Hallowed (B. Barnes)

Chapter Fifteen

Bucky glances up from the couch as Sydney joins him, she's holding an ice pack in her hand and she gives him a look before she presses the ice pack to his nose and he rolls his eyes fondly, knows that it is no longer needed, but she needs to take care of him. He can see the guilt in her eyes. The upset threatening to spill over. He strokes her arm softly, soothing her.

"I shouldn't have asked you to punch me" he comments, she hums in agreement. "I'm sorry" she sighs and relaxes a little before shaking her head.

"No" she argues. "No, I understand why you would....worry about me" he gives her a sad smile. "The world is an awful place" she comments, he nods in agreement. "But I can take care of myself, I have been doing it for a very long time" he nudges her nose and nods, understanding.

"Okay" he whispers and kisses her cheek. He pulls the blanket off the back of the couch and wraps it around them both, letting Sydney snuggles into his chest. She feels a little better about what happened, not great, but better. Her fingers dance over his nose, checking. It has healed. Remarkably fast. Not as fast as she heals but not far off it. She frowns a little, confused by that. She knows they each have their secrets. Maybe this is one of his. Maybe he's just like her. Running from the monster that's inside. Wanting something normal. Bucky brushes her hair back from her face and smiles softly at her. Her eyes soften and she nods a little leaning closer to kiss him. She can understand that motivation. It is the same reason she is here. He hums happily against her lips and holds her close to him. "I just...I care a great deal about you" he admits. "And the thought of something happening to you.....I can't even...think about it" he kisses her head, breathing her in. She smells like him, in the good way, he's started smelling like her too, her perfume has been lingering on his clothing, just like he has started lingering on hers. He's kind of proud of it, like he's scent marking her subconsciously. "But knowing how to punch..."

"James" she stops him as she sits up. "If it eases your mind, we can find a gun range, I'll show you I know how to shoot, we can find a gym, and I'll show you that I can defend myself, whatever it takes for you to realise that I am more than capable of protecting myself if anything were to happen" he holds to her tighter, he hates the idea that anything might ever happen to her, but he is trying to be realistic, he is who he is, and there will always be a risk, someone finding him, someone using her to hurt him. He kisses her head and lets out a breath.

"That was the first time you ever mentioned your dad" Bucky admits, Sydney sighs and turns to face him.

"You know that..." he nods.

"I know" he assures her, interrupting her, because he does know, she doesn't talk about her family, she doesn't want to talk about her family. "You don't talk about them" he adds and gives her a small smile. "I was just pointing out that you've never mentioned him before" she worries her lip and then sits with him.

"We fought" she admits. "The last time we spoke, we.....he tried to be...controlling, and I fought back against it..."

"Is that why you left?" he asks her, she shrugs a little.

"It was part of it" she answers as he sets his arm over the back of the couch, his fingers brushing against her shoulder. "I'd had enough" she looks up at him, she clears her throat. "He" she stops and looks away, Bucky's face falls as his mind goes to some very, very dark places. The reason a daughter would run so far from their father. There is only one thing that he can think of.

"Did he....hurt you?" Bucky asks her, his voice hard and angry. "Touch you?" he asks her, she snaps her head around.

"No" she is quick to tell him. "No, hell no, nothing like that" she assures him softly and then closes her eyes. "Okay" she gives in a little and takes a deep breath. "I was 21" she starts. "And I...met this guy, we'd been dating for a few months, and" she lets out a breath. "We wanted to run away together, to start a life, get married....my dad he was very...insistent that I..." she shrugs. "He didn't agree, so he told me to end it, to stay, to never see him again"

"Syd" Bucky whispers.

"So I ran away with him" She continues. "That's....how I ended up on my own, we didn't work out, and I...couldn't go home, so I just....kept on running" he strokes her hair.

"I'm so sorry" he offers, she frowns. "Falling in love, it is a dangerous business"

"The fall isn't the hard part" she counters lifting her eyes to meet his. "It's the getting up when it's over that is"

"I promise you" he starts. "If I can prevent it, I am not going anywhere" he assures her. "You are the first woman I have met that makes me feel....alive, and...." she smirks a little.

"Human?" she asks him, he nods and smiles.

"Human" he agrees and leans closer, his lips brush over hers before pulling back. "I'm sure he still loves you" he offers. "Your dad, he's programmed to love you no matter what"

"It's not about him" she counters. "Not...not why I didn't go back, I...was embarrassed, humiliated, angry.....I didn't want to crawl back to that" she shakes her head and looks down. "I...so wanted to stay strong and independent"

"I understand" he whispers wrapping an arm around her. "You were growin' up, branching out, I...." he snorts a little, parts of his memories from himself at that age flashing through his mind, he knows, sort of, what he was like at that age. He fell in and out of love like he was changing his underwear, every girl he met he thought he was going to marry, every girl was the one. The irony is that now, now is the time he meets the girl that is more than likely his one. "Was the same" he assures her. "Everyone goes through that phase at some point" he nuzzles into her cheek before he pulls back. "Shall we go out for breakfast?" he asks her softly. "Maybe visit that bakery stall and get some of those bagels?"