╭ ⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸ ╮

𝑹 𝑼 𝑵 𝑵 𝑰 𝑵 𝑮  𝑰 𝑵  𝑭 𝑬 𝑨 𝑹
❝ 𝚒 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚍𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 ❞

╰ ⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸⊸ ╯

ㅤ𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐎𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐀 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐄𝐍𝐓 fixture in Bucky Barnes' life. The god would always be there, just lingering in the shadows before revealing himself when he's sure they're alone. Bucky himself doesn't know whether it's a good thing or not, but he's not complaining.

Bucky stiffened slightly as he felt Phobos' heated stare on his back. He's glad that he has someone looking at him in a protective way, as compared to how people would usually look at him to kill him. He still couldn't believe that Phobos is a Greek god. But he can't deny that maybe he's telling the truth, especially since he knew about Thor and Loki, and would explain why the man was able to do the things he's able to do.

However, he tries hard to ignore the facts because he just wants normalcy.

As he picked up a plum, he turned for a quick second to meet the god's eyes. This action caused both of their hearts to pound heavily in their chests. Only recently did Bucky start behaving like this, and he doesn't know whether to welcome it or not. He sighed and shook his head before paying the lady, thanking her in Romanian.

The walk back to his little apartment wasn't that long, and midway, Phobos joined him, wearing a white t-shirt underneath a leather jacket along with jeans. Bucky insisted that they both needed to blend in, and Phobos reluctantly went with a more casual outfit every time the two met in public.

"How you been, sergeant?" Phobos inquired with a smirk, seeing Bucky roll his eyes. After Bucky figured out why Phobos would call him that, he's been annoyed; not because he dislikes it, but because he likes it a little too much. His ego would boost slightly whenever he was called that, and Phobos knew, so the god took to teasing him with it.

"Still the same, Phobos," Bucky replied as he tried to hide his smile. "And what did I tell you about calling me sergeant?"

Phobos snorted. "To stop calling you that? Yeah, never going to happen. Not unless you admit to me how much you like it."

"Now that's never gonna happen."

"We'll see about that."

The two would often tease each other while conversing, their relationship blooming into a healthy one, where both benefitted from each other's presence. They make each other happy, and after years of living in a life filled with darkness, they were each other's breath of fresh air.

Bucky laughed at something Phobos said, the god waving his arms around as he imitated a drunk Zeus. The man tried not to show his beaming face, looking down at the ground as he walked. He took notice of how the two of them walked in unison, smiling before looking up again, meeting the newspaper seller's eyes. This made Bucky stop abruptly, his smile leaving his face.

Frowning, the god turned to follow Bucky's gaze, seeing the seller's eyes fixated on Bucky's face. His eyes narrowed, flickering black for a second, before looking at Bucky again, seeing him looking around. Bucky thought for a second, wondering if it was really him the random man's looking it. It took him a second before deciding to walk closer to the stall. Phobos didn't hesitate to follow.

The two watched as the man left the stall in haste as they walked closer to the stall. Bucky picked up the newspaper and saw his face, reading the headline. He felt his heart stop for a second, then looked up at Phobos' uncharacteristically stoic face. The two shared a look before the god disappeared, leaving Bucky to look around with a clenched jaw.

Phobos reappeared inside the apartment, his eyes completely black as he looked at Steve Rogers looking through Bucky's journal. His dark eyes met Bucky's as the man silently entered, standing behind the Captain.

Feeling eyes on him, Steve turned around and saw Bucky just silently standing there. He couldn't see Phobos standing protectively in the shadows.

The Captain looked Bucky up and down as if he couldn't believe what he seeing before placing the journal down. "Do you know me?"

Bucky was apprehensive, but nonetheless took a deep breathe before answering, "You're Steve." Phobos could easily pick up the fear that was growing within his sergeant, trying hard not to growl. "I read about you in a museum."

Phobos could sense the men that were surrounding the building, resisting the urge to growl as he heard a voice speak in Steve's ear. He frowned as he saw the Captain tense, a fear bubbling within him as well. He knew of the one and only Captain America, of course, especially since he helps Bucky with his memories. He trusted him enough, but this situation still made the god furious.

"I know you're nervous," the blond man started, walking closer to Bucky, "and you have plenty of reason to be. But you're lying." Phobos clenched his jaw at this, watching as Bucky took a deep breath.

"I wasn't in Vienna, I don't do that anymore," he replied. The God of Fear released a low, silent growl, letting himself stay invisible to the Captain as he walked towards the man he'd grown feelings for.

"They surrounded the building," he whispered, "I'll take care of them." Then he disappeared. Bucky clenched his jaw at the emptiness he felt when the god left.

As the old friends continued their conversation, Phobos made himself behind the clueless soldiers, wearing his signature suit. He opened his clenched fists, letting his deadly smoke reach the soldiers, his dark eyes gleaming in amusement as they started screaming.

He heard the door slamming into some of the soldiers as Bucky kicked it from its hinges. But he paid him no mind as he continued his mental assault. He smiled sadistically at the sight.

"Who are you?" Steve asked, locking eyes with the god. This action made Steve take a step back, as a fear he hadn't felt in many years started resurfacing as he continued to look into the stranger's eyes. The stranger smirked before turning away, causing him to shake his head as took notice of a dark smoke surrounding the area. He clenched his jaw as he quickly caught a soldier Bucky elbowed. "Come on, man."

Bucky didn't reply, elbowing a man's head into the wall. He turned to look at Phobos, "I'll see you soon." Then he started his way down.

Steve furrowed his eyebrows as he heard the two interact, pulling the random soldier up before slamming him into the wall. He turned to look at the stranger who apparently knew who Bucky was, but becoming shocked at the stranger who wasn't there anymore. He looked around, trying to look for him, before setting his priority back to keeping Bucky safe. He threw his shield at a soldier about the shoot his best friend, watching as said best friend jumped a couple of stories down.

As Bucky started running with his backpack in his hand, he was interrupted when a man wearing an actual cat suit came running at him. The two went back and forth before turning their attention to a helicopter shooting at them. A man with wings took the helicopter down, and Bucky used this distraction to escape. He jumped down the building with the random man at his heels.

He ran and ran, but was caught. He let them cuff him and lead him away. He didn't try to fight back, knowing it was just going to get worse if he did. He was then strapped into tiny containment cell. He stayed stoic, staring straight ahead. Then he felt Phobos' presence. He almost smiled.

The god looked towards his sergeant with an unidentifiable emotion in his eyes. Bucky took note of his eyes still black. Phobos then manipulated the mist to make himself invisible to the eyes and ears of everyone but Bucky. He stood in front of the cell before speaking.

"I'll get you out of here, I promise," he growled, his jaw clenching at the sight before him.

"You shouldn't," Bucky whispered. Luckily, the two men guarding him didn't take notice. "It'll only make the situation worse."

"But you're innocent," Phobos wanted to shout. He didn't like seeing Bucky like this.

"They don't know that, Phobos, and even if I plead my case, they wouldn't believe me."

Phobos clenched his jaw. "Bucky..."

"I know, I don't like this either."

"It's not that," he shook his head. "I hate that you're refusing my help, but I won't go against your wishes. I just want to know if you believe my claim now, that I'm a god."

Bucky let a tiny smile grace his lips. "I think I always have, I just...it's hard to wrap my head around all that. But I do believe you, and I promise I'll get out of here."

Phobos smiled back, his eyes slowly going back to normal. "I love you." Then he disappeared.

He didn't notice Bucky's shocked face at his nonchalant declaration.