[He just might have spent the majority of those five minutes searching through the safehouse for anything he could use against the spectres, keeping an ear out to make sure that if she needs him, he'll get back out there.]

[Then she's back inside, and he stares for a moment (watches for a moment) to make sure the motions are hers, not those of one of them (he'd know).]

[It's her. So he sags against the nearest wall, breathing heavily, finally letting the shudders take over for a moment.]

F-f-fuck. Let's not do that again.

[Longstanding habit around Steve has left Bucky rarely using words like this? But, right now, he finds it completely justified.]