Hallowed (B. Barnes)

Chapter Forty-Eight

They end up in a diner. Just somewhere to eat and get all caught up with one another. Sam and Dean wanted to call an old contact that's got a lot of Thule knowledge or something, Sydney assumes it's the kid they worked with last time, the one with the golem. So they take a booth, close by but far enough away from Sydney and Bucky's own booth that they can talk but be on guard too. Her brothers are still overprotective despite the fact she's a very strong and fast vampire. She doesn't really need them to protect her here. But she's grateful. She and Bucky do have a lot to talk about. Two very long, very painful years. Sydney knows that they'll never get through everything in one sitting or even one day. That it's going to take them both time to talk through all of it. But right now, they'll get through what they can. Bucky digs into a plate of food. Breakfast. His super soldier metabolism needs it. He glances at Sydney who hasn't touched her food.

"You're not eating" He points out, she hums and shrugs. She's not exactly hungry right now and she'd much rather watch him instead. To take in that he's sat in front of her. That she can look at him in the flesh and not some picture on the internet.

"I'm okay" She assures him as she leans back. He watches her for a second before reaching for his mug of coffee to take a drink. It's a little awkward between them. It has been two years. And it's like he's forgotten how to talk to her. He doesn't want to be too invasive and he doesn't want to seem too passive either. He wants to talk to her about everything but he's not really sure how to start, or where to start. She's different. He can see that. She looks stronger and yet somehow more pained than the last time they saw one another. He doesn't know what that means.

"So" He draws out a little and sets his coffee down. "How long have you been back with your brothers?"

"About two years" She answers. "Not long after what happened in Romania...." She looks across at Sam. "Sam called me.....asked me to come back, to deal with a family crisis" She shrugs. "Kind of snapped some sense into me...."

"And they were okay with that?" He asks. "I know...how things...."

"Well, the first year was tough, sure, we had a lot to work through. A lot" She wraps her fingers around her mug, letting it warm her fingers.

"And they know about the vampire thing?" He whispers, she smiles and nods.

"Like I said...a lot" He nods and leans back. "We've managed to make it work...they'll never be okay with it...but they understand that I haven't really changed all that much" He nods again. "What about you?"

"There was the whole thing with Stark and the government wanting me locked up...Steve worked hard though, managed to get me put on probation, as long as I behave myself, work for the Avengers....then I am a free man...not sure really where that whole thing stands now though, I kind of still work for them, I guess, me and Nat" He nods across at Natasha who sits at the diner bar with her own coffee. "We've been documenting the missing for Sword"

"Hard to miss that news story" She whispers, he hums and nods.

"Yeah" He agrees. "Urm...that was not a win" He mumbles and leans on the table.

"You lose someone?" She whispers, and he nods.

"Steve" He answers. She looks at him sadly, she knows how much Steve means to him. How long they'd been without each other. To find one another and then lose each other again must have been heartbreaking for Bucky. "Few others I knew...we weren't exactly friends but..."

"Still sad" She finishes, he hums and nods. "I guess we were pretty lucky" She offers. "That it missed us" She looks across at Sam and Dean. "Bout the only bit of luck we've ever had"

"It's been bad?" He asks. She hums and nods.

"Too much to go over at breakfast though" She offers. "Maybe later" She adds, he frowns a little. "It's been a tough two years" She adds and looks away. She's not sure she's ready to tell him about Amara. She doesn't talk about it, not with Sam or Dean, not even with herself. She's not ready to talk about it. Mostly because she doesn't know what she can say. She still doesn't remember what happened during that year. Bucky actually would be the one who would understand more than anyone else. Bucky reaches over and takes her hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. She smiles softly. It feels nice. To be comforted by someone not related to her. She's missed him. She's really missed him.

"Syd" Sam starts, she looks up at him and Dean standing together, moving towards the booth Sydney and Bucky are sitting in, though Dean's eyes are on Bucky, glaring a little. "We gotta go...we got another body..." She hums a little and looks at Bucky.

"We're going with you" Natasha points out behind them, her arms folded over her chest. "We're all investigating this, but at least we're sanctioned to do so..."

"Nat" Bucky tries, she shakes her head.

"Looks like you guys are stuck with us," Natasha tells them.

"Dean" Sydney warns before he can do anything. He pulls his hand back from his gun and shoots her a look. "It's either work together or get in each other's way...." She points out. He lets out an annoyed breath before he nods. He sees her point. He turns and leaves the diner without another word. Sydney rolls her eyes. She knows why he's being like this. And it's not because they're government or even because they have to work together. It's because of Bucky.