𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐄𝐕𝐄 ☁︎︎ 𝘣𝘶𝘤𝘬𝘺 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘴

- free will -

—☁︎︎—

Evette

— — August 1974 - ?

— I JOLTED AWAKE, a bump in the road forcing my eyes to open and my arms to spring out as if creating a shield to protect myself. I looked to the road in front of me and noticed the beauty of the night sky that was drawn around the road like ink and the only reason I knew we were on a road was because of the faint headlights that reflected onto the road ahead of us.
"Where are we?" I asked, sleep deprived and traumatised from all that had occurred in the past... I don't even know what date it is.
"I don't know, I'm just driving until we can figure this out." He mutters, his hands clenching the wheel and causing me to worry that he'll squeeze it until it breaks. I place my hand on his and all he can do is stare at the touch.

"What's the date?" I asked, finally recoiling my hand carefully and seeing his hand far less clenched.
"August 23rd... it's been about 3 hours since we got out, no doubt they've been given 8 hours or something to come find us and take us back." My eyes flickered down to my bare feet before I turned to look at the back seat, there was a grey shirt and I swiftly pulled it over my head to clothe my upper half at least.
"I would've got you some clothes if there was ti-..."
"It's fine," I interrupted "what time is it right now anyway?" I tried to make my desperation for the time inconspicuous but it was difficult to just exert the information without feeling somewhat embarrassed by it.
"It's about 9:00pm." Somehow, even with inexactness of the time, I felt a little more comforted as soon as he informed me of the time.
"Are you okay?" I could see him shaking ever so lightly and only now I could really view the severity of his situation.

This man, this soldier had been imprisoned in every way possible for decades, who knows really how long, and now he was suffering with the idea of freedom. He seemed hesitant to take the step, to carry on driving forward and not turn back and just face the punishment for his misdemeanour. Perhaps he felt I wasn't worth what he was to face if we were caught again, that was likely, but then why help in the first place. Truly the only emotion I could actually examine on Bucky was his stupefaction, that I could hardly deny being a normal reaction to the situation that we are currently in.
"Bucky, stop the car." I started and he slowly turned to look at me before pulling the car to a stop.

"What are we going to do?"

He placed his elbows on the steering wheel and dragged his greasy hair back on itself before releasing it and allowing it to fall back onto face.
"I don't know yet." Bucky replied, hardly convinced by the idea that we were in a place to decide what we could do.
"Well, we need to find some place to crash for the night and then we... move," he looked up hesitantly into my eyes "and we don't stop."
"I agree... let's get moving." He said and started the car up once again, the noise of which startled me at first.

"Are you okay?" He asked and was more nervous to ask that question then he seemed to ask most others.
"I'm not quite sure... ask me when I know we're not as vulnerable as we are right now." He understood the answer, he knew that this moment in time was the most important because if we didn't get the head start we needed then there was no hope of getting away. We were fugitives now.
"No hope of going to the cops?" Bucky immediately shook his head at the question, that was seemingly preposterous but worth the ask.
"Half of them will be in on it, it's not hard to find undercover operatives anywhere. They have eyes everywhere." I nodded, guessing that was the case.

"More like you?"

His hands seemed to clench into the wheel again as he sighed a breath of either frustration or exasperation.

"No." I didn't have confidence in that answers.

"So... there weren't others?" He nodded and seemed to not wish to talk on the subject any longer so I didn't press much more for the better of my conscious.
"I wish I could've stopped it from happening to you... all of it. I wish I had known you before I took you because I would've... saved you long before now."

"My hero." I chuckled and he subtlety did so too, such a small gift of emotion like a laugh form him was so rare that I decided to treasure such a moment for our great escape.
"Do you think... I could see my mum or is that out of the question?"
"Out of the question, they'll be monitoring her and anyone you've ever spoken to or phoned or worked with. We can't go to anyone." He answered as I had expected, but it didn't leave me any less downtrodden about such an answer.

As much as the relationship between my mother and I is fragmented, she is my mum and I love her very much. But I suppose I'd just have to send her anonymous letter one day or something when we're in the clear. One day I'd put her mind at rest because I know she'd be going insane right now.

"Bucky, do you think I have 'gifts'?" I quoted as if I was the Serbian madman myself.

He seemed to freeze.

"I hadn't thought about it because I've never been at liberty to have my own thoughts... accept with you." His head lowered in realisation that not once had he even felt at liberty to have an opinion on the subject.

"Well then, tell me your opinion."

"Honestly, it wouldn't matter to me either way because... well... you're special as you are."