Sunflower

95

{third-person}

Bucky sat on a chair, his leg restlessly jumping up and down as he rubbed his palms together. From the door, Natasha looked at Bucky, knowing what bothered him.

“It’s going to be okay Bucky-”

“No it won’t,” Bucky said as he jumped up. “She’s unconscious. It’s day four. She hasn’t moved a muscle and-”

“And Wanda said that it’ll take time. Bucky, relax.”

Bucky groaned. “It’s been too long Nat.” he looked at her with light fury dancing in his eyes. “Steve vanished. Sam had to run off to his sister. Scott had to return home. And suddenly Wanda arrived with two children and a wedding ring seconds after you call her. Best of all is, Amber is lying unconscious in her bed with a spiking fever that won’t go down! How am I supposed to relax?”

Natasha sighed. “By sitting down and stop yelling.”

A chuckle escaped Amber’s lips, making Bucky and Natasha look her way. Her eyes were still closed, but the corners of her mouth were bent up.

“Amber?” Bucky asked as he rushed to seat himself on the chair beside her bed. He slipped his hand into hers, but there was no movement. He frowned, looking at Natasha. “Her hands are ice cold,” he said, making Natasha rush beside her.

Her hand slipped into Amber’s as well before she dropped it, pulled her hand to her chest.

“No, she’s on fire.”

Bucky shot over her body, grabbing her other hand, before immediately dropping it as well.

“Natasha get Wanda. Something isn’t right.”

Without a second to think, Natasha left the room. Bucky sighed, placing his hand on Amber’s forehead. It was average. Not too warm, or too cold. Just perfect body temperature.

“Hello doll,” he whispered, stroking her hair with his one hand while the other held tightly to hers. “You’re going to be okay. You’re going to be perfect in just a few days’ time.”

Her head fell to the side, facing Bucky, yet her eyes stayed closed. His hand moved up her jawline, before stroking hair behind her ear. He traced his finger down her ear lobe, bumping over a bunch of piercings and rings.

“I’m cold.” The voice was almost too soft to be heard, but Bucky easily heard her shivering words.

His hand tried to let go of hers, but at last she made a voluntary movement, by tightening her fingers around his. The temptation to move was weak, but he understood her beg of him to keep his hand in hers. With the other hand, he managed to pull covers over her body, before tucking them in above her shoulders. Once again, his hand returned to her cheek as he lightly traced his finger over her cheek.

At the moment, Wanda entered the room in a slow rush. Not far behind her, Carol and Sharon followed. Natasha did not return with them. Neither did Emrys arrive.

“Let me feel her,” Wanda said as she aimed for the covers.

Bucky’s hand flew up, stopping Wanda from making another movement. “She’s cold, don’t.”

A frown cast above Wanda’s eyebrows as she looked at Amber, then Bucky. “Natasha said she’s boiling.”

Bucky lightly shook his head. “Her left hand is. But her fever is down, and her right hand feels like ice.”

Wanda looked at Bucky’s hand in Amber’s, seeing a few of her fingers weakly curled around his. He slowly bent forward, placing her warm hand to Amber’s forehead, before looking at Bucky with impressed eyes. She stood back next to the bed.

“I wasn’t expecting her to heal properly before another week or so. But her fever is nearly completely gone.” She turned around to Sharon and Carol. “Maybe the cold bath did work?”

Carol shook her head. “I doubt it. That was merely a week ago. She was on fire last night when I visited her.”

Bucky frowned. “You were here last night?” he asked, looking at Carol.

She nodded lightly. “I think you were asleep. It was around eleven.”

A groan escaped Amber’s mouth, making everyone look at her. Without a second of waiting, Bucky’s hand shot to her cheek, feeling as she lightly moved her head a bit left, then right. His eyes looked up and met Wanda’s again.

“She’s just having a few reflexes to the sudden sounds around her.” Wanda turned to Carol. “We should let her be now.”

She and Carol both left the room, but Sharon stayed behind, sitting down against the vanity. She looked at Bucky, seeing his eyes stuck on Amber as he tucked the covers tighter against her. A small smile filled her lips as she crossed her arms.

“You should tell her,” she said, making Bucky look at her. “About how you feel.”

Sighing, Bucky returned his eyes to Amber. “I did. And she turned me down.”

Sharon chuckled. “That wasn’t telling her how you feel James-”

“Don’t call me James,” Bucky said, looking back at Sharon. She frowned. “Only she has called me James in the past six years.”

Sharon smiled. “And yet again. You should tell her how you feel.”

Bucky lightly shook his head. “No. I- I tried and it just ended badly. She-”

“Was forced into a corner?” Sharon questioned, making Bucky sigh. “Maybe next time, don’t force her to do something she had no choice but to do. And maybe try to think before you go blubbering about how she loves you and how you’re meant to be together.”

Bucky chuckled, looking at her. “You heard everything, didn’t you?”

Sharon shrugged jokingly, her blond curls waving over her shoulders. She looked at Amber, then Bucky, before a sigh escaped her lips.

“Does she know?” she asked, making Bucky look at her.

“Well, if I didn’t make it clear enough she-”

“Not about love,” Sharon said, making Bucky frown. “About time running out?”

Bucky sighed, knowing what Sharon meant. He shook his head, before looking at Amber again. “I can’t tell her. Whether I want to or not, it’s going to crush her. Steve already did enough damage.”

Sharon pushed herself to a stand again. “Steve left so that he could live his time with a woman he loved-”

“While leaving his son with a mother who is not really a perfectly built puzzle.”

Sharon shook her head. “He knew you’d be here Bucky. He knew you’d look after her.”

Bucky sighed, keeping quiet. He didn’t give her an answer, but instead kept his eyes on Amber as he squeezed her hand tighter in his. Sharon took that as her que to leave, and did so, leaving Bucky gazing at Amber’s unconscious body.

“I won’t leave you,” he whispered. “Not again. Not ever.” He whispered low, as if she could in anyways not hear him.

Little did he know, she heard it all. Loud and clear; as if she were awake in the room. Yet, she was too weak to move or speak. She was completely drained.