Author's note:

Some of Val's lines sound like she's uptalking with all the questions marks, but that's not the tone of voice I'm going for (I just learned about the whole uptalking thing). Her question marks come from sarcasm or the lack of confidence in what she's saying or not caring about a situation. (I added this in an earlier chapter as well for anyone any new readers.)

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I forced a laugh, nibbling on the chocolate coin and relishing the crunchy mint pieces. I tossed a coin over Bucky's way, motioning for him to have a taste with a tilt of my head.

It's always fun to watch his expressions while trying new foods. So easy to read the curious eyes to the thoughtful half frown to the small nod of approval.

He liked it.

He bowed his head a tad when he caught more orange coins out of the air. The pair of us munching on the chocolates in silence broken only by the crinkling of foil.

"What do you need?" Bucky asked out of the blue. Chocolates all consumed.

"...Need...?" I repeated.

His head nodded. "What do you need to feel safe?"

"Safe," I huffed out.

I could barely even remember the last time I actually felt safe. To be free of the ever-present fear that sat in the middle of my chest. One misstep. One slip. One second too late and everything could blow up in my face.

"Yes, safe, Valeriy. What do you nee – You need to dry your hair. It's still dripping."

Bucky's limbs started unfolding from the squished ball I shoved him into, and I couldn't help but desperately clutch onto his arm. Probably tight enough to be painful, but he made no indication of it.

"I'm not going anywhere," he assured. "I'm only grabbing your blow dryer."

"Not safe."

"...."

That's when he gently pried my fingers off his arm, surprisingly with his cybernetic. Though he quickly replaced it with his flesh hand, taking hold of mine. His grip gentle and light. If I wasn't busy trying to squeeze the life out of his fingers, I could easily slip out of his grasp.

Bucky's brow pinched together. His lips pulled into a frown. He turned his body to face me, pushing the hangers outwards and pushing me towards panic.

That made it so much more obvious as to where we were. If the light wasn't such a damn spotlight.

"...I'll be fine. I'm... I'm the Win... the Winter Soldier."

I knew the title. I knew what that meant. I could hear how difficult it was for him to admit it. The catch in his voice gave him away even if he tried to keep his expression neutral.

But still, I couldn't let go.

It wasn't safe out there.

"If they're too much, I can always lead them away, and you can make an escape."

"No."

"No?"

"Like hell you're going to be bait," I practically spat out, pissed at the notion.

Bucky's feigned calm fell away at my words, twisting his features into something close to pain. His grasp on mine tightened just a fraction. Those blue eyes of his, once again, searching for something on my face.

"I-I'll keep to the shadows. Nobody will see me," he stated, his voice coming out unsteadily. "You can stay in the closet. I'll figure something out."

With that, he walked right out into the open, slipping out of my grip and going beyond the closet.

Almost automatically, I went about fixing the gap in the shirts he made. Needed to stay hidden. Out of sight.

"Let there be light!" Eve sang out, and all the lights turned on.

"Ack! My eyes!" I quickly shielded my eyes.

"Sweetie –"

'NOPE!' And I resorted to squinting. Closing my eyes was still too much.

"Oh, what timing. Your father's trying to get a call through."

"...."

I quickly picked up my phone and searched my brain for any excuse to prevent a video call. Did not need him asking why I was in the closet and for him tell me to move out of it. I didn't have it in me to leave this spot, let alone the closet.

"What have you told him?"

"That I'll connect him through."

With a nod, I decided to text him. In shower. What's up, Daddy?

A photo popped in the chat.

I bought you this beautiful sapphire necklace. You should wear it to your next ball.

Wahhh!! It's so beautiful!!! That shade of blue is gorgeous! I love it!!! Thank you Daddy!!!!!!!

I'll have it sent over. Remember to take a picture for me when you receive it.

"Eve, check it over. Make sure no one put anything onto it and store it somewhere. Mind photoshopping it onto me when it supposedly reaches me?"

"That's the plan. No point worrying about if you have to move because of it."

Okay, Daddy. Will do. The chocolates are delicious as always. Thanks for the boxes.

You're very welcome.

'Hopefully that's all he wan –'

I've been invited to a hunting trip next week. I have prior engagements. You should take my spot. You enjoy these things.

'....'

"The shit I do," I huffed. "What the fuck gave him that bloody idea?"

But I knew why he pushed all the invitations my way, not too sure if he remembered why. It's amazing that he could 'forget' being shot at. Disaster avoided only due to Eve's Puppets being everywhere.

"I can't have you attending a fucking hunting trip right now. It involves moving you. I can't do that safely."

It involved leaving the closet. That just wasn't happening.

That and I could only purposefully miss so many times before I accidently hit something.... Or the clients get pissed and I find myself in hot water with everybody.

Sorry, Daddy. Those guys are still after me so I won't be able to attend much of anything without causing trouble at the event. Might put some of our clients there in some danger. Sorry.

And then there was no reply.

Probably shouldn't have told him that.

"Thanks.... Now he's yelling at his security team...."

"Hopefully he fires that freeloading bastard...? He's been in charge of my security for five years, and a child can do a better job than him."

"...Good point. Let me maneuvers some things. See if he takes the bait."

"Yay...." With a heavy sigh, I tossed the phone and curled into a tighter ball around the flashlight.

"I can't find enough extension cords to reach your corner," Bucky announced, brandishing a blow dryer in one hand and a brush in the other at the entrance of the closet.

I poked my head out of my hiding spot, and in his stance, I saw how much of a coward I was. Here I hid like a stupid child. I had lashed out at him and yet, there he stood, helping me.

The only one to insistently stick around after I tried biting him. The one with a war in his mind on most good days. One that ate away at him. One that most people would give up. But he's fighting with everything he's got, getting up nightmare after nightmare.

The little flame of courage in me flared, and with a shaky breath, I crawled through the shirts. Out in the open, I couldn't find the strength in my jelly legs to stand.

'If I can't walk... I'll crawl.... Yeah.... I can do that. Yup. I can do this.... Come on, you pathetic idiot. You can do this much.'

The moment I faltered, a warm arm wrapped around my waist, plucking me off the ground. The hold light and gentle. I could easily worm my way out if I wanted to. Crawl back into that back corner.

Bucky didn't take me out of the closet. Just sat me near the entrance with my back to it, to him. I jumped at the sound of the blow dryer blaring at my ears before the hot air surrounded me.

"Sorry. Should have warned you," barely heard over the screaming fan.

'Really should get a silent blow dryer project going. Oh! Oh! Pets would love it!! Yeah, okay! Project silent blow dryer! Project S.B.D.? Nope. That sounds like an S.T.D.... Better to make a note of this.... Where the fuck did I toss my ph – Holy shit. Bucky knows how to comb long hair.'

Did not expect him to know the first thing to longer hair. Figured the brush would get stuck in my wet hair. But he started brushing at the bottom and dealt with the knots there before slowly making his way up, stroke after stroke. He certainly treated my hair better than I did.

I could almost close my eyes and just enjoy it.

I wished I could close my eyes and enjoy this.

But I doubt that there was much time left here, and there was still much to do.

Bucky's arm needed to be fixed. Pretty unconfident I'd be finished in time. Still had to look into the new damage. There's definitely some judging by how the hot air would randomly shift. I could only do my best to get as much of it fixed as I could. Even if I did finish, I couldn't be sure I got everything.

I also needed a feasible game plan for when this house's no longer a safe haven from everything outside. Transport and shelter were still giant question marks. Jekyll had someone who knew me well enough that only the ancient ruin trails managed to survive elimination. Which meant I had to think out of my on record, public life box. Just to be safe, probably cross out the opposite of those things in case they thought I would do those to throw them off my trail.

One of the few things that went right was that the parents living across the street were healing and in a coma. Thus, alive and mute.

The kid's been good so far, according to Eve. But that whole thing was a time bomb waiting to blow up in our faces. One I couldn't just disarm with a few snips of wire.

"Done." With that word, the blow dryer shut up.

Blinking out of my daze, I found all my locks sporting ringlets. Full length ringlets. "Huh?"

"...I don't know what happened," Bucky admitted. The slightest pout on his lips.

Took about two seconds before my ability to hold back my laughter crumbled to a bajillion pieces. The randomness of the ringlets and the cuteness of that pout, I just couldn't.

"I bet you helped out with your sisters' hair a lot," I managed to say, eventually.

Pink tinged his cheeks. Easily seen in the bright lights Eve left on.

"...How in the hell did you manage this with a fucking flat brush, Bucky? I don't even – Are you the ringlet wizard or something?"

I couldn't help but pull at one of the baffling coils and watch it bounce into a mess. A mess very reminiscent of a fucked up slinky.

Bucky reached out, a finger curling its way down the ringlet. An almost serious expression on his face.

'Holy shit, if only it's that easy to fix a bloody spring.'

A good laugh did the trick. My body felt lighter instead of the suffocating dread that had been drowning me.

"Thanks Bucky. I needed that."

His spine straightened up at the words, opening up his posture with beautiful lines. Maybe it's pride swimming in those beautiful eyes.

"And getting me out of the dark, thank you for that. I was losin –" I shook the thought off. "Thank you."

I could almost spot the ghost of an understanding smile on his lips.

"Anything else I can do?" Bucky asked.

"Umm... if you don't mind...?" I started, playing with a bouncy ringlet, "I rather not be alone just yet? If that's alright...?"

He stared at me for a couple of thundering heartbeats and then gave a single nod. "Okay."

He set the blow dryer and brush aside, settling down with his back against the doorframe. With a leg stretched out across the doorway, his body and presence blocked the entire entrance into the closet.

Bucky sat between me and the rest of the world.

As if nothing could get through him.

He'd probably stay there until I told him I'd be alright alone. Even if I were to pass out, he'd probably never move from that spot.

Might eventually raid the house of pillows to build a fort around me, or again, add to one I started. Maybe also deal with the food situation.

But we didn't have that sort of time. Now wasn't the time for messy emotions. I had to get it together. Get something done. Better than wasting time twiddling my thumbs. Wasn't going to sleep anytime soon.

"Mi-might as well get down to fixing that arm of yours, since we're both up...?" I tried, not that circuitry was going to distract me from my current fears. More than likely it'd pull me further in. But he needed both arms.

Those blue eyes bore right into me. They were missing things I expected. Annoyance. Judgement. Disapproval. There was none of that. Not even his usual dose of confusion.

"Not tonight," Bucky replied, with a soft shake of his head. "Rest.... Pouting's not going to get you anywhere. Try to get some sleep."

"I don't know if I can handle the nightmares right now," I admitted. I needed to do something. Anything. Keep my mind off it all. "You know what? Tetris."

"Tetris?"

"Have you come across video games yet?"

"Not that I can remember."

So I got onto my feet, squaring off with the doorway. Determined to leave this stupid closet. But a glance backwards had me wanting to dive into that corner behind the shirts.

In my periphery, Bucky smoothly stood up and his movements to clear the doorway caught my attention. He wasn't even asking me to come out, just waited for what I decided to do. Be it dropping back on my ass, running with my tail between my legs or exiting the false safety of the closet.

It's nice. Not being prodded in a direction. Not having the looming disappointment hanging over me. He had no expectations of me. None. And that was freeing.

With a huff, I charged right through the barrier of fear, ending up in the middle of the master bedroom. My chest swelled up with giddiness for actually getting out of the damn closet far sooner than I thought I could. Couldn't help the little victory dance before my ankle told me nope.

"Eve," I called out before I'd be overwhelmed by the need to hide again. "You explain Tetris, and I'll set it up."

"Would be simpler the other way around if you didn't replace half your words with thingy all the time. The game itself is self-explanatory."

I shrugged her off. In my attempt to grab the laptop and tablet off the night table, I fell into my pile of fluffy, fluffy pillows and knocked my head with the flashlight I still refused to let go. "Ow...."

Bucky, being a civilized human being with common sense, had already walked around the bed, and passed me the objects I wanted.

The laptop for Bucky. Easier for him to operate with physical buttons. The tablet for me, since I knew there wasn't a chance I'd play this seriously.

He grasped the idea super fast when I showed him a couple of lines, and within a couple of minutes, we were both neck deep in our own game of Tetris. Bucky had settled with his back against the bed. I buried myself under a mountain of fluffiness just above him. A little to the right so I'd pop up in the reflection of the laptop screen.

It wasn't long, probably less than a minute, before I looked up from the tablet at the sounds of key presses. A lot of them. In rapid succession.

'What the fuck...?'

I could barely see what the hell Bucky was up to with how fast he was playing the game. In the time it took for me to look at a piece at the top, a few other pieces would be neatly placed on the bottom.

"Eve... did you increase the frame rate?"

"I'm pushing the hardware to the limit. About finished coding and rendering the next piece panel to bump it up to ten. Val, would you kindly plug in the laptop? This is killing the battery."

Bucky didn't spare me a glance as I crawled off the bed to adjust the tangled mess the charger was caught in. Plugging without being disruptive was rather challenging with how shaky the laptop was perched atop of his crossed legs. Didn't help that his knee was sort of in the way.

Bucky's eyes must have been enhanced. Light sensitivity that allowed him to navigate in extremely low light. He's able to process information and react on what he saw nearly instantaneously. So enhanced brain could be added to the growing list as well.

With the new update, I could no longer keep up. I couldn't understand the flashes of rainbow colours on the bottom of the playing window. Couldn't even track the next tiles up. Not sure it's because my eyes couldn't move up fast enough or my brain was just sludge compared to Bucky's. Everything was just moving too fast for me.

"The things I would do if I had his processing power."

Eve wasn't the only one thinking that. Imagine all the dumb ideas I could bring into reality in a somewhat timely manner. Like a transformable Snow's Shiva bike. Or just keep up with the science stuff certain people used to throw my way. Took days of research before it stopped flying over my head. That would be nice. Keeping up.

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Author's Note:

And this is one of my favourite chapters. ^^

To which ringlets. I wanted braids. Googled 1920s/30s hairstyles for kids and got curls. Lots of curls.

So now Valeriy probably believes Bucky went to Hogwarts to become the Ringlet Wizard.

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