him off again. They didn't have time for such" nonsense.

- What? Of course not.

- Or maybe you can become invisible?

It was too much.

- Stop - that hard tone in his voice again.

- Well, I have both of these skills, so I keep going and you come back.

He froze. 'Is she serious?' He stared at her for a moment and found it not a joke. After all, she is a witch. Indeed, if she had such abilities, she could go this way relatively safely.

- And who is withholding important information here - he muttered reproachfully  - You should have told me earlier.

- I know, I should.

She looked down. She really felt guilty. On the other hand, how did she know Bucky would take the risk without even revealing it to her.

- So why didn't you do it?

She couldn't ... she wouldn't tell him. They're busy now, but he'd put it all together someday. He would have guessed that she was not human. He would have guessed she was a monster.

- The lights! - the approaching light of the spotlight saved her for a moment from the answer. She grabbed the man's arm and pulled him back, so they were both in the shadows.

- Great, now we have to wait for the new cycle - he gasped irritably. He was breathing unevenly through his nose. The sound of his rapid breathing really truned her on. She could smell leather and toilet water from him. The headlight was already moving away, but she was still holding Barnes's jacket in a hand gripped on his arm.

- We know too little about each other. - his tone was worried.  - Why did you choose me for this mission?

It was one of the worst questions he could ask right now. After all, she wouldn't tell him that she wanted to spend time with him, ensure herself that he would return to the Tower safe.

- I don't want to talk about it now - he saw she was nervous. She was hiding something. He was really getting sick of all these secrets.

- Why not?

Their exchange of views became swift. He pressed on with short, precise questions, showing impatience with the situation. She felt more and more pressed against the wall.

- It has nothing to do with the mission, ok - she blurted out, panicked.

- Than with what?

- There's no time for this ... go!

She was right. He sighed deeply and exhaled through his nose. For two seconds he stared at her searchingly and then he bounced off the wall and ran back to the bunker.