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You knew exactly who he was as soon as the very first day you joined your local gym. You went out of your way to not catch his line of sight, meet his eyes or collide into him in any way.
You used very visible and bright blue ear phones and an arm strap that held your phone as music blasted into your ears. It helped to ignore him and the resident in the back of your head. The voice in the back of your head didn’t belong to you, it belonged to someone or rather something demonic but you had no choice but to house it.
You made a deal, and now, you’re alive but you’re never alone.
It was a coin flip daily on the whether that was a good or bad thing. Seven out of ten times it was bad, but there were some good days and you prayed for those every time you woke up.
Wanda was working her body on the elliptical and saw almost immediately where her friends line of sight was staring at. Her eyes caught the sight of you, running casually on the treadmill against the wall on the other side of the gym.
She shook her head, exhaling and slowed down her rhythm and sliding off. Making her way to Bucky by the weights. “You know it’s considered creepy to stare at a woman in the gym these days.” Wanda smirked, crossing her arms.
Bucky blinked and set the dumbbell on the rack. He shook his head with a chuckle. “I wasn’t staring.”
A lie. “Oh? Is the term ogling? Leering? Being a 100 year old virgin?”
“Wrong super soldier.” He said, avoiding the questions. He had to admit to himself he was staring but not in a creepy way (he hoped) as it was obvious that you were beautiful but it seemed he’s lost whatever charm he had in the 40s. He just can’t seem to walk over to you, pick up a conversation with you like a normal, functional human being as he should be.
You would come in nearly every weekday and run for an hour or two, then head to the swimming pool do your laps and then leave. Not that he knew your schedule or anything.
“Talk to her then, she’s not going to bite you.” Wanda suggested, shrugging her shoulders and looking over to you. She had an idea. And a point.
“I can’t...” He's afraid, not of rejection, but of the possibility of him telling her all of his baggage, her running away from him, her being frightened of him and the darker part of him. He hated that.
“Then I will.” She left him, walking confidently over to you.
His eyes widened as he just stood there frozen, watching her walk over to you. A coldness spread through his stomach and straight to his heart, he was nervous and had those butterflies that they all talk about in the movies and books.
Wanda tapped on your shoulder, confused you slowed down the treadmill to a stop and pulled your earphones out of your ears.
Threading the ear buds and wires through your fingers, you rose an eyebrow and chose the polite route. “Yes?” She looked familiar but you weren’t sure where to place her in your memory. She smiled warmly at you before speaking.
“I’m Wanda, me and my friend, Bucky, have been going to this gym for a while now and he’s got this adorable crush on you. He’s too shy to say anything though.” This was new.
She looked back at Bucky and you followed. You saw him, and now you could place her. She was one of those Avenger folk.
Play the part of a bubbly, happy gym girl.
The voice told you and you conceded. You gave him a shy smile, he waved back to you.
He was incredibly handsome, intensely strong especially with that metallic looking arm of his, but you couldn’t go there. That wasn’t your future.
Play the part, you remembered. You turned back to Wanda and smiled. “He's shy?”
She laughed and nodded. “Doesn’t look it but he is. Is it okay if I give him your phone number?”
“Not my name?” You smirked.
She liked you. “Well, he’ll need something to moan out.”
This could be fun.
Shut up, you willed the voice in your head. You gave her your phone number. “My name is (Y/N).”
Wanda was thrilled. “Thanks, hopefully I’ll see you soon.” She winked and placed her hand gently on your elbow and felt something she shouldn’t have.
A dark, old presence.
Kill. Kill. Kill.
It feels so good.
I bet it’ll feel really good to kill him.
Her eyes widened, her fingers lit up with a red essence and it shot up straight to your forehead, sending you to a quick and deep sleep.
You fell forward against her, limp like a rag doll. Bucky saw the whole thing and rushed over, making sure no one saw. He held you up and you rolled against him, he lifted you up, holding you as he would a bride.
He glared at Wanda. “Why did you do that for?”
She shushed him and ushered him to the emergency exit. “I accidentally read her and she wanted to kill you.” He shook his head. He couldn’t process that right now.
They made it into the car park, Wanda opened the back seat and he slid you in the back, closing the door and getting in the drivers seat.
It was much later, you slowly started to wake up but you kept your eyes closed for as long as possible. Feigning sleep, you felt the straps and confines around your wrists, ankles and abdomen.
You heard her voice, the one who knocked you out and a male voice, you assumed was Bucky's, the one that harboured some sort of crush on you.
Use that.
You’ve done enough, you thought and you listened to what they said.
“Oh, yes, Steve, we will be fine alone in the compound while you and the others are on mission. What could possible go wrong? Oh, right, we kidnapped a woman!” He hissed out.
Wanda tapped her foot. “She will wake up soon and we can find out exactly what she wants from you.”
Nothing, I want to go home. You sighed, announcing your consciousness to them both. They both stood up as you opened your eyes. You noticed the gun in his hands, your eyes softened at him. “That won’t be necessary.” You winced at the pain in your back.
“I think it is, (Y/N), why do you want to kill him? Did someone from Hydra send you?” Wanda questioned you, her hands lit up red again, ready to strike when provoked.
Your brow furrowed, more confused than you were before. “I don’t know whatever Hydrant is, and I can explain what you think you saw in me.”
The light disappeared from her fingers and he lowered his gun. “What do you mean think she saw?”
You sighed, you hated explaining this part of you. “I am possessed.”
A silence passed.
Wanda spoke first. “Possessed? Like, um, demon possession from those horrible horror films?”
You rolled your eyes. “No, I don’t spin, distort my body or crawl like a crab on the ceiling.”
Bucky chuckled. “Then what?”
“Twenty years ago, I sold my soul. Then, when my time was up ten years later I was killed and dragged into hell. In January of this year, I made another deal to come back but with a friend that takes up residence in my head.”
Another silence.
They didn’t believe you. “Show me.” Bucky said, you looked up at him.
“I show you and I can go home?”
Wanda considered it. “Yes, but we keep tabs on you.” Until the team comes back from their mission.
Don’t make it worse.
You nodded and closed your eyes, they quickly flashed open pure black.
Wanda took a step back but Bucky stayed where he was, staring at you, entranced. The demon behaved and relinquished control back to you.
You looked back at Bucky. “Still want to go on that date?” You laughed a little.
Bucky smiled. “Yes.”
I just want to find a way to get out of my mind,
Craving validation from some people I don’t like,
I don’t know them so why am I caring so much?
I don’t know