There was an air of awkwardness the next day. Emma seemed to be mad at Steve for defending Bucky. Bucky was mad at himself for not being able to control himself and there was something that he obviously wanted to tell me but didn't think of this as the right time.

Everytime Bucky'd look to me, his eyes would soften and he'd open his mouth to say something. I was too busy to stop and chat. Steve wanted me running through plans of escape and the such before he left. There was also a string of fireworks I'd been creating because if I'm useless at living, at least I can make good fireworks.

There was a sense of finality with the party, it seemed like there was nothing beyond it. Sure, Emma would continue to go to uni, I might even drag myself out to get a job and Steve and Bucky would probably move on. It was a somber thought, Bucky'd provided a breath of fresh, someone who understands. He could relate to me more than either Emma or Steve. Not in the ways that he used to be a soldier and I was a victim but that we'd both gone through something terrible and we'd found the other side.

We were both quiet as we sat on the floor of my room, the door left open for Steve's peace of mind. We worked together silently, making a string of crackers that would pop and fizzle and probably blow someone's feet off.

The silence between us was strong, it caused me to go and wanna word vomit. "So, you wanted to say something last night?" I tried, then winced.

"I'm sorry, for uhm almost killing you. You got me when I was-"

"At your worst?" I interrupted, Bucky nodded and looked down, I blew a strand of hair out of my face. "We've both been there before... And I think that's okay. We've both been through stuff that will never let us be the same again, we just need to find part of the way there to be okay."

"Бережёного Бог бережёт." Bucky mutters and I cock my head to the side, questioning. He looks up and sees my expression, "the Lord helps those who helps themselves... For me, it was you."

For a moment I was quiet. Then I laughed. "I don't think I was what the Lord intended to help you." I grinned, then softened. "You helped yourself Bucky. You didn't need me."

"No," he whispered. "There's something about you... I don't know, whenever you touch me, just a brush or the sort, I feel this, wave of relief, of safety. For someone like me, well, that's not usual. Everything seems to pinpoint back to you and I can't help but draw towards you."

"James Bucky Barnes." I laughed, mockingly. I was about to finish the sentence with; don't tell me you've fallen in love with me. But I couldn't get out the words.

It probably seemed like a long silence to Bucky but I was lost in my thoughts. "Well, um, Sputnik." He fumbled, looking down awkwardly. I blinked out of my daze.

"What?"

"It's something, if it gets hard, if I'm hard to uh... Control. Then it should stop me."

"A failsafe." I smiled warmly. He's just given you the secret passcode. He trusts you. My internal monologue screamed. I tried not to blush when I looked up. I was shocked to say the least, I would've expected to be the last person for Bucky to give his secret code to but apparently not.

Bucky ducked his head sheepishly, avoiding my look of bewilderment. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that.

We both grinned at one another.

...

I guide Bucky through the throng of people, Emma is a couple of meters over to my right, guiding around Steve. Every couple of moments, they look to one another, nod and continue. We move in parallel movements, Bucky moves slightly to the left, so do Steve and Emma. This surprisingly fares well in the thick crowd.

The night is chilly, and the party is open. The densely-packed bodies provide an unwelcome aura of heat and smell. A raised platform holds an open DJ. Lights and smoke dance around and cause practically all visibility to cease. I slid the box of premade fireworks to one of Ryder's lackeys, melting back into the shadows with Bucky at my side.

We're both nervous, there's a lot of people here, not just the norm and some friends but the accumulation of about five different universities, filled to the brim with frat boys and skanky girls. Bucky keeps a hand on my shoulder as we weave to and fro inbetween the crowd. At one point I say hi to Jayden but he doesn't talk much, seeming uneasy and jumpy. It doesn't help my nerves to say the least.

I'm shivering and Bucky drapes his coat around me silently. I look up to him as a sign of thankfulness. He smiles back down at me. The light catching in his eyes, giving the faintest impression of a colourless iris. I look harder, I notice that his eyes are brown, a soft brown, a comforting brown. It's nice to find something new in him.

"Oh my gosh, it's Captain America!" A cry rises through the continuous beat and high-strung music. Bucky and I both turn around. I gather my thoughts quickly, snagging Bucky's jacket, we rush for cover. Our apartment's sliding door is on the opposite side of the building. However I'd rather not go through the clustered hallways where I'll probably collapse from a drug overdose.

Steve looks to us, realises that we're okay and let's himself get sweeped up by the crowd, Emma barely clutching onto his arm. She looks pale, a little frazzled, I get the impression that she's a surfer clutching to the last of her surfboard in the deep blue.

I drag Bucky around the side of the apartment, jamming the key into the lock and rushing the two of us inside. Once we're inside, I collapse to the floor, threadbare carpet under my knees. Bucky begins to pace worriedly, I sigh and let my head fall into my hands.

"We planned for this," I try to reason, "we knew someone would recognise him eventually." What we'd planned was that I'd take Bucky back to the apartment and prepare to leave. If Steve wasn't back in twelve hours or had at least tried to make contact, Bucky'd move to a secure location and wait for either Emma, Steve or I to make contact with him.

Now that we were in that situation....

"I know, it's just-" Bucky cuts himself off, biting at his lip. "It's just, I don't know what to do."

"Neither do I." I sigh, I look outside, but there's no sight of Steve or Emma. You can't hear the shouts of the people swarming Steve and Emma but the beats from the music still continues. Bucky breathes out, clenching his eyes shut. I realised that he's on the verge of losing it.

"Hey." I say softly, standing and moving towards him, I take one of his hands and his shoulders sag slightly. He looks down at me, reaching out for comfort and peace. I give him a soft smile, looking up at him. Bucky tilts his head down to properly look at me, his eyes catching the filtered glow from the sheers. "Stay with me." I whisper.

"I don't plan on leaving." He whispers back. "I intend to stay for a while."

His head tilts forwards slightly, inching so ever closer towards me. I lean up, forwards slightly, my eyes beginning to flutter shut when the thrum of helicopter blades rattle all the window panes in the building.

Bucky and I jerk apart, he's the first to get to the curtains, peeking through so that a sliver of light crosses his face. Whatever he sees clearly causes him to be unhappy because he strides towards me, seizing my hand and pulling me along to the front door.

"What was it?" I cry, trying to look back over my shoulder. "Bucky, what was it? What did you see?"

Bucky stops, his hand resting on the door knob. He looks at me fiercely, worry writ across his face.

"They're here." He breathes heavily. "And they'll be coming for the both of us."

I was gonna let them admit their love for one another, and then I was going to let them kiss, but then I thought, nah, it'll be funny to annoy the readers. And I kid you not, it's the thought process of most writers out there.

If I don't get an update up before Friday, assume you're not getting one because I'll be going to ski in New Zealand and I'm not sure what the internet's gonna be like.

Much love, not rlly haha