I'll Keep This Secret For You

Chapter 68

Author's Note: I don't want to spoil what's ahead but just know in advance that I've never actually experienced it before so apologies if it's triggering or unrealistic, Im just going off of what I've heard of... I'm sure you'll know what I'm talking about when it comes to it.

Your POV:

You would think that after last night, things couldn't get much worse. That now that everything was out there it would all start to get better. However that was not the case. In fact it all starts the minute you and Bucky first hop out of bed.

"I'll go get the paper from outside if you put the kettle on." He mumbles as the two of you shuffle out of the room when it was just starting to get light out.

You nod sleepily, rubbing your eyes and head for the kitchen, feeling the warmth of his body peel away from your side and a rush of icy wind come in as he opens the door, the wind whistling. It seems bad out there today. As you fill up the kettle you think back to what he told you last night and shudder - not just from the cold. It's awful. He hasn't said another word about it since but you know he's thinking about it.

You have your back turned but hear the door swing open and assume that Bucky comes back inside as it closes quickly behind him. Thinking it's odd that there was no complaint about the cold, you turn to him after a few seconds. You're about to thank him when you stop, seeing the look on his face.

He holds the paper, obviously having started reading the first page. But he's fixated on it, his eyes wide with horror, his brow creased and his mouth slightly ajar. He takes slow steps towards you but doesn't look up as he's too caught up in it. You can tell by his expression that it's not just some interesting story, it's something serious.

"Buck what's up?" You ask tentatively. "Whatcha reading?"

He looks up at you with worried, scared eyes and a quivering lip before slamming the paper down on the table and looking at you in shock. You can't miss the big, bold, black headline and immediately your blood runs cold but you still go on to read.

BUCKY BARNES, BETTER OFF BEFORE?

If you haven't heard of the case involving the capture of Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes, best known as Captain America's best friend and side kick by the Nazi science division, Hydra, then you would probably be asked if you have been hiding under a rock for the past six months. While out on a mission to stop the group, Barnes was taken and held for four months while experiencing extreme mistreatment and put under heavy torture.

Of course no one would come out of that unscathed but we were told that after months of rehabilitation Barnes was well on the road to recovery, was doing fine and would be back on track very soon. However it appears that that this is not so much the case after hearing from a witness yesterday afternoon:

"Sergeant James Barnes was at the pool yesterday afternoon with his family. They looked like any regular family you know, just having a good time together. You wouldn't suspect any different if you didn't know them. That was until at one point when Bucky was playing with his two eldest children and they pushed him under the water it appeared that he had some sort of episode. He burst out of the water looking awfully frightened and after taking a few seconds to recover he still very obviously was not himself. His family could see it too from the shocked expressions on their faces and it wasn't long before he urgently removed himself from the water and seemed to go hide in the changing rooms. His wife quickly followed after him and it was a long time before they came back out. After that they left immediately with Bucky still looking very shaken. It was like he was having some sort of flashback, triggered by something that reminded him of whatever happened during the time he was taken by Hydra."