Mosaic (Bucky Barnes X OC / Winter Soldier x OC)

Chapter 10: Bucky Barnes - Reflections in the Windows (Part I)

Author's Note:

I'm always trying to improve my ability to pull a person into a character's headspace or feel their emotions, and your feedback will help me know if what I'm trying for is working or not. Even an emoticon or button smashing tells me something useful and can influence what I write more or less of.

I respond to all comments and it's always fun to hear your thoughts ^^

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Gathering the various boxes at the back door, I took a scan of the area. Nothing. Never saw anyone in the backyard. Seemed that the A.I. ghost had timed the drops to when I was asleep. I couldn't watch the food be delivered. I had no idea who put the boxes on the back porch at unpredictable times.

For all I knew, they could have poisoned the food. That fact never seemed to have crossed Valeriy's mind. Blindly trusting whatever the voice in the speakers set up.

But so far, I haven't found anything wrong with the food. Nothing felt off when I ate them.

Nor had anybody shown up to haul me off. Hydra hadn't been lurking around either.

Almost automatically, I unpacked the box of food. Shelving the non-perishables. Placing the milk, juice, and fruits in the fridge. Left the bread on the counter. Unfold the box and stored it in the pantry.

Last was a sizeable box with a large V scrawled on the top. Likely for Valeriy.

She had come down sometime this morning. Hadn't heard her move upstairs and didn't see her in her room on my way down. But she wasn't in the living room or the dining room. Checked the basement. Couldn't find her. She avoided it. Gave that staircase a wide berth. Would be unexpected to find her there.

That left the front of house. With the big windows.

I frowned, picking up my pace. Hopeful I could get to her in time. Before somebody saw.

Found her outright leaning on the damn window.

A tablet on her lap. A phone in her hands. And one of those oddly colored mini orange slices between her teeth.

Not a care in the world.

I quickly hauled her off the cushioned window sill and dragged her into the shadows.

"What the bloody hell!?" Valeriy yelped. She hadn't even realized that I was there until I wrapped an arm around her. "Should you be using that ar - Ow shit."

The metal arm seized up around her waist, clenching down. It took everything I had to fight through the pain to prevent the wayward weapon from crushing the young woman.

She struggled, flailing about trying to push the arm away. To find some breathing room. Or maybe to stop it from breaking her bones.

By the time the electric current stopped running rampant, we were sprawled over the carpet.

"Sorry," I groaned out, flinching when her arm landed across my chest.

Valeriy gave me a pat. "Don't sweat it, Bucky." She sat up, adjusting her shirt and combing her hands through her hair.

Her head could be seen from the street. It wasn't low enough. So I grabbed her upper arm and dragged her back to safety.

"Seriously? What's gotten you so bloody wound up?"