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tenebraevesper · 2 years ago

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Sonic Cyber Revolution, Entry 12: Unknown From M.E.

''Something's callin' me; I don't know what (Yeah). Something's talkin' but I don't know who (Yeah). Something's callin' me more and more, no one stops Knuckles' feet!''

– Unknown From M.E. by Sonic Adventure 2 (Theme of Knuckles)

xXxXxXx

-The Memories of The Past: Knuckles & Lily-

''Perhaps, my search has finally come to an end,'' Knuckles the Echidna muttered under his breath has he finally made his way through Infinity Forest, exiting at a park closest to the edge of the forest, pushing away the branches and bushes and drawing the attention of the humans and ARNavs who were visiting it. He looked around, paying no attention to any of the curious onlookers and moved on.

He was focused on his goal, one that he didn't understand fully, but had accepted all the same. He knew that there was a greater purpose in his life, that he needed to find someone or something that he would guard with his life,… even if he had no clue what it was.

However, he trusted his gut feeling, braving through the unknown location. He knew that he needed to remain cautious, as he had been attacked several times during his journey, mostly by ARNavs calling themselves Irregular Hunters, demanding his surrender. Believing them to just be obstacles, he would fight back. There was a reason he called himself ''The Greatest Warrior Who Ever Lived'' and none of the Hunters proved to be worthy opponents. They all suffered a humiliating defeat.

Knuckles eventually exited the park and arrived at a busy street. He had to admit that he had never seen so many humans and ARNavs at one place. It was apparent that he had arrived at a settlement that was quite populated. He was used to being on his own, to the isolated life he subjected himself to ever since he awakened for the first time. He had no clue what the customs of this place were, deciding to remain inconspicuous side until he reached his goal. He did not want any trouble, but if trouble found him, he would crush it to dust.

That was his way; the way of a warrior.

xXx

Lily Crystle groaned out of sheer boredom, lying on her bed. She may have been a member of one of the richest families in Starpoint Area, as well as the heiress of an influential video game company, Rising Quest, but that still didn't mean that she had nothing to complain about. Her parents had basically trapped her inside this lavish gilded cage known as the Crystle Mansion and were for the most part physically and emotionally absent from her life, using their money and influence to make up for the lost time. Lily figured that it would've been easier if she had any friends to hang out with, but Bennet, the family butler, made sure no one put a step on the premises unless their presence was approved by Lily's parents. Not only that, but he also watched Lily like a hawk, not allowing her to leave the mansion at all and showing disdain whenever she would complain, telling her not to be so ungrateful.

Lily would complain to her parents, wanting to go out and visit Neos City on her own, but her parents ignored her pleas, telling her how unsafe it was for her to be on her own. They would always recount the accident where she had been kidnapped when she was only two years old, and held for ransom. Fortunately, the police had found her and arrested the kidnappers, but this made her parents fear for their only daughter's life, leading to the decision to keep her locked up. Lily noted that she didn't even remember what happened and would argue back that she could look after herself.

After all, she was now older, had been taking self-defense lessons and practiced kickboxing as a hobby. She was certain that, if someone approached her with ill intentions, she would be able to defend herself. However, her parents still refused to let her go.

''Fine! What exactly do I have to do for you to let me leave on my own?!'' Lily asked in frustration during breakfast. ''Do you want me to hire a bodyguard or something?!''

Her parents exchanged glances, an awkward silence falling between them. They then turned to Lily.

''Actually, that might not be a bad idea.''

''What?!''

Lily was stunned that her parents actually agreed with something she said in a moment of frustration. As a matter of fact, they told her that she could choose either a bodyguard of her own, be it a human or ARNav, or her parents will hire one for her. As long as there is someone to protect her, she would be allowed to leave the mansion on her own. Lily wasn't exactly thrilled by the idea, but she knew that she didn't really have any other choice. At least they were willing to compromise.

But, how the hell am I supposed to find a bodyguard if I'm trapped in here? I mean, I could do an online advertisement… Nah, scrap that idea. I don't even know anyone and if I'm already getting a bodyguard, it should be someone I can trust. Besides, Bennet would just chase of any visitors regardless of whether I asked them to come over or not.

''This is so annoying…'' Lily sighed as she swung her legs and sat up. Frowning, she glanced towards the window, staring at the fence outside, then smirked. Something neither her parents nor Bennet knew was that she had explored the whole mansion on her own, knowing every piece of this place inside and outside. There were woods behind the mansion and if she used her hoverboard, she could easily fly over the fence, finally escaping her gilded cage.

Sure, she could've done that before, but the real problem was Bennet. He kept an eye on the whole place and her every move, thanks to the security cameras all around the mansion aside from her room. He would also go on breaks at odd times and even then, she had no idea whether she was supervised or not. Nevertheless, she grabbed her hoverboard and a shoulder bag, placing her wallet into it, and then opened the door, walking into the hallway. Fortunately, she had figured out where the security cameras and their blind spots were, so as long as she avoided them, she'd be able to get out before anyone noticed. At least, she hoped it would work this time.

If they want me to find a bodyguard, then damnit, I will find them.

xXx

''So, how is this going to work?'' Sonic asked as he observed Tails fiddling with the wires on the hoverboard accelerator.

''Oh, it is actually really easy. After Warren and I made some modifications on the accelerator, all we have to do is to connect it to the hoverboard and make some slight adjustments,'' Tails replied, grabbing a screwdriver.

''And then the device should make the hoverboard fly faster?'' Sonic asked.

''If our calculations are correct, it should,'' Tails replied, nodding. Sonic grinned, glancing at Lucas.

''Maybe we could race,'' he suggested. ''What do you say, Lucas?''

''I doubt that, even with the accelerator, that the hoverboard is going to keep up with your super speed,'' Tails said as he gave Warren the accelerator. ''Have you ever thought of measuring your speed?''

''Not really,'' Sonic replied, shrugging. ''I think I have already surpassed the speed of sound, though.''

''Really?'' Tails looked intrigued. Sonic gave him a confident smile, pointing with his thumb at himself.

''Yeah! As a matter of fact, I can clear the whole city in maybe under a minute,'' he bragged.

''Interesting,'' Tails muttered, tilting his head and grinning. ''May I get a demonstration?''

''Sure,'' Sonic replied, vanishing in a blur of blue, only to return less than a second later, kicking up dust. ''What do you think?''

''It is impressive, but I need to figure out how to keep track of you,'' Tails replied, his twin-tails flicking. Despite the slight sarcasm in his tone, he appeared to be quite intrigued. Sonic chuckled nervously in response, rubbing the back of his head.

''I guess I should've given you a heads-up, buddy,'' he said. Tails just waved him off.

''It's fine,'' he said. ''I'm sure we're going to have plenty of time to do that, since neither of us is going anywhere. Still, I have questions. What about your reaction time when you come across obstacles? Do you have to focus, or is it more of a gut feeling?''

''I never really thought about it,'' Sonic replied, tapping with his foot on the ground. ''I mean, I just know what I need to do whenever I run.''

''What if you get distracted mid-run?'' Tails asked curiously.

''Don't worry, I know how to control my super speed, so if there's anything that distracts me-'' Before Sonic could finish his sentence, his ears twitched at a cry of pain, with Lucas' hoverboard flying right past him at high speeds. Sonic and Tails looked at Warren and Lucas, the latter sitting on the ground, rubbing his back. Sonic then turned to Tails. ''Give me a moment, buddy. I'll be right back.''

With that said, he ran off again, with Tails just shrugging. He turned to Warren and Lucas as the latter got up. ''What happened?''

''I think I shouldn't have used the accelerator so soon,'' Lucas replied, sighed. ''Good thing I didn't crash into anything.''

''Just be careful next time,'' Tails said, placing his hands on his hips as he turned his head in the direction Sonic ran off, his twin-tails flicking. ''I wonder where Sonic is. He should've been back by now.''

''Maybe he ran into trouble?'' Warren suggested. However, before anyone could respond, Sonic flew right back on the hoverboard.

''Sorry for keeping you waiting,'' Sonic said, jumping off the hoverboard and lifting it up. ''I can see why you guys love to ride those hoverboards so much. They're fun to use.''

''If you want, I could get you your own hoverboard,'' Lucas told him, taking his hoverboard back. Sonic's eyes sparked in amazement.

''You'd really get me one?'' he asked. Lucas nodded. Warren turned to Tails.

''Do you want one of your own?'' he asked.

''Of course!'' Tails replied excitedly, him and Sonic turning to each other and high-fiving. Lucas and Warren exchanged glances, simply feeling happy for their partners. Admittedly, getting a hoverboard would be a bit more expensive than getting an AR Visor, but fortunately, they were still cheaper for ARNavs than the ones made for humans.

xXx

Lily was shaking with excitement. Either the stars had aligned and granted her one lucky break or her constant explorations of the mansion and knowledge of Bennet's schedule allowed her to leave unnoticed. Either way, she was now on the streets of Neos City, free to go wherever she wanted. She had slowed down at a street, observing the many shops as she passed through it, the people and the ARNavs who walked past her without paying any attention to her. It was certainly a different experience, not having to constantly be placed under constant observation, having the fear of the outside world forced down her throat.

Lily furrowed a brow as she remembered the conversation she had with her parents. If she wanted to experience freedom like this, she needed to find a bodyguard, as per their deal. She knew that, if she returned home without her part of the deal fulfilled, she wouldn't be allowed to even enter her own backyard. However, she had no clue how to do that. She couldn't just go around and ask people whether they wanted to be hired as her bodyguard.

This is going to be more complicated than I had anticipated. Lily got off of her hoverboard at a traffic light, waiting for it to turn green as she pondered over her situation. Maybe I should…

Before she could even finish her thought, a blur of blue light zipped right past her, startling her and causing her to jump back, eyes wide. ''What the hell was that?!''

Shaking her head, she tried to figure out what could be this fast, only to get interrupted again, this time by a teenage girl on a hoverboard. ''Have you seen a blue hedgehog speeding through the streets?''

''Uh, what?'' Lily rose an eyebrow, with the other girl sighing.

''Okay, have you at least seen a blue blur speeding through the streets?'' she asked again.

''I did. It went down that street…'' Lily trailed off, completely confused. ''Wait, what do you mean 'blue hedgehog'?''

Instead of answering, the other teenage girl just left. Feeling intrigued and a little offended that she was left without an answer, Lily got on her hoverboard, following the former. Admittedly, she probably should've focused on her own mission, but she had been intrigued by the concept of a very fast blue hedgehog, especially if it indeed was the one she was familiar with.

xXx

Knuckles was still wandering across Neos City, hoping that his gut feeling would eventually lead him to what he was searching. However, his hopes had slowly stared to waver despite his resolution to follow through with his plans. He knew that he was completely aimless, save for knowing that he was supposed to guard something or someone, but he was unable to find what he needed. It was frustrating, but he wasn't going to give up.

I must complete my quest, no matter how hard it is. I need to prove my worth.

Knuckles eventually came to a stop at a tiny wooded area, sitting down under a tree as he tried to figure out his next move. This city was so huge and he believed that it would be the perfect place to find a way to fulfill his purpose, but unfortunately, he still had no direction. He had spent so much time searching for something, driven by the desire to find his place in the world. But, what if he had no purpose? What if there wasn't anything here for him?

What if my search will never end? What if all I had done was in vain?

Knuckles shook his head, trying to drive away those thoughts. With the hope he felt, there came doubt, and he didn't want for the latter to prevail. There had to be a reason why he was here and he was going to find it, no matter the cost. He stood up, determined, only to hear a buzzing sound and seeing a hoverboard flying right at him at high speeds.

Without even thinking, he punched the hoverboard, causing it to fly back and crash on the ground. Confused by what had happened and wondering if he was under attack, he observed a blue blur of light appearing suddenly before him, revealing himself to be a blue hedgehog. The hedgehog stared at Knuckles, then looked down at the hoverboard, puzzled.

''Whoa, what happened?'' Sonic asked the red echidna.

''Your board of hovering has attacked me,'' Knuckles said, walking up to the blue hedgehog. Sonic just gave him a baffled look.

''Attacked you? Dude, I don't even know who you are,'' Sonic replied, rising an eyebrow. Knuckles frowned, noticing in the corner of his eye the arrival of two more humans and an amber twin-tailed fox.

''The name is Knuckles the Echidna,'' Knuckles responded. ''I am a warrior, honor-bound to my cause.''

''Cause? What cause?'' Sonic asked him, still having no clue what was going on. Knuckles fell silent for a moment, unsure how to answer that question. The sense of doubt returned, creeping up his spine like a parasite, leeching off his desire for a purpose. He wanted to answer the blue hedgehog's question, but nothing came to his mind, no matter how hard he tried to find it. He stared at the ground, not wanting to give into his uncertainty, yet was unable to fight back against those thoughts. Sonic's confused look was replaced with concern, wondering what was going through the echidna's head. ''Hey, are you…?''

This attempt at talking with Knuckles didn't go well, as the echidna had attacked him suddenly, with Sonic barely dodging Knuckles' fist. ''Do not interrupt my moment of self-reflection, Hedgehog!''

''Hey, hey, calm down! I didn't mean to offend you!'' Sonic responded, holding up his hands in defense. For a split second, Knuckles felt like just taking out his frustrations on the blue hedgehog, but then backed away, feeling ashamed for even having those thoughts. This was not how a warrior should behave and he regretted even throwing a punch at someone who had shown concern towards him.

''I apologize for attacking you,'' he said, lowering his gaze. ''I shouldn't have given into weakness. It was dishonorable of me to treat you like that.''

''Don't worry, I'm not hurt or anything,'' Sonic responded, now curious. ''Would it make you feel better if you explained to me why you were so angry?''

Before Knuckles could answer, they were interrupted by whom the echidna assumed to be Sonic's companions, one carrying the hoverboard that was now sporting a crack in the middle. ''What happened here and why is my hoverboard damaged?''

''Don't worry, I can explain,'' Sonic told the teenager, then turned to Knuckles. ''Knuckles, these are my friends: Lucas, Tails and Warren; and I'm Sonic the Hedgehog.'' He then turned to Lucas, Tails and Warren. ''This is Knuckles the Echidna, a Warrior with a Cause.''

''I assume the board of hovering belonged to you,'' Knuckles replied, with Lucas nodding. ''I saw it flying towards me and I merely defended myself. I apologize for damaging your property.''

''Apology accepted,'' Lucas replied, looking at the crack in the hoverboard, a still a bit upset. ''I guess our experiment with the accelerator will have to stop for now.'' He turned to Warren and Tails. ''Do you guys think you'll be able to repair it or should we go back to the hoverboard shop?''

''It depends on the damage,'' Warren said as Lucas showed them the hoverboard.

''To me, it looks like the only thing that needs to be fixed is the frame itself,'' Tails noted. ''I think we can handle that.''

''Thanks guys,'' Lucas replied, glancing at Knuckles. ''Sonic said that you had some kind of 'Cause', right?''

Knuckles nodded in response. ''That is true. I am here to guard something, but unfortunately, I cannot find what this 'thing' is. I had been searching for a long time, but I'm afraid I might be unable to fulfill my purpose.''

Lucas and Warren exchanged glances, both well aware thanks to their knowledge of the video games that the echidna would usually reside on Angel Island and protect the Master Emerald, a giant green gem that kept the island afloat and had mystical powers. However, that was the video game counterpart. The Knuckles they met here was obviously an ARNav, just like Sonic and Tails, and Lucas and Warren sincerely doubted the something like the Master Emerald even existed. Regardless of the reality, Knuckles still felt a sense of duty and it was frustrating him to no end.

''I think I could help you with that!''

To everyone's surprise, a teenage girl ran over to them, grabbing Knuckles' hands. The echidna was just as confused as everyone else, staring at the girl as she smiled at him.

''May I know who you are and how you can help me with my quest?'' Knuckles asked.

''I'm Lily Crystle and I had been searching for a partner who would protect me,'' Lily replied. ''I believe that you might just be the right choice.''

Knuckles was a little hesitant to answer. He had spent so long searching for something or someone to guard, but now that the solution was in literally in his hands, he didn't know how to respond properly. It all felt a little too sudden.

''Wait, Crystle? Isn't that the name of the CEO of Rising Quest?'' Warren asked; him, Tails, Lucas and Sonic being intrigued by Lily's sudden appearance.

''Yeah, that's my parents' name,'' Lily responded, turning her head towards him, a brow furrowed.

Tails gave Warren a nudge, drawing the latter's attention, ''What is Rising Quest?''

''It one of the most influential video game companies in the world,'' Warren explained. Knuckles turned to Lily.

''You sound like an important person. Is that the reason why you need to be protected?'' he asked.

''It is part of the deal I made with my parents,'' Lily replied, folding her arms across her chest. ''I had been trapped since early childhood at the family mansion and they refused to let me go anywhere on my own. I just had managed to figure out how to escape it and I don't want to return until I fulfilled the conditions of our deal.''

''Is it really that hard to convince your parents to let you out of that mansion that you felt that you needed to run away?'' Lucas asked her. Lily pouted, not wanting to answer his question at all, but then relented after seeing everyone's curious looks.

''They told me that I could leave as long as I have a bodyguard with me,'' she admitted. ''It doesn't matter whether I'm skilled in martial arts or know self-defense, there needs to be someone to protect me, else I cannot leave.'' She frowned. ''Rest assured, I'm not letting anyone treat me like I'm a toddler who doesn't know how to take care of herself.''

''Yet, despite your claims of being independent, you asked me to become your guardian,'' Knuckles noted.

''As I said, it is part of the deal. I want to be independent, but I need help with that,'' Lily replied. ''I heard you saying that you were searching for something to protect, meaning that, if we become partners, we both get something out of it.''

''That is true,'' Knuckles replied, falling silent for a moment as he thought about her offer. He then nodded. ''I accept your proposal. From now on, I will be your Guardian.''

''Thank you so much!'' Lily replied, feeling a huge sense of relief overwhelming her. Lucas and Warren exchanged glances with Sonic and Tails, wondering why some problems never had such easy and convenient solutions.

''I should thank you too for your help,'' Knuckles responded, only for Lily to clench her fist and holding it out to the echidna. Knuckles gave her a confused look. ''I'm afraid that I do not understand your custom.''

''Just clench your fist like I did and tap it lightly against mine. It's called a fist bump and it is a gesture of affirmation,'' Lily told him. Knuckles did as he was told, then looked at his own spiked fist, feeling as if he had just passed an important ritual.

''Honestly, it is great you and Knucklehead over here have agreed to become partners, but one thing I don't understand is how you had found us. We don't know you, you don't know us… This whole thing feels just like a huge coincidence,'' Sonic said, staring at Lily with a questioning look on his expression.

''I had actually been following someone else who had tried to track you down,'' Lily explained, looking back at the trees at the edge of the clearing. The person in question exited her hiding place, with Lucas, Sonic, Warren and Tails immediately recognizing her.

''I guess we should've figured that you were the one who had been following us, Touka,'' Sonic noted. Touka just frowned in response, only for Sonic to realize something. ''Hey, how did you even find us?''

''I saw you running through the city,'' Touka told him, with Sonic rising an eyebrow.

''Oh, that must've been when I asked you to pick up my backpack after I forgot it at the workshop,'' Tails noted, turning to Sonic.

''I assume you know each other,'' Knuckles said, looking at Sonic and Tails.

''Yeah, kind of,'' Sonic replied, shrugging. ''We still don't know why she's following us, though.''

''That's because I have absolutely no reason to tell you why,'' Touka replied, scoffing and then walking away. Knuckles rose an eyebrow, giving Sonic and Tails a questioning look. The two just shrugged in response.

''Well, that was weird,'' Lily noted, placing a hand on her hip. She then turned to Knuckles, giving him a curious look. ''So, from what I've heard, you're an Echidna Warrior.''

''Correct,'' Knuckles nodded. ''I have fought many opponents, most of them being other ARNavs. They called themselves Hunters, even though I do not know why…''

''Woah, wait a second, Hunters? As in, Irregular Hunters?'' Sonic interrupted their conversation. Knuckles nodded. ''Dude, I didn't know that you're also an Irregular!''

''Neither did I until you called me that, Hedgehog,'' Knuckles replied, looking a little uncertain. Why was everyone referring to him as an Irregular?

''I think I'm losing the thread here,'' Lily said, trying to comprehend what was going on. She was aware of what Irregulars were, but none of the stories of aggressive ARNavs fitted Knuckles' behavior.

''I don't see any thread on you, but if you wish, I can help find it,'' Knuckles replied.

''Uh, I didn't mean that literally…'' Lily turned to Lucas and Warren, who were surprisingly calm after hearing this revelation. ''Do you guys have an explanation to what is going on?''

''Sonic and Tails are also Irregulars, albeit of the non-aggressive kind,'' Lucas replied, with Lily still being confused. ''It's a long story, but if Knuckles is staying with you, you'll have to make sure that none of the Hunters find out he's an Irregular as well.''

''How do I do that?'' Lily asked.

''There is actually an easy way to deal with this,'' Tails said, smirking. ''All I need is an AR Visor.''

xXx

''That was exciting,'' Sonic said, his arms folded across his chest as he, Lucas, Tails and Warren were waiting on the street for Lily and Knuckles to return from their shopping for an AR Visor for the echidna. ''Do you think that Knuckles and Lily will start hanging out with us?''

''Honestly, I have no idea,'' Lucas replied. ''We just met them today.''

''I wouldn't mind if they do,'' Sonic replied, watching Lily and Knuckles exit the store, carrying each a plastic bag.

''Here you go,'' Lily said, dropping off the plastic bag into Warren's arms, while Knuckles placed his in Tails' arms.

''Uh, there are like four boxes here,'' Warren noted, confused.

''Why did you buy so many? We only need one,'' Tails added, giving them a curious look.

''I had figured you might need spare AR Visors in case one breaks,'' Lily replied nonchalantly, shrugging. ''Don't worry, money isn't a problem for me.''

Tails turned to Knuckles.

''Do you want to pick one?'' he asked.

''I don't mind what kind of AR Visor I will get, as long as it provides a solution to my status as an Irregular,'' Knuckles replied. Tails simply nodded, grabbing a box and taking out a pair of goggles with purple lenses and light gray frames. After installing the necessary program, he gave them to Knuckles, who placed them around his neck, looking proud.

''I believe that all that is left is to negotiate with your parents for your freedom,'' he said, looking at Lily, who just nodded in response.

xXx

Knuckles stepped back, waiting for his opponent, a gorilla-like ARNav dressed in a security uniform, to make the next move. The gorilla ARNav pressed his hands together, bringing down the clenched fist, with Knuckles leaping back and avoiding having his skull bashed in, the attack leaving the floor cracked. The gorilla ARNav suddenly looked up, his eyes widening as Knuckles came down, punching him straight into the ground, leaving his opponent beaten.

''I believe that this battle is over,'' Knuckles said as he stepped back as the ARNav groaned in pain, and then turned to Lily and her parents. ''I won the challenge. Do you have more warriors I need to prove myself against?''

Lily glanced at her parents, her arms folded across her chest and grinned smugly. ''I told you that Knuckles could beat anyone.''

Anthony and Lauren Crystle were completely baffled by the echidna's strength, not to mention the fact that he had managed to beat the highly-trained security ARNavs they had hired to be Lily's bodyguard. They turned to their daughter, who was standing expectantly, waiting for their response. Technically, she was in deep trouble for running away from home and her parents were furious when Bennet informed them that their daughter was missing. The anger didn't dissipate when she returned with the red echidna in tow, who introduced himself as Knuckles and called himself Lily's Guardian, especially since they had already chosen one. In the end, the security guard ARNav had challenged Knuckles to a sparring match to test each other's skills, with the latter agreeing.

''I hope that you are happy now,'' Lily continued. ''We made a deal.''

''We know that we made a deal, but that still won't save you from being grounded,'' Lauren said, giving her daughter a stern look. Lily just glared back, realizing that she'd be stuck in this gilded cage until she was old and grey.

''Dishonor!'' Knuckles walked up to Lily's parents. ''You gave your daughter your word, and she completed the quest you set, yet you refuse to keep your promise. Are you really willing to go back on your word? You should be ashamed!''

Lily stared at Knuckles, completely stunned. Even though she could be snappy and disgruntled, she never really had the courage to talk to her parents like that, calling them out on their own nonsense in front of their faces. She completely admired the red echidna. She then glanced at her parents, who were completely shocked, unable to respond.

Lily then stepped next to Knuckles, staring down at her parents. ''Knuckles is right. I did what you asked me to do, and I left because you didn't give me any choice. All I want is for you to finally let me leave this place for once on my own. Knuckles is going to watch out for me and make sure I stay safe. Everyone wins.''

Lily's parents were silent, seemingly processing what they had been told. It was clear to Lily and Knuckles that they wanted to fight back, but after a long frustrated groan, they relented.

''Fine,'' Lauren said, eyes narrowed as she stared at the two. ''It is obvious that we cannot force you to stay put anymore, even though I see no reason why you'd want to leave our house. You have everything you want here.''

''Since you're going to guard our daughter, you are not allowed to leave her side at any point as long as you're outside the family premises,'' Anthony told Knuckles. The echidna warrior simply nodded, acknowledging the order.

Once the conversation was over, Lily and Knuckles left, walking through the mansion, with Lily giving Knuckles a giddy look. ''I can't believe I'm finally free, and it is all thanks to you!''

''While I may have hand in helping you achieve your goal, you still took a stand for your own freedom,'' Knuckles pointed out. ''Your determination is praiseworthy.''

''I'm not the only one whose determination is praiseworthy. You had been trying to find a way to fulfill your purpose for a long time, right?'' Lily asked. Knuckles nodded.

''I admit, I had my doubts, but I am glad that I didn't waver in my attempts to reach my goal,'' he replied.

''I would really like to hear more about your adventures,'' Lily said. ''How about we go outside and you tell me everything?''

''I'd be happy to entertain you with my tales,'' Knuckles replied, knowing that, from now on, he was starting a new life as Lily's Guardian.

xXx

-Present Day-

Lily took a deep breath, holding up her gloved hands as she eyed the hanging punching bag Knuckles was supporting for her. She was in her kickboxing training outfit, a red crop top and black yoga pants, her bare feet tied in sports tape, and her long magenta-dyed hair tied in a high ponytail. She took a deep breath and then delivered a series of rapid punches and kicks to the bag, forcing Knuckles to keep it steady.

''Your warrior training is quite commendable,'' Knuckles said as Lily stepped back to readjust herself. ''You have mastered the art of discipline and focus, and your punches, while way weaker than mine, still have an impact.''

''That is a high praise coming from you, Knux,'' Lily said, grinning and nodding. ''I'm honored.''

''As you should be,'' Knuckles replied, waiting for Lily to deliver the next punch, only for her to lower her arms. He gave her a questioning look. ''Why are you hesitating?''

''I was thinking that perhaps, we could try out Chaos Surge and see just how strong one punch from either of us would be,'' Lily suggested. Knuckles paused for a moment, then nodded.

''Very well,'' he said. ''It is very smart of you to try test our new powers in a training environment before we can use them on the battlefield.''

''Not to mention, since this is my private gym, if something breaks, I can just replace it,'' Lily added, extending her hand. Knuckles accepted it.

''Chaos Surge!''

Both were enveloped in a red, electrifying aura. Knuckles then stepped back, allowing Lily to go first. Lily took another deep breath, winding up for the punch and then unleashed everything she had. To her shock, the punching bag flew right across the gym, the chain that kept it hanging breaking and the bag itself falling apart. Lily stared at it in shock, her jaw dropped.

''Ho-ly…'' she trailed off, looking at Knuckles, who observed the torn punching bag, his arms folded on his chest. He turned to Lily, looking quite proud.

''Now, that is a punch worth of a warrior.''

''Thank you,'' Lily replied, feeling her heart race as her expression fell. ''You're so far the only one to notice that.''

''I understand that you desire your parents' recognition as well, yet they deny you that honor over and over again. Do you still want to continue to seek it?'' Knuckles asked, giving Lily a curious look. She lowered her arms as she pondered his words.

''Honestly, I feel like the answer to this would be 'No', but…'' Lily was hesitant, starting to remove her gloves, revealing the sports tape she wrapped around her hands and wiping the sweat from her brow.

''You feel as if you cannot escape the expectations you had been subjected to,'' Knuckles finished her thought. Lily swallowed, nodding. ''It is your parents' responsibility to recognize your independence, just as it is your responsibility to recognize your own strengths and weaknesses. You have already made several decisions to improve your situation and you are taking steps to make your stand, which is admirable. So, for the sake of your future, make sure you don't falter.''

''I will keep that in mind,'' Lily said, grinning as she held up her clenched fist. Knuckles approached her, softly bumping her fist with his own. ''I'm really lucky I have you as my guardian. Not only do I have a good teacher, but more importantly, a great friend who supports me.''

''The feeling is mutual. I have to thank you for giving me the opportunity to fulfill my purpose,'' Knuckles replied, a warm smile forming on his lips.

Lily nodded, grabbing her AR Visor to check the time. ''We will have to leave soon. I guess I'll just later put an order for a new punching bag.''

''Perhaps you should order several,'' Knuckles noted, smirking. ''The Chaos Surge training has just begun.''

''I'll keep that in mind,'' Lily said, grabbing a towel and running off to the bathroom to shower.

Knuckles just walked over to the torn bag and hoisted it easily despite the fact that it was almost twice as long as he was tall and quite heavy. He walked out of the gym, coming across Bennet, who was starstruck by what he saw.

''M-Master Knuckles… What happened?'' he asked.

''The training equipment is faulty,'' Knuckles told the butler, giving the old man the punching bag, with Bennet immediately sinking under its weight, barely holding it up. ''Please dispose of it.''

Bennet stared at the echidna in stunned silence as he turned on his heel and left, thinking about just how much things had changed in the Crystle Mansion since he had arrived. Not only was Lily becoming a lot more unruly, her behavior being far from the polite and poised little girl Bennet helped to raise, but now they were also breaking expensive equipment. While her parents allowed Knuckles to stay, Bennet personally blamed the red echidna for causing her to act this way. He was especially annoyed by the fact that Lily would just leave and return to the mansion whenever she wanted. He also didn't have a high opinion of her so-called ''friends'' either. He felt that none of them should even be allowed on the Crystle Mansion premises, but he had no choice but to do what either Lily or Knuckles told him.

''This is a disaster,'' Bennet muttered under his breath.

xXx

''I believe that this is it,'' Lucas said as he and Sonic stood in front of the Kageura residence, checking the tracking app on their AR Visors. He and Sonic exchanged glances. ''Let's hope these two will agree to come along.''

''I have a good feeling about this,'' Sonic replied optimistically. He and Lucas approached the front door, knocking on it. A few moments later, it was opened by a glasses-wearing woman, who gave the two a curious look.

''Hello? May I help you?'' she asked.

''My name is Lucas Kinomoto, and this Sonic, my partner,'' Lucas introduced himself and Sonic. ''Do Touka Kageura and Shadow live here?''

Lucas and Sonic noticed the strange look the woman was giving them, looking baffled for a moment, only to ask, ''Why are you asking for them? Are you their friends?''

Lucas wanted to answer, but Sonic was faster, not missing a beat, ''Yeah, we are.''

Lucas raised an eyebrow, noting that he and Sonic could hardly be referred to as Touka and Shadow's friends. Maybe acquaintances at best, but certainly not friends. Sonic ignored Lucas' raised eyebrow, tapping on the ground with his foot, waiting for the woman to decide whether she was going to let them in. It was obvious that Touka and Shadow were inside the house and he was looking forward to talking to them.

''I'm sorry, it's just strange to me that Touka or Shadow never mentioned any of you,'' the woman replied, looking a little suspicious.

''Yeah, they aren't exactly the most social people, pretty grumpy too, but we helped each other out several times,'' Sonic replied casually. The woman stood quiet for a moment, then stepped back.

''Okay, you may come inside,'' she said, with Lucas and Sonic walking into the hallway. ''I'm Kisaki Kageura. Touka and Shadow were here for breakfast and, unless they sneaked out past me, they should be still upstairs in their room.''

Kisaki led the two upstairs, with Lucas and Sonic looking at the doors, wondering which one led to Touka and Shadow's room. Instead, Kisaki just grabbed a broom leaned against a nearby wall and walked up to the hatch above on the ceiling, knocking on it.

''Touka, Shadow! Your friends are here!'' she called out, stepping back when she heard steps from above. The hatch then opened, with Shadow's head poking out upside down and looking down at the three, a frown spread on his expression. Sonic just waved at him nonchalantly.

''Hey, Shad!''

''What are you doing here?'' Shadow growled, glaring at Sonic. Sonic grinned in response.

''We are here to talk to you and Touka about something important,'' Sonic said. ''Could you come downstairs or should we join you in the attic?''

''How did you find us?'' Shadow responded instead of answering Sonic's question, still glaring at the blue hedgehog.

''We forgot to tell you that the tracking app installed in the AR Visor hadn't been turned off,'' Sonic explained, smiling sheepishly. Shadow looked up, instinctively reaching for the goggles on the top of his head, vanishing back inside the room.

Kisaki looked at Lucas and Sonic, giving the two a questioning look, with Lucas and Sonic just shrugging in response. Admittedly, she had feared that letting the two inside was a mistake, but the fact that they knew about Shadow, someone no one beside her and Touka should be aware of, made her change her mind. It was obvious that Shadow wasn't too happy to see Sonic and Lucas, but at least he knew them and didn't act too hostile.

Suddenly, the ladder came down, with Touka taking a few steps down, still holding onto the entrance to the attic with her hand. She gave Lucas and Sonic an annoyed look. ''Fine, we are going to talk. You can come upstairs.''

''Thanks!'' Sonic replied, him and Lucas climbing into the room. Kisaki remained standing in the hallway, having noticed Touka's irritation and feeling guilty about letting the two inside. She hoped that she did the right thing though, leaving for downstairs.

Meanwhile, Lucas and Sonic were looking around the attic, with Sonic zipping from one side to another, being quite curious about the stuff Touka had in her room. His exploration was stopped by Shadow, who stepped right in front of him, causing Sonic to almost crash into him.

''Can't you stand still for five minutes, Hedgehog?'' Shadow asked him, arms folded across his chest.

''The best I can do is two,'' Sonic replied nonchalantly. Shadow's eyes narrowed.

''Do you want me to force you to stand still?'' he asked, his quills bristling. Sonic could sense a faint build up of Chaos energy within him and gave him a sheepish smile.

''I don't think that's necessary,'' Sonic replied, plopping on the couch. Lucas just sighed in exasperation over his partner's antics, joining him on the couch. Touka just leaned against her bed, while Shadow remained standing next to her.

''Okay, what do you two want from us? Besides telling us about the tracking app,'' Touka asked.

''We wanted to ask you if you could join us in a meeting with everyone else who had been at Codex,'' Lucas said, quickly adding, ''Excluding Ferra and Metal Sonic, for obvious reasons.''

''Why do you want us there?'' Shadow asked.

''We planned to reveal that part at the meeting,'' Sonic replied.

''Let's just say that is has something to do with investigating Codex, and that's why we need you to come along,'' Lucas added. ''Would you be okay with that?''

Lucas and Sonic observed Touka and Shadow's expression, both frozen into a permanent scowl. Lucas knew that neither of them would probably want anything to do with Codex anymore, but he had hoped that they would at least consider to hear what he has to say. Touka glanced at Shadow.

''What do you think?'' she asked.

''I'll leave this decision up to you. You know these people better than I do,'' Shadow replied. Touka's face fell, as he had hoped for some advice from her partner, but Shadow decided to leave this one to her. She knew that she could trust Lucas and Sonic, as well as their friends. She wasn't even mad at them for not telling her or Shadow about the tracking app, as she had been stalking the group for a while, never joining them though.

''I guess I do owe you two for helping me reunite with Shadow,'' Touka finally said. ''Besides, you aren't the only ones interested in Codex, meaning we both have the same goal.''

''That's great!'' Sonic jumped off the couch, stepping in front of the two. ''I'm glad you two are joining us!''

''Only because we have a common goal doesn't mean that we are friends,'' Shadow responded, annoyed by Sonic's eagerness. Why was the blue hedgehog so excited to have him around? They did nothing but fight ever since they met. He noticed that Sonic did look a little upset, if not sad over his refusal. He shook his head lightly, adding, ''Still, I guess I can consider you an ally. After all, you tried to knock some sense into me when I was at my lowest, and I never thanked you properly for-''

Shadow was interrupted by Sonic who suddenly zipped up next to him, placing his arm over Shadow's shoulder, grinning. ''You don't have to thank me, Shad. What happened is all water under the bridge now. I would've done that for anyone.''

''First: Stop calling me Shad,'' Shadow replied, glaring at Sonic. ''Second: You are too close, Blue Hedgehog.''

''Hehehe, sorry about that, Shadow,'' Sonic quickly stepped away, still grinning.

''We should leave now, or we'll be late,'' Lucas noted, checking the time on his AR Visor.

''Heh, I can clear the distance in seconds if you want me to go ahead,'' Sonic said, stretching his arms and then glancing at Shadow, smirking confidently. ''Do you want to race?''

''Tch…'' Despite the fact that Shadow was annoyed by Sonic's optimistic and overly friendly nature, he couldn't help but smirk at the challenge Sonic had offered. He did respect the blue hedgehog's skills and power. ''You're so persistent.''

Sonic rubbed under his nose with his index finger, still grinning. ''You haven't seen anything.''

Lucas and Touka glanced at each other, both realizing that this is probably going to be a thing now. They then made their way down the ladder and the stairs, passing by Kisaki, who was in the kitchen.

''Oh, you're leaving?'' she called out to them.

''Shadow and I will be away the whole day,'' Touka replied casually.

''Okay, have fun,'' Kisaki responded, looking a little uncertain. Lucas felt a little bad for her, as there was some obvious tension between her and Touka, and had to wonder if they had an argument before he and Sonic had arrived.

''Look, I apologize for me and Sonic just barging in like that. I hope you aren't too mad at your mum for letting us in,'' Lucas said as he and Touka drove off on their hoverboards, Sonic following them on foot, while Shadow was skating next to them.

''Kisaki isn't my mother,'' Touka replied, her eyes narrowing as she glanced at Lucas, whose eyes widened in astonishment, matching Sonic's. ''I consider her my guardian, and that's it. I already have enough on my plate to even give a damn about explaining my situation.''

''You guys got a really rough deal,'' Sonic said, looking at Shadow, giving him a sympathetic look.

''It appears that things aren't going to improve,'' Shadow replied sarcastically, with Sonic just smirking in response.

xXx

''So, I guess everyone wants to know what Sonic and I had gathered you all here,'' Lucas started, observing the group inside the workshop. Everyone was giving the duo a curious look, but remained silent. Lucas felt a little anxious, remembering how he never liked having to do presentations in front of his entire class, but after taking a deep breath, continued, ''We wanted to know whether you all would agree to establish a team.''

''A team?'' Minami asked, looking as confused as everyone else.

''What Lucas meant to say is that he observed that we all worked well together and had figured that we might as well make it official,'' Sonic explained.

''That is, if you all agree,'' Lucas added, rubbing the back of his head. ''I mean, I know we all only know each other for a very short time, with a few exceptions, but still, if something happens and we're the only ones able to do anything, I think that we should interfere.''

''Now, that's a bold statement coming from you, Lucas,'' Warren commented, having to admit that his childhood friend had changed quite a lot over the past weeks. Lucas usually used to be very passive, not wanting to participate in any action, but now he was the one leading the charge. Lucas just smiled and shrugged in response.

''In addition, I don't want to get any of you into trouble with the authorities or Irregular Hunters. Once again, this is your decision,'' Lucas added, gazing at every human and Irregular in the room. There was a moment of silence, with everyone exchanging glances with their partners, only for the answers to come back in rapid succession, the first ones to voice their opinion being Warren and Tails.

''You can count both of us in,'' Warren said, with Tails nodding in agreement.

''Do you really think we would just refuse?'' Tails added.

''Honestly, we didn't,'' Sonic replied, folding his arms across his chest. Knuckles stepped towards Sonic.

''We will also stand beside you,'' he said, pointing at himself and Lily. ''You may be good at fighting, but your skills are still unrefined.''

''Therefore, someone has to watch over you,'' Lily added, smirking confidently.

''We appreciate the help,'' Sonic said, snorting, then glanced at Minami and Amy.

''What do you think?'' Minami asked rhetorically, rising an eyebrow, with Sonic and Lucas shrugging.

''To make it clear, you didn't even have to ask us that. We'd love to join you in any adventure you go on,'' Amy said, then grinned smugly as she gazed at Sonic. ''Either that, or try to bail you out of trouble.''

''We should've figured that,'' Sonic said, smiling sheepishly. He and Lucas then glanced at Silver and Makoto.

''I was sent here to protect the future, so there is no reason for me to refuse,'' Silver said resolutely, with Sonic nodding in acknowledgement.

''I'm with Silver. We both want to help to protect the present and future,'' Makoto said, fist-pumping.

''That's great to hear,'' Lucas commented, his gaze wandering over to Touka and Shadow, who were standing further away from everyone else, both silent. He genuinely wanted them on the team as well, but he knew that there was hardly any way he'd be able to convince them. Neither looked like they wanted to be here, unless necessary, and they already had their own problems they needed to deal with; and Lucas respected that. Sonic, on the other hand, didn't get the memo. Instead, he zipped right across the room, stepping in front of the two, extending his hand to Shadow.

''I know that you're not particularly fond of any of us, but I still don't mind working with you,'' Sonic said, smiling. Shadow stared at him for a moment, then folded his arms across his chest.

''I couldn't care less about this world, or the humans that live on it. I am here solely to protect Touka,'' Shadow responded.

''I understand,'' Sonic replied, placing his hands on the back of his head and giving Shadow a knowing smirk. ''But, what happens if you cannot protect Touka on your own?''

Shadow stared at him for a moment, not showing any emotion. However, Sonic already had an idea what was going through Shadow's head, even if the latter wouldn't admit it.

''That will never happen,'' Shadow responded calmly, although he didn't sound like he was convinced. After all, if it weren't for Sonic and his friends, Touka would've died and Shadow wouldn't have been none the wiser.

''Touka, what about you?'' Sonic turned to Touka. ''After all, you had been following us from the very start.''

''If you want to know, the only reason I had been hanging around with you because your appearance had jolted my memories,'' Touka admitted, staring at Sonic. This surprised everyone.

''Really?'' Sonic smiled. ''I'm glad that I could help you.''

''Aside from that, I want to know first what exactly you two had planned,'' Touka continued. ''You said that you wanted to investigate the Codex Research Facility and that you need me and Shadow for that.''

''Right. We want to investigate the Codex Research Facility in order to make sure no one takes advantage of it to threaten Neos City again,'' Lucas said. ''Since you two lived there, we had figured that you two should be our guides.''

''Not to mention, you said that you wanted to investigate the place as well,'' Sonic added. Touka and Shadow exchanged glances, with Shadow then gazing at Sonic and his friends, his arms folded across his chest.

''I have told you my thoughts on this, and I'm not going to change my mind,'' he said. ''My loyalty lies solely with Touka, so any decision she makes, I will follow.''

Everyone's attention was on Touka, who didn't feel comfortable with everyone staring at her. After a moment of silence, she sighed.

''Fine, but don't expect me to act all buddy-buddy with you guys,'' she relented.

''Hey, that is fine by us,'' Minami replied.

''I guess that was kind of expected,'' Warren added, shrugging. Regardless of the responses, everyone seemed to approve of them, making Touka and Shadow wonder whether they're going to regret this decision.

''Okay, we still need to figure out what our team's name is going to be,'' Sonic said, drawing everyone's attention.

''Do we even need one?'' Silver asked.

''Of course we do!'' Sonic responded, grinning. ''So, any ideas? I have a couple.''

''Then, let us hear them,'' Amy suggested.

''I was thinking about Team Alpha Bravo,'' Sonic said, only for the smile to fade when he saw everyone's looks of disapproval. ''Uh, then how about Super Irregular ARNav Team Hyper Force Go.''

''That's way too long,'' Tails replied.

''I don't believe that it would do us any good to have 'Irregular' in our team name,'' Knuckles added.

''Do you guys have any better ideas?'' Sonic asked. There was a moment of silence, with some shrugging or shaking their heads. Apparently, coming up with a team name was a lot harder than they thought.

''Uh, I don't know… Team Blue?'' Amy suggested.

''I think it should be a team name that isn't just referring to Sonic, but all of us,'' Makoto said.

''Maybe…'' Sonic opened his mouth to suggest another name, only to see Shadow glaring at him.

''No.''

''But, I didn't say anything!''

''Exactly.''

Sonic rose an eyebrow, then smirked, deciding to involve the dark-furred hedgehog into the conversation.

''Do you have any idea for a name, Shadow?'' he asked.

''I'll pass,'' Shadow responded in typical curt fashion. ''Besides, someone has to shot down the stupid ideas.''

''Unfortunately, he is right,'' Minami said. ''The ideas you had so far weren't the best.''

''Guys, how about Team Neos?'' Silver suggested, drawing everyone's attention. ''I mean, we all want to protect Neos City, and I think it has a good ring to it.''

''I like it,'' Amy said, with the rest of the group agreeing. Silver smiled proudly, then turned towards Lucas and Sonic.

''We have the name, now all we need is a leader,'' he said. Sonic blinked in surprise, pointing with his index finger at himself.

''Wait, you mean… me?'' he asked, with Silver nodding. Sonic shook his head. ''No, I will stop you right there. I don't want to be a leader.''

''Why not?'' Makoto asked.

''Because I'm not leader material. I had figured that this team would be something where everyone can contribute,'' Sonic explained.

''That is still going to happen, but we would need someone who'd take control of the situation and coordinate us,'' Lily noted. ''Not to mention, you and Lucas are pretty much the reason why we're all here in the first place, so this makes sense.''

''Forget it,'' Sonic replied, shaking his head. ''My shtick is to run around and save the day. I want to help people, but I don't want to be tied down by the responsibility of being the one in charge.''

''Would it be fine with you if I accept?'' Lucas asked, with Sonic giving him a surprised look. ''You don't have to take the responsibility of being a leader, I can take care of that.''

''If you feel like you can do it, then I'm fine with that,'' Sonic replied.

''Alright, then we had all reached an agreement,'' Lucas said, with the rest of the group approving. ''Now, we can finally focus on the Codex Research Facility and its secrets.''

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muchadoaboutbucky · 4 years ago

Text

all the time in the world | oneshot

PAIRING: Bucky Barnes x Native American!Reader WORD COUNT: 3,954 WARNINGS: slow burn, eventual smut, fluff, minor injury NOTE: Imagine if Bucky hadn’t been injured in Civil War and went on the run with everyone else. The reader’s face claim is Crystle Lightning. I also used Sebastian’s “Destroyer” look for inspiration as well. Enjoy!

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I do not consent to minors (17-) reading my work.

It’s been six months since Siberia. Six long, rough months of dodging the government and living off the grid. No phones, no computers, no connection to the outside world other than the daily newspapers you manage to pick up.

Living in close quarters isn’t the easiest. The jet doesn’t have the best sleeping quarters, just five open bunks on the lower level. The other two have become storage, a cluttered mess of papers and empty weapons boxes and ammunition that has yet to be organized.

It doesn’t help that you and Bucky have become a little more than friends.

He’s become different since you went on the run. He’s quiet, broody, and absolutely merciless when it comes to getting a mission done. To say the sight of the former assassin taking down the bad guys with nothing but a couple weapons and his bare metal hand doesn’t get you all kinds of riled up.

The five of you have just finished up a weekend in Portugal. A weapons bust had gone almost perfectly to plan, with the small exception of you getting a bullet graze on your thigh from one of the barely-alive arms dealers on your way out the door. You’d hit the ground hard, and before you could say anything or make a move to recover, Bucky scooped you off the ground and took the fire escape all the way up to the roof and into the jet without a second glance back.

Fortunately the medical bay’s been fully restocked, and Nat quickly gets you on the examining table while Sam takes off, the jet’s cloaking technology vanishing instantly into the dark three-am sky.

“Suit off,” Nat directs, reaching into one of the storage cupboards for a prepped cleaning kit. You strip out of your suit, wincing as the fabric grazes your wound. Natasha bends to examine the wound, gently pressing along the edges with a gloved finger.

“No stitches, please,” you mutter.

“Nope, you won’t need those.” Nat grabs an antiseptic wipe. “Just some bandages and you’ll need to take it easy for a couple days.”

You grumble. “Gross.”

“Could be worse.” Nat dabs the antiseptic wipe along the thin red line of your injury, and you wince, trying not to jerk away. “So… you and Barnes, huh?”

You frown, glancing down at the shimmer of her red hair. “What?”

She chuckles. “He carried you outta there like his ass was on fire. You two’ve been dancing around each other for a couple months.”

Your cheeks flush hot. “We just… it’s complicated.”

“How complicated can it be?” She smiles. “Two people like each other, they go out on a couple dates, maybe they fall in love.”

“It’s not like we have a lot in common,” you explain. “It’s just fooling around, right now, at least.”

If ‘fooling around’ counts as the time he pinned you up against the side of the jet and kissed the shit out of you with his thigh between your legs… or the time he’d waited for everyone else to be occupied with organizing the weapons closet before tugging your panties aside and sliding two fingers deep inside—

“You don’t have to bond over all the bad stuff.” She tosses the wipe into the trash and peels the wrapping off a patch of gauze. “Maybe you have small similarities. Maybe you both like chocolate, maybe you used to go to the same park as kids. It’s the little things.”

As slick and smart as she is, Natasha has no idea about the dirty things you and Bucky have done in the dark.

“I’m just not sure it would work.” You peer down when she lays a pair of large Band-Aids over the patch of gauze. “He’s a little more rough around the edges than I am, he’s still adjusting to this whole modern-life thing, I’m not sure saying ‘hey, you wanna be my boyfriend’ in the middle of it would be smart.”

Natasha rolls her eyes. “Oh please, he knows what he wants, he’s just afraid to ask for it. Men are like that.”

The privacy curtain slides back, and you and Natasha look up so fast you both nearly get whiplash. Bucky’s standing there, eyes wide as he takes in the full sight of you sitting on the table, clothed only in a plain black bra and panties.

“Oh.” He swallows, and his cheeks flush bright red. “Never mind, I was just—”

Natasha grins. “Barnes, if you have something to say—”

The curtain swishes shut, and the heavy tread of his boots fades away. You giggle, raising a hand to cover your mouth. He’s never seen you this degree of undressed before, much less seen a naked woman in the last several decades.

“Teach him how to knock,” Natasha jokes, sweeping the used kit into the trash and tugging her gloves off. “I’ll grab you some clothes, we don’t need all the men stroking out from seeing a pair of boobs.”

***

You emerge from the medical room dressed in a pair of pajama shorts and a tee shirt. Steve and Sam are settled comfortably in the pilots’ seats, and Natasha herself has changed into flannel pants and a one of the tee shirts she’s stolen from Sam.

Bucky’s nowhere to be found.

“We’ll find somewhere to land in a couple hours,” Steve says, glancing back at you. “How’s your leg, kid?”

“Hurts, but I’ve had worse.” You offer a smile before turning to Nat. “Where’s Bucky?” you ask her silently.

“Downstairs,” she replies, the corner of her mouth turning up into a little smirk. “Alone.”

You roll your eyes, cheeks burning as you head to the descending ladder for the lower level. Bucky’s sitting on the floor, earphones on, eyes closed. He somehow hears you approach, because he opens his eyes and reaches up to pull the scuffed headphones off and pause the old cassette player clutched in his left hand.

You’re so used to him being big and strong and dominant. Now he just seems… weary. A side you don’t see very often.

“Hi.” You slide down to sit next to him. “It’s late, Nat and I are going to bed, you should wash up and get some rest.”

“I’m not tired,” he replies softly.

“Are you worried about walkin’ in on me half naked?” you ask, reaching up to run your fingers through the longer hair at the top of his head. Since almost shaving it off, it’s grown back, and he almost looks like he used to back in his time.

His cheeks flush. “You were a little more than half naked.”

“It’s not a problem, I didn’t mind.” You rest your head on his shoulder. “You look exhausted, you should really get some rest.”

“I’m not tired.” Bucky sets the cassette player and headphones on the floor next to him. “Been trying to get some alone time with you for a long time, and tonight when you went down… I just got a lot of ‘what if’s’ goin’ on in my head.”

You hum. “I’m fine. My leg hurts and Nat’s gonna kill me if I don’t take it easy, but—”

“I wanna take you somewhere.” He turns to face you. “I hate dancin’ around like this, and I get that it’s risky for us to be… involved, or whatever we’re trying to be, but…” he swipes his tongue over his lower lip, “I think we deserve one night where we aren’t gonna be sleeping in these stupid bunks. Just you and me.”

You wrap your fingers through his warm metal ones. “We do have that tent in the storage cupboard… we could make a camping night of it?”

He sighs. “I want a real bed. In a real… house, or hotel, or whatever, but I wanna be alone with you. We deserve that, we’ve been playing back and forth for the last six months and I’m tired of it.”

Smiling, you press a gentle kiss to his cheek. “What else do you want?”

He lets out a soft breath before tipping his head back against the wall. “I wanna make love to you, and I can’t do that in a stupid little bunk where three other people can see us.”

You stifle a flustered giggle in his chest. “We can still fool around, Bucky.”

He grunts, dissatisfied. “Can’t you pretend your leg is worse than it is and they can drop us off somewhere?”

“I don’t know, they’ve seen me walking just fine.”

“You could be in shock and not know how bad it is.”

“Bucky.” You slide onto his lap and cup his face. “I’ve been in shock before, several times, and I’m not in shock.”

He smiles lazily, skimming his hands up your sides. “Really? You look a little cold.”

“Because we’re at fifteen-thousand feet,” you kiss him softly, wincing when your bandage pulls, “and Sam’s slacking on fixing the temperature regulator.”

“Maybe I should take you somewhere with a fireplace.” He peers at you through the dim light. “I could do a lot with that.”

“Oh yeah?” You run a finger over his cheek. “Like what?”

He grins wolfishly. “Put some blankets out in front of the fire… get you all warm and toasty before I make love to you.”

You bite your lip, shifting on his lap. “Bucky…”

“Hmm?”

“Hearing you talk about making love to me isn’t making the fact that I really want that right now any better.”

He chuckles. “I can be quick, you know that.”

“I’m not having our first time on the jet floor.” You stand up, pulling on his metal arm. “Come on, let’s get some sleep.”

He stands obediently, eyes raking up your bare thighs and the bandage on as he rises. “You know, you look really hot with a bandage on your thigh.”

“Oh, so you’re glad I got shot?”

“I didn’t say that.” He wraps his arms around your waist. “I mean I like seein’ you with things on your thighs. Holsters… those thigh-high socks you wore a month ago, that made me…” he shivers and digs his fingers into your hips.

“Freak,” you giggle. “Bucky, if you don’ let me go...”

He raises an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“Mmm.” You slip a teasing finger into his belt.

He grins, slowly backing you up until your shoulders press against the steel wall. In a playful attempt to duck away, you try to slip just to his left, and warm metal wraps around your arm, pinning you firmly in place.

“Hold on,” he mutters, “you think you can just do that and walk away?”

You let out a long, soft moan when he presses his lips to yours, stepping up so close you can feel the firm heat of his body. Your fingers twist in his shirt, and he slots a knee between your thighs, careful to avoid your injured one as flesh fingers twist into your hair. He hums when you give an instinctual push of your hips against the rough fabric of his pants, and you

“Better rest up, then, honey.”

You giggle when he lands a firm swat on your ass and scamper up the ladder, heaving yourself onto the upper level with Bucky close behind you. The grin on Bucky’s face earns you a quizzical look from Sam, but you roll your eyes and head down to your bunk, making sure that nobody can see before stretching up on your toes and giving Bucky a goodnight kiss.

***

The jolt of the jet landing just over four hours later wakes you. You sit up, almost banging your head on the top of your bunk, and curse Sam for winning Rock Paper Scissors for the top one. You emerge blearily, shoving your privacy curtain aside with a grimace as a ray of sunlight smacks you in the face.

“Ow,” you mutter as Sam drops down from the bunk above you, “what time is it?”

“It’s late morning,” Steve replies, emerging from the cockpit. “We’re in Austria. Found us a place to lay low for a couple days. We’re gonna have to do a little bit of hiking and wear disguises when we check in, but the jet’s on stealth mode. Town’s about a twenty-minute walk away.”

Town. Thank God.

The four of you stumble around, stuffing things into your bags and checking your nanomasks before stepping off the jet. It’s a brisk morning, and you tug a jacket over your shoulders as you take in your surroundings.

Steve’s touched down in a large field of flowers. The jet’s invisible to your eye when the hatch closes, and you set off to the East, keeping your heads low as you head into a more-populated area and onto busy streets. There’s a market across from the closest hotel, and you make a note to sneak out and get some of the pretty fruits and breads on display.

When you get up to the counter, Steve shoves a wad of cash from his duffel bag at the attendant and asks for two rooms, which you get with a three-night guarantee.

“Okay,” Sam murmurs once you’re in the elevator heading up to your floor, “who shares with who? I’m not havin’ Barnes hogging all the covers again.”

“Mmm, you won’t.” Natasha slips you a sly look. “Barnes and Y/N together, I’ll share with Steve, so you, Sam, can have all the covers you want.”

You cast a quick glance at Bucky and find his cheeks stained bright pink. “That’s fine,” you cover when he fails to respond, “we’re gonna get some rest anyway.”

Nat smirks when the elevator doors slide open, and you roll your eyes before accepting the key card Steve offers you. “Sure, sure,” she replies, “make sure it’s a good rest.”

You give her a playful glare as she follows Steve and Sam into their room and closes the door, leaving you and Bucky to slip into your room across the hall with burning faces.

It’s definitely not the biggest—or best—room that you’ve ever stayed in, but it’ll do the trick. The bed is king-sized, with several lumpy-looking pillows stacked on a thin white comforter. You set your bag down on the floor and toe off your boots, stretching your arms over your head while Bucky goes to inspect the bathroom.

“It’s not bad,” he calls out, “just a shower stall, no tub.”

“That’s good enough for me.” You tug a fresh set of clothes out of your duffel and snag your almost-empty toiletries from the front pocket. “You wanna go first, or…”

“Nah, you.” He runs a hand up your back and leans in to press his lips against yours. “I’m gonna try and get some shut-eye. I never sleep well on the jet.”

You hum against his mouth, grateful for the sudden solitude. “I’ll be out in fifteen. Knock if you need anything, ‘kay?”

He smiles and slumps down on the bed, watching you slip into the bathroom and leave the door slightly ajar.

The water pressure isn’t too bad. It’s been a few days since you’ve been able to properly clean up, and your hair gets washed thoroughly, pits get shaved, well… everything that isn’t permanently done gets shaved, and you emerge from the steam-filled shower dressed in panties and a tee shirt, towel held to the now-exposed wound on your thigh. Bucky’s stretched out on the bed, a pillow tucked under his head, eyes closed. The medical kit’s in his bag, and you tug it free and watch one crystal-blue eye open as you perch on the edge of the bed.

“How’s that?” His eyes rake over the bare skin of your thigh as you pull it away to inspect the slowly-scabbing graze.

“Healing.” You gently poke at the angry bruise along the side and wince. “I still need to bandage it.”

Bucky sighs, watching you tug out a roll of gauze and tape. “Want some help with that?”

You smile gladly in return. “Please?”

“You got it.” He slides off the bed and reaches for the paper-wrapped supplies. Nimble fingers tear open the packets, and you lean back as he kneels on the carpet, flesh hand gently splayed out against your knee as he gently lowers a folded strip of cause to cover the exposed flesh. Medical tape snaps off between his teeth, and you watch him lay four strips, one on each side until he’s satisfied that your injury is sufficiently protected.

“Thanks.” You reach over and rub the top of his head. “So walking in on me in just my bra and panties didn’t… that didn’t bother you?”

He chuckles. “No, it didn’t bother me. Just surprised me.”

You giggle. “Really? ‘Cause you looked like a total virgin.”

“Shush.” He kisses your knee and gazes up at you, eyes wide and almost deceivingly innocent. “Not a virgin, honey, just… you look hot in that suit, and seeing you out of it was… a shock. Good shock.”

***

The rest of the day passes slowly, with you and Bucky dozing in and out of naps until Sam knocks on the door, asking if Bucky wants to go to the market outside. You watch him leave, donning his nanomask and swiping a couple bills from the plastic bag he keeps in his duffel before slipping out the door.

He’s back in an hour, carrying a large paper bag full of what looks like bread and fruit and all kinds of goodies. You eat slowly, sneaking kisses between bites of fresh, juicy watermelon for a mock-dessert.

Around six, Natasha comes by, inviting you to the other room for a much better dinner of pizza and drinks… which, as it turns out, hasn’t even been delivered yet. You and Bucky spend the first ten minutes enduring innuendo from Natasha, which Steve is quick to defend, although he snorts at one comment about peaches that makes Bucky choke on his bottle of ale.

The pizza finally arrives, three boxes to cater to two supersoldier appetites, and you’re able to unwind, laughing and joking and teasing each other until it’s late and Sam starts to yawn incessantly. You and Bucky make an excuse for being tired as well, and Natasha watches you leave with a glimmer in her eye as the door swings shut.

The moment you and Bucky are safely tucked in the seclusion of your room, he pulls you into his arms and plants a warm, sweet kiss on your lips.

“Baby,” he breathes, “we only got three nights here and I… I wanna take you, tonight…”

You giggle. “Bucky, we’re not in your time anymore. You can tell me what you want.”

He swallows, metal fingers slipping under the hem of your shirt. “I wanna make love with you.”

You roll your eyes and wind your arms around his neck. “Is that all?”

He grumbles. “Baby, you’re making it harder than it needs to be.”

“Sorry.” You stretch up on your toes and kiss him again, hips rubbing deliciously against his. “Only thing I need to be hard is this… and looks like you’re way ‘head of me.”

Bucky groans, breaking away to tug your shirt over your head. “If you keep doing that, you’re not gonna feel it for a while.”

You bite your lip, watching him strip his own shirt and toss it to the ground. Before you can do anything else, he lifts you up, careful to avoid your injured thigh, and lays you out on the bed, reaching for your pajama shorts and tugging them down to leave you in just a plain pair of panties.

Now he’s nervous, you can see it in his eyes. He’s had you open before, got his fingers wet inside your pussy, and kissed the shit out of you until you could barely breathe, but he’s never had you completely naked and exposed.

“Hey.” You reach for his hand, guiding it to the little blue bow between your hips. “It’s okay, baby.”

He chuckles, easing his fingers beneath the elastic and watching with held breath as he teases them down, letting them fall off the edge of the bed with a soft pat. His palms smooth down the insides of your thighs, spreading you open, and when he trails the pad of his thumb over your clit and you press your hips up to get closer, he lets out a strangled groan and curls over you, completely helpless.

Your hands push at his sweats, and you giggle when he clumsily kicks them down over his feet, leaving himself completely bare for you as well. When your fingers drift to wrap around his thick, heavy shaft, he stops, gritting his teeth against the side of your neck.

“Baby…” he clears his throat, raising his head to look at you. “We’re not movin’ too fast, right?”

“Don’t get soft on me,” you reply, “we’re good, Bucky, I’m happy, I wanna feel you…”

He nods, pressing a quick kiss to your lips. “Good, it’s just… it’s been a long time and—”

“Shhh.” You rub your hands over his hips. “I don’t care, I just want you.”

Bucky’s eyes darken, and he reaches down to grab himself, experimentally running the swollen tip of his cock through yout pussy until he finds your opening, and you grab on tight, a cry of pleasure dying in your throat as he pumps his hips forward and sinks in.

“Ahh, fuck—” he grunts quietly against your lips when your nails dig into his ass, “baby…”

You can’t even find the words to reply. He’s so deep, thick and hot and pulsing inside where your body grips him tight. All you can do is give a little tug, trying to urge him on, and he gives you what you want without question.

All sense of awkwardness or anxiety melts away as he props himself up on both arms, watching your body roll and move under his as he searches a rhythm, inexperience getting the better of him when his hips stutter and slide. He finds it, a steady, rough beat back and forth that makes your clit rub against the skin above his cock and high-pitched sighs and whimpers to rattle in your throat.

“C’mere,” he pants, hooking his flesh arm under your shoulders to keep you close, and you brace yourself as his thrusts grow hard enough for your bodies to slap together. It’s been so long since you’ve been able to feel this good that when his lips find one nipple and latch on, your body decides to follow its own path.

All it takes for you to cum is a few quick rolls of your clit under your fingers, and Bucky lets out a choked gasp when he feels the rapid contractions, burying his face in the crook of your neck and matching your moans with his own, panting harder and louder as he stutters, pushes in as far and hard as he can, and cums with a growl that resonates deep in your soul as you wrap your legs tight around his waist.

You come back to reality slowly, sweaty bodies sticking as he drops down over you, pressing a lazy kiss to your lips.

“That was fast,” he murmurs, “sorry, baby, I couldn’t—”

“It’s okay.” You run your fingers through his hair. “It’s been a long time for me too, it was… that was good.”

“Good.” He chuckles and pulls away, watching the first dribble of white slide from your core. “We got three more days to make it longer, huh?”

“Yeah.” You reach for his hand, fingers intertwining with his. “Right now, we have all the time in the world.”

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