CHASING GHOSTS | BUCKY BARNES

05

A/N: dedicated to my new mutual ladystxrk who's such a sweetheart. Check out her Bucky fic called "Paper Planes", you'll love her mutant child Olivia:)
_______________________________

"Honestly, trust is something I have a problem with."

NADINE

"Can we stay here?"

Well, thanks for that, Romanoff. Now she wouldn't sleep.

And she didn't. After telling her that she needed to think about it, she stayed up all night doing just that. By the time the sun started appearing, her body was aching and her eyes demanded rest, but she was leaning against the marble countertop in the kitchen, a cup of coffee in her hands.

This was dangerous. Letting them stay was dangerous. Not because she thought they'd bring criminals to their door, but because they could bring the exact opposite. The government could be on their tail, or worse, governments. This couldn't be a good thing.

And yet despite that, she'd somehow feel guilty about not helping them.

Her endless thinking was interrupted when she heard footsteps and she saw Steve's form walking towards the dining table. Huh, interesting. "Couldn't sleep?" she questioned softly in an attempt not to startle him. The man didn't even flinch, he simply turned and gave her a tight smile that didn't reach his eyes. Whether or not it had something to do with her or his current circumstances, she didn't know, but Nadine also didn't question it. She simply grabbed the pot on the counter and reached over to grab a cup. "Coffee?"

That softened him up a bit. "Yes, please." Steve responded, and he sat on the stool next to her as she poured the liquid into his cup and gave him whatever he needed to make the drink to his liking. When he seemed satisfied, she placed herself on the seat next to him. "Thank you, ma'am... for the coffee, and for letting us stay here."

Ma'am? Nadine had the urge to snort, but she managed to control herself. "You're welcome again, sir," she responded, chuckling when he almost choked at her last word. Captain America clearly had some type of sense of humor hidden behind those imposing muscles and growing beard. "Thanks for stopping the knife, by the way."

"Of course. How's your bruise?" he asked softly, eyebrows furrowing together in actual concern.

"It's there, but it's just a bruise. Thank you for asking," she replied, trying to hide the fact that she hated awkward small talk. It was always so forced and unnatural, no matter who it was with. Because of it, Nadine just decided to get to the point. "So, I've made a decision."

Any amusement was gone now. "And that is?"

"You all can stay, but don't use Bucky as an excuse."

"What?" he asked, seemingly dumbfounded by her statement.

"Nat said he needs somewhere to stay, that he needs to lay lower than you do because of his current situation of being branded a criminal and other things." They also didn't know if whatever treatment he'd sought at Wakanda worked. Natasha pointed that out repeatedly after their conversation. "And I understand, I mean, you're just trying to keep him safe. But none of you, not even Bucky himself, should stay here because of that. And besides, what does Bucky want for himself?"

"I-" The great Captain America was at a loss for words. It seemed that he hadn't wondered what his best friend wanted, and Nadine could see the guilt starting to wash over him. "I, hadn't thought about it..."