Let Me Love You

Conflict

Bucky's POV

"That was.." I breathe, my chest rising and falling as I lay on my back.

"Long overdue." Kate finishes my sentence.

"Which time? The first or the second? Or maybe the third?" I smirk, propping myself up on my elbow to look at her.

She blushes and shakes her head. "How long before they get back?"

"Why? You want round 4?" I wink.

"No you goof, I'm worried." She laughs at me. "We should get dressed." She says, grabbing my T-shirt and pulling it on over her head before sliding out of the bed.

"Nooooo." I whine, grabbing her waist and pulling her back onto the bed. I climb on top of her and cover her face with kisses.

"Bucky." She giggles. "Come on, you have to at least be hungry." She argues.

"I can wait a little longer." I say, kissing her neck.

"Okay.. But only a little longer." She says, biting her lip.

I smile and lay beside her, wrapping my arms around her tightly.

"Can I ask you something?" She turns to face me and I nod. "Before.. When you were asking about Steve and I.. You didn't seem like yourself." She begins. "I.. If I hadn't snapped at you, what would've happened?"

I look into her eyes and see a hint of fear. My heart immediately aches. "I.. Don't know.." I admit, looking away from her.

"You didn't even look like yourself.." She says quietly. "I've never seen you get like that. I was.. Scared, Buck."

My head shoots up at her words. She was scared, of course she was scared. Why did it hurt so much to hear her say it. There's no way we could actually be together, not when I could kill her so easily in the wrong circumstance.

"You should go.." I say, putting my clothes back on.

"What?" She furrows her eyebrows.

"Go!" I raise my voice, making her jump. She puts her head down and walks out of the room.

How could I be so stupid? Of course I could never have an actual relationship.

I lay face down on my bed and feel tears building up in my eyes.

Steve's POV

"Is everyone okay?" I ask once we're all back on the quinjet. Everyone nods. "Good. Let's get home."

Natasha flies the jet back to Stark tower. Once we land, we tiredly make our way to our rooms to get some much needed sleep.

I open my bedroom door to find it empty inside. After showering, I change into comfortable clothes and decide to head downstairs. Before making my way to the elevator, I knock on Bucky's door.

"Hey Buck, have you seen Kate?" I ask, seeing him laying on his bed.

"She's not in your room?" He asks, I shake my head. "Maybe she's downstairs."

"Oh, alright. Thanks." I say. "Are you okay?"

"Yup." He says, turning away from me. I close his door and continue towards the elevator.

I reach the 10th floor and step out of the elevator to see the others pigging out on snacks in the living room. They make some room for me and I plop down on the couch to relax.

Where the heck is Kate?

Kate's POV

After leaving Bucky's room, I sit in Steve's room for a while before deciding to stop feeling bad for myself. I put on some workout clothes and head down to the training room. I warm up on the treadmill, trying to clear my mind, but I can't see to shake anything.

I hear a jet approaching the tower and assume that it's the team but decide not to head up just yet. Instead I begin running faster on the treadmill until my thoughts get the best of me and I jump off in frustration.

I wrap my hands in cloth before approaching the punching bag. I breathe heavily as I punch away at the bag, letting out all of my anger. Mostly my anger at Bucky but also at myself.

I realize that my knuckles are bleeding when I see blood on the bag but that only makes me punch harder. Before I know it, I'm standing in a pool of blood as I punch softer and softer at the bag. I scream in frustration and fall to my knees as I begin to cry.

"Kate?" I hear as footsteps approach me. "What happened?!" Steve's worried face appears in front of me.

He lifts me up and carries me in his arms--just like he did when he found me in Malibu. Once we get to his room, he sits me down on the ledge of his bathroom sink.

"Let me see them." He says softly and I lift my hands. The raw skin is sticking to the blood-soaked wraps. "Why?" He whispers, holding my hands in his as he looks at me but I don't answer.

He sighs as he carefully unwraps my hands. I wince as the raw skin becomes exposed and he continuously apologizes. Once both of my hands are unwrapped, he begins to gentl clean the large open wounds.

"Hey Steve, Tony asked if-" Bucky's voice says before he reaches the doorway. Once he makes eye-contact with me he stops in his tracks. "What happened?" He asks, standing beside Steve as he looks at my knuckles.

"It was a lot worse when I found her in the training room." Steve says, still tending to my wounds. Bucky looks at me and I glare at him. "She hasn't said a word. Did anything happen while we were gone?"

"No.. Not that I can think of." Bucky lies and I roll my eyes for him to see while Steve isn't looking.

Once Steve is done cleaning the gaping cuts in my knuckles, I jump off of the counter and walk passed both of them.

"Kate!" Steve calls after me. "I didn't bandage them!"

I shake my head and walk faster as I hear both of them following me. I hop onto the elevator and close the doors before they can hop on as well. I hear them shouting at me but ignore them as the doors close between us. I reach the 10th floor and run to the stairs before quickly going down to the ground floor, this way they'll think I'm still in the tower.

I run out of the lobby doors and and down one of the streets. Once I'm sure that I'm out of view from the tower, I slow down to a normal walking pace as I catch my breath.