The Fall - Book 2

234. Burn it?!

JULY 21, 2020 — AVENGERS COMPOUND — BUCKY

Réa and I spent the rest of yesterday and the better part of today in my suite, watching movies and The Office and The Great British Bake-Off, and cuddling either in my bed or on my couch. We're currently back in her suite, watching Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and are at the part where letters are spewing from the fireplace when there's a knock on the door.

Réa pauses the film while I make my way to the door; I open it to find Wanda and Nat in the hall.

"Hi, Bucky," Wanda says. "Can we come in?"

I glance back at my wife, who nods.

"Sure," I reply as I step aside to let the two redheads enter.

Once we're all seated—with me back in my spot on the couch beside Réa, and Nat and Wanda in the armchairs that flank the couch—Nat speaks.

"Wanda and I wanted to come up here for several reasons. The first is to check on you both; to see how you two are holding up."

"We're..." I trail off, once more looking to my wife. "...we're doing alright. Not great, but okay." I swallow hard. "I'm not as freaked out about you all knowing what happened as I thought I would be."

Nat nods. "That's sort of the other reason we're here. We were sort of...nominated...as the messengers. The others want you to know that they support you, one hundred percent, and that they—that none of us—will treat you any differently. Just like we don't treat Réa any differently." She hesitates briefly, her expression thoughtful. "Well, aside from being a bit more mindful of what we say and how we say it."

Her gaze moves between me and Réa as she continues.

"We also all agree with what Réa said in the gym. About Steve leaving you after you fell. Clint, Bruce, Tony, Thor, and I have actually discussed that topic before...Clint has literally—almost verbatim—made the same points about Steve's eidetic memory, and the fact that he should have at least tried to bring your body home to the States."

"Vision has also discussed this with me on several occasions prior to this," Wanda adds. "Of course, we've never brought it up to Steve—it's obvious he carries a lot of guilt over the past—but that doesn't excuse his behavior. He was way out of line to suggest that Réa would ever hurt you; he knows he was out of line." She lightly clears her throat. "He has a lot of thoughts and feelings around all of this, and he's doing the whole 'TV-in-a-waiting-room' thing." She looks from me to Réa, then back to me. "Don't be surprised if he shows up here later this evening, wanting to speak with both of you."

"Yeah, Caroline's whole 'I'm so disappointed in you' bit really seemed to break through this whole...whatever he's got going on," Nat interjects.

I nod, unsure of how else to respond.

"I'm sorry." When I turn to Wanda, she continues. "For this whole situation. I'm so sorry you're both having to deal with any of it, let alone all of this together." Her gaze once again moves to my wife before returning to me. "I'm sorry that the person who is supposed to be your best friend is not doing a very good job of it."

I nod again; Réa takes my hand, giving a gentle squeeze.

"Well, like I said, we were voted as messengers," Nat breaks the brief silence. "Now that we've passed along the message, we'll leave you two alone."

She and Wanda start toward the door.

"Hold on," Réa says, quickly rising from the couch and wrapping her—our—friends in brief hugs. "Thank you."