Daybreak (Bucky Barnes Fan Fiction)

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The Next Morning

"So how've you been?" Natasha asked me. The guys took an interest in the leftover pizza on the island.

"I've been okay." I replied, looking down at the numerous different medicines I had to take. "I've been better though."

"If I took all the medication I should, I'd have more than you." She said quietly. I think that was her attempt to make me feel better. "How've the panic attacks been?"

"I don't.... I don't want to talk about them, Natasha." I shook my head gently. "I can go get breakfast though. I'm hungry and there's this little diner down the road that has the best waffles."

"There's nothing around this place for miles." Sam looked over his shoulder to me.

"When I say down the road, I usually mean an hour or two away." I pulled a water bottle out of the fridge and put all of my medication into my hand. "You guys can do whatever you want around here. I don't want you upstairs snooping around. I'll know if you were up there. I'm going to go get ready to leave."

"Do you want me to go with you, Widia?" Natasha asked.

"I'll be okay alone." I shook my head.

———

"Got company over, Ms. Cooper?" The man behind the counter, Zack, asked. I always hated talking to him. It wasn't that he was a bad person or anything, it was just that his name brought bad memories to the front of my mind, memories I had tried so desperately to bury for the last six years.

When he spoke, he was meaning all the food I had ordered. I usually only ordered enough for me or enough for me for a day or two but now I had enough for five people including myself.

"Something like that." I gave him a forced little smile. "My sister and her friends are in from out of town. Gotta feed the guests, I suppose."

"Sounds like fun. Do you need help taking the bags out to your car, ma'am?"

"You don't have to be all formal. But I got it, thanks." I picked all the bags up in my arms and made my way to the door.

"Have a good day, Ms. Cooper."

"You too, sweetheart." I couldn't get his name out. I didn't try to say his name, but I didn't want to either. I was just happy to be on my way back home.

———

The day was pretty mellow. Most of it was spent with Natasha and her friends lounging around and sleeping or eating, which I was okay with. I just read my book, doing my best to keep to myself.

———

The second day of their visit was different though. I wasn't used to having four people around me as much as they had been, so I took a much needed walk along the shore of the lake. My walk took me to the dock, where I stood and watched the choppy waves.

"Natasha told me you were on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s gifted list long before the Avengers were formed." Steve's voice made me jump. I turned around to see he was walking down the dock towards me, hands tucked into his sweatpants. I had gotten at least an hour and a half alone. That wasn't as long as I had wanted, but I guess it was okay for now.

"Why did she tell you that?" I crossed my arms and returned my gaze to the vast expansion of the water in front of me.

"I wanted to know who I was going to be trusting Bucky's life with, who I was going to be letting into this."