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꧁꧂
CHARLIE HUMS TO herself as she gathers all of her groceries in one arm. It had been a full two years since the Triskelion fall and end of S.H.I.E.L.D.. She just wished she could say the same about HYDRA.
Ollie, the one year old border collie, follows at her heels.
"What do you say, Cap? Ready to go home?" Charlie calls behind her, smiling as the dog yips.
Ollie had been fully trained and ready to happily serve at the age of six months. He had become Charlie's dog, but still being quite close with Bucky.
He knew certain commands, ready to assist Charlie in any situation, including ones that involve HYDRA.
Charlie had on one of Bucky's sweatshirts, the clothing going down well past her hips.
Ollie had a red bandana tied around his neck, a sheathed dagger well hidden inside it.
He trotted beside Charlie with no lead, the woman trusting her dog completely. It was the easiest living thing she ever trusted.
"Bucky, I'm ho-" Charlie cuts herself off as she finds the apartment abandoned. "Okay, never mind. Cap, put up your toys." The dog trotted away, cleaning up his mess he had made this morning.
Charlie put away the groceries, starting to cook some dinner for the two humans that live there. "Ol!" She calls, throwing him a piece of chicken.
"You better not be feeding the dog all of our supper." Bucky scolds as he opens the door to the apartment. Ollie snaps his head to the door, Charlie doing the same.
"I'm not, it was just a bite." Ollie trots to Buck, tail wagging. He sniffs the man's clothes, lingering on his metal arm for a second longer before locating himself in his dog bed.
Bucky passes Charlie in the kitchen, rubbing her shoulder in greeting as he looks through the covered window.
"You're acting different. What's wrong?" Charlie sets down her kitchen knife, looking to her brother.
"I feel weird."
"Weird, how?"
"Like something bad is about to happen?"
"What bad could happen? I didn't jinx that. But seriously, we haven't had an attack in 11 months, we're happy and healthy. Also, our nightmares are getting way better. Mine are, at least. You remember 80% of your memory."
"I know, I know. I just have a bad feeling." Bucky muttered, running a hand through his hair. It had been cut again, this time just above his shoulders.
"Well, tell it to go away. Dinner's going to be ready in fifteen minutes." Bucky scoffed, a small smile on his face as he shook his head.
"Always one for lightening the mood," Bucky teases.
"Is that such a bad thing?" Charlie begins to make dinner again.
"It can be when things need to be serious."
Charlie rolls her eyes, sighing irritatedly. "M'kay."
"No, Charlie, don't do that."
"Do what?"
"That thing you do where you end the conversation like it's the others fault."
"I don't do that thing!"
"You just did!" Bucky protests, pointing his finger at her as his eyes flashed. The Winter Soldier was close to surfacing, but Bucky pushed him back down.
"Fine. I'm sorry." The two stay silent until after dinner is eaten.
"I'm going to let Ollie out one more time then I'm going to bed." Charlie closes the door behind her, sighing loudly as she steps down the many steps.
After Ollie had done his business, Charlie heads back upstairs after taking one more longed moment to herself.
"Good night, Buck." Charlie bids quietly as she lays down in her floor pallet, covering herself with the blanket.
Bucky, only a few feet away from her, rolls over to look over at her. Ollie's dog bed is in the middle of the two, the dog already asleep in it.
"Good night, Char. I love you."
"I love you too."
The only sound is the occasional dog bark or car honk as the quiet night in Bucharest, Romania drones on.
The two had come a long way from when they first escaped HYDRA. At first, they were afraid of everything they did. The nightmares were at peak, the memories constantly flooding through.
Now, they were peaceful and calm.
Charlie believed Bucky had jinxed it when he said he had a bad feeling. Because in the next few days, they were thrown back into a fight.
Could they ever catch a break?
Charlie will return in Captain America: Civil War End of Part Six
- J.S. 6. 23. 2021 Published: July 16, 2021 756 words
