My Soldiers II Bucky Barnes

8- The aftermath

"Bu-Buck?" she stuttered as she woke. Steve let go of her arms and stood up, moving away to lean in the doorway as Bucky helped her sit up then wriggled back so he was sitting on the end of her bed giving her some space to breathe. 

The second Bucky stopped moving Tyla threw herself into his arms without a moment of hesitation. Bucky was shocked by her sudden urge to be close to him but held her tight in his arms. Steve looked at Bucky with questioning eyes, Bucky replied with a nod as Steve stood from the door frame and made his way back downstairs shutting the door behind him.

The sound of the door clicking shut was all it took for Tyla to break, her body was shaking as she let out gut-wrenching sobs tightly griping onto shirtless Bucky as if her life depended on it.

"Doll, what's happening," Bucky whispered softly looking down at the woman trembling in his arms, he could see she was merely a shell of herself.

"Bucky" her voice hoarse and shaky "don't let them take me please...please" she begged before returning to leaving warm tear tracks down the soldier's topless torso.

He pulled her body even closer to his as he laid down on the bed taking her with him, "They won't get near you. No one touches MY doll" he assured her,

Tyla was now laying on top of Bucky, her grip on him seemed to loosen, she was calming down. 

Your not safe here, they will find you. Tyla shot up now sitting facing Bucky who follows suit shifting under her propping himself up into a sitting position.

"I-I can't stay here," she says looking him in the eyes with tears in hers,

"Come here doll, it's late let's try and get some sleep. I will keep you safe" he says trying to mask the stabbing pain in his chest that formed from seeing such an amazing girl so distraught.

"No-no I can't...I'm not safe up here," she says beginning to hyperventilate. Bucky opens his arms to her and she gladly excepts quickly wrapping her arms around his torso closing the gap between the two, Bucky strokes her hair trying to come up with a solution as she hides her face into the nape of his neck.

"Would you be able to get back to sleep if you were in a safer place?" Bucky asked, continuing to stroke her hair and trying to be soft with his wording.

No response.

"Tyla look at me..." he said softly peeling her off of him so he could look her in the eyes,

"I am here to help you doll, I know it's hard but can you try and be strong for me?" he asked keeping eye contact with her. Tyla nodded.

"There we go, you can do this." Tyla didn't look so convinced.

"Now would you be able to go back to sleep if you felt safe?" he repeated. 

"I can try" she whispers sheepishly, Bucky placed his forehead on hers relieved that she answered and was willing to give it a go.

"Thank you doll," he whispered to her pulling his head away from hers allowing her to fall back into his chest while he rubbed circles on her back. At least he now had a plan.

"Do you think you can let go of me for a second?" he asked, he felt her shake her head against his chest,

"Tyla it will be for two seconds while I stand to pick you up" he explained, she nodded and hesitantly moved away from Bucky losing the warm comforting feeling and sense of safety that came with being connected to his skin.

Bucky stood and turned back to the woman sitting on the bed by herself, she looked so scared and confused. He reached down and wrapped his arms around her torso, she followed his lead and wrapped her arms around his neck. Smoothly he lifted the small girl up to his chest and she wrapped her legs around his waist pulling herself as close to his chest as she possibly could while he moved his hands to under her thighs keeping her stable.