Doll •Bucky Barnes•

Rest Easy

Gia woke up this morning feeling empty. The guy she had worked for over a number of years as well as the guy who she fell in love with was gone. She couldn't sleep last night as the thoughts of her last moments with Bucky plan in her mind.

Would she have done anything differently? Gia knew she shouldn't dwell on how her last moment were with him, that he knew what kind of business he was in but she couldn't help herself.

Gia sat at her desk in the corner of her room and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Sure, she had bags under her eyes and she looked stressed but looking closing into her eyes, Gia could see there was a sight she hadn't realised was missing. She felt free.

Gia hated herself even more for this and sure she was sad that she would never see Bucky anymore but she couldn't help the small part of her that was glad that she was free, that she could try and move on. Gia finished up getting ready before slipping into her black pencil skirt, her black blouse and tailored suit jacket, wanting to remain strong for Becca.

Gia bid goodbye to Henry and walked out of her front door, slipping into the Barnes family car, Becca a blubbering mess in the backseat. Gia pulled Becca into a side hug as she held her friend close, Gia could only imagine the loss Becca was feeling.

It wasn't a long journey but the heightened emotion in the car suffocated Gia and made the 20 minute ride seem like hours. There was a few people loitering outside the beautiful church doors, each dressed in various black attire ready to pay their respect. Gia took her seat in the front of the room next to Becca, never leaving go of her hand.

An elderly woman made her way towards the piano and began to softly play a melody as the door opened, Gia taking a breath before turning to face the six men who had the large sleek black coffin resting on their shoulders. Steve, Sam, Loki Rumlow, Zemo and Pietro all stood in rows of two, their faces were a mixture of stone cold and heartbreak over their fallen friend.

Gia tore her eyes away from the men as they drew closer toward the altar, sliding the coffin onto the stand on the raised platform. Even in death Bucky still took centre stage and commanded the room. Gia looked around the room, her eyes registering the other men who stood in Bucky's office that day.

"We are all gathered here today to celebrate the life of a fallen loved one. James Barnes was known to many as Bucky and will be missed deeply. The family have asked that Giannina Kate, James' late girlfriend speak."

The father of the church encouraged Gia onto the separate platform where she stood behind a docket that had a microphone. Gia sighed and give Becca a reassuring squeeze of her hand before sliding out from the church seats, making her way towards the father and shaking his hand softly.

"James... Bucky would have loved this. He would have said the turn out was amazing and that he knew he was popular" Gia starts and smiled fondly at her words, earning a few soft giggles.

"Bucky and I had a rocky start to our relationship but he knew before I did that we were meant to be together and that, no matter what there was only ever going to be me and him" Gia pauses, not wanting to get emotional in front of a group of people she didn't know.

Gia looked around the crouded room and could feel everyone's eyes on her, especially all of Bucky's men, there had a tight stare on her. "Bucky would always call me everyday and tell me how much he loved me.. He would leave to go for a shower and tell me how much he missed me."

Gia choked back a sob as she glanced at his coffin, her eyes moving to a photo of Bucky placed next to the coffin, his smile bright and his eyes youthful. "You can rest now" Gia finished and moved down from the podium, wiping a few stray tears that left her eyes as she hurried back to Becca, wrapping her sobbing friend into a tight comforting embrace.

"Thank you Giannina, we also have a friend of James who had been with him from the very start, Steve Rogers." Gia and Becca pull away from each other but still hold each others arms, needing the support.

"My name is Steve, and Bucky and I have been best friends since childhood. We lived just five houses apart on the same complex, and we spent every day together as kids. When I think of Bucky as a young boy, I remember how much he loved exploring the ravine not far from our house. Half of our summers were spent wandering through the woods, looking for crayfish under rocks along the creek, climbing trees, and generally doing things that would have given our parents gray hair much sooner if they knew what we had been up to each day." That earned a soft laugh from the happy memories, Steve continues,

"I have to share one memory that really illustrates Bucky's  fearless, and sometimes impulsive, nature. Some of the neighborhood boys had built a rope swing in a tree along the ravine's edge. Bucky, being Bucky, decided to give it a try. As he swung out over the edge, one of the boys jokingly called out, "Jump!" My heart leaped to my throat as I saw Bucky let go of the rope on his next swing out. Luckily he wound up with nothing more than skinned knees and a grin that said he couldn't believe he had just done that, but it just goes to show what a risk taker he was.

More than a simple risk taker, Bucky also had a generous soul, which he would kill me for saying." Gia smiled at Steve's words, knowing how Bucky would feel if people thought he was in fact kind.

"His work as CEO of RB Insurance became his greatest passion, and he put in tireless hours organizing deals and offers where people who needed help could go and use his services until they could get back on their feet. Bucky was my friend, my pal and I will always be thankful for every life lesson we learned together." Steve looked towards the coffin with a sombre smile on his face

"rest easy my old friend." After Steve finished his touching send off to his friend, the group of mourners moved outside and made their way towards the cemetery. There was already a patch of dirt dug ready for Bucky, the tombstone was sleek like he would expect it to be. Gia ran her fingers over his name calved into the stone, she was proud of herself to not letting any tears slip.

The coffin was brought out and lowered into the ground, each family member along with his closest friends and Gia took a small shovel and scooped dirt, throwing down onto the coffin. Father Michael read a final verse from the Bible and thanked everyone for coming, announcing that the wake was going to be held in a hall next door to the church.

"Are you coming?" Becca asked her friend as she stood next to Gia, watching as two men started to fill the ground back up with dirt, covering and sealing Bucky. "I'll meet you there" Gia sighed.

Not able to move from her spot as she watched the men pat down the dirt, taking all of their equipment back towards the church. Gia waited for everyone to leave her alone before she dropped to her knees, the tears now burning her cheeks as they collided with the freshly turned dirt.

Gia couldn't hold back the sobs as she let her body release all the built up frustration, hurt, anger and live she once felt for the man now laying six feet under her. Gia knew that Bucky was a huge part of her life and how she would treat future relationships and thankful for what he told was able to show her.

"I don't know if you can hear me but I want you to know I forgive you. I forgive you for all the shit you put me through because I deserve to be happy. You don't deserve my forgiveness but I deserve it myself, I need to forgive you for myself."

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There are 2 chapters left after this one, so as a huge thank you for your love and support I will be posting them both together ❤️