Soul Reader

Part 15

Warnings: Swearing

Two Weeks Later

BUCKY'S POV

He woke up with a jolt, stretching the kinks in his back and neck from falling asleep in the chair again. He looked around med bay with a sigh. Ever since that night, when Sam and Tony fished him and you out of the lake you hadn't woken up. 

Bucky had only taken a few days to recover and since then he's remained in your room all the time. Bruce said that despite the injuries you had sustained in the Hydra base there wasn't anything wrong, but Bucky knew that would be the case. He replays the scene of the helicopter in his mind all the time. How that flash of white was you saving his ass again. It never fails to make him smile, until he's remind of how much that actually took out of you.

He was feeling tired. Bone deep tired. He wanted this nightmare to be over. He just wanted you to open your eyes and smile at him. He wanted to hear your voice and feel your skin. His hope was dwindling with each passing day, but he tried hard not to let despair take over his thoughts.

He heard the door open, but he didn't take his eyes away from your face. The bruise on your cheek nearly faded away. He didn't even look up when Steve spoke, "Buck, you have to go and get some real sleep and a shower and some food".

Bucky shakes his head, eyes never leaving you as he clears his throat, "not until she wakes up Steve". 

Steve's sigh is heavy but he carries on, "you need to be on top form if she wakes up". 

Bucky feels his heart flutter at his choice of words and he can't let it go, "when she wakes up. Not if". 

Bucky can see Steve's shoulders sag in his peripheral as he goes to speak, "Buck, you have to prepare in case-". 

Bucky cuts him off, his voice cracking slightly, "no. I don't have to prepare for shit Steve because she will wake up".

Steve sighs again, "I'll go get you some food okay?", Bucky doesn't answer him but he knows that he'll go and get some for him anyway. As soon as the door closes Bucky leans forward in his chair. 

He picks up your cold hand and lays it flat against his cheek as he closes his eyes. He keeps your hand there as he opens his eyes again, speaking in a soft whisper, "hey doll, so its been two weeks, you gonna open your eyes for me today?", he waits a few seconds but nothing changes, "I didn't think so. I'm not sure if you can hear me when I have these conversations with you, but I'll keep doing it until you open those beautiful eyes of yours". 

He takes a deep breath, "I miss you doll. I miss waking up and making your coffee the way you like it; milky and extremely sweet", he lets out a chuckle before carrying on, "I miss curling up on the sofa and watching TV with you. I miss you running your hands through my hair until I fall asleep. I miss your laugh and the way you threaten to kick my ass after a basic training session with Nat". He smiles at that, until the ache in his chest causes his eyes to well up. 

He closes his eyes and a tear escapes down his cheek, stopped by your hand that is still there. "I miss you so much and I don't want to do this life without you", he stops himself, the words he wants to say too painful to speak around the lump in his throat. He lays your hand back down, sliding his chair across the floor until he can place his head on your chest, the sound of your heart beating easing the ache slightly. He closes his eyes, exhaustion overtaking him once more, whispering, "just come back to me doll".

The next time Bucky opens his eyes he's in the room again. The square dance floor in laminate, the stage up ahead with the red curtains and the red, blue, and white balloons everywhere. He knows he's dreaming then, but his heart flutters as he looks around the room he danced in with you. He looks down and sees his green army uniform again and he can't help but smile. He looks back up and the breath gets knocked out of him. 

There you are, in the same dress as last time, sitting on the edge of the stage. Your smile brightens up the room and his heart stutters when you make eye contact with him. He's frozen for a few moments as he watches you hop off the stage and take a couple of steps towards him before stopping, twirling around and saying, "how do I look?". He smirks at how you used the same words as last time, but he doesn't dwell on it as his legs become unstuck. He runs towards you, throwing his arms around you and pulling you close as he spins you around. He hears you giggle and it's like music to his ears.

He pulls back and it looks like you're about to say something but he doesn't give you the chance as his lips come down to yours. Its desperate and passionate and when he pulls back your eyes are still close, mouth parted slightly as you breathe, "wow". 

You lay your head on his chest and wrap your arms around his waist and he feels like he's home as the same music, Clair De Lune, plays softly. You sway for a few minutes and he places a kiss on the crown of your head. When he pulls back he says, "you have no idea how much I've missed you". 

He hears you chuckle again so he pulls back to look at you, and you have a cheeky glint in your eyes as you say, "actually I have some idea". 

He's confused for a moment until it finally dawns on him, "you've heard me talking to you?", and you nod your head in response, a smile playing on your lips. 

When you speak he still can't get enough of hearing your voice again, "I've heard bits and pieces, I didn't hear anything at the beginning, I was a but of a wreck...but I heard you talking to me just now and I had enough energy to do this".

He wants to stay like this forever, but he knows you can't hold this much longer, so he asks the question burning a hole in his brain, "why haven't you woken up yet doll? I'm starting to get really worried". He watches as you look down, but he's not having any of it so he uses a finger to lift your chin. 

When his eyes meet yours he sees unshed tears in them and he wants nothing more than to wrap you up and protect you from the sadness. He swipes his thumb across your cheek as he says, "you can talk to me Y/N. Don't bottle it up".

He watches you take a shaky breath before saying, "well for the most part I haven't woken up because I killed Eric with my powers when I was already drained anyway. But the last couple of days, I feel like I've been hiding. I've been trying to process everything that happened that night and no matter how I look at it, it just always seems like my fault". 

He sees the tears finally spill over as he crushes you to his chest. He lets you cry for a moment, stroking his hand through your hair, "none of it was your fault. For starters, you didn't ask for any of this, you didn't ask to be a soul reader and you didn't ask for Hydra to come after you. And like how you and Steve always tell me, it was Hydra's doing not yours and I know it might take you a while to believe it, just like it's taking me a while, but you need to know that I'm gonna be there every step of the way...so please come back to me". 

You start to nod your head at him, but he interrupts it with a kiss, he pulls back ever so slightly to say, "just one more dance". And you sway to the tune once again, before everything fades to black.