Classified || Bucky Barnes

Chapter 23

April 4th, 2014

Iquique, Chile

The next three days passed unnecessarily slow, and each hurt far worse than the blade of any dagger. Marina spent most of her time sitting in silence trying to keep her thoughts from consuming her, but was too afraid to leave the apartment. Jeffery Davison's son left an imprint of ash on her soul that she couldn't seem to wipe away.

It wasn't just him on her mind though; and it wasn't just the three year old whose life she'd stolen. There were also thoughts of Bucky stirring about in her head, most of which were accompanied closely by crippling worry.

She couldn't help but wonder if he had ever intended to meet back up in the first place. He was finally free of her, so what if he realized he was better off alone? She wouldn't blame him, and couldn't be mad if he decided to leave her in the dust. The issue was that she didn't know what to do without him.

Missing Bucky Barnes made Marina feel sick. Even after all the walls she'd erected to distance herself, he managed to break through every one with ease. And what was worse- she was letting him. She'd always worked better on her own, but two weeks in solitude after having grown used to Bucky's company had crushed her. What was she to do if she had to carry on alone?

When the day finally came that they were supposed to regroup, she forced her hopes down and her expectations low. Marina kept her face tipped casually toward the concrete and her hands in the depths of her pockets. She'd tied her hair up to keep the extra heat off the back of her neck while the sun bore down on her. The ponytail of brown locks fell over her shoulder and she reached up to adjust the baseball hat on her head.

Even with the knowledge that the hunt for the "enhanced individual" had died down, she knew for certain it would be ongoing at least by some lengths. That did nothing to help her thrumming nerves that hadn't eased since leaving the apartment in Mendoza. She could've sworn that every empty glance thrown her way knew exactly who she was.

Marina's feet slowed to a stop in front of a small cafe. She stared blankly up at the sign hanging in the entrance while she scrambled to collect herself. After a few seconds, she'd gathered enough courage to push through the glass doors.

Her gaze wandered the restaurant's cozily decorated interior. It was a fairly small building, but a place she could see herself potentially frequenting in another life. Tables where scattered throughout the shop, though only two were occupied. A soft tune drifted through the air playing from a set of speakers she had yet to find. She naturally picked out a camera in the entrance, but kept her face angled away. 

In the corner of the cafe sat a man in a light-weight jacket and leather gloves. His face was cast downward to hide beneath the shadow of his hat. He sat with his back to the wall to be able to monitor the entirety of the room. Marina unclenched her jaw and felt a sliver of her tension dissipate. She hesitated only a second or two and started toward Bucky, clearing her throat before getting too close in hopes of not startling him. 

Marina lowered herself into the chair across from him and set her backpack on top of her feet as if to anchor her in place. She reached up to slide the sunglasses from the bridge of her nose, fumbling with them in her hands. Bucky lifted his chin to offer her a glimpse of his face and to see hers. 

The suffocating weight in her chest seemed to lighten, even if incrementally. Sitting in the familiarity of his presence was so overwhelmingly reassuring somehow. She was surprised to see his beginnings of a beard had been shaved away, leaving only a faint dusting of stubble to line his jaw.

"Honestly," Bucky rose his brows and pinched a small packet of sugar between his fingers. "I'm a little surprised you showed up." Marina rested her forearms on the table's surface and narrowed her eyes.