Her POV.
The perfect definition to Quinn’s state of mind right now was reduced to two words: mixed feelings. She was very angry at her parents, for making her believe that they didn’t care when it was all the way around. It also made her mad to know that she could’ve had a different instead, growing up with the new aunt in the picture and presumable cousin instead of the awful woman she was forced to call her grandmother. All these things she had already enclosed, all the ‘What if’s’ she had overcome after years of hard work were slowly coming back because of this.
Then, there was Bucky. She grew up admiring his image as a loyal partner to Captain America, but never did she imagine what he went through as the Winter Soldier. He wasn't that man anymore and Quinn understood it, that’s why she didn't feel any anger towards him after the news of her parents’ plane accident. The Bucky she knew was the one she trusted. Thats why she wanted hm to come, so he didn't feel a distance between them. Sadly, she hadn't been doing a great job communicating but only because she was trying to order her thoughts and find a way to approach him without triggering back his past as the Winter Soldier. Quinn took her glasses off and turned around to see his sleeping figure, as if staring at him would be the answer on knowing what to do.
“Sorry...” He mumbled, waking up her senses. She stood from the desk and went near him; he was asleep. “Quinn.” Her chest hurt. He was having a nightmare about her, and it wasn’t calming down. Bucky was starting to shake, and it reminded her of the time she found him much worse than that at his apartment.
“Bucky, wake up.” She talked, but apparently not loud enough. After sitting in the edge of his bed, she softly got her hand in his face and caressed him trying not to scare him. “Wake up!” Quinn called, a bit louder. His eyes opened, scared, but the second he felt her touch and found her eyes he calmed down. “Are you good? Do you need water?” He cleared his throat and sat on the bed, supporting his back on the wall.
“Uh, yes please.” He answered as he massaged his temple. Quinn quickly went and came back with a glass of water. She watched as he drank it while sitting next to him on the bed. “Were you asleep?”
“No, I was thinking, actually.” She answered honestly. “On how to approach you after what happened yesterday.” The man seemed confused.
“I... thought you didn't want to talk to me.” Bucky was sincere as well.
“I’m sorry.” Her eyes crystalized as she stared rambling. “I know you feel guilty, and I don't want you to. Thats why I've been quiet. I don't want to bring back things from your past, but it backfired because you still felt like that thinking I wasn't talking because I was mad at you when I really wasn't. I don't care if you were or not involved or not in my parents’ accident, it was still going to happen. That doesn’t change the fact that you’re the one I trust.”
“Quinn, I’m more worried about you than me. This whole thing of facing the actions of my past? Those are my usual weekends. But my past affecting you? That’s... different.” He sighed. “I’m sorry too, that you are going yet through another shitty situation as if it wasn't enough before.” This made her laugh between the slow tears that fell through her cheeks.
“So, we’ve been doing nothing but being dramatic.” He chuckled.
“I guess so.” After a small pause he spoke again. “I want to be here for you and do this, Quinn. I care about you, don’t doubt that.” The girl stared at him for a second before they embraced each other on a hug.
“Thanks.” She sighed as she separated from him, then she gave him an annoyed bump on the chest. “Who could’ve guessed the annoying neighbor next door could be reliable.”
“I could say the same.” He joked back.
Being at ease with each other made it easier to get to sleep again, so Quinn finally turned off her computer and went to bed, and so did Bucky. Both were watching the ceiling, contemplating their previous conversation in a comfortable silence. Quinn quit adding people to her life a long time ago, Trisha and her family being the last exception. Then she didn’t need anyone else, not even when coming back after five years. But then he came. Even when she found out that the former Winter Soldier himself, someone whom she used to idolize as a child, was her new neighbor next door, she was still adamant of interacting with him.
“Was it personal?” Bucky asked, as if reading her thoughts. It seemed they were thinking the same thing. “You not wanting to be a nice neighbor, because of this image you had of me...” He trailed of.
“I think it was, but also not at the same time.” She sighed. “I’m not willing to open to anyone, and I actually was friendlier with you than i normally would.” He chuckled.
“What do you mean by friendly? Snapping at me any chance you get and nag me like a kid?” Quinn turned to him and nodded with a mocking smile.
“Be thankful I acknowledged your existence. You being my neighbor meant more security, so the least I could do was direct my words to you once in a while.”
“Impressive. I’m glad to be seen as a guard, you know.” He said sarcastically making her laugh.
“But,” she added, turning her whole body in direction to his bed. “The bickering, the nagging, and the annoying remarks, were something I didn’t know I needed. It gave me some sense of normalcy, you know. Coming back from the blip to my old job, to my old apartment, to my old life, took a toll on me. But having something different, something as tiny as sharing two words with you, sort of kept me together. So, I thank you for that.” After hearing those words, something felt warm inside Bucky’s chest. He moved to face her as well and smiled softly.
“Quinn Parker, full time trauma surgeon, part time annoying ass neighbor.” He began, and it already made her chuckle. “I always knew I needed you. Even when I didn’t know who you were. There was something calling me to your apartment, and it distracted me from the whole situation I had come from. I was used to get judging stares and looks from who I was and what I did, but you hated me just because. And I liked that. I still do, actually, and it made me feel normal. So, I thank you for that.” Quinn rolled her eyes, but a smile was still plastered in her face.
“Better get to sleep, old man.”
“Yeah, I better.” He grinned and finally closed his eyes. They both genuinely rested that night.