I recognise that heartbeat
I tug on my hair gently, a new habit I had developed when I wanted to think or when I was anxious or nervous. And I was definitely feeling nervous now that I was in a car with Steve, Phil Coulson and a driver.
After Bruce had removed everything from my body, I had been allowed to get changed but Steve was waiting outside, waiting for me, and acting like I was going to faint any second. Honestly it was kind of annoying, the way he hung around. And so, after he had forced me to eat some food, he finally agreed to let me visit Y/n. And this is how I ended up in this car, listening to the most awkward small talk of all time.
“So, Captain. What’s the weather like in the tower?” Coulson asked, his eyes flicking from the road to behind him where Steve was sitting.
“Um, good I guess? Gets a bit stormy when Thor comes around” Steve says slowly, looking sideways at me when I snickered.
“Hey Coulson” I call out, and he almost fearfully turns around and looks me in the eye.
“Yes?”
“Steve uses women’s shampoo, just to let you know”
Both men go bright red, and I bite back a laugh as I turn back to lookout the window, my metal fingers tugging at my hair again.
………………….
I can feel everyone’s gazes on me as I walk behind Coulson and Steve. I carefully school my face into a blank expression and I stare straight at Steve’s back. Coulson was leading us through the main building that housed SHIELD, and even though I wasn't considered a threat anymore, people obviously still harboured some resentment against me.
I nervously run the palm of my flesh hand over my metal forearm, and for a instant I regret not wearing my usual long-sleeve shirts, but I shake it off. Y/n had made me feel better about my arm, and it was almost like I was celebrating her by wearing shirts that had sleeves that went to the elbow.
“Bucky?”
I look up to see that Coulson and Steve had stopped at a door and were looking at me as I stared into space in my own little world. I blush slightly and I nod at the door in a question.
“What’s that lead to?”
“Well, since Y/n requested to be locked down, Fury decided that with the potential of her powers, to keep her deep underground. We ran it past her and she agreed. So, we now have a lot of stairs to take” Coulson opens the door to reveal a set of stairs that went down for at least 10 floors.
“Well, let’s go then”
………………………..
I stand at the window, my hand tugging at my hair anxiously as I look around Y/n’s new home.
“Well, where is she?” I spit out, turning around to face Coulson, who had a small smile on his face.
“Ahh, she’s practicing again. Just wait” Coulson looks back at the window, and both Steve and I look around and wait for a few minutes before we hear a shrill squeak come from the room. I rush to the window, and I see nothing before a human sized shape shimmers in the air, and like water, the shimmer slipped down and revealed Y/n’s body, which was jumping up and down in delight.
“Oh my God, Oh my God, it worked!” Y/n squeaks as she spins around in delight, then she ran forward towards the kitchen counter and grabbed what I recognised to be her phone. She then raises her phone to a selfie position and starts to talk as she jumps around excitedly.
“Hey Buck Buck! Good news today! I finally got the hang of this new use of my powers!” She jumps around before she finally stands still and props her phone on the kitchen counter and positions it so the camera can still see her. Then, with a small wave to the camera, she stiffens, then the air around her shimmers and she disappears from view. Then she reappears a couple minutes later, a broad smile on her face. I can’t help but let a smile erupt on my face at her obvious excitement.
“Did you see that Buck Buck? I can turn myself invisible!” She smirks at the camera as she whirls around and walks around the living room until she ends up in front of me, leaning against the one way window.
“Totally can beat ya at hide and seek now”
I chuckle at the way her eyes light up.
“I love you Buck Buck. I hope you’re okay” She sighs as she ends the recording and she quickly taps the phone, and two seconds later, my own phone bings, and I know that she had just sent the video to me.
“I miss you Bucky. I miss you so fucking much” She sighs, then she stiffens, her eyes hardening as she stands up and moves to the center of the room.
“Coulson, what’s she doing?” I almost shout at him, and his eyes soften slightly as he sighs.
“It’s an energy buildup. Only happens when she is overcome by extreme emotions”
I look back at the window, and I see her shudder before she screams out in anger and she thrusts her hand forward and somehow manages to direct the overflow of power, and a large ball of ice-like energy explodes against the wall. She gasps and braces her hands on her knees as she pants.
“God damn” She whispers to herself before she stretches upwards onto her toes, and she walks towards the kitchen.
“She’s controlled it?” Steve says in a surprised voice, and Coulson nods at us.
“She has started to control it, but sometimes one will sneak up on her” Coulson admits.
We all turn around when there is a loud knocking on the one-way glass.
“Hey Coulson, you out there? I’m kinda running out of poptarts!” Y/n yells out, one hand waving an empty poptart box, a smile on her face. Coulson chuckles as he heads towards the door.
“Excuse me for a moment, duty calls” Coulson smiles as he heads out of the observation room. Two minutes later, a door opens on the other side of Y/n’s living space and Coulson appears.
………………………
I stare suspiciously at the one way glass before Coulson opens the door. I smile and walk towards him, making grabby hands at the bag that he carried which was full of poptart boxes.
“Thanks Coulson!” I quickly grab the bag from him and I jog over to the kitchen cupboard, putting away boxes while he laughed behind me.
“Don’t you need anything else apart from poptarts, Y/n?”
I shake my head as I turn around.
“Nah, I just had a craving for poptarts last night and kinda ate most of them” I smirk, and I can’t help and look at the oneway glass again.
“Coulson, I know I asked not to know, but I have visitors don’t I”
He paused, but then slowly nodded his head.
“I thought so. I can feel their heartbeats. But there’s someone new there. Their heartbeat is different. I haven’t heard it since I arrived here” I walk over to the one-way glass and I stand so close that my nose is almost touching the glass.
“I recognise that heartbeat, I just don’t know where from”
………………………….
I smile as I watch her make grabby hands for the bag of poptarts that he held in his hands. I almost immediately get jealous of Coulson, that he can see her while I can’t. My eyes follow her as she jogs over to the kitchen cupboard, and I watch her back as she reaches up to hide a box on the top shelf.
I watch her as she talks with Coulson, then I freeze when she turns around and looks at me directly in the eyes. She shouldn’t have been able to see me but I feel like she’s looking into my soul.
“Coulson, I know I asked not to know, but I have visitors don’t I?”
My breathe hitches, and I sigh when I notice Coulson nod his head.
“I thought so. I can feel their heartbeats. But there’s someone new there. Their heartbeat is different. I haven’t heard it since I arrived here” I freeze again when she walks towards the oneway window, and my heartbeat increases slightly when she stops right in front of me, her eyes staring into mine as she stares through the glass.
“I recognise that heartbeat, I just don’t know where from”
I choke back a sob as I take a step back, breathing hard, my metal hand clenching and unclenching by my side.
………………………
“Um, Y/n, I don’t know if you’ve thought about this, but it had been six months. I know the team had been missing you” Coulson’s voice fades away as I stare at him, my face carefully blank as I contemplate what he’s saying.
“You asking me if I’m ready to face the world again” I breathe out, running a hand through my hair, and I tug at the ends slightly as I think about it.
“I don’t know Phil” I say uncertainly as I shift from one foot to the other.
“Y/n, you have been getting increasingly better, and you have developed new ways to use your powers.” Phil urges me, his eyes brightening up slightly when he glances at the one way mirror.
“And I know that the team really had been missing you. And I don’t know if you ever knew but at least one of the Avengers came and visited you for an hour or two every day” I flush slightly, and I bite my lip as my gaze flicks to the one-way window, where the steady heartbeat behind the glass was beating slightly faster.
“I- um- I would like to see them. If you could please bring them into the observation room tomorrow for a meeting”
Phil nods, and with a small smile, and one last glance at the oneway window, he walks out the door and locks it behind him.
I sigh and tug at my hair nervously as I hold my phone in my free hand. Then, after a second, I make my decision.
“Hey Buck Buck. I know it’s a bit unusual for two videos in one day, but this is kinda important” I say nervously as I record myself, looking into the camera.
“I don’t know how you are, but I’m having a meeting with the rest of the Avengers. Coulson seems to think that I have improved, and I really miss you guys. I really miss you”
“I love you Bucky” I whisper before I turn off the video, then I quickly send it off to Bucky’s phone, and I slip it into my pocket. And I’m silent before my head whips around to look at the oneway window, where I swore that I head a phone beep