𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑆𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑆𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑠

☘︎︎𝐶ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑇𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑦 𝐹𝑜𝑢𝑟☘︎︎

☆゜·。。·゜゜·。。·゜★☆゜·。。·゜゜·。。·゜★

The familiar ache set in her chest.

The ache of losing yet another loved one, it was a suffocating pain, the kind that squeezes your ribs and your heart physically aches. The harsh winter morning air was biting into her skin, numbing the expanse of her face as she stepped up to the gates of the cemetery. She slipped through the bars of the iron gate, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes, following the trail she had memorized as a child, opening up her eyelids when she stood in front of her fathers gravestone. Her knees finally buckled, bare skin pushing into the wet grass as a heart crushing sob left her lips. Emmett was meant to stay and protect her, her father was meant to protect her, her mother was meant to protect her. Yet they were all gone. Her mother and father ripped from her very grasps, while Emmett left her to fend for herself. It shouldn't  of hurt as much as it did, she had a new family, but it would never replace the one she was born into, then the one she made with Keegan, Emmett, and Paul.

Her body hurled over her knees, forehead pressing against the wet grass as tears rolled down her cheeks, mascara trailing along with them. She wanted to talk to her father, but nothing would come out, each time she went to speak, sickness filled her stomach and a loud cry ripped from her gut, rattling her ribs and crushing her heart along the way. She slipped her hand into her jacket, rubbing her thumb over the E that sat below her left breast, her last tie to him, the one she had never let Bucky take away, because in her mind it was a memorial. Now it sat as a painful reminder that she wasn't even important enough for him to stay, to protect, to love. That's all she ever wanted from someone, and she had it with Bucky, but the realization that to everyone she had known, she didn't matter to them.

"I thought I could find you here."

Addison quickly snapped her head up, turning to see Keegan standing with his hands in his pockets, a sad smile on his lips. "What you stalking me now?" Addison laughed, trying to hide the sniffle that was threatening to leave her nose. "Please, I have better things to do," Keegan chuckled, stepping up beside her, gesturing to the empty spot, "may I?" He asked, looking down at her as she nodded, "Be my guest." She replied, pulling the coat tighter around her. When he sat, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, bringing Addison's body against his to share his warmth, "I take it you found out." Keegan mumbled, rubbing Addison's arm as she leaned her head against his shoulder. "How long have you known?" Addison asked, shivering when cold air surrounded her, slumping against Keegan when he wrapped his jacket around her as well. "A week, I saw him a few days ago." He explained, sighing as Addison relaxed against him. "Did you leave with anger as well?"

"A lot of it actually."

Addison smiled, her temple pressing into his shoulder, she wasn't alone in her anger towards Emmett. "He used the tattoo against me." She whispered, closing her eyes when she let out a long breath, trying to suck the tears back in. "Yeah, he used Paul over me." Keegan murmured, both them falling silent. Paul had gone missing two weeks before Emmett got shot, his body, his belongings, nothing was ever found, he became a ghost, something that was so familiar in the world they resided in. Keegan let out a stuttered breath, laying his cheek against the top of her head, "I can take you back to Barnes, it's getting chilly out." Keegans voice was soft over the howl of the wind, heavy storm clouds rolling in over the bay. "What's it going to cost me?" Addison asked, she wasn't dumb, she knew everything had a price. "A piece of paper with new outlines for our boundaries, and maybe Bucky's approval?" Keegan asked, pulling the paper from his coat, the paper resting between his forefinger and his middle. "I think I can manage." Addison smiled, taking the paper from his hand. "Come on then." Keegan chuckled, helping her to her feet and leading her towards his bike.