Bad Company Blues - Bucky BarnesxOC

Part 19: it's a disaster

A/N: We have maybe 5-8 chapters left to go in this fic? Roughly? I always intended it to be on the shorter side, whereas Attachment Theory is a fucking beast. It's already almost as long as Trying Your Luck *screams into pillow* Idk what I got myself into with that one, but I'll finish it eventually.

No smut in this one on account of the carnage from last chapter. This is mostly just character development.

Eden spends the entire ride to Claire's apartment in the back of the van putting pressure on Bucky's wound.

"There's gauze next to you!" Claire calls from the front seat. "You're going to want to stuff it in his wound!"

Giving Eden something to do is a smart idea. She goes into overdrive, placing one hand over Bucky's wound while the other fumbles for the gauze. Eden is quick, lifting up his shirt and pressing the gauze into the gash in his size. Bucky screams and she flinches.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," he laughs. "You gotta do it, right?"

The thin white fabric is instantly soaked in red and Eden whines. She grabs some medical tape and tapes as much to his skin as she can. She covers the wound back up with his shredded dress shirt. It was powder blue, but now it's soaked in dark blood.

"Should I keep pressure on the wound?"

"Yes!" Claire calls as she turns a corner sharply. Bucky and Eden jostle, both of them skidding and slamming against the wall.

"What the fuck?!"

"Sorry!" Claire calls. "Almost missed a turn!"

"Fuck sake," Bucky mutters.

Eden puts her hand back on the red spot. The gauze doesn't seem to be helping, but she's not a doctor. Blood continues to soak through the gaps in her fingers and she's never felt more helpless in her life watching him pale and get weaker by the second. Bucky, on the other hand, is still cracking jokes. Claire drives over a pothole and he yelps.

"Hey, woman driver! Can you try to avoid those goddamn things?! Or just drive better?!"

"I swear to God, Bucky, I'll jam my finger into your stab wound," Eden growls.

"You'd do that to the man you love?" He quips. "Who's also dying?"

Her throat tightens and she draws in a calming breath. He's not dying. He can't die. He's going to be just fine. Eden looks down to see her hands stained red. She looks up at him, eyes glossy and glistening. Bucky's bravado falters for a moment and he reaches out with his metal arm, placing it over her bloodied hand so that she doesn't have to look at it anymore.

"Are you trying to garner more sympathy?" She chokes.

He's pale and sweating, but a grin spreads across his face.

"Will it get me a kiss?"

"You're so annoying when you're dying."

"I'm annoying all the time."

"Hey, can you get him to stop talking?!" Claire shouts. "He's gonna need his strength!"

"Bucky, you've gotta shut up," Eden whispers, leaning over to kiss him gently.

"Impossible," he says softly.

Time is a strange thing in a crisis. It passes in the blink of an eye, and yet it's somehow the longest car ride Eden has ever been on. The van stops in front of a building. Claire hops out and rips the back door open.