THE FADING FALLEN ● Bucky Barnes X OC ● 18+ ● ENGLISH [COMPLETE]

Chapter 52

∼⋄∼⋄∼ ○❖○ ∽⋄∽⋄∽

After the second round, even Bucky understood the rules.

"Red Wing." He laid the letters and looked proudly at his creation.

"Wait a minute. That's not a word - that's a name." Sam protested loudly.

"Besides, that's MY name for him."

"So what? I put it first."

Bucky just drew himself three new letters, but his opponent persisted.

"You can't just put the name that I found for him here!"

"You see I can." Bucky's smug grin only annoyed Sam more.

Sarah and Emilia just looked at each other, shaking their heads, unable to keep the knowing smiles off their faces. They were both thinking the same thing: 'Just like the kids.'

"Wait and see, Barnes! Someday you'll regret this. You're going to feel Red Wings vengeance once that video hits the net!"

Sam literally puffed up his chest, so miffed was he. At his threatening words, Emilia eyed him. Curiosity sparked in her.

"What video?"

Waiting for an answer, she took a sip of her beer.

"Well, the one where he jumps out of the plane like a maniac without a parachute." Sam gestured as he performed a graphic display of something flying through the air and hitting the ground hard.

"He's what?!" Sarah couldn't believe what her brother was saying.

"You heard right."

His gaze went from her to his seatmate, who was propped up on his knees, running a hand over his face in annoyance.

"Do you wanna tell'em what a dumbass you've been, Dumbo? Or should I pull out the video?"

Emilia couldn't help but laugh at the notion: "Well, I'd just love to see that!"

"Look out when you' re on landing approach tomorrow. Don't let him suddenly get the idea to use the emergency exit when he's a hundred feet above the ground."

At Sam's comment, Bucky straightened up with his index finger raised in slight indignation.

"Hey! That was just sixty feet. Don't overdo it now."

"Maybe Red Wing better give you some flying lessons next time."

He gave Sam a nasty glare at his not entirely unserious suggestion and slumped back in the chair.

"I've got something there, too." Sarah had gotten up in the meantime and was already rummaging around in an old shoe box, which she had retrieved from one of the living room shelves.

"I still have this photo here somewhere. The one where you were dressed like Marvin Gaye at one of your student parties and flew off the table at high speed."

"Oh, I want to see THAT even more!"

Wide-eyed, Emilia looked expectantly at Sarah and leaned forward a bit to set the bottle down on the table.

"It seems our falcon here doesn't always ..."

While Sam was still desperately trying to convince his sister with words that the photo had surely already been burned, Bucky noticed Emilia pause in mid-sentence.

With the bottle in her cramped hand, she felt an all too familiar feeling break over her. One that lay many years in the past.

It was the first time Bucky had seen her like this: frozen, staring into the void. Almost lifeless, she sat on the couch in front of him.