The Hurt And The Healing: Bucky X OC

Chapter Seventy Two: The Punchline

 "Hi, Dr. Grover. This is Bucky- James Barnes. Listen, I know it's Saturday and I know your office is closed and I know it's too fucking early for clients to be calling you, but-" He inhaled sharply, unsure of how much he could bring himself to say over the phone without her there to pull it out of him. "Shit hit the fan last night and Mara and I are trying to deal with it, but one of us is about to do something incredibly stupid and I'm not sure which one of us that is so..." his voice trailed off and he pinched his brow. "Whatever fee there is for an emergency session, I'll pay it. I'll pay triple your rate, fund a whole damn vacation to the Bahamas, whatever it takes. Just, please call me back as soon as you can." He paused and tried to think of anything else that he had forgotten to mention. "Alright," he said awkwardly, thinking of none. "Bye."

He hung up and stared at his phone screen, willing it to light up with the good doctor calling him back immediately. The sooner she called back the less time Bucky had to remember last night.

Last night. What had happened last night? He'd endangered Mara for his own selfish desires. He'd hurt her, made her bleed in her own home. He glanced down at the spot where he guessed her head had struck the ground and was relieved to see that there was no blood. Her hair had hidden the majority of her injury, but before she fell asleep he'd insisted on taking a comb and checking her scalp to assess the wound. The cut was shallow and mostly dried by the time he found it, and Mara had continually reminded him that head wounds always looked worse than they were. But none of that changed the fact that it was his fault she'd shed any blood in the first place.

She still loved him, for some reason that he had yet to understand. She was probably throwing her life away, but even concussed she made some damn good arguments for why he couldn't leave her, and because he was a selfish man he'd listened. But selfishness was finally giving way to concern, and he knew that Dr. Grover would hear that he had nearly killed Mara and insist that they break up.

He didn't want Dr. Grover to say that. On the contrary, he hoped that she would take Mara's side and between the two doctors they'd be able to make him understand just how he was supposed to stay with someone that he could kill at any moment. But Dr. Grover had promised to do what was best for them both, and that included telling Mara to run for the hills before she ended up like so many other women who swore that they could "fix" the assholes who hurt them.

"If you stare at that spot any longer I think the floor's gonna catch on fire," Mara teased, her voice raspy from sleep. He looked up to see her leaning against the doorway that led to the bedrooms.

"I'm just making sure I didn't stain your carpet," he said seriously, walking over to her in a single stride and cupping her face. He turned her head up to him and checked her pupils in the light.

"Nothing baking soda and vinegar can't fix," she said with a shrug, gently batting away his hands. "I'm fine, Bucky."

"You're probably concussed," he said worriedly.

"Still fine."

"You should see a doctor."

"I am a doctor," she reminded him, patting his chest before trying to side-step him. He blocked her with his arm and leaned down, kissing the top of her head. She sighed and tipped her forehead against his chest.

"Speaking of doctors..." she began slowly.

"Already left a voice mail for Dr. Grover," he assured her, lips skimming her hair. She still smelled like eucalyptus.

"Nothing more attractive than a man who schedules his own therapy appointments," she teased, looking up at him and lightly kissing him. "I'm sure she'll call back soon. In the meantime, I'm starving."