-In which, despite Indigo and Bucky's shattered and bruised state, their love for each other is the anchor that prevents them from completely crumbling.
Mature Content 18+
[Book Two]
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Indigo's punch surged towards Okoye, but she swiftly evaded, countering with a swift leg sweep that sent Indigo crashing onto the training ground dirt.
Gasping for air upon impact, Indigo groaned in agony, rolling over and coughing weakly. As she lifted her gaze, Okoye loomed above her.
"We're finished for today, Indigo," Okoye stated firmly, arms crossed.
Indigo's body surged with frustration, her rage bubbling up uncontrollably. She couldn't stop now; this was the only way she could keep him out of her mind.
It hadn't been long since Bucky had gone back into Cryo-sleep, but to Indigo, each passing day felt like a slow march through time. After his return to sleep, she and Steve had sprung into action, freeing the team members who had been locked away in the Raft. The rush of adrenaline had briefly distracted her from the ache of Bucky's absence, but now, in the quiet moments, loneliness and uncertainty settled in like unwelcome guests.
Wanda and Vision had been placed in a safehouse in London, Clint went back to his family, Nat decided to try and find their other sister, Yelena, and Steve, Sam, and Indigo came back to Wakanda for a while.
For Indigo, the passing days seemed to blur into a repetitive cycle. Each morning began with tears, followed by hours training, blocking out the memories and aching emptiness. Once Okoye kicked her from the training grounds she would go to Bucky's room and read to him, talk to him, and sometimes just sit in silence, as if willing him to wake from his deep slumber. Exhaustion eventually overtook her, and she would fall asleep, only to find herself waking up the next day in her room to repeat the agonizing routine all over again. The familiarity of the routine provided a strange comfort, yet each day without Bucky felt like a relentless march through an unending landscape of grief and uncertainty.
She knew that Steve had been bringing her back once she had fallen asleep. Steve and Sam were giving her her space. They knew she needed to cope with Bucky going back to sleep.
She found herself grappling with emotions she had never experienced before, unsure of how to navigate the overwhelming sense of loss and longing. Bucky's situation left her in a state of emotional turmoil; while she knew he was physically present, his absence in spirit felt profound. Locked away in peaceful slumber, he seemed unreachable, leaving her to confront her own tormenting thoughts and feelings alone in the outside world.
She struggled not to assign blame, understanding that Bucky needed the kind of assistance she couldn't provide. Yet, despite her rationalizations, she couldn't shake the feeling of abandonment that gnawed at her heart. It was a complex mix of love, frustration, and helplessness, emotions that clashed within her as she grappled with the reality of their situation.
Indigo suppressed her emotions, channeling her focus into training, working alongside Shuri, or wandering aimlessly through Wakanda.
"Just one more," she declared, pushing herself upright from the ground. Brushing off the dirt, she readied herself, raising her fists to resume the fight.
