Home (HE/HIM VERSION)

12

Bucky felt sick to his stomach. He was stood in the doorway of the living room, eyes completely fixed on his husband. "What did you do..?" He asked in almost a whisper.

The living room was pristine. No signs of struggle, no signs of an attack, nothing. Hell, it looked cleaner than how Bucky had left it this morning. The super soldier had been expecting a gruesome scene, maybe even a body or some blood, but the fact that everything looked perfect was far more unsettling.

Y/n was sat on one of the armchairs in the living room, his posture completely perfect as a magazine rested on his lap. The magazine had been left open on one of the advertisements for the 'Romanoff' watch. Tear stains marked his cheeks, eyes a slight tint of red from the furious wiping to calm himself down. It was all so obvious, yet he still kept a cheery smile forced upon his face. "I didn't do anything! Well, that's a lie. I did do some spring-cleaning earlier, I'm feeling much better now."

Bucky didn't smile. He just continued to lean against the doorway, pulling his leather glove off of his vibranium hand. It was an uncomfortable silence. He just stared at him, studying every inch of his face with troubled eyes. The super soldier couldn't believe that his husband thought he wouldn't notice the tear stains on his cheeks. It was almost insulting.

Y/n and Bucky knew each other like the backs of their hands. They could tell what the other was thinking, what the other was feeling, what the other was wanting, in an instant. That was why their bond was so strong. That was why they were husbands. It wasn't a naive young love. It was everlasting. To see y/n lie to his face was heartbreaking.

Bucky took a sharp breath, continuing to stare at his husband as the cogs in his mind whirred and turned, trying to form words, trying to process. He stayed silent the entire time. He watched as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and how his forced smile didn't waver for a second. "Don't lie to me, y/n." Bucky shook his head, frustrated tears visible in his eyes. "Please, don't lie to me."

Y/n's smile begun to waver at the sight of his husband, eyebrows furrowing in concern. He set the open magazine down on the coffee table before slowly rising to his feet, his head tilting to the side ever so slightly. "What do you mean?" He asked in a hushed tone, making his way toward him. Y/n cupped his husband's cheeks with his hands, eyes displaying a complete look of innocence, but to someone like him, it was obvious he was faking it. "Bucky, you know I'd never lie to you. If this is about me not being as sick as I was this morning, then I apologise, but I can't control how my body recovers-"

Bucky pushed himself away from y/n, not aggressive to hurt him, but enough to give him time to walk into the living room. "There it is again, y/n! You're lying to me!" He yelled, setting his hands on the back of his head as he paced back and forth. "You can't lie to me like you can to everyone else. You can't control me." The super soldier hissed, pointing toward y/n. "You're supposed to be my husband, and you're stood there lying to my face. I don't believe you! I don't believe any of this!"

Bucky had snapped. He couldn't take it anymore. He was upset, angry, frustrated, and confused, all at the same time. It wasn't a fun mix, and y/n lying to him didn't make it any better.

Y/n couldn't help but flinch as Bucky suddenly snapped. His smile completely dropped, eyes wide as his husband yelled and shouted. He'd never seen him so angry before, and it was scary. His own actions had caused this, but he was still determined to stand his ground and keep up his facade. He had to. "Buck-"

"No! No, y/n." Bucky seethed, raking a hand through his hair before finally standing still. He was several feet away from y/n, and he planned on keeping it that way. He had to speak his mind. "I spoke to Norm today. I spoke to him free of your control." He said seriously, his volume beginning to lower, but the anger was still very obvious. "Norm told me that you were in his head. That he can't do anything himself. That he can't even dream for himself. He begged me to help. He begged-"

Y/n's entire demeanour dropped, staying silent as his husband ranted and seethed. He didn't know what to say, nor did he know what to do. A glint of realisation had appeared in his shocked eyes, a lump growing in his throat with every breath he took.

Bucky took a shaky breath, eyes staying fixed on his husband. "And that's just the start of it! Norm's receipt morphed into something called the 'Westview Anomaly', and it was talking about hostages and you and-"

"I don't know what that is, Bucky." Y/n rushed out, his voice quiet and shaky. It was another obvious lie, yet he was desperate for Bucky to believe him. He wasn't ready to let go of whatever was going on. He wasn't ready at all.

The frustration in the super soldier just seemed to grow as y/n lied once again. He shook his head, clenching his vibranium fist as his nostrils flared. "I wasn't finished." He snapped. "I saw your interaction with Dottie. I heard that radio call your name, and I saw you use your powers to smash the glass in Dottie's hand." Bucky seethed through gritted teeth.

Y/n could feel tears burning at his eyes with every word that came out of Bucky's mouth. He raised his hands up, seeming as if he was about to cover his ears. He gasped in as much air as he could, his bottom lip beginning to waver out of stress and sadness. Something had been unearthed that Bucky wasn't aware of. "Can you just stop-"

"No. I'm not stopping. I just want you to listen to me for once." Bucky snapped in response, watching as y/n moved across the room to sit down on the couch. "I watched you almost choke Mr Hart to death, and act as if nothing had happened. You lied to me when you said you were fine out on the porch that night. I could see the tears in your eyes!" He shouted, pointing toward the window as if he were pointing toward the porch. "And I keep-" Bucky paused, raking a hand through his hair as he tried to think of the right thing to say. "I keep hearing an audience. I hear them laugh, I hear them cheer, I hear them make sad noises, and I know it's not the radio. Y/n, what the fuck is happening?"

Y/n shrugged, throwing his arms into the air with a frustrated laugh. "I don't know! I don't know what's going on!" He shouted in response, tears beginning to roll once again. "I don't know how it started. I don't know why it started. I-"

"Y/n. These people are being tortured. You need to let them go. You need to let whatever this is go. It's cruel!" Bucky begged, his tone softening as he saw the tears fall. He knelt down in front of y/n, resting his hands on his knees to try and meet his gaze. "Please-"

And that was when the doorbell rang.

Y/n slowly lifted his head up at the sound of the doorbell, his shoulders slumping at the look in his husband's eyes. "That-" He paused, taking a shaky breath as the doorbell chimed again. "That wasn't me." He whispered honestly, eyes wide as he desperately tried to make his husband believe him. "That wasn't me." He repeated, shaking his head.

Bucky didn't believe him for one second. The anger and frustration had clouded over him once again, moving his hands away from y/n as he rose to his feet. He couldn't believe that he was using a visitor so he could avoid an argument. So he didn't have to explain himself.

Y/n's face continued to fall, staring at the distrust in Bucky's eyes. It hurt. And the fact that it was all his fault made it even worse. He continued to shake his head as he stood up, trying to reach out to take his husband's hand. "That wasn't-"

"Get the door." Bucky commanded in a cold tone, moving his hand away from y/n's grasp.

So, y/n did.

He slowly made his way toward the door, furiously wiping at his eyes and making sure he looked presentable. However, as soon as he opened the door, the shock that coursed through him was almost enough to make him forget about the current situation with Bucky.

"Wanda?"