Soft Robotics ✧ Bucky Barnes

71. BOUNDARY

"What? Where the fuck is he?"

"He's around," Sam said painedly. "Hangs out in the waiting room. Maybe you can talk some sense into him when you see him."

"I don't have time to worry about Stark. I'm going straight into her room the second we get off the plane, and then I'm not leaving until she's discharged."

"Yeah, try not to come on that strong when you see her."

;

I did go straight to Grace when I got off the jet the next day. Straight into a taxi, then through the hospital to her room. I would've gone right in, but Sam stopped me outside to repeat his advice. "Be less intense. Seriously. Take a second. What are you gonna say? Have you thought about it?"

"I don't know."

"If you don't figure something out, you're gonna end up being intense. It's just in your nature."

"What the fuck do you want me to do?"

"Introduce yourself."

"I will!"

"Then what?"

"Tell her I love her and I'll do anything she needs?"

"You're gonna scare her," he stressed.

Then, a voice from inside the room—"Was that Sam? I swear I just heard Sam outside."

My girl's voice. All sweet and soft. I hadn't heard it in over a month. It was her.

"Oh, maybe," Natasha's voice answered hesitantly. "He might be around. I'm not sure."

"Around? What do you mean? Will he come in and see me?"

"Does she have a thing for you?" I muttered to Sam, just to be sure.

"Yeah," he admitted, apologetic. "I'm the one who found her—I carried her out. She's just a little attached 'cause of that. I was hoping she'd forget about it before you got here."

He'd taken a couple subtle steps away from me as he spoke, tensing.

The thought of it actually fucking ached, but I brushed it off because she just didn't know any better yet. I shook my head. Even opened my palms so Sam would relax. "She'll forget about it. Once she remembers me. Do I look like—myself?"

"What?" Wanda was the one to ask as she came down the hallway, a tray of coffees in hand.

"Is there anything I could do to look more like myself?" I asked her instead. "I'm asking. Look closely. Would you know me if—"

"Just go!" Wanda shoved me through the open door with her free hand, and I could've sworn, the way I stumbled, that it wasn't all muscle. I could've sworn I felt some magic in it.

I straightened, collecting myself inside the room, but I froze when I finally caught sight of her, sitting up in bed, watching me curiously.

"Hi," I said, voice sounding hoarse for no reason, even after I'd just been speaking. I cleared my throat and sank my hands into my pockets. "Hi. I'm Bucky."

"You okay if I leave you alone?" Natasha asked her. She nodded.

Grace motioned for me to take a seat in the chair next to her bed, which Natasha had just vacated. "Step into my office."