Daybreak (Bucky Barnes Fan Fiction)

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"It's not that easy, Joey." I crinkled my brows together and rubbed my forehead. "I-I can't."

"You're alone in Rochester and you need to be around people who want to help you. I'm in the FBI, Widia, and before that I served for the Navy. You don't think I know what it's like to—,"

"Joey. You're pushing it." I gritted out through my teeth, eyes tightly shut. My heart was racing and breathing became hard. "You're.... You're testing my boundaries."

He was silent and I was thankful for that. He gave me time to breathe correctly before he whispered.

"I have friends who have difficulty fitting in, Widia. It's common among—,"

"How old are Zoey and Eli now?" I folded my hands into my lap as I spoke. I wasn't hungry to begin with and now, I didn't even want to attempt to eat.

"Zoey is thirteen and Eli will be eight the third of April. Can you make it to his birthday this year?"

April was a long ways away from now.

"It's hard to tell, Joey. I've got a.... a difficult schedule."

Joey nodded his head and then looked to his watch.

"Should we go see Zachie-poo?"

I nodded my head slowly, feeling my chest start to ache.

———

I held Joey's arm, allowing him to guide me through the cemetery. My phone vibrated in my pocket, causing me to pull it out and check it.

From: Natasha
The boys are getting antsy here especially Cap

To: Natasha
Tell him if he doesn't trust me go ahead and leave.

My patience weren't the greatest at this point in the day so frankly, I didn't care about the fugitives I was trying to help right now.

"Who was that?" Joey asked, glancing over to me as I tucked my phone into the pocket of my jacket.

"None of your business."

He chuckled softly and patted my hand. In the hand connected to the arm that I held, Joey had a giant, red velvet cupcake and balloons saying 'Happy Birthday' for Riggs.

"How old is he, anyways? Sixty-three?"

"Thirty-five." I replied quietly. I knew he was trying to joke, to make the situation brighter, but it wasn't working.

We came to a stop at the grave of Zachary Clay Riggs. I let Joey go and knelt down beside the headstone. I kissed my hand and then placed my fingers on the headstone. My phone vibrated in my pocket but I ignored it. My vision of the gray colored headstone blurred as tears came to my eyes.

"I miss him too, Widia." Joey rubbed my shoulder.

"I can't stay for too long, Joey." I brushed the tears away. "He would understand."

"What're your plans for the rest of the day? You could come by the house and have dinner with Beth and me and the kids." Joey suggested.

"I-I really can't." I shook my head as I sat down on my backside. My heart was telling me to stay, that the four back at the motel would be okay without me for the rest of the day. My mind, however, told me differently. Joey knelt down beside me and took my hand. I wanted to pull away, to stop touching him, but I didn't. As much as he pissed me off, he was my family.

———

I stayed with Riggs for a couple hours before I decided I really did need to leave.