Reveries of Spring│Bucky Barnes

━ 𝟎𝟕

MARTINA WAS STANDING IN FRONT OF AN expansive glass window watching the way the melted snow lingered on the ground outside. 

She liked seeing the way winter turned to spring, and recalled that growing up, she was never able to see snow. Venezuela was beautiful, but the jungles surrounding the country made it unbearably hot all-year-round. After she moved to the States and began to live with her aunt, the Floridian heat wasn't much better. 

But then, she started at Dartmouth and it was the first time she had ever truly seen snow. 

She could still remember that day -Freshman year- when she ran out of her dorm room and just stood as the frozen flakes landed on her skin. 

It was one of her greatest memories. 

It wasn't until this point that she realized she had overlooked one inconsequential but monumental detail. 

She hadn't been cold.

"Hey." 

Martina turned around at Artemis's breathy voice. She was wearing her training gear which consisted of tight leather pants and an even tighter black tank top. She had her hair pulled back into a messy French braid and her eyes were bloodshot. She was holding two cups of coffee in her hands. 

"Hey," Martina replied, accepting the cup Artemis offered her. "It's like noon. You're up late."

Artemis yawned mid-sip and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yeah. I was up late."

Martina couldn't help herself. "That's what it sounded like to me."

She laughed when Artemis' cup almost fell right out of her hands. The blonde whipped her head at her with disbelief in her eyes. "You heard us."

Martina laughed. "Either the walls between you and Bucky's room are really thin, or you and Loki are just really loud."

If Artemis felt any embarrassment, she was quick to hide it as she shrugged her shoulders. "A little bit of both. What were you doing in Bucky's room?"

"Um," Martina suddenly felt very awkward and she let her hair hang over her face to try and hide from Artemis' wide smirk. "I just went to talk to him. You guys haven't exactly been subtle about him."

"And did you find the answers you were looking for?" Artemis asked, laughing mentally about the fact that Martina really thought her hair was going to be enough to stop her from seeing the furious blush on her face.

"No," Martina admitted, gripping the cup tightly as she chewed her bottom lip. "I feel like I can't really push him too hard, you know."

Artemis snorted. "Do you know what happens when you approach a startled stag?"

"What?"

"They run," Artemis finished, rolling her eyes as she brushed Martina's golden hair away from her face. "If I can be blunt-"

"-From my experience so far, you usually are-"

"-You and I have become really close. Have I forced you to trust me?" 

"No," Martina said, snapping her eyes at her. "Not at all. You're just really trustworthy."

Artemis smiled down at her. "That's because I let you open yourself up at your own pace. Baby steps, baby."