✔️Don't Leave Me ||Bucky Barnes||

25

With the rather long ride to the next facility, bailey remained motionless for the following hour. Bucky refused to speak to anyone as they drove, making the car ride silent.

Bucky held onto the girl tightly as they waited, stroking her hair to comfort her and himself.

"We are about an hour and a half away, any luck?" Dum Dum asked from the drivers seat through the communicator since the back was almost like a trailer.

Steve sighed and took out his communicator. "Not yet." He said, "but hopefully something soon." He had been saying that for a while. Soon.   

"Barnes, you should use the next hour to get some sleep." Gabe suggested, speaking hesitantly because of how Bucky may react.

But to their surprise, Bucky agreed. "Yeah, your probably right." He sighed. "But wake me up if she wakes up."

Steve nodded, rubbing Bucky's shoulder for a second then letting him rest.

Once they all knew Bucky was asleep, Monty looked up to Steve. "How longs he been like this?"

"What do you mean?" Steve asked.

"Protective." Monty said. "Like if he was to look away something would happen."

Steve laughed a little bit, looking from Bucky and bailey to Monty. "His whole life, really." He said, "Bucks a nice guy, but the second she's mentioned in a way he doesn't like, you better run."

The guys in the back laughed. 

"Sarg talked about her all the time during training, but he never mentioned how they met."

"Honestly, It was so long ago. I hardly remember it." Steve said, laughing a little bit. "But they've always been close. he was always the one to go out of his way and barge into her house when he thought something was up."

As the men continued to speak, they didn't even notice baileys eyes fluttering open. Mostly because her face was practically hidden in Bucky's shirt. But she didn't make a sound yet, listening to the conversation they were having.

"A doctor, and a damn good one too." She heard Steve say after one of the guys asked what her profession was.

She smiled a little bit and moved her head the slightest bit. "Shit talking about me?" She asked in a gently tone.

Steve quickly turned his head to look at her, a sigh of relief falling out of his mouth. "Bails, thank god." He said.

"Keep it down." She whispered, "I don't want to wake him. Let him rest."

Steve nodded and decided to leave Bucky alone to sleep while Bailey stayed on his lap. "So what we're you talking about?" She asked, feeing extremely sore as she moved, but not as bad as she thought It'd be.

"You, actually." Monty said. "We we're taking about how you and the sergeant met.. then Steve said he didn't remember."

Bailey smiled. "I remember it like it was yesterday." She said, "now pay attention if you want."

—flashback—

It was about kindergarten when the trio had met, even though Steve was still a year younger. Bailey walked into the school house with all the eyes on her. Bright blonde hair that sat just above her behind, bright emerald green eyes, and a whole bunch of freckles on her cheeks.

Of course, this was kindergarten, so none of the kids were exactly finding her to be attractive. They just thought that she was like every other kid.

But then there was little James Barnes. His brown hair and piercing blue eyes watched the blonde girl walk in as a bright smile was plastered on his face.

Baileys eyes met his and she smiled as well, immediately moving to go sit beside him. "I'm Bailey." She said, her squeaky voice making Bucky giggle.

"I'm james." He said, "but my friend Steve likes to call me Bucky." His voice was squeaky as well.

Bailey smiled. "Let's be friends." She said, "I've never had one of those before."

Bucky smiled too. "Ok! We can play at recess." He giggled.

At that moment, bailey knew she made a life long friend. Sure, she also knew that was their first conversation, but it just felt right.

As promised, the two of them played at recess with a bunch of other kids. The jungle gym being packed with kids.

While the years went on, most of baileys elementary friends left her as high school approached. All except Steve and Bucky.

Freshman year of high school was wild for the blonde. It started off by guys hitting on her, but then resulted in some bad anxiety, abandonment by her parents, and loneliness.

That was definitely one of the hardest years of her life. There was constantly panic attacks when she was alone which made her try to shut everyone who cared for her out.

The only problem she had with that was that Bucky and Steve were the only people she truly couldn't shut out.

Bucky would spend the night with her most of the time, even though a teenage boy shouldn't have to deal with a job like that. But he understood her grief in a way since he had lost his father.

Constantly, Bucky would remind Bailey that she was welcome at his house whenever she felt vulnerable or just needed to be with someone.

That was just the way he was with her. She worried the crap out of him a lot, but he didn't care as long as he knew she was ok.