Hurt // Marvel [2]

8

I wake up as Bucky shakes my shoulder, holding a bowl of soup out to me. I hadn't even noticed that I had fallen asleep much less the fact that Bucky had come back to his apartment. I close the notebook that is still sitting on my lap and look out the window behind me at the setting sun.

"Thank you." My voice cracks as I take the bowl and Bucky nods in response. I must have been out for awhile if the sun was already beginning to set. "I should probably get back to the hotel soon. I don't know my way around yet so I don't think it's a good idea for me to walk around in the dark."

"I'll go with you." Bucky states, holding a new bowl of soup. "Eat first."

I think back to the quiet, reserved man I first met upon coming here. I had found him threatening and intimidating. I knew he was Steve's friend, but I also knew he could kill me before I had time to notice him move. I compare this image to the man in front of me. The one who just offered a girl he barely knows a place to stay and protection from things he knows nothing about.

This is James Buchanan Barnes in front of me. This is Steve's best friend. The one who will help people out of his own good will and accepts your problems and pain without asking questions. I, and the world, had always just pictured the Winter Soldier. The one trained to assassinate people without a trace. The one taught to feel nothing for other people and to act as a robot without question. This is not that man, and I couldn't be more grateful for it.

"You're a real gentleman, Barnes." Bucky looks down at his soup, a look of hope in his eye. He's becoming the man that he wants to be, the one he can't remember. He's still piecing everything together and he's still paranoid something will happen, but there's hope, whether he sees it or not.

We both sit quietly as we finish our soup, the only noise being that of the spoons hitting the bowls. Bucky silently takes my bowl when I'm finished and he places both of them into the sink. Those two bowls are the only dirty dishes in there.

"I'll walk you back." Bucky grabs his backpack from the floor and I can't help but wonder what else he might have in there. Weapons? Things he's found from his past? There's a whole lot about this man that I don't know.

"Thank you." I stand slowly and reach for my backpack, but Bucky beats me to it.

"Until you feel better, you should take it easy." I think of the things I have in my own backpack. Water, the notebooks, my knives, the phone I haven't used, and an assortment of other random but possibly useful objects.

Bucky and I walk side by side down the stairs of the apartment building. He holds the door for me as we walk out into the dark and we head down the street together.

I realize how much more comfortable I feel with him here with me. I'm not checking every little corner as I had been when I first got here. I don't know if it's because I realize Bucky is probably doing it, or if I just trust him. I know that he's capable of protecting the both of us if it comes to it, but the question is if he'd be willing to protect the both of us. I think I trust him to do it.

"I lost someone." I look straight forward down the dark street. "That's when my powers got out of control." I take a pause and Bucky stays silent. "I lost him, and then I lost myself. That's why I left too. Steve, Tony, Nat, they all wanted to help me and I wasn't allowing them to. So I left."

"Who was it?" Bucky speaks softly and I see him look down at me out of the corner of my eye.

"I barely even knew him. I had known him for years but I don't remember any of them." Bucky turns his head to look back down the street and we continue walking quietly.

We reach the outside of my hotel and Bucky holds the door for me once more.

"You aren't alone here, Riley." I turn and look at him as I stand in the door way. "I'll see you in the morning. We can move you into the apartment."

"Thank you." He nods once more and hands me my backpack before dropping the door and heading back in the direction we came from.

I throw the backpack over my back before heading up to my room and sitting at the desk, finally pulling out the notebook for Tony.

Tony,

I want to thank you for everything you've done for me. You took me in during a time I was ready to give up on myself and you helped me through it. You were able to help me through it because you've been through it. I never wanted to be one of the people in your life who left you. I promised myself I would never do anything to hurt you. I promised myself I wouldn't leave you.

But I did. And it pains me. But it's what I need in my life right now and I can only pray that you will understand that.

I didn't want to become a burden on you. You have so much going on right now, and dealing with a stubborn young adult was an unnecessary hassle. I'm doing well here. I've found a friend and we'll look after each other.

I never meant to hurt you, Tony.

I love you, I miss you, and don't delete all the reality tv of the DVR yet. I'll see you again at some point.

Yours truly,
Riley

>.<

Sorry this part is a week late but I had prom last week, followed by work and a bunch of other stuff and this chapter hadn't been edited. Should be smooth sailing from here!

Question of the week:

Have you seen infinity war?

I did and I cried and died around a million times. I went to the first showing at my theater because I couldn't wait.

Have an amazing week!