Till The End

Chapter 5

Climbing out of the shower, I rub the towel over my hair and walk into my bedroom. Pulling on a pair of pants, I slide into bed after hanging the towel on the radiator. My head hits the pillow but I can't fall asleep. My mind is too busy replaying what just happened with Bucky. But it makes me think. I liked that.

*

Their fists move in a blur, hitting every inch of my face as I lie on the cold concrete. He leans back, taking deep breaths and stopping for a few seconds. I take this time to slowly stand up, my head buzzing and the usual ringing in my ear. I find the strength to raise my skinny fists and I can see blood dripping onto my pale brown shirt.

The big man chuckles at me, clicking his fists together and I can see they're drenched with blood. He spits onto the floor, it landing by my foot. I raise an eyebrow, regretting it when I feel the pain surf through my body.

"You want more, little boy?" He questions.

"Until I turn blind." I hiss.

One punch. That final punch knocked me into blinding colours that spark in front of my eyes. My head hits the concrete and his laughter gets quieter as he walks away.

Then I black out.

When I wake, the sky is dark and scattered with blazing stars. Somehow, I made it home. Well, not my home. Bucky's. I knock on the wooden door, leaning my shoulder on it and trying to breath without throwing up.

Bucky opens the door and my body falls under me. He manages to catch me before I hit the ground, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling my arm over his neck. He drags me into his house and lies me on his sofa. Bucky then kneels beside me and turns my head to face him.

"I-I had him on the r-ropes." I manage to mumble, seeing the blood drip from my lips.

"You always say that, Steve." He points out.

Bucky stands up, wandering away and then returns with a bowl of water and a rag.

"You're going to have to sit up, buddy." He says.

Bucky uses both hands on my side to push me to sit up, I groan. He sighs and dips the rag into the bowl of water. I hiss through my clenched teeth as he wipes my cut and bleeding face.

"What are you going to do when I go away to war? Who is going to clean up your cuts and stop you getting killed?" He questions.

"Then stay." I mutter.

He stops cleaning my face to look at me. There's a sparkle of guilt in his eyes.

"Come on, Steve, you know I want to join the war. I don't like leaving you behind. Will you just promise me something?"

"Yes."

"Promise me you won't get killed." Bucky says, stopping to rinse out the rag and I watch the water turn pulsing red.

"I promise." I whisper.

"Say it fully." Buck demands.

"I promise I won't get killed."

My final seconds before the plane hit the water was how I let Bucky down. I broke my promise to him, to save the city.

Bucky spent basically his whole life looking after me and sticking up for me. One time I was meant to look out for him, on the train when he was hanging on for his life. That was when I should have repaid him, but I didn't. I wasn't fast enough.

I remember spending the whole night trying to get drunk. Hoping that I could get rid of Captain America that caused Bucky's death. I didn't want to see what life would be like without him.