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. ** .

.

"Did you hear that? Was that just me? Tell me that was just me? Tell me you didn't hear a crack! What the hell cracked?!" I yelled, trying to crawl out from under the massive water tank I was working on.

"...You may have a problem on your hands."

"Amber?!"

"Yup. You have a problem."

"What the fuck is cracking n –!?"

"The glass, what else?" Amber commented from her spot on the table, safe from the water flooding out of the tank.

"I was really hoping that it wasn't," I muttered, flinging my soaking hair off my face.

"If hope could alter reality, we wouldn't be working on this project."

"That would an interesting world to live in."

"It wouldn't be boring. Absolute chaos, as the good willed and the greedy clash in ideals. Do you know anybody who could make this world happen?"

"...Nope," I said, searching my memory through all the files on powered people I've read. "Nobody comes to mind...? Yup, nobody...."

"...This is the third glass that broke."

"I was hoping that third time's the charm. But I think we're making this too big. Water volume problem."

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome," Eve half sung.

"Remember not everyone can do detail work like you do, and you're trying to make this free for everyone," Amber reminded.

"Fuck.... And I've been poking around at other projects like this. They're being sunk by corporations. Something about loss of profit if water's free."

"If we do all the work under their radar and release it all at once...."

"I'll figure something out by then," I laughed, getting onto my feet to grab more glass sheets. 'Fourth time's the charm. Yup sounds about right.'

.

. ** .

.

"Hey, wake up. Class starts in ten," Amber said, punctuated with a stick poking my back.

"...The fuck? Why am I sleeping on the floor...?"

"Don't remember?"

"...I just... I just... I remember we were working on Oasis...? Did you shoot me up with something again?"

"Wanted a night in," she shrugged. "So? What are the symptoms?"

"A massive fucking headache, and I guess memory loss?" I answered, pulling out a prototype dart from my lower back.

"Does only one side of your head hurt or...?"

"...I hit my head on the way down, didn't I?"

"Maybe," Amber grinned. "Guess the ratios need to be tweaked again. Knocked you out for about nine hours."

"The memory loss can come in use," I sighed out and scramble to get ready for class, which was easy since I was still in my uniform.

"But hey, good news. Managed to solve the breeding problem last night. Only have the invasive species problem left."

"Oh! There's that thing! The thing you told me to remind you of. That thing can probably solve this thing. Uhh... The thing where one thing eats the other thing, and only that other thing? The harmless thing that needs the special thing to survive."

"...Yeah. That could work. If I can breed this bacterium to only be able to reproduce in that one. Yeah, that would solve our invasive species problem."

"And with what I have saved up, I should be able to swallow the production cost for the tanks. If not, I can go to Gramps or something. We so got this. Free water for all!" I cheered, wrapping an arm around Amber's neck and half forcing her to drag me to class.

"You live in Vancouver. Water is free. Not so much in Richmond. We have to pay for our water. I wish I don't have to decide between a shower or a having some protein," Chanelle pouted, sitting down at our usual table. "You don't know how good you have it."

'...Could just save up the money you spend to smoke two packs a day.... We're fucking fifteen.'

"Val, Mr. Barnes, he... he's...."

At Eve's voice, I sat up and found Bucky standing in the doorway of the fake boulder. Still bundled up with so many blankets. Which did nothing to hide the panic twisting his face and colouring his movements.

His feet shuffled back and forth, and side to side. His hands gripped the edges of the doorway. Probably would have shattered it if it were made of any other kind of glass.

His blue eyes locked with mine.

I quickly got up to make my way to him. "Bucky! I'll come to y –...?"

A mass of blankets with a man inside leapt through the air, landing about halfway between me and the fake boulder. The fluttering fabric barely skimmed the surface of the snow before it was flying through the air again.

With a soft crunch of snow, the mass of blankets stopped in front of me.

"Buck –"

A pair of arms wrapped around me and I slammed face first into a very hot chest of muscles.

From what I could tell in the darkness of the blankets, we were moving very quickly. When I expected a bounce in momentum, there wasn't.

"I use my legs."

Then everything came to a stop.

I was pretty sure we were sitting on the couch, still all wrapped up. I tried to push my way out of the dark, but I couldn't. Not with those arms keeping me trapped.

"Bucky, you don't like the cold. I can warm up with a shower," I reasoned, feeling the panic clawing its way out of me.

"Sweetie, I'm home!!"

I could feel his face nuzzling against the top of my head, even through the layers of blanket. "You could have frozen to death. Ste... Ste –"

"I'll only be gone for a few hours, Sweetie. Lots of love."

"Mr. Barnes, if I may –"

"It's too dark in here!" I blurted out, and he quickly removed the blankets from my face.

"Sorry.... I-I didn't mean...."

I nodded my head.

Let him know I heard. Maybe he'd get that I'm okay or something.

'You're safe. It's Bucky. Not him. You're safe.'

"You weren't moving. I thought... I thought you die-died..." he whispered to the top of my head and tucked me close under his chin.

I was rather sure I was as cold as ice, at least when compared to him, but he didn't seem bothered by that. Clung onto me tightly instead of shying away from the cold.

I flinched back when I spotted a flash of his cybernetic under the blankets.

"Not going to cover your head," he assured, wrapping the blanket tightly around us. "You're in a T-shirt and shorts.... I thought you were on the beach. The windows. They-they – Your lips are still blue.... You're not even wearing shoes."

'You're okay. You're at Soteria. You're safe here, you pathetic idiot. He's not here. Bucky's here.'

"Please don't die," he practically begged in the tiniest whisper. "Please...."

Unclenching my fists were a struggle. Barely able to pry my arm from hugging myself to wrap around his torso.

For now, I couldn't trust my voice not to break on me. Took everything I had not to beg utter nonsense at him.

"I wouldn't actually let her freeze to death. There was no reason for you to have gone outside, Mr. Barnes.... If you let her change into dry clothing, it would be more comfortable for the both of you."

Still he refused to loosen his hold.

'It's Bucky, you dimwit. Bucky. Not him. Bucky. It's bloody fucking Soteria. We're safe here.'

My muddled brain could almost fall asleep if I dare to close my eyes.

.

. ** .

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Author's Note:

If you enjoyed this part, please consider leaving a vote. They're very much appreciated. ^^

And a big thank you to TinselA/Bunny Carrot (https://www.fanfiction.net/u/7591081/) and the Anonymous Fifth Beta for Beta-ing this chapter.