Of Love and Lines (MCUxReader)

Forty Four

Penelope POV

Que the purring cat.

Alpine was already hard at work making biscuits on your back where you laid face down on a bed.

Perfect. Alright, bring in the lighting.

One glance at Bucky's room told you that you were back in the other realm, its purply glow overtaking the world around you.

Que the freak out.

But there wasn't one.

Your heart sat perfectly still in the middle of your chest, content as a sleeping cat in a sun filled window. Sighing, you smashed your face back into the pillow beneath you, closing your eyes and willing your powers to take you back to the real world.

They didn't.

Hell, your glow didn't even brighten, letting you know just how drained you were. Seems Bruce's little concoction mixed with almost fucking dying meant your power reserves were completely drained. Which also meant you were stuck here in this purple fucking realm for who even knows how long.

A shiver racked your spine at the thought about what could've happened had your powers not broken through the med induced barrier in time.

You could've actually died.

It was close. Too fucking close.

Never again would you let them suppress your powers. No amount of pain relief was worth the risk.

Trying to go back to sleep was as fucking useless as trying to smash a square peg into a round hole. Groaning, you rolled out of the bed, cringing at the blood soaked mess that was Bucky's tee shirt. Not being able to change your appearance while in this realm was such bullshit. You were so asking Loke to show you some new tricks later.

The room around you was still a fucking mess. Blood everywhere, and Apl's cat tree smashed to smithereens in the corner. Something she wasn't too happy about given the gruff meow she sent up at you from her spot between your feet.

Bending down, you patted her head between her ears before giving her some chin scratches. "I'm sorry, pretty kitty. We'll get you a new one as soon as I'm corporeal again. Hell, we'll get you a bigger one to make up for it. You'd like that wouldn't you?"

Her happy meow was music to your ears. "Yeah, you would."

Straightening, you decided to go check on Bucky and found him the first place you checked, Steve's room.

The two of them were curled up around each other on the bed in a tight, full bodied embrace. But they weren't sleeping. Warm light cascaded over their figures from the single lamp on the bedside table, showcasing just how tense they were, a far cry from relaxed slumber. Bucky's body was curled in on itself in Steve's arms as he shook. Not shivers of cold. No. The blanket was lumped up at their feet, Bucky was stripped down to his boxers, every inch of his exposed skin gleaming with sweat. His eyes were cinched shut, his face drawn in harsh lines of pain. Steve had his nose pressed into Bucky's short brunette locks as he held him through the tremors. Hesitantly, you inched closer, Alpine right at your heels.

Steve's eyes were open, their crystal blue shimmering with unshed tears, his own half naked body covered in small goosebumps. In this realm, that spot in your chest that usually sent his feelings into your system was gone, something you were thankful for. Something you didn't even need, as one look at him told you everything he was feeling as a tear stemmed down his cheek, getting lost in Bucky's hair.

Heart stuttering in your chest, you took a brisk step back, damn near tripping on Alpine in the process. She let out an annoyed meow and Bucky's eyes shot open, his deep navy orbs surrounded by his own unshed tears like an ocean his very soul was drowning in, the whites surrounding the sorrowful colors shot through with red lines that matched the angry skin surrounding his eyes, making the rest of his skin look pale in comparison.