Frost

Chapter 40

The last Hydra base

"I thought I'd find you here," Steve said, and Ivy turned her head toward him. She was sitting in Bucky's room with her back against his bed while his brown jacket rested on her shoulders. Steve stepped into the room a little and Ivy could tell he was in an as bad state as she was. He was formally dressed, but the bags under his eyes revealed that he had slept as poorly as she had. Ivy and Steve hadn't seen each other for the past few days. They had both been closest to Bucky and both were afraid to face the other. Both had lost Bucky and both had seen his death.

Both had needed distance. Maybe it was wrong or selfish, but looking at the other brought up memories, memories of Bucky. Steve knew it had been wrong to leave Ivy alone. He should have been with her. She had needed him, because only the two of them could relate to each other's pain. Bucky would have wanted Steve to take care of Ivy when he could no longer do it himself.

"Don't stand there like a stranger," Ivy said with a small smile, tapping her hand on the ground next to her. Steve returned the small sad smile and sat down next to her. The two sat quietly next to each other for a few minutes. It felt wrong to break the silence. Steve's eyes drifted to Bucky's jacket, which Ivy was wearing and he smiled.

"He loved that jacket. And he loved it more when you wore it" he whispered with a smile as he remembered the time Ivy had come into their lives. Ivy pulled the jacket a little closer to her body and looked up at Steve to meet his gaze. "He loved you, more than anything. He was crazy about you, it was bad" Steve laughed hoarsely and Ivy smiled weakly as her swollen eyes filled with tears again. "He couldn't stop talking about you. He even started reading some romantic books to have a conversation with you."

"I didn't know that," Ivy whispered, her eyes wide. Steve smiled gently at her. "I think he had even started looking for apartments" he said thoughtfully. Steve glanced over at Ivy and saw her sad look as she clutched Bucky's dog tag. He gently put an arm around her shoulder and hugged her, sighing. Ivy rested her head against his shoulder and gazed around the empty room.

"He would have wanted us to be happy" Steve whispered and Ivy smiled sadly. "I don't think I can be that without him" she whispered and Steve pressed her a little closer. "We have to at least try. If not for ourselves, then for him. Somehow" Steve said and Ivy remained silent. Her hand still clutched Bucky's dog tag. It calmed her a little down, made her feel like a piece of Bucky was still with her.

"Will the pain go away eventually?" she asked softly, and Steve shrugged. "I don't know. I think we'll just learn to live with it and deal with it" Steve replied and Ivy nodded thoughtfully. "You're not going to leave me, are you?" asked Ivy quietly, looking up at Steve. She was afraid of losing more people. Steve was like an older brother to her and Ivy really couldn't imagine losing him too.

"I'm staying with you and I'm sorry I haven't been the last few days" Steve said regretfully as he returned her gaze. Ivy smiled softly and didn't seem mad at him.  She understood his actions and feelings the best right now. "The main thing is that you are here" she said with a small smile that Steve returned. He pressed a soft kiss on her forehead and slowly started to stand up. Ivy looked at him a little confused.

"Phillips has ordered a meeting. Will you be there?" he asked uncertainly. He knew Phillip's  and meetings weren't exactly Ivy's interests. Especially since Phillip's still saw Ivy as a threat. He kept a low profile in recent days because he needed Howard and his guns. Phillip's had respect for Ivy, but she was different. People tended to be afraid of change. Ivy was a change that nature had created. People would always be afraid of her, no matter how good her heart was.

"I guess I have to start moving on somehow."

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