𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐄.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
act four ━━ 𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻.
· 。ﾟ୧ ⋆. 𝗜𝗡 𝗠𝗬 𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗗. ₊˚.༄
━━━ A QUEEN AND KING,
❝ i don't want to be your friend ❞

𝓜elody sat by the lake, her hand hovered over the clear water that moved beneath her flesh. She smiled softly as she moved her fingers in a wave motion, as the water followed her movements. Her smile faltered slightly as she thought back to her home. She had gotten a message - telepathically, from Kai that week, who wanted to know if she was okay and letting her know what had been going on in the kingdom.

Kai had said he was more stern with everyone around him, if it were even possible. He had also said he hadn't left the castle either, neither had Ronan.

It was safe to say things weren't the greatest after her comments to her father.

Her lips formed a frown as her phone buzzed in her jean pocket.

Seeing the familiar name she answered hesitantly, "Hello?"

"Hey, Mel." Steve greeted.

"Hello." She greeted again.

"I was just, um, calling to see how everything was." He admitted.

"It's good." She answered, "You?"

Steve nodded although she couldn't see him, "That's good to hear. It's alright here, we miss you here though." He chuckled lightly.

Melody smiled lightly, "I miss you too." She said looking out into the lake, "I am no longer mad at you." She stated as a matter of fact, her face now stern. Steve smiled softly, "I'm sorry for being mean to you. I've learned to control my emotions while being here, I think . . ." She trailed off. "Shuri says I have."

"That's great, Mel. I'm glad you're feeling good and better." He said genuinely.

Melody's head tilted, "I am still working on Bucky." She said earning a sharp inhale from the man on the line. "I'm just not sure how to reach him fully. Perhaps I should speak to Wanda about this, but I am not sure she'd know what to do either."

Steve sighed, "Growing up Bucky was always there for me, you know that. Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky. I don't know what I'd do if we couldn't get him back fully. But, I know you can do it. If you need me I'll be there." He promised, "Or if you need Wanda, I'll call her and we can get her there. Whatever you need, Mel. Knowing Buck, he was always in his head. Guess that's why we became best friends, we're stubborn as hell." He chuckled to himself.

"In his head." Melody repeated.

"Yeah." Steve sighed.

"In his head." She mumbled.

Steve's brows scrunched together, "Yeah . . . can you hear me? Is the line cutting off, or-"

"I have to go, I will call you soon. Unless, I am dead by then, then I can't call you." She said standing to her feet and walking towards the medical bay.

"What?!" Steve asked in confusion. "Melody-"

"Talk to you soon." She said before hanging up on the former soldier.

Entering the medical bay she looked to Shuri who spoke with her brother, "I am ready to go again." She announced entering the room where Bucky's body was being held in. Ignoring the protests from the princess and the king she stood in front of the capsule with a determined look.

"Melody, I do not think you're physically able to so soon." Shuri denied.

Melody ignored her as she opened the capsule, a breeze of cold air and mist wrapped around Melody's frame and the room. She shivered slightly at the cool air.

"Melody, do not do this yet." T'Challa stated over the mic as he glanced to his right where fellow doctors began trying to unlock the glass door where the two toned princess was in. "Open the door." He demanded Okoye who clenched her jaw.

"We can only open it from the inside, if she is in there with him-"

"We must try, she can't hold the connection for long." Shuri said as she stared into the room in horror. "It's started." She uttered as Melody mumbled the incantation of the red book.

"Bucky?" Melody called out, her eyes narrowed at the darkness that surrounded her. The cold air nipped at her skin as she glanced around her, it seemed as if she were in a bunker of some sorts. Her eyes narrowed on the wall in front of her, words encrypted in another language from what she could gather in the darkness; though it was to dark to departure. "James?" She whispered as she walked hesitantly down the hallway.

Her heels clicked as she walked down the narrow hallway. She winced as she heard shots outside of the compound; where was she? Melody thought to herself.

Hearing whimpers her brows furrowed as she quickened her pace. She came to a halt outside of what looked like to be a torture room or some sort of experimental room.

Her head tilted slightly as she entered the room hesitantly inaudible mumbles could be heard throughout the dark room.

Melody's chest tightened at the familiar voice. His hunched body sat in a corner shaking, his hair no longer to his neck but short and messy. His arms were both fleshed. His body wasn't as muscular as it was but nonetheless she could tell it was toned; not that it matter. He looked a lot different, she thought to herself.

Approaching the hunched over figure she crouched next to Bucky's shaking figure.

"Longing, r-rusted, seven - seventeen-"

Shuri's eyes widened as she watched Bucky cry out as Melody grasped the side of his head. "We must do something, brother!" She shouted to T'Challa, as the alarms blared throughout the room alongside red flashing lights.

T'Challa nodded hurrying over to the door where the female warriors had now replaced their healers and shoved his body against the door.

Shuri tapped on the screen repeatedly, she swallowed harshly seeing silver liquid drip from the girl's nose and ears. "Hurry!"

"Bucky." Melody whispered placing her hands on either side of his face. "James, it's Melody."

Bucky moved away from her touch continuing to mutter to himself.

"Day--daybreak. Ni-ne."

"Bucky, stop." She pleaded pulling him closer to her, her doe eyes looked to his neck to the silver dog tags that hung from it. "Shiny." She whispered reaching forwards to touch the chain with his name engraved on it, "Snap out of it." She muttered to herself and to Bucky.

"Sergeant. 32-557." He muttered gripping at his wrists harshly.

Melody bit her bottom lip before taking Bucky's face in her hands and pressing her lips to his own.

Bucky's eyes widened slightly before he blinked out of his trance and placing his hands around the girl's hips pulling her closer to him.

Pulling away much to Bucky's dismay, she fluttered her eyes opened. Bucky's lips remained puckered as he blinked looking up at the sea nymph in a daze. "Sorry." She whispered against his lips.

"Don't be." Bucky mumbled leaning closer to her once again.

Shuri stepped back as did the women and T'Challa.

Melody fluttered her eyes opened as did Bucky.

The doors slid opened, bodies filled the room starring at the duo wondering if the white wolf, was free.

"Did it work?" Shuri voiced up from next to her brother her worried eyes looking between the two who stared at one another.

"Yes." Melody nodded breaking eye contact with Bucky meeting their eyes, "He's really good." T'Challa's head tilted at her words as Shuri nervously smiled slightly, confused as by what she meant. "I mean he's okay . . . mentally and, um, physically." She rambled.

Bucky resisted the urge to smirk as he was still stunned with the entire situation. Numerous thoughts ran through his mind as he stared at Melody who cleared her throat and handed the red book to Okoye who eyed her with a raised brow.

"Excuse me." Melody nodded before rushing out of the room.

"You are alright, Sergeant Barnes?" Shuri asked as she and her brother approached him.

Bucky's eyes remained on where the nymph had run off to, and nodded, "Never better." He smiled meeting the two's curious eyes.

𝓜elody hung up her phone from getting off with a relieved and happy Steven Rogers. She had explained that he had given her the idea to go into Bucky's mind while he was in his most vulnerable state which she had presumed to be when he had first been injected with the serum, before he lost his arm and became known as the Winter Soldier. Though, she had left out the part on how she exactly gotten him back to reality successfully.

She chewed on her lip as she looked out to the waterfall. A soft hum left her lips.

A figure walked up behind her hesitantly.

Melody briefly glanced to her right as Bucky stood next to her looking ahead of him.

"Everything okay?"

"Yes." Melody nodded, "I think." Bucky nodded at her blunt statement, "Do you like me?" Melody questioned looking up at him with a raised brow, her lips pursed.

Bucky parted his lips, "Do - do I like you?" He repeated earning a nod from her, "Yeah, you're- you. You've helped me through a lot and . . ." Bucky cleared his throat, "Been a good friend to me and Steve."

"Friend?" Melody repeated to herself, Bucky's mouth opened and closed not knowing what to say exactly. Ignoring the ache she felt she nodded, "Hm."

Bucky shook his head, "I mean, I appreciate you. And everything you've done for me. You've put your life on the line for me countless times, and - no one's ever done that for me other then Steve. But, you did it without even knowing me. You're - you're special." He said softly his ocean eyes softening.

"And I am a good friend." She added with a frown.

"I didn't-" Bucky sighed in frustration, "I haven't talked to a girl about this stuff in I don't even know how long. And even then it wasn't about our feelings or anything like that. So, my social skills aren't the greatest." He explained rubbing the bridge of his nose, frustrated with himself. "I don't mean I like you as a friend."

"So you don't like me?" Melody frowned in confusion.

"No! I mean yes! Yes I do, I do like you a lot." Bucky exasperated.

Melody's head tilted, "I don't want to be your friend."

Bucky's brows furrowed, "What?"

"I don't want to be your friend." She repeated sternly looking up at him.

"Then what do you want?" He questioned quietly.

Melody shrugged before standing. on her toes, wrapping her right arm around his neck and pressing her lips against his plump ones.

Bucky's lips parted before gripping Melody's waist and pulling her into his chest with his flesh hand.

Their lips molded together almost like a puzzle of sorts. Melody whimpered into the kiss as Bucky bit down gently on her lip before the two pulled away breathlessly.

"I want you." Melody said against Bucky's lips.

❨ 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 ❩
🐚ঌ ࣪₀🧺 .˚🌿✦

● 𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱
○ 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱

this chapter sucked ass, but like whatever ya'll they kissed ! issa a happy couple until i start INFINITY WAR but dw i still got some filler chapters to come ♡

also my throat hurts and i think im gonna be sick so i wanna die slightly but w.e yanno

𝗐𝗈𝗋𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍, 𝟣𝟪𝟫𝟩