His POV.
After asking that pale looking kid in a doctor’s robe, Bucky had to wait for a nurse to guide him to Quinn’s room. Because yes, he could’ve just left her stuff at the reception and leave, but a part of him wanted to make sure she was okay. Or maybe he just wanted to annoy her. In the end, everything was worth it. Her face fully red from anger and embarrassment, made him straight out laugh when entering the room. While doing so, she kicked out the kid doctor and the nurse of the room.
“Are you done?” She was evidently irritated, supporting herself on the wall.
“Yeah, sorry. It’s just…” He tried catching his breath. “I don’t think I’ve ever laughed this hard.” Truth is, Trish told him she wasn't an easy patient, so he decided to use his skills to irritate her as a distraction.
“I. Don’t. Fucking. Care.” She stated. “What are you doing here? Where’s Trish?”
“Easy there.” He talked, while getting closer to the transparent curtain. “Your friend had a last minute emergency with her child, so-“
“Carl?! Did something happen to him?!” Quinn quickly ran at his position, the only interfering object being the transparent curtain.
“He’s okay, they just needed her to be there. Hence, she asked your devilishly handsome neighbor to bring the things you asked for.” He cockily announced. Bucky swore he saw the girl’s left eye twitch.
“The hell not, I’m not receiving anything from you.” That was her pride talking he assumed, another warning given by Trish before.
“Are you sure? Because according to your friend, you can’t live without…” He started, while revising the bag. “An eyebrow gel?”
“It keeps them trimmed and shaped, alright? My brow lady would kill me if I didn’t.”
“You have a brow lady? What does that even mean?” He ignored her rambling when looking into more stuff. “Make up, hair artifact to straighten your hair I assume. Why’d you need these when you’re basically hospitalized?”
“That’s none of your business.” She muttered, while sitting in the gurney.
“Okay then, I’ll leave.” Bucky menaced, sensing how the girl lowered her guard for the sake of the items.
“It’s because… I don’t like my hair and freckles. Okay? I’m a superficial person. This is the most vulnerable I can be. Happy now?” As she talked, Bucky put the bag on a box that sanitized her before opening from her side. She received it and silently put in on a table to unpack.
“You’re not superficial.” He started. “You may be rude, irreverent, sarcastic, but not that.”
“How’d you know?” Apart from the fact that ethically a medical surgeon should never be superficial, Bucky knew how hiding trauma was since he literally wears gloves in summer.
“The doctor kid told me. He said that you took charge of his mistake because you were teaching him. If you were superficial, you wouldn’t help a weak and nerdy kid just because.” Silence reigned the room. “You’re welcome, by the way.”
“Whatever.” She whispered, to hide the amusement those words caused inside her.
*
Although Bucky was free from therapy for a few months now, he still tried to follow routines to make sure his mental state was… stable enough. That’s why he finally bought a bed, and found interest in making his apartment his. He decided to live there for the time being, since he felt safe on the neighborhood and enjoyed seeing familiar faces when visiting his usual spots. Even his annoying neighbor formed a part of that, kinda reminding that the world its not rainbows and people politely greeting. Now, why he unconsciously held onto interacting with her more than anyone from his surroundings? Maybe she was the closest to “normal” he knew, which yes, consisted of this chaotic and angry energy. Chaos was his comfort place. Talking to Quinn stopped him from feeling he was on a simulation, she was the only one acting properly to meeting someone with a Winter Soldier repertory. Even while knowing it all, she wasn't afraid of being mean and rude to him. Zero special traits. He aprecciated that. Now, he’d prather to kill himself before letting her know that most of his bickering was faked in order to keep their dynamic.
“Do I need to take you bridal style or…?”
“Please, stop making this more painful than it is. I can walk by myself; this chair a stupid protocol.” She tiredly plead, while getting on the taxi.
Given the fact that Bucky was the one taking her stuff on the first place, his name kept signed as her guardian. Only her guardian was authorized to discharge her from the Hospital. Bucky didn’t need to be a medium to sense how Quinn’s body shook in anger and embarrassment when seeing the whole medical staff surrounding them. The reason being the infamous Winter Soldier running her wheelchair to the exit.
“Trish said she left your house equipped with groceries and things you may need.” He said, to ease the tension her bad mood created.
“I know. She texted me.” Her tone was distant; eyes focused on the vehicles window. Bucky figured she just needed time. He didn’t mean to be too invasive.
They kept silence the whole way back. Even after she refused to get help when getting upstairs, he still had his hands in position behind her in case she got weak. The situation tensed up even more, Mrs. Holly making an appearance in the worst moment. Luckily the moment was reduced to the old woman giving a derogatory look at them, to just go on her way. Now, Quinn’s physical situation was weird. Her blood wasn’t compromised yet she still had the symptoms of blood poisoning, which consisted of weakness, fever, and shivering.
“Call me if you need anything.” He said, after putting the bag of her belongings in the sofa. Waiting no answer from her, the man just turned to leave.
“Wait.” She called. When facing her, she had a hand on her forehead. “I’m not used to being helped, so it makes me uncomfortable. Even more when it comes to my not so close neighbor.” Noticing regret on her face, Bucky decided to calm her in his own way.
“Is this the best apology I can get from you?” He joked, making her huff a smile. Somehow, the only way their coexistence worked well was when they bick ered at each other, at least for Quinn. He didn’t have a problem following it.
“The only one you ever will. Promise.”
*
“Longing, rusted, furnace, daybreak…”
“Those words won’t work anymore.” He confidently panned. The man in front of him didn’t seem to believe his words, giving him a cocky smile as an answer.
“Seventeen, benign, nine, homecoming, one…” His insides started to warn him, starting a fight with himself to stop reacting to those words. Sweat fell from his back as his teeth clashed in resistance.
“STOP!” Bucky demanded.
“… Freight car.” Silence. He couldn’t have any thoughts from his own. The man in front of him had a satisfied expression and confidently walked closer to him. “Soldat?”
“Ready to comply.”
“Wake up!”
“AAAARGH!” He growled and opened his eyes. Bucky fell from the bed; it was a nightmare. His chest hurt making him unable to control his breathing. Quinn was sat next to him with a blanket covering her body. Without giving it too much though, the man ran to his bathroom and vomited on the toilet. The girl surrounded him with her blanket and went for a glass of water. He received it and supported his body on the cold tiles of the room.
“Bucky, you are having a panic attack. Probably triggered by the nightmare you were having.” Quinn's tone fell between professional and kind of worried, probably due to never dealing with a super soldier's body system.
“No shit.”
“I need you to keep yourself covered on the blanket.” The girl’s voice was heard as a background. He couldn’t think straight; not even fathoming how she even was here. “Could you do that for me, please?” Bucky stared at her for a minute. The light of the bathroom made her look… angelic. Her worried eyes made him feel at ease, so he nodded and did as tell. Although Quinn was as weak as a noodle, she somehow managed to help him back to bed. “Okay buddy, let’s help each other. Are you on any pills?” He denied with his head. “Alright. I’m going to touch you and make sure your body’s okay; you had a rough fall. May I?”
“Not the circumstances I thought of someone like you touching me. Help yourself.” He managed to answer, between a whole ass panic attack. Quinn proceeded to do what she knew best, and her attention was on the spot he hissed when touching. “I need to press that spot again, it’ll hurt. Could you hold on for me?”
“For you?” The man flirtly asked, smiling as the girl gave a warning look. “Auch.”
“Your rib is fractured.” The girl informed. “Give me five minutes and I’ll be right back.”
“Don’t worry about that, I think I’m…” Fainting, was what he wanted to say.