[1] hostility ▷ bucky barnes [✔]

[8] ▷ artemis

30 years ago

"I know I'm asking for a lot, Matt," The masked man said, looking down at the resting infant in his arms. A tear slid down his hidden cheek, and his friend on the other side of him seemed to feel his pain. "But she would be much safer with you than she would ever be with me." The father's voice trembled as he looked behind him, the lights of Hell's Kitchen glinting off of the shiny, silver .22 resting in his thigh holster.

Matt sighed as he took off his helmet, holding his arms out for the small child to be placed in them. A chuckle escaped the father's lips as he pulled up his mask only enough where his lips could rest upon her temple. "Give em' hell one day, kid." He whispered as his hand cupped the top of her head, which was only beginning to gain peach-fuzz of the color brown, and placed a slow and painful kiss there, moving away and pulling his mask down quickly before he could begin sobbing.

"I'll take care of her, don't you worry." Matt reassured, and the father gave one last nod before running and jumping off of the building. Matt knew that he would be okay, being the goof he was, and looked down at the still sleeping infant in his arms. He quickly and easily put his mask back on his head, quietly and safely making his way back over the tops of the buildings, his attention grazing over to the Catholic Church as he made his way back to his apartment.

He laid the child on his king-sized bed gingerly, which slowly woke her up. Matt smiled down at the blue-eyed baby before him, only dreaming about a life he will never have with a woman he loves. He held his pointer finger out and the baby wrapped her tiny hand around it, and he laughed. "What can I call you, eh?" He said, his voice a tiny bit higher than it usually is. The baby smiled it's toothless smile at him, and he smiled back. "I think Artemis would fit you just fine."

◇

Now

"We have to change our identities, Barnes." "I know that for sure, but why the hell do you want me to dye my hair blonde, of all colors?" "It makes you look innocent," She giggles to herself. "How do you know what it makes me look like?" "I photoshopped your face onto Justin Bieber's new hairstyle." She says, almost matter-of-factly. "Who the hell's Justin Bieber?"

"Some pop singer who's balls finally dropped." She says, standing up from her place against the wall of the spacious warehouse. She stretched her arms into the shape of a Y, letting out a groan in doing so as she began to walk towards something to do to keep her awake.

Bucky chuckled at her response, his eyes looking down to his metal arm. He was thankful for Artemis showing him how to make a man-bun so that now his hair wouldn't get in his eyes as much as it used to. "But seriously," She argues again, and he sighs. "Why don't I just get my hair cut?" He offers, and she raises an eyebrow. "They know what you look like with short hair and long hair. Trust me, dying your hair is definitely the way to go." She assures and he sighs, a smile slowly stretching across his face.