GROW (BUCKY BARNES x OC)

51

The truth about some of Seven's traumatic past kept nagging at Bucky. She'd be a child, like Aurora, only she wasn't manipulated into it, she was pinned down and forced. She'd been raised as a machine and she lost the only person she'd ever loved. Her sister. Seven was messed up, yes, but she had been made that way too.

The day after their late night confession, Seven wouldn't look at Bucky. He wasn't sure what he'd even say to her if given the chance. He wasn't given one, but he did get the chance to talk to Lola.

She'd been sitting on a couch of the living room on the floor she and Seven were staying on. She looked up and nodded in acknowledgement when he'd walked in. Lola looked liked she was debating whether to ask him something but he waited in patience for her to speak.

"Is she alright? Seven?" Lola asked quickly, as if rushing the words out would get this all over with as soon as possible.

"Why'd you ask?"

Lola frowned.

"I heard her and Steve around two in the morning. Apparently she'd had a nightmare. The screaming woke me up, and I listened through my door until they stopped talking, but I couldn't really make out many words. Not that it really matters though. She probably deserves her nightmares." Lola said.

Bucky wasn't sure that was true anymore, especially if they were about what they'd discussed last night. Lola studied his face for a moment.

"You disagree. You think I'm wrong." She noted.

"I didn't say that." He replied.

"Your face did. Do you really think Seven's a good person? You know what she's done." Lola reminded him.

"I think it's more complicated than good or bad people." Bucky said carefully.

"She didn't stop them from killing Megan." Lola said.

"But she wasn't the one to do it. It sounded like she didn't even know about it until after." He pointed out.

"She's still done a lot of bad stuff... killed a lot of good people." She said, but it sounded like she was trying to convince herself that too.

Bucky was silent. Lola looked at him carefully again.

"Can I tell you something? You can't tell anyone else." She said.

"Okay." He nodded.

"I think I hate her so much because I have to. She had everything I never did and she tossed it all away to stay with HYDRA. Seven's twin sister loved her. I heard that HYDRA made her watch them torture Six for a week straight before she died right in front of her. I heard that after that Seven was more broken than ever, but... she had her sister. Six loved her. They loved each other, they had each other... and Seven still killed so many people."

"You're thinking about Lucy." Bucky said.

Lola looked up with tears in her eyes.

"I loved Lucy my entire life, I loved her so much! She just... she never felt the same back I guess. Or if she did, it wasn't strong enough to stop her from hurting me. I never had what Seven did, but I didn't kill people!"

"You were raised by your parents. Seven was raised by murderers. You both lost your sisters in different ways, but you got to spend ten years growing up with loving parents. Seven never even got one." Bucky said, slightly surprising himself by standing up for her.

Lola closed her eyes for a minute.

"I know. I know it's not fair. It's not fair to blame her for everything she's been trained to do, and it's not fair to blame her for Megan. I just... she reminds me of the sisters I've lost. Lucy to her hatred and Megan to HYDRA. And Seven... I know it's not right, but blaming her for everything kind of made me feel better." Lola admitted.