9
"I told you I had a bad feeling about that," Bucky said, reaching for Daisy in the van. She sighed in pain trying to get out, but Bucky had to take her down.
"You always have a bad feeling about the Watchdogs," Daisy replied, squeezing her eyes. Her shoulder was hurting like hell, but at least she was sure the bullet was out. "James, I can walk," she said then, while Bucky was closing the van's door and reaching quickly to the palace again. He was starting to hate the way she moved: going outside without a word, leaving the phone behind.
"I don't care," he answered, carrying her. The apartment door was open e Daisy murmured something about it, getting along with some unkind word - Bucky smiled. "Next time I'm coming with you, and if you try to say something about it I will lock you up, I swear," he said then, laying her down on the couch.
"Why you want to come with me? You have stopped with that - you are not the Winter Soldier," she said and then she closed her mouth, grabbing the side of the pillow under her while Bucky split some alcohol on her wound. "Damnit," she added then. Luckly they haven't got neighbours - that would have been strange.
"No, in fact - I am Bucky Barnes and I am your... something," he said, pressing on her shoulder gently. She looked at him with a little grin, her pale face was starting to get some color again and she seemed to not care about the wound anymore.
"My something?" she asked with a little laugh. He snorted and then sat on the floor, touching her forehead quickly.
"You should get a shower while I try to not burn down the kitchen," he changed subject, getting up. The situation was getting too strange for him and, because Daisy was well - as well as somebody like her could be -, he prefered to avoid the conversation. It wasn't the right time to get into a fight about what they were.
"Hey, Buck, come here," she said quickly, getting up. He froze a bit and then turned back to her. "Oh, come on, I'm not gonna eat you - come here," she said again. She looked like nothing happened: she just got shoot and she acted like it was routine. If his memories weren't coming back, Bucky would have found that totally crazy.
He didn't get to say a thing, because she pressed one hand on his good shoulder, pulling him down enough to kiss him slowly. He litterally melted at that touch: it was still unreal, to kiss her like they were meant to do that. Their lips locked almost perfectly and their bodies were attracted like magnets, while their hands searched for each others all the time. She broke off and Bucky fought against the instinct to complain about it.
"You can go, house-boy," she said, making him laugh while she walked to the bathroom.
"What is that?" Bucky asked, entering the room. Daisy was giving him her back while putting a shirt on and he noticed a long bruise on her left arm. She turned in his direction shaking her head.
"Nothing," she answered quickly. Bucky got immediatly close to her and took her hand. "Buck, seriously, it's nothing," she said again while he pulled the sleeve up her arm. She jerked a little feeling his fingers touching the black-and-blue marks.
"It doesn't look like nothing, Daisy," he said in a low voice. Daisy looked up at him, eyes wide open: he neve used that tone, it was almost cold. He let go of her arm and sighed, getting back a little. "You know that if you keep going you could broke all your bones, right?" he asked then.
"That's not going to happen, I know how to use my powers!" she answered back. Bucky passed a hand through his hair nervously, looking around the room for a little.
"That doesn't mean that your body could handle that night after night, Daisy. You might be an alien as well, but even aliens have limits," he said.
"I'm fine, why are you worring so much? I can manage it," her voice was a little higher, but she was almost shaking.
"You're not fine!" he shouted then, and Daisy cowered a bit. "You keep saying that but you are searching for that pain, Daisy, don't try to fool me. You are trying to expiate your sins and you think that by acting like this you can - but you can't keep fighting everybody's battles," he was shaking as well, trying not to make eye contact. She never felt him like that: he wasn't angry, he was scared.
"I'm fighting inhumans battle, Bucky - I'm trying to protect me and my people," she said, almost whispering. He suffocated a laugh - without joy.
"You're fighting against Watchdogs, against ex-Hydra members, against S.H.I.E.L.D. You are fighting for you as well as you are doing it for Coulson, and May, and Mack, and Fitzsimmons. You are fighting even for me!" he said, and then he moved some steps in her way. "Now, tell me, would have Lincoln wanted that?" he asked. Daisy got pale, opening her lips.
"Why are you talking about him?" she whined. "It has nothing to do with him. Buck -"
"It has! It's all for him, Daisy! You are trying to save all those inhumans because you feel guilty about not saving him, and you know that." he said again in a high voice.
"Stop, stop it! You don't get to say that to me, you can't," now she was running out of breath, shaken, feeling the tears right behind her eyes.
"I can because you told me that, I know you still love him and you will always do that, but honestly I don't care," he reached for her shoulders, touching them gently despite all. "And I don't care because you are here now, not him, you are alive, Daisy." His voice started to low down and some tears poured down her cheeks. He reached for them, cupping her face.
"Please, Bucky, stop," she moaned.
"I'm not going to stop - you have to understand that you are here now, and you can't avenge all of the bad in the world. You just can't - and I won't let you do that, because I can't lose you, Daisy." she looked up at him, and a second later they were kissing.
It was nothing like their previously kisses, it was sweet but needy, and it tasted sad. It was like they were kissing goodbye, holding onto each other with desperation.
"I'm sorry," she murmured against his lips. "I'm sorry, James," she said again. He picked her up, getting her close to him and jerking to the bed they shared night by night in the passed days.
"You know what?" he said, letting his lips move against her skin, down to her neck and chest. "I don't think I'd know what to do without you in my life. I need you."