The Fighter

3

Rune's POV

I stared at the bombshell that just burst through my door, her strangely colored eyes glaring death at my phone. I had half a mind to simply hang up or throw my phone at the wall, but I knew Tess too well. She'd find a way to figure it out.

Before I could think of an excuse, she'd grabbed the phone from my hands and hung it up. I was just thankful she didn't try to talk to him. I didn't want her to yell at him when he was trying to apologize to me. I wondered if there was a way for me to call him later without her knowing. 

"Okay, now that he's not listening to us, pack up. You've been called to Wakanda to be a bodyguard." She smiled brightly, rocking on the balls of her feet. 

I stared at the girl that I'd called my best friend for a long time before it finally clicked. I was being welcomed to Wakanda, requested actually. Was this some cruel trick? That's all I'd wanted since T'Chaka had found me in a women's shelter and enrolled me. 

Knuckled rasped against my wooden door making me jump. My eyes went to the large, tan man in my door frame. His eyes were glued to Tess, who was looking at my floor like it was suddenly alive with dancing men. That was how it was meant to be. He looked at her like a soulmate, not a burden.

"James, why are you in my apartment?" I asked, trying to drag his attention from the one girl who didn't want to look at him. When I'd assumed Tessa had forgiven him, I must have been very wrong. She still wasn't like she was before. She wasn't trying to find any excuse to touch him, to look at him. In fact, she was looking anywhere but him. 

Bucky looked away from the brunette, watching me now. The old instincts to shield her from him were trying to push their way to the surface. She didn't need me as that role anymore, and that wasn't what my mission was anymore. 

"Bucky is here to help us get you moved out of this place and into your new one. After that, he will be returning to his farm on the outskirts of Wakanda." Tess said quietly, leaning back against the counter, her arms crossed over her unfairly sized chest. She spoke his name with emotionless detachment. It was just a shame I didn't believe her. 

Another voice came from the doorway pulling my attention from the yearning looks Barnes gave Tessa. "Yeah. And if he tries to touch her, I'm going to beat him with his own arm." 

The voice was deep and demanding. It demanded attention, control, power. It was deep and rough. I turned to see the face belonging to the voice and was not displeased to match the deep bravado to a very handsome man. 

He had brown hair that was just long enough to push back, but not long enough to hang off his scalp like Bucky's did. His eyes were the deepest blue, matching one of Tessa's. He had a dark brown beard, which I was sure hid a sharp jawline and his lips... 

"Dad, stop it."

My blood ran cold. Tessa called him 'Dad'. This must be Steve Rogers. Out of the uniform and with a beard, he wasn't very recognizable, in the very best way. He had on a grey t-shirt and a brown leather jacket. The jacket almost looked like it was going to rip under the pressure of his biceps. He wore regular blue jeans and combat boots. He may have been wearing regular clothing, but he looked like he was about to walk the runway. 

I frowned at myself, trying to push those thoughts from my head. This was the father of my best friend, I couldn't think like that. No matter how good he looked. No matter how much his eyes reminded me of a way to wake up after a long night of drinks, followed by a very big mistake that wouldn't end in one night...

No! You can't think like that! This is your best friend's father. No more sexual thoughts. 

Telling myself that and actually stopping were two very different things.