Eyes of Fire | Bucky Barnes

44

Uxolo could... feel it. From the moment she realized he wasn't going to be showing up for the lunch they'd planned to have together. The moment that Bucky gave up on himself — and by association, them. It was weird, this feeling inside of her that was more in tune with him than it was with herself.

"Hello, Bucky." She said gently, as soon as he pulled the door open.

All she got in return was a quiet grunt, but at least he was letting her inside without any resistance. He backed up a few steps before twisting around, making his way back towards the kitchen.

"Have you eaten breakfast yet?" Uxolo asked, setting her shoes down gently by the front door — as if he'd ever asked her to do so — and clicking the lock shut.

"Would you like to go eat, with me?"

"How'd you sleep?"

"Did you have a nightmare?"

"I'm sorry, Bucky. I wish I had been there, for you."

"I missed you, last night." A gentle reflection of what he'd said to her only days prior, claiming to have been missing something, but not brave enough — never brave enough — to say it was her. It was always her.

He couldn't help his next — first — words.

"You barely know me." Because if she did, there was no way on earth she would've missed him.

Uxolo didn't miss a beat, didn't allow the ice chips thrown at her heart to make it thrum any quieter. She shrugged, "Sure I do. Maybe not all of you, and maybe not all of the people you've had to be over the years."

She crossed the room with ease, movement so quick and natural he didn't think he'd needed to defend against it. She reached out for his jawline, caressing the scruff-covered skin with her thumb.

She smiled, "But I do know the Bucky standing in front of me. And I quite like this one."

Bucky blinked, slow, breathing in that silent way he'd been trained. What did he have to say to that? What weapon did he have to wave in the air to make her stop? To make her realize that he was a lost cause, that he couldn't be fixed, that she should just leave while she had the chance, before he got her hurt?

Instead of all of the angry, disgusting things he should've said to ward her off, to make her at least a little bit uncomfortable in his presence, he was unable to cloud the sheer confusion he was experiencing.

He bit his lip harshly, if only to stop it from wavering. "I don' get how you can stand there and say that, 'cause I don' even know who I am— I can't remember who I am."

Uxolo's response was stern, but with not less conviction than was typical of all of her actions. "I do not believe that there is any amount of brainwashing or torture that could drown out your bright soul and compassionate heart."

She kept her delicate grip on his jaw with her right hand, using her left to reach out for his vibranium hand. She laced their fingers together, squeezing gently. "And even if you cannot remember, if you do not want to remember, you have the ability to create a Bucky you want to be. Not in spite of your past, or ignorant of it. I can guarantee you that I will feel for him all the same."

He still looks off.

"Can you make me a promise, Bucky?" She brought their intertwined fingers up and pressed a soft kiss to Bucky's metal knuckles.

He exhaled a heavy breath, shaking with the effort it took to not break down in her arms. He tried to pull back, but her grip was strong, and he feared that if he tried to pull any harder, she might get hurt. "Now really the time for this?"