The Earth's Child 2

Redoing Scars

TW: This segment will contain self-harm.

Bucky's PoV:

Setting the correct date and time on the dial, Bucky set off to the past.

It was about a year after the snap and things seemed quiet. He was in Wakanda, sitting on the bed of the cottage that he shared with Bella. He heard the key turning in the lock and he looked around, searching for an effective place to hide. He decided that under the bed was fine and he did that.

He couldn't help but smile as Bella entered the cottage, her hair up in a neat bun. Even though she looked normal, Bucky noticed that the twinkle was gone from her eyes. She didn't even smile at the mirror which she had always done after a hard day.

Bella silently ate her dinner, not even bothering to turn on the TV. Then, she slowly went to the wardrobe and pulled out a few of Bucky's clothes. Bucky watched silently, confused as to what she was about to do.

She sniffed at the clothes and then she smiled sadly at one of them, bringing that particular piece to the bed. She folded the others and kept them neatly inside the wardrobe.

Bucky felt a weird tingling sensation in his eyes as tears threatened to brim over when he realised what Bella was about to do. Bella wrapped Bucky's shirt around herself, switching off the light so she could go to sleep, smelling her Bucky.

A few seconds later, a knock was heard.

Bella slowly opened the door and Steve walked in.

"Hey," said Bella sleepily, pulling Bucky's shirt tighter to cover herself. "What are you doing here now? Its pretty late."

"Yes," replied Steve, sitting down on the bed. He didn't look very good. He was shaved and clean but he looked depressed. The expression of defeat in Steve's eyes was very familiar to Bucky and he couldn't miss that. "I just wanted to know if you were alright. Nat said she hasn't seen you in two weeks and honestly, neither have I."

"I am fine, Steve. Thanks for your concern. I really appreciate it."

"You- you cannot stay like this, Bella."

Steve's voice sounded resigned. Bucky couldn't see his face but he knew he was tired.

"What do you mean?" asked Bella.

"This. Bella, this is not normal. You need to move on."

"Move on? What are you asking me to do? Forget him? Date someone else?" Bella's voice was higher than before and Bucky heard the slight tinge of panic in it.

"I am not asking you to forget about him. All I am asking is for you to be normal. You used to be happy before meeting Bucky, right? Can't you go back to being that?"

"So, you are asking me to pretend that I never met him?"

"No. I am asking you to try to be happy. I know it is difficult. It really is. For you, for me, for all of us. But we all have to try. I mean, there really is no-"

"Don't say it, Steve! Don't you dare say that we can do nothing! We will do something and we will bring them back. This can't be it, Steve. They can't just have disappeared!"

"They did."

"No. They just- something went wrong. They will turn up. Eventually. We have to wait for them, we can-"

"Bella. Don't wait for him. As much as I loved him, it hurts me to watch you like this. I am sure he would agree that you deserve better than this."

"I can only wait. And I will. He will be back. This cannot be it, Steve. They will come back, they all will."

Steve sighed heavily and became quiet. It was impossible to argue with Bella and Bucky knew that.