Leave Me Broken [Winter Soldier] II

Smooth Talker [Chapter 14]

"A friend is someone who knows all about you and still loves you."

Elbert Hubbard

           Bucky wrapped his arm around Ophelia's shoulder, and she leaned in against his neck to whisper in his ear. Sam and Steve were still discussing what they had planned in order to get this small grouping of people to Siberia in time to stop the doctor from waking the Death Squad. In her gut, Ophelia was terrified of facing them because she knew that she could not stop them. But, with these people by her side, she knew that there was a chance she could make a change, make a difference in the world. Though there were elaborate obstacles that Steve hadn't even gotten into, Ophelia felt a sense of bonding between everyone. They had to get out of the building soon, but they had to be smart about every move they made from then on. Each one of them was a wanted criminal, regardless of if they were trying to stop a possible genocide.

          Ophelia's whisper carried over to Bucky's ear. "Remember that first... night two winters ago?"

          "How could I forget?" he whispered back with a smile in his voice.

         "Do you still see me?"

          Bucky turned and faced her, wrapping his left arm that had been around her shoulders up so that it was just behind her neck. Since he had removed the scarf, she had kept it off. Not to reveal to Bucky what he had done or so that he had to keep thinking of it, but because he wanted to see what he had done, he wanted to feel that guilt. He had protested when she went to put it back on, and so she stopped trying. Bucky's right hand slid into hers and he looked her dead in the eyes, showing her that same look he had shown her that night two Decembers ago. Nothing had changed, not really. There was no ebb to the emotion in his eyes, it had not dimmed and dwindled as so many relationships did. They never settled when they could have better, because they were each others' better.

          "You're all I see, O." He brought his lips to hers, but there was a throat being cleared in the background. Bucky pulled back and looked beyond O, seeing Steve standing there with his arms crossed over his strong chest. Bucky raised an eyebrow. "What?"

          Ophelia turned and looked at Steve, disappointment heavy in her eyes. Steve cocked his head to the side and looked at Sam. "We leave these two alone for one minute."

          Sam chuckled. "You can never trust the young ones. So full of hormones."

         "Hey Steve, what's the name of your last girlfriend?" Bucky fired back.

           Sam threw his head back in laughter, knowing that Steve really hadn't had a girlfriend, and couldn't give a name. Steve, defeated, shook his head and uncrossed his arms. Bucky shifted so that his arm was just around Ophelia's shoulder again, and walked over towards Sam and Steve. They had discussed their plans, who they could trust, and what was going to happen over the next few days. It was time to relay it back to Bucky and O, who had spent the duration of that conversation trying to overcome the overbearing dread of what had happened only a few hours ago. It seemed as though it were years ago now, in the past like everything else.

          "Wait, you really haven't had a girlfriend?" Bucky widened his eyes. O glanced at him and scorned him with her eyes.

           "I-" Steve was stumped.

          "He's been busy. No thanks to you," Sam intervened, keeping the playful mood in the air but also moving things along. "Clint got a hold of Lang."

          "Good, we better get moving then." Steve took the lead, glaring once more at Bucky. "Sharon is going to meet us in the morning with our gear."