The Winter Warrior // Captain America

«Chapter 30»

T H I R D   P E R S O N   P O V

With a gasp, Anna's eyes shot open as she jolted awake. She felt something wrapped around her and when she looked up, she saw Bucky's peaceful sleeping face, soft breaths leaving his nose. While her mind was still troubled with the dream she'd had, she noticed the sun had come up outside. 

Anna ran a hand through Bucky's hair and pressed a feather-light kiss to his forehead before wiggling herself free from his hold. He rolled over in bed and continued sleeping.

Anna got dressed, putting on a maroon shirt and a jacket. She added a black baseball cap and put on gloves to hide her metal hand. It wasn't very warm outside, so she wouldn't be looked at weirdly. 

After glancing at Bucky one last time, she snuck out of the apartment and travelled down to the market. She spotted the fruit stand and walked over, her eye falling on the plums they sold. Bucky loved plums, she remembered. She took a few and felt their stiffness. "How much?" she asked the saleswoman in Romanian. 

"1,50 Leu a piece," the woman answered kindly. 

"Okay, could I get a bag with these?" Anna then asked, handing the woman six large plums. 

The woman nodded, putting the plums in a plastic bag before taking the money Anna offered her. "Keep the change," the girl said, smiling. 

"Thank you, enjoy your day," the woman said. 

"You too," Anna said before she walked off. On her way back to the apartment, she bought a loaf of bread. As she waited for traffic to pass, a vendor across the street made eye contact with her. He lazily chewed on a lollipop as he held a newspaper in his hands. 

Anna uneasily looked away and the man's eyes widened. He hurried from his stand and ran off. The traffic had passed and Anna quickly crossed the street, grabbing the newspaper the man had held. When she read the headline on the front page, her breath hitched in her throat. 

'Winter Warrior Wanted for Bombing in Vienna'

A picture accompanied the article. A picture of her near a white van, a hood covering the back of her head and she was wearing a jacket that she didn't remember ever owning. 

She looked around in a panic and realised no one else had recognised her yet. She swallowed with struggle before rushing back to the apartment. When she placed her hand on the door handle, she heard voices. Her hand froze and she focused her ears. 

"She's not here, Steve." It was Bucky.

"Why didn't you call me? Let me know you found her?" She didn't recognise the other voice, but it was a man. Steve. Her brother. 

"I lost my phone," Bucky stated. "Here."

"What's this?" 

"Open it." 

Anna opened the door without making a sound and discovered the man who called himself Captain America in the middle of her kitchen, flipping through her notebook. Bucky stood with his arms crossed behind him. Both of their backs were facing Anna and they hadn't heard her enter, but when she whispered Bucky's name, they both whipped around. 

"Anna..." Bucky breathed. "Where did you go? I was worried." 

Anna held up the plastic bag. "Breakfast," she stated before dumping it on the table. Her eyes never left the Captain.

"You know me?" he asked her. 

"You're Steve," said Anna after a second. Her mind was racing and she had trouble keeping her thoughts straight. "I read about you in a museum."