Pitter Patter || Bucky Barnes

chapter 18

(Bucky's pov)

I woke up this morning and my eyelids were heavy. I barely got any sleep last night. I had a nightmare about (Y/N) dying and I woke up in a sweat. I wasn't able to fall back asleep after that. I was slowly able to doze off for about an hour before the sun hit my face and caused my eyes to fling open again.

I was sprawled across the bed and I didn't like the way it felt without (Y/N) in the room. I slipped into some new clothes and headed out for some breakfast before visiting (Y/N).

I strolled into the cafeteria where most of the workers for the facility were at. The first day I came here, everyone couldn't keep their eyes off me. Now, no one batted an eye as I walked by.

I was nervous and not too hungry for anything at the moment. I did grab just one plum, which I normally would have eaten two or three. I really like plums if it wasn't obvious already. I didn't exactly get to finish the ones I bought in Bucharest a while back.

I felt a light tap on my shoulder and turned around to find a red-headed woman in front of me. I think her name was Nat, or Natasha. Steve always referred to her as Nat, so that's what I called her.

"Hey Bucky. I heard about (Y/N), I'm sorry," her face looking empathetic.

I nodded while looking down at the plum in my hand.

"Steve and I are in the back with a few others. We didn't exactly get to talk to you at the dinner last night, so why don't you come and sit with us?"

I thought about it for a while. I still wasn't ready to meet everyone else formally, since I was trying to kill some of them before. But (Y/N) would have liked for me talk to them. She would have grabbed my arm and pulled me into the room without hesitation. I needed her motivation right about now.

"I was just going to eat in my room," I explained.

"Are you sure? Steve was really adamant about getting you to sit with us. He wants to make sure you don't mope around all day. It will be good for you," she said.

I looked back down at my plum and nodded my head again. She steered away and led me to a back room, decorated exactly like the cafeteria, just a little bit smaller.

There were a few white tables arranged in the middle of the room. From those tables there were multiple bodies organized around them.

Nat sat down at a table with Steve and Sam. A girl with long brown hair was talking to a reddish man with a weird accent. They looked familiar but I didn't know their names.

"Buck," Steve stood up and gave me a toothy smile.

I acknowledged him and sat down quietly. I couldn't stop thinking about (Y/N).

"She'll be alright Buck, you can relax," Steve whispered, almost reading my mind instantaneously.

I lifted the plum and chomped on it.

"I knew he'd like those," Nat nudged me on the shoulder. "I suggested we added those in the cafeteria for you. Kind of a welcome home kind of thing."

I smiled slightly and examined her bright hair and small frame. "Thanks," I replied.

"But seriously though, have you eaten anything other than plums?" Sam added.