Hallowed (B. Barnes)

Chapter Six

Sydney is content to wait for Bucky to ask her out. They hang out. They have lunch. Dinner. They sit on her couch and watch movies. But he never asks her. She knows he has issues. She respects that. But how long is a girl supposed to wait before she loses hope that he will ask her at all. Maybe he's realized that it was a mistake to ask her at all. Maybe he wants her to be his friend and nothing more. She'd understand that if he told her that that is what he wanted from her but he hasn't said that. She shakes her head stepping out of her apartment. He's not very good at saying what he wants. He has trouble picking out food he wants to eat, so of course, something like dating is going to be a huge step for him. So she waits.....semi-patiently for him to feel brave enough to ask her. If he ever will. She locks her apartment door and then crosses the street to the apartment block across from her, to where Bucky lives. It's their new routine. Breakfast at the cafe down the street. She's happy. For the first time in a long time, she actually feels happy. She doesn't miss her old life as much when she is around Bucky. She can forget what a shit storm it was. Being around Bucky makes her happy. Despite how....weird he is. He's special. She just knows that. Unlike anyone she's ever met. Smarter than he lets on, funnier than he believes, warmer than he thinks he is. She sidesteps one of Bucky's neighbors as she enters the apartment block and then she's taking the stairs two at a time, even with her heels on she's nimble and agile. She pauses hearing Bucky's voice above her on his floor. She peers up to that level to see Bucky hugging a redhead. She knows that redhead. She works in the markets on her mother's flower stall. The redhead leaves, heading upwards to her own apartment. Bucky takes a deep breath sighing slightly before he looks down. His eyes meet Sydney. He smiles at her and raises his hand to wave at her, she cocks her head slightly watching him, he can't read her expression, she's shut down slightly. He frowns and lowers his hand. She narrows her eyes at him, as if trying to figure something out. He raises a shoulder in question. Her face shifts into a glare. His heart stutters. She knows. She has to. That's the only explanation to her reaction to him then. She knows who he is. She hates him now. He has to explain. He feels like he has to. He can't lose her. He actually likes having her around and he cannot bear the thought of her being afraid of him. If he has to explain everything to her to keep her around, then so be it. He walks down the stairs after her. She listens a moment before she decides that she can't do this. She heads off down the stairs away from him.

"Syd" he jogs to catch up with her, his metal hand grabbing her wrist, she sighs a little and turns to him. "What's wrong?" he asks her, she shakes her head pulling her hand free of him. She takes a deep breath crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's been three months since you asked to ask me out" she points out. "I was fine to wait, I was..." he frowns a little. "But..." she sighs. "You and that redhead from the market..." she admits and then shakes her head starting to leave again. It's not the Winter Soldier. She doesn't know about his past. This is good news. This is better. At least she's not afraid of him, ashamed of what he has done.

"Wait" he stops her. "That's it?" he asks her, she frowns at him.

"What do you mean that's it?" she argues. "Go to hell," she tells him turning to walk away from him, Bucky grabs her wrist again.

"Syd" he starts softly. "Please let me explain" she lets out a harsh breath and turns to him. "Alina's a florist" he admits softly.

"I know that" she argues. "She has a stall at the market" he nods, she raises an eyebrow at him. He groans and hangs his head.

"I was having trouble picking out flowers" he whispers. "For you" he lifts his eyes to hers. "So...Alina offered to create something..."

"Really?" she asks him, still not believing him.

"It's been a while," he tells her. "Since I've had to do this...." he rubs the back of his next as he starts to blush. "And I asked Alina for advice, and...well to thank her, I fixed the latch on her necklace," he tells her. "Which was a gift....from her girlfriend" Sydney looks down suddenly embarrassed herself. "That's what she was doing at my apartment, she was picking up the necklace and dropping off the flowers"

"I'm sorry" she whispers. "I'm sorry" she repeats. "I'm such an idiot" she scolds herself and then steps away from him, he reaches for her hand but she is fast as she pulls it away. "I'm....not very good at trusting people" she admits with a deep sigh. "Maybe this whole thing was a bad idea," she tells him. "I'm sorry, James," she tells him, he gives her a sad smile before she walks away from him, heading down the stairs and escaping him. He tucks his hands in his pockets and sighs.

"You're an idiot" Alina states behind him, Bucky turns to her and frowns.

"What did I do?" He asks her.

"You let her walk away from you" she hits his flesh arm, he frowns at his arm and then looks to her. 

"Ow," he complains a little, though it did not hurt him one little bit. "Why did you come back?" he asks her.

"I forgot" she answers and pulls something from the bag in her hand. "Here" she holds a single wrapped red rose towards him. "Use this to ask her out" he sighs taking it from her. "The other bouquet.....you give her on first date" he looks down at the flower. She sighs a little and shakes her head. "Go fix it" she pushes at him. "Now. Before it's too late" he lifts his eyes to her. "You like her, yes?" She asks him, he nods. "So what are you waiting for?" she counters softly.

"Thanks, Alina" he whispers giving her a small smile before heading down the stairs after Sydney.