Necessary Good, Unnecessary Evil | No rest For Wounded Souls [Bucky Barnes]

Two Negatives Make A Positive

"Where there is ruin, there is hope for a treasure."
-Jalal Uddin Rumi

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Nova's POV

I grit my teeth, squeezing my eyes as I feel my skin literally frying as Shuri moves the laser on my shoulder, erasing Hydra's mark. "We're almost there. Do you want to take a break?" She wonders, and I shake my head.
"No. Get it done before I pass out." I hiss, clenching my fists.
Sweat drips from my forehead, and the pain has formed a void in my stomach, making my head feel dizzy.
I focus on my breathing, keeping my eyes on the door in front of me. "Done," Shuri utters, and I let out a sigh of relief, trying to relax my body.
The skin where she worked stings and burns like hell, but I'm so glad that the ink is finally gone.
I lean forward, putting my arm on the chair's backrest, resting my forehead on it.
Shuri applies something cool to it, and it feels good. "Change the bandage when you get back home and before going to bed." She instructs, handing me my t-shirt.

"Thank you." I smile.
"It should heal just fine, but if it gives you any issues, come back here." I nod my head, putting on my t-shirt carefully.
Well, that's one of Bucky's. It's becoming something I do lately, and he likes seeing me in his clothes.
I remember he should be here too to try out the first attempt to get rid of the trigger words. "Is Bucky already there?" I wonder before leaving.
"He should be. Go check the sixth floor." Shuri considers, and I frown.
"I can stay there?" I ask, hoping for a positive response.
"Yeah, you two have different triggers, so even if it shouldn't work, this is not going to affect you." She shrugs, and I nod.
"What are the chances this will work?" Her eyes narrow, and she sighs.
"It's just a first attempt. I can't really say." I press my lips together and leave the room.

It's been almost two months since we arrived in Wakanda.
And even if these two months weren't free from unexpected events, they have been the most laidback I've ever had since I was a child.
I still don't know what that book is about, but I'll try again once we leave Wakanda.
And speaking of events, it's been two weeks since the date, and things are still very smooth between us.
Sure, we still love to annoy each other, but it's never serious. 
I keep myself grounded, keeping it real and avoiding conjuring false hopes that will inevitably ruin whatever Bucky and I have right now.
Not that I know what it is.

I find Bucky's room, and I knock on the open door. "Hey, what are you doing here? I thought you were working." Bucky smiles, walking to me and leaving a kiss on my cheek.
"The kids went on a school trip, so I had a free period," I beam, checking the bracelet he has on his wrist.
"Did they run more tests?" I wonder, and he nods.
"I'm glad you made it here." He mutters, resting his hand on my cheek.
"How do you feel?" I ask, leaning with my shoulder to the door frame, forgetting for an instant that I just got the tattoo removed.
Bucky frowns, "I'm fine, I guess. What's wrong?" He tilts his head, noticing my sore expression.

"Oh, I talked with one of the teachers because she liked my tattoos. I told her I wanted to remove one. And it turned out they have some special laser here, and look," I turn around, slowly sneaking out my shoulder.
"Did it hurt?" Bucky asks, worried, brushing his fingers across the skin around the white bandage.
"Like hell, but now it's gone." I chuckle, and he adjusts the t-shirt on my shoulders.
I turn around, looking at him.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there." He says, and I shake my head.
"Don't Bucky. It was just a few minutes." I lie, hoping to reassure him.
It took about an hour to remove the ink and a shit ton of numbing lotion, but I don't want him to think he let me down. "Mr. Barnes, we are ready." A nurse comes in the room, and Bucky nods.
"I'm going to be there too," I mutter, cupping his face in my hands.
Bucky's eyes widen, and he steps back, "no, I don't want to risk hurting you." He croaks.
I step closer to him, putting my hands on his shoulders and burning my eyes into his. "You're not going to hurt me, Bucky. Even if you tried, you know I can kick your ass." I chuckle, and he sighs, looking down.
I slide my hands down his arms, and he grips my hands, squeezing them. "It's going to be ok," I whisper, resting my forehead against his.