Thinking Bucky was away, Willow snuck out of the apartment, her old vigilante suit on. She missed it, the combat without any jurisdiction, fighting for the little guys. She missed the way the night felt against her skin – in her curls.
She spent the night out handling petty crimes until she stumbled into something she couldn't handle. Matt had always warned her about going alone, and when she lived with him, most of the time, she went by that rule.
She thought maybe just one night would be okay but it wasn't.
Bleeding from her side, his hand trying to put pressure on the wound, she pulled herself up the fire escape. Her head was throbbing from getting punched.
She finally made it up to the window and slid it open, pulling herself in and trailing blood over the white windowsill. She couldn't tell if the blood was from her side or somewhere else.
Alpine came rushing to her meowing.
"Alpine shhh! Stop!" She begged through her whisper. "Please you'll wake him"
Alpine meowed louder in protest as Willow tried to push her away gently. Instead, she walked in front of Will, causing her to stumble over in a ruckus.
Bucky was on his feet before his brain fully caught up at the sound of something falling and alpine’s offended meow. Muscle memory dragged him out of sleep like his usual trained soldier reflexes did and his heart started racing. He stepped into the doorway just as his eyes adjusted, and saw traces of blood.
His stomach dropped hard and fast seeing Willow half-folded over herself, Alpine circling her legs. For half a second, all the anger stalled behind pure fear. Then he saw her hand pressed to her side.
Bucky crossed the room in three long steps, his metal hand catching her arm before she could wobble again and his grip was firm, but careful. He was furious but his gentleness eased his nerves.
“Jesus Christ, Willow—” His voice was rough, barely awake and his eyes tracked the blood with soldier precision.
“You’re bleeding, why- What the hell happened?,” he murmured between his teeth, and his jaw clenched hard, a muscle ticking as he looked her over.
