Eternal Love - Bucky Barnes x Reader

01

1942

Things between Bucky, Steve and I were perfect, even though I was a bit younger than them, I was born in 1920 while Steve in 1918 and Bucky in 1917. It was when they found 4 year old me sitting outside on the steps leading to my apartment, that we became friends. My parents fought quite often and sometimes if they were both drinking like they tended to do a lot the fights would turn physical, though I didn't quite grasp what this meant until I was 6, the only thing I was sure about was that I shouldn't be around them when this would happen. Most of the time they only hurt each other but when they were really drunk a barely conscious it was me instead. I tried my best to stay away from them when they drank or were irritated but things didn't always work out how I wanted and by the end of the day I would be covered in bruises. Steve and Bucky immediately took notice of the lesions coating my skin the next time I saw them. I tried my best to convince them I was just really clumsy, the last thing I needed was their pity but I knew they didn't buy my story when they began offering me to stay at their places more often. I didn't really like how they only invited me because they felt sorry but I accepted it anyway because anything was better than home.

Bucky and Steve didn't push me on where the bruises actually came from even though they really wanted to know, rather they did everything in their power to protect me. From then on I practically lived with them, only going to my apartment to steal money from my parents. With this money I would buy groceries for myself and which ever household of theirs I was living in that week. Not only did I not want them to think of me as a free loader but I also didn't want to give them any reason to throw me out, causing me to have to go back "home." I would usually alternate between the boys houses every 7 days and thankfully their parents adored me so it wasn't much of a problem.

Years had passed and strange occurrences would take place around me whenever I got strong rushes of emotions. First it was small things like pencils rolling off a desk or a lamp falling over but as time went on these incidents gradually got worse and more serious. For instance on my 18th birthday Steve, Bucky, and I all went to a movie and everything was going fine until I saw Bucky making out with a random girl that was seated next to me. I'm not sure why that sight caused me to feel such a bold set of emotions but it did because the movie screen caught on fire whilst a very intense wind circled around me while we were in the windowless theater. Everyone began panicking expect for me since I had a strange feeling I was in control and panicking would only worsen the situation. Deciding to test out my theory I took a few calm and collected breaths and before I knew it everything was back to normal, minus half the movie screen that was burnt to a crisp. Up until that point I had always managed to dismiss the small odd occurrences as coincidences or blame it on Mother Nature but this time I couldn't come up with any rational explanation expect for the fact that had I caused it.

That night I was supposed to go back home with Steve where Bucky would also be sleeping for the night but instead I managed to slip into the crowd of agitated people exiting the theater and made my escape to the one place where I felt complete and utter peace, the cemetery. I'm not sure why but the cemetery always gave me a sense of comfort. Everything about it was soothing, the old oak tree that loomed over the center of the graveyard, the aged tombstones that withstood decades of erosion, the vines the took over the walls of the ancient mausoleum, and just the way the air always seemed to feel colder not matter what season it was on the other side of the iron fence surrounding my spot of solitude. No one dared to even get near the burial site anymore due to the rumors that floated around town since the 1700s. Rumors have it that in 1696 there was a witch who cursed the land and anyone who dared to step foot on it before the towns people burned her at the stake.

A part of me wondered if what people said was true and if the curse was actually real, and if it did turn out to be real was it somehow related to the events that would take place when I got a big wave of emotions? Brushing those thoughts away I continue on the narrowing path. Sometimes when I would get bored I would stroll around looking for any sign of a gravestone that held the dying year of 1696 but each time I would come up with nothing but tombstones that carried the 1695 and 1697 as the final years. The night of my 18th birthday I decided to take a wander around in search of the witches graves for old times sake and to my surprise, engraved on the old oak tree was the very year I was looking for and it was followed by a name so faded away I had to squint my eyes to be able to read it.

𝐿𝑜𝓇𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝐿/𝓃

Hallucinations was the first thing to come to my mind. I had gone to that cemetery for years and never had I seen anything carved into the tree. After being certain I wasn't hallucinating I thought someone must be playing a trick on me but that possibility went out the window as fast as it came considering no one and I mean no one knows I come here and even if they did everyone is to afraid to come in 30 feet vicinity of the cemetery, I was for certain no one set foot in the cemetery expect for me. Before I could think up anymore explanations words began carving themselves into the oak that was planted in front of me.

𝐻𝑒𝓁𝓁𝑜  𝓂𝓎  𝓅𝓇𝑒𝒸𝒾𝑜𝓊𝓈  𝒴/𝓃.  𝒪𝒽,  𝒽𝑜𝓌  𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁𝓎  𝒾𝓉  𝒾𝓈  𝓉𝑜  𝓈𝑒𝑒  𝓎𝑜𝓊'𝓋𝑒  𝒻𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎  𝒸𝑜𝓂𝑒  𝓉𝑜  𝓉𝒽𝑒  𝒶𝑔𝑒  𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒  𝓎𝑜𝓊  𝓂𝒶𝓎 𝒹𝒾𝓈𝒸𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓇  𝓉𝒽𝑒  𝓉𝓇𝓊𝓉𝒽  𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉  𝓌𝒽𝑜  𝓎𝑜𝓊  𝓇𝑒𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓎  𝒶𝓇𝑒.

The moment I finished reading the mysterious words engraved on the oak I passed out without a single second to register what I had just read. The next time I opened my eyes the only thing I'm able to be definite about is that I'm not longer in the graveyard instead I'm in a place where the only thing I can see is a darkness that goes on for miles.

"Hello." I yell whilst picking myself off the ground. While standing up I notice the ground has at least an inch of water covering it. Three thoughts are running through my head at that point. Where am I? How did I get here? How do I get out? I don't even get to take a step in a random direction until I hear the sound of a pair of footsteps hitting the inch water. With each step taken their footsteps grow louder and louder causing me to look around in every direction possible but only finding the thick vail of darkness. Just as the steps seem to be right in front of me they stop, I don't get a chance to question it before I hear a voice behind me bid me a hello.

Spinning my body around as soon as possible I'm soon met with a women in or around her 30s with e/c eyes accompanied by h/c long wavy hair.

"It's a pleasure to finally formally meet you, Y/n." She says with a soft loving smile that I had yet to receive from anyone expect Bucky, Steve, and their families.

"You're Loraline L/n, aren't you?" I question trying to piece the recent events together.

"Such a bright girl you are. I'm assuming you have many questions but as of now come take a walk with me." Loraline insists as the once black layer of shadows transforms into a forest of tall green trees with just a simple wave of her hand.

"Y/n, you're a witch and a very powerful one at that. Maybe the most powerful one since I."