Love and War Aren't a Game

The Hydra lieutenant was too damn short. His guards were at the ready to shoot at Captain America and Jacques, who were approaching the enemy unit in the streets of the town leaving a path of rubble thanks to Jacques’ explosives, but the point of the mission was to ensure that the lieutenant didn’t live to meet with Schmidt. Had he been a more normal height, I would have put a bullet in his head a few seconds after I first spotted him, but there was always someone standing in the way and hindering my aim.

I risked a glance over to where Steve was causing the distraction and realised that I was running out of time. He didn’t want to come face to face with the lieutenant’s small army, claiming we were good but not that good, so he wanted the job done by a sniper. Barnes was stationed further back from me in another building across the street, but there was no chance in hell that I was going to let him have this shot.

Determined to not give up, I focused through my scope and saw an opportunity approaching… If the lieutenant could just take another step to the-

The lieutenant’s head snapped backwards and he fell. Distress ensued and I spotted the bullet hole through my scope. I flung my rifle around and searched Barnes’ allocated building and located him in a window, already packing up his rifle with a grin on his face. I stood and hurried down the steps, anger bubbling in me the entire journey back to our campsite where I finally found Barnes.

“You bastard! That was my shot!” I shouted as I strode up to Barnes. He gave me a puzzled look before I wiped it straight off his face with a good slap. Jim lunged forwards and pulled me backwards, away from Barnes who was rubbing his cheek with a stunned look on his stupid face.

“You can let her go, I can handle myself against a woman,” Barnes said to Jim. I heard the short and almost silent snicker from Jim behind me and he gladly let go of me, allowing me to walk right back up to Barnes and slap him again. He yelped and then grimaced as he glared at me. “What was that one for?”

“For thinking you can handle me just because I’m female,” I justified and the softening of his face showed that he felt as though he deserved that one.

“The first slap was unnecessary,” Barnes insisted while crossing his arms in defence.

“Bull shit,” I stated, calling out his lie. “The target was mine. I was assigned the task, not you.”

“You didn’t fire,” Barnes countered.

“I didn’t have a clear shot. He was moving to the side and I was about to pull the trigger when you did instead,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Well who cares now anyway, huh? He’s dead, we succeeded, that’s all that matters,” Barnes replied with a shrug but I couldn’t have felt more infuriated with him.

“You’re just jealous,” I said, doing my best to not snap at him and instead control my anger. Barnes gave a short chuckle.

“What? Jealous?” he repeated and I nodded.

“That’s right.”

“Why?” he asked, demanding an answer.

“Because I’m a better shot than you, and it’s pissing you off that a woman is better than you at being a man!” I retorted. Judging by the intense furrowing of his brow, I had finally made something inside Barnes snap and I anticipated an outburst from him any second.

“Seriously? You two again?” Steve’s voice hollered and I turned to face him. Having Captain America storm at me, disapproving of my behaviour, was enough to make my stomach drop with fear and guilt.

“She’s a pain in the ass, Steve,” Barnes growled. I glared at him out of the corner of my eye, wishing I could show him what it really meant to be a pain in the ass.

“You’re both like children,” Steve sighed as he came to a stop before us. “So that’s how I’m going to treat you right now. Bucky, say something nice about Catherine.” I smirked and watched Barnes’ face fall.

“You’re joking,” he said blankly but Steve shook his head.

“We’re sorting this out. Say something nice to her,” Steve insisted so I stood with a satisfied grin on my face and watched Barnes, waiting for his compliment. Barnes stared down Steve for a few seconds before giving in and sighing, turning to face me as he thought up something pleasant to say.

“You’re a good sniper, Harper,” he admitted, though he was clearly upset about having to do so. I gave him a toothy grin.

“Thank you,” I said, pleased to hear the words coming from him even if they were forced.

“Your turn, Catherine,” Steve continued and I froze. Suddenly I exchanged expressions with Barnes, and now I was the one who was scowling.

“Really?” I questioned and Steve nodded, clearly not budging until the situation was resolved. I turned to face Barnes and I narrowed my eyes at that lousy smirk he now had across his face. “That shot you made today was impressive, Bucky. You were further back than me and you still got him dead between the eyes.”

“Thank you,” he said with a smile and I held his gaze, wanting to hit him for how arrogant I suspected my compliment was making him.

“See, that wasn’t so hard to play nice now, was it?” Steve said. “Now keep up the good work or else I’ll send you both to bed without supper.” After delivering that threat with a hint of playfulness, Steve walked away.

“It was a damn good shot,” I muttered, hoping that by being honest with Barnes we would stand a chance to stop our squabbling.

“Yeah, it’s shots like that that get you known as the sniper on the team,” he said, but I sensed that he wasn’t trying to rub in my face the fact that he was the team’s resident sniper, but rather trying to help me. “You called me Bucky.” I paused, trying to think back and soon realising that he was right.

“Did I? It must have just slipped out, don’t read into it,” I replied, shrugging it off. I certainly hadn’t intended to address him by his first name, but then again, saying Bucky sounded a lot nicer than snapping his surname all the time out of frustration.

“Whatever you say, Cat,” Bucky said dismissively, making a move to walk away but deliberately pausing to catch my reaction. I was scowling but that clearly only made him even more delighted, and he grinned as he walked away. I couldn’t decide if we had made any progress or not come the end, but at least we had had a conversation that didn’t consist entirely of us ripping out each other’s throats.