The Earth's Child: A Bucky Barnes fanfiction

I Love You

Special Mention: This chapter contains a special appearance from Ed Sheeran.

Bella felt overwhelmed by the amount of fuss Bucky created around her.

He tied her a nice and comfortable sling, making sure she couldn't move her hand. He forced her to sit in a chair while showering so he could wash her hair. He didn't let her have a single painkiller without an antacid. He would help her up every time he cooked something so she could eat without having to walk to the table.

One day, Bella fell asleep on the couch and Bucky lifted her up and placed her gently on the bed.

"I am sorry," Bella mumbled as Bucky had tucked the blanket around her.

"For what?" asked Bucky, slightly taken aback.

"For being so heavy. It must be taxing to lift me up every time I fall asleep in inappropriate places."

"Hey, who the hell said that?"

"I know that."

"You are not heavy. And right now, you are too fragile for me to prove to you exactly how lithe and flexible you are so don't push me, or I might change my mind. And, I am sorry too."

"What for?"

"This." Bucky traced a finger lightly over the marks of her neck that matched the shape of his fingers.

"It wasn't you."

"But you got hurt."

"Now, I know that those bruises were not just coincidences," said Bella, placing her palm directly above the black bruises on his cheekbones. "The machine did this every time, didn't it?"

"The machine doesn't bruise, doll."

"No. Your struggling against it does." Bella's eyelids drooped but she held them open, caressing the marks on his cheekbones.

"Just, go to sleep, doll," said Bucky and he removed her hand from his face and placed it gently on the bed. The other arm was tied securely in a sling. "Don't think about things like these. Right now, I am here and I am safe. So, it doesn't matter."

After a week of ample resting, Bella decided to go back to work. Bucky continued to grumble about how he was scared her arm might start to pain, or someone might body shame her about her forehead stitches, or people may laugh at the purple bruises on the right side of her face, so she should wait till they faded more.

Bella chuckled at his comments as she watched Bucky typing something on his laptop. She watched him intently, blushing every time she remembered his lips against hers, the feeling of his metal arm capable of breaking concrete structures pressing softly against her face giving her goose bumps. She finally mustered up the courage to do something which she had decided earlier.

"Bucky," started Bella, "there is something I need to tell you."

"Go on, doll," responded Bucky, not removing his eyes from his laptop.

"It is important."

"Go on."

Bella coughed impatiently and Bucky got the hint. He closed the laptop and smiled sheepishly at her.

"Ever since I saw you at the Hydra base," started Bella, "I knew you were different. And I knew I needed to help you. I hated it when they wiped you. I can, you know, physically feel the marks of torture on your back and every time I see them, I feel nothing but anger against those Hydra scum. And I wish I could take them all on me, just to free you from your pain. And I know I didn't just do it because I wanted an unconventional mission."