Distant Memories.

She saw it before it happened, she saw the way he stared to retreat inside himself. Quickly and quietly, he stopped helping her with her nightmares. He stopped talking so much, he stopped being Bucky.

Ava would watch as he would sit in front if the television and stare, watching the news and waiting for something. She refused to let anyone in the house, numerous times Steve has tried to push his way in but she wouldn't allow it. She didn't want a war to break out in her house, again.

The stove held a bowling pot of water, she was making tea to put in the fridge. Bucky sat in his usual spot, staring at the television; it had been like this for two weeks. He would barley even look at her. Her eyes scanned over him, straight posture, ready to jump into a fight. Eyes glued to the screen yet aware.

She turned the stove off and placed the tea bags in the water, her eyes scanned back to him and this time he was watching her. She couldn't like and say that she didn't feel weird under his glare, because she did.

"Do you want some tea?" Her voice was low, she felt lie she was walking on thin ice with him;very thin ice. That with one wrong move, he would snap and she would be at the other end.

His eyes narrowed as he processed her question, his hands folded carefully. "No." Was his response, it wasn't bitter and it didn't hold an attitude. It was dull, non caring.

Ava gave a simple nod as she quickly turned, not paying attention to just how close she was to the stove. Swiftly knocking into it and causing the water to swish back and forth, some landing in her shirt as well as her hand. "Shit!" She quickly took a step back, her hand in pain and her shirt hot.

Turning on the cold water she kept it run over her hand for a short time, the pain subsiding quickly. Letting out a loud long sigh, she shook her head. 'I need to be more careful'. Pulling her hand from the water she dried it and turned to the living room, her heart pounded in her chest.

Bucky stood a few feet away, his metal hand clutched into a ball. His other hand held the handle of a blade, her eyes widened as she looked at his face. Blank. He had no expression on his face, But he stared at her. He stared as if ready to attack.

"Bucky?"

His head tilted slightly to the side, causing his hair to flow in that direction. He had refused to wear a hair tie of any sorts. His grip tightened on the blade as he took a step close to her. 'Great, Ava. You always pick the crazy ones.

Ava didn't move, she stood still waiting for him to make his next move. Waiting for him to throw the blade, waiting for him to jump over the counter and attack. But instead, he blinked a few times and dropped the blade. His feet stumbled a few steps back, her hand went to her heart as a reflex.

When she looked at him, his eyes held everything. The pain, regret, sorrow. He still thought she was the target, he was still unstable.

"I have to go." He mumbled as he watched her, she didn't want to. But she gave him the nod of approval, even though she wanted him to stay. She wanted to help him. She wanted her Bucky back.