Romanian translations:
•"I just need to say it...to tell her the truth..."
•"I love her..."
"Trebuie să-i spun ... să-i spun adevărul," Bucky whispered. He needed to convince himself. He needed to do this. You deserved to know.
"o iubesc..."
His breath hitched. Tears spilled over, the ones he'd been fighting for days. Fighting since you'd sent him away, telling him to go. He deserved that. He'd been weak, cowardly. He didn't have the guts to be honest.
You deserved better than him. A broken man. Powerless. So, so weak. No, Bucky was sure he'd never be what you needed.
You'd all but given up.
Your body was weary, so tired. Everything hurt, the pain medication was barely doing the job. Every time you closed your eyes, you'd wake screaming and they'd sedate you again.
And again.
You felt like you'd never heal. Broken. Your body and your mind. You'd been tortured before, but this one had been different, hadn't it? No, your teammates, they didn't know everything.
"We'll break him," the man laughed, taunting you. You watched as he reached for the red book and your heart stopped for a moment. It wouldn't work, would it? Shuri has cured him. Bucky was well.
"We'll make you watch us turn him back into a monster. Oh, I've seen your mind, Little One," he cooed and you realized he was enhanced, too. Swallowing, you looked away.
"We'll make you watch him tortured, ripped apart. Every part of his mind shattered. Again and again. You'll listen to him scream. Beg for release. We'll make him beg for you, Agent Y/L/N. I'll make sure he knows how you feel about him before we wipe you from his memory."
"And then I'll make him kill you and your beloved Avengers."
But he was dead now, that man. He could no longer hurt you. You'd heard them talking. Bucky had stormed the place, his only goal to reach you and wipe them all out. You heard Steve whisper about how focused Bucky was. The look in his eyes as he mowed them down one by one.
He saved you.
There it was again. That ache in your chest. Why? Why you? Why was he so determined to get you out of that place? What was so special about you?
Bucky closed the door and leaned against it. His heart hammered and he closed his eyes, trying to calm his racing pulse. He wondered if you were awake. Would you even listen to what he said? Would it matter now?
He stepped into the medbay, enjoying the silence. Faint sounds of beeping machines seemed to calm his nerves. Walking toward the back, he saw you sitting up, taking quietly to Natasha.
"It'll be okay...," he heard her say, brushing an hair from your face. "You'll be out of here in no time. Take a well deserved break. Rest for a few weeks. Maybe recalibrate, Y/N," she said and you sighed softly. Looking up, you caught Bucky's eye.
Nat quietly excused herself and walked past him. "Do the right thing, Barnes," she whispered, giving him a knowing smile. "She needs it."
Bucky swallowed again and made his way to you slowly. Taking the seat that had been occupied by Nat, he took a breath and covered his eyes. He could feel you watching him.
"Why are you here?," you asked softly and he didn't miss the hint of bitterness in your voice. "Tell me the truth, Barnes. Or you can leave again. I'm tired."
He uncovered his face and looked at you. Your jaw was set but your eyes were soft. It tugged at his heart. He wanted to admit everything so badly. But he didn't know where to begin.
"Why? Why did you save me?"
He licked his lips and felt his face heat up. He wrung his hands, a sign of his obvious nervousness. You huffed and closed your eyes. You'd had enough of Bucky Barnes. And he could see it.
"You save everyone," he whispered and your eyes opened, turning your head to peer at him. "I always wondered who saves you?"
"I know you never need it. You're strong. Independent. Stubborn as hell," he said with a small smile tugging at his lips. "But sometimes, the heroine needs saved, too."
You frowned a bit, wondering where this was going. He let out a soft sigh so you let him continue.
"I'm a fool, Y/N. The minute I stepped into this place, I was mesmerized by you. Your eyes. Your smile. Your laugh. Your take-no-shit attitude. It spellbound me."
Your mouth fell open. Did he mean it? Was he really saying this?
"But I didn't know what to do. I'm not...," he sighed softly, "I'm not the man I used to be. I look in the mirror and I see someone else. There's a darkness there that doesn't go away."
"So I ran. I ran fast from my feelings, but unfortunately, sweetheart...," he said, reaching for your hand, "I took that out on you."
He sighed again, looking away, yet he squeezed your hand gently.
"I realized when I entered that place...I realized why I was there. Why I was really there. I knew it was my responsibility to bring you home. That I didn't look out for you in the first place..."
You tried to interrupt, but he held up a hand.
"But I realized I was really there because I love you. I love you, Y/N. And it scares the hell out of me. It scares me that I'll never be able to be what you need. But...," he sighed again.
You were stunned by his admission. Absolutely floored. Had he really just told you that he loved you?
"You saved me. You saved me from myself, Y/N. And I love you even more for that."
A tear trickled down his cheek and you caught it, wiping it away. He sighed heavily and leaned over, capturing your lips. It was soft, sweet. But he put his all into it, you were sure of that.
"You saved me, Y/N. I just want to be the one who saves you."
