THE FADING FALLEN ● Bucky Barnes X OC ● 18+ ● ENGLISH [COMPLETE]

Chapter 18

Bucky knew even without looking in the mirror that she must mean his face. It was burning like fire. So did the rest of his skin, which had fallen victim to the hot stream of water.

He said nothing as the far more bearable pain settled like a blanket over the memories.

Steadily, his heartbeat slowed to a normal pulse, while Emilia's continued to skyrocket.

Bucky saw her face now change color with rage. And he didn't know why, but there was something reassuring about the restless glint in her eyes.

"I have no idea what the point of that was... But before you do something crazy like that again, let me know first! Then I'll be more than willing to help you with your damn self-masochistic habits!"

Emilia snapped her fingers, whereupon a small flame flared menacingly between them and immediately disappeared.

He continued to remain silent. Her quick-tempered manner and insults failed to draw him out.

Ignoring her, he walked past her, still bedraggled, grabbing a towel and drying his hair as he strode toward the door.

Perplexed that he didn't respond or say a word, she went after him.

"Hey, Sergeant! Have you lost your tongue?!"

Bucky stopped abruptly, whereupon she nearly crashed into his broad back.

"What are you doing here?" His voice sounded calm. Neither reproachful, nor mad.

When Emilia didn't answer, he turned to face her. His eyes settled on her like a leaden tsunami.

Although he seemed calm, it was raging inside him. She couldn't make out everything, but much of it was due to what he must have gone through moments before.

The realization of this cut through her anger like an executioner's axe.

Her concern, mixed with incomprehension and fear over what he had done, turned to pure regret.

"I... um..." She didn't know what to say and looked nervously at the floor.

Actually, she had no reason to be here. Not in that bathroom, not in this room, and certainly not near Bucky.

She had long ago resolved to stay out of his way - as best she could. After all, she didn't want to be the one who kept reminding him of the worst time of his life and triggering any flashbacks.

She had no right to reproach him about how he was coping with what he had gone through. It took decades before he finally had the opportunity to make his own decisions about his life again. So now he should be able to do so.

"I'm sorry. You'll know what you're doing."

Without looking at him another time, she disappeared from the bath. Only a few seconds after that, Bucky heard the soft whirring of the door.

"And again, I didn't get an answer", he muttered to himself.

He thought back to the day he was put into cryostasis in Wakanda.

He still had no answer to the question of what Emilia had thanked him for back then.

And even now he wasn't getting one about why she had just walked into his room.

A small part of him wanted to believe that she was worried about him. But the far larger one swallowed that little ray of hope back into the shallows of his self-doubt.

Turning around, he noticed the book on the floor and picked it up.

The thought of giving it back to her at that very moment flew away... but not the almost imperceptible smile that settled on his lips.