The Earth's Child 2

Confrontation

This part contains a little smut.

Bucky's PoV:

Bella just stood there motionlessly, not saying another word. The way she kept staring at the floor made it obvious that she was hiding something.

"Doll," said Bucky softly, rubbing his thumbs against her arms. "That's not all is it?"

Bella didn't say anything.

"Doll," said Bucky again. "I know you won't lie to me. Is that the only reason why you didn't tell me?"

Bella just shook her head, still not looking at him. Bucky gently put his index finger under her chin and tilted it upwards, looking at her squarely. Her eyes were closed but tears flowed freely from her closed eyelids.

"Bella," said Bucky, softening his tone, trying not to frighten her. It destroyed him to see her that way but he needed the truth. He couldn't bear to live with the fear that she was lying to him. "I really need the truth."

"Because I was guilty," said Bella, still not opening her eyes. "Because I didn't want to. Every time I died, I felt my life slipping away and somehow, it felt good, it felt peaceful. But then, when I got revived again, I hated it. I hated coming back and I wished they hadn't succeeded in doing that. I knew that they would torture me again and I didn't want to go through so much pain. It all hurt. Every part of me was hurting and death felt like an escape from the pain. I know it was selfish but I couldn't help it. Even when you rescued me, I didn't care that I would die from the stab wound. I was just happy that since you had found me, you would not let them hurt me again; that at least even if I died, I wouldn't have to soldier through that excruciating pain again."

Bella couldn't say anything more as Bucky enveloped her in a bone-crushing hug. He just wanted to end her pain. He knew that Bella wanted to live for him but there was nothing denying the fact that the tortures meted out to her was worse than death. If he had gone through the same, maybe he would have wished for death too.

"I am sorry," sobbed Bella, her voice muffled by his chest. "I am so sorry I almost broke the promise. But they hurt me so much. I am sorry I almost left you."

"Shh," said Bucky, placing a gentle kiss on her head. "I didn't ask you because I wanted an apology, okay? I just needed you to know that I am there for you. And it really hurt to not have heard it from you earlier."

"I didn't want you to hate me."

"I would never hate you. I never can and I never will. I love you too much for that; and you admitting that you were in too much pain can only make me kiss you harder, not hate you."

"I am so sorry!"

"Its okay. There is absolutely no reason to apologise. Everything is fine."

Bella kept her face hidden in his shoulder as he continued to caress her head, his lips kissing her hair every now and then.

When she finally pulled back from him, her eyes were red and puffy.

"Hey," said Bucky, chuckling softly while cupping her cheek. "You need to stop crying. It is fine."

"No," said Bella. "It is not. I almost left you."

"Stop that. You are here with me now, and that is all I know."

With those words, Bucky kissed her soft lips with as much intensity as he could. He felt her hands go up his chest and then circle round his neck so she could grab his head and hold him tighter for the kiss.

Something about that kiss was unearthing for him. Maybe it was because he hadn't seen her in so long. Or maybe it was because he knew that he had lost her and that if things had been just a little different, he would probably be grabbing thin air instead of Bella's soft frame in between his arms.