ˢˡⁱᵍʰᵗˡʸ ▸ 𝐁𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐘 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐄𝐒 ✓

eight.

SLIGHTLY.
008. | ❛ winnie the pooh. ❜

LIFE IS A JOURNEY TO BE EXPERIENCED, NOT A PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED. Being a children's book, it taught Katia a lot of life lessons that she would carry with her throughout life. Part of it actually led her to become an agent and be where she is today. She had spent so much time thinking that she was doing something she loved, when that wasn't the case. She wanted to right the wrongs and bring change the way that she could; by enrolling to SHIELD. That's when everything came to place and she was standing in Wakanda alongside Steve staring at Bucky in the library.

The pair held their stances and held their breaths, as if anything in the moment would send Bucky off into a rampage. Neither Steve nor Katia knew what had happen, if the Bucky they were in front of still had Hydra's brainwash in him, or the scientist didn't wait for her and cured him of it. She wanted it to be the latter since it would be easier for them, but there was no way of knowing.

Katia attempted to take a step forward in an effort that perhaps Bucky would recognize her, the woman who's face he'd never seen before but had heard her voice. The small step forward soon converted into various ones forward, making Steve worry as he stood in the same position. As she was about to introduce herself softly, Bucky's stares at her almost mesmerized by Katia, confusion on his face. He then gasps out three words: "I know you."

Those three words stunned Katia, also keeping her in place almost as if stuck to the floor from his words. He knew her, in some capacity and in some way. He knew her. Bucky could see the level of shock on her face, and he couldn't help but want to reach out. She was so familiar to him, yet he couldn't put a name to the beautiful face.

"How do I know who you are?" Bucky asked not gaining any type of response from Katia. "You're so familiar to me, but I can't pin you down."

"I read to you," Katia managed to say to him and all the moments that she had shared with him were flashing in her head while being in front of him. "I read to you."

"How often?" Bucky continued to ask and what Katia didn't know was that he got one step closer each time. He didn't know why, his feet sort of gravitated towards her almost as if automatically.

"Everyday." She responded with a slight crack of her voice. He was so close to her, the closest that they could've been without something separating them. All she had to do was stretch her arms and she would be in his arms, giving him a well deserved embrace from everything he's been through.

Katia figured that he wasn't a threat at all, that this Bucky wasn't under his brainwash anymore. That he was cured and she hadn't been there to see it. Everything led up to this and he was okay, he was fine. But she wasn't.

Katia's knees suddenly gave out with her vision being compromised and blurred, Bucky's strong arms grabbed her before she could hit the ground. It helped slightly, since her eyes started to close it was harder to breath. With the last thing that she could remember was Steve hurling over to them. Bucky laid her down on the floor, watching what had just happened with Steve assuming the responsibility of Captain by caring for her and assessing what had just happened.

Bucky backed away with the guilt that it could've been his fault, that seeing him was too much for her. If she read to him everyday, then she had some emotions towards him as a patient. He couldn't help but hate himself for what he had caused.

"Steve, what did I do?" Bucky asked running his fingers through his hair, looking down at them and Katia's limp unresponsive body.

"You didn't do anything, Bucky." He assured him as he lifted Katia's unconscious body up. "But we need to get Katia to a doctor."

Katia was her name. Something beautiful and easy to roll off the tongue. A name that he wouldn't dare to forget, not even if he could try. And she needed him right now, just as she had treated him.

Steve hurdled forwards calling out to anybody who knew where to find the doctor, luckily it wasn't hard to find since they hit the lab quite quickly.

"My friend just fainted." Steve said as the doctor showed him to lay her down on the bed. "Please, help her."The doctor nodded in response and quickly went to work, although casting Steve out since he wasn't family or one of member of his medical team. The last glimpse he caught of Katia was dark and dull, and prayed that the fighter in her would come out and face it head on.

Bucky paced as Steve came into view, "She's in there because of me."

"Buck," Steve placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't know that. And beating yourself up about this isn't going to help."

"Your friend is right. Right now, Katia doesn't need that. In fact, she'd hate if you were." A voice made itself present behind them and turning around being faced with T'Challa.

Bucky straighten up at the sight of the King of Wakanda, the last time fighting him in Germany and now he was the primary reason that he was well. He owed a lot to him for putting aside their differences and helping him.

"She's a survivor much like you are, Mr. Barnes."

"Let's hope so."