GROW (BUCKY BARNES x OC)

11

"What the hell did you do?!" Steve demanded, storming into Bucky's room without even knocking on the door.

It startled him so badly he fell out of his bed, blinking up at Steve in confusion. This couldn't be Steve. Steve never got this angry at him. Steve never barged into his room like this.

"What?" He croaked out.

The Steve imposter fixed him with a hard look.

"What do you do to Aurora? What did you say?" He demanded.

Bucky's brows scrunched in confusion and he slowly sat up.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"What did you say to her? I just came back from Wanda's room after hearing her and Vision talking loudly. Aurora was having a panic attack and it lasted so long Wanda had to break into her mind to finally end it. Wanda said they had been talking about you. So, I'm asking you. What. Did. You. Say."

That definitely was Steve. Righteous fury.

Bucky's mind spun into a hurricane of thought. Then he was hit with a realization, so hard he felt it rattle through each and every one of his bones. He gave Aurora a panic attack?!

"I- I..." He couldn't find the words to confess his crime.

"Bucky." Steve said sternly.

He swallowed.

"She came here. She came in here with Olivia, bringing me soup and tissues and saying all this sweet shit. Then she sent Olivia out and was asking me all theses questions about if I was okay, if I needed anything... I- I... shit, Steve. I fucking lost it. I felt so guilty, I just wanted her to go, to leave. I snapped at her. Raised my voice. She left quickly, but I didn't know- shit!" Bucky rose to his feet.

"Bucky-"

"I'm going out." He said emotionlessly, face shifting from despair to void of all emotion.

"What do you mean?" Steve asked slowly.

"I'm going on a mission." Bucky said robotically, gathering weapons from around his room.

"You're not thinking straight. Fury didn't even give you a mission."

"Then I'll find one myself." Bucky said.

Steve watched him prepare his stuff, stuffing clothes into a backpack to leave.

"Bucky, I know you're upset with yourself, but this is not the way to fix things." Steve tried to reason.

"And what is the way, Steve? What is the way to fix things?! I thought I could help her, could help her heal and shit, I don't know. I thought I could protect her. I thought I could keep her safe. I hurt her, Steve. I gave her a fucking panic attack." Bucky said.

He grabbed one last gun. Steve grabbed his wrist.

"Running away won't make it better. She needs to know you aren't mad. She needs to know you still care."

"No. She needs me the stay the hell out of her life." Bucky said.

"She needs you here." Steve insisted.

"She'd be better off with me dead. You all would be."

Steve was too shocked to follow him fast enough. Too confused and worried to stop him before he left. He called Tony, tried to get him to track Bucky down, but it was to no use. Bucky had spent years living as a ghost, he knew how to disappear.

Aurora slept the rest of the day and through the night. She only left her bed briefly to check on Olivia before falling back into a troubled sleep. Nightmares. Like a floodgate had been switched in her mind, she was suddenly plagued by horrific nightmares, all surrounding one person- Chris. When she woke up the next day, it took everything in her to drag herself out of bed. She had to. Olivia needed her.