-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]
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One Month Later...
Indigo glanced at the clock on her nightstand; it was almost one in the morning. She had started the book that morning and couldn't seem to put it down. Now, only two chapters remained.
She looked over at Bucky, sleeping peacefully on his stomach, mouth wide open, his metal arm draped over her hips. She listened to his soft breathing and leaned her head against the headboard.
In that moment, a wave of contentment washed over her. She was truly happy. She had a husband who loved her unconditionally, a home they had made together and cherished, and a sense of safety and belonging she had never thought possible.
It was everything she had ever hoped for, and she couldn't ask for more.
Indigo felt his arm grip her hip tightly, almost painfully. Startled, she turned her attention back to Bucky, whose face had suddenly contorted in pain. She instinctively grabbed his arm, trying to remove it from her waist.
"James," she called out urgently. Indigo threw her book on the nightstand and placed her hands softly on his bare shoulders. "James, baby, wake up."
His eyes shot open, and he jerked away from her, his breathing ragged and rapid. Indigo sat up on her knees, her heart racing with concern as she watched him. Sweat had started to form on his face, and his eyes darted around the room frantically, still caught in the grip of whatever nightmare had seized him.
"James?" Indigo's voice was gentle but tinged with concern as she reached out to him, knowing it was him and not the Winter Soldier haunting his dreams. She watched as he panted heavily, his face contorted with fear.
"Where are they?" he gasped out suddenly, his eyes scanning the room frantically. Indigo quickly grabbed the shirt at the end of the bed and slipped it on, her movements quick and steady despite her racing heart.
"Who?" she asked softly, trying to understand, her own anxiety rising. She hated seeing him like this, caught in the grip of memories and fears she couldn't fully comprehend.
"Hydra," he replied urgently, turning around several times as if expecting to see them lurking in the shadows. "They were just here."
Indigo's heart sank as she realized the depth of his nightmare. She knew the scars Hydra had left on him, the trauma that still haunted him despite his best efforts to move forward.
"No one's here, baby, just you and me," Indigo reassured him, her voice soft yet steady. Bucky remained in a defensive stance, his muscles tense with residual adrenaline. She could sense his fear, the haunting echoes of his past tormenting him in the present.
"No," he insisted, his eyes locking onto hers with intensity. She could see the raw fear in his gaze. "They were here to take you. They were here to take you away from me."
