[1] 𝘿𝙀𝙑𝙄𝘼𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 | 𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨

! ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴇɪɢʜᴛʏ-sɪx: ʀᴜɴᴀᴡᴀʏ

➸ 2024
📍TONY's LAKEHOUSE
mistakes present.
╰─────────╯

Galina walked across the white tiled floor, bright lights in her face.

"Lina?"

She turned around and suddenly everything was in black and white. A vintage house setting took place as she stared at Pietro who was in a forties get-up.

"Pietro.." she breathed out and took a couple of steps towards him.

Galina placed a gentle hand on his cheek but his face remained impassive.

"Why did you kill me?"

Her brows knit together. "What?"

She blinked, and when her eyes opened Pietro was suddenly all pale — eyes sunken. The blood smeared across his body in color.

She jolts up in her bed, gasping.

Bucky, who was sleeping on the floor, quickly got up and climbed into the bed beside her — grasping her shoulder and lightly shaking it to get her to snap out of it.

"Hey hey hey...it's just a nightmare." he caressed her cheek with his opposite hand. "You're alright."

Galina let out a deep breath and allowed for her head to fall into her palms. "I'm sorry." she apologized.

"Don't be."

Suddenly, she pulled away from him and rose from the bed, muttering a quick. "I'm checking on Pep," before leaving the room completely.

Bucky stared at the closed door that she had just exited out of, in longing and vexation.

...
📌 KITCHEN

"I'm gonna do the funeral here, I think." Pepper said from the other end of the table, her voice was void of any emotion. "Probably gonna make it small as well — just family and friends."

Galina nodded in understanding, trying to swallow down any emotion she felt for the sake of her friend. "That sounds good."

Pepper gave her a careful once over before speaking in accusation. "Stop swallowing down your pain for my sake."

She pursed her lips and jerkily shrugged. "I'm okay, let me help with all of this stuff so you can rest."

"I'll never be able to rest again without him by my side." she comments. "And you'll never be able to rest without him, Pietro, and Natasha in your life anymore."

A pang of pain hit her heart, but she swallowed it down and took a deep breath. "I'm okay, really, let me help you." she reassuringly smiled. "I can take care of Morgan and everything else, just relax."

Pepper gave her a small smile, although it didn't reach her eyes. "Lina, you need to stop bottling everything up — the grief, the pain — because one day that bottle is gonna explode."

If she allowed herself to feel, she'll break and everything would fall apart.

She can't afford to not be strong — she needs to be strong for Pep, for Wanda, for the kids.