The Beauty of Winter. (Fanfic)

10

Weeks had passed since you had last received anything from Bucky and panic was starting to set in. You spent every second of the day attempting to rationalise your fears; but it was no use. The nightmares had slowly started to return and the nights became long and tiresome. You waited by the door for the mailman, practically snatching the post from him as he knocked on the door. You went through the letters, looking for Bucky's hand writing. You feel your heart sink as you saw a red envelope appear amongst the others, hesitantly you tare it open, reading the words on the paper.

'The secretary of war desires me to express his deepest regrets that Sargent James Barnes has been missing in action since twenty eight September over Austria. If further details or other information are received, you will be promptly notified.'

You feel a tear rolling down your cheek, dropping the rest of the letters in your other hand and running out of the door. You stand, banging your fist against the door, before it swung open. Evies mother stood at the door, her angry expression softening as she saw your tears and the red envelope in your hand. "Evelyn! Come in dear." She placed a hand on your back and guided you inside. You sit on the couch, Evie hopping down the stairs, her bubbly energy instantly evaporated as she came over to sit next to you. You hand her the letter, looking at your hands, refusing to make eyecontact with Evie.
"Oh no, y/n..." She placed a hand ontop of yours but you pull away, standing up.
"He promised." She looked to you as you stood picking your nails, you look up at her, finally meeting her gaze, "he promised he would come back." You blink back the tears welling in your eyes, turning away from Evie again.

You kneel in the middle of the room, your head tilted down in a bow towards your father, Loki and Thor stood either side of him, their expressions cold and unfeeling. "I'm sorry, I should have done better." Is all you whisper, looking up towards Odin. "Take her away." His voice was monotone and two guards strided towards you, grabbing onto your arms with force as they began to drag you out of the hall. You begin to scream to your brothers for help. "Loki, Thor, please don't let them do this, please!" You beg, but they both stare blankly at the walls behind you. As you continue to shout and cry, you see Thor's eye twitch slightly, but the doors closed before you could do anything else. You were alone once more, in the darkness. As the vines began to travel up your limps, contorting and twisting around your body, you try your best to break them off, to stop them from growing tighter as they wrap around your throat.

You wake up, lay on the couch, a blanket had been placed very the top of you as you slept. But your attention was pulled to your neck as the pain continued to throb where the vines had once been. You got up, making your way to the mirror. You were shocked to see an already forming bruise on your neck.

A week turned to a month and you hadn't received any further information about Bucky, it was the not knowing which killed you most. The fact that he could still be alive somewhere, needing help, saving. Or he could be lay dead and no one knows. You couldn't help but think that you may never find out. If it will forever be a mystery. You were having the nightmare almost every night now, each time, you see Thor move slightly as if he wants to help you, like he is trapped. One morning, in mid November, a letter came, no return address was written upon the envelope, nor was a name except for yours. But nevertheless you opened it expecting a bill of some sort. But as you saw the loops of the familiar cursive handwriting across the paper, you felt a put grow in your stomach. You tried not to get your hopes up, thinking it could be an old letter that hadn't been delivered till now.

'Y/n, so much has happened in the last month, but I wanted to say how sorry I am. I tried to get out, I really tried. Me and some of the other men in my regiment were captured, I know you're panicking right now but I'm okay, the only thing that took a major hit was my ego. You know my friend Steve that I told you about? The little one. Well he got a lot bigger. I owe my life to him, he saved me. I spent every day thinking of you, it kept me going, I've always wondered what you write in that notebook of yours, the one you're always so quick to put away when I come in. I imagined it being a little bit like 'Bucky is the most handsome man I have ever seen!' If you couldn't tell, I definitely am very attractive. I am so sorry you had to think the worst had happened. But it didn't and I would never break my promise to you y/n, I will come back to you, the moment I can. But my heart is right there with you, never forget that. I love you y/n.'

You felt your heart flutter and your stomach do flips, knowing he was okay made waiting for him to come home worth every second. Because you knew he meant every word, he wouldn't break his promise, he would come back to you. You suddenly run to your room, grabbing your notebook and ripping out the first page you ever wrote about Bucky on, and then continued to write him a letter.

'I don't think I've ever been more happy to get a letter, but I have decided I'm going to send you the pages of my notebook that are about you, on one condition. You have to promise not to laugh at me when you read them. I love you Buck.'

You bite your lip, folding the letter and sealing it in an envelope before getting your bag to head to the post office.