Secretive - Bucky Barnes

58 || Damn it, Peter

[Nova]
We all found our seats in Tony's jet fifteen minutes ago. James is on the window side next to me, Peter and Sam to our opposite. The airplane's owner enjoys a champagne on a lonely seat a couple metres further, and on the three seats with their backs to the wall facing us, Natasha sits in the middle one.

»Where are Thor and Banner, by the way?« Sam asks into the silence.

This is going to be a very interesting flight of seventeen hours to Mexico City.

»They tried until two days ago, but nothing. Banner is back in New York, working on some new weapons, and Thor had to go to Asgard, because Loki chose to be an idiot again.« Tony answers him, seemingly uninterested in that matter, as if spoken of way too often.

Sam nods, and I cannot help but let my curiosity take control. »What kind of weapons?«

James's hand moves from his lap onto my left thigh, gently stroking up and down and giving me goosebumps. It is not the turned-on-way, but the affectionate one, little movements portraying his love. 

I love it, and send him a short but true smile, before putting my attention back to Tony. James's right, flesh hand does not stop moving along my body.

»New ones.« he simply responds, obviously not wanting to give anything else. Or not trusting me with it. Or both.

And I cannot blame him in the least. I did not really prove myself as worthy of anyone's faith in this room, not even James's.

»So, what's the plan once we're landed?« I ask instead, trying to do a little conversation, get away the awkward silence.

Natasha rolls her eyes, and I almost wish them to stick in her skull so she stops looking at me like an unwelcome disease, like I just stole her last piece of bread. »Why you're interested? 'Going to do your solo anyways.«

The brunette next to me shifts his weight in his seat. »Let her try. She's been alone all her life in this matter.«

Unconsciously, my hand touches his warmly, squeezing shortly once intertwined with his fingers, to show my thanks without using words.

»Don't think so. She knows how to play in a team, she just doesn't want to.«

»As the expert of knowing what she does want and what not, I can say that I really try.« I answer softly, and I mean it. Not for my own sake, but for James's. He is not to get away from here, the idea of joining the mission of ours planted in his head like cancer. The more people are in here with me, the better his chances to get out of there living.

»You proved yourself unworthy of anyone's belief, so why should we even consider having faith in those words? Action is what reveals your true self, and you seem to be nothing more than a-«

»Stop it.« Peter interrupts, surprising all of us.

He usually is no one to take all the attention, especially not of the older people. Rather keeing his cool, keeping himself out of conflicts as far as it is possible. A little like Switzerland; neutral.

Nonetheless, James's hand does not stop, unaffected from the ping-pong of words around us.

»You don't even know her. Has anyone of you except for Cap and me spent some free time with her? No. And still, you judge her. Exactly the thing you don't want for yourself. She saved my life, if you don't remember, because you felt the need to throw a knife in my face to prove a point. Everybody has some flaws, and she tries to overcome hers. How about giving her a second chance, too?«

I face him, curling the corners of my mouth in thanks, but only a little. Still a little stunned, especially since he so clearly has taken a side in this.