CHASING GHOSTS | BUCKY BARNES

02

Dedicated to my dear new mutual Kalored . Thank you for reading my story and making all those relatable comments lol

Also, if you like post-apocalyptic fiction, better check out her story "The Only End". It's Hela great (and Avila is my new adopted character)
_______________________________

"She had that set-the-whole-fucking-world-on-fire-look-in-her-eyes type of badass vibe to her."

NADINE

"I've got a bad feeling about this."

Nadine rolled her eyes. She could practically see Dante clenching and unclenching his fists behind her. "You always have a bad feeling."

"True, but it's because things tend to go wrong all the time." He replied, and set himself next to the woman, one of his legs dangling off the edge of the roof they were perched on.

When Nadine turned towards him, she saw him looking at her exactly like she knew he would. Tanned arm muscles tense, jaw clenched, hazel eyes watching her like a hawk, waiting for her next move. He wasn't just concerned for their impromptu mission, she knew, he was also concerned for her, as he always tended to do. It both irritated and comforted her to know her partner cared about her like he did. She wouldn't trade Dante Villanueva for anyone in the world.

"It'll be fine." She reassured, eyes turning towards the sunset once again. The golden colors of the sky radiated with warmth, and she relished the feeling it left on her skin. She loved settings like this, where the weather wasn't deathly cold and her rich, amber skin didn't turn into a yellowish tawny brown. It always made her look gaunt and lifeless. "And if something happens, we'll do what we always do and improvise."

"See, this is why I hate when you take the lead."

"No one asked you to be here, Dante." She quipped, dark eyes boring into his own. The way he averted his gaze told her that her look wasn't really pleasant. "You chose to come here."

"Yeah, because you're my partner, my family." The softness of his tone deflated Nadine of any defensiveness she had over his words. "I wasn't just gonna let my family go alone into a mission that was so personal to her."

"Human trafficking should be personal."

"I know." He rubbed a hand over his face tiredly, a breathy sigh escaping his pinkish lips. "Is Taj ready?"

"He's got the plane set and ready, and he's going to meet you at the square to get the other car."

"And you?"

Nadine smiled mischievously. She leaned forward to give him a kiss on his cheek. "Little ol' me's gonna go get a makeover."

• • •

The nightclub's neon lights and futuristic decor made it feel like something out of a music video, while the Afro-beat dance music reminded her of that time she partied in Johannesburg with Dante. Too many drinks were involved that night, but it was a much needed distraction for him.

Unfortunately, the morning after their wild night, his grief was back and as rampant as ever, and Nadine would go back to not knowing what to do to help him. To say that that period was a painful and estranged time for the duo was an understatement, really.

She snapped out of her thoughts the minute she felt a presence next to her, and when she turned, she was greeted by a leather dressed woman placing a few Nigerian nairas on the bar counter.