Natasha and Bucky struggle to come to terms with the startling revelation. Will they manage to overcome the impending danger? Or will their relationship crumble as jealousy ensues, pitting the two lovers against each other?
The emittance of the heart monitor flatlining had the Avengers frozen in horror as they watched their old friend dying in front of their eyes. The doctors were going frantic, trying to use the AED to jumpstart Bruce's heart rate. It was useless, nothing was happening. The whole room was in chaos, Nat began crying violently, as she watched the doctors try to resuscitate Bruce's lifeless body. Steve had to gently usher her out of the room knowing that she was in no condition to be there at the moment. "Nat, it's going to be okay." He tried comforting her. "Okay?! His heart literally stopped, Steve. How is it going to be okay?" She snapped, as she continued crying. Steve couldn't respond. Nat was right. How would he know if everything was going to be okay? He gently rubbed her back soothingly, the only thing he could do for her right now.
"Steve, this can't be happening. I may hate him for what he did but I didn't want him dead. I am I a horrible person?" She sobbed, as laid her head against his shoulder. "Look at me." He said as he lifted her head so she could look him in the eyes. " You are not a horrible person. This was just an unfortunate circumstance. You can't blame yourself for what happened. Okay. It's not your fault. Besides, we all hated Bruce for what he did. We should've seen it coming. Bruce was about to confess everything and maybe something else we didn't know. Bruce had become a liability to her and the only way to stop him was by eliminating him." Steve explained. "There is nothing we can do now. We can only hope and pray that he will be okay." He said, hugging Nat tightly.
***
Bucky, who heard the commotion, managed to get out of bed and listened to everything that happened. Bucky had tried so hard to contain his jealously, he knew deep down there was nothing for him to be jealous about. Yet, the jealousy seemed to take control of him. He could see how much Nat cared so much for Bruce. That horrible thought of her leaving him for Bruce continued to haunt him. He could no longer escape those maddening thoughts. He didn't want to be this kind of jealous and possessive boyfriend but that was exactly who he was becoming. It was frustrating because it continued to mess his relationship with Nat.
Bucky felt as if Bruce was becoming more of her priority than him and it drove him crazy. Nat was his girlfriend, not Bruce's. He wanted to shout in frustration. He didn't know how what to do. The next moment, he decided to leave the tower for a while. He needed to clear his head, he couldn't handle this petty and jealous person he was becoming. It was all too much. He just needed to get away and be by himself for a while.
He wanted to fix himself, so he could become a better man for Nat. He wanted to be worthy of her, at the moment he didn't feel like it. He knew kept pushing Nat to her limits, it was times like that when he thought, Why is she still with me? There was a part of him that didn't believe he could be loved by someone, after everything he has done. Even though Nat continues to reassure him that she will always love him no matter what. At the back of his mind, he still thought there was something he could do that would result in Nat abandoning him. That was his biggest fear.
Taking some time away to clear his head might be beneficial to his and Nat's relationship. He needed to try and understand who he was and learn to love himself a bit better. He knew that was the root of his problems. How could he allow someone to love him when he barely loved himself. He wasn't going to let anyone know where he was going, including Nat. He just needed to figure this out on his own.
He left a note on the bed saying that he was going away for a few days to clear his head, mentioning that no one must come looking for him. Before leaving, he felt a pang of guilt. He hated leaving Nat in the dark like this, knowing that she would be worried about him. In the end, he knew it was the right decision to make. When he comes back he would explain the whole situation to her. He just hoped that she wouldn't stress too much about him.
***
It had been about 30 min since Steve and Nat left the room, not knowing what was going on for the past half an hour. All of a sudden the door burst open, the doctor walking out calmly. "Good news, Bruce is now in a stable condition but there might be some complications going forwards." The doctor explained. "Complications like what?" Nat asked. "He might have some physical disabilities. The right half of his body is in some sort of paralysis, similar to that of having a stroke. Unfortunately, the damage is irreversible. There is nothing we can do at the moment. It is possible that he might get some movement after some time but it is highly unlikely because of the severity of the injury." The doctor explained.
Nat couldn't believe what she just heard. At least he was okay. "Doc, I have one question. If he transforms into the Hulk would that help him recover, somehow?" Steve asked. "Unfortunately not. In fact, I advise against him transforming into the hulk for a few months. It complicates his body even more." The doctor advised. "Oh, okay. Thank you for all your help, Doc. We really appreciate it." Steve acknowledged gratefully. "Any time. Call me, if there are any problems." The doctor nodded as he walked off.
"At least he is okay," Nat spoke, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Yeah. It will be a huge adjustment for him but he can get through it." Steve said, pulling Nat for a hug. "I want to go and see him but I'm sure he must be resting now. I'll come back later." Nat smiled, sadly. "Yeah. we can all go see him later. Anyway, I think you should go and check up on Bucky. He could be getting anxious for not seeing you for so long." He chuckled, as he walked off in the opposite direction. "Yeah, he must be going crazy there by himself."She agreed as she walked towards Bucky's room.
To her surprise, she found the room empty. "Where would he go?" She asked out loud. She was about to leave the room when she saw a note on top of his pillow.
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Nat collapsed onto the ground, she couldn't believe he just left without saying goodbye. She knew he was having jealously issues and relationship anxiety but it didn't mean he should just shut her off like that. Does he know how much she loves her? That she would do anything for him? Why would he just go and run off like that? She felt her heartache. She knew he would come back but she felt hurt that he didn't trust her enough to share his feelings with her. He should know that she would understand him. Pushing her away was not going to solve anything. They promised that they would do everything together
She felt so betrayed. Doesn't he know she needs him too? She really needed his love and support right now. The sharp pain in her chest became even worse. She clutched her chest, hoping the pain would subside. She sobbed uncontrollably, the pain she felt was unbearable. She really needed him right now and he wasn't here. She didn't know what to do anymore. She was done. If he couldn't handle being in a relationship then he shouldn't be in one. She was sick and tired of his excuses. Did he really expect her to be okay with this? She just had about enough. She worked better alone anyway.
When he comes back, she wouldn't be here waiting for him, not anymore. He should've just talked to her but instead, he was pushing her away like she was nothing. She cared so much about it, it hurt her that he doesn't see that. She knew he was self-sabotaging and he was really insecure about who was in the past. She just got tired of running every time their relationship hit a roadblock. She couldn't be in a relationship with someone who is afraid of sharing their emotions. What was the whole point of a relationship then? She loved him so much but she just couldn't do it anymore. She needed to break up with Bucky.
