Mosaic (Bucky Barnes X OC / Winter Soldier x OC)

Chapter 33: Valeriy Ayers - Shorts (Part II)

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The drink machine started up, humming and clicking. Without looking, I threw a mug under it as my other hand sifted through all the neatly labelled jars. At the first fruity sounding tea bag, I tossed it into the mug as Eve fill it with hot water. Too much for what I had in mind.

"Why didn't you put one of the damn teacups under the spout if you wanted one sip of tea?"

Bucky watched the whole time, eyes never leaving me. His body language did nothing but say that he was probably hiding something. Shoulders all hunched. Eyes periodically darted down to what I guess to be his hands.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I glanced at the windows. The angle didn't let me see what was in his hands. The mirrored finish of the ceiling lights was also a no. Nor was the barely there reflection off the stone of the fireplace.

We didn't polish everything to see fine details. We were mostly concerned with spotting human sized shapes.

"What are you making? Tea flavoured syrup?"

"Maybe," I grinned, dropping the fifth cube of sugar into the bit of browning water and then eyeing a sixth cube while stirring everything.

"Urgh, and here I was hoping you'd make a proper cup of tea."

"Just keep hoping. Just keep hoping. Just keep hoping, hoping, hoping."

"You're completely butchering – It hasn't even been six minutes!"

"Meh, it's dark enough," I goaded, walking into the fridge for the milk and three PROs.

Three instead of two PROs ever since a new routine popped up between us.

I tossed them over Bucky's way. But unlike all the other times he effortlessly caught them out of the air without so much as a glance, the PROs were caught with his cybernetic. Something was terribly wrong here.

"...Bucky?"

"What are you doing? You're drowning it in milk. Val! Why!?!"

A squelch sounded in the silence. Juice and pulp splattered across Bucky's face. It dripped down his arm, hair and clothes. It got everywhere.

'What the hell's going on with him?' I wondered, taking a drink of tea.

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?"

"I-I.... Uhh..." Bucky half panicked. Somehow curled into himself more than he already was.

"She means the tea," I provided.

"That's not tea! None of that is tea! It's mildly cold milk with tea flavoured syrup!"

"She may or may not be passionate about tea. I'm not entirely sure why...."

"Stop calling that tea!!! It's not tea!!!!!"

"...Ow."

My feet shuffled the little step to the middle of the kitchen walkway. Just enough room to not get door whacked in the leg again.

"You really should let me get working on your arm, Bucky."

"It's fine. I can live with – stop that," he half yelped, looking down at his lap. "No, no. Don't. Let go of...."

His bright blue eyes slowly glanced up at me, very much like how a kid caught red handed would.

"I can – stop nipping –ummm.... I can explain."