The only good I've ever done (marvel)

A match made in Hell

So I'm going to be busy tomorrow morning, so I'm posting tonight, though I suppose for you Americans it isn't as late as it is for me. Okay I just checked it's not actually that late for me either. Anyway. To my few readers. I'm laughing like a maniac.
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Robyn had showered, got dressed again, and headed downstairs, finding that Bucky had packed her sketchbook and pencils, and headed outside to sit on the porch. Tony and Steve were talking, chopping wood, and Clint was off with his kids. Natasha and Bruce were nowhere to be seen. She tried to put pen to paper, tried to get some thoughts out of her head, but nothing came. Finally a wonky sketch of the trees emerged, and she sighed down at it. For all her love of art, she'd never quite got the sketching side of things.

She kept picturing the red tendrils of pure power curling around her, fixing her in place, and she knew, she knew she should hate Wanda. She should hate her for prying where she didn't belong. But she couldn't. Orphaned at ten. How long had she had those powers? How long would it take to see the damage she could cause? How much had she caused already?

But Robyn couldn't hate her. If she did that she'd have to hate herself. And she didn't have enough strength to do that anymore.

Bucky soon joined her on the steps, and they sat in silence for a while.

"You sure you're okay? Steve is pretty messed up."

"I.. Wanda couldn't get in my head. I stopped that from happening a long time ago. With anyone."

"Anyone?" Bucky sounded almost sad. Robyn looked over to see him watching her, his gaze serious.

"How do you do it?" He continued, his eyes never leaving hers.

"How do I do what?"

"Pretend you are okay."

"I'm not pretending."

"Yes you are, every single day. And it breaks my heart."

Robyn turned away, her wavy hair, grown over the years they'd known each other, hiding her face.

"It's easier. That way other people don't see how much you're hurting. That way you don't hurt them."

"I can take it."

"What if you can't?"

"It's better than you facing it all alone. Promise me... promise me you'll stop hiding things when you're hurting."

"I... I can't." She turned to walk away, her head bowed, when—

"I don't know what it is about you. Maybe it's the way nothing else matters when we talk, or how you always know how to make me smile. It could be the way you always say the right thing at the exact right time. But whatever it is, you should know that it means everything to me. Please, Bryn. I won't beg you anymore. Just please. For once. Let someone else help you."

She raised her head.

"Why?"

And Bucky couldn't answer that. She walked off, back into the house. Alone.

***
Laura was just starting to make something in the kitchen, possibly for lunch, when Robyn strode in, sat at the counter, and started staring angrily into space.

"Lovers tiff huh?" She asked.

Robyn practically flew out of her seat. "I-sorry I didn't see you. What do you mean...."

"You and Mr Barnes. Did you—"

"No, um. We aren't.... erm. It's not like that."

Laura shifted her focus away from Robyn, back to the veg she was chopping.

"Look. I know it's not my place." Here she paused, as if expecting Robyn to interrupt, but the shattered girl just stayed, looking out the window. "But... we all have that one person, whether it's a month from now, or ten years from now, we'd go back to. Because at the end of the day they're the one who's arms always felt the most like home. And I don't even know you very well, but I can see you two... I was scared when I first saw him. You knew that. And you stepped forwards, drawing the attention away from him. I get the feeling you aren't really a people person. But as soon as you felt he was threatened you stepped up. You went to protect him without thought. I don't know what's going on with you, but trust me. Treasure what time you have."

Robyn looked up, meeting Laura's eyes, suddenly sure she could talk to her. "If I let... if I let him in... I won't be able to shut him out again. And if he.... I can't lose anyone else. I can't lose him. I know how much it hurts and I can't do that again. I can't."

"It's better than standing, pretending you could be just friends, when everyone else in the room can see you're only existing for each other."

"Emma Blake."

"Sorry?"

"Doesn't matter."

Bucky would get it...

"Just talk to him." The kindly woman smiled gently.

"What If it's to late for that?" Robyn croaked.

"It never really is."