before the storm / bucky barnes

019

"PETER, have a look at this meme," I say as the group of us lounge in the large sitting area.

As soon as Dad had found out about Bucky and I it quickly spread to the rest of the team (or whoever had yet to know). Looks were exchanged between Sam and Bucky. Looks of betrayal.

My back rests comfortably on the armrest of the cushioned blue couch with my legs draping over Bucky, Peter sitting on the floor in front of me as we both exchange funny memes.

Everybody is talking amongst themselves as Dad organises food behind the scenes.

So I hand my phone to Peter, who's eyes scan across the photo I had screenshot to show him earlier today. I watch as Peter breaks into a smile which then transitions to a string of laughs.

"What is it? I want to see," Bucky asks with his eyes glancing at my phone as it gets passed back to me.

"Bucky, no offence, but you wont get it,"

"Try me," Bucky challenges and I roll my eyes, handing him the phone for him to look at.

Peter and I watch Bucky intently as he holds the phone a considerable amount away from his face as he squints to read the text.

"Do you need your glasses, Babe?" I mock.

Bucky flashes me a cold look and I send him a wink back, waiting for him to hand my phone back in defeat.

Instead, he begins scrolling.

"Bucky, that's usually a big no-no when people show you photos on their phone," I explain as he scrolls rather lamely through my photos. If he wasn't who he was I would've gotten a tad angry.

I shuffle myself onto Bucky's lap so I could see what he was going through. Just an assortment of selfies paired with stupid photos of Peter at MOMA last week.

"Sorry, here. I didn't understand the-"

Bucky, who was in the process of handing my phone back to me, suddenly pauses and halts his motion as his eyes land on a particular photo.

The photo I had taken of the odd note I stole from Dad's files.

"Cassandra?" Bucky's voice is hushed as Dad enters the room with plates upon plates of food to feed the large group of us.

"What? Do you know what it says?"

Bucky doesn't respond as his eyes stay glued to the page. "Where's this from?"

I respond by getting up and walking to the bathroom.

Looking back quickly, Dad doesn't notice that we've slipped off as he's too busy bragging about his appetisers and Peter's stolen our seat on the couch the first chance he saw to.

Bucky, with my phone still clenched rather tightly in his large fist, follows me as I walk to the bathroom. I hold the door open for him and close it as soon as he steps inside.

Bucky stays standing as I take a seat on the closed toilet seat.

"Baby..." Bucky asks me again as I look up at him worrily. "Where did you get this?" Bucky's eyes flash from the screen and back to me anxiously.

"I took a photo of it from one of Dad's files. Steve found it on his most recent mission," I explain before standing up as he hands my phone back to me. "What does it say?"

"It's a HYDRA letter. Written in some Russian-derived language created for agents to communicate without the risk of being heard," he explains, his eyes never reaching mine.

Bucky's head is bowed as he talks to me and his right hand is shaking slightly. I place my phone gently on the bathroom countertop to take his right hand between my own.

"It's about me."

That's when my breath hitches in my throat and I look up at him sharply, prompting him to elaborate on the contents of the letter.

"It's addressed to a codename I've never seen before. Talks about how they need me. How they'll find me. Make me who they want me to be."

"Bucky..." I coo breathily as I step closer to him. "They won't." I establish. I promise.

"You're not safe,"

"I've never been safe. I'm a Stark. I'm an Avenger." I continue to list off things. "I'm a senior in high school. Not fun!"

"You're dating a super-soldier ex-assassin," Bucky adds in as he looks down at me. His eyes never leave my face.

"Really? Is he cute?" I giggle and his face breaks out into a smile as he roles his eyes at me.

We look at each other, beaming over my stupid little joke.

"I'll be okay, you'll be okay." I tell him while rocking back and forth on my tip-toes, pointing at myself and then poking his chest with my finger for emphasis. "Nothing's gonna happen. Okay?" I add, turning back to the serious side of the conversation and Bucky just looks at me as his lips dip down. Not to a frown, but not exactly a smile. He nods.

Bucky dips his head down with his lips hovering over mine, I can feel his shallow breaths ghost over my lips as he seemingly asks for permission to kiss me. I answer by getting onto my tip-toes and pulling him in for a kiss.

"Okay Doll, I'm old and my back is starting to feel it so you're gonna have to jump if you want to keep kissing me," Bucky mumbles against my lips and I laugh as his hands creep to grasp just below my butt. Jumping slightly, Bucky lifts me up against him and I quickly wrap my legs around his torso.

"Better?" I ask him against his lips and he only grunts in response, kissing me back with even more pressure than before.

"I don't know... If you said they went in the bathroom it probably means they're– Oh God I was right! I was right!" Sam enters the bathroom abruptly and I quickly jump from Bucky's arms and turn to face Sam.

"We were just talking!" I attempt to cover up.

I mean, we were just talking!

Were. Past tense.

Sam snorts and shakes his head at us. "Peter's chosen a movie, when you guys can get your tongues out of each other's throats we'd love for you to join us," Sam winks at us and I roll my eyes at him.

"And please don't sit next to each other," Sam finishes before shutting the door behind him.

"We'll do whatever the hell we want, Wilson," Bucky retaliates with a smile on his face, pulling me in for another sweet kiss before we walk out.

"You'll what, Barnes?" Dad bellows from the living area and I turn a deep shade of red.

"Nothing Dad!"

we know that this chapter is ugly but like we dont tell defensively ok

also we hit 30k idk how to act

do tell me what yall want in the chapters cus i wanna cater to YOUR wants pls

ALSO my fav thing is the burger line i'd put into my first bonus chapter (tony stark has gone missing) which was written before endgame is like........... referencing endgame. i played myself w this one. the foreshadowing. i broke my own heart.

anyway uwu love u guys pls comment i love when u comment hehe