Living Nightmare

Chapter Eight

Bucky goes to the kitchen to get breakfast before going to see you.

The Avengers are already round the table eating, and he joins them.

"Hey Buck" Steve smiles as Bucky sits to his right. "Sleep well?"

Bucky shrugs. "Stayed up late."

"How come?"

"I was worried about y/n."

"Don't worry, she'll be okay."

"Yeah I know. But I miss her and I wish I stayed at the hospital so I could've been there as soon as she woke up."

"Aw you miss her already" Sam grins. "You two are so cute."

"Literally made for each other" Clint adds.

"You should just hurry up and put a ring on her finger" Tony suggests.

"We are all waiting for that" Nat laughs.

"Mm. Well I'm going to see her straight after breakfast and hopefully they've figured out how to help. She's been so concerned and I can't bare to see her upset. I want her to be happy."

"We're all here to help if there's anything either of you need" Steve offers.

"Thank you Steve... when she's home and when she finally feels better, then we can move on with our life."

The others grin widely, as they know what that meant. Bucky shook his head with amusement.

They all chat to one another as they finish all the food on the table. They talk for a bit longer when they're done, until Bucky checks his watch.

"I should get going" he declares, but hesitates to get up.

He heard a noise. The others heard it too.

"What was that?" Thor asks.

Clint looks around the table, counting that everyone's accounted for.

"Is someone else in the compound?" Nat wonders.

"Not that I'm aware of" Tony responds.

They hear footsteps. They listen as whoever's there slowly approaches the door. They fumble with the handle.

The door opens.

You stand there, staring back at everyone. Your mouth hangs open as you take slow, shaky breaths.

You have blood on your face.

It's on your shirt too, your arms, a few spots down your legs.

Your eyes are full of tears waiting to fall.

You look like you're about to collapse.

Bucky notices. He runs to you and you fall into his arms, sobbing. You feel too weak to stand so you slowly lower to the floor. Bucky drops onto his knees as he refuses to let go.

He wants to tell you it's okay. But he can't lie to you. He has no idea who's blood has drenched your clothes or how you escaped the hospital. There's probably a link between the answers, he assumes.

You take deep breaths, desperately trying to calm yourself. You're unsuccessful as you cry even more.

You can feel several pairs of eyes watching you. You know you can't hide from them. You can't make them forget this image of you. Their opinions will change, you think. They know you've done something bad and they'll think differently of you now. Your belief that that was true didn't help.

Bucky holds the back of your head, pressing your face against his chest. He feels your tears on his skin as they soak through his t-shirt.

He doesn't know what to do.

He's scared.

He hasn't seen you like this before.