The House in the Field

“You don’t have to stay here and eat you know, you can go eat with the others.” The Winter Soldier told the girl who had been sat eating with him for the past 3 days. It was his decision not to leave his room until he could be sure that he wasn’t going to go all violent. He never expected company though, he wanted to be alone to sift through the memories that were coming back to him.
“I know, but, Steve and Sam are like bottomless pits and I’m scared that if I don’t eat something quicker then they’re going to take it.” She laughed as she filled her fork with the pasta and sauce. She noticed his lips curl up into a smile at her joke as he shifted from his position on the bed, copying her style by crossing his legs underneath him and resting the plate in his lap.
“He used to do that back then, he thought the more he ate the better his chances were to get his shot at the army.” Bucky allowed the memory to fall from his mouth freely. He’d been trying to curb his tellings of the memories that involved Steve as he knew that it probably did nothing for Ava’s emotions. She laughed at the memory before taking a big swig from the can of coke. He watched her fascinated about how someone so independent and strong could be so gentle, he’d not seen her fight much but when he did he knew he would hate to be on the receiving end of one of her trained punches.
“What’s wrong? Have I got sauce on my face?” She asked wiping her face down with her hand as he laughed.
“No, sorry I was just trying to remember.” He spoke the half-truth, the smile still on his lips.

There was silence in the room as they finished off and the plates were discarded off the bed as she grabbed the remote control to the television turning it on flicking through the movie channels, she decided on Jurassic World which was once of her favourites. “So this film is amazing. I love it.” She looked over at his puzzled face which was watching the screen and couldn’t hold in her laugh anymore. The silence of them both filled the room as she settled back on the headboard next to him as they watched the screen, Bucky trying his hardest to follow the film but failing.
“Tell me about you Ava?” He asked once he’d accepted he was never going to understand the film. He noticed her tense up slightly at the unexpected question but shrugged it off.
“What do you want to know?” She looked over at him smiling slightly.
“How old are you? Where are you from? What’s your family like? Everything.” He smiled as his cool eyes meeting her own sky blue ones.
“I’m 24 from Brooklyn. I don’t have a family they died when I was younger.” She looked over at him as she saw sadness in his eyes. “Hey don’t give me that look please. Everyone gives that look when you mention the dead parents but its fine it was a long time ago I’ve had time to get over it.” She told him truthfully as he hid the look under a smile.
“From Brooklyn huh? Like Steve and I.” He smiled, “that must be why I like you.” He laughed as she nudged him with her elbow. “Who taught you how to fight?” He asked as she looked up at him with surprise on her face. “I saw you once when you came for me and you took down some of the men I was with quicker than anybody else.”
“I picked it up over time, I kind had to coming after you. You came with a lot of backup.” She laughed, her eyebrows raising as she winked at him to show she was joking putting him at ease.
“Did I ever?” He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence but she knew what he was about to ask.
“Don’t do this to yourself James.” She told him as she looked up at him with the same sad eyes he gave her before. Her lack of answer was all the answer he needed to know that he had.

“Can I ask you one more thing?” He asked shyly as she looked over at him, her response came in the form of a hum. “Have you ever known a normal life or has it always just been this for you?” He asked as her eyebrows knitted together.
“What are you getting at James?” She laughed nervously.
“Well I was wondering if you ever had a you know… a… boyfriend?” He stammered out as she smiled a genuine smile at seeing the big bad assassin trip over his words in nervousness.
“I did long ago.” She breathed out looking towards the screen where the Indominus Rex was trying to break through the gyrosphere. “He was taken.” She answered his next question without him voicing it.
“What was he like?” He asked hesitantly as he saw her eyes glass over.
“He was strong, charming and cocky.” She laughed as she remembered him. “He always cared about everyone he was close too. He’d call them and give them a hard time but you know he would always have your back. He was such a hit with the ladies as well, we kept our relationship a secret for a while and we’d go out separately and all these girls would be all over him because he was hot and he would humour them for so long until he noticed me and his smirk would come out and I knew that he was mine.” She laughed wiping her eyes from the stray tears that had fallen.
“He sounds like a real catch.” He smiled at her using the phrase he’d heard Sam use a few days ago.
“He was.” Her simple response came out as she looked back at the screen. “Can I ask you something?” She enquired as she turned her head to look over at him catching him nod. “Why did you join the army?”
“Truthfully? Because I wanted to prove myself.” He told her as he turned his head to meet her gaze. “Growing up I didn’t have the best childhood, so I threw myself into everything; I made sure I did and gave everything I could to try to prove myself. I saw the country needed fighters and I just saw it as another way to prove myself. I had Steve as a friend and I knew full well he wouldn’t survive on the battlefield, I also knew he had so much more to offer. He was smart, resourceful and loyal; I knew I was expendable but an honest, good, loyal guy like Steve was hard to come by. There would always be soldiers willing to step up to take my place but it’s the guys like Steve that I’d want in charge. When we was growing up everyone said they wanted to be like me and Steve never got a second thought given, but, all along I wanted to be just like him.” Bucky admitted feeling free from the burden. He’d never told anyone this, even Steve, but little did he know that his best friend was stood outside the door listening to it all.

Notes