WinterWitch: Control

Chapter 7

Bucky's Pov

As soon as I heard the click from across the roof, my head shot round to see who was intruding on our moment, my body tensing. Wanda immediately sat up, obviously alert to the door opening as well. It was Steve. Of course it was Steve.

He tentatively looked around the door, spotting us both on the bench. As he walked towards us, I stood up, automatically stepping in front of where Wanda was sat, feeling this urgent need to keep her behind me. "What?"

"I..." he began, briefly pausing to look at the way I was positioned in front of her. "I just came to see if you were okay,"

"I'm fine." I was fed up, annoyed with acting like it was okay for him to do this. I didn't want a personal watch dog all the time. Steve, more than anyone, should've known that I could look after myself. I looked after him for the whole of his teenage hood as well as myself.

"Bucky, I ju-"

"DON'T CALL ME BUCKY!" I shouted, angrily striding towards him. I was at my limit with him. I wasn't the best friend that he once knew, I can hardly remember that person. I was different to the memory he had of me, something that obviously disturbed him. I could see the fear in his eyes, the disappointment, and it made me feel shit about myself all the time.

I blinked when I realised how close I had actually gotten to him, my hatred blinding my willpower to stay still. "My name is James and I don't need a bodyguard," I said in a much calmer voice, but through gritted teeth. I looked at the floor for a few seconds, taking a few breaths to relax me before heading for the elevator. I heard quick steps behind me that I could tell were too light to be Steve's running steps and didn't mind that Wanda was coming after me.

She got to the elevator just in time before the doors shut. I knew they should've opened as she came towards me, but I'm glad JARVIS let her in before shutting the doors to keep a certain someone out. As soon as they shut, I had Wanda's arms wrapped around my middle, her hands smoothly stroking up and down my back. Her hold was loose, but still made me feel held by her. However, I wasn't concentrating on that, I was concentrating on how loud my breathing sounded in the near silent elevator.

I relaxed, Wanda's hands helping me for the most part, and my breathing quickly went to it's normal rate again. "I'm sorry, he's...always checking up on me and sometimes I can't stand it," I said, hoping she would understand where I was coming from.

"He's only looking out for you," she argued and I sighed, pulling away from her hold. Her hands stayed close to me, resting on my hips with the most hesitant of touches.

"And I'm aware of that, but are the morning calls really necessary? The constant hourly check ups? Assessing me while I train you? As well as that..." I shook my head, feeling embarrassed to say what I was going to. "when he tells me that it's 'okay not to understand things'.".

"Maybe I should talk to him," I shook my head, but she persisted. "Then what alternative? I know you don't want to talk to him, so what else do we do?" I wanted her to be wrong, but I knew that she was talking reason as always. That was ironically one of the things I liked about her.

"I'll talk to him, ask him to leave you alone for a few days," she offered, moving her arms away from my hips to place them on her own. "It's a good alternative to having him bug you."

The elevator doors opened and she was first to walk out, brushing past me gently as she did. "It would make him feel better if you said that you could report on what I was acting like, reassuring him that I was okay," I said as I followed her into the living room. She stopped where she was and turned back to look at me, a small smirk gracing her lips.