𝗕𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗬 𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗦 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗦

Fireworks

SONG REQUEST FOR THIS CHAPTER: CIGARETTE DAYDREAMS by CAGE THE ELEPHANT

673 Words

The gratification of being a part of the Avengers is always a bonus. You save people's lives and also get to see the positive effect you have on people. So, when Tony announced that the city was putting on a display in honour of us, we were all ecstatic. It was a surprise and we were told to stand in the garden and wait. It's cold and dark as we all stand on the grass, wrapped up in many layers after eating dinner and showering after the mission. It wasn't meant to be huge, but after one of the opposing men slipped through the cracks and almost got away, we had to chase him through the city. A group of men were attempting to capture the employees of the local bank and traffic them. But, when they sniffed us out, they all tried to run. When we thought that we had them all, one of them got away and almost got people killed. Luckily, we got him before any real and dangerous damage was done.

Now, we all stand with glasses in our hands, waiting for whatever event the city has for us to occur. My coat wraps around my body, the inner fur keeping me warm. Natasha stands next to me, hugging Wanda as they share a blanket. On my other side, stands Bucky, talking to Steve and Sam. I don't mind that no one is talking to me. I just want to watch the display and then go to bed. The mission made me so exhausted that-

Bang.

We all stop as we look up into the sky. All the chatter, movement and distractions halt as we all watch the display to honour us for our work. The loud noise makes me jolt, the glass slipping from my hand and dropping onto the grass, making the liquid seep into the dirt.

Fireworks.

Mental flashes slurg in my mind, making my posture straighten and my body go numb. I'm lying on the floor under my bed, my hand covering my mouth and muffling my breathing. My older brother's heavy footsteps coming from the hallway outside my bedroom make tears silently fall down my cheeks. It's been a while since the last gunshot went off in my parent's bedroom and I don't know when I should get out and run.

One minute we're getting ready for bed, and the next my older brother is running around the house with my father's gun, screaming how he needs to kill us.

The light under the crack of my door reflects a shadow, stopping behind my closed door. I close my eyes as I hear the creaking of the door, and the footsteps walking over to my bed. Then, they stop. My breathing intensifies and my body goes rigid. I have no idea what to do.

"Y/N, run!" My mother's voice screams.

The memory ends as I feel a pair of arms wrap around my body, pulling me to its chest. I look up from the firm chest, seeing Bucky looking up at the sky. He must have sensed me watching him, and looked down at me, smiling. It isn't a warm smile, more of a sympathetic one.

"It's okay, I'm here." He strokes a piece of loose hair behind my ear.

He and Natasha are the only ones in the group that know what my brother did when I was 8. He knows that when a loud noise, especially something that sounds like a gunshot, I go into a coma-like state. He also knows how to comfort me and how to do it so it doesn't look suspicious. I don't want everyone to know about it. I just want to move on, and I trust Bucky to know my secret. We're able to bond and help each other with our trauma, which he is effectively doing now. My breathing slows down as I hold onto his body for dear life, watching the fireworks and the sound of gunshots slowly slipping out of my mind.