Mind-Tricked [1] || 𝙱. 𝙱𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚜 ~ 𝐀𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬

TWENTY-FOUR

June sat up on the hospital bed and looked around. Her muscles ached everywhere and her right are was in a cast. She must've broken or sprained it.

She ground as she stood up and limped over to the machines to look at her status. Before she could properly observe it, she was interrupted by Tony.

"You're awake," he stated.

June turned around with a smirk. "I guess so, what happened?"

He walked over to her. "You got activated just as we were leaving. Bucky managed to get you to not attack you by putting electricity through your head. When we got back we had a small challenge to get you back."

June closed her eyes. "What day is it?"

"Tuesday,"

"...how long was it since..."

"8 days. You were out 6 days." Tony answered. June put her face in her one working arm. Tony placed his hand on her shoulder. "You should be proud. Without you....we couldn't have saved Peter, we might not have even been able to find him. And I have to thank you for that..." he looked around the ground.

June didn't say anything. She wrapped her good arm around him, into a hug. They stood there for a while before he let go.

"The others are waiting for you outside, most of them anyway." he finally said.

June nodded, thanking him and then headed for the door.

As she walked out the first person to greet her was Natasha.

"You little..." Natasha gave her a playful punch. "You scared us all, don't falling into a coma again!"

June chuckled, "I hope," She turned to the others.

"You did good on the mission," Steve muttered, ruffling her hair.

Peter approached her. "Thank you June,"

"How you doing?" smiled June.

"All fine, I think, thanks to you,"

June ran her fingers through his hair. "I'm glad we're safe now."

"Do you want to see Mister Bucky? He's in his room." Peter pointed up the stairs.

She glanced up there. "Yeah, I'll go pay him a visit."

She smiled at him and waved at the others and made it up the stairs.

June approached his door. She's never entered his room before, she's barely even given him a session either.

She gently knocked on the door. "Anyone there?" There was no answer. "Well, I'm coming in anyway." She pushed the door open. It slowly swung to reveal his room.

His room was dimly lit by soft yellow fairy lights which were hung up all around his room. There were randomly stuck photos of the Avengers on the walls, and a poster from the Captain America display in the museum.

"Shut up," Bucky's voice came out.

June glanced at him, "Oh."

He was on his bed, reading something.

June entered. "Can I sit?" she beckoned to the chair.

"What would you do it I said no?" he grunted, turned away from her.

June sighed and limped to the chair. "I'm sorry I didn't give you any sessions before. I let personal problems get in the way of helping others." she got distracted by his room décor again.

"Stop judging." he muttered.

"I'm not," June laughed, hushing herself. "It's kind of cute," she paused and pursed her lips when she realised what she said. "I mean...it's probably a form of self encouragement from the past..." she stuttered.

"No therapy stuff okay?" he sat up.

June frowned. "Okay...well thanks for helping me with the memories to wake me up. Shuri told me about it all,"

Bucky glanced at his messy wall of photos. "Memories are weird."

June nodded. "They are. But it's how we interpret them that makes them different."

"Do you remember Hydra?"

June paused. "Not really. No actual memories, just...facts they implanted into my mind."

"I remember. The pain, the torture. But not you."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because you made me." He looked into June's eyes. "When you left for the mission and told me to go to Steve."

June blinked. "I don't remember," Bucky continued to stare at her. "I...don't remember," she began to lie as the memory entered her mind.

Bucky sighed. "Because how else would I have forgotten you if Hydra never brainwashed me after I escaped. I remember you and the feeling."

June fiddled the hem of the sling around her arm. "Maybe I did. But it was probably for good reason."

"Do you remember me from before?" Bucky asked after a moments silence.

"...not much."

"Oh,"

June looked up at him. "But we can make new memories if you want."

Bucky swung his legs around to face her, now sitting on the edge of his bed. "Where do you want to start."

"By being honest. I don't remember much about you from Hydra. But I remember enough to know who you are. I saw you playing with Peter, helping Steve, comforting Nat. You are still the person before Hydra, except now you have a cool metal arm."

Bucky paused. "I remember how much you risked to help the other prisoners. How you hated Hydra. You sacrificed your freedom to save us."

June leaned back on the chair. "I must've been brave and amazing back then," she raised her eyebrows with a laugh.

Bucky suddenly leaned forward kissed her. He held balance by holding onto the back of the chair and the desk, his body hovering over her.

When he parted, June covered her deep breath and let out a gasp. "What..."

"I'm sorry...I don't know...what you said reminded me about--" Bucky stuttered, flustered as he sat back down.

June shook her head. "No, it's...okay...I felt something..." she stood up and perked forward to kiss him back. She place her non-broken hand on his cheek, which made its way up to his temples.

As they kissed, the purple mist wavered around them.

And the lost memories of Hydra flowed into their minds as the two missing pieces of the puzzle connected.

---

The End