To a Friend

Bucky Imagine 1

Hey! This Imagine might be triggering for a few of you, as it talks about abuse, so read with caution! If you're okay with that, then please enjoy!

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James Buchanan Barnes had been through literal torture, so it wasn't a surprise to see him in your support group. Well, it was, but thinking about all that he had been through, it wasn't too surprising. 

That was how you met Bucky, before he really told everyone in the group who he was. He had been brainwashed and forced to hurt others. He had been covered in scars not only from the war but from humanity deciding to play cruel games with an innocent man. No one in the group had been through exactly what he had been through, but a few had experienced similar circumstances. 

You still had some physical scars from your previous ex, but the emotional and mental ones from your childhood were the worst of all. You don't know why you were drawn to him, but you thought it might be because of your empathetic nature. You had supported a lot of the people in your support group, but you felt like Bucky needed it most of all. You invited him to a cafe near your house once so that the two of you could talk more privately, and it quickly became a weekly thing. Then a twice weekly thing. And then it became a daily thing, the two of you hanging out at the cafe or a park, somewhere where neither of your triggers would easily startle you. 

But of course, your triggers have ways of sneaking up on you when you least expect them. They have ways of reverting you back to a child, terrified and confused, and you might not be the same for a few days afterwards. 

It was a peaceful day, late afternoon where it was warm but not unbearably hot and the sun was slowly beginning to go down. You and Bucky had just gotten done grabbing a snack at the cafe, and now you were finishing the day by walking through a park you and Bucky had sort of claimed as your own one lonely night not too long ago. 

"It's nice to be able to get out like this," Bucky remarks. "It's a lot better than being locked up where you don't have any decent human interaction." Bucky was wearing his jacket to keep himself warm when night fell, as well as to keep his arm hidden. You wish he didn't have to feel like he had to keep himself hidden away, but you also knew what a lot of people thought about him. You hope he can have more decent human interactions than negative human interactions. 

"I agree," you say. "The fresh air, the birds and squirrels, the plant life; it's all just so amazing. You know what's kind of funny?"

"What?" 

"Back when I was kid, I always fantasized about running off into the woods and becoming a Disney princess. Or maybe a villain. They're pretty cool." 

"You really wanted to be a Disney princess?" Bucky asks, looking down to you with a small grin. 

"I just wanted to be a Disney princess to talk to the animals," you say. "I would've rather been a villain because I'd get to have people to boss around."

"The villains are always defeated, though." 

"Yeah, well if any heroes ever came to defeat me, I'd just retire and run off with all my minions and animal friends. Probably in the Bahamas or something." You and Bucky share a small laugh. "Is it sad that I still kind of wish I could be a princess? Running around, talking to animals, and marrying a prince?"

"No, I don't think so. Everyone wants a happy ending." 

The sky was slowly turning orange, but you knew that you and Bucky would most likely be out past dark anyways. You and Bucky were slowly building trust in people through each other. He needed help knowing that there were more good people out there than just a few of his friends, and you needed help trusting men and people in particular.