𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐄 | barnes¹

vii. always a liability

She considered telling her best friends about what happened but just couldn't get herself to do it. She didn't want to drag them into her issues, burdening them with a problem that wasn't even their own. So she spared them the sob story in hopes that it would stay in the past.

It was easier to pretend that nothing had happened.

Besides, once she started spilling one secret, there was a risk of them all coming out. Including her being inexplicably in love with Bucky. She was too paranoid that the truth would come out and that he wouldn't reciprocate the feeling. Their friendship would be ruined and Steve would no doubt stay on Bucky's side.

She couldn't risk losing the two best people in her life.

She couldn't be alone again.

The teenagers sat in Science class, with Lucy being the only one who was paying attention. She indulged in her love for the subject by taking detailed notes and listening to each word that Mrs. Sullivan spoke.

Bucky looked like he was about to fall asleep, barely able to hold his head up by resting it on his fist.

Steve, on the other hand, looked like a mess. Thanks to the constant stormy weather, he had been having bad asthma episodes for the entire week prior. Lucy and Bucky immediately noticed when they were walking to school together, asking the blonde if he was feeling okay.

Steve shrugged it off, telling them not to worry about it. Not that either of them listened. They kept glancing at him during the class, frowning at how he seemed to worsen by the minute.

The poor boy was slumped over in his seat, wheezing while trying to control his coughs. He kept adjusting his position, trying to relieve the ache in his chest.

Lucy and Bucky shared a concerned look towards the end of the class, silently agreeing to take him to the nurse right when the bell rang.

Once class was over, they both hopped up from their seats, about to tell Steve that he needed to get checked out. Before they could say a word, Steve stood. His head spun from the oxygen deprivation, sending him straight to the ground.

Bucky was able to dive forward and catch him, preventing what would have been a nasty fall. He supported Steve's body while Lucy made her way to the door. "I'll go get the nurse."

Bucky could see that Steve was practically turning blue at this point, on the verge of panicking. "Come on, Steve." He cursed under his breath, hoping that Lucy wouldn't take too long.

Lucy brought the nurse to the room and the woman quickly decided a hospital visit was necessary. This wasn't Bucky's first time seeing Steve go off to the hospital, but it never got easier. With all of Steve's ailments, he was still lucky to be alive.

That was how Bucky and Lucy found themselves sitting in the hospital, waiting to hear what Steve's status was. They took him to the one where Sarah worked, so she promised to update the two as soon as she could.

Lucy's knee was bouncing up and down and she was rubbing her chest, a nervous habit that she picked up over the years.

Bucky was up and pacing around the waiting room. He would sit for a moment and then jump up, unable to stay still because of his nerves.

"Bucky, come sit." Lucy patted the seat next to him and watched him sigh in defeat. He walked over to her, collapsing in the chair and putting his head in his hands. Lucy rubbed a hand over his back, knowing that no words could make him feel better.

She was trying to soothe him, all while keeping herself calm. Once he felt her touch, he sat up and leaned his head onto her shoulder. She kissed his temple before laying her own head on top of his.