The Soldier's Luna: Reclamation (Bucky Barnes x OC)

Chapter 22

"No," I heard Bucky grunt. I turned around to see that his body and face were covered with sweat. "Let her go," he groaned in his sleep.

I sat up. "Bucky?" I touched his face. He cringed, turning his head sharply from side to side. His hand fisted the sheet as he cried out. "Bucky, wake up."

"Leave her alone! Take me! No! Let her go! Take me!" He begged as he thrashed around the bed. "TAKE ME!"

Placing my hands on his cheeks, I urged, "Bucky, wake up! Come on, wake up."

As though it was a reflex, his hand shot out and grasped my neck as he sat up quickly. My hands held his wrist. His hold wasn't strong but there was pressure. Bucky looked around the room wildly, his breaths were ragged. Hesitantly, I ran my fingers through his hair to get him to look at me. Bucky flinched at first, but relaxed. I caressed his cheek gently until his breathing calmed down. Realizing that his hand was grasping my neck still, he released me.

"Iliana..." Bucky's eyes moved to my neck and back up at me. "I didn't mean-"

"I know," I reassured him as I tucked a section of his hair behind his ear. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He rested his face against my shoulder, unable to speak at first. His arm wrapped around my waist. "I don't know if it was just a nightmare or if it's a memory...They were torturing you in front of me. There was so much blood." He looked down, "You were so still..."

"I'm right here," I uttered as I moved his hair away from his face.

His glistening broken eyes moved to my scar. "Angel, I'm so sorry. I wasn't strong enough to fight..." his voice shook.

I shook my head. "Don't."

"How can you love me after doing that to you?"

"Stop," I begged him, cupping his face in my hands. "I'm sorry it had to be you that gave me this brand. I hate that it was you, but we can't change it. No matter what, I don't blame you for this mark, okay? It was Petrov's fault."

"I just...I wish I could've been able to fight it."

I grimaced, "Bucky, Hydra took so much from us. They took so much from you. Petrov making you do this to me was cruel but he knew what he was doing. He knew that you had feelings for me even during our Hydra days. He made you do this so he can have this sick control over us. He knew that you'd feel guilty for this. He knew that I would hate looking at my arm and would want to protect you from seeing it. We can't let him take control, especially when the bastard is supposed to be suffering down below. I know that this guilt won't go away overnight, but just try. Don't let them take anything else from us, okay?"

He nodded softly. "Still, I'm sorry, Angel. I really am."

"I forgive you," I uttered. "Maybe, we can talk to Shuri and see if there's a way we can get this removed."

"Good idea. We'll ask her later." Bucky laid back down on the bed, but he rustled around a bit. He sighed, "I don't think I can go back to sleep."

"Why?"

"The bed," he answered. "I was only able to sleep on here because we wore ourselves out from...you know."

I got up and slipped on his shirt that was on the floor. Bucky watched as I pulled the comforter off the bed to place it on the floor by the window. I grabbed the pillows from the bed to put them on the ground too. Afterward, I grabbed the flat sheet too. "Come on," I said as I took his hand and brought him with me to the window.

I laid down by the window and patted the spot next to me. He laid down next to me, but squeezed my hand lightly, "Doll, you don't have to sleep down here with me."