Bucharest || Bucky Barnes

2

After the battle at Triskelion...

For the first time he was allowed to think, to remember.

As he left his friend there on the riverbank shore, he walked with no direction in mind.

Is this how freedom felt? So many choices, too many decisions?

He kept on walking, unaware of how long until he reached small homeless camp, void of life except for one old man who ran when be caught sight of the Winter Soldier.

Grimacing, he ignored the man and grabbed a tattered trenchcoat from the ground. It fit, covering his uniform, but smelled of sewage and sweat.

Knowing worse things that it could smell like, he tried to breathe through his mouth as he walked towards a bridge in the distance. Which he easily climbed and swung over, despite the pain he was in from the attack with Captain America - Steve.

Shaking his head as the memories became too much, he tried to focus on the cars, the way the air smelled of fruit from the nearby market. Anything but the memories.

Then he caught sight of her.

Her blond tresses were moving slightly from the small breeze as she walked on the bridge, about ten feet from him.

There were tears on her pale cheeks, her lips quivered, and she hugged her black coat tighter around herself as if it wasn't warm out.

The woman was five feet away when a car swerved towards her, and on instinct he pushed her out of the way.

Falling on top of her, he shielded her from the pieces of metal that flew when the car crashed into the bridge's stone rail.

He looked down to access the woman's state as he climbed off her and helped her up.

She was shaking slightly, but otherwise seemed unhurt as she looked at the car and him as she rubbed the tears from her cheeks.

He turned around to go, but stopped when she called out for him to wait.

"Thank you." Came the words he thought he'd never hear.

Looking back at her, he gave a slight nod.

Then taking advantage as a crowd started to gather, he dived in and quickly disappeared.