Embered Coal ° BUCKY BARNES | VOL. 3

eight; a long ride

She was leaning up against the wall, arms crossed as she watching Steve close the tool on Bucky's metallic arm. Bucky was unconscious, Sam helping hold him up so Steve could keep his arm in the tool. Lara was nursing her head, knowing that she wouldn't be getting any other breaks then at this moment.

She ended up sitting down after a while, her eyes never straying far from the man in the middle of the room. Bucky looked semi-peaceful in his spot, though she was pretty sure he would be sore when he woke up. He had fallen off of a balcony thanks to T'Challa.

When a groan resonated from the Soldier, Lara looked at Sam, who was standing not too far away from her. Bucky looked around the room, before his eyes landed on his arm. His fingers made a fist, though he knew he wouldn't be getting out of it.

Sam had called Cap into the room, the blonde man running to get to him. Steve entered the room a second later, both males standing on either side as Bucky focused his eyes on Lara. The girl looked away, her fingers suddenly on her neck, feeling where his hand had once been. But that was another lifetime, and Bucky had changed. That wasn't Bucky, not the one she knew.

Lara still couldn't help but be a little scared of Bucky. Only for what Hydra had done to him.

"Steve," the hoarseness of his voice brought Lara out of her thoughts, and she turned to look at him again.

"Which Bucky am I talking to?" Steve asked, his voice serious and demanding. Lara got up, walking until she was hidden behind Steve slightly. Curiosity was getting the better of her.

"Your mom's name was Sarah," Bucky said. There was a long pause, before he chuckled, saying, "You used to wear newspapers in you shoes."

Lara's heart melted. It was her Bucky.

"You can't read that in a museum," Steve said, a small smile on his face.

"Just like that we're supposed to be cool?" Sam asked, looking at Steve. He noticed the delicate smile on Lara's face, and he sighed a little bit.

"What did I do?" Bucky suddenly asked. Lara looked at him for a little bit longer, before her eyes focused on Steve. He was the one that should tell him, because they knew each other for longer.

"Enough," Steve said, making Lara blink. That was all he seemed to need to say as Bucky sighed, knowing he was disappointed with himself.

"Oh God, I knew this would happen," Bucky said, looking down on the dirty cement floor. "Everything Hydra put inside me is still there. All he had to say was the goddamned words."

"Who was he?"

"I don't know."

"People are dead. The bombing, the setup, the doctor, all that just to get ten minutes with you. I need you to do better than 'I don't know'."

Lara gulped as she stared at Bucky. She just wanted to hold him, tell him everything was going to be okay. Because hopefully it was. She just wanted to feel his warm arms wrap around her like they used to, to feel his lips press against her head. But, the memories of the Winter Soldier clouded those with thoughts of getting hurt, the bruising on her neck. Her fingers we to her neck, prodding it to see if there was a bruise. There was no pain.

"He wanted to know about Siberia," Bucky said, as if he was remembering what had happened to him. "Where I was kept. He wanted to know exactly where."

"Why would he need to know that?" Steve asked, and Lara sighed. She was all for listening, it's just her head was hurting and she couldn't get anything for it without getting arrested again (probably). She was a wanted person.